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Team Turbo - The Team of Hopes and Dreams | March 2012
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 13:46
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Introduction
Welcome to Team Turbo Pro Cycling, my name is Christopher Lee.
In this blog I will tell you the story of an all-black team.
The brand new American Continental team started out as a project, when I was working voluntarily in the ghetto's and the slums. To keep the kids from getting into trouble, I put them on a bike, and formed a little team which we jokingly called: The Black Panthers. Things started to go really well and many gave all their effort to become a better cyclist. We thought about participating in races and that's how I went looking for sponsors. We found some minor companies and united them into Team Turbo Pro Cycling.
After a lot of trouble with the UCI and with finances etc, we finally managed to get the team a Continental ranking, thus being able to participate in the biggest races in the USA. Our biggest goal (on the long run) - sportively - is to be the first black team to participate in Tour De France, and I believe we can. But what even transcends that is our dream to give these youngsters an honest and better life.
For our first year, we have 17 official riders on the team, the 17 best. But we plan to bring in more next year and even more the year after. All of them will also, of course, be black.
The Team
Leaders
Samuel Hamilton
This is possibly our biggest talent. If there would ever be a black TDF-winner, it would be him. He's great uphill, great against the time and just a great guy. He's only 21 so he has much potential left.
Lou Campbell
Lou is our main sprinter, he is 20 years old so has a long career ahead of him. With the right training and attitude, he can become one of the fastest man on the planet, without a doubt.
Elia Malden
Elia is great uphill, like Samuel, but he doesn't ride against the clock as good as Sammy. However, we have great hopes for him, and he's always eager to win!
Protected Riders
Robert Leyton
Robert is only 19, so he's extremely young. Yet he's already the best time trial rider we have on the team. In a few years, he should be able to become National Champion in time trialing, maybe even World Champion, but that's optimistic.
David Leyton
Big brother of Robert, in many ways like his brother, but a bit better uphill and a little less good on the flat.
Samuel Matlin
The future king of breakaways. Sammy hasn't gone one race without being in the attack. His determination to be in the front line all day long is unbelievable.
Chuck Fuller
Born on the Fourth of July, we all love him. He's only 18 and that makes him the youngest in the team. He's potentially a good hilly rider and has a mean sprint.
Other Riders
Paul Tucker
Douglas 'Dog' Cartwright
Jackson Brown
Ali Billingsley
Michael Gerschwin
Will Castel
Irwin White
Danzil Green
Ed Cox
John Reynolds
Most of our boys are excellent time trial riders, we train quite a lot on that. A fun fact, we may have the largest and the smallest rider in the peloton. Danzil Green is a mean machine of 2m, weighing 83kg, while Ed Cox is a sly fox, weighing 52kg and being only 152cm large. Quite a contrast.
I hope to see you again for the second part of the introduction!
Cheers,
Christopher
Edited by Ian Butler on 22-08-2012 18:31
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| PCM rulezz |
Posted on 19-08-2012 13:53
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1467
Joined: 21-05-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Great I new story, can't wait 
Winners never quit, quitters never win.
It's difficult not to be happy when you're surrounded by Belgians. - Mark Cavendish
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| fernando97 |
Posted on 19-08-2012 13:55
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2167
Joined: 01-01-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Good luck! If it'll be as good as Eric and Stijn, then we're again richer with something!  |
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| HaRe |
Posted on 19-08-2012 13:57
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 394
Joined: 08-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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good luck! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 13:59
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Introduction - Part 2
Welcome again,
We are January the First and Team Turbo is ready for takeoff. But first we will introduce you to the team a bit more. You've already met the riders, it's time to meet behind the scenes.
Budget
Team Turbo Pro Cycling runs on a small budget. We are very unknown (and hope to change that by this online blog) and have no known riders. So our budget is around the €1.000.000 a year. It seems much, but today's doctors and just decent equipment is hard to come by. A part of the money is also used for our foundation to help the poor, as will a part of our earnings go to.
