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Karl Hammarling - Scene 25: The Grand Finale
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 14-04-2014 15:55
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Tour de France Champion
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@Jak - Very nice and poetic
@Mre - Just a few and i hide things well, like most of my HIMYM references. Nice to see you fully catch up as well. Racing is coming a lot faster now and will be the serious bulk of at least the next 2 Acts. And not much more than Travis did 
Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 7: Pop Cap
She was around for barely 6 months but the house felt a lot emptier now. I guess luckily I was barely in there these days. Either I was working at the office or just out on the bike training. I told Mads that I’d gotten the license and was good to go from the new season. He welcomed me into the team so it was all set.
My part was minimal for now, just making sure I was in shape to start the season. So yeah things were going to settle down for a few months. Well that was what I thought, until Thursday night reared it’s head. I guess I kind of left out the details of what happened. Well I was drunk and confused and hanging with Phil made me regress a bit. Which was when I met Natalie.
Frankly it was a mistake and I thought we both understood that. At least we spent most of Friday saying it was a mistake. In fact we’d spent all of Friday wandering the town and chatting. It was time I should have spent with Erik but I guess Lucy and Phil needed some space as well. But coming back to now and Natalie found me in Linkoping.
Edited by TheManxMissile on 14-04-2014 15:55
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 14-04-2014 15:57
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Classics Specialist
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This does not surprise me at all. 
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 16:53
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Tour de France Champion
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Please, please, not another baby  |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 15-04-2014 00:52
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Team Leader
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Uh oh. Good Luck Karl
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 15-04-2014 13:26
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Tour de France Champion
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@Dippo - But it just had to be done! Now i have to consider changing my avatar...
@Sutty - The thought never crossed my mind
@Jak - Why does everyone always think the worst is going to happen?
Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 8: Something Blue
Found might not be the right word. We actually just ran into each other in a café. In Leuven, it turns out, Natalie was on holiday traveling around Belgium. She actually lives in Malmo for work and had to come up to Linkoping for a weekend of training. Flukes of nature and all that really make life difficult and interesting.
Now don’t go jumping to conclusions, we are not doing anything. We just spent some time chatting and we’re trying to stay in contact. She’s nice and funny and beautiful etc. etc. but I’m trying to wait for Hannah. Alongside this is Skype at least once a week with Erik and I try my best to help out from long distance.
Life isn’t the easiest or most exciting right now, and in many ways I’m just getting through it. Trying to reach that moment down the road where all this can be done with and life can be simple again. Until then I’ll rack up the miles and do the hard time, it will be worth it. I know it will be.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 16-04-2014 19:27
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Tour de France Champion
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Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 9: Start-up, Part I
The summer months brought some really great weather and it really boosted the whole cycling scene. I was doing more miles than ever before, regularly clocking between 800 and 1000 miles a week in riding. I dropped down to around 60kg at the lowest weight before refocusing on building muscles. At this rate I would be competitive from the first flag.
On a wider scale race attendances were at their highest ever, riding a wave of optimism in the sport the good weather and some national success. Lindau, Ludvigsson and Ahlstrand were all doing well at the upper levels of the sport and each week I was watching some great young talents learning their stuff.
Towards the end of August Mads started sending me emails about how the team was shaping up. Sponsors were confirmed and he was getting very close to having a confirmed team for the 2018 season. The rumours were that those big three were looking to come aboard. Also I was pushing to have him sign Wilco and give him the way back in.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 17-04-2014 13:12
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Tour de France Champion
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Nice to hear that Karl is getting in those miles  |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 22-04-2014 12:53
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Tour de France Champion
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@ALL - Short break for Easter
Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 10: Start-up, Part II
Wilco phoned me a few days after that to confirm that he will ride with the team in 2018. Once Mads heard he was a major player in the Dutch side of Higher Roads it was simple deal. Wilco had finally found his way back into cycling and I could tell in his voice how much it meant to him. He would be joined by a selection of other Dutch riders.
Nick van der Lijke, Brian Bulgac, Ricardo van der Velde, Jesper Assleman and Rob Ruijgh would also be signing up. Brian, Ricardo, Jesper and Rob would all probably be key helpers in his general classification endeavours, while Nick would be more occupied with the sprinting side of things. As yet I don’t know who will be the leader in that area.
To go with this noticeable Dutch contingent the team would be partly sponsored by Spyker the car company. Also we’d agreed with Mads to get the Higher Roads logo fitted onto the jerseys, this was massive. Truly top level exposure could only be a good thing, and perhaps it might get the attention of the UCI. Hopefully we could get something really special out of the next year.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 22-04-2014 13:03
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Sounds like everything is looking good and going in the right direction for once |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 03:51
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 23-04-2014 15:57
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Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 11: Start-up, Part III
The next big round of announcements came just before the World Championships. Nikolay Mihaylov would join, as would young Estonian Joonas Aasmae. Both would be useful domestiques. Other new young blood included Swedes Edvin Malmgren, a classics rider, and Christoffer Larsson, an all-round fighter. Plus Fin Touko Virtanen and Norwegian Kristian Abrahamsen.
That wave of riders came alongside the confirmation of the teams main sponsor. Millennium, the magazine/media company, would provide the bulk of the backing. It gave the team a decidedly Nordic feel and meant we would be based out of Stockholm officially. Through the mail I got a load of promo stuff and my first team jersey.
