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Grand Tour Wildcards Announced
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:29
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Team Manager
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The first wildcards can now be revealed:
Giro d'Italia
Cisco Cycling Team
Hollister
Tour de France
Team CSC-Orbea
Vuelta a Espana
Prio - Porto
Jaguar - Eritel
That's right. Only 1 ProContinental team has any interest in riding the biggest race in the game!
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| Vien |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:33
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2322
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What the hell PCT teams, why didn't you want to join the Tour?
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:33
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World Champion
Posts: 10121
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Woo! Can't wait for the Giro now! 
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:34
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World Champion
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It will be nice to ride against Ruben Plaza in this year's Vuelta 
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:35
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World Champion
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I wanted to go for the Giro, but it clashed with too many other races we were in that were important to the team and goals.
I think the Tour probably scared people off.
Most teams would not stand a chance at all, but the exposure would have been great.
Edited by valverde321 on 21-12-2012 22:36
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| rycadinho |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:36
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Protected Rider
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Can't wait to see the revelation of the next couple of races and Vien, I couldn't field my best team in any of the GT's without sacrificing a lot of possible points in CT races so no GT's for me!
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:37
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Team Manager
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I picked Jaguar's calendar based on races for my leaders, then noticed I had no races clashing with the Vuelta
So ive been here waiting for all wildcards to come in hoping 2 teams dont go for the Vuelta. Hollister did go for the Vuelta aswell, but they picked the Giro too so they got that uncontested, and Jaguar get a GT
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:42
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Tour de France Champion
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rycadinho wrote:
Can't wait to see the revelation of the next couple of races and Vien, I couldn't field my best team in any of the GT's without sacrificing a lot of possible points in CT races so no GT's for me!
Same issue here. I really wanted to do the Tour, but it just doesn't tally with my idea of promoting again 
Perhaps it would have been interesting had there been points on the line, but as long as it's just for fun / experience, teams will obviously favour the CT races. |
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:46
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Grand Tour Champion
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YES! CSC is back racing at the TDF! Can't believe no other PCTs wanted to join us. I guess we will just have to represent the division.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 05:58
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| cio93 |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:48
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World Champion
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Great to face Davis again in the Giro, his early 2012 season form did really put Bennati in trouble.
Though with the nationality bonus on our side now, it'll hopefully be different
Edited by cio93 on 21-12-2012 22:49
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| CountArach |
Posted on 21-12-2012 22:57
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Grand Tour Champion
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I wonder if the huge number of teams who are gunning for promotion this year has something to do with it. Every cent needs to be spent on training etc.
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 21-12-2012 23:02
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CountArach wrote:
I wonder if the huge number of teams who are gunning for promotion this year has something to do with it. Every cent needs to be spent on training etc.
And avoiding relegation as well I assume.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 21-12-2012 23:11
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CountArach wrote:
I wonder if the huge number of teams who are gunning for promotion this year has something to do with it. Every cent needs to be spent on training etc.
Id say race clashes was the bigger hurdle. Rightly, PCT teams should focus on HC/C1/C2 races first, and wildcards second.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 21-12-2012 23:22
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Grand Tour Champion
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SportingNonsense wrote:
Id say race clashes was the bigger hurdle. Rightly, PCT teams should focus on HC/C1/C2 races first, and wildcards second.
Weirdly I did, I thought the Vuelta would be nice considering it's a Spanish team but when the calendar came out, the Tour de France fit perfectly into our plans. Really cool to represent the entire division in the biggest race.
I won't let you guys down, I hope. 
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| jack888 |
Posted on 22-12-2012 05:24
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Yeah, TDF is right in the middle of an important part of the season. Would be squeezing riders in to be able to send a decent team and not get embarrassed! Good luck though MRE.
I'm guessing it's easier for all of us to enter the shorter races and we should be able to send competitive teams.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 22-12-2012 08:20
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I would have applied for a Tour wildcard, but wouldn't have been able to send Serpa and Napolitano - so no point. |
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| Heine |
Posted on 22-12-2012 08:23
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Ah fuck, I actually considered going for a GT wildcard and go for TDF, but then I thought that since I rode the Giro last year I wouldn't get it... So I decided not to 
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| roturn |
Posted on 22-12-2012 08:39
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Next year or definitely in 2 years I will apply.
But without any real climber in my actual squad I did not want to. Watch out for Olivier in 2-3 years. |
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 22-12-2012 12:37
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Great news.
I was particularly interested in racing Vuelta a España since I needed the xp points for some riders. But the route with many hilly stages provides an extraordinary opportunity for PCT teams to shine.
Obviously if you have a short roster you're going to have difficulty to maintain your point scoring tendency in PCT throughout 21 racedays, but unless you are really targeting promotion or avoiding relegation it mustn't be that hard to divert your race calendar away from a GT.
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| Bjartne |
Posted on 22-12-2012 21:50
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Gustavovskiy wrote:
Great news.
I was particularly interested in racing Vuelta a España since I needed the xp points for some riders. But the route with many hilly stages provides an extraordinary opportunity for PCT teams to shine.
Obviously if you have a short roster you're going to have difficulty to maintain your point scoring tendency in PCT throughout 21 racedays, but unless you are really targeting promotion or avoiding relegation it mustn't be that hard to divert your race calendar away from a GT.
I have a feeling this season will be highly unexpecting, and for me it seems that we will have two groups in PCT, the ones that will form the upper half of the table and the ones who will form the bottom part. At least that's my thoughts, cause so far I have just read messages such as:
"This season is all about fighting to gain promotion to PT"
or
"Our only goal is to avoid relegation."
Are there really teams in between?  |
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