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Vantage Point | Entry #30
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 19-07-2017 23:17
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Tour de France Champion
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Some nice info shared thanks to the Team Sunweb coach. |
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 20-07-2017 06:08
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Team Leader
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I got it - he has no legs 
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| Reveille |
Posted on 20-07-2017 06:47
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Under 23
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I thought he was the son of a controversial politician or some well known criminal. Now I'm back to having no idea what is so special about Alex. Only thing I can think of is that Alex is both a girl and boy's name. Maybe it has something to do with that. |
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 21-07-2017 15:45
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Grand Tour Champion
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@Ian Butler: Three new gigs in eight pages. Alex is struggling to find a permanent home. Maybe one day. A step at a time.
@Croatia14: It is restraint that is honorable in a person. 
@sutty68: That Sunweb coach obviously being Arthur van Dongen. 
@Tamijo: Not sure how you got to that conclusion, but ok...
@Reveille: Always got to keep people guessing. I've found it's a good way to break up the follow of race reports with some drama.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 21-07-2017 15:45
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Grand Tour Champion
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Entry #23 | March 28, 2018: Snapshots with Teammate Jasper Bovenhuis
Note: March madness. Five one-day classics in one month.
Not everyone liked Alex joining the team. Actually, I'd probably say most people were uncomfortable with it at Monkey Town, including myself.
There weren't any major conflicts at all, we just avoided Alex. But, then the alienation started to split the team up. It was like people were picking sides.
You were either with Alex or against it. It was very childish.
I just wanted to race. If Alex could help our team, then great. One classic at a time, Alex somehow mended the great divide between us.
The month of March fixed our dysfunctional family.
March 5, 2018:  1.2 Ster van Zwolle | 174.7km Flat
Poor early season form from me, as I couldn't stick on the back of Alex's wheel.
I shouted, "Just go." As my legs gave out underneath me. Alex slipped from third at the time down to seventh place. Yet, a great result for Alex's season opener.
March 10, 2018: 1.1 Dwars door Drenthe | 192.6km Flat Cobbled
After the first breakaway of the day can't get away, Alex forms the second wave of attacks and escapes with a group of four. They last until 20kms to go.
Alex is the first escapee caught after doing most of the work all day in the breakaway and gets rewarded with a 106th place finish.
March 11, 2018: 1.2 Dorpenomloop Rucphen | 199.3km Flat
Enduring the rolling flat course with an upkick at the finish, Alex rode at the front of the peloton and avoided all the major crashes. Despite racing the day prior, Alex looked in fine form and was part of a 24-cyclist peloton coming to the finish.
Alex took third in the sprint in the peloton. Yet, six men in a late attack group survived up the road, giving Alex an eighth place finish on the day.
I crashed twice on the day, but didn't suffer any major injuries.
March 17, 2018:  1.1 Handzame Classic | 203.1km Flat Cobbled
The race that really took everybody by surprise. It was the day Alex got the nickname "Complex Lex" because you never knew what Alex was going to do next.
With 15kms to go, it was already clear that the peloton had blown it. The escapees weren't going to be caught. Defeat had set in, but Alex still wanted a good result.
A couple of the breakaway members that couldn't hang on were caught with 5kms to go. Alex saw this as an opportunity and used the catch as an attack catapult.
Looking back into the faces of those being passed, Alex found the motivation to turn the legs even more. The next thing we know, Alex had broken the elastic band on the peloton and was free off the front.
It's a move Jens Voigt would have been proud of.
Alex held off the peloton by a minute for seventh, 1'39" behind the breakaway.
March 27, 2018: 1.2 Kattekoers | 176.5km Flat Cobbled
This was the race Alex wasn't even supposed to be in, but was a late addition due to the run of form shown throughout March. The classic played out the same way Handzame Classic did.
Alex decided not to go for the breakaway and the breakaway wins.
Frustrated by the lack of motivation in the peloton, Alex went on another late attack to beat the pure sprinters to the line. This time it didn't pay off. Alex got passed with 280 meters to the line and slipped down to finish 17th.
Regardless, in five races, Alex had put us in the conversation for promotion.
| 1 |  | Axeon-Hagens Berman | 413 | | 2 |  | Manzana-Postobon | 158 | | 2 |  | Euskadi-Muras | 158 | | 4 |  | Leopard Pro Cycling | 154 | | 5 |  | ColoQuick-CULT | 143 | | 6 | | Monkey Town | 128 | | 7 |  | Israel Cycling Academy | 108 | | 8 |  | Sporting-Tavira | 97 | | 9 | | Radio Popular-Boavista | 96 | | 10 | | Certipost | 79 |
The debate was over. Alex deserved to be here, and I had to step up my game.
