Season 23

[Vos]

Suisse, stage 2, TT-MMDMM 31km ;
5º  Lewis
6º  Zannotti  --> with mechanical breakdown in s5.
15º  Szõnyi
22º  Arnau   0:35"

After 2 stages, Arnau is 14º GC on 1:11" 

[Kekipi]

Division (2b) standings going into the Tour de France:

1º      LanihuliCycling   23653   7   13   8   
2º      Rekutxuteam   13837   17   7   3   
3º      Galletto    11866   11   7   9   
4º      MOREBike    9131   2   4   6   
5º      team_piroshki    8636   1   2   4
6º      GMV_Cycling   8247   0   1   1   

It looks like we are on our way (for the 3rd time) to the World Tour again, and hopefully it will be unlike the last two times and for more than one season.  We've assembled our strongest team ever with the goal of staying in Div 1 for at least two seasons.

[Vos]

Suisse, stage 3, cobblehills ( 1x wind ) ;
61º  Arnau ( teamcaptain )   1:41"

Suisse, stage 4, flatclimb ( 1x wind ) ;
18º  Arnau ( teamcaptain )   0:51"

Suisse, stage 5, MMDMD ( 2x wind ) ;
4º  Szõnyi ( free role )
5º  Lewis ( free role )
12º  Arnau ( teamcaptain )   0:57"

Tour de Suisse, final GC ;
7º  Arnau   1:29"

The helpers tactics could ( and should ) haven been better in this little tour.
Hopefully my team saved the excellent tactics for the main event = the Tour de France :


   selection SPORTLIFE

Just one mutation compared to the TdS selection ; Christensen is replaced by Conti, who was 5º in the Dauphiné.
Conti will be the allround helper to Arnau, who is going for a good GC result in this TdF that should suit him well.
Although, the two stages with cobblestones in it, might be a problem, also due to lack of helpers in those stages 2 and 8.

It really depends on Arnau if this will be a successful big tour,
because extra points can only be scored in mountain stage 9 ( Szõnyi and Lewis ) and climb-TT stage 10 ( Zannotti and Lewis ).

11 Arnau ( 30 ), tour
12 Szõnyi ( 27 ), climb
13 Lewis ( 24 ), climb
14 Zannotti ( 27 ), climb-TT
15 Conti ( 29 ), tour

Good luck everyone !

[Vos]

TdF stage 1, flat-sprint ;
85º  Arnau   0:55"
A good result thanks to helper Conti who gave him the important extra bonus in s5.
Arnau finished in the 3rd group, what is one group better than in the flat-sprint stage of the Tour de Suisse.

TdF stage 2, FCCCF ( storm ) ;
49º  Arnau   1:46"
As expected, he had only help in s1. And he is not suited for this stage. Finishing as almost last of the 6th group is an acceptable result.

TdF stage 3, hills ;
50º  Arnau   1:20"
Helper Conti was less good as I estimated, because already in s2 he lost contact with teamcaptain Arnau.
Despite this not good race, a decent result of the isolated Arnau.

After 3 stages, Arnau is 22º GC on 1:13"
Now let's see what he can do in the mountains ánd on the many TT-kilometers of this Tour de France.

[Vos]

TdF stage 4, FMMDF ( storm ) ;
11º  Arnau   0:00"
25º  Conti ( helper )   0:27"

Arnau moved up to 6º GC on 0:54" behind GC leader Gloor ( 31, Turrones ).

[Aurora Australis]

My TdF TT squad

291   Maurice Hunter   21
292   Billy Janson   25
293   Lenny Taylor   25
294   Jonny Alfier   26
925   Christian Pocock   30   

Christian is the only one racing for a high position, the others are just cruising for whatever points.  Surprisingly Bud Mount is racing, so it may just be racing for 2nd position.

[Vos]

TdF, 3x TT stages in a row ;
Arnau = 46º & 46º & 34º

after 7 stages Arnau is 5º GC on 1:13" behind GC leader Yarkin ( 32, HTCHungria ).

