Remember, you have about 12 more hours for the big PM!

What big PM?

Can I send it to you tomorrow evening as well?
I've just really been busy the last few days

The startlists for the first part of the season

This one -> https://pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread....st_1019234

So I still have around 10h to complete it? C'Mon...Today is exam time again :/ I will try my best

You've had ages.

You know that I am in my exam time since 1.5 weeks? the last 1.5 weeks were quite filled for me already.

Also I did sent it to him a few hours before now.

I won't be able to get my startlist in by around 3:15 so I accepet whatever punishment I get

If you can't make it today, you cna have 2 more days, with punishment of course

Hello everyone. We are at the start line in Bitam for stage 3 of La Tropicale Amissa Bongo. The riders are facing a 109 km route over a hilly terrain. Jorge Cristobal Riquelme had to ride in his Belkin jersey the last 2 days, but it looks like he found his NC jersey now. Maybe this will give him a morale boost.




Straight after the start, Teuns (Astana) is the first one to attack from the peloton. He is followed by Molard (Cofidis), Vliegen (Lotto), Puccio (CCC) and Bilbao (Euskaltel). Bilbao rode the previous stage in the white jersey after his good effort on stage 1 and is now hoping to repeat that result.



More riders attack now and NetApp seems content to let them go. De Maar (UnitedHealthcare), Pomoshnikov (RusVelo), Rodriguez (Androni), Gastauer (AG2R) and Kohler (Bardiani) have reached the 5 leaders, while Gutierrez (Colombia) and Malacarne (Bretagne) are trying to jump across.




The first intermediate sprint goes uncontested and Bilbao crosses the line first. Teuns and Pomoshnikov follow in 2nd and 3rd. Gutierrez and Malacarne have joined the breakaway, which has now over 2 minutes on the peloton. It looks like these 12 riders are stuck together today. None of these riders are a danger for Hagg as all of them are over 10 minutes behind in the GC.

Sprint 1:
1. Bilbao (Euskaltel) - 6 points
2. Teuns (Astana) - 4 points
3. Pomoshnikov (RusVelo) - 2 points




Teuns wins the KoM sprint, in front of Pomoshnikov and Rodriguez. If he wins the 2nd one, he will be wearing the jersey tomorrow. The lead on the peloton is now 5 minutes.

KoM 1:
1. Teuns (Astana) - 5 points
2. Pomoshnikov (RusVelo) - 3 points
3. Rodriguez (Androni) - 1 point




Despite having Teuns in the breakaway, Astana is now leading the peloton. The breakaway has reached their maximum lead of 6'20, but the peloton is gaining ground now.



51 riders have dropped out of the peloton on a steep hill. Only sprinters and domestiques seem to have lost contact though. Among them are EPIC youngsters Kusnezov, Marcus, Mashaba, O'Callaghan and Harrini. At the front, Colombia's Guttierez has lost contact with his 11 companions.




The 2nd sprint also goes uncontested and it is De Maar who crosses the line first. Bilbao is second and Puccio comes in third place. The peloton follows at 4 and a half minute.

Sprint 2:
1. De Maar (UnitedHealthcare) - 6 points
2. Bilbao (Euskaltel) - 4 points
3. Puccio (CCC) - 2 points



Astana is gone from the front of the peloton and nothing is happening at the moment. NetApp is now leading the bunch, but they have no interest in bringing back the breakaway and the gap has increased to 5 and a half minute. It looks like it will be a victory for a breakaway rider again. The dropped riders have profited from the lack of pace and are back in the bunch now.





De Maar wins the 2nd KoM sprint, Rodriguez comes 2nd and Pomoshnikov is 3rd. De Maar keeps going and also wins the intermediate sprint a bit later. The break has fallen apart on the hill. De Maar, Teuns, Gastauer, Rodriguez, Bilbao and Pomoshnikov have a 30 second lead over Molard. The peloton is still 5 minutes back.

KoM 2:
1. De Maar (UnitedHealthcare) - 5 points
2. Rodriguez (Androni) - 3 points
3. Pomoshnikov (RusVelo) - 1 point

Sprint 3:
1. De Maar (UnitedHealthcare) - 6 points
2. Rodriguez (Androni) - 4 points
3. Bilbao (Euskaltel) - 2 points


NetApp uses this hill to increase the speed in the peloton and they manage to drop several riders that are high up in the GC. Riders caught out are Colbrelli, Bonilla, Trentin, Thwaites and Lobato. They are over a minute back and it is not looking like they will get back.




Gastauer tries to go solo. This could be the decisive move. Molard has made it back to the front and still has a chance to win.



