...All of the cyclists in this game have, essentially, entirely random stats.

Stat potentials were randomised between 60 & 80, and actual stats are influenced by form & development from year-to-year.

You better believe it - Colombian cobblestone sensations just became a damn real possibility!

And that's not even the worst of it

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YOU

The fantasy cyclists ride for teams which were nominated by PCMdaily users.

You also chose the team I will control.

In the future, I imagine there will be more opportunities for you to shape the game world.

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ME

I control my own team (Barloworld) in races.

But I don't have full control over the team's affairs... More on that below.

The racing takes place in stage race/classic mode.

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Crazy enough? Ok, let's go!

The team you chose me to play as was Barloworld!

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MY ROLE

I guess my function is more like that of a directeur sportif, as opposed to a general manager - if that makes sense.

I don't get to determine the team transfers, and I don't even select race schedules. That will be completed for me in the same way as the AI teams.

Maybe that sounds kind of strange/boring, but I actually tend to find these aspects rather tedious... I think that's why I tended to stick to "neutral" stories in the past, and never really got into team/rider stories.

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THE ROSTER


Click to enlarge!

Our basis is obviously South African, but on the whole, it's a very international-looking roster. And it actually doesn't look too bad talent-wise.

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THE LEADERS



Targets: Giro d'Italia, Tour de France

Josephs can climb, time trial and even sprint. What a combination that will be for the Grand Tours!

He will go to the Giro & the Tour as our designated leader. He has ambitions for stage wins & GC placings.

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Targets: Milan - San Remo, Tour de France

Lefa is an up-and-coming star. Clearly, he takes a while to wind up his sprint, but he benefits from exceptional ability on the hills.

If only he had higher endurance, then he could be a real challenger at Milan - San Remo. We'll see what he can do there anyway. Maybe he can hunt for stage wins at Le Tour also.

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Targets: Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana

If Josephs fails to fire at the Giro, then Vedora will be there to pick up the pieces. He has also been assured leadership at the Vuelta.

His strong climbing & time-trialing might suggest him as a genuine threat, but personally I'm concerned about his poor resistance.

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OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Isaac is a fairly talented young rider who has all the right tools for sprinting - he will have his chance to shine at the Vuelta.

Bogdan & Filipov look like they could function as excellent lead-out men.

Text is above corresponding screenshots (mostly).

Call me old-fashioned, but I tend to prefer the circles/names under the cyclists. If it's annoying then I might remove them. If you ask nicely

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Lefa is definitely our leader here - but whether he sprints or follows a late attack is unclear.

Bogdan is his right-hand man, and our would-be TdF leader, Josephs, has the free role.



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THE RACE

I try to get Afoloyan into the break, but it doesn't work out.

So I say, what the hell, let's chuck Josephs in the break!



Nope.

Finally, Dallas gets away with 9 others.




But I soon realise it won't come to much - Dallas is probably the weakest of the lot.

166KM
A pre-race favourite, Kay, goes down. He gets back on after a few km.

110KM
Break establishes maximum lead of approx 7 minutes.


Dallas has time to acknowledge that sometimes its not so bad being a professional cyclist. He also wonders what it would be like to exist in the graphical marvel of PCM 2014.

82KM
The first (semi-)serious attacks come from the peloton.

61KM
Dallas is caught, alongside his breakaway counterparts, and the guys who attacked at 82km.

32KM
We're heading onto the hills. I instruct our remaining riders - Bogdan, Langa, Lefa & Josephs - to get poised at the front of the group.

Lefa lacks daily form & fitness - so I think we will try and haul towards him the sprint, rather than attack.

At the same time, Bianchi - possibly one of the strongest GC guys in the game - launches an attack. This has potential.



16KM
On the final climb, Bogdan is doing a good job of holding Lefa near the front, as I had hoped.



But Bianchi is storming up the road, and has over 2 minutes at the top - it looks like an Italian win is on the horizon.

14KM
No attacks as we crest the climb. Bodgan is fading, but Lefa is eyeing up the possibility of a podium!



5KM
Lefa has found the wheel of Russian sprinter Utkin. But he's burning through his reserve tank real fast... the pace is excruciating!

3KM
Lefa looks well positioned, but he's toasted - I don't think he can hang on.



1KM
Lefa somehow hops from wheel to wheel, and enters a mad dash for 2nd spot on the podium!



Bianchi celebrates a courageous win amidst the chaos!



