We have currently made enquiries to 6 riders who as yet do not have a contract next year.

Two doped riders already snapped up are heading to Ag2r: Stefan Schumacher (Slipstream) and Bernhard Kohl (Astana)

Igor Anton, Arnuad Coyot, Evan Oliphant and Ivan Stevic will not be offered a new contract at the team, and therefore leave at the end of the season

Great ride by Hagen and Ignatiev, go Team Lokomotiv

Why don't you keep Igor Anton?

Wow. I just read this story from page 1 to then end. It took me two days off and on. Bravo on a good story!

I would assume to clear up salary space....

Simply, because I dont want to

I think it makes a better story if there are some transfers in it too.

Ok, thanks for your answer

please tell me that there will be an update soon, this story is so good

SN takes his time out from the story to do the man-game etc. It'll be updated some day.

Just finished reading this story after 2 weeks or so of reading. Great story and have enjoyed comparing with my career. Just finished 2010 season using PCMSpain DB. Will be interesting to see how your TDF results come out compared with 2010 TDF in my save. Was Dekker back and forth with Contador while Gesink came on strong towards the end. Contador had the yellow jersey going into the final TT where Dekker took it from him to get his first TDF win and snapping Contador's run of two straight TDF wins.

What an awesome story

Okay, I raced this stage in October, but only now will I post it



Stage 7



Its the first real testing stage for the GC favourites - the hills from Aubusson to Mauriac. With so many hills, there are also plenty of KoM points available. This is something Rigoberto Uran was well aware of, as he attacked from the start


Having won the first 2 climbs solo, he was joined by 7 others but still proceeded to winning the next 4


Although by the 6th one, the gap was coming down and the break were soon to be caught with 8km to go to the 7th KoM sprint, so Uran dug deep in a desperate attempt to still lead by then

Unfortunately it fell short, being caught with 2km to go

The real action comes within the final 34km, with three climbs (although the last isnt categorized). Menchov started the attacks, with Hagen and Evans quick to follow. Evans is looking towards the GC while Hagen would like to keep the yellow jersey for as long as possible.


Menchov led over the top of climb 8 with a gap over Kreuziger and Kohl, another gap to Brajkovic.


Just behind Brajkvoic is the Evans group. Despite having strong form today, he could not follow Menchov, but at least Dekker and Andy Schleck are with him, as are Pereiro, Gerdemann, Zubeldia, Rogers, van den Broeck and Hagen. And it is Hagen who powers the group downhill, trying to close the gap for Evans


Despite Hagen doing all that is possible - 99% and a +5 daily form but its not working. Dekker gets away and joins Brajkovic, with Andy Schleck also getting clear - the riders are now on the small uncategorized hill, within 10km from the finish


Realising that Hagen isnt able to close the gap, Evans at last chooses to attack


As his 6 rivals up the road come together, the Aussie is stuck in no mans land


The road flattens for the final few kilometres, but it cannot stop Lampre's Menchov taking a deserved win

Andy Schleck takes 2nd ahead of Dekker, those two still seem to be the ones to watch in the mountains as far as Evans is concerned.

Speaking of Evans, he comes in 7th @ 1'02. He moves from 4th to 2nd overall (Millar and Ignatiev drop down the GC a bit as they finished in the peleton, along with Contador)


Rogers leads in Hagen's group 37 seconds later, and the Norwegian still has yellow.

1 Denis Menchov LAMPRE - FONDITAL 5h31'03
2 Andy Schleck TEAM CSC s.t.
3 Thomas Dekker RABOBANK s.t.
4 Janez Brajkovic DISCOVERY CHANNEL s.t.
5 Bernhard Kohl TEAM ASTANA s.t.
6 Roman Kreuziger LIQUIGAS s.t.
7 Cadel Evans DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 1'02
8 Michael Rogers T-MOBILE TEAM + 1'39
9 Óscar Pereiro UNIBET.COM s.t.
10 Linus Gerdemann CAISSE D'EPARGNE s.t.
11 Haimar Zubeldia SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR s.t.
12 Jurgen Van den Broeck PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
13 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
14 Yaroslav Popovych TEAM ASTANA + 3'22
15 Jérôme Pineau EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI s.t.
16 John-Lee Augustyn DISCOVERY CHANNEL s.t.
17 John Gadret AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
18 Giovanni Visconti TEAM ASTANA s.t.
19 Alexandr Kolobnev QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC s.t.
20 Vladimir Karpets RABOBANK s.t.
21 Robert Gesink RABOBANK s.t.
22 Pedro Nicacio BARLOWORLD s.t.
23 Mikhail Ignatiev DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
24 Filippo Pozzato LIQUIGAS s.t.
25 Pavel Brutt QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC s.t.
44 Maxim Iglinskiy DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
46 Alberto Contador DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
47 David Millar DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.

GC
1 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 24h53'54
2 Cadel Evans DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 1'00
3 Janez Brajkovic DISCOVERY CHANNEL + 1'29
4 Thomas Dekker RABOBANK + 1'44
5 Andy Schleck TEAM CSC + 1'58
6 Roman Kreuziger LIQUIGAS + 2'27
7 Mikhail Ignatiev DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 2'41
8 David Millar DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 3'06
9 Bernhard Kohl TEAM ASTANA + 3'14
10 Haimar Zubeldia SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR + 3'47
11 Denis Menchov LAMPRE - FONDITAL + 3'59
12 Óscar Pereiro UNIBET.COM + 4'08
13 Michael Rogers T-MOBILE TEAM + 4'18
14 Linus Gerdemann CAISSE D'EPARGNE + 4'20
15 Jurgen Van den Broeck PREDICTOR - LOTTO + 4'34
16 Christopher Sutton UNIBET.COM + 5'00
17 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 5'17
18 Alberto Contador DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
19 George Hincapie DISCOVERY CHANNEL + 5'18
20 John-Lee Augustyn DISCOVERY CHANNEL + 5'21

Points
1 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 128
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 127
3 Bernhard Eisel T-MOBILE TEAM 96
4 Heinrich Haussler GEROLSTEINER 95
5 Enrico Gasparotto LIQUIGAS 68

KoM
1 Rigoberto Urán DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 53
2 Stijn Devolder EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 30
3 Vladimir Gusev QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC 29
4 Denis Menchov LAMPRE - FONDITAL 26
5 Rémy Di Gregorio DISCOVERY CHANNEL 22

Its back.......................maybe...

