The Combuijs Capers

[Vos]

At the moment we are happy to report that both Sportlife and Zatarra are keeping their side of the deal as they are below us in the division standings. Wether they can keep restraining themselves remains to be seen.

Well, then I predict you will be happy for a long time or even the whole season. 
Because my team has no cobblehills- and hills-riders. 
So unfortunately, my opponent will not be Combuijs, but probably the real opponent will be the "relagation ghost" :

Há, I just noticed this (your text is wrong till 7pm this evening). 

[Vos]

In the picture ; halfway (section 3) in the very wet and stormy Strade Bianche, Henningsen (Combuijs) takes the lead of the 1st group of just 6 riders to make pace for teamcaptain Rutte (Combuijs), who is also in that 1st group. Rutte did great and finished as 2nd in Siena. 

One day later as my previous post, Combuijs is 24 places up, and now in the top 10 of 1A. 

[Combuijs]

In the Tour Down Under we took too many risks in stage 4 and Carlo Bemelmans lost too much time. In the end his finished on a disappointing 46th place in the GC.

In the Omloop het Nieuwsblad there was some controversy because Chester Laybutt felt he should be leader this race, but we could convince him Arjen Rutte was in a good mood, so in the end he gave in. Arjen showed his qualities with a nice 5th place while Chester was 18th over the line, just before Julius Maalderink in a free role. It was a good start of the classical season.

Like last season probably the most important race of the season was the Strade Bianchi. As you no doubt already have read Arjen Rutte had no trouble with our high expectations and finished second after Mario Benito (Antequera) after a brilliant race. Helper Chester Laybutt picked up 24th place, but admittedly Ørjan Henningsen really was the best helper until he lost breath over half way. That he did finish was a miracle. As a consequence we can now put our black money on the Russian Sberbank and we even get paid for it!


Paris-Nice has started very well for us. In the first stage Oliver King finished on 24th place while CC Porco Jones' Sam tasted the sweetness of victory.

In the second stage Chester Laybutt was too tired to sprint uphill for victory in a group of three, but in this way he managed a podium place in Meudon. Arjen Rutte could return Chester's help in this race and still finished 24th. Cobble Crusher Yannick Pierre won before Sentinental Chicken Lenny Ford.

In the GC Olvier King is on 14th place, 1:37 behind Flying Wheel Ron van den Hemel, and we can now focus on him.

Division standings after the second stage of Paris-Nice

1º      CobbleCrushers   1294   1   0   1   
2º      SentinelChickens   1278   1   1   0   
3º      Wiggo_pupils   1232   0   0   1

5º      Antequera   1145   1   0   0   
6º      Combuijs   1115   0   1   1   
7º      Flyvende_hjul   1067   1   1   1   

14º      Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling   575   1   0   0   
15º      Zatarra   538   0   0   0   
16º      AJFactoryCycling   527   1   0   0   

33º      IKIBASQUE   215   0   0   0   
34º      SPORTLIFE   205   0   0   1   
35º      skunk   175   0   0   0   

Cobble Crushers in the lead, which is kind of tradition in the first week of the season. Zatarra is in really good company, while Sportlife has fallen in love with Casper the cute relegation ghost...
   
We have managed to sell Carlo's younger brother Chris Bemelmans for more than 4 million to Pro Continental Tour team Kelme4ever, who is apparently starting a new sprinting generation. We wish him a nice future there while we will ponder our fortune after the largest transfer out in our history.

Our store is doing very well as we sell lots of shirts after Arjen Rutte's result in the Strade Bianchi. Which is amazing when you look at Vos's picture above as no one could even recognise the shirt when he arrived in Siena.

Le Parisien commented on our brilliant tactics and we have passed the compliment to our director Belarmino Farinha.


