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Smowz Man Game Blog 2: 2012 Pre Season Part two
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:05
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1. Race days - a brief look at one of the key Man Game dynamics.
2. Freed up agents from the CTour
3. Focus on Tom Boonan
Edited by SportingNonsense on 24-04-2011 21:28
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| Waghlon |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:06
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Please focus on how Doddy refused to sell me Boonen despite me poking him every day for three weeks.
THE THOMAS VOECKLER PROPHET OF PCM DAILY
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:08
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Race Days
One thing that was often asked last year by new players such as myself was what was the deal with race days?
In short, each rider is given an allocated amount of race days with better riders getting fewer race days. Riders cannot exceed the amount of race days they have been assigned. The race days are assigned based mainly on a rider's 'average' skill level.
The race days assigned are slightly different for Protour teams than CTour teams. Here are a few examples from last year:
Protour:
Tom Boonan (average 82) - 38 Race days
Robert Gesink (average 80) - 48 Race days
Jose Rujano (average 78) - 59 Race days
Carlos Castano (average 76) - 68 race days
Mauricio Solar (average 74) - 80 race days
Steve Morobito (average 73) - 89 race days (Maximum amount of race days!)
CTour:
Riccardo Ricco (average 81) - 30 race days
Phillipe Gilbert (average 78) - 34 race days
Mark Cavendish (average 76) - 43 race days
Anthony Roux (average 74) - 54 race days
Peter Stetina (average 72) - 70 race days
Jack Bobridge (average 70) - 82 race days
85 race days is the Maximum for CTour riders. Note CTour riders do not lose race days for wild cards these count as ZERO race days.
It may seem at first that this would result in mid level riders becoming more desirable after all Castano managed a top five at last year's giro, Rujano a podium at the Vuelta. However, this is usually not true of the Protour, you really do need those top level riders if you are going to land a Grand Tour or a monument victory.
Perhaps CTour teams need to be wary of getting good value for money. A quick perusal of last year's individual rankings for the CTour, see's high average riders such as Ricco(81), Taaramae(78), Pellizotti(79) and Ignatiev(79) mixed in with slightly lower level riders like Alarcon(74), Ponzi (75), Kirchen(77), Van Heerden(76) and Monfort(75).
Ricco, Taaramae and Ignatiev were all instrumental in getting their teams promoted and were raced smartly making good use of the majority of their race days. Each were however backed up by the consistent Kirchen, the monster that was Alarcon and the reliable Ponzi. Pellizotti was an interesting one, his success in dominating two long stage races (he only raced three) was at the expense of other riders on his team like Igor Anton (2nd at San Sebastian) and Niemec (a useful stage racer) who raced as support.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:09
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CTour's freed up agents.
Last week I looked at the freed up agents from disbanded or relegated Protour teams, this week we shall look closely at those teams to have folded from the second tier.
IKEA-Bianchi
They came top of the team rankings largely due to the points gathered by three riders. First the highly rated stage racer Rein Taaramae who won both San Luis and Burgos HC stage races last year. The Estonian can climb both mountains and hills well with a very decent Time Trial, it will be a surprise if he doesn't end up in the Protour this year.
Likewise for his climbing companion, the very strong Venezuelan climber Jose Alarcon, who reeked anarchy on the climbing stages in the CTour last year. More than a match for any rider on the lumpy stuff, surely this rider will end up on a Protour teams roster also. Indeed we saw him show some of his class at the Tour with Taaramae last year.
The third key rider was cobbled strongman Pieter Van Spreybrouk who along with fellow Belgian Neils Albert took all but one of the cobbled classics in the CTour last year. It should be noted that the cobbled season is short and these riders were fairly one dimensional in that they were not a lot of use elsewhere. Even so both have that specialist skill that could well cause them to invaluable on the rough roads.
Germans punchaer Alexander Flugal, young sprinter Kupfernagel and Belgian sprinter Jerome Giaux will attract some interest. As will Swedish riders Bjellmark, Ljungbald, Lindgren and of course stage racer Gustav Larsson, as the Scandenavians feed on the hole left by this teams departure.
Petronas
The team whose Asian origins seems to have inspired a couple more new teams from the East to enter the cycling ranks are gone. But in truth in the last year they had become more European cobbling together a decent stage racing squad usually infiltrating a couple of riders into top tens of races.
