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Pearl Adidas | 2012
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 09:36
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 | Pearl Adidas 2012 | 
After a successful year, Pearl and Adidas have agreed to an extension of their sponsorship contract with our team. This truly was a match made in heaven for the 3 parts and we will be looking for a repeat of the results we achieved last season.
As always, the jersey for the 2012 season belongs to the designer that has been with us since the get-go: Mr Richard Cleaver. He has put up some brilliant jerseys throughout the seasons (who could forget the awesome Pearl Jam jersey?) and we decided to give him a year off. We liked our jersey from the 2011 season so much we decided to keep it for the 2012 season. You may already know it but we will revive your memory anyway:
Chapeau Mr. Cleaver, chapeau!
In the first year of it's existance, the Pearl Jam year, the team was nowhere near the promotion spots in the early predictions but 5 races won plus half a duzen stage wins combined with numerous Top-10's saw the team end in a surprising 3rd place in the final rankings. Only the top two would promote but the disbandment of the Carlsberg team meant we would also be going to the PT for the 2010 season.
With new sponsors (Sic Radical - Timberland), our season goal before the transfers was to avoid relegation at the end of the season. Things quickly started to turn up for us as we managed to sign some brilliant riders like Markus Fothen, José Rujano, Patrik Sinkewitz and Alessandro Ballan (on a loan contract). And these 4 proved to be decisive as they scored most part of our season's points. The luck we didn't have in the search for stage wins (only 4 throughout the season) was in our favour when it came to races won: we only had two but one of them was the biggest race we could win - the Tour de France!
For the 2011 season the team had lost the powerhouse that is Alessandro Ballan and it triggered a big renovation of the squad. Almost every rider over 30 was sold or traded away and replaced by younger riders (even if they were not as gifted as some of the names that had left the team). We brought in some fairly decent acquisitions in Franzoi, Kangert and Weening and then signed one of the most promising riders out there: Jan Bakelants.
What he had planed to be a transitional season quickly turned into our best season so far. Although we didn't have any big results and we only won a couple of races and a couple of stages, the truth is consistency was the key (exactly like in the 2010 season when we promoted from the CT). We were in the Top-10 in every race (baring less than a handful of exceptions) and in the end we found ourselves in 3rd place on the Team Rankings.
With a somewhat young team, we feel no need for big chances within the team and will be looking to build upon the 2011 season. It all depends on the riders demands after such a good season for the team so this initial plan may as well prove to be infeasible and we may again end up looking to renew our squad. Let's just hope that such renewal would result in similar success as the last one.
We end this sum up of our past history with our results from 2011 in the spoiler below.
Spoiler
 Jan Bakelants8th on the GC @Criterium International
7th @Rund um Koln
Winner of the Youth Classification @Vuelta al Pais Vasco
9th Overall @Vuelta al Pais Vasco
2nd @Amstel Gold Race
7th @Classique du Grand-Duche
7th @Seine - Marne - Seine
2nd @Badaling International
3rd @GP Yekeratinburg
Eric BerthouWinner of Stage 5 @Paris-Nice
Wore the Yellow Jersey for 1 day @Paris-Nice
Markus Fothen2nd on the GC @Critérium du Dauphiné
Won the points Jersey @Critérium du Dauphiné
Wore the Yellow Jersey for 2 days @Critérium du Dauphiné
3rd on stage 9 @Le Tour de France
3rd on the GC @Vuelta a Asturias
Wore the Yellow Jersey for 4 days @Deutschland Tour
Won the GC @Deutschland Tour
5th @Giro di Lombardia
Enrico Franzoi6th @Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
6th @Strade Bianche
9th @Gent Wevelgem
6th @Paris-Roubaix
8th on the GC @Tour of Northern Europe
Stijn JosephWore the Young Riders jersey for 1 day @Vuelta a Asturias
Tanel Kangert
9th on the GC @Tour of California
Tom Leezer6th @Rund um Koln
Wore the Mountain Jersey for 2 days @Vuelta a España
2nd on stage 10 @Vuelta a España
Lloyd MondoryWore the Points Jersey for 5 days @Critérium du Dauphiné
5th @GP de Fourmies
Yoann Offredo4th on the GC @Tour of Qatar
José Rujano3rd on stage 20 @Giro D'Italia
10th Overall @Giro D'Italia
Winner of Stage 8; 2nd on stage 12 @Vuelta a España
Wore the Mountain Jersey for 6 days @Vuelta a España
3rd in the Mountains Classification @Vuelta a España
3rd on the GC @Vuelta a España
9th Overall @Tour de Suisse
10th @Giro di Lombardia
Roman VanderbiestWinner of Stage 6 @Tour of Qatar
2nd on the GC @Tour of Qatar
Winner of Stage 4 @Tour de Suisse
2nd on stage 5 @Le Tour de France
2nd on stage 7 @Le Tour de France
3rd on stage 21 @Le Tour de France
Winner @GP de Fourmies
David VitoriaWore the Mountain Jersey for 3 days @Vuelta a España
Pieter Weening8th @Rund um Koln
9th @Giro di Lombardia