Monkey Town Individual Scorers
| 1 | | Alex Vogel | 31 | | 2 | | Sven Van Luijk | 28 | | 3 |  | Vitaliy Buts | 22 | | 4 | | Ivar Slik | 13 | | 5 | | Johim Ariesen | 12 | | 6 | | Milan Veltman | 10 | | 7 | | Marc Goos | 7 | | 8 | | Jasper Ockeloen | 4 | | 9 | | Jasper Bovenhuis | 1 |
Edited by Mresuperstar on 28-04-2019 23:53
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 10:16
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| jseadog1 |
Posted on 21-07-2017 15:50
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Superb writing and storytelling yet again keep it up
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 21-07-2017 15:54
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World Champion
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It seems like you've carefully never given Alex pronouns but I'm thinking it's a red herring and Alex isn't a girl. That'd then mean that another theory I have is closer but I won't go down that path just yet
Some good results for Complex Lex, proving his worth in Monkey Town
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| Aquarius97 |
Posted on 21-07-2017 16:18
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Some decent result in March. Good to see that his team-mates finally accept him
Is Alex's secret "pre-written" or will you decide which is his secret when you reveal it?
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 21-07-2017 16:50
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8058
Joined: 22-06-2009
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@jseadog1: Thanks! It's what I do for a living.
@jandal7: Yes, some good results, but still looking for that elusive first win yet. Good luck with your theory developments.
@Aquarius97: The secret was pre-written and I have been carefully crafting each entry around the secret, from the first entry and every update since. But, even I don't know when the secret is going to be revealed. But, rest assured, it will be made public before the story is over. Whether that's Entry #30 or #300, I don't know.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 21-07-2017 23:27
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
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Alex has certainly come of age  |
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 22-07-2017 06:52
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Team Leader
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Some fine results, Alex getting a lot stronger.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 24-07-2017 16:27
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Grand Tour Champion
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Entry #24 | April 1, 2018: Observation with Teammate Milan Veltman
Note: Drama breaks out after a training ride.
Technology. It allows us to do many great and not so great things.
The moment after we finish a training session, it seems everyone rushes to their phone to get themselves back into the loop of society. It's a little sad to be honest.
But, I can't talk much. I do it as well.
There is no such thing as a private life now for athletes with social media. Everything is made public. It's a lesson some people have to learn the hard way.
"Um, Alex... Have you seen this?"
I flipped my phone around. Alex walked over to see what was up.
"No. No. No. How?"
I scrolled through the article. It revealed Alex's entire secret. The rest of the team had now gathered around to watch.
"This can't be. This isn't good. Is Paul around?"
I pointed over to him. Hands over the face, Alex turned and made the walk of shame toward Paul with everyone watching on.
As soon as Alex was out of sight, I smirked and got high fives from the guys.
It looked like Alex had seen a ghost. Did I feel bad? I little bit. But, it was worth it.
I had the easy job, and Paul sold the grand finale. Alex must have talked with Paul for at least 15 minutes. You could tell Alex was on the verge of a breakdown.
At that point, we knew we had gone way too far.
Oh the look on Alex's face changed so fast. From sadness to wanting to kill us.
We deserved it. But, Alex learned a valuable lesson in privacy as well.
Things were quickly smoothed over when Paul presented Alex with the Monkey Town "Cyclist of the Month" award for the month of March.
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 24-07-2017 16:41
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Team Leader
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| django2341 |
Posted on 24-07-2017 17:50
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Amateur
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This is great!  |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 24-07-2017 19:31
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World Champion
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24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 24-07-2017 20:28
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Directeur Sportif
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oh this is hilarious
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| hillis91 |
Posted on 25-07-2017 16:55
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Iam so confused to what this secret can be dude, like seriously. Great writing - motivating myself to do something real soon
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 26-07-2017 18:09
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8058
Joined: 22-06-2009
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Entry #25A | April 13, 2018: Oversight with Ghost Michael Vogel
Note: Watching over Alex from above.
I died in a gruesome car crash when Alex was 12 years old.
I'd give anything to speak to my children again. But that's not how this afterlife stuff works. Like the rest of you, I can only watch and observe from afar.
At times I can't watch and feel guilty for not being around to fulfill my fatherly duties. But, then come along the moments that transcend the realms of reality. When, somehow, a connection is made on a spiritual level.
Today I felt that for the first time in a long, long time.
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 26-07-2017 18:11
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Tour de France Champion
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What the shit?
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 26-07-2017 18:24
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Directeur Sportif
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Joined: 13-03-2013
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damn it...
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