Star rider Matteo Carrara will surely see his 485,000 wage drop as he enters the post 32 year old zone, but will still be useful as a high lever domestique. Spaniard Manuel Lloret could serve Santander or the new CSC team well that is if they manage to stave off the other squads looking for his signature. Moses Duenes, Mauricia Ortega and Dutch climber Ricardo Van der Velde will also interest those teams looking for stage racers.
Simon Gerrens amnd Jack Bobridge were the two Australians retaining Petronas's Asian roots along with Malaysian sprinter Awang. All three struggled to live up to their promise but Gerrens did pop up to win the World's View race.
The last names to watch in the markets is Romain Feillu who may well like a shot at Le Tour this year, we shall see if a Protour likes his sparky talents. A talented sprinter who often attacks before the final dash unlike his former teammate Lars Crocket who popped up to take a sprint from time to time.
Benfica
Plenty of climbing talents here to interest CTour and Protour team alike. Benfica's star man last year was probably Jurgen Van den Broeck who won the Vuelta a Columbia 15 stage race. He does not look good enough to do much damage in the protour so could become a target for stage racing CTour teams.
Mind you there are plenty of other climbers in this team to watch Spaniards Marquez, Moreno and Terciado will likely be snapped up as will south Americans Nazaret and Colorado.
The team tried to branch out in different types of races in its last year with disappointing results still Aussie Matthew Lloyd and Portuguese riders Rui Costa and sprinter Bruno Lima will surely get contracts somewhere.
El Al
The strange Israeli experiment faded away and last years star attractions the two french Sylvians Calzati and Chavanel will likely see their usefulness fade with age. Still both should find contracts though at a more limited wage.
It is Lithuanian TTer Ignas Konovalovas who will probably attract most interest in the market with his ability on medium climbs likely to land him some high places on those short tours with TTs that regularly frequent the CTour.
Climbers Saul Raisen and Brice Fiellu will be on a few teams shortlists as will Swiss rouler Gregory Rast. Though teams eyeing up developing French Basque Romain Sicard need to realise that the talented french climber will return to his Protour team this year.
Of the Israelis it would be a shame if none of them were to recieve a contract, Idan Shapira and Noam Cohen were two riders who catch the eye at first glance though neither if truth be told did much of any note last year.
Youtube
Star man and indeed former World champion Franco Pellizotti is certainly still capable of churning out very decent results, though he will not be worth the 825,000 Youtube paid for his services last year. The controversal Italian popped up at the Paris Nice and the Vuelta last year, though is probably remembered the most for his all conquering Tour of America performance.
Though this victory actually highlighted Youtubes key weakness, in sending excellent climber Anton and Polish stage racer Niemec there as backup they wasted other points scoring oppurtunites that these riders offered.
These two riders talents as well as Peter Velits, Tachira winner Ochoa Quintera and Txurruka will be looking forward to finding a new contract to release them from their Youtube hell!
Watch the name of developing Italian climber Mattia Pozzo who could become a decent little rider.
Intesa
It was a very low key season for this Italian outfit who fancied a crack at the Northern Classics. In fact with the exception of spinters Lorenzatto and Cucinotta, Intesa had more of a look of a Northern European team at the top end. Unfortunately for them though the likes of Vansummeren, Traksel, Kozentchuk and Sentjens were frozen out of the better placing sby the more experienced CTour teams.
Eastern European riders Hutarovich and Grabovski should attract some attention as both are very decent riders in their fields of expertise.
Highroad
Whilst heavy attention as been lavished on Belgian sprinter Maxime Vantomme, it is the two time triallers Michiel Elijzen and Jan Ghyselinck who may offer the best value for money. Both are able to ride well on hilly terrain and have very decent TTing abilty that should give them high value to PTour and CTour teams.
The problems Highroad faced were that too many riders who are really at domestique level were asked to step up to team leadership roles. The likes of Rob Ruijgh and Francis De Greef are good little climbers who should recieve contracts and may be better suited to long stage races, rather than the hilly classics they were going for last year.
