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[CT] Actavis- DKSH | 2015
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 07:06
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:45
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Joined: 22-10-2014
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Primary Sponsor: Actavis Pharmaceuticals 
Co-Sponsor: DiethelmKellerSiberHegner (DKSH)
In the past few days, myself and other members of key management have just come to an agreement with global pharmaceutical company, Actavis to launch a new Continental tier cycling team. Actavis and its various associated brands develop and market therapeutic treatments in a variety of areas, including Dermatology and Aesthetics; CNS; Eye Care; Women’s Health and Urology; GI and Cystic Fibrosis; and Cardiovascular and Infectious Disease.
We are happy to announce that this partnership with Actavis will be strengthened by sponsorship and support from Swiss Market Expansion Services Group, DKSH, who specialise in assisting western businesses to expand into foreign markets, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.
Our team will be based in Zurich, Switzerland and will primarily look to capture and develop young Swiss talents. However given that our second sponsor has a strong presense in Asia, we'll be looking to bolster our ranks with up and coming talent from there too.
The aim of the team is to nurture young talents into the stars of tomorrow. If we can hang onto a few along the way and move up the rankings that'd be fantastic too. Given the natural terrain of their homeland, it's likely that we'll see a team that's strong in climbers and time-trialists.
Spoiler [center]  [/center
Assos - Clothing Sponsor
We are proud to announce that Swiss clothing manufacturer Assos will be providing the team kit for this season. A name synonamous with quality and comfort, with Assos on board, our riders will be able to focus solely on doing what they do best... riding!
Bianchi  – Equipment Partners
With 130 years of experience under their belts, Bianchi are one of the leading names in bicycle frames and everyone at Actavis is very excited not only to be associated with such a well recognised and beloved brand, but also to have the opportunity to ride such exquisite machines on all terrains.
Edited by Kagemusha on 31-05-2015 22:00
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:45
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Edited by Kagemusha on 02-06-2015 20:19
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:46
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January
Great Ocean Road Classic (31st) - 
February
Benelux Challenge (1st to 6th) -   
Volta a Catalunya (15th to 20th) - 
Tour of the Middle East (17th to 28th) -  
Geraardsbergen-Bosberg (21st) -
GP Sallanches (27th) - 
March
Tour de San Luis (3rd to 9th) - 
Giro del Trentino (20th to 24th) -
GP Tokyo (25th March) - 
April
Cauberg Classic (11th) -
Tour de Lankawi (19th to 28th) - 
May
Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn Frankfurt (1st) - 
Tour of Japan (4th to 9th May) -
Tour de Taiwan (15th to 18th) - 
June
GP Herning (2nd) - 
July
Tour de Pologne - (2nd to 8th) - 
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo (8th to 13th) -  
Tour of East Java (19th to 20th) - 
Tour de Slovenie (25th to 29th) - 
August
USA Pro Cycling Challenge (1st to 7th) - 
Melaka's Governor Cup (3rd) -
Tratranska Klasika (31st) - 
September
Herald Sun Tour (1st to 5th) -
Acropolis Cup (3rd) - 
GP Yekaterinburg (24th) - 
GP Plouay (26th) -
October
Milano - Torino (1st) -
Tour de Faso (4th to 6th) - 
Zuri Metzgete (18th) -
Edited by Kagemusha on 07-06-2015 19:17
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:46
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In addition to generally animate proceedings in our first year in the Continental Tour, we're giving specific focus to the following goals for this year:
Top 15 in CT Team Standings
Win Zuri Metzgete
Win Stage of Tour de Lankawi
Top 10 Giro Del Trentino
KoM Tour de Pologne
Other notable results for the year have included the following:
1st Place
Stage 3 - Benelux Challenge - Kazushige Kuboki
2nd Place
Stage 2 - Benelux Challenge - Kazushige Kuboki
3rd Place
For a full run down of our results in the year see below:
Spoiler 13th - Great Ocean Road Classic - Kazushige Kuboki
8th - Benelux Challenge - Kazushige Kuboki
2nd - Benelux Challenge (Points Competition)
7th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 1) - Kazushige Kuboki
2nd - Benelux Challenge (Stage 2) - Kazushige Kuboki
1st - Benelux Challenge (Stage 3) - Kazushige Kuboki
18th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 4) - Kazushige Kuboki
6th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 5) - Lukas Flückiger
16th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 5) - Kazushige Kuboki
5th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 6) - Kazushige Kuboki
13th - Benelux Challenge (Stage 6) - Adrien Chenaux
Edited by Kagemusha on 27-06-2015 23:49
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:47
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Joined: 22-10-2014
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We might be new kids on the block, but at Actavis we hope we'll be in pro-cycling for a long time to come. This is where we'll keep our fond memories of seasons past.
