Season 21

[Vos]

   
Wins Jurgen Aerts ( LottoStelvio ) again the WC cobble race ? And will Flyvende_hjul again be 1A champion ánd Golden Bike winner ?

Have fun and good luck everyone in season 21 

[Vos]

Overview of previous season 20 =

  Flyvende_hjul --> in a new total points record ! ( previous record was of °Peachy°Melocotons in season 11 )
  BlackHole
  FaltososDeChigre
  Tristan Min ( Flyvende_hjul )
  Rene Vrijmoed ( BlackHole )
  Ken Hansen ( Astanadena )
  galegospolabici
  BlackHole
  Jurgen Aerts ( LottoStelvio )
  Christian Pocock ( Aurora_Australis )
  Rene Vrijmoed ( BlackHole )
  Alexey Ryazanov ( RealMurciaCycling )
  Ken Hansen ( Astanadena )
  Alex Trautemberg ( Aurora_Australis ) 
  Arnfinn Mikalsen ( TeamEuroscalt )

= NT WORLD CHAMPION ( Aurora_Australis )

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

My team is not in topform, despite this, I hope that Clemente can score stage points and maybe a few GC points too.
If he fails in the first 3 stages, the back up plan is trying to finish top30 in stage 4 with Meijer and the same goal for Rubiera in stage 5.
For now the plan is that they will be masterhelpers in these stages. But it is also possible that stage 4 will kill the GC ambition of Clemente.

101 Clemente ( 33 ), hills-sprint
102 Rubiera ( 29 ), hills
103 Meijer ( 27 ), hills
104 Loosaar ( 30 ), silver hills-sprint helper
105 Hummelsby ( 30 ), cobble / bronze sprint helper

Good luck everyone ! 

[Vos]

stage 1 TDU ;
11º  Clemente
stage 2 TDU ;
11º  Clemente
stage 3 TDU ;
13º  Clemente

So far so good, no time loss, and more points as expected.
Now the crucial stage 4 to see if Clemente has a chance to score a few GC points.
It will be a challenge because he is not in topform, he has a very low climb skill, ánd the current top 30 GC is all on 0:00" too.

[Vos]

stage 4 TDU ;
Thanks to excellent help of Rubiera, including section 4, teamcaptain Clemente did great and finished as 63º on 1:55"
It even caused a 5º place in the GC.
stage 5 TDU ;
22º  Clemente  on 0:18"

In the final stage Clemente successfully defended his surprising high GC ranking ; 5º GC on 1:45"

[Vos]

Excellent results in both cobblehills races.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad ;
8º  Laansalu
26º  Megens ( helper )
Strade Bianche ;
9º  Laansalu

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Hills-sprinter Clemente rode the TDU, therefore he is the only one who is in topform in this PN selection.
But he gets no teamcaptain role. Because the goal is to ride a good GC with Montgomery.

81 Montgomery ( 33 ), tour
82 Cascos ( 29 ), tour
83 Clemente ( 33 ), hills-sprint
84 Beckham ( 25 ), climb
85 Macannazi ( 30 ), climb

Good luck everyone !

[Vos]

stage 1 PN ;
12º  Montgomery on 0:36"

stage 2 PN ;
15º  Clemente ( free role )
68º  Montgomery on 0:50"
Unfortunately no return to the front in s4 of Montgomery and his helper Cascos, unexpected, although the form issue could cause it.
In s5 Montgomery dropped even one group more, and finished in the 3rd group.
If he would have been in topform, he should have easily finished in the 2nd group on 023" what is 27 seconds better, that is a lot.
Anyway, positive was that Montegomery had help in the first 4 sections, and that he is now 3º GC.

stage 3 PN ;
4º  Macannazi ( free role )
13º  Montgomery on 1:39"
24º  Beckham ( failing helper )
A very bad stage, because Montegomery was isolated in all sections.
Helper Cascos appeared to be not good enough, and masterhelper Beckham was riding way too slow, including the start.
Montgomery could have done much better if he had help ( and/or if he was in topform ).
Postive is the 4º place of Macannazi without topform, and Montgomery moved op to 2º GC.

But Montgomery is already 1:26" behind GC leader Yarkin ( HTCHungria ), who did great in this stage 4.
Because the isolated Montgomery was riding in a little group of 4 in s4, together with Yarkin who had still the important s4 helper,
and Yarkin even finished as 3º on 0:59", what is 40 seconds faster than Montgomery.

I guess that the SPORTLIFE teamcaptain better looks what is behind him, instead of focussing on Yarkin,
because Montgomery fears stage 4 and there are too many very good GC contenders behind him, some even on just a few seconds.

