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[PCT] Ekoi | April Preview
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| SotD |
Posted on 30-08-2025 09:10
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World Champion
Posts: 12630
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
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Having a team who usually focussed on bulgarian riders I can't understand how you managed to sign Grozev on a stagiare deal! He's a really cool top domestique when maxing.
Overall can't say much that I don't think you already know. Absolutely love the team build. Young and upcoming leaders that can keep the core intact for almost a decade is just really cool.
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 31-08-2025 21:58
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Transfers are done and so it’s time to present our second PCT squad. Surprisingly we had a rather calm first season in PCT, without ever getting in relegation danger while at the same time also never getting into the promotion race. We could well live with that as a freshly promoted team, but it also stung a bit we only won three races (plus two jerseys) in the entire season, even more so as all of them were in the first two months of the season. So while we knew we had a good foundation to build on, we also knew there would be some work to do to consolidate and improve our role in PCT. We entered transfers with four goals:
1) Get an even more well-rounded squad by especially strengthening the TT department.
2) Sign at least one of the big French talents Martinez and Gregoire.
3) Sign a new cobbles leader.
4) Improve our chances to actually win races and / or classification jerseys - or at least fight for those, making all kind of races more fun to follow.
So let’s have a look at the different departments:
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Suranga Ranaweera | 67 | 80 | 77 | 73 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 52 | 58 | 65 | 57 | 69 | 73 | 30 |  | Kevin Vauquelin | 69 | 77 | 73 | 69 | 74 | 70 | 74 | 73 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 72 | 71 | 73 | 24 |  | Arman Garibian | 70 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 78 | 55 | 60 | 71 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 25 | | Thibaut Pinot | 68 | 76 | 73 | 70 | 61 | 70 | 73 | 66 | 54 | 58 | 63 | 68 | 63 | 61 | 35 | | Lenny Martinez | 65 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 65 | 70 | 72 | 71 | 57 | 56 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 64 | 22 |
Ranaweera did well as our leader in stage races last season, so we didn’t see the necessity to change much in this department. In the end we ended with mostly the same support riders, though their roles have changed due to development and decline: Vauquelin and Garibian should now be Ranaweeras lieutenants (and should be able to rack in some U25 points as well) while Pinot is more of a mentor for Vauquelin and Martinez.
We always had a strong hills department (at least in numbers), but now it’s actually pretty much stripped down to the core. Boileau is APPs only real support, but he should at least be able to do so long into the races with his nearly equal main stats. Costiou is another domestique here as he’s not quite a real factor in sprints yet. Apropos sprints: for the first time in team history we don’t have a punchy sprinter, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem as the diversification of our squad also allowed us to reduce our hilly RDs to an amount so APP can lead in all of them. His further support will consist of the likes of Louvel or Kung whenever they are available or a TTT is on the menu.
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age | | Aurelien Paret-Peintre | 72 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 73 | 63 | 72 | 74 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 29 | | Alan Boileau | 67 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 65 | 68 | 71 | 73 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 68 | 67 | 64 | 26 | | Ewen Costiou | 73 | 66 | 69 | 72 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 64 | 66 | 73 | 74 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 23 |
It was clear Daniel wouldn’t lead us this season, so a new cobbles leader was one of our two single rider priorities. We luckily secured one with a decent wage for a decent fee before everyone else went for the increasingly rare good cobblers. Zepuntke should be one of the division’s best cobblers – at least on paper, as he also has a long history of not living up to his favourite status. But we are positive he will be a solid scorer despite being well aware he won’t dominate the division. He has a solid support cast in Louvel, Mestric, Roosen and Lapeira who also should gather some depth points – and Mestric and Roosen will also lead our team in the mandatory C2 races, where we went all cobbles this season.
