Stage 2 was quite a success, nice work

Ian Butler Thanks! I appreciate that you follow my story cuz I follow yours too!

sutty68 Yes! Rui Costa really can shine on hills and he showed he is in good shape .

alexanderlens Well somethhing happended with my pics from imageshack but I solved the problem and it wont happen again .

Here it is ! The queen stage from STDU .An uphill finish on Willunga hill .



The last 5km and Grivko , in the national champion jersey , was the last man to be caught from the breakaway . Movistar set an incredible pace , with Kirienka and our leader Rui Costa righr behind him.



With 1200m to go Rui Costa decided to make his move . Moser , Gallopin , Matthews , Siutsou , Stybar were all behind him . Can he do it ?



Yes! First win of the season Despite an incredible finish from Bakelands Rui Costa won on Willunga Hill .

But we must stay calm .Lets see the results . Did he manage to take the orange jersey ?

Stage Results
1.Rui Costa
2.Jan Bakelands st
3.Zdenek Stybar +16s
4.Linus Gerdemann +16s
5.Alexandr Kolobnev+16s

GC
1.Rui Costa
2.Michael Matthews +2s
3.Jan Bakelands +10s
4.Tony Gallopin +14s
5.Zdenek Stybar +18s

The good news : we are 1st in GC

Bad News : Matthews is only 2 sec behind . He won all the sprints so far and he must not be on the podium tomorrow.
Our only chance is to hope that Rabobank will fail in bringing Michael to the front of the peloton !

Points
1.M.Matthews 24p
2.T.Gallopin 18p
3.Rui Costa 14p

The KOM standings remained unchanged.

So the last stage of STDU . We have the leaders jersey but there isnt much we can do to keep it . Lets just hope that Matthews will not finish on the podum.


We decided to sent Kiryenka and Jose Herada in the BOTD .


But we got caught and it will be a bunch sprint . Matthews already feels the win.


Matthews in the Blue Jersey is way behind ! WE have a chance!


Keukeleire wins! while Matthews finishes only 11th .Rui Costa won !

Stage results
1.Jens Keukeleire
2.Ruben Perez
3.Jonathan Cantwell
4.Heinrich Haussler
5.Tony Gallopin

GC


Points
1.M.Matthews 24p
2.T.Gallopin 18p
3.Rui Costa 14p

KOM
1.S.Minard

Young
1.M.Matthews

Congrats!

Thanks! I gotta admit that I was quite lucky in the last stage . Also i won by only 2 seconds . But that is why cycling is so beautiful - you never know what can happen .

Very nice on the GC!

WT Rankings

Individual



1.Rui Costa
2.Michael Matthews
3.Jan Bakelands

Team



1.RadioShack
2.Movistar
3.Rabobank

CQ Rankings

Individual



1.Michael Matthews
2.Rui Costa
3.Tony Gallopin

Team



1.RadioShack
2.Rabobank
3.Orica GreenEdge

News

*We just renewed the contracts of the following riders :
-Andrey Amador
-Giovanni Visconti
-Nairo Quintana
-Jose Herada
-Benat Inxtausti

*Jonatan Castroviejo told that he will decide in July if he will accept our offer.

*Alaksej Saramontis won Tour of San Luis

*Tony Gallopin won GP La Marseillaise.

*Taylor Phinney broke his wrist in STDU and will miss 2 months.

*Lars Peter Nordhaug broke his rip and it is expected to come back in late March.

Good job about renewing Amador

Great Victory for Costa in Australia

Thanks . Unfortunately something intervened and I have to leave for a week so I will take a break from PCM ( but I can miss the WC )

Ok so here are the reports from Vuelta Mallorca . These are the last ones for this week.

This is our team for Vuelta Mallorca



We have Ventoso and Rojas for the sprint but with Cav , Boonen and Freire here it will be very difficult.



Ventoso managed to get on Cav's wheel .



He did it! First win of the season for the spanish national champion.

Stage results
1.Francisco Ventoso
2.Greg Van Avermaet
3.Jurgen Roelands
4.L.L.Sanchez
5.Mark Cavendish

Ventoso has the leader's jersey

Another day for the sprinters



Again Ventoso on CAV'S wheel



But this time Cav was too strong .

Stage results
1.Mark Cavendish
2.Tom Boonen
3.Francisco Ventoso
4.Luca Paolini
5.Jurgen Roelands

Ventoso still in yellow

Ventoso on a roll

A difficult stage . Lets hope that Ventoso can mantain his jersey

Unfortunately Ventoso had a bad day and LL.Sanchez , Gilbert . Van den Broeck , Porte and Voeckler pushed hard . Ventoso could not stay in the first group .



L.L.Sanchez won the sprint from the first group.

Stage results
1.L.L.Sanchez
2.Gilbert
3.D.Devenys
4.A.Txuruka
5.Tiralongo

GC
1.L.L.Sanchez
2.Gilbert +8s
G.Van Avermaet
4.D.Devenys +12s
5.Monfort +20s

Points
1.Cavendish 43p
2.Ventoso 41p
3.L.L.Sanchez 40p

A difficult stage again . Our goals
* win the White Jersey with Quintana
*get in BOTD with Ventoso and try to get the Points jersey



Ventoso managed to get in the BOTD . Winnig the intermediate sprint will be no problem .





The break-away got caught and L.L.Sanchez won again the reduced sprint. So Ventoso lost the Points Jersey but Quintana managet to stay in the front group and he finished 15th overall and he is also the best young rider.

Stage results
1.L.L.Sanchez
2.A.Schleck
3.Porte
4.F.Kessiakoff
5.D.Menchov

GC
1.L.L.Sanchez
2.A.Schleck 28s
3.D.Devenys 32s
4.D.Moreno 40s
5.M.Monfort 40s
........
.........
15.N.Quintana 2m 12 s

Points
1.L.L.Sanchez

KOM
1.F.Jeandesboz

Young
1Nairo Quintana

I just raced Tour of Algarve and Vuelta Andalucia , the last races from February . I will post the reports in the morning .

EDIT :I just have a qustion for you . The goals are to win a stage both in PN and in Tirreno and I dont know where to send Kirienka , RUI Costa , Ventoso and Rojas my best riders who are in shape are can win a stage . What do you think ?

Rojas might do something in Tirreno, I'd send Costa to Paris - Nice

Oh my, you started a story 1 day after i started mine with Movistar, although i'm focusing on one rider.

Good luck though! You're going fast