Nice story. Heja Norden

I really like the jerseys as well. They are from the PCMdaily2012 DB for PCM11, so actually not quite sure who should get the credit for the design (but not me )

I think I rode the TTT just about perfectly - but a team built on unemployed cyclists have its limitations...



Thanks, hope to bring a lot of glory to our small part of the worlds in the seasons to come

Stage 4
With Nissen far behind other riders need to step up, and they need to be fast enough to win a sprint in the breakaway. Bäckstedt tried a couple of times but in the end Jebjerg got away and grabbed both intermediate sprints gaining 12 seconds to the GC. The breakaway never had the slightest chance to win, so Jebjerg found a nice spot in the back building up energy for the final bunchsprint, but as could be expected he was too tired to do anything there. Once again a lot of riders lost time and only 51 riders came in with the first group. That was god news for Jebjerg who is now 19 in the GC 6 seconds away from the magic top-10.

Stage 5
The team is ready and exited at the Camel Race Track. Everyone knows that todays race need to be well ridden so we can get that top-10 our main sponsor want. It takes a lot of hard work but Kasper Jebjerg manage to win 8 seconds in the two intermediate sprints. Petacchi grabs the stage and Kasper Jebjerg enters the top 10 before the last stage.



Stage 6
A largely uneventful stage. Jebjerg grabs a few extra seconds and ends at 7 in the GC. Goss takes the stage and the GC victory.

Results:
1. Matt Goss, Orica - GreenEdge
2. Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre - ISD
3. Francisco José Ventoso, Movistar
7. Kasper Jebjerg, Falcon - Norheim

Points: Matt Goss, Orica - GreenEdge
Young rider: Marcel Kittel, Argos - Shimano
Team: Astana

On the plane back from Qatar the team manager gave a comment to Falcon's Company Newsletter:

Good racing by Jebjerg. He really deserved that top 10.

By far the most impressing list of names we have faced this far. Counting Samuel Sanchez, Valverde, Hesjedal, Visconti, Voigt and Fuglsang (who, sometime in the future, should race for this team). Our main goal is to get in shape for the Omloop het Nieuwsblad.

Stage 1 – TT
What an amazing performance by our guys. Bäckstedt in 7th best time and Morten Kruse Brink at 2nd best time. Well ridden by the guys!

Stage 2
Early breakaway with Pelle Clapp caught by the peloton lead by Team NetApp. Jens Voigt counters and no one sees him again before the podium ceremony. One minute later the peloton reaches the finish line with a slight uphill sprint. In a race without the big sprinters Kasper Jebjerg manage to win the sprint ahead of Ben Hermans getting a second place on the stage.



Stage 3
Todays stage is hilly, and we should see which riders are going for GC win. It will no doubt be a tough day, but Carlström is looking strong and motivated for a good result. The day starts with lots of attacks on the first climb, but the terrifyingly strong Radioshack - Nissan wanted to do it the hard way leaving 88 riders left in the peloton after less than 30 km. With 70 km to go only 60 riders remain in the battle. Among those Carlström and Jebjerg. With 15 km to go Voigt attacks in the leader’s jersey. Carlström cleverly lets Movistar and Euskaltel pull him back in. Samuel Sanchez goes on to the attack and Carlström tries to follow him, but without any luck. Sanchez takes the win and Kjell an impressive 7th between Zubeldia and Karpets!

Stage 4
Supposedly a flat stage, but with a small hill a few kilometers before goal, the sprinters shouldn’t feel too comfortable. Could be a good stage for The Falcons. Radioshack – Nissan keeps the stage under control. Knowing Jens Voigt it’s hardly surprising to see him have a go from 15 km out again today, but once again he is wheeled in. With 7 km to go of the stage and less than 2 km to the top of the hill Carlström goes on the attack. Samuel Sanchez is the only riders capable of answering the attack and he catches Kjell just after the summit. Unfortunately Sanchez won’t help maintaining the break and Carlström is caught right before the line getting a 6th place of the stage.



Stage 5
A hilly stage with a short steep uphill finish. Last chance for Carlström to capitalize on his good form as the finish is expected to be too steep for the other riders on the team (unless they can get there alone…). Another hard stage controlled completely by Radioshack - Nissan ends with another top 10 for Carlström.