But for now, after 3 stages, the CFFantasy game looks good ; 
1º GC = ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yarkin ( picked only 1x )
2º GC = ⭐ Montgomery ( picked only 1x )
Can you guess who is the CFF manager that picked them both as only one ? 

[Vos]

stage 4 PN ;
21º  Clemente ("helper")
100º  Montgomery on 1:03"
Ups, a drop in s2 despite using energy.
But difficulties in this race were expected with no topform, 1x wind, and a hills-skill of just 59. All flat sections were a bit of a gamble.
Helper Clemente could follow the big s2 front peleton( 88 ) and also in s3 + s4, what shows that form matters and a few nice extra points.
Luckily back-up helper Cascos stayed with Montgomery in all flat sections. His help was very needed, otherwise even more damage.
But for sure damage was done in this flat-hills stage, because Montgomery dropped 4 places and now 6º GC.
Hopefully less damage in the final sprint stage, so that he can score a sponsordeal of top 8 GC.

[Aurora Australis]

I just accidentally found out that my team has competed in the first 11 races without equipment.

[Vos]

stage 5 PN ;
23º   Clemente ( masterhelper )
37º  Montgomery on 0:43"
A superb helper's job of Clemente who kept his teamcaptain in the front in the first 4 sections.
What was an achievement, because this windy flat sprint race had a small front peleton of just 41.
The race went like this : 41 - 40 - 40 - 38 - 21. And Montgomery could even affort to have a mechanical breakdown in s4.
The final section showed that the not in topform SPORTLIFE-teamcaptain is not a good sprinter, because he dropped to the 3rd group.

Still, this was good enough to gain 3 places and finish on the final GC podium ; 3º GC Montgomery on 0:51"
If he had a manager who was tactically better, including providing a staff that gives 100 form, Montgomery could have even won PN.
My strategic gamble on winning a few +form cards was a bust, because none of those were won this season.

Despite this, the final GC podium of Paris-Nice looks great, because I picked all 3 cyclists in the CFFantasy game.
1    Servais Yarkin   30   HTCHungria   0: 00"   
2    Serafim Gois   31   Flyvende_hjul   0: 39"   
3    Terry Montgomery   33   SPORTLIFE   0: 51"

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Just one mutation compared to the PN selection ;
Clemente is replaced by Christensen, who rides the Tirreno to get in topform and will be used as a helper.

The others are finally in topform, but probably many rivals too, and this Tirreno suits Montgomery less than PN, due to pure hills stage 4.
A back up plan is Cascos, who is much better in stage 4. But he is less good in the mountains, and much less good in the time trial.
Also an option is to go for a stage 1 top-result with the combo Beckham - Macannazi,
because it seems that my team does not have a top(podium)GC contender for this little tour.
For now, my Tirreno strategy is still in progress / undecided.

21 Montgomery ( 33 ), tour
22 Cascos ( 29 ), tour
23 Beckham ( 25 ), climb
24 Macannazi ( 30 ), climb
25 Christensen ( 29 ), tour

Good luck everyone !

[Aurora Australis]

Most of the top TTers are at the Tirreno, and probably all close to 100 health.  My guys are close to being at the weakest point in their cycles (training stamina this season), so they won't win.  Anyway.

381   Lenny Taylor   23
382   Jonny Alfier   24
383   Christian Pocock   28
384   Nobby Licuria   28
385   Tod Henderson   28

Btw: This will be close to the team for the Giro too.

[Vos]

stage 1 Tirreno ;
3º  Montgomery on 0:08"
6º  Macannazi ( helper )
15º  Beckham ( helper )
21º  Cascos ( free role ) on 0:40"
Excellent first race of this little tour, although it was a bit of a "overkill" to ride with 3 good helpers who all were in the s4 front peleton.
But a pretty risk-free strategy with 3 helpers, because Montgomery needs the points for the CFFantasy game.

And more good news today, because one of my training projects ( a pure climber ) got a golden icon : 
Massimo Caneschi ( 23, SPORTLIFE )

Massimo Caneschi ; born in Castelsardo, Sardinia, Italy

[Vos]

stage 2 Tirreno, flat-climb ;
6º  Montgomery on 0:17"
23º  Cascos ( free role ) on 0:34"

stage 3 Tirreno, flat-TT ;
29º  Montgomery on 1:15"
92º  Cascos on 2:40"

GC = 19º Cascos on 2:20" and 2º Montgomery on 0:06", but he does not like hills-stage 4.