Which button is that celebration

We have very hard goals but at least the Ardenn Classics and the green jersey in Le Tour looks close to us. But we will see what happens then


The Tour de France and Milano Sanremo will be the most important races for the team this year.


And the budget is way better than the last year. But we spent 2 milions on the 2 transfers than we had in the transfer period in 2008.


2009 leaders:

Kim Kirchen will the big leader of team. His target are the Ardenn Classics, The Tour de France and a good spot in the final Pro Tour Rankings.


Mark Cavendish is the best sprinter in out team, but because he has difficults in the hilly stages he might miss so important wins just like the previous year.


Georges Hincapie is sure at his last season with Team Columbia, and probably his last year with the big names in cycling. He is retirement is probably closer than ever.


Linus Gerdemann will be our leader for many one week races in the Pro Tour and some continental races in Germany. He also wants to keep his title in the German Championships. He is looking again for the white jersey in the most important cycling competition of the year


Bernhard Eisel is our sprinter that can also do well on hills and he will be there when Cavendish can't hang on.


Michael Rogers will lead the team in Giro, and of course he will be a luxury team-mate for Kim Kirchen in the Tour. First goal of the season: win again the Aussie Championships


Thomas Lovkvist will have again ago for the Polka Dot. He did very well in Vuelta in 2008 so he will lead the team again in Vuelta.


Teams stasts for 2009:


Now, please have a sit and enjoy the 2009 season...

Of course we will

Australian Championships


The breakaway, with a lot of big names


Sutherland attacks...


Hansen tries to get him back but it's hard, and he has no support from the other escapes


So Sutherland is the new Aussie Champion


Hansen paid for the energy lost when trying to catch Sutherland and finished only 5th


Rogers was the first man behind the escapes, if that's warming


Results
1. Rory Sutherland Health net presented by Maxxis 4h27'06
2. Trent Lowe Garmin - Chipotle powered by H30 + 43
3. Baden Cooke Barloworld + 1'33
4. Darren Lapthorne Team Sparkasse s.t.
5. Adam Hansen Team Columbia s.t.
6. Luke Roberts Team Kuota - Senges + 2'23
7. Peter McDonald Drapac Porsche Development Program s.t.
8. Brett Lancaster Team Milram + 5'43
9. Michael Rogers Team Columbia + 6'55
10. William Walker Rabobank s.t.

Didn't you say that you would raise Kirchen TT stat?

Great story!

damn. I forgot about that

I'm just going to let it like that, I think...

You can still change it. This time i wouldn't consider it cheating. 68 is not the number for kirchen.

Maybe 74...75...

Tour Down Under Stage 1


The breakway.


Eisel will be lead-out today by 3 new-comers: Ignatiev, Van Emden and Bellis


Ignative starts the sprint in front...


Van Emden and Bellis are trying to place Eisel in the best position they can


But Zabel accelerates and no one has the power to respond to that


And the old man, that now riders for Silence Lotto, wins the first sprint of the season


Eisel lost the second place to Boonen, but a podium is a podium


Stage
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 2h55'35
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
3. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
4. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole s.t.
5. Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
6. Graeme Brown Rabobank s.t.
7. Jonathan Bellis Team Columbia s.t.
8. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux s.t.
9. Jos Van Emden Team Columbia s.t.
10. Jimmy Casper Agritubel s.t.

Overall
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 2h55'29
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step + 2
3. Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne + 3
4. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia + 4
5. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 6
6. Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
7. Graeme Brown Rabobank s.t.
8. Jonathan Bellis Team Columbia s.t.
9. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux s.t.
10. Jos Van Emden Team Columbia s.t.

Points
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 25
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 22
3. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 20

Mountain
1. Christian Murro Lampre 4
2. Luca Celli LPR Brakes - Ballan 2
3. Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne 1

Kirchen trained a lot on time trial and he is really good now.


*screens updated*

ahahaha

Thats better!

At least its more real

Tour Down Under Stage 2


Only one escape today. It's Portal.


The Columbia riders are preparing for the mass sprint finish...


