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Tour de France - Discussion
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| roturn |
Posted on 24-03-2025 10:07
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Team Manager
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What a 13th stage for the team.
Finally Cras AND Schelling attack for stage and KoM points. A bit unfortunate that those groups never really made it together with the Cras group being stronger, but still both made it ahead of the peloton.
2nd behind Warchol is a good performance. A win would have been huge obviously, but hard to beat a stronger climber on an uphill finish.
7th in GC afterwards and top5 in KoM gives some hope for the final week. Obviously right now, the position is overperformance, in especially when losing like 10 min already on flat stages.
Something that finally did not again happen on the 14th stage. While sprinters and helpers were dropped, the two climbers for once remained in the peloton keeping the GC spot. Hopefully the placement will give him a better positioning in the group while it might hurt his KoM ambitions obviously.
Thanks for the reports. Was a nice read. After 10 days of mainly complaining about my team, the last two stages turned it around nicely for the moment. |
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| tastasol |
Posted on 24-03-2025 11:17
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Classics Specialist
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Curious to why we did so much in the peloton to close things down, considering we did absolutely nothing in the end. Congrats to ember on another big stage win!
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 24-03-2025 12:43
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3526
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Thanks for three more stunning reports, Ulrich, and congratulations to the stage winners in the last three days.
No Marin again today, he's been missing since day 1. Hopefully we can see him try to sprint at least once more.
Aular lost some places in GC to worse riders because of breakaways lately, and losing a minute downhill on Shikai really wasn't a great move either. In theory he should still be capable of that sixth place in GC, but then we either need to ride against the breakaways, or join them with our actual strongest guy to see that happen.
Nevertheless, a great third place from Lopez Nolasco yesterday, and him going up to 14th in GC so far definitely is quite strong as well. But rather we lose some places with him and gain them with Aular, because we really need those points.
Good luck to all in the final week.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 28-03-2025 01:40
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 24-03-2025 15:08
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2697
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Another very entertaining stage. The game engine is starting to make up for the shenanigans in earlier stages. Though most of the credit should go to UU bringing it to life.
Impressive sprint by Barnabas. Probably the summit of his career so far? 
Congrats ember!
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| OlegTinkov |
Posted on 25-03-2025 05:42
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2712
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It really would be nice if not Banaszek then at least another sprinter wins the green jersey, but with 5 mountainous stages (!) in a row that will be difficult.
Great reports Ulrich Ulriksen, every stage is so much fun to read, thanks a lot.
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| redordead |
Posted on 25-03-2025 06:06
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Grand Tour Specialist
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3 stages in a row where we did nothing. Looks like our decent run is coming to an end, along with our chances for survival.
Fantastic job on the consistency of reports Ulrich! 
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| Bikex |
Posted on 25-03-2025 07:56
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Team Leader
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Joined: 25-08-2012
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Very disappointing last few stages. McNulty having some off days and also Hsu nowhere near his first week form. Thanks for the reports! |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 25-03-2025 07:58
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2697
Joined: 20-04-2008
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Wow, Lander almost won a Tour de France sprint?! Didn't know he still had it in him. Third is a fine result as well.
Congrats Fabianski!
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 25-03-2025 08:17
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3526
Joined: 20-04-2020
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At Oxxo - Frisby we are all about symbolism. Finishing 15th for the 15th time in a GT mass sprint this season, at the 15th stage of the Tour, just shows how much we care about it!
Congratulations, Fabianski. A nice win for Groves. A small step for Kaden, perhaps a giant leap for the future of the team!
And, as always. Thank you Ulrich for an exceptional, unique, extraordinary, magnificent and last but not least certainly not a hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobic report!
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| ember |
Posted on 25-03-2025 09:07
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Team Leader
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Thank you for another great report, UU, really well covered the final decisive kilometers of that sprint.
Big win for Groves! Even making him a real green jersey contender, if several of the mountain stages left go to breakaways. Then that jersey should come down to a Paris showdown between him, Kanter and Banaszek. I'd say the next three stages look like breakaway opportunities, but we shall see.
