Can only echo the others, a really smart selection of goals!
By the looks of it, Poland just came way too early in the year for Beltran, as he secured all the other race goals in August, September and October
Although promotion might have been rather unexpected this year, your 4/5 should give you a nice financial boost heading into this adventure Good luck!
Nemolito wrote:
Seems like somebody is going to PT with some cash to spend! Looking forward to see what exactly you'll spend it on though, training your regional core (with the most important riders perhaps not eligible yet) or going for a big new rider via a transfer. I'm sure you'll make the right decision Congratulations on the good goal picking!
Thanks I have no clue what I'll spend it on, or how much I'll have.
AbhishekLFC wrote:
Very well selected goals, including Pologne I have to say, as no one could've predicted such an outcome. Great platform to go into PT with
Fabianski wrote:
Can only echo the others, a really smart selection of goals!
By the looks of it, Poland just came way too early in the year for Beltran, as he secured all the other race goals in August, September and October
Although promotion might have been rather unexpected this year, your 4/5 should give you a nice financial boost heading into this adventure Good luck!
To be honest I've been picking goals for the same rider for 3 years now, it's about time I got it correct
Before we go into short recaps for each rider we would just like to highlight something. The most important part of the success of this season has been team depth. Leading the charge were the two projected leaders Eddy Beltran and Tadej Pogacar, but even they combined for only 34% of the team's total scoring.
Gasper Katrasnik and David Gaudu scored a tremendous amount of points as what you could at best call secondary leaders. Many others cracked the mark of a 100 points either through support roles or freedom given to them by the lack of other leaders present. We decided to do some quick research when it came to depth scoring in PCT (from 2013).
Season
Team
PTS
Top Scorer %
100+ Scorers
Rank
2022
Cedevita
3261
18.8%
12
4th
2013
Team Bpost
3421
18.7%
11
6th
2014
Heineken-Cal Giant
4745
30.3%
11
2nd
2014
Quickstep
5210
25.2%
11
1st
2015
Team Puma - SAP
3588
27.6%
11
3rd
2015
Risa - Ergon
2754
18.6%
11
8th
2017
Berg Cycles
3122
17.6%
11
3rd
2019
ISA - Hexacta
3987
17.5%
11
1st
2021
Kraftwerk Man Machine
2917
18.6%
11
9th
2013
Oz Cycling Project
2216
21.3%
10
18th
2014
Oz Cycling Project
4731
26.0%
10
3rd
2015
Team BPost
3224
24.1%
10
4th
2017
Isostar - Adriatic
3187
23.1%
10
2nd
2018
Podium Ambition
3112
26.1%
10
6th
2020
Farfetch Pro Cycling
4447
18.1%
10
1st
2020
Kraftwerk Man Machine
3262
24.2%
10
8th
2021
Aker - MOT
3755
27.2%
10
1st
2021
Duolingo
3323
16.9%
10
3rd
2022
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
3257
17.6%
10
5th
If there is one obvious thing is that having many riders performing and utilizing depth is a good way to overall team success. And while it's not as easy as it looks, it's probably more doable in PCT than in other divisions. Simply looking at our team this year, we are certainly lacking in many areas, but we were still able to make use of the majority of our squad.
Ok, now let's take a closer look at the individuals.
Eduard Alexander Beltran
This was Beltran's last season at the height of his powers, and still his powers seemed diminished for a large portion of the year. Whether it was simply bad luck or planning mistakes it was an underwhelming season. But in the end he was still yet again our top scorer and accomplished sponsor goals in 3/4 races. Interestingly his best results this year came in classics.
Best result(s):
Milano - Torino (1.1)
1st
Giro dell'Emilia (1.HC)
2nd
Balkans International (2.PTHC)
5th Overall, 2nd Points
Clasica San Sebastian (1.PTHC)
6th
Strade Bianche (1.HC)
5th
Tadej Pogacar
This was an interesting season for the not yet fully developed Pogacar as he was trusted in a leadership position. His inexperience still showed in the harder mountain races, but he was able to find some impressive success elsewhere. He also often worked well with the rest of the team as some of those races produced the largest sum of points.
Best result(s):
Tour of Norway (2.HC)
5th Overall, Stage win, 1st U25, 1st Teams
Vuelta al Pais Vasco (2.1)
3rd Overall, 2nd U25, 2nd Teams
Tour de Suisse (2.PTHC)
10th Overall, 2nd U25, 3rd Teams
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt (2.HC)
14th Overall, 1st U25, 2nd Teams
Gasper Katrasnik
This was our first season in PCT without a designated sprinter and while Katrasnik was already given plenty of chances last year, he was given full carte blanche this time. While last year nothing seemed to go right, it was a different story this year. Gasper often perfectly timed his late attacks in flat classics, while he was a useful helper and even part of TTT setup in other races.