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Ruben Zepuntke | 72 | 56 | 63 | 69 | 65 | 79 | 72 | 64 | 82 | 72 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 65 | 32 | | Matis Louvel | 77 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 78 | 70 | 76 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 73 | 26 |  | Matija Mestric | 73 | 63 | 67 | 70 | 63 | 69 | 70 | 68 | 76 | 55 | 65 | 71 | 75 | 67 | 28 |  | Timo Roosen | 74 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 63 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 66 | 71 | 76 | 64 | 67 | 32 | | Paul Lapeira | 75 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 61 | 72 | 72 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 71 | 64 | 25 |
We didn’t have a TT department in our first three seasons, but finally we got us some specialists against the clock! Kung will be our leader in all kind of TT heavy races, especially the more hilly ones. Akhmaevi isn’t really leader material, but he will join all those races as well to maybe get some depth scoring - and TTTs whenever they are part of a race.
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Stefan Kung | 73 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 77 | 74 | 72 | 73 | 72 | 63 | 71 | 73 | 78 | 78 | 32 |  | Sulkhan Akhmaevi | 68 | 71 | 70 | 68 | 77 | 69 | 69 | 71 | 60 | 61 | 65 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 28 |
We sold both of our sprinters in transfers and didn’t sign a new one – at least not permanently. Rajovic joins us in a loan deal, but he should still be an upgrade for Hodeg in those races he joins. With quite some superior sprinters in the division we will fully rely on his high acceleration to get the occasional result – while at the same time having some joker rouleurs in the squad.
| Nat. | Name | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Dusan Rajovic | 72 | 58 | 61 | 64 | 59 | 70 | 76 | 70 | 55 | 78 | 82 | 57 | 57 | 62 | 28 |
We never had a real rouleur so far, but when we had to sell our sprinters to reduce wages and Katrasnik and Quispe became available at the same time we decided to go all in on the flat and sign them both (though the Rajovic loan provided us with a sprinter shortly afterwards). On paper we now have contracted two of the best rouleurs in the world, but we also know the limitations of Quispe in many respects. He still should be a good asset for gaining KoM points in the early stages of stage races and thus netting us some points in otherwise rather useless RDs. And Katrasnik could be in the mix in flat classics, allowing us to add some of them to our schedule without purely relying on the odd breakaway success there.
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Gasper Katrasnik | 81 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 69 | 72 | 76 | 69 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 81 | 73 | 69 | 30 |  | Alain Quispe | 81 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 65 | 53 | 67 | 74 | 85 | 55 | 61 | 31 |
Loaned in Dusan Rajovic was already mentioned as our lead sprinter, but we have two more riders on loan. Both are neo-pros and thus not expected to score at all, but they will up plenty of rosters and especially Pringle will be a useful domestique in the C2 cobbles races we start in. The same goes for our stagiaire Kramer. He and his fellow stagiaire Grozev are actually decent talents who have realistic chances of getting a full contract next season (and probably would have already gotten one this season if the cap space would have allowed).
| | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | Age |  | Alexandre Kess | 66 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 65 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 57 | 62 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 64 | 22 |  | Nate Pringle | 69 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 64 | 65 | 63 | 64 | 70 | 64 | 68 | 22 |  | Gabriel Grozev | 66 | 65 | 68 | 70 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 67 | 63 | 22 | | Jesse Kramer | 70 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 60 | 65 | 67 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 69 | 62 | 63 | 22 |
So how did we in regards of our four goals for transfers?
Goal 1: A more well-rounded squad
We clearly achieved this goal, especially with the addition of good rouleurs and TT specialists we now have the opportunity to optimize our calendar so we have a decent leader or outsider for any race we take part in. F.e. we could reduce our hilly RDs to APPs contingent in favour of some flat classics or TT heavier stage races. Finally we should be able to compete on all terrains and nearly every single RD. Even more so we were able to mostly sign riders who haven’t declined yet (with the exception of Pinot) – and even those who will do so after the season will still be able to play a good role in the team after their first decline.
