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Tour of Qatar Discussion
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| Heine |
Posted on 26-08-2018 09:51
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Personally I really like Degenkolb stealing points, and Fiedler still not loosing time
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 26-08-2018 09:53
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Winds proving a bit too destructive for my liking here, but it could work out for me, with Kneisky riding smartly, and with the ability to move up the standings on the final stage. Just needs to keep it up on the next two stages first.
Swift still frustrating but his Vesuvio leadout Merino Criado is going very well in support of Degenkolb.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 19:17
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 26-08-2018 10:01
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World Champion
Posts: 13915
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 300.00
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The race that keeps on taking 
On the good-ish news Howson finished in the front group and he might be able to salvage something from this race.
From counting down Grosu's sprint opportunities, I'm now counting down the number stages in which Howson could lose time.
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 26-08-2018 10:46
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
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SotD wrote:
and even more so to see Coquard not a 3 star favorite...
Just out of curiosity, how do you know that he is not a 3 start favorite, as I did not put the "PCM" favorites in the reports.
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| SotD |
Posted on 26-08-2018 10:53
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World Champion
Posts: 12188
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
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Tamijo wrote:
SotD wrote:
and even more so to see Coquard not a 3 star favorite...
Just out of curiosity, how do you know that he is not a 3 start favorite, as I did not put the "PCM" favorites in the reports.
It's just a qualified guess looking at which teams doing the work at the front, which teams sends riders into breakaways and which teams creating a sprint train.
From that I can gather that Moser, Evonik and Iberia are the likely 3 star favorite teams, with Aegon also being in the mix. That must come to a conclusion that we are a 2 star favorite team, with our team probably being 5th rated, or in some cases 4th rated, but not top 3 at any point.
I might be wrong, but I would see it like that. Especially since I actually have a team very much capable of chasing down a breakaway and also creating a sprint train.
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 26-08-2018 11:11
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
PCM$: 599.00
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You are perfectly right !
I missed the screenshot at the 4th stage, then decided not to include them. (maybe a wrong decision), anyway it is in general John Degenkolb, Sam Bewley, Michael Van Stayen with ***, the rest a bit more unstable,
Coquard have been ** - * - **
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 26-08-2018 11:30
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7593
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 15445.00
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Breakaways are our only hope now that Rensburg was dropped also 
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| fintas |
Posted on 26-08-2018 11:43
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
Joined: 21-03-2008
PCM$: 1200.00
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Every time I understand less this game ...
A rider like Lindeman 73fl 72st 69rs is able to not only keep ahead without problems as he is still able to stay in the top 10, but riders like the Silvestre 78fl 70st 71rs are not even able to stay in the first group... it even seems that we are using random fitness...
For now the only thing that will save the team is to see Van Winden well positioned and with the possibility of achieving a good result if the game does not decide to turn against him too
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| OlegTinkov |
Posted on 26-08-2018 14:17
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2668
Joined: 31-12-2007
PCM$: 450.00
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Happy to see Malori in the first group
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 26-08-2018 15:00
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
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That was an interesting one. Punishing wind, but Kennaugh somehow managed to survive, albeit without any energy left for the sprint in the end. Fair enough. |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 26-08-2018 15:06
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
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That's it for us here. Single-digit points at most, if Sütterlin gets a decent TT done and Weinstein maybe ends up 10th in the U25.
Not entirely surprising, yet still disappointing.
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 26-08-2018 16:12
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2282
Joined: 13-03-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Tricky race this. But cant blame Kristoff for not trying! Just a shame that he gets zero help whatsoever.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:03
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
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One day, one very very VERY distant day, I will understand why we don't care about breakaways ever.
We have 0 GC aspirations left. We have 0 sprinters to support. We have a lot of riders with stats that could do what Ariesen just did. What does it take?!
84 Coquard, Festina sends a rider in the break. 83 Grosu, eBuddy sends a rider in the break. 76 Anton Martin, Puma couldn't give less of a fuck.
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| roturn |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:06
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Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
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4 stages in and simply no words to the performance.
Simply no idea what's wrong there. |
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| tastasol |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:07
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2889
Joined: 11-09-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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First day we are not in the break and it goes in. Pity.
Boeckmans again unspectacular. A race to forget, simply.
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:11
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
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What's up with Kennaugh and Swift?
Howard as 11th on the stage sucks and eBuddy gets a lucky victory either. Not happy with this race so far. Dempster will probably lose random minutes on 5th stage then  come on, Howard. Kennaugh! Even Kennaugh can do it. Use your 76 FL 82 SPR combo to something notable!
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:13
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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A rare breakaway win in Qatar, and yeh, a pity that 5/6 riders were from teams who have also had someone generally involved in every bunch sprint.
eBuddy though did suffer more than most with Grosu, so they rebound nicely here - with RBC being the non-sprinting representative, and getting the other survivor placing.
PCM does often decide in these races that (at least) one of the top sprinters should just not give a crap, and with the training of Coquard and Van Stayen, it look like the odds of that being Swift have increased - whereas it would previously never happen - and he has indeed become the most 'cursed' rider this race. Quite a nightmare for Aegon's supposed team leader.
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| Bushwackers |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:48
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Sprinter
Posts: 1907
Joined: 07-02-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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I think we may walk away from this race scoring zero points. Not that i expected anything else 
Nice to see a breakaway take one.
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| Roman |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:53
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4386
Joined: 29-05-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Well, things are looking quite good for Bewley's chances, can't be unhappy at all. Should be a lot interesting battle between all Degenkolb, Kennaugh, Bewley and Coquard. Unless something extraordinary happens only these are remaining in the battle for the overall win. On the other way I feel a lot sad for roturn and his sprinters, what a disaster race so far. Also would think Howard or Kump could do somehow better too. Also pretty weird to see teams not able to chase down the breakaway at all.
Also I really hope Croket and especially Baska won't lose time in the last sprint stage. Baska could get a fantastic result in both GC and especially young competition... 
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| SotD |
Posted on 26-08-2018 18:53
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World Champion
Posts: 12188
Joined: 29-11-2006
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That is the win gone. Horrible performance. I will have to get lucky to just reach the podium with performances like this. Coming into the race as pre-race favorite we were looking for a stagewin and GC top 3 atleast with Vlatos fighting for top 15. We will get nothing, and probably be only the 5th-6th best team here. Relegation battle incoming...
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