Season 25

[Vos]

Valverde wins the Innsbruck road world championships.
This CFF season the same WC race in Austria.
Everyone good luck & fun in season 25 ! 


Overview of previous season 24 =

  °Peachy°Melocotons  --> very impressive championship because it is achieved with only Ukrainien cyclists.
  LottoStelvio
  Flyvende_hjul
  Daumants Simsons ( OphiukoCT )
  Elton Fevola ( Bikeos )
  Piero Mariotti ( ValeronIdolo )
  Bikeos
  BLOEMENAANDEMITTE
  Pavlo Fetisov ( °Peachy°Melocotons )
  Nobby Licuria ( Aurora_Australis )
  Tor Steine ( ValeronIdolo )
  Daumants Simsons ( OphiukoCT )
  Koen VanAmerongen ( QuintoYtapa )
  Maurice Hunter ( Aurora_Australis )
  Günter Hayen ( Thorboassonarvesen & NT manager woodwatch )

= NT WORLD CHAMPION ( SPORTLIFE & all managers with Australian top cyclists )

[Kekipi]

   selection Lanihuli Cycling

Vien ( 26 ), hills-sprinter
Lanca ( 30 ), hills
Pensec ( 31 ), hills-sprinter
Espinar ( 26 ), hills-sprinter
Semon ( 33 ), hills

We'll be happy if Pensec can score some GC points here.  We'll be happier if our hillers can score some points in stages 4 (FFFHH) and 5 (HHHHH), but, of course, none of the above will be easy.     

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

11 Muntendam ( 33 ), silver hills-sprinter
12 Granberg ( 32 ), bronze allrounder
13 Galin ( 32 ), silver flat-hills + TT
14 Harper ( 33 ), flat-hills + hills
15 Meijer ( 31 ), hills

Good luck everyone ! 

[Vos]

stage 1 hill-sprint ( 1x wind ) ;
21º  Muntendam   0:21"  --> with mechanical breakdown in s5

stage 2, flat-TT 88km ( 1x wind ) ;
30º  Galin   1:48"
70º  Muntendam   3:37"  --> with mechanical breakdown in s3

stage 3 hill-sprint ;
35º  Muntendam   0:00"
Granberg did an excellent helper's job, what maybe was a sacrifice because he was high ranked after stage 2.
In s4 still with his teamcaptain, but he dropped even to the 3rd group in s5 and finished on 0:49"

Granberg dropped to 32ºGC on 2:28"
Teamcaptain Muntendam is very unlucky this TDU with 2x crucial bad luck and at the moment 11ºGC on 1:57"
All his teammates had no bike problems. But the hope that Galin could surprise in the GC is gone despite his very good TT result,
he has too much time loss because he cannot sprint ; stage 1 on 1:28" and stage 3 even on 2:40" = 73ºGC on 3:56"

[Vos]

TDU stage 4, hills ;
12º  Harper ( free role ) 
16º  Muntendam  0:17"
29º  Meijer ( helper )

A very good helper's job of Meijer who got 5x hands symbols.
The teamcaptain-helper combo dropped in s2 out of the front peleton, but both came back strong in s4.

It was a strategic mistake to make Granberg the back-up helper ( his second helper's role this TDU ).
In retrospective it was unnecessary.
And besides this, he was going too fast in s2, dropped due to a flat tire in s3, and he had no energy left for s4 and s5.
To my big surprise Granberg was still in the top20 ( as 17ºGC ) after this stage 4.
He should have had a free role instead of the useless and unlucky helper's role what costed a lot of time ( 99º on 1:11" ).

TDU stage 5, flathills ( 2x wind ) ;
11º  Muntendam  0:31"
27º  Harper ( helper )
32º  Galin ( free role )  0:46"
61º  Granberg ( free role )  1:07"

My gamble in s1 did not pay off ; Muntendam ( + his 2 helpers ) could not follow the s1 front peleton of 67.
The 2 free roles had a good start, but dropped out of the s2 front group of 28, and joined the rest of my team in the 2nd group on 0:27"
All 5 SPORTLIFE cyclists stayed in the 2nd group of s3, now on 0:29"
Main helper Harper did an excellent helper's job in s4 and even stayed with Muntendam to give him the important extra bonus in s5.
Galin dissapointed by finishing just outside the points.