Goal 2: Sign a big French talent
We signed Lenny Martinez, so this one is clearly achieved. We could have done with a lesser wage though, especially in combination with the uncertainty of a continuous bidding war on some of the biggest talents (including him) which didn’t allow us to further pursue the likes of Rondel, Le Huitouze or Gautherat who ultimately could have fitted in the wage cap as well. But we went for the quality of a future leader (even in PT) this season instead of the depth of good domestiques and are glad the other French talents were signed by good teams as well.
Goal 3: Sign a new cobbles leader
We not only secured Zepunkte, but did so early and quite a bit cheaper than we feared for, so this goal is clearly achieved as well. And though he will decline after this season he’ll still be a suitable leader next season (and maybe even in 2027), so we won’t be forced to join the search for the rarer and rarer top cobblers any time soon.
Goal 4: Make following races more fun
As stated above we have a roster that allows us to send fitting riders to every race we enter – and choose our races in a way that allows for that. This probably won’t lead to a huge increase in wins as we still lack the top end quality which ensures wins in all terrains, but it will give us realistic options all year and on all terrains, so we at least have something to cheer for in nearly every single RD.
So altogether we’re really happy with our transfer season and the resulting squad. We actually believe that relegation shouldn’t be on the table at all and we maybe should be able to even top our 12th place from last season. At least we’re sleeping much calmer than at the same point of last season with the immediate future looking solid enough and the further future looking increasingly bright.
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| redordead |
Posted on 01-09-2025 09:46
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Team Leader
Posts: 5509
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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You added Martinez and also very possibly improved the team compared to last year. This has to be one of the best performances in the transfer season this year. Well done! 
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 05-12-2025 06:30
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Bot Agent
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| Heine |
Posted on 02-09-2025 07:56
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4460
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Lots of great signings here, might be able to fight for promotion this year, even with the spending on Martinez?
Though in general, great to see that you will develop Martinez and Vauquelin before sending them cheaply to me. Appreciate it
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| Booker |
Posted on 02-09-2025 13:06
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1032
Joined: 03-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Very clearly job well done on your goals, kb! I have a sneaky suspicion Zepuntke won't be his typical bust self in PCM24, that could be an underrated pickup by you.
I also like to see APP's lack of hilly support, could give Bettiol some opportunities to score at least!
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 02-09-2025 20:41
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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@all
Thanks for all the congratulations on Lenny!
Also it's intriguing we just had to sign Zepuntke, Quispe and Katrasnik to get us a following (or emotional support group) 
quadsas wrote:
I am unable to process any squad that isn't sorted by OVR, but will be interesting to see if #blessed in Kung can beat the #cursed in Quispe and Zepunkte
All will depend if it's the number or the chronology of #blessed and #cursed that decides which one will win.
baseballlover312 wrote:
Love the late Pinot signing! Will be a fun team to follow this year with the flat beasts and other eccentric riders. Also, with the rumors about stamina, it could be Zepuntke's last big breakout. 
I let some decent others options slip in the final week because I knew Pinot was still there and in my heart I knew I wanted him back anyway (not just for MG reasons, he's my favourite rider in real life and his 2019 TdF is still heartbreaking for me).
I surely hope Zepuntke will overperform his previous seasons, though I'm well aware (too well actually) I'm not the first one who does so when signing him. At least I'm probably also the last one, saving others from this curse (one way or the other).
And I still try to figure out who the other eccentric riders are 
SotD wrote:
Having a team who usually focussed on bulgarian riders I can't understand how you managed to sign Grozev on a stagiare deal! He's a really cool top domestique when maxing.
Overall can't say much that I don't think you already know. Absolutely love the team build. Young and upcoming leaders that can keep the core intact for almost a decade is just really cool.
I was actually surprised most stagiaires went without much overbidding, but I won't complain
I wouldn't mind hearing from you what I actually know, and be it just for my ego But I am really glad I achieved a good team in transfers by just selling those riders who were on the list pre-transfers and so keep the future core together.
redordead wrote:
You added Martinez and also very possibly improved the team compared to last year. This has to be one of the best performances in the transfer season this year. Well done!