And were back again.... YEAH

still as good as ever

Wohoo it's back, or? I hope that you will continue SN, it's the greatest story ever!

Yeh its back for a bit, heres the first 2009 -played stage



Stage 8



Its a flat stage from Aurillac to Agen, but theres some hills to keep it exciting. It also makes it of vague interest to Uran. He takes 15 points as he bookened the days KoM hills, winning the first and last as a 5 man break went away and got caught inbetween.


With 20km to go, an interesting attack develops: Kairelis, Popovych, 3rd overall Brajkovic and Gesink


We immediately send Millar and Ignatiev forward to realy but before they can get close to the fron of the relay train, the mini-attack is over after 5km. Still, Millar and Ignatiev can make use of their positions to lead out Hagen, and that is what happens.


Rasmussen has Hagen's wheel, while Haussler and Hushovd are some way back. It is for that reason that Haussler is making his move very early


Theres no point staying behind Ignatiev, so Hagen goes early too


This should benefit Hushovd who makes his move with just over a kilometre to go


This is going to be close! Any one of the H-Named sprinters could win.


And on the line its Haussler! Hagen takes 2nd, importantly that is just ahead of Hushovd and gives him the Green jersey lead


Hagen of course will still wear Yellow, and his lead is extended as the first 26 riders across the line gained 57 seconds. With 10th on the stage, Ignatiev is back up to 4th overall.

1 Heinrich Haussler GEROLSTEINER 5h18'31
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
3 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
4 Daniele Bennati LAMPRE - FONDITAL s.t.
5 Mark Cavendish T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
6 Lloyd Mondory AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
7 Alex Rasmussen UNIBET.COM s.t.
8 Robert Förster PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
9 Fran Ventoso SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR s.t.
10 Mikhail Ignatiev DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
11 Bernhard Eisel T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
12 Leonardo Duque CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
13 Enrico Gasparotto LIQUIGAS s.t.
14 Eros Capecchi LIQUIGAS s.t.
15 Assan Bazayev CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
16 Christopher Sutton UNIBET.COM s.t.
17 André Greipel T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
18 Carlos Eduardo Alzate EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI s.t.
19 Robert Hunter GEROLSTEINER s.t.
20 Danilo Napolitano LAMPRE - FONDITAL s.t.
21 Tyler Farrar GEROLSTEINER s.t.
22 Gerald Ciolek T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
23 Romain Feillu AGRITUBEL s.t.
24 Matti Breschel T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
25 Alessandro Ballan LAMPRE - FONDITAL s.t.
26 Tom Stamsnijder T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
27 Yaroslav Popovych TEAM ASTANA + 57
28 Dainius Kairelis BARLOWORLD s.t.
29 Filippo Pozzato LIQUIGAS s.t.
30 Vladimir Gusev QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC s.t.
31 Rémy Di Gregorio DISCOVERY CHANNEL s.t.
32 Kim Kirchen LIQUIGAS s.t.
33 Tomas Vaitkus DISCOVERY CHANNEL s.t.
34 John-Lee Augustyn DISCOVERY CHANNEL s.t.
35 Pavel Brutt QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC s.t.

GC
1 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 30h12'13
2 Cadel Evans DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 2'09
3 Janez Brajkovic DISCOVERY CHANNEL + 2'38
4 Mikhail Ignatiev DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 2'53
5 Thomas Dekker RABOBANK s.t.
6 Andy Schleck TEAM CSC + 3'07
7 Roman Kreuziger LIQUIGAS + 3'36
8 David Millar DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 4'15
9 Bernhard Kohl TEAM ASTANA + 4'23
10 Haimar Zubeldia SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR + 4'56
11 Denis Menchov LAMPRE - FONDITAL + 5'08
12 Christopher Sutton UNIBET.COM + 5'12
13 Óscar Pereiro UNIBET.COM + 5'17
14 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 5'21
15 Michael Rogers T-MOBILE TEAM + 5'27
16 Linus Gerdemann CAISSE D'EPARGNE + 5'29
17 Jurgen Van den Broeck PREDICTOR - LOTTO + 5'43
18 Heinrich Haussler GEROLSTEINER + 5'54
19 Eros Capecchi LIQUIGAS + 5'58
20 Alberto Contador DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 6'26

Points
1 Edvald Boasson Hagen DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 157
2 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 154
3 Heinrich Haussler GEROLSTEINER 130
4 Bernhard Eisel T-MOBILE TEAM 111
5 Lloyd Mondory AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 86

KoM
1 Rigoberto Urán DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED 68
2 Vladimir Gusev QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC 34
3 Stijn Devolder EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 30
4 Denis Menchov LAMPRE - FONDITAL 26
5 Paul Martens AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 24

Go Hagen you will take it next time!

What a domination in the GC right now by DFL ! Nice 2nd with Hagen.