Best result(s):
Great Ocean Road Classic (1.PTHC)
3rd
Riga - Jurmala GP (1.PTHC)
4th
Frankfurt Eschborn (1.1)
4th
Lisbon Classic (1.HC)
11th
Uppsala Classic (1.2)
9th
David Gaudu
Gaudu again entered the season as Beltran's primary domestique and as the Colombian struggled early on, so did the Frenchman. The difference that enabled him to have such a great season was in the races where he could ride for himself (exception Norway). His success was largely propped up by excellent TTT performances.
Best result(s):
Tour of Lithuania (2.PTHC)
7th Overall, 2nd Teams
Tour of South Africa (2.1)
4th Overall
Tour of Norway (2.HC)
16th Overall, 1st Teams
Clasica San Sebastian (1.PTHC)
12th
Grand Prix Cycliste (1.PTHC)
13th
Milos Borisavljevic
If Gaudu was Beltran's trusty helper then the same can be said of Borisavljevic for Pogacar. The Serbian time-trial champion pretty much followed the young leader in every race. He was also a part of every outstanding TTT outing.
Best result(s):
Tour of Norway (2.HC)
8th Overall, 1st Teams
Vuelta al Pais Vasco (2.1)
14th Overall, 2nd Teams
Volta a Portugal (2.PTHC)
17th Overall
Tour de Suisse (2.PTHC)
18th Overall, 3rd Teams
Matic Groselj
Groselj's role has never really changed since he joined us. He's a TT specialist and helper on the flat. This was his first maxed season and while he didn't register any wins he certainly found ways to score a good amount of points.
Best result(s):
Tour of Lithuania (2.PTHC)
6th Overall, 2nd Teams
Tour of America (2.1)
2nd Stage
Chrono d'Arenberg (1.PTHC)
17th Overall
Frankfurt Eschborn (1.1)
13th
Lisbon Classic (1.HC)
18th
Michael Christodoulos
The 2nd part of our time-trialing duo. Christodoulos is a bit better over longer TTs and is also a better climber. Still a crucial member of the team time-trial unit, he found his success in some of the more TT focused stage races.
Best result(s):
Tour of Lithuania (2.PTHC)
14th Overall, 2nd U25, 2nd Teams
Bayern Rundfahrt (2.HC)
11th Overall, 3rd Teams
Post Danmark Rundt (2.HC)
19th Overall, 3rd U25
Hong Kong Challenge (2.1)
2nd Stage
Geoffrey Bouchard
Bouchard was brought in from free agency, filling the role previously occupied by Abolfazl Gilanipoor. The Frenchman certainly did that. He was a bit more expensive, but still great value as a free agent. As a pure climber his main focus was the Tour of America where he delivered on expectations.
Best result(s):
Tour of America (2.1)
16th Overall, Stage Win
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt (2.HC)
24th Overall, Stage Win, 2nd Teams
Volta a Portugal (2.PTHC)
21st Overall
Lucas Eriksson
Eriksson was our high priced free agent addition. At just 26 years old we felt he was a good long term investment. After some of our puncheurs departed he was meant to add depth there in classics while getting breakaway freedom in other races like Tour of America.
Best result(s):
Tour of America (2.1)
Stage Win
Viana do Castelo (1.1)
6th
Benelux Challenge (2.HC)
30th Overall
GP Cycliste (1.PTHC)
22nd
Marko Pavlic
Pavlic proved to be a really good jack of all trades when it came to stage races. An overall good domestique who scored some very good GC results during the course of the season. He can also put his name to the team's great TTT results.
Best result(s):
Tour of Britain (2.1)
6th Overall
Jelajah SKL (2.2)
5th Overall
Aleksa Crncevic
Crncevic was another free agent signing and we were very committed to getting the other notable Bosnian in our ranks. Without sounding like a broken record Crncevic was another rider that added to our depth in the stage racing department, scoring some impressive results while in a domestique role.
Best result(s):
Tour of Ukraine (2.PTHC)
18th Overall
Tour de Suisse (2.PTHC)
21st Overall
Tour of Norway (2.HC)
21st Overall
Izidor Penko
The always versatile and reliable domestique was just that. Appearing in a bevy of different races he managed to nick the odd point here and there. His one chance to shine was in Jelajah SKL where he scored his career best result, at least position wise.