That's probably too much of a praise, but I should have made clear I am very content with how it all worked out myself. And I hope Gasper and Dule will contribute to a successful season!
Heine wrote:
Lots of great signings here, might be able to fight for promotion this year, even with the spending on Martinez?
Though in general, great to see that you will develop Martinez and Vauquelin before sending them cheaply to me. Appreciate it
I haven't seen all of the other PCT squads (will wait until the training DB with that), but a possible promotion fight also crossed my mind too. Improving our 12th place from last season is the (unofficial) goal, but I actually wouldn't mind aiming higher as well - for the first time in my MG history.
It's nice to see you still expect that Martinez and Vauquelin will ever be available (and cheap too), but I assume there has to be hope 
Booker wrote:
Very clearly job well done on your goals, kb! I have a sneaky suspicion Zepuntke won't be his typical bust self in PCM24, that could be an underrated pickup by you.
I also like to see APP's lack of hilly support, could give Bettiol some opportunities to score at least!
As stated earlier I would happily take a great season by Zepuntke. And I take it as a kind of compliment that you love the weaker hills squad
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 03-09-2025 18:56
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3800
Joined: 03-07-2012
PCM$: 300.00
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You've got 2 of my former riders leading you, one I'd love to have back a lot more than the other, but will be interesting to see how they both go.
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| Caspi |
Posted on 03-09-2025 19:11
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Domestique
Posts: 705
Joined: 22-09-2022
PCM$: 15500.00
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Seems like a very balanced team. And with your pre-transfer goals completed you should have a fun season ahead
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| Ulrich Ulriksen |
Posted on 04-09-2025 03:24
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 3914
Joined: 02-11-2010
PCM$: 300.00
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Congrats on checking off your goals, pretty impressive to put that quality a squad together while also signing Martinez.
Two really nice stags, Kramer I especially like.
Man Game: McCormick Pro Cycling |
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| Laurens147 |
Posted on 04-09-2025 11:00
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Sprinter
Posts: 1521
Joined: 26-04-2020
PCM$: 900.00
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I love the experienced additions you made with Zepuntke, Rajovic and Küng among others. Promotion may be a difficult task if you ask me, but you can surprise me once again.
Good luck mate, I'll be cheering for you!
MG - Lotto - Caloi
[MG] New Manager of the Year - PCM.daily Awards 2022
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 04-09-2025 21:40
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 17833
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Lenny was all that mattered. Around that the team looks better than ever, furture's is strong!
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 05-09-2025 11:46
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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sammyt93 wrote:
You've got 2 of my former riders leading you, one I'd love to have back a lot more than the other, but will be interesting to see how they both go.
I hope both do well!
Caspi wrote:
Seems like a very balanced team. And with your pre-transfer goals completed you should have a fun season ahead
A balanced team to ensure the fun was the goal, so I hope to now get the fun as well
Ulrich Ulriksen wrote:
Congrats on checking off your goals, pretty impressive to put that quality a squad together while also signing Martinez.
Two really nice stags, Kramer I especially like.
I was really surprised how good even the stags were this season, so more than happy to get them at minimum wage.
Laurens147 wrote:
I love the experienced additions you made with Zepuntke, Rajovic and Küng among others. Promotion may be a difficult task if you ask me, but you can surprise me once again.
Good luck mate, I'll be cheering for you!
I know promotion is an optimistic lookout, but I'm pretty sure we'll be nearer to it than to relegation - or the season will be really disappointing otherwise.
TheManxMissile wrote:
Lenny was all that mattered. Around that the team looks better than ever, furture's is strong!
He was not all, but most that mattered. The other additions are clearer a nice bonus and maybe the future starts now already.
