Season 12

[Sjiz]

Yes! Well done Rico but also IKIBASQUE for surprisingly finishing second. A great last stage you rode!

For me the Giro was a dissapointment. One major mistake and another smaller one cost me the podium. An 8th place is then not something i can be happy about. However, looking at the final rankings that would have been very difficult anyways. Anyway I am glad this is over. Now with renewed spirits on to the Dauphine! Time for some revenge

[Rico]

Thanks for the kind words! Hilton had a perfect Giro until the last stage. I don't think a lot of things went wrong in the first 9 stages, so the time difference in the end doesn't tell the whole story. Hilton's win was almost certain before the last 4 stages.

We also managed to pass Cabras after this Giro. Hopefully we can manage to create a bit of a gap before the Binck Bank Tour starts, because that's where he will be one of the favourites again.

[Sjiz]

A good start in the Dauphine. Loinaz stayed with Poldoja for 3 sections which helped him a lot. Verbeek finished a decent 5th as a free role.

[Vos]

Thanks for the kind words! Hilton had a perfect Giro until the last stage. I don't think a lot of things went wrong in the first 9 stages, so the time difference in the end doesn't tell the whole story. Hilton's win was almost certain before the last 4 stages.

We also managed to pass Cabras after this Giro. Hopefully we can manage to create a bit of a gap before the Binck Bank Tour starts, because that's where he will be one of the favourites again.

Congratulations with the Giro victory, Rico.
And good luck in the battle for the 1A championship, I think your team is the favorite to win it.
Of course, the season is just halfway and most points are still in the game, so maybe still anything can happen and it might be a fierce battle.

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

The Dauphiné already started, but this selection had no suited cyclist for stage 1 and has no GC ambitions.
For this team of adventurers this little tour starts for real in stage 2.
No top results are expected, I'm happy with every point that my team can score.
Bell should be the best with at least a top10 result, therefore he gets the backnumber that ends on 1.

121 Bell ( 29 ), TT
122 Jannakopulosz ( 30 ), sprint
123 Kangert ( 28 ), TT
124 Washington ( 30 ), climb
125 VanLidthDeJeude ( 22 ), cobble
 
Good luck everyone ! 

[Vos]

stage 2 Dauphiné ;
12º  Jannakopulosz
stage 3 Dauphiné ;
6º  Bell
19º  Kangert ( with mechanical breakdown )

[Vos]

stage 4 Dauphiné ;
21º  VanLidthDeJeude
stage 5 Dauphiné ;
8º  Washington

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

The past few weeks the plan was to buy a suited cyclist for this little tour, but that did not happen.
So, the TdS selection was not complete, and therefore golden tour rider Ibarrola is selected for extra experience.
He is not suited for this TdS and he cannot score points somewhere.
The consequence of his unexpected selection is that he has -1 form in the TdF (ór Vuelta) where he will ride in a helpers role.

The goal in this Tour de Suisse is to score points in just 2 stages.
Probably this is one of my weakest tour selections ever in terms of scoring points, and for sure the weakest TdS selection ever.
I guess I have to be more active on the transfermarket.

131 Melnikov ( 30 ), cobble
132 Bell ( 29 ), TT
133 Kangert ( 28 ), TT
134 VanLidthDeJeude ( 22 ), cobble
135 Ibarrola ( 30 ), tour/experience
 
Good luck everyone ! 

[Sjiz]

A close finish. Loinaz was able to gain time on Semon but not enough. The two finished in the same second but the 3rd place went to Semon. Lust also did a great race and got rewarded with a light. The podium was close but Faltos and Mortovia did a great job. Now on to Suisse.

[Aurora Australis]

Tour De Suisse

291 Markus Benett   19
292 Paul Clickett   29
293 Christian Pinkney   29
294 Richard Levin   30
295 Isaac Trump   30

It's the final points scoring run (except maybe for one sprinter) until the WC, so I better announce my team.  We have four of the fastest pure TTers in CFF, although some may not be racing at proper health, plus Benett, one of five 19 year olds in the team with 4 or 5 talent.  The 19 year olds will be racing the remaining tours, before Mitchum joins the four other old guys for the TT WC.

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

At the last moment a bronze helper is bought for an expensive 355k, because most likely his asking price of 120k was already too high.
But no risk, I really wanted him. He is better in sprint, cobbles and hills then my GC rider, so he should be very usefull.

Despite GC rider Løvdal finished as 6th in the Giro of previous season ( the only silver tour rider in the final GC top 19 ),
the expectations for this Tour de France are much lower. Two main reasons ; he has to ride the important stages 1 and 2 in free roles.

Miorlin will be the teamcaptain in those mountain stages, although he is not a favorite.
The unexperienced Smith will try to achieve his first 1A victory on the Alpe d'Huez ( stage 7 ).
So, the TdF goals are stage results in the mountains and GC points for Løvdal. I assume he cannot ride a top10 GC.

151 Løvdal ( 30 ), tour
152 Miorlin ( 30 ), climb
153 Basov ( 29 ), climb + climb TT
154 Smith ( 25 ), climb TT
155 Montiel ( 28 ), sprint-, cobble-, hills-helper
 
Good luck everyone ! 

[Vos]

stage 1 TdF ;
1ºMiorlin
14º  Basov ( helper )
19º  Løvdal ( free role )  on 1:28"

Thanks to helper Basov a great solo victory of 9-star climber Miorlin ! 
His 21st 1A victory causes a party in the SPORTLIFE bus, because now the total 1A victories of my team =

[Vos]

stage 2 TdF ;
1ºMiorlin
15º  Basov ( helper )
- - - - - - - - - -
33º  Løvdal ( free role )  on 1:31"

Again with many thanks to helper Basov another great solo victory of  Miorlin ! 

[Vos]

stage 3 TdF ;
72º  Løvdal  on 1:11"
151ºMiorlin ( free role )  on 3:21"
Miorlin could not keep the yellow jersey for another day, the new GC leader is Bouguen ( Flandria ).

Teamcaptain Løvdal did great in the first 3 sections thanks to an excellent helpers job of masterhelper Montiel.
But in s4 Løvdal dropped out of the front peleton of 62 suddenly and very unexpectedly. Just 7 others dropped also in s4, and Løvdal used energy.
According to me it is almost certain that my teamcaptain would have finished on group better in a perfect race.
So the sudden drop in s4 costed him exactly 35 seconds. Instead of 4ºGC ( 0:01" better than the nrs 5 and 6 ), now Løvdal is 11ºGC on 1:33".
Hopefully this ( perhaps unnecessary ) 35 seconds loss, will cost him not one or a few GC places in the final GC.

[Flandria23]

You already made the Tour Vos. Two bright 'solo' victories by Miorlin great stuff. I seriously doubt that his winning record will be beaten on the short term