Australia s33

[Vos]

NT season 33 ; even worse !

After 2 seaons with bad NT calendars, I was hoping ánd assuming that it would be better now, but it is getting even worse.
Because now there is a mountain time trial, and Australia does not have climb-TT-specialists.
And in such a race, I cannot compensate the lack of quality by a good tactical race, so this mountain TT race is a certain zero points.
It is even very ironic that a mountain TT race makes a NT season calendar unsuited,
because in by far the most of previous seasons, it would have been very benificial to Australia.
An unfortunate timing of the 2nd time ever that a mountain TT race is on a NT calendar.

With a hills TT race instead of the mountain TT race, this calendar would have looked better.
Also a hills-sprint race is much more prefered than a flat-sprint race.
I guess that Australia needs a new NT manager for next season, because I have too much bad luck in this game.
No doubt to me, that when someone else takes over, that there will be 2 cobblehills races next season.   

Anyway, it is what it is. But battling for a podiumplace seems out of the question. A miracle is needed to achieve that.
Because even if(= very unlikely ) this season goes more than perfect in all 5 tactical races,
still it wil depend on the other countries ; they need some bad races ánd they need to devide the points more or less equaly.


season 33 schedule =

1.   Catalonia  HFFFH  191 km
⭐
Australia does not have high ranked hills specialists, and I can use the same text as in previous season :
"But despite Derek Jons is ranked as pure-hills specialist, I estimate that he seems quite capable of scoring points in this flat-hills race.
Although, due to the hard wind, this race is tactically very difficult and even unpredictable. A disaster race + 0 points is possible too".
In previous season Derek Jons finished as 11th in a FFFFH race, what was a pretty good result.

2.   Duitama  MMMMM  265 km
⭐⭐⭐
Australia has a top contender with Rick Cann ( nr 5 pure-climb of CFF ), but his support is not good enough.
In previous season he finished as 7th in a pure climb race, what was bad and even embarrassing.
On the bright side, Rick Cann won this Duitama race back in season 30, in a tactical superb race.
But on the less bright side, now he has to do it without the important s4 helper.

3.   Champs-Élysées  FFFFF  144,5 km
⭐
Maybe for the first time ever, there is no top-flat-sprinter anymore, the excellent generation Stamer-Blix-Janson is too old now.
Probably it is up to a less good 25yo teamcaptain now, who should be able to score a few points if the tactics go very well.

4.   Eure-et-Loir  TT-FFFFF  53 km
⭐⭐
In previous season an all time low record of just 110 points in a NT flat time trial.
But I had the impression that Australia was very unfortunate, so, one star extra in the hope that now it will be an "average-luck" TT.
Of course, with the most unlucky CFF manager as Australian NT manager, this hope is probably in vain.

5.   Île-de-France  FFFHC^ 134 km
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Australia is amazing in cobblehills, and in previous season the best scoring nation with a total of 320 points.
And we are even stronger now, with the new 24yo teamcaptain Shaun Sifford, the nr 2 in the CFF ranking.

6.   Col d'Eze  TT-MMMMM  10 km
zero stars
Well, to look at this race in a positive way ; this is an excellent opportunity to select many young xp-cyclists.

7.   Virginia  CCCCC  259 km
⭐⭐
Bob Pernom ( nr 7 flat-cobble ranking ) should do well if the tactics go right.
In previous season he had a good result with a 5th place in a CFFCC race.
But he likes cobble races with flat sections much more, than this long distance pure cobble race. Still, he should be able to finish top10.

[Vos]

Australia u24 ( 96 cyclists ) :


An all time low record of only one( ! ) Australian in the u23 Dream Team.
A promising hills-sprinter. Unfortunately, very rare that a hills-sprint race is on the NT calendar. I estimate it happened just once or twice.
But there is a better 22yo flat-sprinter, not in the u23 DT, but he might become the future Australian flat-sprint-teamcaptain.

CFF u23 Dream Team =
sprint
6.  Paul Pursley  ( 22, Aurora_Australis )


Everyone good luck with recruiting and scouting in Australia ! 

[Aurora Australis]

I'm afraid that both Gayfords have low talent.  A couple of mine are ok, but I'm still seeking better.

[Vos]

RACE 1 : Catalunya

17ºC

Mataró, a town on the Costa del Maresme, 30 km north-east of Barcelona,
In the picture the epic battle between Roglič and Evenepoel in the Volta a Catalunya of this year.
Hopefully Derek Jons is inspired by this, and can score some points.