Best result(s):
Jelajah SKL (2.2)
3rd Overall, 2nd Stage
Aleksandar Roman
In what was a convoluted and pretty lopsided deal not in our favour, we acquired Roman from PT champs Isostar. We couldn't easily pass up on an opportunity to add one of the better Balkan riders in the peloton. In the end the Serbian couldn't live up to the high price often finishing far down in GC or stages. Perhaps our planning didn't suit him the best and he'll likely get another chance next season in PT where he has proven results on his resume.
Best result(s):
Tour of America (2.1)
24th Overall, 2nd Stage
Tour of Britain (2.1)
Stage Win
Tour du Maroc (2.HC)
23rd Overall
Miha Poljanec
Poljanec is one of those awesome riders that fit in so many races you just want to put him anywhere. While we didn't have a top sprinter or cobbler for him to support, that meant he had a fair bit of freedom and we even picked some mandatory C2 races with him in mind. All of that resulted in his best scoring season to date.
Best result(s):
Viana do Castelo (1.1)
9th
Franceville Classique (1.PTHC)
18th
Rheden GP (1.PTHC)
23rd
Frankfurt Eschborn (1.1)
15th
GP Herning (1.2)
12th
Andres Camilo Ardila
We can't judge unmaxed riders too harshly, especially level 3 riders, but we had to give Ardila a raise in renewals so we hoped we could get at least some return on that investment. While purely in a domestique role Ardila's season was inconsistent, but with a few real bright spots. His result in Clasica San Sebastian was certainly the pinnacle and ensured the good output for the young Colombian.
Best result(s):
Clasica San Sebastian (1.PTHC)
9th
Tour of Britain (2.1)
U25 1st
Giro dell'Emilia (1.HC)
26th
Nur Aiman Zariff
Zariff was brought in as a developing sprinter as it gave us a unique opportunity to max out a rider. He ended up as the only real sprinter on our squad. We probably didn't take him to every stage race we could since we wanted a stronger overall team in a lot of cases. The Tour of America was supposed to be his best chance, but he failed to deliver. Mediocre season at best.
Best result(s):
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt (2.HC)
Stage 2nd
Tour du Maroc (2.HC)
Stage 2nd
Hayden McCormick
McCormick was a last minute addition to the hills department and being the more sprinty puncheur he gave us a rider profile we didn't have before. He was a solid domestique that had a couple decent results in classics. We think he has potential as a leadout rider, but with our sprinting set up he never got an opportunity for that.
Best result(s):
GP Lugano (1.1)
13th
GP Wallonie (1.HC)
29th
Ivan Siric
Similar to Poljanec, Siric got some opportunities in C2 cobbled classics. He also raced the flat classics and provided support whenever he could. It will still be some time before he steps up to a leadership role, but we always knew that it's a long term project.
Best result(s):
Gent - Wevelgem (1.2)
9th
Rheden GP (1.PTHC)
28th
Viana do Castelo (1.1)
19th
Santiago Buitrago
This was another big development for Buitrago so we had him racing a lot, including a bunch of wildcard appearances. He got into some really nice breakways so we were happy with him for that, but there wasn't really a race on the calendar where he could ride on his own. Could be a really big season for him next year.
Best result(s):
Tour of Norway (2.HC)
49th Overall
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt (2.HC)
5th Stage
Fred Wright
Fred Wright was a bit of a surprise addition for us in transfers, but we fell in love with the lad almost instantly and it's hard not to. Such a versatile rider he was present in many breakaways and scored a good amount points for a level 1 rider. We are very excited to see his progression in the coming years.
Best result(s):
Rheden GP (1.PTHC)
30th
Aljaz Jarc
We had our eye on Jarc for two years, the most we could do is offer him a stagiare contract with a maximum of 15 race days. The C2 cobbled classics suited him well and he managed to score his first professional point in Britain.
Aleks Bechkov
Our other stagiare this season was Aleks Bechkov. He projects as a time-trialist and domestique so we are not surprised we didn't see as much of him. But he did gain some important experience that will serve him well in the future.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
We had very similiar strategies this year, you just had the better top end leaders. I am a massive fan of depth scoring, even though I could "only" muster 9 riders above 100 points scored this season. Also looking forward to see what a maxed Tadej Pogacar can achieve next year in the PT. Again congratulations on your promotion it's well deserved!
Lots of rebuilding to be done with Beltran declining but I think that your core is strong enough to sustain it, good luck next year!
Love the rider summaries. As we talked about lots the depth scoring was really something special this season and you got the rewards for your great team construction and planning around it. Cool to get the research out to show just how special it was historically by that metric of triple digit scorers.
