Australia s33

[Vos]

solo victory ! 
1    Rick Cann      30   0: 00"   300      RealMurciaCycling

Two countries scored more points in this race ; current leader Switzerland ( 390 ) and world champion Italy ( 435 ).
Australia moved up from 10th to 5th in the season ranking.
For what it is worth, because most likely Australia cannot battle for a podiumplace.
But so far it is going very well. And with already one NT race victory, it is not a "wasted" season without a price.

Next week we are going to a very hot and sunny Paris, to sprint on the Champs-Élysées.

[Vos]

Australia u20 ( 17 cyclists ) :

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RACE 3 : Champs-Élysées

35ºC

Paris, France ;
Australia has 5 golden sprinters, and all are selected. But maybe 2 of them will drop to silver before this NT race 3.
There is a big GV gap behind these 5, so, the old 33yo sprinters are certainly needed as helpers.
Even an old 33yo sprinter will be the teamcaptain, despite the sprint GV of the 25yo Odom is approx. 0,1 better.
But Stamer is almost twice as much experienced ánd he has an active* sun icon. Hopefully he is still good enough to score points.

Young sprinter D. Gayford is selected as semi-helper & xp-cyclist, and also Sifford gets an xp selection.
The last 2 xp-cyclists will be selected later. Edit ; Today the last 2 are selected.

Australia NT selection :

Horace Stamer* ( 33 ) TeamEuroscalt
Pete Odom ( 25 ) Cabrasverdes
Virgil Kelly ( 25 ) Rekutxuteam
Adrian Janson ( 33 ) SanJose
Rob Blixter ( 33 ) RajenKujen
Dan Gayford ( 22 ) PescaraBike
Bob Pernom ( 29 ) TeamEuroscalt
Rick Cann ( 30 ) RealMurciaCycling
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante

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1    Melchior Morel      28   0: 00"   300      SPORTLIFE 
2    Rick Post      27   0: 00"   250      AJ_Visma
3    Horace Stamer      33   0: 00"   225      TeamEuroscalt
- - - - -
19    Pete Odom      25   0: 25"   20      Cabrasverdes

An amazing result !!!
Only current sprint world champion Post ( GB ) and the best ranked flat sprinter Morel ( FRA ) were better.

Four nations scored more points on the Champs-Élysées, but Australia moved up from 5th to 3rd in the season ranking.

Next week a bit windy and hot flat time trial ( 53km ) that starts in Bonneval, just 120km southwest of Paris.
In 2 weeks the start is even closer to Paris. And in 3 weeks the start is also in France, near Nice.
Only the last NT race 7 requires a long journey to the USA.

[Vos]

RACE 4 : time trial in Eure-et-Loir

32ºC

Bonneval, France ,
In previous season an Australian all-time low record of just 110 points in a flat time trial.
The best 8 TT-specialists are exactly the same as in previous season, and hopefully this time more luck ánd more points.
The last one will be selected later, probably an xp cyclist. Edit ; today the last one is selected.

Australia NT selection :

Sammy Alfier ( 30 ) Thorboassonarvesen
Rick Herd ( 30 ) SPORTLIFE
Maurice Hunter ( 31 ) SPORTLIFE
Steve Boit ( 30 ) Bergtoppers
Edward Garza* ( 25 ) Catalonia_Team
Baron Ferdinand ( 30 ) Nibbixwoud
Dean Butcher* ( 25 ) DeporGalegoOscense
Pat Foley ( 31 ) bestiesnegres
- - - - - - - - - -
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante

[Vos]

7    Sammy Alfier      30   0: 09"   150      Thorboassonarvesen

A good result of the best Australian, but none of the other Australians had a lucky race.
Well, at least this time trial is 40 points better as the all-time low record of previous season.

Six countries scored more points, and of course including Italy ( 715 ) that was again by far the best in the time trial.
Italy is the leader in the season ranking with an enormous gap towards all other nations.
To my big surprise, Australia moved up from 3rd to 2nd, with these just 150 TT-points.   

But many nations are close by, and NT race 6 is a climb-time-trial where I expect zero points.
Hopefully that can be compensated a bit by excellent results in the upcoming flat-cobblehills NT race 5.

