Season 27

[Vos]

Season 27 ; world championship climb race in Colombia ( Duitama WC )

previous winners Duitama WC ;

season 18 Arnfinn Mikalsen ( TeamEuroscalt )
season 9    Valentin Crouzel ( SPORTLIFE )
season 7    Peeter Toode ( Codex )
season 5    Ibragim Palachev ( Oska )
season 2    Carl Martinussen ( Flyvende_hjul )


Have fun & good luck everyone in season 27 ! 

[Vos]

Overview of previous season 26 =

  OphiukoCT
  CobbleCrushers
  LottoStelvio
   Ludovic Vetsch ( CobbleCrushers )
  Daumants Simsons ( OphiukoCT )
  Dada Azarov ( CaptainOrange )
  meloneros
  CaptainOrange
  Jacco VanSwieten ( Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling )
  Gregor Arzdorf ( °Peachy°Melocotons )
  Daumants Simsons ( OphiukoCT )
  Dada Azarov ( CaptainOrange )
  Pier Zannotti ( Flandria )
  no u23 cyclists scored points
  Gustave Andros ( Elgrand  &  NT manager Quickstepbronx )

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

[Combuijs]

In the Pro Continental Tour our aim this season is to promote to World Tour level with our newly developed youngsters. It's the only thing left after losing the first cup round to Sportlife...

And we have started great in the

Rein Verspuij does not lose time in any of the 5 stages, wins the GC, wins the 4th stage and is 2nd in the 2nd stage. We are already number one in the tables:

1º      Combuijs   1229   1   1   0   
2º      Facha_Bartolo   1002   1   1   1   
3º      Lugnanese   961   0   1   0   
4º      Hero_cycling   897   0   0   1   
5º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   880   2   0   0   
6º      SanJose   848   0   0   0

We will try to stay there, which should be possible with some cobble hill classics on the agenda and a Tour-en-bas like Paris - Nice.

[Vos]

It's the only thing left after losing the first cup round to Sportlife...

Sorry mate 
Although you did great with your just bronze climber Alves
who finished just on 0:09" from one of the best CFF specialists in this MMFFM race.

And talking about doing great ;
congratulations with the very impressive TDU victory ( 1½ minute ahead of the nr2 GC ) of your just 24yo Rein Verspuij, 
ánd the Omloop victory of your also just 24yo Hernan Santander. 
The rumor goes that all 1A managers are already worried by seeing such great results of a team that most likely promotes this season.

At SPORTLIFE a not impressive start, as expected.
My unprepared, not in topform TDU selection scored just 87 points ; 
Udod finished as 19º and 22º in the hills stages.
And silver flat sprinter Pahapill had a tactical fiasco in s2 of stage 1, but scored points in stages 3 and 5 by finishing as 24º and 23º.

My new expensive 31yo buy of yesterday scored many more points( 110 ) what caused that my team is out of the relegation zone now :
Omloop het Nieuwsblad ;
16º  Kaarnamets  0:37"
Not bad considering that he had only help in s1 and s2, not in topform, and a director with just 2 on one-day-races.
Strade Bianche should suit him more, but there he has no help at all.

[Vos]

Strade Bianche ;
7º  Kaarnamets   0:16"
Excellent result. 

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Actually this PN selection is not worth mentioning, because just like the TDU selection, it is not strong.
But I mention it anyway, just for fun.

Probably I can expect a little bit more than in the Tour Down Under, because 4 out of the 5 are in topform now.
Only Boyar uses this PN to ride in form for the next little tours.
He gets the nr 1 backnumber, but the PN goal is to score stage points, so probably he will not be the teamcaptain in most stages.
Pahapill is going to ride his last race for my team. He has bids and will be sold after stage 1, in order to create space in my too full team.

191 Boyar ( 32 ), tour
192 Udod ( 31 ), hills
193 Reigersman ( 32 ), climbhills
194 Pahapill ( 30 ), sprint
195 Ekkelboom ( 25 ), hills

Good luck everyone !

[Combuijs]

Two wins by Hernan Santander, both in as in the . In the last race we had all our 5 riders in the top 15.

Rein Verspuij is our leader in , which he proved to be the right choice for the time being as he won the second stage.

League tables:
1º      Combuijs   3396   4   1   0   
2º      Hero_cycling   2514   0   1   2   
3º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   2156   3   0   0   
4º      AleAle   2072   0   1   2   
5º      CajaRuralZamora   1575   1   1   1   
6º      SanJose   1570   0   0   0

[Vos]

To my surprise, Paris-Nice is going amazing for my team.

stage 1, sprint ;
9º  Pahapill  0:00"
Magnificient result of this silver sprinter who had no TC and as expected only help in s1. A nice farewell because he was sold after this stage.

stage 2, flat-hills ( 2x wind ) ;
10º  Udod  0:03"
Very good result thanks to helper Ekkelboom.

stage 3, hills ( 1x wind ) ;
8º  Udod  0:15"
Again a very good result, despite Ekkelboom failed as helper and already dropped in s3.

stage 4, climbhills ( 3x wind ) ;
1º  Boyar  0:00"  --> victory ! 
A very unexpected and splendid win of my not in topform tour cyclist, who could not challenge any favorites with his hill-skill of 79.
The excellent help of Reigersboom was needed, and also the storm was crucial ; Boyar and Reigersboom had active weather icons.
This is how the stormy race went / who were in the front per section =  6 ( R+B ), 10 ( R+B ), 25 ( U+R+B ), 2 ( B ), 5 ( B ).