We have shifted the focus of our training to technique. The training facilities have been extended for this:

[Combuijs]

We have had two stages in Paris-Nice and apart from a second place for Wilfred Bentinck (is he getting old?...) there is not much to mention. Oliver King is now 25th in the GC. Let's hope he can get into the top 20, though a time trial is not his favourite hobby...



An article in Nice Aujourd'hui remarked that Valentin Litenko is an iconic mountain rider, which did not come unexpectedly. Midas van Veldhuizen is an iconic sprinter now they say. What kept him?


They also noticed we have gotten some money by selling very good riders. They wonder how we still manage to get results in and if we can continue this. Regarding this we like to mention that the best 19 year old Dutch hiller Marcel Fentener is for sale at the moment. His uncle is rumoured to swim in money...


We are already looking forward to the Tirreno Adriatico:

61 Oliver King
62 Robert Brubaker
63 Yvo de Cleer
64 Koen Helder
65 Tristan Prins

We will concentrate on the first stage as Latvia Exports are ready to part with some money for a nice result.

[Combuijs]

The final time trial of Paris-Nice was a two way disappointment. Robert Brubaker did not score any points in the stage and Oliver King finished 24th in the GC, almost 5 minutes behind winner Mike Bauer.

In the first stage of the Tirreno Adriatico from Lugo to Sestola Oliver King lost contact with helper Tristan Prins before the hill section started. In the final climb he could hold out to place 10, which was just enough to secure a deal with Latvia Exports. We were really lucky there.



Division standings after the first stage of the Tirreno:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   1787   1   2   1   
2º      Wiggo_pupils   1718   0   0   2   
3º      CyKings   1378   0   0   0   

7º      Antequera   1245   1   0   0   
8º      Combuijs   1172   0   1   1   
9º      skunk   1071   0   0   0   

21º      Denver   604   0   0   0   
22º      Zatarra   555   0   0   0   
23º      Cabrasverdes   553   0   0   0   

33º      CC_Porco_Jones   409   1   0   0   
34º      SPORTLIFE   391   0   0   2   
35º      Oska   390   0   0   0   

We are still the first Dutch team! That won't last long though...

[Combuijs]

I forgot to mention the CFF Cup. These riders did take on Spitz in an Itzulia mountain hill race:

1 Tristan Prins
2 Oliver King
3 Valentin Litenko
4 Sam Parker
5 Eddy Room

In the first two mountain sections the three riders of Spitz were 18 seconds behind, but they came back in the two flat sections. Luckily Tristan Prins had enough energy left to decide the race in our advantage in the final hill section.

In the third round we are up against World Tour team Prodoping Pong in another Itzulia hill mountain sprint. That might be a tough nut to crack, but luckily I am familiar with table tennis.

Yvo de Cleer was called up for international duties. Let's say he was instrumental in the suruprising victory of conpatriot Ronald Blaak.

Meanwhile we are doing quite well in the Tirreno Adriatico.

In the time trial do Donoratico Robert Brubaker scored his first points with a 29th place, and surprisingly Oliver King could gain some places in the GC.

In the flat mountain stage to iconic Montecassino Oliver King finished in the top 10, which gave him a second place in the GC, 33 seconds behind iconic Mike Bauer. It will be difficult to defend the podium in the last stage, but we will give it a try!



We have now another iconic sprinter in the house in Thomas Freitag. It took a while, but now they come fast.


After the Tirreno we stay in Italy for Milano-San Remo:

71 Thomas Freitag
72 Ørjan Henningsen
73 Julius Maalderink
74 Arjen Rutte
75 Midas van Veldhuizen

And then move back to Belgium on the E3:

71 Chester Laybutt
72 Adam Neeskens
73 Garret Rose
74 Arjen Rutte
75 Julius Wiegel

[Vos]

In the flat mountain stage to iconic Montecassino Oliver King finished in the top 10, which gave him a second place in the GC, 33 seconds behind iconic Mike Bauer. It will be difficult to defend the podium in the last stage, but we will give it a try!

