Australia S25

[ophiuko]

Australian National Team S25








As best Australian manager on the previous season, I was automatically selected as NT manager. I am happy to do the job so I can give Vos a break (although he is giving me tactical advice  ).

Sorry for the delay on this post. I was on holidays the first 10 days of the season. Only had time to do the selections and set tactics.

It is a very nice calendar for Australia and it should be easy to win the championship with 2xTTs. Aurora Australis's oldest TTs will see their skills a bit decreased by the TT races, but still it should be enough to score a good amount of points.

[ophiuko]

29 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Paddy Friend (28) JGMTeam
James Bush (29) Antequera
Fergus Emerton (32) Quickstepbronx
Nate Gailes (29) Elgrand
Rob Mitchell (27) Villavante
Danny Gill (29) ICSluj
Callum Carpenter (25) Rekutxuteam
Young talents:
Derek Jons (23) RHyNeStOnEs
Sammy Alfier (22) Aurora_Australis

Results:
3º Paddy Friend 225p Team Captain
13º James Bush 90p Free Role
15º Fergus Emerton 70p Helper

An impressive podium place of Paddy Friend including a mechanical breakdown on the last and decisive section.
Good points of Bush and Emerton as free role and helper, respectively.




40 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Garret Mitchum (26) Manicomicos_Cycling_Team
Stu Vaughn (25) JGMTeam
Barret Ryan (28) RajenKujen
Garret Woods (27) FlyEaglesFly
Henry Footman (29) BLOEMENAANDEMITTE
Jason Cooper (26) Manicomicos_Cycling_Team
Des Brown (29) JackyTeam
Tyler Edgar (28) BLOEMENAANDEMITTE
Barry Carpenter (29) LottoGranadier

Results:
3º Garret Mitchum 225p Team Captain
17º Stu Vaughn 40p Free Role

Second Australian podium of the season by team captain Garret Mitchum and some more points scored by Stu Vaughan as free role.
Australia takes the lead on the team championship (650p). Netherlands (590p) and Russia (580p) complete the podium.

[Vos]

Well, it is just general advice, all tactical decisions were entirely yours.
And I'm impressed by your magnificient job so far, ophiuko, excellent results and very well done ! 
Good luck in the next NT race ! 

[ophiuko]

2 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Jasper Caan (28) SaulSalinasTeam
Horace Stamer (25) TeamEuroscalt
Adrian Janson (25) Villavante
Ian Hamsten (32) Pantani28
Rob Blixter (25) TeamEuroscalt
Leroy Ablett (32) MeneermandjeRacing

Young talents:
Gilbert Ray (22) Thorboassonarvesen debut
Rick Cann (22) Teamclaes
Bob Pernom (21) PDM_cycling_team

Results:

3º Jasper Caan 225p Team Captain
5º Ian Hamsten 180p Free Role
6º Leroy Ablett 160p Free Role
17º Adrian Janson 40p Helper
19º Horace Stamer 20p Helper

Third podium of the season (same result of the team captain on the three races so far), and excellent results of free roles and helpers to make a sum of 625 points. This makes the championship classification as follows:
1º Australia 1275p
2º Hungary 950p
3º Netherlands 890p

Considering that Australia will get the most points (the second most points if a bad result) on the two TT races, I think we can relax on the two cobble races and give experience to some young talents and top Australian cyclists.

[Vos]

Again more than excellent results and an amazing total points, again very well done, ophiuko ! 

I think we can relax on the two cobble races and give experience to some young talents and top Australian cyclists.

Australia can be excellent in cobblehills NT race 5 with many good specialists, therefore almost no space for xp cyclists.
Only in flat-cobble NT race 7 there is a lot of space because Australia has just 3 golden flat-cobble specialists at the moment.

My suggestion = True, from now on you can relax as NT manager,
but the selected Aussies in NT race 5 cannot relax, they like to go full power to try to break the total season-points record.
Because after your first 3 amazing races, it looks promising that this will be the best season ever of Australia ! 
Of course, it depends for a big part on the Australian TT specialists if the record will be broken.
Therefore, good luck in NT race 4, the cold and windy time trial of 49km.

[ophiuko]

Indeed, I just checked the Australian cobble-hillers and surprinsingly there are several good riders. I thought we were worse in cobble hills. We will try to make good points on race 5 too, then. I'll start checking what's the record of points for a NT, maybe it can be beaten 

[Vos]

updated ;

TOP 15 ranking of most points per season : 

1.    ( Vos ) season 21 with 2.580 points ( NT-schedule = hills, climb, sprint, flat-TT, cobblehills, hillsclimb, flat-cobbles ).
2.    ( Aurora Australis ) season 7 with 2.570 points ( incl. 2.000 TT points ; this season had 2 flat TT races, won by Levin and Trump ).
3.    ( Vos ) season 18 with 2.525 points.
4.    ( Aurora Australis ) season 20 with 2.420 points.
5.    ( Aurora Australis ) season 23 with 2.415 points.
6.    season 14 with 2.325 points.
7.    ( Vos ) season 22 with 2.320 points.
8.    ( Vos ) season 24 with 2.220 points.
9.    ( Aurora Australis ) season 19 with 2.155 points.
10. season 10 with 2.155 points.
11. season 13 with 2.140 points.
12. season 6 with 2.060 points.
13. season 22, as number 2, with 2.055 points.
14. season 4 with 2.045 points.
15. season 13, as number 2, with 2.005 points.