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 06-09-2025 09:21
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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For the first time in our history we not only won some NCs (we’ve done that every season), but also kept our NCs through renewals and transfers (at least 3/4). So here are the NC jerseys for Suranga Ranaweera (Sri Lanka, RR and TT), Arman Garibian (Moldova, RR and TT) and Matija Mestric (Croatia, RR):
We owe some big thanks to hillis for supplying us with those beauties!
And while we’re at it: Despite initial other plans we also got a new jersey for this season to represent our (and the sponsors) new ambitions, also designed by hiliis:
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 07-09-2025 14:16
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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With transfer season over and the actual racing still some time away we’ll have look at the planned development for our talents – the ‘old’ ones as well as those who just joined us.
Ewen Costiou | 23 years old | LVL 3.00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 73 | 66 | 69 | 72 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 64 | 66 | 73 | 74 | 68 | 69 | 71 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 76 | 66 | 69 | 72 | 68 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 66 | 77 | 77 | 68 | 69 | 74 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 75 | 67 | 71 | 74 | 68 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 66 | 76 | 77 | 69 | 69 | 72 |
Ewen will become our next hilly sprinter. We’re not sure yet we’ll go all the way with track-sprinter (first option) or mix some hills training in, sacrificing a bit of sprint (second option).
Gabriel Grozev | 22 years old | LVL 1.00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 66 | 65 | 68 | 70 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 67 | 63 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 67 | 72 | 75 | 77 | 63 | 68 | 71 | 72 | 60 | 62 | 71 | 73 | 68 | 64 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 69 | 68 | 73 | 78 | 64 | 74 | 71 | 70 | 60 | 63 | 69 | 71 | 68 | 64 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 67 | 71 | 75 | 78 | 64 | 69 | 71 | 71 | 60 | 63 | 71 | 73 | 68 | 64 |
Gabriel will become a puncheur, though there are some possibilities of how exactly he`ll end up (Climber v1; Hills; mix of both). As he’s on a stagiaire contract we still have another season to make up our mind.
Jesse Kramer | 22 years old | LVL 1.00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 70 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 60 | 65 | 67 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 69 | 62 | 63 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 78 | 60 | 62 | 64 | 63 | 70 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 70 | 76 | 66 | 66 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 77 | 57 | 60 | 62 | 60 | 70 | 68 | 75 | 72 | 75 | 73 | 69 | 63 | 63 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 75 | 57 | 60 | 62 | 60 | 72 | 72 | 69 | 74 | 73 | 67 | 70 | 62 | 63 |
Jesses development will depend on which secondary qualities (apart from his flat skills) will be prioritized: fighter, sprint or cobbles.
Paul Lapeira | 25 years old | LVL 4.66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 75 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 61 | 72 | 72 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 71 | 64 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 77 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 61 | 74 | 73 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 76 | 71 | 64 |
Paul will be a really good cobbles domestique (and maybe even leader with quite some training), but can also work in the flat, as a breakaway rider and as sprint leadout.
Lenny Martinez | 22 years old | LVL 1.00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 65 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 65 | 70 | 72 | 71 | 57 | 56 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 64 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 68 | 81 | 78 | 75 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 57 | 56 | 75 | 71 | 71 | 71 | | OR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 65 | 81 | 80 | 78 | 66 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 57 | 56 | 79 | 79 | 73 | 65 |
Lenny will be our next GC leader and we’re most probably going to choose the boring stage racing path for him, not least because of the great backup stats he’ll get this way. The alternative would be to sacrifice some TT skill (and backup stats) to boost his punch on medium and short climbs.
Kevin Vauquelin | 24 years old | LVL 4.65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FL | MO | MM | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FG | DH | PR | | 69 | 77 | 73 | 69 | 74 | 70 | 74 | 73 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 72 | 71 | 73 | | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | ⇊ | | 70 | 79 | 75 | 71 | 76 | 72 | 76 | 75 | 58 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 71 | 75 |
Kevin is going to be a classic stage racer with some weaknesses in the shorter climb. With the arrival of Martinez that’s probably not the biggest issue though as he’ll mostly be our number two option in this department anyway.