[Vos]

TdF stage 9, mountains ( 1x wind ) ;
3º  Szõnyi ( free role )
7º  Lewis ( free role )
10º  Arnau ( teamcaptain )  1:10"
Excellent results !
Only one detail was not excellent : Arnau finished as 1st of a group of 10, so, he was unlucky to just miss the cut, what costed 9 seconds.
This could have been avoided by sacrificing one of my top climbers. But their extra points are needed in the 1A podium battle.
And besides this, Conti did a perfect helper's job in s1, s2 and s3. And maybe those 9 seconds do not matter in the final GC.

With one more climb-TT-stage to go, Arnau is 5º GC on 1:56" behind GC leader Yarkin ( 32, HTCHungria ) who will win this TdF.

[Vos]

TdF stage 10, climb TT ;
7º  Zannotti
12º   Lewis  --> with mechanical breakdown in s3.
17º   Arnau   0:24"
22º   Szõnyi   
It seems that Zannotti and Lewis were unlucky, Arnau had a decent normal result, and Szõnyi had luck on his side.
But much more important is :

Tour de France, final GC ;
5º  Arnau   2:14"
Important points for the 1A podium battle, and also fun, Arnau scored the top 6 GC sponsordeal of 1.072.414,- 

[Vos]

Clasica San Sebastian ;
12º  Conti
Very good result of my Italian tour cyclist who has silver on climbhills.


   selection SPORTLIFE.

A pretty strong BBT selection. The main goal = a top GC result of Granberg who has 1 silver icon and 3 bronze icons.

11 Granberg ( 30 ), GC
12 Taglioni ( 29 ), cobblehills
13 Cañizares ( 27 ), flat-sprint
14 Lamas ( 30 ), flat-hills
15 Vilks ( 29 ), silver hill-sprint

Good luck everyone !

[ophiuko]

I think it's the perfect BBT for Granberg: not too much of cobbles and TT

[Vos]

BBT stage 1, cobblehills ;
18º  Taglioni ( helper )
25º  Granberg ( teamcaptain )  0:47"
Great helper's job and a very good race.

I think it's the perfect BBT for Granberg: not too much of cobbles and TT

Perhaps Granberg looks a little bit different as you remember from seasons ago, ophiuko.
I don't know if this BBT is perfect for him, hopefully you're right. I post him, so you can be his fan. 

Ottar Granberg    --> 2 months ago I bought him for 321.321,-
Age : 30   Wage : 1343
Stamina : 84   Sprint : 79   Climbing : 12
Flat : 80   Cobblestone : 75   Technique : 70
Downhill : 73   Hills : 91   Aggressiveness : 71
Time Trial : 63   Teamwork : 45   Experience : 63

Ottar Granberg ; born in Bjoa, Norway.

[Vos]

BBT stage 2, flat-hills ;
24º   Lamas ( helper )
25º   Granberg ( teamcaptain )  0:27"
29º   Taglioni ( helper )
Ups, s4 went wrong because the 2 main helpers dropped to the 2nd group, 0:08" behind teamcaptain Granberg, who was still in the front.

[Vos]

BBT stage 3, hill-sprint ;
25º  Granberg ( teamcaptain )   0:00"
Thanks to an excellent helper's job of Vilks, who was in the s4 front peleton together with Granberg.

BBT stage 4, flat-sprint ;
17º  Cañizares ( free role )
38º  Granberg ( teamcaptain )   0:00"
I thought I changed Cañizares his role into a helper, apparently something went wrong with that.
Fortunately it did not matter, because Vilks finished also on 0:00" and he did a perfect helper's job.

Two amazing sprint stages, because both times a 0:00" finish, caused that Granberg moved up many places in the GC.
At the moment 3º GC on 1:01" behind GC leader Lipko ( 31, Flyvende_hjul ).
Probably / maybe this gap is too big to win the BBT.
Granberg might move up one place, because just like Lipko, also nr 2 Falaleev has no TT icon, and he is just 14 seconds ahead.

[ophiuko]

I think Lipko losses at least 1' 20'' with Granberg. Plus windx3 today. BBT is yours.