Australia NT selection :

Derek Jons ( 31 ) ZG
Virgil Seaman ( 28 ) Álvaro_Pino_Boys
Oliver Lewis ( 25 ) azerite
Callum Carpenter ( 33 ) TeaMetal
Pete Dix ( 25 ) KL_Cycling_Team
Alex Bird ( 31 ) ZwolseBalletjes
Kirk Middleton ( 29 ) KL_Cycling_Team
Rick Dudgeon* ( 24 ) IKIBASQUE    ( debut )
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante

[horace_vr]

I think I pulled the best TT rider I ever pulled, AND on day 1 (actually day 0); now let's see the talent... But I have a good feeling here, after 3 seasons of good, but not great, pulls (and no talent 5s...)
I am sure Vos will publish the U20 top quite soon

[Vos]

Normally it takes about one week before I publish the u20 lists,
because I don't like empty spaces and only after Australia has 15 x 19yo's, then I will publish it.
But who knows, Horace, if you can persuade everyone to send their scout to Australia, probably I can publish it tomorrow already. 

Duke Jons looks good. 
But of course and as you know, high TR + excellent training are of big influence if he will be great or not. Let's hope his TR is very high.

[Vos]

An odd race that made not much sense to me, maybe except for that luck and wind must have played a big and erratic role.
But in hinside it did not matter how the race went, because Australia scored a pretty good result :

9    Derek Jons      31   0: 17"   130      ZG

[Vos]

I am sure Vos will publish the U20 top quite soon

Your Duke Jons made it into the u22 list as only 19yo.



Australia u22 ( 57 cyclists ) :

[Vos]

RACE 2 : COLOMBIA

16ºC

Duitama, Colombia ;
Hopefully a top result of Rick Cann ( nr 5 pure-climb-ranking ), despite that his support is most likely not good enough to help in s4.
Rick Cann is familiar with this Duitama WC race, because in his career it was twice on the NT calendar ; 1º in s30, and 7º in s29.

Australia has just 6 cyclists with a golden pure-climb icon, incl. the 34yo Mitchum, a free cyclist who will not be selected.
All 5 others are selected, and it is clear that there is nothing behind this 30yo climb-generation.
It is up to the 22yo climb-generation to take over in 2 or 3 seasons. A promising generation for climb races with 1 or 2 flat sections.

Already 2 xp cyclists are selected, and I will select 2 more xp cyclists later this week.
That could be your Australian 19yo toptalent, so, send your scout to Down Under, thank you !

edit ; today the last 2 xp cyclists are selected ; a 21yo climbhills-supertoptalent & a 22yo pure-climb-talent makes his debut.

Australia NT selection :

Rick Cann ( 30 ) RealMurciaCycling
Ken Holland ( 30 ) Shiro_Lions
Allan Sheehan ( 30 ) Stuttgarter
Rick Pierre ( 30 ) ZG
Stu Vaughn ( 33 ) Kelme4ever
- - - - - - - - - -
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante
Gordon Kettrey ( 20 ) PDM_cycling_team
Ashley Pinkman ( 21 ) Plopsala
Liam Curly ( 22 ) BoletusEdulis    ( debut )

[B.E-L]

I will send my scout to Australia to look for some climbers 

[Vos]

Formidable ! 

[Vos]

I think I pulled the best TT rider I ever pulled

Duke Jones looks good. And I don't want this forum-post to be a bummer, 
but hopefully you will be éven móre lucky and pull a 19yo Australian who looks like this 19yo Latvian TT specialist :
https://www.cyclingforfun.org/cff/vision.php?ciclistaid=237892

Super impressive, probably one of the best I have ever seen.
But again ; high TR + excellent training are of big influence. Also with such an amazing supertop talent.

[B.E-L]

I hope he has a very low talent 

[Vos]

I can imagine that, and I share your hope. 
We don't want such future rivals for Kettrey, who I like a lot, including his development, so far you're doing a great job B.E-L. 

And it seems that Horace is ( finally ! ) a bit more lucky in pulling, 
because he has another promising 19yo now, in theory less good as his other 19yo and for sure less good than the 20yo Kettrey.
But I like Keith McClure due to his nice hill-stat as extra + 2 weather icons as extra.
I don't think he will become a hills-TT-specialist, but he could be excellent in TT-FFFFH and that 19,2 km semi-hills-WC-TT-FFFF^F.
Anyway, nice to see that Horace is finally lucky, and hopefully his luck continues and he pulls something like that Latvian dude.

I'm recruiting and scouting in climbers, but so far no luck and just one had a salary above 800 but by far not good enough.
So far there are already 8 x 19yo Australians,
let's hope I can add that with at least one 19yo SPORTLIFE talent, because a list with my team name in it, looks much nicer. 

Good luck everyone with recruiting and scouting ! 

And what is below, I mentioned a few times before, but the last time is almost 2 years ago, so, time to post it again.
Hopefully there will be a new wave of promising 19yo Australians this season, and I know someone who is not expecting that : 

[Vos]

Australia u20 ( 15 cyclists ) :