I'd do it.

(Maybe there won't be stupid breakaway action when played on PCM14 ).

My custom riders will still continue.Especially Alarcon

@TheSchleckFan: Good to hear

This is one of the least complicated stage races around. 8 flat stages and 2 mountain stages. No TT, no cobbles, no hills.


Only two WT-teams have decided to show up leaving this a great opportunity for the CT teams to get some more points.
Full startlist:
Looking over the startlist there are several big names, but even more teams with no stage or GC favourites. Combined with some of the big teams sending only 6 riders and the presense of De Maar you can't sount out the breakaway riders either.

So let’s start by looking at the riders set up to contest the flat staged:

		Fla	Spr	Acc
F.Brookes	Bardiani	75	80	77
L.Howard	Orica	75	78	77
M.Guido	Colombia	73	78	77
B.Markus	AG2R	74	77	77
D.Impey	Orica	75	75	76
B.Matysiak	CCC	71	75	73
N.Alinejad	Champion Systems	73	75	74
Y.Hutarovich	AG2R	74	75	76
D.Appollonio	AG2R	74	75	75
D.Walker	NetApp	73	75	75
J.Cantwell	Drapac	73	74	74
R.Sinkeldam	CCC	73	74	75
N.Arndt	NetApp	74	74	74
J.Drucker	Wanty	72	74	73
N.Ruffoni	Bardiani	73	74	75

And for the mountains stages and thus the GC:

		Mou	Hill	Fla
D.Johnson	Orica	80	75	70
J.Alarcon	Caja Rural	79	74	65
C.Evans	Orica	76	76	73
J.Brajkovi�	Astana	76	75	71
J.Gadret	AG2R	76	74	67
E.Chaves	Colombia	75	75	66
A.Llanet	CCC	75	69	63
S.Clarke	Orica	74	74	72
D.Arroyo	Caja Rural	74	73	66

Obviously this looks to be between Johnson and Alarcon and both of them even have some very strong support. Time will tell if it's enough to keep the expected attack frenzy under control...

We all know Marc de Maar will win this one, so why bother racing it

Great preview, can't wait for this race to start Llanet is decent for our goal and Matysiak can hopefully get some Top 10 's

I sent a very strong squad here, apart from that it isn't strong.

Hopefully Alinejad can pick up some stages though

Ah a preview, well done to get at elast someting going this weekend

De Maar surprised with a win here last year, but I doubt it'll happen again. Orica should be able to control the race. With a bit of luck, Mario Guido can pick up another stage win.

Interesting to see I have the best sprinter here. Hopefully he will take this opportunity to remember how to sprint. Hopefully the points jersey should be a possibility, if things go to plan. I also look forward to Sinaga racing again.

Really hopeful now that Alarcon can give us a really high GC here - we haven't wasted time bring a sprinter I always suspect a breakaway in after Genting on most days but we will see.

Pleased this race is in reliable hands

Orica with a really strong team here
Hopefully PCM will build a sprint train for Markus and he can consistently finish on the podium. We probably even have the best sprint train so maybe even a stage win isn't out of reach. GC-wise Gadret should be able to manage a Top-10.

I'm looking forward to it, bring it on Atlantius

Go Llanet, make your new team proud

Strongest Team Of The Year So Far for Colombia

Surprisingly a large group of riders drop behind before a break gets away. No big names among, but Drapac looks like they are in for 10 hrd days if this is anything to go by.

For a moment the attacks stop and everyone is reunited.

Ershov (RVL) takes the first intemediate ahead of Zabel (TNE) and Engoulvent (SOJ). Still less than a minutes gap to the peloton though.

Along with V.Feunard this turns out to be the group to get away.

With 100 km to go the gap is 5'47
2nd sprint goes uncontested to Engoulvent ahead of Feunard and Ershov.

90 km and 5'39
Colombia, Bardiani and AG2R seems to have it under control.

70 km and 4'31
60 km and 3'43
50 km and 2'59
Zabel takes the sprint ahead of Feunard and Engoulvent.

40 km and 2'43
30 km and 1'55
20 km and 1'13

With less than a minute to the chasing peloton and less than a km to the KOM sprint Ershov decides that it's the perfect time to attack.

No gap for the Russian but Engoulvent could be on to something.

8,4 km and only Engoulvent keeps a gap.

He survives until the 5 km mark.

Colombia worked hard all day and Guido is the first sprinter to lose his leadout. 2,5 km out seems a bit far to open the sprint though.

No structure whatsoever!

Brookes is first into the final km with Markus in his wheel followed by three Orica riders, who seemingly refuse to cooporate. Guido looks overcooked, but everyone else is having a long sprint as well and he still has a bit left to lose.

Markus makes his move with 900 m left

This is a two-man race!

Markus takes it.

Behind Orica show a completely new level of lacking team spirit to get 4 riders in the top 10 without providing anyone with just the slightest bit of leadout.

1	Barry Markus	AG2R La Mondiale	3h47'37
2	Fabian Brookes	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	s.t.
3	Mario Guido	Colombia	s.t.
4	Leigh Howard	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.
5	Simon Clarke	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.
6	Cadel Evans	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.
7	Ramon Sinkeldam	CCC Polsat - Polkowice	s.t.
8	Naveed Alinejad	Champion System Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
9	Daryl Impey	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.
10	Janez Brajkovi�	Astana Pro Team	s.t.

1	Barry Markus	AG2R La Mondiale	3h47'17
2	Fabian Brookes	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	+ 8
3	Artur Ershov	RusVelo	s.t.
4	Rick Zabel	Team NetApp - Endura	+ 10
5	Mario Guido	Colombia	+ 12
6	Jimmy Engoulvent	Sojasun	s.t.
7	Voltali Feunard	Champion System Pro Cycling Team	+ 14
8	Leigh Howard	Orica - GreenEdge	+ 20
9	Simon Clarke	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.
10	Cadel Evans	Orica - GreenEdge	s.t.

1	Barry Markus	AG2R La Mondiale	25
2	Fabian Brookes	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	20
3	Mario Guido	Colombia	16
4	Leigh Howard	Orica - GreenEdge	14
5	Artur Ershov	RusVelo	12

1	Artur Ershov	RusVelo	6
2	Rick Zabel	Team NetApp - Endura	4
3	Jimmy Engoulvent	Sojasun	2

1	Barry Markus	AG2R La Mondiale	3h47'17 (1)
2	Fabian Brookes	Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox	+ 8 (2)
3	Artur Ershov	RusVelo	+ 8 (3)
4	Rick Zabel	Team NetApp - Endura	+ 10 (4)
5	Mario Guido	Colombia	+ 12 (5)

Decent sprint for Sinkeldam, considering he had no leadout today Thanks for the quick report

When Evans comes 6th in a pure mass sprint you know this game is f*cked up

Bit disappointed by Naveed's 8th place, and JvR's 15th could have been better too. 7 more sprint chances to go though

What a start to the race
If I had known that Markus is so awesome at positioning then I would haven't send Hutarovich and Appollonio here

More than Evans did in the whole of last season. IN A BUNCH SPRINT. I'm so done.

This game is trolling us on a whole new level.
At least it ended in a mass sprint.

Too bad Guido didn't get a train, 3rd is still good though.