Love the presentation, and cool to see Rojas and Jimenez Retana mazing nicely. Hopefully McCarthy can bounce back this year. I think this is certainly the situation for him to do it! Good luck!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
@baseballlover312 Thank you! And thanks again for taking care of Rojas and Jimenez Retana last season. Hopefully, McCarthy and Coquard can score some points to keep us in the PCT. It's always a risk in the transfer season, but I am hoping for the best. I have a strategy in mind, but it doesn't always work as I imagine it. But I guess that is true to real life cycling as well.
You certainly seem bullish on one rider coming up next year.
Coquard and McCarthy make great sense as transitional assets while you move to that 100% region goal. Fun to see Coquard go from one hyper-regional project to a different one.
You certainly seem bullish on one rider coming up next year.
Meanwhile I'm very sure there will be a battle for that rider. If only I had some good connections with the talent team to make him OP.
I enjoy reading on your team's overview, also because of your focus region and how many riders you have/are developing from that region.
I fear it could be hard to survive this season, because even though theoretically Coquard is good, the best sprinters don't always enjoy a lot of AI love. McCarthy has some Kelderman vibes at first sight, which means he'll score, but also not sure if it will be enough to stay in.
Of course I'll be rooting for my amigos latinos, and hope your leaders perform as they could nevertheless Good luck with the survival hunt this season, hopefully the layin youngsters make sure they also help by scoring some valuable points here and there.
@Ulrich Ulriksen Yes, I hold a great interest in that upcoming young rider. However, I do anticipate a fierce battle for him, but since that's a year away I keep dreaming of adding him to the roster. Coquard seems ready to help such projects.
@Nemolito Your assessments are not very encouraging. Thank you for following the team and for the good wishes. I certainly hope we survive the season and for the first time in the game I am confident the home-grown talent will make their presence felt.
Well, the off-season didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped. After drawing the curtain over the transfer window, after finalizing the team’s calendar and setting the goals the team manager discovered that because of a couple of miscalculations and misjudgments colliding head on our team will suffer a set back this season. That particular collision coupled with a slow movement from his part at the beginning of the transfer period led to no opportunity whatsoever for a few of our riders to be loaned out at PT level and so to continue their development to the desired level. More so, even within our ranks that development is hindered by the team’s calendar. This is certainly a very bitter pill to swallow, but there is nothing more we can do at this point, only to close our eyes and swallow it. There is also no point in fretting and trimming our fingernails with our teeth, because the result will be only bleeding fingertips and not a chance of learning from this (awful) experience and progressing. Yes, we are not in the position we wanted to be, but although some riders will fulfill their potential at a later stage of their careers we will continue to support and help them develop their skills. Repeating, it’s not ideal but we’ll have to make do.
Start
End
Race
Category
11-Jan
16-Jan
Tour Down Under
C1
26-Jan
29-Jan
Tour of Guadeloupe
C1
31-Jan
Great Ocean Road Classic
PTHC
31-Jan
Clasico San Jose
C2
---
04-Feb
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
HC
10-Feb
Le Samyn
HC
15-Feb
20-Feb
Volta a Catalunya
C2
22-Feb
26-Feb
Circulo de Juarez
HC
---
05-Mar
10-Mar
Vuelta a Colombia
PTHC
12-Mar
16-Mar
Tour of Norway
HC
25-Mar
Strade Bianche
HC
29-Mar
31-Mar
Tour of Eritrea
C1
---
03-Apr
05-Apr
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
C1
07-Apr
10-Apr
Tour of Lithuania
PTHC
12-Apr
18-Apr
Tour de Pologne
HC
25-Apr
GP Wallonie
C1
28-Apr
Lisbon Classic
HC
---
01-May
Cheshire Cycling Tour
PTHC
03-May
08-May
Tour de Romandie
HC
11-May
15-May
Baltic Chain Tour
C1
26-May
31-May
Vuelta al Pais Vasco
C1
---
01-Jun
Hanko Classic
C1
05-Jun
08-Jun
Tour of East Java
PTHC
12-Jun
18-Jun
Criterium du Dauphine Libere
PTHC