Ignatiev is the fastest guy in the pack and he takes with him Van Emden and Eisel


Van Emden is now in front, Eisel is right after him


But Boonen looks really fast today


O'Grady appears from nowhere and it looks like is going to be a Quick Step business


And the former CSC rider takes the win. Eisel third again


Stage
1. Stuart O'Grady Quick·Step 3h36'27
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
3. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
4. Philippe Gilbert Française des Jeux s.t.
5. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto s.t.
6. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole s.t.
7. Jos Van Emden Team Columbia s.t.
8. Graeme Brown Rabobank s.t.
9. Mikhail Ignatiev Team Columbia s.t.
10. Max Richeze Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.

Overall
1. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 6h31'54
2. Stuart O'Grady Quick·Step + 2
3. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto s.t.
4. Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel + 3
5. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia + 4
6. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux + 5
7. Lilian Jégou Française des Jeux s.t.
8. Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
9. Gorik Gardeyn Silence - Lotto + 7
10. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 8

Points
1 Tom Boonen Quick·Step 44
2. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 41
3. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 40

Mountain
1. Christian Murro Lampre 4
2. Vladimir Gusev Astana Cycling Team 4
3. Iñigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi 2

O'Grady wtf?!?

Aren' you gonna update your jerseys to 2009?

you would say that CSC didn't want him in their team anymore cause they thought he has old, but it seems they were wrong

No rasm, I already said that. I used your jersey in Lombardy previous page, I think.

Tour Down Under Stage 3


The day's breakaway.


We aren't really in front, bad day for Ignatiev. But we still have a chance


Now we don't, Eisel is blocked. No chance for him to get out of there


Boonen is in front, Hushovd could get the win as well


But the overall rankings leader is too strong and he gets the win


Stage
1. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 3h05'12
2. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole s.t.
3. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto s.t.
4. Daniele Bennati Liquigas s.t.
5. Paolo Bettini Team Milram s.t.
6. Mark Renshaw Crédit Agricole s.t.
7. Jonathan Bellis Team Columbia s.t.
8. Graeme Brown Rabobank s.t.
9. Dominique Rollin Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team s.t.
10. Kurt-Asle Arvesen Rabobank s.t.

Overall
1. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 9h37'00
2. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto + 6
3. Stuart O'Grady Quick·Step + 8
4. Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel + 9
5. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 10
6. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
7. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux + 11
8. Lilian Jégou Française des Jeux s.t.
9. Matthew Hayman Rabobank s.t.
10. Jimmy Engoulvent Crédit Agricole s.t.

Points
1. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 69
2. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 61
3. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole 55

Mountain
1. Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne 5
2. Christian Murro Lampre 4
3. Vladimir Gusev Astana Cycling Team 4

Tour Down Under Stage 4


John Devide wins today's stage climb


Ignatiev has way better feelings than yesterday


Eisel is in a good position, but Zabel and Hushovd are after him


Zabel accelerates and takes the lead. Eisel seem to can't respond...


And the old German takes his second stage win


While an another podium for Eisel, again third.


Stage
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 3h05'15
2. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole s.t.
3. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
4. Tom Leezer Rabobank s.t.
5. Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
6. Jos Van Emden Team Columbia s.t.
7. Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
8. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux s.t.
9. Graeme Brown Rabobank s.t.
10. Juan José Haedo Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.

Overall
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 12h42'15
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
3. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 6
4. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia + 8
5. Stuart O'Grady Quick·Step s.t.
6. Gorik Gardeyn Silence - Lotto s.t.
7. Lilian Jégou Française des Jeux s.t.
8. Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel + 9
9. Matthew Goss Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 10
10. Stefan Van Dijk Française des Jeux + 11

Points
1. Erik Zabel Silence - Lotto 86
2. Tom Boonen Quick·Step 83
3. Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole 77

Mountain
1. Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne 5
2. Luca Celli LPR Brakes - Ballan 4
3. Christian Murro Lampre 4

The old man still rules!
How great would it be if Zabel won Tour Down Under!

Camon Eisel you can do it!

Good to see the level seems to have been pushed up.

yep. But I'm doing better than on normal. At least TDU is better than last year