Edited by Kagemusha on 02-06-2015 19:25
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 07:49
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Open season now, folks. Feel free to post now. 
Edit: Oh and if anybody is good with graphics and felt so inclined, I could use a designer for the bikes.
Edited by Kagemusha on 25-03-2015 07:58
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| Margh Norway |
Posted on 25-03-2015 08:11
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Sprinter
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I knew Wyss winning Züri Metzgete keeps Swiss cycling booming. 
Welcome new neighbour, feel invited to our HQ right at Zürichsee (should be within walking distance). Beeing the fourth Swiss team will be even tougher than it was for me starting last year, so good luck!
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| ggDonovan |
Posted on 25-03-2015 08:35
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 897
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Nice jersey!
The flowers print reminds me to the typical hungarian pattern. Were you've got it?
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| sgdanny |
Posted on 25-03-2015 08:44
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3591
Joined: 18-03-2014
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Kagemusha wrote:
Open season now, folks. Feel free to post now.
Edit: Oh and if anybody is good with graphics and felt so inclined, I could use a designer for the bikes.
You can make an request in mine or felix's equipment thread in the PCM14 section  Welcome and good luck with your team ^^
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 25-03-2015 14:16
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3634
Joined: 03-07-2012
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Welcome to the game, I thought Switzerland was already a little overcrowded with 3 teams but good luck and I expect we are probably going to be in contact in one way or another over the transfer season.
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 25-03-2015 17:15
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
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I really quite like this jersey. The floral print is used very well, as it could quite easily have ended up looking like a pair of curtains, but instead you have an eye catching and brilliant jersey |
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 17:46
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ggDonovan & The Hobbit wrote:
Nice jersey!
Thanks guys, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out myself. I'd had a simpler one, but decided that it was too boring so I started messing around with overlaying patterns.
Donovan, I got the pattern from googling "patterns". I think the specific one I used is this if you're interested.
Margh Norway & Sammyt wrote:
Lots of Swiss Teams
Yeah, I anticipate that I'll need to bring in a few from non-core areas to make up the numbers, but it's a project and I can build the Swiss numbers (and quality hopefully) over a few seasons. |
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| EwanWilson |
Posted on 25-03-2015 17:48
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Groovy jersey 
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 25-03-2015 18:02
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Thanks dude! |
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| Bushwackers |
Posted on 26-03-2015 17:27
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Hey, welcome to the game! I really like your concept for your team, it should be fun to follow. Of course there is Margh, sammyt93 and I all with Swiss teams, but I think we can all work together. I think we will need a CT Swiss team as well because I'm assuming that most of the Swiss riders that will get added will be level 1 or 2 anyway. But good luck, I'll see you in the transfers!
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| Shonak |
Posted on 27-03-2015 07:11
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
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Welcome to the site!
Good luck in the MG and I hope you enjoy the rest of the site as well.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 14-05-2015 18:58
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Free Agent
Posts: 122
Joined: 22-10-2014
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Press Conference from the lobby of the Dolder Grand Hotel, Zurich
A handful of local Swiss journalists waits patiently in the sumptuous surroundings of the Dolder Grand Hotel, overlooking the city of Zurich, chatting about this and that. Discussion turns between recent world events and cycling, which is the reason for their gathering in this place at this time. The transfer season is well under way and they've been invited to attend a brief conference with the manager of the newly formed Actavis - DKSH squad, Kagemusha.
About ten minutes after the scheduled start time, a bespectacled man in a suit appears across the lobby and strides across it towards the waiting journalists with a sense of purpose.
"My apologies, folks, I had a call with a marketing executive at Actavis that overran slightly. Thank you for waiting." he says as he arrives and takes a seat, indicating that the journalists should do the same.
"Since the initial announcement of the teams birth, things have gone a bit quiet. This is not because of a lack of activity, but rather that I've just plain had too much work to do and thus no time to update you all on the progress being made." he says looking momentarily flustered at the thought of the past few weeks. "However, I'm going to set that right just now and let you know about what I've been up to."
There's the tell-tale hissing of paper on paper as notepads are opened and a sequence of clicking as pens are poised to take down the major points.
"First, I've been in contact with a number of race organisers and I'm pleased to say that, although it is by no means finished, our racing calendar is starting to really take shape. We'll begin early with the Great Ocean Road Classic and finish (for the time being) with a home race in the Zuri Metgete, which will be one of our major goals for the season. Along the way we'll also be taking in some great races like the Giro del Trentino, Tour of Langkawi and the Tour de Pologne. Full details will go up on our website shortly after this meeting."