18-Jun
Frankfurt Eschborn
C1
20-Jun
26-Jun
Tour of California
HC
---
01-Jul
Riga - Jurmala GP
PTHC
01-Jul
Torshavn GP
C1
03-Jul
06-Jul
Arab Tour
HC
08-Jul
11-Jul
Euskal Bizikleta
C1
19-Jul
Philadelphia International Championship
PTHC
---
01-Aug
05-Aug
Tour de Vineyards
C1
07-Aug
11-Aug
Post Danmark Rundt
HC
18-Aug
20-Aug
Ras Tailteann
PTHC
22-Aug
GP Lugano
HC
23-Aug
31-Aug
Tour de l'Avenir
U23
---
15-Sep
20-Sep
Balkans International
PTHC
22-Sep
26-Sep
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
C1
28-Sep
Tour of the Battenkill
PTHC
---
01-Oct
06-Oct
Tour of Japan
HC
01-Oct
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal
PTHC
04-Oct
Paris Tours
C1
18-Oct
Giro dell'Emilia
HC
This season the team started its investment in a modern training facility, as it was planned 3 years ago at the birth of our cycling club. With more and more young riders coming through our ranks it is time for them to benefit from the newest technology, training methods and nutrition programs to improve further. Thus, starting with the next off-season the team manager is convinced that our riders will have at their disposal a state-of-the-art approach in the development of their skills and our homegrown cyclists will improve their chances of making a mark within the peloton. Of course, that depends, also, on further capital investment and this aspect is close related to the fulfillment of our goals. A top 10 in the PCT seems far fetched for the time being, survival would have been a more suited target. But we’ve seen wilder things happen and until proven wrong we will believe it is achievable. 12 stage wins means that Coquard and McCarthy have the work cut out for them, that’s a lot to ask during stage racing. But as we’ve enjoyed in the past, there were other riders from our team who managed such victories. So, perhaps we are not wrong in dreaming 12 such wins. Circulo Juarez and Grand Prix Cycliste seem to be in our reach and again Coquard and McCarthy are called upon to achieve these goals, both not as far fetched and more hopeful than doable as the first 2 goals. Tour of California, well, is a peak too high and a step too far. The initial transfer plans were tailored for this goal, and incidentally another similar one, but the way the pieces have fallen left this one in tatters. We do not dream of reaching this goal, unless every single rider within the race, except ours, are going to be affected by a mysterious illness. It’s early to judge our goals, that is something reserved for the end of the season. The only things we can do at this point is wish the team all the best and encouraging them along the path toward the summit of these goals.
With the team away in training camp preparing for the new season and the official start of racing still some time away we are left wandering the halls of our news agency. We have decided to venture further down these halls and roam those of the past in search of the adventures, feats of valor and shenanigans of our team during the past 3 years it spent within the peloton. Obviously, we start with our first year of existence, first month of cycling around the MG circuit and the first 3 races of our short history.
GISBORNE GP C2HC
We first traveled to New Zealand, to Gisborne or The First City to See the Light. However, if the sun rising over the city is too powerful one might be advised to avert the eyes carefully since one might stumble upon a plethora of naked skin considering that it was in Gisborne, during Rhythm & Vines Music Festival in 2012 and 2013, where attempts at skinny-dipping world record were made. Nothing like this for our team (sadly?), just a cycling race.
We came with one of the race favorites in our squad, but, strangely, with 100 km raced and with 125 km still ahead, Esteban Chaves attacked on a flat section and tried to catch the breakaway of the day (where our own Cristopher Jurado found himself).
And he payed heavily the energy toll of his action, because of it he was left looking only at the backs of the riders in the pleoton with 50 km to go. In the end we salvaged something, Pablo Mudarra finished 13th, while Carlos Barbero 15th.
GISBORNE GP
1
Alexey Tsatevich
Crabbe-CC Chevigny
5h37'09
2
Travis Meyer
Eddie Stobart
s.t.
3
Fabio Felline
Strava
s.t.
4
Ian Boswell
McCormick Pro Cycling
s.t.
5
Christopher Juul-Jensen
Pas Normal Studios - Mikkeller
s.t.
6
Andres Paez
Aramco DP
s.t.
