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Man-Game GT Watch 2017
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 14:28
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Back again for another (hopefully better and more involved) swing at keeping a good focus on goings on at the GT's, with a particular focus on pre-event hype. At the very least should manage to get a bit more content in the months leading up to the events, and maybe a weekly round-up of talking points (as opposed to highlights which will obviously be encompassed in race reports) of each race once they are running. Maybe a poll or two in advance of the races for race favourites?, we shall see.
Low key start to this, as not sure is even acceptable to be discussing PT race programmes at the moment (although the first 'leader' race calendars are already breaking out on the sporting gossip pages). Wildcards were confirmed a while back, and we will get to this in a week or two.
On the other hand, the continental GT, Tour of America is wide open for discussion. MGUCI has already publicised that 8 PCT and 8 CT teams have signed up for this year's edition.
Are you one of them?, please confirm below.
Spoiler Confirmations thus far:
| Carlsberg - Danske Bank | (PCT) | | Sancor | (CT) | | Newton Foundation | (PCT) | | Wiggle p/b Boarman Bikes | (CT) | | Team Reddit | (CT) | | MOL-OMV Petrom | (PCT) | | Team UBS | (PCT) | | Kraftwerk Man Machine | (PCT) | | Eritel - Sonatrach | (PCT) |
Are you bringing a GC contender? let us know who you think might contend from your team.
Are you focussing on the sprints or break-aways? Give us some hint of your expectations, and which riders your hopes are resting on.
Having to wait until September, their is plenty of opportunity to check up on the form of possible ToA participants as the season progresses  .
Once we have confirmation that discussion of PT shenanigans is also open, we would welcome confirmation of team line-ups from those managers who are happy to do so, so far in advance for any or all of the GT's. In addition to the questions above, we are also looking for nominations for any of the following prizes that I will try and keep track of across the 3 GT's:
Nominations for the 3GT in one season, top 20 in all competition! .
Spoiler Nominations thus far:
| Sigurd Nesset | Aker -MOT | | Tyron Giogieri | Moser - Sygic | | Gianluca Brambilla | eBuddy |
EDIT: Title now finalised as the Geminiani-Nencini Award
Nominations for the 2 GT in one season, top 10 in both competiton! 
EDIT: Title now finalised as the Marino Lejerreta Award
Nominations for the 'Adam Hansen' award of most finishes in consecutive GT's spanning the seasons (active riders only)!
Spoiler Nominations thus far:
| Rider | Team | Finishes | | Thomas Koep | Aegon - Lavazza | (6) 3 | | Sigurd Nisset | Aker - MOT | (5) 2 |
* Note, finishes includes 2017 season potential in brackets alongside those to date, and relies on the veracity of claims by nominating managers. Once we have a 'full' field, I will endevour to check the history of the lead candidates.
That's all that springs to mind immediately. This thread is really just to generate some MG chat, so all contributions and contributers most welcome .
Edited by Scorchio on 06-10-2017 00:30
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 07-12-2025 01:52
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 14:31
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Carlos Sastre finished 1st in Tour 2008, 3rd in Vuelta 2008 and 2nd in Giro 2009. I guess the 3 GTs in one season could be named after him.
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| roturn |
Posted on 05-10-2017 14:46
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If there is an award later on, I should continue with Koep.
3 GTs last year and also will ride 3 GTs this year. |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:15
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I can confirm I'm doing ToA.
Edit: I guess my focus for the race is to have the jersey seen at some point in a screenshot.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:19
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@alexkr00. Like the Sastre suggestion. Would mean Lejarreta could be (correctly) used fo the 2 GT top 10's record.
@Roturn. Good start thanks Roturn. I'll begin a series of 'spoiler' lists in the first thread. I assume you are nominating Koep for the 'Adam Hansen', think 3 top 20's would be an ambitious step, but willing to be corrected!
Bbl. That is not a surprise but comfirmation welcome . Will add similar spoiler list in first post!
Manager of ISA - Hexacta in the MG |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:20
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Tour de France Champion
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SanCor will be present at the Tour of America!
We'll be (one of) the weakest team there so we're going for breakaway wins or a lucky shot with our sprinting train, as both Richeze brothers are going! |
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:37
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Have already confirmed in the HQ, the Newton Foundation is going to the Tour of America with some rather lofty expectations.
We will bring the following lineup:
| Captain |  Lawrence Warbasse | | Co-Captain |  Omar Fraile | | Sprinter | Robert Sweeting | | Sprinter | Jake Keough | | Climber | Jordi Simon | | TT | Carlos Verona | | TT | Daniel Eaton | | Bottles | Taylor Newton |
This American-Spanish hybrid squad will be gunning for the victory with either Warbasse or Fraile. Both are capable, just depending on if the time trial mileage or climbs want to decide the race.
In six seasons, an American has never won the event. It would be great to end that streak with Warbasse on an American based team.
That said, back in the day with Team CSC-Orbea, I helped coach Igor Anton to a 2nd (2012) and 3rd (2013) place finish at this event.
All in all, happy to be back in this lower-lever GT and can wait to see who else is showing up to challenge us. September can't come soon enough.
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:50
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Small Tour Specialist
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Thanks for imput from IB and MrE, both added to spoiler list.
This season I will stop short of raiding info from HQ threads, if folks want to participate here, I'll wait for them to post (even if they just want to copy+paste info from a HQ post).