Stage Racers:
Tiago Machado
 Peter Velits
 Branislav Samoilev
 Jackson RodrÃguez
 Tanel Kangert
 Petar Panayotov
 Cheng Ji*
Romain Sicard*
Puncheurs:
 Jan Bakelants
 William Walker
Eric Berthou
Jose Mendes*
Northern Classics:
 Enrico Franzoi
Stijn Joseph
Wim De Vocht
Kenny De Haes
Time-Trialists:
Yohann Offredo
Sprinter:
Romain Vanderbiest
Jacopo Guarnieri
 Mauro Richeze
 Jukka Vastaranta
Lloyd Mondory
Tom Leezer
Manuel Antonio Cardoso
 Evgeni Popov
Giacomo Nizzolo*
 David Vitoria*
*Loaned In
*Loaned Out
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Team Goals for 2012
 | Top 3 Team Standings | | | Top 3 Tour de France | | | Top 10 Giro D'Italia |  | Top 10 Vuelta a España | | | Win Liege-Bastogne-Liege |
Targeted Races
| | La Fleche Wallone | | | GP Fourmies | | | Paris Roubaix | | | Amstel Gold Race |  | Vuelta a Colombia |
Edited by p3druh on 25-07-2011 23:06
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 09:36
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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--- Reserved ---
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-12-2024 05:46
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 09:36
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
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--- Reserved ---
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 09:37
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--- Reserved ---
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 09:51
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Pearl Adidas will be competing in the PT for the 3rd straight season in 2012. We feel our team (as is) has the experience needed to be competitive in such a demanding stage. We enjoyed a great deal of success with the roster we have right now and we will be looking to retain every single one of the riders that have made this team such a great name in the cycling world.
We do realise that this intent may not be fully compatible with the restrictions of a team limited by the cap but we want to ensure every rider on the roster that they will be given a contract proposal (given we have the cap space to do it) and no-one will be low-balled during the renewals.
Of course riders like Fothen, Bakelants, Rujano or Vanderbist will take precedent over some smaller names like some of our older, less efficient helpers but please do not mistakenly assume that means that those helpers will be left with the scraps.
We won't be lurking through the other teams trying to poach riders with a contract, that's not the market we are interested in. Provided we have the cap space, we will be lurking in the free agent market but only to add depth to our team, not to substitute anyone on the active roster. |
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| Crommy |
Posted on 23-03-2011 11:49
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World Champion
Posts: 10018
Joined: 29-11-2006
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Of course riders like Fothen, Bakelants, Rujano or Vanderbist will take precedent
Do not like  
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 15:42
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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Crommy wrote:
Of course riders like Fothen, Bakelants, Rujano or Vanderbist will take precedent
Do not like
Given that he threatened to commit suicide followed by resurrection, mass murder and again suicide if I even entertained the thought of selling him to Carmeuse, I think the feeling is reciprocal. He went on and on about how your team is the Rebecca Black of cycling
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| Levi4life |
Posted on 23-03-2011 16:42
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4882
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if there was a like button...^
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| Crommy |
Posted on 23-03-2011 20:37
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World Champion
Posts: 10018
Joined: 29-11-2006
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p3druh wrote:
Crommy wrote:
Of course riders like Fothen, Bakelants, Rujano or Vanderbist will take precedent
Do not like
Given that he threatened to commit suicide followed by resurrection, mass murder and again suicide if I even entertained the thought of selling him to Carmeuse, I think the feeling is reciprocal. He went on and on about how your team is the Rebecca Black of cycling
That may be true, but I'd give him his own sparkly helmet!
You can't put a price on that in this day and age!
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-03-2011 20:43
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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2,99$ at WalMart. Ha!
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| p3druh |
Posted on 05-04-2011 19:25
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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Press Release - Goals and Targets for the 2012 season
Pearl Adidas are proud to announce their goals for the season along with some other races that they will be looking forward to.