There were a couple of good youngsters on this squad last year punchy Aussie rider Travis Meyer, Belgian sprinter Kris Boeckmans and Columbian climber Darwin Atapuma for example.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:11
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Focus on Tom Boonan
Palmaires:
3 x Ronde de Vlandaaran (2007, 2009, 2010)
3 x Paris Roubaix (2007, 2009, 2011)
2 x Gent Wegelum (2007, 2008)
1 x Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (2009)
1 x Omloop Het Volk (2010)
1 x Paris Tours (2008)
13 stage wins at Tour de France
(2 x Points jersey wins and one win on Champ D'Elysees)
5 stage wins at ENECO Tour, 3 stage wins at the Tour of Northern Europe, 2 stage wins at the Dauphine
Individual Rankings
2007: 6th (Team:11th)
2008: 1st (Team:9th)
2009: 8th (Team:14th)
2010: 6th (Team:13th)
2011: 22nd (Team: 12th)
Belgian cobbled classics king and high class Sprinter Tom Boonan has had just one manager in his five years in the Man Game. Doddy13's Quickstep/Carrefour/Warner Brothers franchise has carried Tommeke through and will no doubt be pleased with what he has achieved. Boonan has dominated the team often being the only top 50 ranked rider, only recently with current Tour de France champion Simon Spilak added to the squad.
2011 was in fact Boonan's weakest year in terms of overall individual ranking in ManGame history, it was probably the first three years that saw some of his most remarkable achievements.
2007 saw Tom in stunning form taking the Cobbled triple crown winning the Tour of Flanders, Gent Wegulum and the Queen of Classics the Paris Roubaix. He won the Paric Roubaix in fine style breaking away from Van Petegum, Hincapie and Hoste before reaching the Roubaix velodrome.
Outside of Boonan's home territory, the Belgian showed his sprinting class winning the points jerseys and grabbing a couple of stages at both the ENECO Tour and the Dauphine. The French stage race perhaps a prelude of things to come in future seasons for Boonans favourite Tour, the big one Le Tour de France. Here he is at the Dauphine taking his seconds stage win in the leaders jersey!
Following the ENECO Tour, Boonan would just fall short of catching Riccardo Ricco to the line in the Paris Tours classic. But it had been a good first year for Boonan finishing 6th on the individual standings, his team Quickstep however missed out on a top ten place. His best teammates on the squad McEwen and Steegmans unable register points as high as he.
If 2007 bought Boonan his best year for the cobbles, it was 2008 that saw Tom perhaps move more into the global spotlight as his brilliance in the Tour de France catapulted him to the number one position in the individual by the end of the year.
In the cobbles though Boonan was just off his best form finishing 3rd at the Tour of Flanders and 4th at Paris Roubaix. He still however won his least favourite cobbled classic the Gent Wegelum!
But it was in France that Boonan made hay in 2008, following a fine performance in the previous year at the Dauphine he sprinted his way to no less than five stage wins in Le Tour. His team had taken six stage wins the year before with McEwen and so were well versed in delivering a teammate to the line. Boonan took his first Tour green jersey.
Two more stages would follow in the ENECO Tour once more and Tom would take the classic that eluded him in 2007, taking the Paris Tours in 2008 reeling in breakaways Ballan and Asterloa on the line.
This important win meant that Boonan would win the individual rankings this year, his team Carrefour (renamed from Quicktep the year previous) squeezing into the team top 10.
Warner Brothers took over the Carrefour franchise and perhaps the challenge for Boonan now was to try and get success both in the cobbled arena and at the Tour. Indeed 2009 started brilliantly for Boonan as he took the two big ones (Flanders and Roubaix) in dominant style gapping the others. Here is a clip of Tom's win at Flanders in 2009, where he gapped the Mapai duo of Ballan and Gusev in the final sprint.
Boonan had announced his form early though by winning the one year in ProTour only Kuurne Bruxelles Kuurne attacking from way out and winning by over a minute.
Indeed the only disappointment would be at the Gent Wegulum race where he had been previously undefeated coming second narrowly failling to catch Andreas Klier who had got away on the Kemmelburg.
At the Tour, Boonan and his squad were not quite as dominant on the sprint stages, as they let the green jersey slip from their grasp. But Tom did manage three stage wins including the last stage down the Champ D'Elysees ahead of green jersey Pozzato.