7
Lilian Calmejane
Trans Looney Tunes
s.t.
8
Joshua Edmondson
BNZ-Superhero Racing
s.t.
9
Elia Favilli
Pas Normal Studios - Mikkeller
s.t.
10
Odd Christian Eiking
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
+ 38
~~~
13
Pablo Mudarra
Volcanica - Fox
+ 1'06
15
Carlos Barbero
Volcanica - Fox
+ 1'47
27
Roman Villalobos
Volcanica - Fox
+ 3'42
48
Kevin Rivera
Volcanica - Fox
+ 6'25
67
Guillaume Boivin
Volcanica - Fox
+ 7'43
78
Cristofer Robin Jurado
Volcanica - Fox
+ 8'40
81
Johan Esteban Chaves
Volcanica - Fox
+ 10'12
110
John Jimenez Retana
Volcanica - Fox
+ 31'07
VUELTA AL TACHIRA C2
Next we traveled closer to home, to Venezuela, for Vuelta al Tachira, and, why not, for some bowls of La Pisca Andina. A typical Venezuelan soup this delicious treat is made with cheese, eggs, garlic and onion (well, chives, actually), among other ingredients, and when someone mentions those 4 we know a certain team manager who starts drooling. La Pisca Andina seems like a very good fortifier for a cycling race, especially since its ingredients of garlic and chives might help some riders breathing heavily over their opponents and make them retreat at the back of the pack.
During the first 3 stages, all finished in a bunch sprint, we had nothing to write home about, Gabriel Marin finished 6th, 13th and 8th. On the fourth stage, with an uphill finish, the team was dealt a blow, our leader, Andrei Amador finished 14th, 1,07 behind the winner. We somehow washed away that disappointment the next day when Gabriel Marin brought our team’s first victory, winning stage 5.
The 6th stage, a mountainous time trial, saw Andrei Amador losing more precious seconds to the race leaders, a sad situation that happened in the 7th stage too. Only this time the consolation prize for our team was the 2nd place of Jesus Herrada. Our GC hopes sank further during the 8th stage, Andrei Amador finished 10th and found himself 2,20 behind the yellow jersey, while in the penultimate stage although he recovered some of the time lost he didn’t manage to lift our hopes above ground level.
We ended the race, a time trial stage once more, as we started it, on our knees. Or maybe only on one since in the end Andrei Amador finished our first stage race on the 6th place. Perhaps we didn’t have enough La Pisca Andina?
STAGES
S!
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6 (ITT)
S7
S8
S9
S10 (ITT)
Andrei Amador
47
71
53
14
38
5
10
10
6
35
Erick Herrera
84
113
120
47
95
42
21
43
55
92
Gabriel Marin
6
13
8
62
WIN
117
131
108
88
65
Gregory Brenes
36
48
25
28
51
16
64
27
40
55
Henry Antonio Rojas
109
50
116
127
92
73
118
66
78
87
Jesus Herrada
31
40
30
33
54
7
2
25
22
4
Josue Gonzalez Cortes
58
73
32
31
45
30
16
48
36
43
Matteo Jorgenson
29
65
48
54
35
72
72
61
68
45
VUELTA AL TACHIRA
1
Piter Campero
Sauber Petronas Racing
30h14'43
2
Daniel Martin
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
+ 31
3
Sepp Kuss
McCormick Pro Cycling
+ 35
4
Jonathan Salinas
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'11
5
Pavel Potocki
HelloFresh
+ 1'21
6
Andrei Amador
Volcanica - Fox
+ 1'25
7
Youcef Reguigui
Project: Africa
+ 2'25
8
Leopold Konig
Assa Abloy
+ 2'28
9
Brandon McNulty
McCormick Pro Cycling
+ 2'52
10
Jakub Novak
Carrefour - ESPN
+ 3'51
~~~
14
Jesus Herrada
Volcanica - Fox
+ 5'46
32
Gregory Brenes
Volcanica - Fox
+ 13'14
33
Josue Gonzalez Cortes
Volcanica - Fox
+ 14'03
47
Erick Herrera
Volcanica - Fox
+ 19'15
66
Matteo Jorgenson
Volcanica - Fox
+ 30'41
97
Henry Antonio Rojas
Volcanica - Fox
+ 53'10
114
Gabriel Marin
Volcanica - Fox
+ 1h06'39
CLASICO SAN JOSE C2