Edited by kandesbunzler26 on 14-09-2025 22:42
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| whitejersey |
Posted on 07-09-2025 16:32
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3219
Joined: 07-08-2011
PCM$: 300.00
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Don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone that this is an unreal talent crop. If you manage to stabilise this year in PCT you should be able to have one of the most amazing young rosters with a strong regional focus moving forward, fantastic work!
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 09-09-2025 19:45
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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We also invested in wildcards this season, not out of necessity but because we had some minor cash left over after transfers and a cobbles squad we’re eager to use as much as possible. So most (but not all) of our wildcards are cobbled races.
| Start | End | Race | Category | | 08-Jan | 10-Jan |  Tour of Tasmania | PT |
Our first PT appearance leads us to Down Under. We won’t have anyone for the first flat stage as all fitting riders are riding elsewhere, but APP will aim for stage 2 where Kung hopefully also doesn’t lose (much) time. The Swiss is also our best bet for the final ITT as well as a good GC result.
| Start | End | Race | Category | | 20-Mar | |  E3 Prijs | PT |
We didn’t go for classics wildcards last season, so this is our first ever PT classic appearance. We send our nearly best cobbles squad (except Kung who races in Ukraine) to get a good result with Zepuntke.
| Start | End | Race | Category | | 01-Aug | |  GP Kigali | PT |
Once again Zepuntke is looking for a top 10 with all possible help to his disposal.
| Start | End | Race | Category | | 07-Aug | |  East Midlands Cicle Classic | PT |
And we head to the UK for our last wildcard race. It’s cobbled, it’s about Zepuntke, that’s it basically.
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| knockout |
Posted on 09-09-2025 20:14
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8233
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 500.00
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Some interesting wildcards. Im most curious to see your team in ToNE and who will be treated as the leader by the AI with Zepuntke being the better cobbler for the early cobbles stage that could be crucial but Kung being the one with the best shot at a GC position imo.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 11-09-2025 19:34
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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| Start | End | Race | Category | Team Goal | Results | | 08-Jan | 10-Jan | Tour of Tasmania | PT | - | - | | 08-Jan | | Down Under Classic | HC | - | - | | 13-Jan | 20-Jan |  Volta a Portugal | PTHC | - | - | | 30-Jan | | Great Ocean Road Classic | C1 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Feb | | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | HC | - | - | | 03-Feb | | Viana do Castelo | C1 | - | - | | 14-Feb | 16-Feb |  Tour of Eritrea | C1 | - | - | | 19-Feb | | Le Samyn | HC | - | - | | 25-Feb | | Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne | HC | - | - | | 28-Feb | | Gent - Wevelgem | C2 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 05-Mar | |  Strade Bianche | HC | - | - | | 10-Mar | |  Macskako Kerekparverseny | HC | - | - | | 12-Mar | |  Lillestrom GP | C1 | - | - | | 14-Mar | 18-Mar | Tour of Norway | HC | - | - | | 18-Mar | | 1 Jour de Dunkerque | C1 | - | - | | 20-Mar | 22-Mar |  Tour of Ukraine | PTHC | - | - | | 20-Mar | | E3 Prijs | PT | - | - | | 22-Mar | 26-Mar | Tour of Britain | C1 | Win | - | | 28-Mar | 29-Mar |  Franceville Classique | PTHC | Top 10 | - | | 31-Mar | | Geraardsbergen - Bosberg | C2 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Apr | |  GP Herning | C2 | - | - | | 03-Apr | |  Badaling International | HC | - | - | | 19-Apr | 21-Apr |  Tour du Faso | C2 | - | - | | 25-Apr | | GP Wallonie | HC | - | - | | 25-Apr | | Lincoln GP | C2 | - | - | | 28-Apr | | Lisbon Classic | HC | - | - | | 30-Apr | | Dwars door Vlaanderen | C2 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-May | 05-May | La Tropicale Amissa Bongo | C1 | - | - | | 05-May | 10-May |     Balkans International | PTHC | - | - | | 19-May | 25-May | Tour of Northern Europe | PT | - | - | | 27-May | | Paris Tours | HC | - | - | | 29-May | | Rheden GP | PTHC | - | - | | --- | | | | | 12-Jun | 18-Jun | Tour de Suisse | PTHC | - | - | | 20-Jun | | Berlin ProRace | C1 | - | - | | 26-Jun | 28-Jun |  USA Pro Cycling Challenge | C1 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Jul | |  Torshavn GP | C1 | - | - | | 04-Jul | |  Clasica San Sebastian | PTHC | - | - | | 08-Jul | 12-Jul | Benelux Challenge | HC | - | - | | 20-Jul | 23-Jul |  Tour of Lithuania | PTHC | - | - | | 25-Jul | 29-Jul |  Tour d'Andorra | HC | Top 5 | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Aug | | GP Kigali | PT | - | - | | 07-Aug | | East Midlands Cicle Classic | PT | - | - | | 09-Aug | 13-Aug | Post Danmark Rundt | HC | - | - | | 13-Aug | | Chrono d'Arenberg | PTHC | Top 10 | - | | 15-Aug | 20-Aug |  Tour of Japan | C1 | - | - | | 22-Aug | | Milano - Torino | HC | - | - | | 23-Aug | 31-Aug | Tour de l'Avenir | U23 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Sep | |  Riga - Jurmala GP | PTHC | - | - | | 03-Sep | 08-Sep | Tour de Romandie | HC | - | - | | 08-Sep | | Japan Cup | PTHC | - | - | | 10-Sep | 14-Sep |     Baltic Chain Tour | C1 | - | - | | 25-Sep | 30-Sep |  Vuelta al Pais Vasco | C1 | - | - | | --- | | | | | 01-Oct | |  Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | PTHC | - | - | | 03-Oct | 08-Oct |  Tour du Maroc | HC | - | - | | 10-Oct | 15-Oct |  Tour of South Africa | C1 | - | - | | 17-Oct | | Giro dell'Emilia | HC | - | - |
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 14-09-2025 14:05
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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We haven’t been overly successful with our goals in past seasons, so we actively tried to sign riders who fit the goal races.
| Race | Cat | goal | | 22-Mar | 26-Mar | Tour of Britain | C1 | Win |
We had this goal last season and we’re trying it again – not because we think we have better chances but because we have to choose a win goal and this race is as good as any other. APP will lead us here with the best hill support we can manage.
| Race | Cat | goal | | 28-Mar | 29-Mar | Franceville Classique | PTHC Top 10 |
With Zepuntke and a decent cobbles support we went for the only cobbled stage race eligible as a goal. Our hope is that this reduces the possibility of a negative outlier.
| Race | Cat | goal | | 25-Jul | 29-Jul | Tour d'Andorra | HC | Top 5 |
We have a hilly goal, we have a cobbles goal, so we added a mountain race as well. Ranaweera did well in Andorra last year and we’re hopeful he’ll do this season as well.
| Race | Cat | goal | | 13-Aug | | Chrono d'Arenberg | PTHC Top 10 |
We never did this race before because we lacked any TTer of notion, but we went for all available (more or less) TT-cobbles hybrids and managed to sign Kung, not least to achieve this goal. He’s accompanied by Louvel and Zepuntke.
| Race | goal | | Team Standings | Top 10 |
We finished 12th last season and were optimistic to improve our squad, so we aim for a top 10 this year. The squad should be able to compete for this goal.
All in all our goals aren’t overly ambitious, but most of them are at least realistically achievable. Our record is 2/5 goals in one season (and 3/15 in total) and we hope to finally improve this quota.
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 22-09-2025 08:32
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Sprinter
Posts: 1803
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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A new season approaches and we have some races on our schedules, 3 in Down Under and one in Portugal.
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