Tom Leezer - Directly come into the bigger team from the CT squad, Tom will be a young sprinter to rely on for certain places we've always lacked a real chance to fight: the Giro and the summer PT stageraces (Benelux, Poland and Germany). Also ckeck out for him on the early races!
Gerben Löwik - A veteran rider to perform well and help all season long. He'll be peaking at the cobble season, so it's very possible we send him to be our 8th man on the stones-trio (RVV, GW, PR).
Paul Martens - A very interesting transfer for the 2008 season- Taken from the Shimano squad, He'll be doing at his best on the Giro (where he'll ride of course) and the Eneco Tour, trying to reach what he could not do last time after a brillian escape with big shots like Nuyens or Gutierrez.
Koos Moerenhout - The Dutch champion could play some main role at the spring semi-classics, but he's more likely to get a supporting tactic all over the year. He'll be in good form during the last races though, so let's stay into alert with him...
Grischa Niermann - The German will be completely aiming for a helping role at the Tour de France, where he'll gotta have the best supporter for both Menchov and Dekker. He'll have some chances to shine on the early races.
Joost Posthuma - Set to ride at his best in the last week of the Tour and the World Championships, he'll be the Dutch team's best option to get a medal on the time trial. He's a extremely talented guy, able to win in races like the 3 Days of the Panne without being at his best level.
Kai Reus - Returning from a terrifying crash during a training session on Tignes last summer, he was firstly meant to ride for the Continental Team until he recovered from his injuries, but, considering his great form and acceptable recuperation from the accident, we made him promote again. This will be sort of a "restart" in the pro scene for Kai, and he's still to show what shape is made of for cycling.
Bram Tankink - A Quick·Steppie for the last few years, he's returning to the Rabo ploeg to work for the team leaders, but he'll also get a good chance to win some stages on both the Giro and the Vuelta. Watch him out for the Vuelta al PaÃs Vasco!
Laurens ten Dam - Coming here from dismantled Unibet team, Laurens will be aiming to win the Volta a Catalunya before making his (late) jump to the leadership in 2009. We won't exige too much this time.
Will Walker - We've lost part of the essence of the man who managed to win the Aussie champs in 2006 while being still an u23 rider. He'll try to be fit for the races at his homeland, but the most important part of his season will come on summer, from July onwards. He'll be also one of our Giro d'Italia riders.
(13/01) Australian Championships: "Stu" grants a new jersey
Rabobank badly crack as Hayman and Brown can't keep the pace
Stuart O'Grady seemed to be calm after what happened to be his latest conquer so far. A winner of the 2007 Paris - Roubaix and three-time medalist at the Aussie champs, the leadout man from Team CSC achieved his second victory at the national contest after a brilliant solo ride for the last 13 kilometers to the finish line in Bunniyong. "Not that I'm used to winning like this, but I'm confident I rode at my best. I hope to do so for the rest of the season", O'Grady told to the official media at the post-race press conference.
42 riders took off from the depart at Bunniyong, where the Australian Cycling Federation proposed an "up-and-down" circuit, including the Mt. Bunniyong climb shortly after every lap's start. An early break composed by nine riders achieve an 8-minute gap, 58 kilometres out of the 163 on the race. Lots of attacks into the group led Jonathon Clarke (Toyota - United) and Graeme Brown (Rabobank) into a second group made of riders out of form. The pursuit behind the first group was led by Silence - Lotto riders, while Matthew Lloyd and Cadel Evans sitted into the back of the peloton.
Great story, but 1 mistake imo, at the Team presentation, you sai that Posthuma will be the best option for the dutchies to get a meal at the TT WC, but this, ofcourse, should be Dekker
robert_psv wrote:
Great story, but 1 mistake imo, at the Team presentation, you sai that Posthuma will be the best option for the dutchies to get a meal at the TT WC, but this, ofcourse, should be Dekker
no doubt Dekker won't be in form then
So far I'm liking this story. No random unrealistic signings which I hate
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
Great win in a top field. I love your presentations, the details are great and it looks even more professional with your "photo gallery". Great stuff so far
For the first time ever since he was first hosted in 1999, the Tour Down Under has become part of the ProTour calendar, as a new event outside Europe (that never happened yet). The race's route is quite the same as last year's, with an extra stage (up to a total of 6) and the traditional flat "parcours" towards the Willunga Hill on the penultimate day (January 26th).