We finished the month heading home, to our beloved country that boasts one of the toughest stage races in the world. Mind you, it is a MTB stage race, but nonetheless, one the toughest and most beautiful in the world. La Ruta de los Conquistadores, also widely known simply as La Ruta, was born in an effort to call the attention to the importance of the conservation of the flora and fauna of the country. La Ruta follows the paths of the Spanish conquistadors Juan de Cavallon y Arboleda, Pedro Afan de Ribera and Juan Vasquez de Coronado, path taken during their expeditions around 1653–1660. The route traverses Costa Rica in three days, from the west coast town of Jaco to Bonita beach on the Caribbean Coast. The complete course is approximately 400 kilometers, crossing rivers, valleys and climbing mountains. The highest point of elevation in the three-day race is the Irazu Volcano, at 3,300 metres. At the start of the 2018 edition there was a particular cyclist, stripped of 7 Tour de France overall victories for... but we would rather not talk about him. We're just left wondering if... Anyway... as much as the team would love to race La Ruta, we were here for Clasico San Jose, a 1-day competition, which, like us, it is at its inaugural year. More reason then for the team to take pride in ride our home race and to aim for the win as its goal.
With 18 km to go the front group was trimmed to 18 riders, including our own Esteban Chaves. With 3 km to the finishing line only 10 of those remained and under the flamme rouge Vilgren, Holmes and Eiking were leading the group. Holmes managed to pull himself away in the final 100 meters and won the race. We dreamed of inscribing our names in the history books as the first conquerors of Clasico San Jose, but that honor goes to Matthew Holmes, while our own Esetban Chaves finished only 7th on the day.
CLASICO SAN JOSE
1
Matthew Holmes
cycleYorkshire
5h30'36
2
Loic Vliegen
Bralirwa - Stevens
s.t.
3
Odd Christian Eiking
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
4
Anatoliy Budyak
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
+ 13
5
Andrea Palini
Strava
s.t.
6
Ian Boswell
McCormick Pro Cycling
s.t.
7
Johan Esteban Chaves
Volcanica - Fox
s.t.
8
Michael Rodriguez Galindo
Polar
s.t.
9
Michael Gogl
Tafjord Kraft
+ 26
10
Sven Erik Bystrom
Trans Looney Tunes
s.t.
~~~
39
Kevin Rivera
Volcanica - Fox
+ 4'12
43
Carlos Barbero
Volcanica - Fox
s.t.
51
Pablo Mudarra
Volcanica - Fox
+ 4'46
56
Cristofer Robin Jurado
Volcanica - Fox
+ 5'19
73
Roman Villalobos
Volcanica - Fox
+ 6'49
105
Guillaume Boivin
Volcanica - Fox
+ 11'02
118
John Jimenez Retana
Volcanica - Fox
+ 22'10
We hope you enjoyed our venture into the past, as much as we did, and pelase join us on the next one!
Hopefully, McCarthy and Coquard can score some points to keep us in the PCT. It's always a risk in the transfer season, but I am hoping for the best. I have a strategy in mind, but it doesn't always work as I imagine it. But I guess that is true to real life cycling as well.
Tour Down Under
Tour of Guadeloupe
Clasico San Jose
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Volta a Catalunya
Circulo de Juarez
Vuelta a Colombia
Tour of Norway
Strade Bianche
Tour of Eritrea
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Tour of Lithuania
Tour de Pologne
Lisbon Classic
Cheshire Cycling Tour
Tour de Romandie
Vuelta al Pais Vasco
Tour of East Java
Criterium du Dauphine Libere
Frankfurt Eschborn
Riga - Jurmala GP
Torshavn GP
Arab Tour
Tour de Vineyards
Post Danmark Rundt
Ras Tailteann
Balkans International
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
Tour of Japan
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal
Carlos Barbero
Cristofer Robin Jurado
VUELTA AL TACHIRA 
Erick Herrera
Henry Antonio Rojas