Behind, Lefa's legs fade, and the podium drifts away from him...



But still, I think 5th is a great effort in our first race!

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I could never get the export button to work on classics for some reason. So I'll post the result page screenshot for classics. You can click to enlarge it.

Today is going to be a tough old day.

Hills, cobbles, rain... it's not our squad's best combination really.

We'll see if we can steer Lefa into the top 10. He has a much better shot today than at Paris-Roubaix anyway.



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THE RACE

The day's break:



145KM
Vegeta's leader, Dragovic, goes down. But his team-mates react quickly to haul him back.



115KM
Fuuu- Lefa goes down and takes a mouthful of bike from a TomTom rider. He better not be injured...



103KM
Lefa is back at the front of the peloton and looks surprisingly unscathed from his ordeal.

RTP Internacional are doing most of the pace-making. Gaspar must have good legs.

91KM
Hogan, RTE Sport's leader, has crashed & abandonned. He could have been a contender today.

82KM
It's the second incident of the day for Lefa as he punctures. Thankfully he's right at the front of the pack...



...but the action is starting to heat up and he has to exert energy to make the first split of the day.



At least he still has a few team-mates ahead.

48KM
Panosonic's Van Bokhoven pulls away solo on one of the steep inclines. He has about 1'15 on the pack, which now consists of about 25 riders.

45KM
Here comes an attack from the "Colombian Cobblestones Sensation" himself - Panfilo!



A few others follow him, but Lefa is content to sit in the chasing group patiently.

30KM
It's the right decision because it's come back together - 14 riders at the front now.

25KM
Lefa's last team-mate, Josephs is dropped. And Lefa's poor stamina is beggining to show again.



18KM
The attacks start to come thick&fast, but there's no way Lefa can follow them.



9KM
As the road flattens out, a group of 4 forms at the head of the race.

Riding his own pace, Lefa finds himself in the second group on the road.



If he could outsprint these guys, he could take another 5th place.

1KM
The sprint opens up between Willemsen, Lefa, and Dimas.



Ahead, the front group approaches the line...

It's the Colombian Cobblestones Sensation, Panfilo, who wins the race! He narrowly fended off Beaumont on the line!



And Lefa outpowers the best of the rest, to take another respectable 5th



Josephs came home in 19th after some great teamwork. I'm sure Lefa will return the favour at Le Tour, later on.

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RESULTS

It would be a nice to think that we could take Lefa one step further today and lift him onto the podium.

Sadly, I think he's had his best shot already at this classic season.

Still, when there's cobbles about, there's always a chance to flirt with Lady Luck, and finish ahead of stronger riders.

Basically, let's pull a Pozzatto and see how it goes





235KM
Lots of early attacks. We're not interested today, but a couple of our boys are already feeling the hurt in their legs, as the peloton refuses to let a group escape!

177KM
Eventually 9 riders get away and head onto the first section of cobbles.




170KM
Lefa didn't enjoy those cobbles greatly. We may switch to Josephs as leader (who has higher Cobble, but dreadful Flat).

158KM
The peloton catches the break, and our boys can catch a breather. Dallas & Dyson were just about to get dropped already!

Josephs tells the team-car that he is feeling sick, and Lefa looks really winded. It's going to be a tough day.

It was mostly Vegeta doing the pacemaking... for Dragonbazic of course.

89KM
Just 37 riders remain up front due to the torrid pace earlier.

Lefa can't even stay up to help Josephs any longer.



67KM
That's Josephs dropped from the front runners. Any chance of a top 10 is gone.



Wait, zoom that photo in a second....



DRAGOVIC - NOT NOW!!









20KM
With Roubaix in sight, 3 riders have pulled away at the front: Beaumont (2nd at Flanders), Hogan (who crashed out at Flanders) and Rabobank's Arentz.



Arentz appears to be dropped... but he pulls himself back.

Then Hogan appears to be dropped...

BUT THEN HE DRAWS UPON THE POWER OF ALL THE HULKAMANIACS!



...And in the end the trio make it to the fabled velodrome together.



Arentz might have the better sprint on paper, but Beaumont has a whole velodrome raring him on!

Beaumont is pulling away...



He does it - a fine French victory!



A terrible day for us. Only 3 of our riders finish within the time limit.
Lefa (40th), Josephs (50th), and Langa (92nd).









Liege-Bastogne-Liege