Results:
1. Jens Voigt, RadioShack - Nissan
2. Samuel Sánchez, Euskaltel - Euskadi
3. Alejandro Valverde, Movistar Team
13. Kjell Carlström, Falcon - Norheim

Points: Ben Hermans, Radioshack - Nissan
Mountain: Fabrice Jeandesboz, Saur - Sojasun
Young rider: Jonathan Castroviejo, Movistar Team
Team: Radioshack - Nissan

Carlstrom did well to finish 13th

The team has now arrived in Belgium, but the atmosphere on the team appears a bit tense the night before the race. This being the main cobble race of the season for the has apparently led Magnus Bäckstedt to keep on talking about how he won the Paris-Roubaix back in 2004. Morten Kruse Brink tells us about the situation:


Does this mean Bäckstedt will suffer from lack of his teammates' support or will it just encourage him further to get a good result? We will know much more by tomorrow.

I don't think he can count on much help

Good work in Andalucia. Especially against those big names.

Yeah Radioshack was terrifying with 6 riders in top 11 of the GC!

But Kjell became best continental rider, so thats very good!

When the first solid breakaway of the day gets going it is with Morten Kruse Brink as the main rider. Wonder if his plan is to keep Magnus out of top 10 by winning the race for himself? There's still quite a long way to go.



As the cobble sections get more intense The breakaway falls apart – the other four riders just can’t keep up with Brinks pace. But at the back Radioshack – Nissan, Omega-Pharma - Quickstep and BMC have made an alliance in the chase. Right behind them Bäckstedt, Madsen and Jebjerg is sitting comfortably awaiting their chance.



With 8 km to go the front group consist of 21 riders. Jens Erik Madsen is there but to tired to play a role in the finish. Both Jebjerg and Bäckstedt seem to be in good condition. Knowing that Kasper is the best sprinter of the two Magnus decides to try going solo. Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara prove to be above the rest and as Jebjerg pass the line he can see four riders in front of him beating the likes of Goss, Breschel and Ballan in the sprint. Bäckstedt is 12th



Results:
1. Tom Boonen, Omega-Pharma - Quickstep
2. Fabian Cancellara, Radioshack - Nissan
3. Heinrich Haussler, Garmin - Sharp
5. Kasper Jebjerg, Falcon - Norheim
12. Magnus Bäckstedt, Falcon - Norheim


Near the bus we met a very tired Morten Kruse Brink:

What a Great result for Jebjerg that was when you consider the class of riders that finished in front of him

Thanks
No shame in losing a cobble race to Boonen/Cancellara. Beating the likes of Breschel, Ballan and Bennati really proves how far you can get by being in good form at these early races.

I think we will se a win from him before the season ends?

Lets hope so it would be Great for morale

Nicely done. Absolutely no shame

We wasn’t really supposed to be riding this race, but several of my riders claimed to have the form to win this exact race. So I thought “What the hell� and called the race organizer in the last moment, and luckily they still had room for us.

When the bookmakers saw us at the team registrations, they figured that Carlström could be an outsider for the race - but we all know it's hard to predict any race, that has Vinokourov in the peloton.

All day Astana, Lampre, Katusha and Omega-Pharma - Quickstep made the race hard and no breakaway managed to get away, though there were plenty of attacks. With 5 km to go Robert Kiserlovski attacks and gets away. Lampre – ISD is pulling the favorites group, but not gaining time so Kjell Carlström goes on the attack and manages to beat Kiserlovski right at the finish securing the Nordic Cycling Project its first ever victory in the Finnish Champions Jersey.
What a surprise!

Sadly no photographers were present at the event, and the organizers didn't even have the Finnish national anthem for the ceremony. What an anti-climax. Luckily one of the officials were a Monty Python fan, so they agreed with Kjell that this beautiful song was just as good (if not better) than the anthem.



Results:
1. Kjell Carlström, Falcon - Norheim
2. Robert Kiserlovski, Astana
3. Przemyslaw Niemiec, Lampre - ISD



We tried to get a comment from Kjell Carlström but at first he was so emotional that he didn't really make sense. Then ha started to speak Finnish, which only made him even more impossible to understand. He looked really happy though!

Isn't Lugano in Switzerland

Sure is. That explains why our photographer never showed up at the race...

He he, Nice one

His train was probably late .

(IRONIC)