2nd GC with King, very nice. A lot of rivals for the podiumplaces, I suspect. Good luck in the final stage, Combuijs !

[Vos]

That was close, but King managed to keep his 2nd place in the GC, well done Combuijs. 
Your team is now 4th in 1A, impressive !

[Combuijs]

A nail biting last stage in the Tirreno Adriatico to the aptly named Terminillo. Oliver King lost contact on the second climb, but thanks to tremendous help from Tristan Prins and Yvo de Cleer he could easily come back in the flat sections. The last climb proved very taxing, in the end Oliver finished 13 seconds behind the Sweet winner on place 10. That was just enough to maintain his second place in the GC:

1    Mike Bauer   22   CyKings   0: 00"   500   300000
2    Oliver King   22   Combuijs   0: 46"   400   270000
3    Daniele Kolb   22   Codex   0: 47"   325   240000
4    Jarl Ulvestad   22   Flyvende_hjul   0: 51"   275   210000
5    Anatoly Yarkin   22   Matterhorn   0: 54"   250   180000

That's our best result in a GC on the World Tour level!



Division standings after the Tirreno Adriatico:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   2335   1   2   1   
2º      CyKings   2188   1   0   0   
3º      Wiggo_pupils   2164   0   0   3   
4º      Combuijs   1696   0   1   1   
5º      °Peachy°Melocotons   1562   0   2   1   

25º      TeaMetal   702   1   1   1   
26º      Zatarra   688   0   0   1   
27º      TeamRHB   687   1   0   0   

32º      BLOEMENAANDEMITTE   607   0   0   0   
33º      SPORTLIFE   579   0   1   2   
34º      DeRodeVod   542   0   0   1   

We are on dazzling heights at the moment...

We sold Marcel Fentener yesterday to Continental Tour team Albero. May this talented youngster prosper there. We have now another young hill sprinter for sale, Gijs Wiegel, the younger brother of our Julius. Check him out!

With a Brexit rapidly approaching we have secured our export of Combuijs Honey Ale to the beer loving British nation by opening a shop over there. The British will need some good beer in the near future to drink their worries away and they will need every job they can get their hands on...

These riders are going to Catalunya:

31 Oliver King
32 Robert Brubaker
33 Yvo de Cleer
34 Thomas Freitag
35 Tristan Prins

A mixed bag of GC riders and stage winners. That usually gives no result whatsoever...

[Atalm93]

Well done Combuijs!

I really thought Ulvestad would catch up and secure the podium for me, but King rode a great race and just about secured the podium for your team!

Already we can see the three teams on the top who will probably fight for top3 in the end.
Outsiders, and probably 4th and 5th contenders as it seems now will be among you, Peachy and maybe AJFactory if he can speed up his season in the upcoming races!

[Combuijs]

You can't always have luck, Thomas Freitag finishes 33rd in Milano-San Remo after his main helper Midas van Veldhuizen missed the start completely. Next season we might spend less energy on the Passo del Turchino.

In the E3 Harelbeke we had a brilliant result as Chester Laybutt finished second behind Cobble Crusher Artúr Bereményi while Arjen Rutte was just outside the podium on 4th place. Brilliant result indeed, but brilliant tactics too? I am afraid not, the intended helpers Garret Rose and Adam Neeskens lost contact with leader Chester at the start, while Arjen had strict instructions not to help Chester in any way. So, really a bad tactic gone right.

The Tour of Catalunya did not go very well, but Robert Brubaker gathers some points with place 28 in the time trial around Lake Banyoles and Thomas Freitag manages a 30th place in the Mataró-Olot stage in a free role. Tristan Prins and Oliver King missed out at the start of the Barcelona race and couldn't recover the situation.