TDU final GC ;
8º Muntendam  0:30"  --> a very unlucky tour, he could have won*.
17º  Granberg  2:30"  --> without the 2x helper roles, he could have finished top 10.
21º  Galin  3:01"  --> also here just outside the points, 0:06" short, and for sure his free role tactics could have been better.

*= Muntendam lost already 0:21" due to his crucial s5 mechanical breakdown in stage 1.
His mechanical breakdown in the time trial costed some seconds too, probably not 10 seconds what was needed to win this TDU.
But his tactics were certainly not perfect in this TDU, and he was riding ( without TC ) with just 98 form.
Only in TT stage 2 a +1 form card was used, and maybe a strategic mistake not to use my other 3 form cards in this little tour.
But I did not expect that the already 33yo Muntendam had a chance to compete for TDU victory without TC bonus.

Anyway, it was a fun roller coaster Down Under, full of strategic & tactical mistakes, because in hinside, much more was possible.
There was not even a top10 stage result. At least SPORTLIFE scored 409 points in this TDU, what is not a very bad season start.

[Kekipi]

TDU stage 1 hill-sprint FFFHF 
16º  Pensec   0:21"   

Better tactics would have probably landed him in the first group @ 0:00.   

TDU stage 2, flat-TT 88km

63º  Pensec   3:34"  -->

He can't TT but he likes the cold so he likely gained a few seconds here.

TDU stage 3 hill-sprint HFFFF

15º  Pensec   0:00" 

Tactics were better here, so he finished in the first group.   

TDU stage 4 HHHHH

28º  Vien   0:26" (free)
87º Pensec 1:02"   

I did not get the helper tactics right (too fast!) so Pensec was isolated in the final three sections.   

TDU stage 5 flat/hills FFFHH

28º  Semon   0:42" (free) 
43º Pensec 0:46" (captain)

Not great results but not too bad.   In the end, Pensec finished 9th GC. 
Final GC top 20 for TDU

1    Rafael Angel Muñoz   33   FaltososDeChigre   0: 00"   
2    Thijs VanGils   26   MarquinaTeam   0: 05"   
3    Mazim Kartashov   30   LottoStelvio   0: 07"   
4    Håkon Egemar   26   ICSluj   0: 10"   2
5    Paul Simon   28   Elgrand   0: 11"   
6    Nazar Yakovlev   24   OphiukoCT   0: 12"   
7    Ricky Elklint   31   ChronoTony   0: 23"   
8    Sem Muntendam   33   SPORTLIFE   0: 30"   
9    Yanis Pensec   31   LanihuliCycling   1: 26"   
10    Tigran Tsarenko   25   °Peachy°Melocotons   1: 32"   
11    Ismel Tlisov   31   Bikeos   1: 47"   
12    Wybe Heijmans   26   Rekutxuteam   1: 51"   
13    Sandro Matas   29   Villavante   2: 03"   
14    Jean Jacques Lunet   30   LottoStelvio   2: 03"   
15    William Soria   30   Northwest    2: 08"   
16    Julian VanBommel   28   Daybe_Team   2: 16"   
17    Ottar Granberg   32   SPORTLIFE   2: 30"   
18    Garik Fomich   25   JGMTeam   2: 34"   
19    Pedro Saenz   31   JGMTeam   2: 35"   
20    Dinar Ismailov   26   Rekutxuteam   2: 55"   

[Vos]

Omloop het Nieuwsblad ;
22º  Taglioni
Strade Bianche ;
23º  Taglioni 
Almost certain not the right tactics in OHN, and SB suits Taglioni a little less.
Of course also of big influence = bad team director + no topform + no good helper ( Granberg helped 2 sections in OHN, and just 1 in SB ).

   selection SPORTLIFE

A bit of a weird PN this season due to almost no mountains.
Therefore it's hard to predict if a good GC is possible. But that will be the goal anyway, despite a form issue.