The original plan was that Reigersman would be the teamcaptain in stage 4, because he is in topform.
But I decided to change it, for the, ( i.m.o. before the race ), small chance that Boyar had, to score a few GC points.
Boyar was very far behind in the GC due to his 3x free roles,
and besides the very unexpected victory, also the current GC is very surprising to me ;
5º  Boyar  2:38"
9º  Udod   2:55"
Not just of Boyar surprising, but also of Udod who cannot sprint at all and was used as extra helper in stage 4 with 54300.
I expect that Udod will drop out of the top20 GC, but Boyar has a good chance now to score a nice amount of GC points.

[Combuijs]

In Rein Verspuij was 2nd in the 3rd stage and 2nd in the GC. The tour was decided however in stage 4 where Hero Cycling Tom Averkamp took 1m40 on Rein. Let's also mention helper Josef Geesink who finished 7th in the GC.

1    Tom Averkamp   31   Hero_cycling   0: 00"   500   150000
2    Rein Verspuij   24   Combuijs   0: 31"   400   135000
3    Bill Perry   28   KunTeam   1: 43"   325   120000

7    Josef Geesink   24   Combuijs   2: 42"   200   60000

League table:
1º      Combuijs   4311   4   2   0   
2º      Hero_cycling   3461   1   1   2   
3º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   2644   4   0   2   
4º      AleAle   2387   0   1   2   
5º      CajaRuralZamora   2105   1   1   2   
6º      Lugnanese   2071   0   1   0   

In the our tour riders can show if they are a match for the other teams in mountaineous tours. We will start with

1. Noah Gesink (no family): GC, stage 3
2. Wieslaw Beckmann: general helper
3. Adam Hoogvliet: stage 5, possibly 4
4. Gilles Nerval: stage 1
5. Hernan Santander: helper

[Vos]

PN stage 5, hill-sprint ( 1x wind ) ;
86º   Boyar ( teamcaptain )  1:32"
98º   Udod ( free role )  1:32"
A very unlucky race of Boyar, on top of that he finished with a mechanical breakdown, what for sure costed him two GC places.
This bad luck was compensated with an incredible lucky race of Udod, who even finished in the same time as Boyar.
Both scored GC points, something that I did not expect before this tour started.

Paris Nice, final GC ;
9º  Boyar   3:06"   
16º  Udod   3:22"   

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Boyar is in topform now, and he is going to try to achieve a top GC result.

In the end of previous season Mattei was bought from 1A champion OphiukoCT, and now he makes his debut for my team.
High expection of Mattei in the stormy stage 3, where he should be the 2nd favorite behind Georgiev ( MarquinaTeam ).
But it is doubtfull if Mattei will be the stage 3 teamcaptain, instead of GC contender Boyar.

My two young Australian TT specialists are also selected ; they need the xp and both should score points in stage 1.
Masschelein is not in topform in this whole Tirreno, despite this, he needs to perform because he is thé only real helper of Boyar.

101 Boyar ( 32 ), tour
102 Mattei ( 32 ), flat-climb
103 Hunter ( 25 ), TT
104 Herd ( 24 ), TT
105 Masschelein ( 31 ), tour

Good luck everyone ! 

[Vos]

Tirreno stage 1, TT 22km ( 1x wind ) ;
17º  Hunter   0:22"   
20º  Herd   0:29"
66º  Boyar   2:18"   

Tirreno stage 2, FFMHH ( 1x wind ) ;
8º  Boyar   0:15"   

Tirreno stage 3, flatclimb ( storm !!! ) ;
2º  Boyar   0:00"   
3º  Mattei ( helper )   0:12"   
Amazing results ! 
My guess was wrong that Mattei would be the 2nd fav. ; he was just the 5th fav. and could not even challenge the 1st fav.
What made my strategic choice easy in who would be the teamcaptain in this stage 3.

Due to the storm and that helper Masschelein is not in topform yet, I decided to use Mattei as supermasterhelper.
What caused that I could take more tactical risk with Boyar, although in hinside Masschelein was also in the s4 front group of 44.
But Mattei could help full-power in s5 ( and even finished solo as 3º himself ),
and in s5 he launched his teamcaptain superhard who had a very strong 5 EP, what was a risky tactical gamble due to the storm.
Also risky due to his stats, for example Boyar vs Mattei  =  - 3 climb, - 17 flat, - 11 stamina, - 61 teamwork ( and + 22 xp ).

Boyar moved up to 3º GC on 0:11"
But it is all still very close in the GC and uncertain if a top GC result is possible with 2 more stages to ( hills-sprint and flat-hills ).
Hopefully Boyar will be good enough to battle for his best GC result ever ; he never finished in the top 4 GC of a tour.

[Vos]

Tirreno stage 4, hills-sprint ( 1x wind ) ;
35º  Boyar   0:30"
Thanks to help of Misschelein, Boyar returned to the front in s3. And even stayed there in s4 despite his helper dropped.
I'm very satisfied with this result of finishing in the little 2nd group of nrs 28 to 36.

In the GC no change for Boyar, still 3º GC on 0:12", what is excellent because this stage 4 he feared the most.
Behind Boyar it changed a bit in the GC, because several GC rivals finished in the 3rd group on 0:48", and maybe a few even further behind.
The chance of scoring a top GC result is increased a lot after this stage 4.

[Vos]

Tirreno stage 5, flathills ( 1x wind ) ;
31º  Boyar   0:55"

Tirreno Adriatico, final GC ;
2º  Boyar   0:24" 
The best GC result in his career. 

[Vos]

Unfortunately no SPORTLIFE contenders in Milano Sanremo and E3Harelbeke, what caused a drop in 1A from place 7 to place 11.
So, time to score points in the Volta a Catalunya :

   selection SPORTLIFE

101 Boyar ( 32 ), tour
102 Mattei ( 32 ), flat-climb
103 Milne ( 31 ), tour
104 Lewis ( 28 ), climb-TT
105 Osland ( 26 ), climb-TT

Good luck everyone !