Division standings after the fourth stage of de Tour of Catalunya:

1º      Wiggo_pupils   2873   1   0   3   
2º      CyKings   2746   1   0   1   
3º      Flyvende_hjul   2538   1   2   1   
4º      CobbleCrushers   2483   2   1   1   
5º      Combuijs   2391   0   2   1   
6º      °Peachy°Melocotons   2284   1   2   2   

20º      Matterhorn   1087   0   0   1   
21º      Zatarra   1085   0   0   1   
22º      Thorboassonarvesen   1038   0   1   0   

33º      IKIBASQUE   790   1   1   0   
34º      SPORTLIFE   777   0   1   2   
35º      TeamRHB   772   1   0   0   

El Periodico de Catalunya mentions that Valentin Litenko is a huge talent. That is good news because he has still some ground to cover to score points on the World Tour.

On we go to Gent-Wevelgem:

41 Julius Maalderink
42 Ørjan Henningsen
43 Adam Neeskens
44 Garret Rose
45 Arjen Rutte

[Combuijs]

In the last stage of the Tour of Catalunya Yvo de Cleer was praised for his enlightening race. He finished 9th on Lo Port. Funny enough he was only the 5th Dutchman, with a full Dutch podium (Jansma, Bergman, van Vliet) and a 6th place for van den Hemel. I don't need to tell you who won the Tour, Oliver King was 4:22 behind Mike Bauer on place 32.

Well, you can see that training on technique works wonders for Julius Maalderink. In Gent-Wevelgem he was supported by Arjen Rutte from Gent to Wevelgem and in the end he could take second place behind winner Ketil Fossum (Thorboassonarvesen). Arjen was awarded 16th place for his efforts.

Training technique is really necessary for Gent-Wevelgem:


Division standings after Gent-Wevelgem:

1º      Wiggo_pupils   3469   1   0   3   
2º      CyKings   3303   1   0   1   
3º      Flyvende_hjul   3085   1   2   1   
4º      CobbleCrushers   3008   2   1   2   
5º      Combuijs   2961   0   3   1   
6º      °Peachy°Melocotons   2556   1   2   2   

20º      Matterhorn   1282   0   0   1   
21º      Zatarra   1275   0   0   1   
22º      BLOEMENAANDEMITTE   1232   0   0   1   

36º      IKIBASQUE   790   1   1   0   
37º      SPORTLIFE   777   0   1   2   
38º      Vitimper   754   0   0   1   

Eelco van der Laan is now also recognised by cycling magazine de Muur as an iconic cobblestone rider.


As all riders in the Combuijs Honey Ale team are now iconic, this should mean that we are an iconic team now...

Next stop is Dwars door Vlaanderen:

41 Chester Laybutt
42 Adam Neeskens
43 Garret Rose
44 Arjen Rutte
45 Julius Wiegel

And then we will advertise our Combuijs Honey Ale at the Ronde van Vlaanderen:

41 Chester Laybutt
42 Julius Maalderink
43 Adam Neeskens
44 Garret Rose
45 Julius Wiegel

These riders will try to secure a place in the last 16 of the cup

11 Valentin Litenko
12 Yvo de Cleer
13 Thomas Freitag
14 Ørjan Henningsen
15 Midas van Veldhuizen

[Combuijs]

In Dwars door Vlaanderen tactics failed quite seriously as Chester Laybutt had no help when the race went into the hills. He still got 9th place, but things should have gone better than that.

We took some revenge in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Tactics were not optimal, but good enough for Chester Laybutt to finish 4th. Garret Rose in a free role arrived in 10th place. Good to see former Combuijs Honey Ale rider Adam Balogh on 8th place with a shining tactic. Well done Milanezen!



Division standings after the Flemish classics:

1º      CobbleCrushers   4488   4   1   2   
2º      Wiggo_pupils   3729   1   0   3   
3º      Combuijs   3586   0   3   1   
4º      CyKings   3403   1   0   1   

21º      BLOEMENAANDEMITTE   1422   0   0   1   
22º      Zatarra   1330   0   0   1   
23º      AJFactoryCycling   1211   1   0   1   

36º      IKIBASQUE   790   1   1   0   
37º      SPORTLIFE   777   0   1   2   
38º      Vitimper   754   0   0   1   

Third place! Wish that the season was already at the end! (OK, not for Sportlife...)