"Since I haven't got the talent to do it myself, I'll need to hire some riders to take part..." he says with a wry smile, eliciting a couple of chuckles from the journalists. "...and it's a bit of a good news / bad news thing on that front."
"You may already have heard the rumours that we were looking to sign German talent, Nikias Arndt as a leader for the squad. I can confirm that I did aggressively pursue his signature, but unfortunately we weren't able to match the financial clout of another, more established team, and as a result we've not succeeded in signing him this year."
"However, I am pleased to announce that we have already agreed terms with a number of riders including Hubert Schwab, who looks set to be our leader in the high mountains. Mr Schwab will be ably assisted by Nico Brüngger, Mathias and Lukas Flückiger, Fabian Giger and a number of other Swiss riders. I also want to draw special attention to the fact that we have successfully signed the experienced climber, Steve Morabito, from Red Bull - Huawei. I'm ecstatic to be able to say that I've now met my sponsors' requirements in terms of the number of swiss team members without having to compromise on quality."
"Our core of Swiss riders is complimented nicely by the arrival of young Italian duo, Gianfranco Zilioli and Eugenio Alafaci, and Taiwanese climber, Feng Chun-Kai."
Amidst the scribbling one journalist raises his hand and Kagemusha indicates that he will take the question: "Are there plans to further expand the team or is that the full team?"
"Yes, we're still hunting for one or two signatures at this time, particularly amongst our targets in the Asian market. I wish I could go into specifics, but if other teams got wind... well it might impact on our negotiations. I hope to be in a position to confirm some more signings in the next couple of days. Hang on..." Kagemusha dips into his pocket and withdraw a mobile phone. "Kon'nichiwa, ogenkidesuka? Watashi wa isshun o ataemasu."
Kage covers the microphone end of the phone with his free hand and turns to the journalists. "Sorry, but I've got to take this. I'll be posting up some further general information on the website later today, so keep your eyes peeled."
The press conference is over it seems...
The Team so Far
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 13-06-2015 21:04
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Actavis Team Update
We've made some updates to the HQ, including a full listing of the team, our calendar for the year and the main objectives for the year. Take a look on page 1 of the thread.
Race updates as they unfold.
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 16-06-2015 20:49
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Pre-Season Round Up
Our pre-season got off to a bit of a jittery start after an unfortunate mix up with visas prevented our headline act, Kazushige Kuboki from making the start line as part of the Japanese national team at the annual Bay Cycling Classic criterium series. Understandably, he was fairly upset, being one of the riders predicted to be in the hunt for the win in the lumpy 3rd day.
However, Kazushige managed to shrug off his disappointment to pull out a highly respectable 5th place in the ITT round of the new Intercontinental Championships at Nagasaki. In the protest the talented all-rounder earned himself a spot in the Asian team competing for in the title of Intercontinental Team Time Trial Champions just a few days later at Ponferrada. The dominance of the European team was as overwhelming as it was expected, but perhaps less expected was the Asian team's sterling performance to earn them second place ahead of the American team.
Asian Continental Team - Image courtesy of tsmoha
With Kuboki showing early signs of good form, the stage is set for a great season at Actavis DKSH. Next stop: Great Ocean Road Classic!
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| Kagemusha |
Posted on 16-06-2015 21:08
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Great Ocean Road Classic
At the beginning of the season we stated that our over-arching objective was to animate the peleton and to get our sponsors some exposure in the media and on television, so our thanks go to young rolleur, Adrien Chenaux, who managed to sneak into the break away during our first race of the year: the Great Ocean Road Classic.
Chenaux (Actavis), Seung Lee(Indosat) and Dibben(Gatorade) in the break. | Image courtesy of roturn
With the race being almost pan-flat it was going to take a miracle for such a small breakaway to succeed and, as expected, the peleton reeled in the escapees with 20km to go in order to set up a sprint finish. Chenaux though showed his character by being the last man to be swallowed by the chasing pack.
The break away is caught. | Image courtesy of rotrun
With the breakaway caught it was the SanCor team of Max Richeze who put together a perfect leadout to launch the B Worlds Champion towards a memorable victory. In the fight for minor placings, our man Kazushige Kuboki showed again that he was feeling strong early on in the season by taking 13th over the line. Afterwards Kazushige had this to say:
"The course didn't really suit me today - too flat - but it was a good warm up for me and I'm looking forward to the season ahead."
Kuboki will be hoping to feature strongly in the next race in our calendar: the Benelux Challenge, where an opening prologue and several hilly stages could see the Japanese strong-man compete for stage-wins and possibly more. Stay tuned folks!
Edited by Kagemusha on 16-06-2015 21:08
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