141 Zeppi ( 32 ), tour
142 Arnau ( 32 ), tour
143 Taglioni ( 31 ), cobblehills
144 Reigersman ( 30 ), climbhills
145 Granberg ( 32 ), bronze allrounder

Good luck everyone !

[Vos]

PN stage 1, time trial FFFHF ( 2x wind ) ;
23º  Arnau   0:52"  --> pfff, again a mechanical breakdown, and again on the wrong moment ( hill s4 ).
31º   Granberg   1:05"  --> 1 second short to score points.
40º   Zeppi   1:15"

[Vos]

PN stage 2, flat cobblehills ;
5º Taglioni ( free role )   0:04" 
20º   Granberg ( free role )   0:33" 
73º   Zeppi ( teamcaptain )  1:31"
81º   Arnau ( free role )  1:31"

Arnau, Zeppi + helper Reigersman ; all 3 started too slow in flat s1, and Reigersman got a mechanical breakdown in flat s2,
what might explain that unexpectedly he lost contact with his teamcaptain in the next flat s3.
Zeppi his result is probably a bit dissapointing ( and finished as 2nd of a group ).
But it seemed  that my other tour cyclist Arnau did well ( finished as last of the same group ) despite his poor start and free role.
And my point-scoring free roles did excellent in this race, what even resulted in the best race result of this season. 

[Vos]

PN stage 3, flat-hills-climb ;
8º  Zeppi   0:17"
12º  Arnau ( free role )  0:17"
13º  Reigersman ( helper )  0:17"
Excellent results and a perfect job of masterhelper Reigersman who stayed with his teamcaptain the entire race. 

Arnau is 4ºGC on 0:20" but not in topform, in contrast to his teammate Zeppi who is much better in the upcoming flat-cobble stage.
Teamcaptain Zeppi is 10ºGC on 0:43" at the moment.

[Vos]

PN stage 4, CFFCC ( 1x wind ) ;
55º  Zeppi   1:41"
103º  Arnau ( free role )  3:03"
It seems that Arnau had an unlucky race, incl. his unfortunate finish as 1st of a group and just missing the cut (= 0:21" extra time loss).
Teamcaptain Zeppi did well, thanks to good help of Granberg and Taglioni.

GC after 4 stages =
4º  Zeppi   1:00"
13º  Arnau ( free role )   1:59"

[Vos]

PN stage 5, hill-sprint ( 1x wind ) ;
46º  Zeppi   0:58"
53º  Arnau ( free role )  0:58"
Hmmmm, Granberg did an excellent helper's job and got 5x the hand symbols, and these results of finishing in the 3rd group are good.
Still, with more risky tactics (and more luck), maybe (or even probably) then it was possible to finish with Zeppi in the 2nd group.
The time difference between 2nd group and 3rd group was 0:31" and then Zeppi would have finished 2ºGC instead of now 6ºGC.
Remarkable that free role Arnau finished in the same time as (the better) Zeppi. I suspect that Arnau was lucky in this race (or Zeppi unlucky).

Paris Nice, final GC =
6º  Zeppi   1:31"
11º  Arnau ( all free roles )   2:30"

[Kekipi]

   selection Lanihuli Cycling

141 Hansen ( 33 ), tour
142 Prats ( 34 ), tour
143 Rose ( 34 ), cobble/hills
144 Lyka ( 31 ), climb/hills
145 Neeskens ( 33 ), TT

Yes, late posting, I know, but for the record, here are my team's entrants for S25 of Paris Nice.   We hope to do (much) better than last season's PN results where we ended up with no one in the top 20 GC.   

Hansen will be our captain and GC hope, with (very) OG Prats (also recently bought) also entered to see what he can do in the GC contest.

Speaking of OGs, the youngest entrant for our team is Lyka, who, at 31, is a baby compared to the other four. 