A well balanced team from Newton Foundation that should be a presence on pretty much all terrains, although I envisage from previous seasons that there will be 1 or 2 more 'heavy-weight' stage racers than Warbasse that are eventually confirmed. A win might end up just out of reach, but he has the all-round characteristics to genuinely aspire to top 5. I also like the two nation focus.
If we get a number of team list confirmations, I'll start a separate post with team lists for each race. My understanding is that reporters will be able to see this from the get go if they choose, but a wee bit of uncertainity/mystique for the rest of us helps build the hype and tension, and gives us stuff to be discussing! .
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| roturn |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:53
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@Roturn. Good start thanks Roturn. I'll begin a series of 'spoiler' lists in the first thread. I assume you are nominating Koep for the 'Adam Hansen', think 3 top 20's would be an ambitious step, but willing to be corrected!
No way.
If he comes close to 3x Top50 I would be impressed.
Think he was like 45th 55th and 95th last year.
So it`s definitely Adam Hansen award only. But it`s something.  |
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 15:58
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It sure is Roturn, was sure that was what you intended .
While I think about it, I should slightly amend the 'Adam Hansen' award conditions to include finishing all GT's, not just starting. The award is dedicated to highlighting the sort of hard-nosed, tough as old-nails undeniable hard bastard who also demonstrates much love for the history of his chosen sport. Fat sprinters who cower at the sight of mountains on the horizon, or those who are 'just riding as Worlds prep' should be disuaded from applying  .
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| whitejersey |
Posted on 05-10-2017 16:37
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baseballlover312 wrote:
I can confirm I'm doing ToA.
Edit: I guess my focus for the race is to have the jersey seen at some point in a screenshot.
Just have one of your riders crash EZ!
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| Martii_Scots01 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 16:58
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Wiggle will return to the ToA to help Pozzovivo defend his title, and grab a few stage wins along the way (hopefully!). |
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| Vien |
Posted on 05-10-2017 17:18
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Team Reddit is going to ToA, and I'm bringing Krasnoperov, who got 5th in 2013. That said I'm mainly looking for stage wins with Meyer and Manfredi.
Spoiler Climbers
Mikayil Krasnoperov
Andrea Manfredi
Alexis Vuillermoz
Kevin Seeldraeyers
Sprint Train
Cameron Meyer
Lars Croket
Hersony Canelon
Julien Simon |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 17:25
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I guess for the general interest, this is my ToA squad:
 Marc Christian Garby
 Christian Bertilsson
 David Veilleux
Michael Faerk Christensen
Chris Anker Sorensen
Alex Rasmussen
John Kronborg Ebsen
Mathias Krigbaum
So yeah, not much to aim for except some breaks and the occasional top 10 for Bertilsson or Garby. We basically just gave a lot of Danes some race days. But not many other choices out there when your team sucks.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| jaxika |
Posted on 05-10-2017 17:42
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MOL-OMV Petrom will be there too. Hoping for Top10 with Ratiy and some nice stage results. Maybe some sprint results with Kobe too. If the u25 arent overcrowded, maybe a nice young result for Stancu. |
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 17:59
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All very good input thanks guys, updating spoiler list as I see new inputs.
Nice picture already emerging of some of the potential GC contenders, including Ratiy and Krasnoperov (80 mtn dudes), Garby (79), Warbasse, Stancu, Manfredi (78), and of course Pozzovivo as defending champ, but in his declining years. As is often the case at ToA. some of these guys have certain tics or handicaps that they bring with them! Ratiy probably the 'best' so far, guys like Krasno, Stancu and Manfredi more likely than the others to have bad days, but still could challenge the top 10 depending who else signs on, and dangerous for individual stages.
On the sprint front, Meyer and Kobe the first '80' sprinters to be revealed. Good competition already from the likes of Bertilsson and Keough. Julien Simon a big danger fot the puncheur stages, at least earlier in the race I'd assume from previous GT race development.
Keep the updates coming guys!
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| Martii_Scots01 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 18:38
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Wiggle's squad for ToA in the spoiler:
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| ember |
Posted on 05-10-2017 18:43
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That 3x top 20 is super hard! After all you need 63 race days, and if you've got 63 race days, it will be kind of difficult to have the required stage race skills. Though, I like the challenge, and the "award" that comes with it!
Having said that, Nesset will give it a shot, at least he's the only Aker - MOT rider doing all three GTs this season. Though, his "problem" is that he's unlikely to have a free role in any of them, as he should ride in support. Last year he only did the Giro and the Tour, so he isn|t quite Hansen material, but who knows in six seasons time... |
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 05-10-2017 19:30
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More interest, and first 'Carlos Sastre award' (naming decision pending) nominee. I agree is a tough challenge, as it should be! Nesset has the rider profile to make a good fist of it given the rub of the green. Needs to be kept in mind that certain guaranteed top 10 riders can't ride two GT's this season, so that cuts down a little on the potential overall strength in the top 10, making a shift upwards across the board. How has Nesset fared in GT's to date since maxing? Unfortunate for him that in MG universe Vuelta is inbetween Giro and Tour, or he would already be totting up consecutive GT's background for a tilt at the hansen award in a season or two further!
Wiggle provide confirmation that they add to the depth in the sprint field with Opie and Selig, although more on the outsiders list for victories, podiums within reach I suspect given the number of flat stage chances. Mark Christian took the first leaders jersey last year, right? - back to see if he can repeat the feat!
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 05-10-2017 19:48
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Brambilla will go for the Carlos Sastre award too 
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