Gastauer has a 40 second lead over the 6 other riders. The chasers are not willing to spend too much energy to get him back.


Gasparotto is tired of waiting and attacks from the peloton. Bernard, Verboven, Hagg, Cervero, Weschenbach and Henao follow. Cristobal Riquelme was a bit far back and is trying to close the gap.



Gastauer is still increasing his lead and is on his way to win the stage here.


The cameras have switched to GC riders though where race leader Hagg has to let go of the other riders. He finds himself in the company of Cristobal Riquelme now. Let's hope for him he can hang on to the Chilean's wheel. The peloton is being led by Champion System. Fernandez, 3rd in the GC, is still there for them.

Here is an overview of where all the groups are riding at the moment.






The victory today will be for Gastauer and his team AG2R. The GC riders have now entered the last 3 km of the stage and Hagg, who has dropped Cristobal Riquelme and Martinez Machado, is 17 seconds behind the 6 others. Hagg has no need to worry, because he has a 4 minute lead in the GC. The uphill sprint might cause some more splits to appear.




Gastauer wins the stage, but imitating Sagan's Forrest Gump celebration with 200 meters to go almost cost him the win there. Teuns and Bilbao finish as 2nd and 3rd after a strong sprint.


The GC riders catch a few breakaway riders and Henao sprints to a 8th place, in front of team-mate Weschenbach and Cervero. Hagg is caught by the peloton and will lose some time. Augustyn can't follow the peloton and drops to 3rd in the GC.

Rank	Name	Team	Time
1	Ben Gastauer	AG2R La Mondiale	2h37'51
2	Dylan Teuns	Astana Pro Team	s.t.
3	Pello Bilbao	Euskaltel - Euskadi	s.t.
4	Marc De Maar	UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
5	Jackson Rodríguez	Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela	s.t.
6	Sergei Pomoshnikov	RusVelo	+ 28
7	Rudy Molard	Cofidis, Solutions Crédits	+ 40
8	Sergio Henao	Sky Procycling	+ 1'31
9	Benedikt Weschenbach	Sky Procycling	+ 1'42
10	Delfi Cervero	Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela	s.t.

Rank	Name	Team	Time
1	Heimdal Hägg	Team NetApp - Endura	8h54'33
2	Delio Fernández	Team Champion System	+ 1'27
3	John-Lee Augustyn	MTN - Qhubeka	+ 1'46
4	Benedikt Weschenbach	Sky Procycling	+ 3'09
5	Sergio Henao	Sky Procycling	+ 3'18
6	Rudy Verboven	Euskaltel - Euskadi	+ 3'29
7	Delfi Cervero	Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela	s.t.
8	Gregory Bernard	Colombia	+ 3'56
9	Francisco José Ventoso	Movistar Team	+ 4'06
10	Ricardo Martinez Machado	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 4'13

Rank	Name	Team	Points	General
1	Benedikt Weschenbach	Sky Procycling	7	42
2	Heimdal Hägg	Team NetApp - Endura	0	37
3	Dylan Teuns	Astana Pro Team	26	32

Rank	Name	Team	Mountain	General
1	Heimdal Hägg	Team NetApp - Endura	0	8
2	John-Lee Augustyn	MTN - Qhubeka	0	8
3	Jacek Morajko	CCC Polsat - Polkowice	0	8

Young rider: Heimdal Hagg
Team: Sky Procycling

Thanks for fixing the jersey, but it seems this isn't the race for Belkin.

Verboven is doing well, but the breakaways aren't helping him.

Another good stage for me. Hägg defends the jersey while consolidating the GC lead and getting rid of a lot of Verboven's competition. Very good to see that my rider and his team understands that I have more than one target here

I'm fairly sure that it was Garikoitz Bravo and not Pello Bilbao that was away on the first stage. Pello was out on stage 2 though, so nice to see him try two days in a row and even getting a podium

Yay for Vliegen in his first pro race

the AI hates CCC.... 3 breakaways, where all of them have been succesful, yet every rider I send doesn't end with the others -.-

Ohh Ben I love you
What a great win that was from him, the only downside being that Bonilla lost a lot of time.
I really like the fact that our team has tried to get into the breakaway every time so far

Really? Remembered it wrong then, damn crap Basque riders all look like each other.

Nice report and stage again. If we have a half-action packed season like in Gabon, will be fun. Nother good ride for Benedikt and Sergio, maybe the 6-man sqad wasnt the best ideea

*th place overall for Gregory, looking good!

Another breakaway... Bloody hell Net-App
Two in the Top 10 for us is good.
Cervero showing good form at the moment which is positive