On we go to the Basque Country:

21 Oliver King
22 Carlo Bemelmans
23 Valentin Litenko
24 Tristan Prins
25 Eddy Room

We will do everything for a high GC place of Oliver King, although we might change that in the last stage.

[Vos]

Third place! Wish that the season was already at the end! (OK, not for Sportlife...)

3rd place in 1A, amazing ! ! ! Keep it up, Combuijs ! 

My team is almost 3rd too, if you read the 1A ranking upside down. 
I have and had no cyclists for all one-day-races, so I'm missing out way too many points.
My own fault, not active in buying, and without new cyclists it will be very difficult to stay in 1A, perhaps even impossible.

But it is time for a little tour and I expect some points. How many, I cannot estimate that in advance.
Also because I'm still in doubt who will be the teamcaptain, most likely Saint-Germain because it is fun to see if he can ride a GC.

  selection SPORTLIFE
361 Saint-Germain (22) --> GC rider
362 Tafi (22) --> climbsprinter / stage 3 and maybe stage 4
363 Thompson (22) --> hillsclimber / stage 1
364 Trautemberg (22) --> hillsclimber / helper
365 Meister (21) --> semi-hillsclimber / helper ( unfortunately he is not a meisterknecht^^ )

[Vos]

I chose for Saint-Germain(PSG) as teamcaptain in every stage. This means less points in the stages, but hopefully a good GC can compensate that.

stage 1 : Helper Trautemberg did a great job in this for PSG hard stage. PSG finished as 62nd on 1:21"
Thompson was not happy with his free role, he finished just outside the points with a 33rd place.

stage 2 : Again Trautemberg did great as helper in the first 4 sections. A remarkable good result of PSG ; 35th on again 1:21"
PSG finished in the same group as free role rider Thompson who could score some points with a 23rd place.

stage 3 : This is a better suited stage, especially because PSG had a top helper with Tafi who launched his teamcaptain hard into s5.
Splendid results ; PSG 4th and helper Tafi 14th, both on 0:00"

stage 4 : Tafi was not suited as helper because he is very bad in hills-section 1, in a free role he finished as 1st of the 2nd group (15th).
PSG did awesome despite he had no helper in s2 and further. He managed to stay in the front and finished as 9th on 0:00"

So far my team scored 255 points in Itzulia, and SPORTLIFE is now just above the red zone on the 30th place.
( Temporarily, because my team does not have riders for the hills classic races. )
But the main objective in this tour is the GC of PSG.
Very exciting tour for the top GC contenders above the dot line. And a lot of Dutch managers have a GC rider in this tour (for now).

1    Adam Roethlisberger   22   Rekutxuteam   0: 00" 
2    Nate Henderson   22   AJFactoryCycling   0: 00" 
3    Marzio Pantani   22   Wiggo_pupils   0: 05" 
4    Jarl Ulvestad   22   Flyvende_hjul   0: 28" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6    Dries Smulders   22   CaptainOrange   0: 54"
9    Pallieter Saint-Germain   22   SPORTLIFE   1: 15"     
10    Pol Claesen   22   Flyvende_hjul   1: 28"
13    István Kasztel   22   Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling   1: 32"
14    Eddy VanAmerongen   22   CrossAndGo    1: 38"   
15    Oliver King   22   Combuijs   1: 58" 
17    Erki Kirsiaed   22   Zatarra   2: 06"
23    Nicolas Boilleau   22   DeRodeVod   2: 47"

It would be great if PSG can ride a top 10. The time differences in the GC are small and the final hills stage can mix up the GC a lot.
In this situation I cannot predict if top 10 GC is possible, I assume PSG must hope that many GC contenders are not so good in the hills.