It was all just totally amazing. I was finding it hard to believe that it had been over two years since I last wore a team jersey, even longer for Wilco. Natalie loved the promo gear so I gave it to her to put to good use. She always made a point of wearing some team kit whenever we met up. Frankly I just wanted to get my hands on the bike.
Edited by TheManxMissile on 24-04-2014 15:57
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 23-04-2014 16:20
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Tour de France Champion
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The team is certainly coming together well |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 24-04-2014 16:00
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Tour de France Champion
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Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 12: Start-up, Part IV
It was about the last week in September when Johan phoned me up. We went through the usual catch up bits and I could tell he was getting impatient. I asked him why he called and all I could make out through the excitement was something about Millennium… Oh! He was joining the team as well!
Alongside Johan they were also signing Kristian for his first true pro contract! The three current Hammarlings all together on the same team, this was going to be special. Around the same day I found out that Seb Balck, Tom Lofkvist, Vegard Breen, Vegard Brugge, Rasmus Guldhammer, Chris Juul-Jensen and Kris Sobota were also confirmed as riders.
All that remained was to find out who the big name signings were. Rumour and conjecture was flying around the media but Mads was somehow still keeping it a secret until the season ended. Finally Il Lombardi came around, won by Moreno Moser, and the final names were to be confirmed. After such a long time I would know all my team mates.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 25-04-2014 11:19
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Tour de France Champion
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Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 13: Start-up, Part V
Firstly came a couple more helper style riders in Joonas Henttala and Vegard Stake Laengen. Eventually the names came out: Edvald Boasson-Hagen, Philip Lindau, Tobias Ludvigsson and Jonas Ahlstrand. Total of 28 riders from 6 nations and covering a real range of abilities, but I am sure all will be amazing to work with.
EBH is getting to the late stage of his career many think. Following his departure from Sky in 2015 he really focused into becoming a good Time Trialist with a nice all-round aggressive nature. He’s increased his TDF tally to 5 wins as well adding another 3 WC medals to his collection. Edvald will be a strong overall leader for the team.
Philip might not be a big name puncher, but he is pretty solid. Not expected to place well in the Monuments, he’s more likely to steal a win from a Stage Race or minor classic. Still he will be a good rider to work with. Tobias really rocketed to the top and is now considered one of the Top5 time trialists in the peloton, expecting to win more times than not.
Finally Jonas is a good sprinter. Not up to matching Mezgec, Kittel or Coquard in a finish, he could be considered as one of the best of the rest. Enough ability to surprise and I’m sure Johan and Krisitan will be happy to help him out in the finishes. This also makes me a team leader, on the cobbles. It’s nice and I hope I’ve still got that same sort of skill set.
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| admirschleck |
Posted on 25-04-2014 11:22
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Team Leader
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This is still going 
I am not really following it, just open and read it sometimes, but it's cool to see that you're still keeping this up. It has to be huge motivation I guess.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 25-04-2014 11:39
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Tour de France Champion
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@Admir - I've got two more Act's before this goes away! Now would be a good time to jump back in as a return to racing is now rushing towards us, will be some really good updates to read over the next month or two
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 25-04-2014 11:47
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Tour de France Champion
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The signings of Eddy Bos, Lofkvist and Guldhammer can only be good for the team |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 25-04-2014 19:09
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Tour de France Champion
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@Sutty - EBH yes, Lofkvist is kinda old by this point and Guldhammer is a mediocre helper. Overall it's a solid team though
Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 14: Torro Rosso
November arrived before the team bike did. By then the roads were already more wet than dry and the snow was starting to appear in parts. Still it was a very nice piece of kit. Naturally the factory couldn’t set it up for shit, so most of the first week was readjusting everything to get it right. Finally it was ready and boy does it fly.
It’s a Red Bull, not the drinks company, so isn’t the most historic of brands. But it’s light and rigid with good disc brakes. The e-shifters are a bit fiddly when going up or down hill but I can fix that myself. I’ve taken a couple of detours to test out how it handles rough stuff, and it can take the worst of Swedens off-road paths in winter. Still it’s hardly Roubaix.
As December rolled in I would start to really time my runs. I knew exactly how long it took to ride a stretch of road and the goal was to go faster on some, and then on less or more watts on others. Roughly I figured I was about ready to go into action come the season start, but how competitive that would be could only be measured at the time.
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| Daggen |
Posted on 25-04-2014 19:30
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Sprinter
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Wonderful story Manx  |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 26-04-2014 17:31
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Tour de France Champion
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@Daggen - Thank you very much
Act 7: Growing Up
Scene 15: 2018
Christmas and New Year, as I’ve said before, do tend to make you look backwards and reflect. This year, again, I had plenty to think about. I mean it started with Hannah appearing and us being a couple for around 5 months. Then there was my ever growing desire and efforts to return to racing, culminating in a contract with a team.
Plus Higher Roads first full year partnered with the SCF and KNWU. Finally I could top it off with that period of May. Issues with Hannah, then meeting Lucy for the first time since she dumped me, then finding out I had a kid, meeting Phil again, and finally being dumped by Hannah. At least no-one had died this year I think is a plus.
Now professionally everything was set, but personally wasn’t so simple. I wished I had any chance to go and see Erik but just couldn’t fit it in. I missed Hannah quite a lot and wondered how she was doing in the UK. I also had to resist the urge to make a move on Natalie. Hardly terrible but hardly great either. Anyway, 2018 will be something to remember whatever happens.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 26-04-2014 17:35
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Tour de France Champion
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Nice looking the bike the team will be riding |
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