And oh so close that was from Peak to go back to back  2nd place is a great, great result, but wow, a few meters more, and he would have taken it, it seemed like. Super happy with him again! |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 25-03-2025 12:40
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16580
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Nothing for Walls.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| ember |
Posted on 26-03-2025 06:11
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Team Leader
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Feels like everything clicks for Gazelle this year. A beautiful win for Malecki, congratulations again, DD! Must say I really like the AI playing that one in favour of an allround puncheur and not a GC guys sprint in the peloton. Having said that, we were again really close. AHJ making the move, collecting small points and resisting pretty well among the original breakaway riders got caught. Without Malecki and those joining and being allowed by the peloton, it would likely have been another chance for stage glory. Peak holding on and Even winning the bunch sprint was cool, admittedly we don’t have a team here to chase for him 
Really curious, and admittedly quite worried, to see how all the energy spent on that stage works out for the final really difficult stages, both regarding the KoM jersey, the white jersey, and also the fight to stay inside maybe the top 15. Fear it can all go really, really wrong in stage 19 or 20, but fingers crossed he survives and his resistance stat gives him superpowers  |
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| knockout |
Posted on 26-03-2025 08:08
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Grand Tour Champion
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Congrats dd, seems like you are locking it up now!
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 26-03-2025 09:40
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2697
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Thank you! Over the moon with this one! Love this kind of transition stage where anything can happen and where an allrounder like Malecki can shine.
The winning attack was well timed. The domestiques controlling the peloton had just caught the breakaway after an immense chasing effort and were yearning to keep their legs still for a minute. And while there were many kilometers left after that climb, most of it was downhill.
Malecki continues to be a special rider. Every season he pulls one or two of these stunts. Very happy to have him on the team!
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 27-03-2025 03:10
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16580
Joined: 27-07-2011
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It's a shame that we refuse to go in breaks despite Carthy being outside the top 10. Just a super anonymous race for us. But Carthy beating Grosu in a sprint is truly one of the results of all time, so I'll remember stage 16 
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| redordead |
Posted on 27-03-2025 06:35
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Nice 2nd place by Buitrago. He finally got to use his best in the game acceleration. Shame someone was up the road to deny him the win 
I could use Pogacar finally showing up in the final three mountain stages. At least do enough to stay in the top 5 as I expect the breakaways to be rampant.
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| roturn |
Posted on 27-03-2025 07:29
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Team Manager
Posts: 22286
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Perfect stage for the team.
Cras, who has lost time previously on such stages safely in the pack being accompanied by Schelling. Just saving energy for the KoM and GC fight in the next stages.
Was pretty afraid to be honest when seeing the stage profile first to either have him again in the break for small points or just being awfully placed again to drop.
In especially after the stage before, where Cras again went into the break despite his GC position and somehow made it into the final group as well to again deliver a good stage result as also climbing a spot in GC and KoM. He really impresses here.
Good to see Evonik taking it here with their 2nd option. Always nice to see helpers getting it here and there, in especially after the GC fight kind of stopped early.
Thanks for the report. |
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| knockout |
Posted on 27-03-2025 07:35
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7862
Joined: 21-12-2010
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Super interesting tactics by my team and a move i havent seen by pcm. Kinda enjoyed the stage but still feels like a pyrrhus victory at this point
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| ember |
Posted on 27-03-2025 08:34
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Team Leader
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Thank you for another nice report, red. Surprising move by Eenkhoorn, but also a cool one! Congratulations, knockout
Very excited to see how AHJ fares in the next three stages. They all look huge. Stage 18 might be a great chance for him with all the descending after the final mountain. Would be super cool if he joins the breakaway and gets to fight for the stage win there. Having said that, I do expect stronger climbers than Cras, Mas and AHJ to join the fun now, as it's the third week. If so, it could become very, very difficult for AHJ. Priority 1 has to be to defend white. Priority 2 I suspect must be to try to get early KoM points, assuming the level of climbers rise in breakaway. Priority 3 could be to challenge Mas, but that looks really difficult, seeing how they have done on the previous stages and the climbs there. Excited! |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 27-03-2025 08:42
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2697
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Congrats knockout. Some well deserved consolation.
Nice try by the team to set Malecki up for even more stage success. Didn't work out in the end, but it was a suitable stage for it.
Warchol playing domestique and losing more than three minutes is not that clever though. We're still trying to get you into the 10 to 15 range in GC, Bartosz.
But the previous time he lost minutes he bounced back with a brilliant breakaway win. So fingers crossed...
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