To be on the level such a race requests, we're sending a quite powerful team as Thomas Dekker will make his debut (58). Graeme Brown (65) and Tom Leezer (64) will be aiming to get good spots within the best 10 sprinters of the race, while Will Walker (64) will be our main contender for the GC. The team is completed by: Michiel Elijzen (56), Matthew Hayman (58, with no spot of his chute at the Aussie champs), Dimitri Kozontchuk (51) and Gerben Löwik (65).
(22/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 1: Mawson Lakes > Angaston
No place for foreigners: Brown stands on "grown land"
Considering the amount of top sprinters who came to South Australia to take part on ProTour's first round, none would have expected an Aussie to win, even when Robbie NcEwen declined to take part on the race for the first time since its foundation. Nevertheless, Rabobank's Graeme Brown made the day of all spectators at the final straight on Angaston by outsprinting - not without any suspense - Erik Zabel (Team Milram) and Tom Boonen (Quick·Step) to claim his first win of the season and take the leadership of the 2008 Tour Down Under.
Brown's win was the result of a huge team strategy over the entire stage. Netherlands's Gerben Löwik was Graeme's "bodyguard" for the first half of the stage, where a KOM climb plus loads of uphill and downhill slopes could break the rhythm on weaker sprinters' legs. Plus, young leadout man Tom Leezer did an amazing work to put the Australian into the right way to the victory. Brown came early from Aaron Kemps and Erik Zabel, while Boonen and Italy's Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) came too late to overcome the home rider.
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors-
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors-
And still nice, nice!
Ojee, screenshot i meen screenshots.
On the story: you didn't mis the season start. Keep it up!
You have got to give this guy credit because he is actually on hard unlike the other noobs who are on easy/normal where yo can ride off the front on 10% effort! I salute you sir!
(23/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 2: Stirling > Hahndorf
Stuart O'Grady sneaks it away on the tables; Brown remains on the lead
A heat wave, which is making his way through the South Australia region during the start of the summer at the Southern hemisphere, might seem to be affecting Graeme Brown's sense. The leading sprinter of the Rabobank squad thought he had won the second stage into the little village of Hahndorf, but, surprisingly, national champion Stuart O'Grady took it from his hands to grant his first victory in yellow-green colours for the 2008 season. Brown will remain on the first place in the 2008 Tour Down Under though.
Graeme's lose against his countryman might perfectly seem a lack of attention towards the contest on the sprint. The Aussie rider from Rabobank did not think so; "I was being clearly the strongest and, when I saw the 300-meter barrier at the side of the road and none trying to overcome from any sides, I thought it was done. I simply didn't expect that last strike from Stuart [O'Grady]", Brown told to the media while waiting for his turn on the podium ceremony to come.
Previously, the peloton showed no interesting for any fight before the sprint, probably because of the hot temperatures reigning over South Oz all over the day. An early break featuring leader's teammate Gerben Löwik (Rabobank), local star Chris Sutton (Slipstream - Chipotle) and Martin Müller (Team Milram) gained some gap over the peloton, mainly controlled by the Lampre and Quick·Step squads. Saronni's riders appeared to be working for Alessandro Ballan, even though last year's winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen wasn't a real sprinter.
After a late attempt by Dutch youngster Thomas Dekker (Rabobank), cracked down shortly after the attack at the 10km mark, the peloton messed up in order to guarantee a confusing sprint, with several rush slipstreams going over the final straight at Hahndorf. Tom Leezer did again a great job for his leader, but Brown could not succeed on the way he did the day before. Another chance will come for everyone tomorrow, on a new opportunity for the fastest men.
Wait, because you celebrated, O'Grady didn't celebrate?
If that does happen on purpose , it's pretty cool
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