PN stage 1, time trial FFFHF

4º  Neeskens   0:04"
52º  Hansen  1:21"
62º  Prats  1:31"

We hoped Neeskens could win or podium here but 4th is still a good result.   Hansen, our GC hope, is a 4-star TTer so his result is okay.
PN stage 2,  FFFHCh

21º  Rose (helper)  0:33"
49º  Hansen  (captain) 0:57"
78º  Prats  (free) 1:31"

Rose did his job in S1 - S3 but rode a bit too hard in S4 to provide help to Hansen.   A better result for our captain would have been 14 seconds faster @ :43.
PN stage 3,  FHFMM

17º  Hansen (captain)  0:25"
19º Lyka  (helper) 0:25"
60º Prats  (free) 1:51"

In this stage we had to wait for, due to a tech/server issue, Lyka did his job well, helping Hansen in every section.
PN stage 4,  CFFCC

41º  Rose (helper)  1:24"
58º Hansen  (captain) 1:41"
64º Prats  (free) 1:49"

We did not get the tactics right so Hansen was dropped in S1. He did get help in the two flat sections, so all was not lost.  We would have liked it better if Hansen finished 17 seconds faster @ 1:24", but his final result was not bad.
PN stage 5,  FFFHF

55º Hansen  (captain) 0:58"
64º Prats  (free) 0:58"

Hansen was 2nd GC coming in to this stage, but dropped a place to finish 3rd GC.   His drop is a bit of a disappointment but the 3rd place is the first GC podium finish in Div 1 for our team, so we have cause to be  .
== Final Top 20 GC for Paris Nice S25 ==

1    Silver Maasikmets   30   OphiukoCT   0: 00"
2    Koen VanAmerongen   29   CaptainOrange   1: 02"
3    Ken Hansen   33   LanihuliCycling   1: 12"
4    Elton Fevola   30   Bikeos   1: 20"   
5    Andrejs Podnieks   28   ICSluj   1: 27"   
6    Angelo Zeppi   32   SPORTLIFE   1: 31"   
7    Massimiliano Paleri   24   HTCHungria   1: 41"   
8    Marco Scortichini   30   vercors   1: 44"
9    Dietmar Häusler   28   ValeronIdolo   1: 52"
10    Dan Regan-Murphy   31   FaltososDeChigre   2: 09"
11    Faustino Arnau   32   SPORTLIFE   2: 30"
12    Carmine Garzelli   31   Shiro_Lions   2: 30"
13    Juan Daniel Ayuso   29   Elgrand   2: 55"
14    Flavio Castro   30   OphiukoCT   2: 59"
15    Alessandro Picoli   32   FaltososDeChigre   3: 19"
16    Bogdan Bidonov   32   °Peachy°Melocotons   3: 20"
17    Jose Damian Prats   34   LanihuliCycling   3: 30"
18    Felipe Cascos   30   BLOEMENAANDEMITTE   3: 35"
19    Lucien Faivre   28   Elgrand   4: 06"
20    Ints Kronbergs   30   Stibacycling   4: 14"

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Only Arnau is already in topform. But Milne and Osland rode OHN + SB, so there are in topform in stage 4, the climb TT.
And despite a form issue in 3 out of the 5 stages, Milne should be better than Arnau in this little tour. Hopefully I estimate this right.

91 Milne ( 29 ), tour
92 Arnau ( 32 ), tour
93 Conti ( 31 ), tour
94 Ocaña ( 33 ), tour
95 Osland ( 24 ), climb-TT

Good luck everyone ! 

[Kekipi]

   selection Lanihuli Cycling

111 Campos ( 32 ), tour
112 Ektov ( 32 ), tour
113 Perry ( 32 ), climb
114 Pensec ( 31 ), hills/sprint
115 Espinar ( 26 ), hills/sprint

Campos will be the designated captain/GC hopeful.

Stage 1 Tirreno HHFFF

28º Pensec  (free) 0:39"
32º Espinar  (helper) 0:39"
51º Campos  (captain) 0:59"

In this windy race, the lead group #s for S1 to S4 were 10/6/13/25. 

Of the GC guys, Will Durig (LottoStelvio) fared the best, coming in @ 0:39".  Campos, with good help from Espinar, rode credibly and was among 20 GC guys coming in @ 0:59".