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
Croatia14 wrote:
Awesome analysis to an awesome season. Loving what you did with your squad last season
Thanks, you didn't love it as much preseason though
Ulrich Ulriksen wrote:
Very cool, appreciated your thoughts on how each rider fit into the plan, helpful in thinking through how to approach PCT as a new manager.
Thanks.
I didn't think I went that far in depth on the analysis, so hopefully you don't create some false hope/opinions. Bottom line it was a season with lots of luck
whitejersey wrote:
We had very similiar strategies this year, you just had the better top end leaders. I am a massive fan of depth scoring, even though I could "only" muster 9 riders above 100 points scored this season. Also looking forward to see what a maxed Tadej Pogacar can achieve next year in the PT. Again congratulations on your promotion it's well deserved!
Lots of rebuilding to be done with Beltran declining but I think that your core is strong enough to sustain it, good luck next year!
I guess we were somewhat similar, but focused on pretty opposite terrains.
Thanks. I'll see how I deal with this unplanned excursion to PT. Always need to somewhat rebuild the squad to stay in good shape.
jandal7 wrote:
Love the rider summaries. As we talked about lots the depth scoring was really something special this season and you got the rewards for your great team construction and planning around it. Cool to get the research out to show just how special it was historically by that metric of triple digit scorers.
It turned out great, but I would be lying if I didn't admit I stumbled into a few good riders and planning decisions. I never intended to do that well
That was a fun bit of research and makes this a fairly unique group with all the 3 digit scorers. I know the last one made it to 100 pts via the team classification which is just totally on brand for this season
Riders eligible to wear their national champion jerseys next year are:
Ivan Siric
Road Race
Aleksa Crncevic
Time-Trial
Milos Borisavljevic
Time-Trial
Michael Christodoulos
Time-Trial
A big congratulations to all the winners. For many of them we don't know which team they will be riding for next season, but we wish them all the best and hopefully they get a chance to show off their special jersey.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
In the first part of rider development we will take a look at the riders that are finishing their development.
Tadej Pogacar | Pot: 6 | Age: 25 | Lvl: 4.100
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
69
78
75
74
77
78
78
51
63
71
69
66
73
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
70
80
76
76
79
80
80
51
63
72
69
66
75
Tadej did a great job of building on what he did last season. We could see his improved climbing and punchiness, but deep down he is a typical GC rider. With those energy stats he should be able to handle even the hardest stage races. Him finishing his development coincides with the team's promotion to ProTour. He will need everything he has learned so far to succeed at the top level
Ivan Siric | Pot: 6 | Age: 25 | Lvl: 4.100
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
76
63
70
65
75
78
65
74
75
71
60
75
65
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
78
63
71
65
77
80
69
76
77
71
60
75
65
Even after completing his development Ivan will still largely be a good helper and breakaway rider. He will need more time and investment to become a classics leader. With that said we do believe in his potential to eventually get to that point. It's not easy for a Bosnian rider to reach that level, but we will do our best to help him out.
Nur Aiman Zariff | Pot: 5 | Age: 26 | Lvl: 4.100
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
68
58
60
60
70
65
76
60
78
78
60
67
70
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
70
58
60
60
71
67
77
60
80
80
60
67
72
This is the shortest development time we have ever taken with a rider. Nur Aiman was signed as a level 4 precisely because we knew it would be relatively easy to get him up to speed. Speaking of speed, he has developed as a fairly fast sprinter with a decent ability in the prologues. We can't be sure what the future holds, but he could once again occupy the sole sprinter role on the team.
Stay tuned for part 2 where we will look at the progress of riders that are still a year or two away, but were on the team this season.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of CedevitaEdited by redordead on 05-07-2023 10:23
There he is, the beast. What an engine that Pogacar guy has! Will be almost impossible to drop, even though he doesn't have world-beater climbing skills yet. The best part of his development is that he'll be riding in PT
More seriously, it's good to see that there are some young riders stepping up who might be able to challenge Herklotz in the medium term. Wish you all the best for his 2023 planning!
But let's not forget about Siric, either. He can be used in so many ways, will be interesting to see how you plan him. Easier cobbled races should be great for him, but he could also be a great leadout with high flat and low acc. Or a late attacker in flat classics? Oh, that role is already taken, almost forgot
Not a big fan of Zariff, though. Sure, an 80 sprinter, but not much else. He'll have his good results for sure, but I guess his complete lack of versatility will hurt him (and probably already did last year).