Boonan could not really do much for his team after this taking just the one stage win in the final ENECO Tour year as he faded to 8th on the individual standings. His team had drafted in stage racer Carlos Sastre to try and start building a stage racing outfit, but they had slipped to 14th overall dangerously close to relegation.
2010 however saw Boonan remain with the Warner Brothers squad and there would be fresh challenges. The big classics though of course remained and as ever he got a huge roar when he tookhis 3rd Tour of Flanders. This was a legendary performance by Tom as he won by a massive 3.51 over Marcus Burghardt riding solo for over 50 kms.
Boonan had given notice of this brilliant form a few weeks early by taking the new protour cobbled race the Omloop Het Volk.
It was there he had turned the tables on this new cobbled star Burghardt who had beaten Boonan a couple of days earlier on the Strade Bianchi. Burghardt would prove Boonans nemesis also at Paris Roubaix, with Cancellara nipping ahead of him in the Gent Wegelum classic. But a couple of wins and three podiums was pretty good going for Boonan, with attention turning again to the Tour. Boonan was made to wait there before springing into action taking a hattrick of stages on the transitional ones in the middle.
The battle for the green jersey proved a bit of a ding dong battle between himself and former teammate Gert Steegmans. Despite the hattrick being the only stage wins Tom got at that years Tour he managed to overhaul Steegmans by the end to take his second green jersey.
Boonan would close the year out as he often does with the finishing Northern Europe tour this time repackaged as the more expansive Tour of Northern Europe, taking his obligatory stage win and of course the points jersey there.
Boonan would slightly improve this year his individual rankings moving up to 6th, his team though still languished down in 13th. Still Boonan had taken a monument (Flanders) and the Tour green jersey once more.
Boonan maintained his loyalty with the Warner Brothers franchise once more and this time the team had found a big stage racer in Simon Spilak. This created an interesting dynamic at the 2011 Tour with Boonan after sprints and Spilak after the overall. Before that however we had the cobbled classics, Boonan a big favourite once more.
However Boonan seemed to be slightly off after a morale sapping defeat to this new guy Burghardt at the Omloop Het Volk and then Sony's big star Ballan at Gent Wegulum. It was at Flanders though we saw Boonan struggle the most finishing well back in 5th, remember this was the race he absolutely dominated the year previous. Indeed this was Boonan's lowest position in any cobbled monument in ManGame history!
The Paris Roubaix the week after would have Boonan under pressure with his Warner Brothers squad nervously looking on, remember this was before Spilaks Dauphine-Tour double. Boonan however was in determined mode as he managed to get away from Burghardt and Cancellara in a tactical race.
This was his third ManGame Paris Roubaix triumph and his sixth monument in all!
Then we had the Tour, which proved a hugely successful one for Warner brothers and Boonan would play his part in taking two stage victories before the Alps.
After the Alps though his team were in full Spilak focussed mode, it proved the fillit for the Slovenian to win the Tour but possibly at the expense of Boonan who would see Italian Bennati win the green jersey.
Questions may start to be asked then as to whether Warner Brothers can hold on to two of the biggest stars in the ManGame. Boonan did his usual trick of taking a stage or two in his season ending Northern European tour. This time he bagged a pair at TONE.
As the season ended however Boonan found himself out of the individual top ten finishing down in 22nd finishing below a teammate for the first time. His team had a great season really landing the queen of the classics with Boonan and Le Tour with Spilak, once again though they found the points they had racked up insufficient to crack the top ten.
It has in short been a magnificent five years for Boonan with two Tour green jerseys and three apiece of the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Boonan has just about won all the cobbled races going with the East Midland Cycling Classic possibly being his new cobbled challenge this year. The other question is whether Tommake can regain the Tour green jersey this year - we have to remember that Boonan is now 31 years of age this is his last one at the top level.
This raises a question as to what his team Warner Brothers will do with their two million dollar men, Spilak and Boonan are they big enough to hold on to the both of them. After the success of the great Spilak swoop perhaps they will feel it is time to find a new young star to replace the great Belgian?
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 17:12
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Team Leader
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Waghlon wrote:
Please focus on how Doddy refused to sell me Boonen despite me poking him every day for three weeks.
Well you got Gusev in the end and look what happened to him 
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| Roman |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:04
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Smowz wrote:
Though teams eyeing up developing French Basque Romain Sicard need to realise that the talented french climber will return to his Protour team this year.