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Australia u20 ( 25 cyclists ) :

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RACE 5 :  Île-de-France


19ºC

Chatou, 18km west of Paris-centre, France,
At the moment Australia has 23 cobblehills-specialists, and many were very close to be selected. Unfortunately I could select just 9.

Even the 23yo golden Noel Embley does not get his debut yet, because of the extreme fierce Australian competition for a spot in the NT.
But it looks promising that Embly, due to his amazing high flat, will make it into the elite-top-selection in future NT flat-cobblehills races.

Despite that Australia has a real top team, it is no guarantee for top results in this tactical hard, unpredictable race, even without wind.
Let's hope it goes very well, because Australia needs a lot of points now, to compensate the zero-points-climb-TT of next week.

I'm still a little bit in doubt who the teamcaptain will be. Sifford is the best Australian in the CFF cobblehills ranking.
But he is not great in the flat sections, compared to some other Australians who have also a CFF top ranking.
Despite this, Sifford has still the ( by me estimated, it could be wrong ) best race GV for this specific FFFHC^ race.
Anyway, it certainly is a luxurious choice who the Australian teamcaptain will be. 

Australia NT selection :

Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante
Gus Furlong ( 24 ) Elgrand
Colin Ronnald ( 27 ) MortoviaCycling
Emerson Brown ( 27 ) IKIBASQUE
James Crickton ( 28 ) Álvaro_Pino_Boys
Bruce Hunter ( 27 ) QuintoYtapa
Walt Furey ( 24 ) Villavante
Gaynor Lust ( 25 ) Cabrasverdes
Andrew Morse ( 29 ) FrançaiseDesJeux

[Vos]

Victory ! 
1    Shaun Sifford      24   0: 00"   300      Villavante
9    Gus Furlong      24   0: 10"   130      Elgrand
18    James Crickton      28   0: 24"   30      Álvaro_Pino_Boys

  Excellent results ;
Besides the splendid victory of Sifford as 24yo( ! ), also the free role 9th place of the also 24yo( ! ) Furlong is impressive.
Helper Crickton scored a few nice extra points, free role Hunter finished also on 0:24" but unfortunately just outside the points.
Top free role Ronnald had a very unlucky race with an unexplainable drop in s3, while all other Aussies stayed in the s3 front peleton.
But after s3 it looked amazing, the s4 front group of just 15 had 5 Australians ! ( 1x teamcaptain, 2x helpers, 2x free roles ).

Australia ( 460 ) scored the most points in this race, but leader Italy ( 240 ) scored a lot too and was 3rd in the day ranking.
Next week we go to Nice, for a not nice result.

[Vos]

RACE 6 :  Col d'Eze


21ºC

Nice, France,
Maybe Rick Pierre is good enough to score a few points thanks to his active weather icon* ánd despite his very low time trial skill.
He has a silver icon on climb TT, so, I'm already happy if he can finish as 20th.

The top 4 Australians according to my estimated race GV, are all selected, what is extreme opportunistic,
because according to me the other 3 have no chance at all to score points, even not if they are very lucky.
Hopefully I'm wrong, or all foreign cyclists get in each section a flat tire, or all foreign NT managers make not suited selections.
Anyway, these 3 are lucky to be selected in my extreme desperate attempt to score points, 2 of them will even make their NT debut.

Besides these 3 who are selected today, the other 6 cyclists were already selected some days ago.
Including the i.m.o. promising 20yo hills-specialist Cornthwaithe, who makes his debut too.

The 2 NT race victors of this season, Cann and Sifford, are selected for extra NT races.
Despite this NT season has 7 different races, they both have no chance to win the NT jersey.
Because Zarubin ( Russia ) has already 315 points.
Not certain that he will win it, because it is possible that he will be overtaken by a climber who scores enough extra in this climb TT.
Cann has bronze on climb TT, but he is just the Australian nr 7 in my estimated race GV ranking, and needs a miracle to score extra points.