Pogacar is going to carry the mantle from Kump with fantastic grace. He's a beast and once you get the training money for him he is going to be a part of an incredible trifecta of GC candidates together with Sivakov and Bernal!
knockout wrote:
Pogacar obviously a wonderkid amongst talents but i also really really rate Siric. I see very high potential in him if trained a bit
I think management agrees with you.
Fabianski wrote:
There he is, the beast. What an engine that Pogacar guy has! Will be almost impossible to drop, even though he doesn't have world-beater climbing skills yet. The best part of his development is that he'll be riding in PT
More seriously, it's good to see that there are some young riders stepping up who might be able to challenge Herklotz in the medium term. Wish you all the best for his 2023 planning!
I don't expect to be able to challenge Herklotz or Lecuisinier for that matter, until they are both well in their decline.
Fabianski wrote:
But let's not forget about Siric, either. He can be used in so many ways, will be interesting to see how you plan him. Easier cobbled races should be great for him, but he could also be a great leadout with high flat and low acc. Or a late attacker in flat classics? Oh, that role is already taken, almost forgot
Maybe none of those.
whitejersey wrote:
Pogacar is going to carry the mantle from Kump with fantastic grace. He's a beast and once you get the training money for him he is going to be a part of an incredible trifecta of GC candidates together with Sivakov and Bernal!
I'm not seeing the correlation between Kump and Pogacar. Do you expect the latter to also finish out his career on your team??
Should be fun trying to find training money for every rider on my team
Nothing extra to say about Pogacar except for the fact that I'm excited to see him have a go at the PT having completed his development Siric will be a handful in whichever kind of flat races you decide to put him in.
In the second part of rider development we will take a look at the riders that spent this season with the team and made significant strides towards the finished product.
Andres's path was pretty much already set last year. He is continuing his development as a hybrid climber with a pretty rare potential to max both his climbing skills at 80+. He of course also has some weak points that we will have to workaround. We had a decent idea on how to use him in PCT, but with the unexpected promotion his role next season is uncertain, for now.
Santiago Buitrago | Pot: 5 | Age: 24 | Lvl: 4.90
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
66
73
71
65
68
72
72
60
65
76
71
66
65
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
67
76
74
66
69
73
74
60
65
78
74
67
66
Similar to his Colombian counterpart, Santiago did a lot of racing this past season to really maximize his experience. Of course that won't be an issue with our promotion to PT. As an explosive climber the move PT shouldn't change his role as a domestique or breakaway rider.
Fred Wright | Pot: 4 | Age: 24: | Lvl: 3.92
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
68
67
68
67
68
70
67
66
69
69
72
65
67
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
71
68
70
68
70
71
68
68
70
70
74
66
68
Fred was a new level 1 addition for us. We were definitely aware of his talents and after we found out he was available, we readily snapped him up. We project him as a versatile classics rider that should be able to slot into a multitude of stage race squads as well, in fact his point scoring this year came from Rheden GP and Tour de Suisse.
Kees Duyvesteyn | Pot: 4 | Age: 25 | Lvl: 3.94
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PR
2022
67
65
70
64
65
68
65
60
63
70
69
66
64
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
↓↓↓
2023
67
67
72
64
65
69
66
60
63
72
71
66
64
We thought Duyvesteyn would go on loan, but in the end he stayed with the team. He didn't race a lot, but he was able to get the most out of his race time. He is still on course to be a hilly domestique and breakaway rider with good acceleration.
Stay tuned for the last part, there we will review the progress of all the riders that spent the season on loan.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager or Cedevita
I knew Pogacar was good, but jeez, that Ardila guy is someone I really hadn`t followed a lot, neither in MG nor in RL.
That`s a nice duo to have for different kind of races.
You really have some amazing talents maxing next year, and Zariff should also be a fun rider. I'll be watching your Colombians closely as well. If they ever become available, I believe I'll come knocking on your door. But I do like the fact that one Slovenian-Colombian team has disbanded in PT and another one takes its place
Buitrago > Andres Camilo "Evil Areruya" Ardila. Gotta have backups in this line of work
Great maxing trio. Pogacar is obviously a star right now and a super- one in the making, Zariff suits that solo sprinter spot (perhaps better in PCT it must be said), and much like knockout I'm a big fan of Siric's potential if he manages to get some attention next to Pogacar in the training plans.
And not discounting Wright and Duyvesteyn as nice 50k pieces of the team's future, especially like seeing the latter developed, I can definitely be accused of not doing enough for mid-tier Kiwi talents (Strong is really my first one) but they have to be brought up by more than just BNZ
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
Beltran
Pogacar
Gaudu
Borisavljevic
Christodoulos
Eriksson
Crncevic
Zariff
McCormick
Wright
Bechkov *