[ophiuko]

2 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Nobby Licuria (32) Aurora_Australis
Tod Henderson (32) Aurora_Australis
Gilbert Johnston (27) catapunchimpon
Jonny Alfier (28) Innioraths
Billy Janson (27) Aurora_Australis
Lenny Taylor (27) Aurora_Australis
Kirk Clinton (32) Aurora_Australis
Christian Pocock (32) Aurora_Australis
Alex Trautemberg (27) Aurora_Australis

Very difficult selection due to the many good Australian TTers. I chose the ones with weather bonus and good experience. These ones were very close to be selected:
Bud Mount (33) LottoGranadier
Eric Armstrong (28) Aurora_Australis
Bob Iverson (27) catapunchimpon

Results:

3º Tod Henderson 225p
4º Nobby Licuria 200p
6º Jonny Alfier 160p
9º Billy Janson 130p
11º Lenny Taylor 110p
13º Christian Pocock 90p
14º Alex Trautemberg 80p
16º Gilbert Johnston 60p
17º Kirk Clinton 40p

Fourth podium in a row this season. All of them on the 3rd position. Luckily the choices were good and all the nine Aussies made points, with a total of 1095 points on this race which added to the 1275 points that we got on the first 3 races, makes a nice sum of 2370 points with still 3 races to go.

[ophiuko]

3 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Dylan Lucas (30) JGMTeam
Nick Thompson (31) TeaMetal
Mannie Hines (29) Villavante
Marc Ashley (32) TeaMetal
Norman Pocock (26) Flandria
Neil Spiker (29) CaptainOrange
Marc Huling (32) galegospolabici

Young talents:
Gilbert Ray (22) Thorboassonarvesen
Rick Cann (22) Teamclaes

We are coming to this fifth cold race in Belgium with no pressure after the good amount of points made on the first 4 races, so we are going to gamble a bit. Let's see how it goes.

Results:

3º Dylan Lucas 225p

Third position again. 5 races, 5 times third  The race went slower than expected and for sure we spent too many EP on the first sections of the race. But it doesn't matter because Australia achieved 2595 total points which makes it a new record with still two races to go

[Vos]

ALREADY A NEW RECORD !
With even 2 more races to go ! 

Amazing season, ophiuko ! 
Good luck in the final 2 races !

[ophiuko]

39 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Tod Henderson (32) Aurora_Australis
Gilbert Johnston (27) catapunchimpon
Nobby Licuria (32) Aurora_Australis
Jonny Alfier (28) Innioraths
Billy Janson (27) Aurora_Australis
Lenny Taylor (27) RHyNeStOnEs
Kirk Clinton (32) Aurora_Australis
Bob Iverson (27) catapunchimpon
Alex Trautemberg (27) Aurora_Australis

I have decided to leave Eric Armstrong, Christian Pocock and Bud Mount out due to all Kirk Clinton, Bob Iverson and Alex Trautemberg having weather bonus.

Results:

3º Jonny Alfier 225p
7º Tod Henderson 150p
8º Nobby Licuria 140p
10º Kirk Clinton 120p
12º Lenny Taylor 100p
13º Alex Trautemberg 90p
14º Gilbert Johnston 80p
16º Billy Janson 60p

Another 3rd place! 6 of 6 this season. All Aussies made points except Bob Iverson who finished 21º, just out of the point positions.

[ophiuko]

8 ºC

Australia NT selection:

Dave Taylor (31) Bikeos
Trevor Rooney (24) ROCKYBALBOARACING debut
Donald Odom (31) CajaRuralZamora

Young talents:
Maurice Hunter (23) SPORTLIFE
Allan Sheehan (22) Mustangs debut
Gilbert Ray (22) Thorboassonarvesen
Rick Caan (22) Teamclaes
Sammy Alfier (22) Aurora_Australis
Bob Pernom (21) PDM_cycling_team

Last race of the season. Unlikely that we will make 3rd position again to complete podium in all 7 races, but who knows. We bring 3 senior riders for the race + the young talents Gilbert Ray and Bob Pernom who could help on the first sections.

Results:

8º Dave Taylor 140p

8th position on the last race. Makes it a total of 3700 points this season (1640 points made in non-TT races if my calculations are correct). I am very happy about how this season went. Only missed the stage victory, but 6 podiums are good enough.

Next season: there are no candidates yet for next season. I would rather not be NT manager, if anyone else wants the job I'll be grateful.

[Vos]

For the 8th time in a row ;

Australia = world champion !

Magnificient world championship, ophiuko, very well done and congratulations !
And you smashed the old record of total points in one season, and now the new record =
3700 points