Equipment
At the moment, we haven't got the best equipment in the peloton, but we hope to change that in the next years. Our frames are supplied by S-Bike, our wheels by Strike and our helmets by Lexman.
Objectives 2012
We still have many requests that aren't answered yet, so we don't have a full schedule yet. However, we'd love to perform well in Californian Road, Route of Elk Grove, Cycling Tour of Utah and Tour of Colorade, since these races are in our backyard. Most of all we'd like to make name for ourselves and maybe even promote to ProConti, where we'll be one step closer to our dream of being the first black TDF team.
Like I said, the schedule is far from finished, but one things for sure, our first race in the cycling milieu will be Ruta de San Luis, so we'll meet you there!
Cheers,
Christopher
Edited by Ian Butler on 19-08-2012 16:13
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:02
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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@PCM rulezz: I hope you enjoy it. This story will be less detailed when it comes to racing, though. It's more about the evolution that they'll (hopefully) make, and less about individual races.
@fernando97: Thank you, I hope it'll be even better
@HaRe: Thanks! |
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| maaarsh |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:12
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Under 23
Posts: 51
Joined: 20-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Obviously, a team like this is rightly illegal in the real world. |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:14
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World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Good luck. I hope it's as good as Eric and Stijn. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:18
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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@maaarsh: Welcome to the virtual world 
@Miguel98: I hope so, too! |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 01:28
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Bot Agent
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Joined: 23.11.09
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| fcancellara |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:23
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5194
Joined: 18-08-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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I hope Saruman's team will be succesful 
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:25
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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thanks  (the name's purely coincidental, by the way.) |
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| PCM rulezz |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:27
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1467
Joined: 21-05-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Why only black people?
Winners never quit, quitters never win.
It's difficult not to be happy when you're surrounded by Belgians. - Mark Cavendish
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:44
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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no Justin Wilson!!
i must say i'm disillusioned at that...
how are you going to do future years when all cyclists are white?
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 14:59
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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@PCM rulezz: looked like an interesting idea to me.
@TheManxMissile: I only have riders I created myself. I'll do future years by keep riding with the riders I have + scouted (black) riders. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 15:19
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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January 2012
Welcome back, everyone.
A lot of things are already happening in the cycling season.
As you all know, the Australian Championships kick off the season and there it was Simon Clarke taking the win. Michael Rogers and Simon Gerrans came in second and third.
Then it was up to Tour Down Under, which was to be raced without any Pro-Conti team this year. Jens Voigt took the overall win with a monstrous attack, Voigt as we know him best.
But more important (for us) is the opening stage of the Tour de San Luis, where our first competitive kilometers as a professional team would be raced. And I can tell you we're off to a great start!
Once again, Sammy Matlin felt the urge to attack. Nerves certainly didn't hold him back, as he attacked in the very first km of the race. He's getting us the publicity that we need!
More than that, he beat his fellow breakaway companions (Popovych, Zingle & Veilleux) at the first intermediate sprint.
However, at the second intermediate sprint he was too much in the wind and crossed the line third.
Heading towards the sprint of this flat stage, the cameraman on the front motor notices just how large Danzil Green really is. Granted, with his 200cm height, it is an impressive sight.
And to make our day even better, our main sprinter and very promising talent Lou Campbell ends up on the podium, as he sprints to a third place, with only Gregory Henderson and Roberto Ferrari in front of him.
Well, it certainly was a great day. Let's hope we can get the same result tomorrow, or even better. We're looking forward to the time trial, as that is our team's specialty.
See you later,
Christopher.
Edited by Ian Butler on 19-08-2012 16:14
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| banyai2000 |
Posted on 19-08-2012 15:27
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Free Agent
Posts: 143
Joined: 26-09-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Congratulations to Ian . |
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| Spilak23 |
Posted on 19-08-2012 15:38
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Team Leader
Posts: 7357
Joined: 22-08-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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TheManxMissile wrote:
no Justin Wilson!!
i must say i'm disillusioned at that...
how are you going to do future years when all cyclists are white?