To start things off, the sponsors look to ensure the team will be one of the most competitive for the duration of the season and, as such, have asked the managing body of the team for a Top 3 @Team Standings . The team achieved such position in the 2011 season and will be looking for a repeat. And speaking of repeats, last season's goals were mostly aimed at the Grand Tours. Two of them were achieved, one not even slightly. This year, all 3 of them remain. So, the will be looking for a Top 10 @Giro D'Italia and a Top 10 @Vuelta a España . More ambitiously, the team will be looking to improve on their weak TdF in 2011 and will now look to complete the only goal they failed to achieve in 2011: Top 3 @Tour de France .
So, with all the GTs covered, the sponsors then wanted the team to focus in another particular area: the Ardennes classics. And they are not kidding around here. To Win Liege-Bastogne-Liege is the last goal but the team will also be looking closely at two other classics: Amstel Gold Race and La Fleche Wallone .
Last year the team only won two races: GP Fourmies and the Deutschland Tour. The first remains at the PT level for the 2012 season while the second one has been demoted. The race that has replaced it is also of interest to the sponsors and they will be hoping for a nice showing in the Vuelta a Colombia.
Lastly, the french orientation of the team meant we couldn't possibly do without an incentive for the Hell of the North and, as such, Paris-Roubaix is the last race with major interest for the sponsors.
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| p3druh |
Posted on 12-06-2011 17:53
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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Press Release - Renewals for the 2012 season
After the negotiations with the riders (the contracts were all signed on Friday), we are now happy to announce that we accomplished our goal for the 2012 season. We happily maintained every single rider from the (successful) 2011 season.
Bakelants and Fothen, the two biggest names on the team, even took big pay cuts thus freeing some cap space even after the small raises Rujano and Vanderbist rightfully demanded. Kangert, Franzoi, Panayotov, Rodriguez and Samoilev also took significant pay cuts and we acknowledge their attitude with a great deal of appreciation. Only one rider asked for a undeserved increase in his salary but even he was retained. With the freed cap space we will now be looking to make a bang in the Free Agents market to add to our current roster.
We leave you with our provisional roster for next season:
Team Roster after the renewals for 2012
 Markus Fothen
José Rujano
Branislav Samoilev
Jackson RodrÃguez
Tanel Kangert
Petar Panayotov
Jan Bakelants
Pieter Weening
William Walker
Eric Berthou
Enrico Franzoi
Stijn Joseph
Wim De Vocht
Kenny De Haes
Yohann Offredo
Romain Vanderbiest
Mauro Richeze
Jukka Vastaranta
David Vitoria
Lloyd Mondory
Tom Leezer
Manuel Antonio Cardoso
Evgeni Popov
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| SotD |
Posted on 12-06-2011 17:59
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World Champion
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Well this has to be the winning team, when you can keep the three best riders, and even make them go down in wages... I'm really fearing this one!
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| p3druh |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:03
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Remember I was right up against the cap last year. Even with the paycuts, the remaining cap space may not be that big 
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| Crommy |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:06
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World Champion
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p3druh wrote:
Remember I was right up against the cap last year. Even with the paycuts, the remaining cap space may not be that big
Yes, but that's not really a team that needs much improving
Can't believe Bakelants even took a pay cut, that's just plain annoying
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| SotD |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:08
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World Champion
Posts: 12201
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Probably not, but if you still were able to pay a rider who claimed a much too big wage, AND have cap left, you are very strong...
I guess the rider claiming too much is Weening, but having Bakelandts, Kangert and Vastaranta, he isn't really that important anyway.
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| SotD |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:09
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Crommy wrote:
p3druh wrote:
Remember I was right up against the cap last year. Even with the paycuts, the remaining cap space may not be that big
Yes, but that's not really a team that needs much improving
Can't believe Bakelants even took a pay cut, that's just plain annoying
Both him and Kangert taking a paycut is annoying. Both will be extremely competent riders...
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| p3druh |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:27
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Posts: 2667
Joined: 28-09-2007
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SotD wrote:I guess the rider claiming too much is Weening, but having Bakelandts, Kangert and Vastaranta, he isn't really that important anyway.
Bingo
He's not very important but I wasn't going to let him leave for nothing when I still had cap space left and his wage wasn't very significant.
Crommy wrote:
p3druh wrote:
Remember I was right up against the cap last year. Even with the paycuts, the remaining cap space may not be that big
Yes, but that's not really a team that needs much improving
Can't believe Bakelants even took a pay cut, that's just plain annoying
Oh believe me, it gets funnier than that. Remember what you offered him last season? His wage is now bellow that
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| Heine |
Posted on 12-06-2011 18:32
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You know that you just made Crommy hide in a corner to cry?
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| Crommy |
Posted on 13-06-2011 00:53
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World Champion
Posts: 10018
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Heine wrote:
You know that you just made Crommy hide in a corner to cry?
I've only just now stopped swearing
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