Hopefully next season an Australian can compete for the prestigious NT jersey. Because it was just won twice, ánd a long time ago ;
TT-specialist Richard Levin ( Aurora_Australis ) in season 7, and flatcobble-specialist Angus Friend ( Mlb ) in season 14.

Australia NT selection :

Rick Pierre* ( 30 ) ZG
Eddy Finley ( 26 ) GMV_Cycling     ( debut )
Vince Milne ( 29 ) RealMurciaCycling     ( debut )
Dudley Bell ( 28 ) SaulSalinasTeam
Rick Cann ( 30 ) RealMurciaCycling
Gordon Kettrey ( 20 ) PDM_cycling_team
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante
Bob Pernom ( 29 ) TeamEuroscalt
Nobby Cornthwaite ( 20 ) Fiestina     ( debut )

[Vos]

My hope was in vain,
because Rick Pierre came not even close to score points, he finished as 44th on 0:41" what is 11 seconds behind the nr 20.

Well, as expected at the start of this season ; zero points in this climb TT race 6.
But the positive news = 
Low ranked nations Germany ( 500 ) and Belgium ( 450 ) scored the most points in this NT race 6.
Leader Italy ( 130 ) increased the big lead, but rivals for a podiumplace France ( 0 ) and Ukraine ( 0 ) scored zero points too.
To my big surprise Australia is still 2nd season ranking, but now a split 2nd place with Russia ( 390 ) that was 3rd best in NT race 6.

TOP 10 season ranking, with 1 more NT race to go :

1.     1.800
2.     1.285
3.     1.285
4.       980
5.       965
6.       885
7.       880
8.       850
9.       790
10.     750

Next week the decisive NT race 7, a flatcobble race of 259 km in Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Russia has a better contender than Australia, according to the CFF flat-cobble ranking ; it will be the nr 4 versus the nr 6.
Despite the current decent gap towards other nations in the battle for a podium place,
Norway can be a fierce rival too with the nrs 3 + 5.
And even Estonia ( nrs 1 + 9 ) and Ukraine ( nr 2 ) can surprise with a superb final race with many points.

Anyway, whatever happens in the final race, it is already almost a miracle that Australia can battle for a podium place this season.
I never expected that. With thanks to the other nations who devided the points in a very beneficial way for Australia.
But of course also with thanks to the splendid 2 victories this season ; Rick Cann ( race 2 ) and Shaun Sifford ( race 5 ).

[Vos]

RACE 7 :  Virginia


1ºC

Richmond, Virginia, USA
An exciting last race, because an unexpected podium place in the final season ranking is at stake.

Australia NT selection :

Bob Pernom ( 29 ) TeamEuroscalt
Gilbert Ray ( 30 ) Thorboassonarvesen
Kobe Duncan ( 24 ) TramontanaTeam
Rick Sand* ( 25 ) Galletto
Angus Dixon ( 26 ) ICSluj
Markus Harris ( 29 ) CajaRuralZamora
Dave Adams* ( 29 ) Kroton
Gilbert Logsdon ( 27 ) MaretiCT
Shaun Sifford ( 24 ) Villavante

[Vos]

10    Bob Pernom      29   0: 15"   120      TeamEuroscalt

I had to try something to maybe beat the better Russian flat-cobble cyclist, in the battle for the 2nd place in the final season ranking.
But my tactical plan did not go the way I wanted, what caused a not great result for the Australian teamcaptain.
The Russian rival finished as 4th, and very questionable if Pernom could have beat him if he had a perfect race.

Another goal was the battle for a podium place( 3rd ) in the final season ranking.
But in retrospective, this goal would have been even achieved with zero points in this last race.

TOP 5 final season ranking =

1.     1800
2.     1485
3.     1405
4.     1215
5.     1130

I'm happy with this unexpected 3rd place, because I assumed it was impossible when I saw the ( to Australia very bad- ) NT calendar.
But again a nice 3rd place, and even 60 points more than in previous season.
And added with the 2x NT race victories, I should call this a pretty successful season.
Of course, with a big thanks to all the managers who pulled-, or trained-, or have- Australian top cyclists in their teams.

[horace_vr]

Congrats and well done! Now get ready for the next one

[Vos]

Thanks