I assume you mean Justin Williams?
To bad,you didn't put him in your yeam. He and Rahsaan Bahati belong in there.
Good luck!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 15:50
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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@banyai2000: Thank you
@Spilak23: Yeah, but I wanted a created team with created riders. But that doesn't say I won't sign him later. I was thinking that if the team'd ever go to TDF as first black team, they'd have to sign Gène and take him along to TDF, him being the first one that competed in Tour the France.
Edited by Ian Butler on 19-08-2012 15:54
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 16:08
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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January 2012 (Tour de San Luis)
Hello,
Obviously, we won't be reporting every race of the year. However, since those first races are quite crucial to a new team, we're giving it the attention it deserves, so here's what happened at the second stage in San Luis:
Team Turbo continued their tactics by sending Paul Tucker in the breakaway. We would've send Sammy, but he says he wanted to save himself for tomorrow, so expect him there!
While the breakaway of the day was riding towards the first intermediate sprint, Lou Cambell was enjoying the protection of our giant Green. Wearing the very first jersey of the team, he deserves it.
There were two intermediate sprints and one mountain sprint. Tucker surprised us by winning one of them, one of the intermediate sprints. Well done!
And again we did wonderfully at the mass sprint, again making the podium. The race for the first place was extremely close, though.
But in the end, it's Daniele Pietropolli with the win, millimeters in front of Elia Favilli. Our Lou Campbell finishes third and is allowed twice on the podium again: once for the third place and once to receive the young jersey.
We're even in competition for the points jersey. But we'll worry about that at the next flat stage, which isn't for the next three days.
| 1 | Gregory Henderson | Lotto Belisol | 39 | | 2 | Lou Campbell | Team Turbo Pro Cycling | 32 | | 3 | Daniele Pietropolli | Lampre-ISD | 25 | | 4 | Borut Bozic | Astana Pro Team | 21 | | 5 | Roberto Ferrari | Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela | 20 | | 6 | Elia Malden | Team Turbo Pro Cycling | 20 | | 7 | Elia Favilli | Farnese Vini Selle Italia | 20 | | 8 | Matteo Pelucchi | Team Europcar | 17 | | 9 | Lucas Sebastian Haedo | Team Saxo Bank | 12 | | 10 | Alexandre Pichot | Team Europcar | 12 |
Tomorrow is the first hilly stage. So it's up to Hamilton now, let's hope his nerves don't get the better of him!
See you there,
Christopher
Edited by Ian Butler on 19-08-2012 16:14
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 19-08-2012 16:59
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Tour de San Luis - Stage 3
Today was the first test for Hamilton, as we move into the hills.
Sammy Matlin makes the date to get in the breakaway! He's defending our colors with style.
And he'll be wearing the KoM jersey tomorrow and the day after, as tomorrow brings us a TT. Well done as he reaches the top in front of Kevin Hulsmans.
Hamilton does a great job and stays in front. Bartosz Huzarski takes the stage win.
| 1 | Bartosz Huzarski | Team NetApp | 4h13'56 | | 2 | Vasil Kiryienka | Movistar Team | + 20 | | 3 | Ben Hermans | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | 4 | Leonardo Bertagnolli | Lampre-ISD | s.t. | | 5 | Samuel Hamilton | Team Turbo Pro Cycling | s.t. | | 6 | Fabian Wegmann | Team Garmin-Barracuda | s.t. | | 7 | Elia Favilli | Farnese Vini Selle Italia | s.t. | | 8 | Juan Pablo Suarez | Colombia Coldeportes | s.t. | | 9 | Christian Vandevelde | Team Garmin-Barracuda | s.t. | | 10 | Ignatas Konovalovas | Movistar Team | s.t. |
Sammy Hamilton is fifth, an excellent result.
Tomorrow he'll shine in the ITT!
See you there,
Christopher |
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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)