I think Lafarge is disbanding so he will be free agent. 
Anyway I enjoyed reading of this, great work Smowz!
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:12
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Another excellent set of blogs, thanks
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:13
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mb2612 wrote:
Another excellent set of blogs, thanks
+ 1. Great reading, great work!
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| ANFreeman |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:13
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Protected Rider
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Excellent work, Smowz. Though, it's concerning for me to see so many riders on my shortlist highlighted in the Free Agents section 
[url=https://pcmdaily.com/messages.php?msg_send=19438]-Requests for Man-Game 2014 jerseys are OPEN!
Click to request!-[/url] |
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:15
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World Champion
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Yeah great write up again.
I only saw one rider I have on my shortlist in the Free Agents section, so I'm not too worried.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 01:50
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| roturn |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:20
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Team Manager
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Nice reading. Especially the free agent and stage previews.
Other than valverde I have more than one of them on my list. OF course, I am one of the German teams |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:22
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7681
Joined: 19-02-2008
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It will be another interesting transfer season - great write-up Smowz. |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-04-2011 18:40
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Team Manager
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It highlights one of the biggest annoyances for me. For 2 years, IKEA's riders like Taaramae, Alarcon and Vanspeybrouck have been at the top of the CT. They should be moving to PT, a new challenge to see how good they really are, but chances are, some CT teams will buy them. Boooooring.
Nice blogs again Smowz, although it takes away a fair amount of CT manager skill in picking the right HC races, when they can just look here.
Edited by SportingNonsense on 24-04-2011 18:42
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-04-2011 19:11
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Team Leader
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Roman wrote:
Smowz wrote:
Though teams eyeing up developing French Basque Romain Sicard need to realise that the talented french climber will return to his Protour team this year.
I think Lafarge is disbanding so he will be free agent.
Anyway I enjoyed reading of this, great work Smowz!
By jove you are right Roman, I should have had a quick look, for some funny reason I though Sicard was under the Vesuvio ownership. A pretty hot free agent then!
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 24-04-2011 20:42
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To go against the trending of everyone else, I dislike the detail of your race route previews, and detailing riders who will be free (even though it's so easy to look through a DB when it becomes available). It makes me shudder. Especially when we've ripped SotD a new one whenever he points out any rider to another manager.
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk]  [/url] |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-04-2011 21:33
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Team Manager
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Bit of a loophole really, what Im against is someone advising someone else to bid on a rider - when this rider already has bids on.
And of course, none of these riders have bids on, because transfers havent started.
But yes, I agree with rjc. If you like to analyse, great - it will help you as a manager. But sharing it penalises like-minded managers in favour of those who wouldnt otherwise make the effort.
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 24-04-2011 21:40
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SportingNonsense wrote:
It highlights one of the biggest annoyances for me. For 2 years, IKEA's riders like Taaramae, Alarcon and Vanspeybrouck have been at the top of the CT. They should be moving to PT, a new challenge to see how good they really are, but chances are, some CT teams will buy them. Boooooring.
Alcaron will be signing for Cafe de Colombia. I'll quite happily break the transfer record for him.
If the PT teams really want these riders, they can get them - they just have to make compromises elsewhere.
EDIT - Also, these in depth previews are really great for the lazy managers. hold something back, smowz, even throw in a little disinformation.
Edited by fenian_1234 on 24-04-2011 21:42
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| Kami |
Posted on 24-04-2011 21:44
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Classics Specialist
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Rest assured, chances are small Taaramae will be back in the CT .
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 24-04-2011 22:58
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Team Leader
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fenian_1234 wrote:
SportingNonsense wrote:
It highlights one of the biggest annoyances for me. For 2 years, IKEA's riders like Taaramae, Alarcon and Vanspeybrouck have been at the top of the CT. They should be moving to PT, a new challenge to see how good they really are, but chances are, some CT teams will buy them. Boooooring.
Alcaron will be signing for Cafe de Colombia. I'll quite happily break the transfer record for him.
If the PT teams really want these riders, they can get them - they just have to make compromises elsewhere.
EDIT - Also, these in depth previews are really great for the lazy managers. hold something back, smowz, even throw in a little disinformation.
If you need cap space, I'll take Valverde off your hands
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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