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Tour of America Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:39
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
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 Tour of America
Time for the Continental Tour's very own "Grand Tour", held for the fourth time now: the Tour of America is always one of the most interesting races, when it comes to the startlist and teams willed to take part!
This year, only 12 teams went for the chance to score big time. So opposing to last season, we will see quite a small startlist and maybe a few managers putting a smile on their face. Of course there's no garantuee to score the needed points, but it's a nice opportunity to score "easy" points nevertheless. And we've seen riders like Kiserlovski (2012) or Pellizotti (2011) absolutely crushing the competition here, too.
The GC will be decided in the mountains (with six challenging mountain stages) and in the very long TTs (including a TTT)! While the first week will give the sprinters a chance to deliver (except of the TTT and one of just three hilly stages here).
Last year's winner Kashechkin (Repsol) will be at the start again, while 2012's dominating Kiserlovski (also runner-up last year) won't.. let's check the startlist, who will be the ones to hinder Kashechkin from repeating his win from last year..
The Startlist
The Favorites
| Allrounders | MO | HI | TT | Climbers | MO | HI | TT |  Eastman | 80 | 71 | 74 | Stetina | 78 | 67 | 64 |  Kashechkin | 79 | 74 | 73 |  Vasquez | 77 | 64 | 62 |  Rohregger | 77 | 70 | 74 |  Rodas | 76 | 71 | 68 |  Agudelo | 77 | 68 | 72 |  Txurruka | 76 | 73 | 60 | | Nicácio | 75 | 70 | 75 | Briceno | 76 | 70 | 64 |  Haga | 73 | 71 | 75 | Pozzo | 76 | 70 | 58 |  Dyball | 74 | 72 | 73 |  Sarmiento | 76 | 66 | 54 | | Peterson | 75 | 68 | 73 | Montenegro | 76 | 66 | 66 | | Pauwels | 74 | 70 | 74 | Rudaskov | 75 | 72 | 65 | | Hudecek | 73 | 74 | 72 |  Shimizu | 75 | 72 | 65 | | | | | Die Gregorio | 75 | 70 | 60 | | | | | Doi | 74 | 74 | 62 | | | | | Georgiev | 74 | 70 | 64 | | | | |  Tsikhanau | 72 | 70 | 64 |
Two clear favorites for the GC: one local hero, one defending champion. Heineken lines up with a pretty strong climbing and timetrial-squad and the mission is clear: US boy Ryan Eastman has to dominate their home race like Kiserlovski did for Hollister two years ago.. Kashechkin though is worth a true challenger: winning this race back in 2013 (ahead of Kiserlovski), the veteran knows how to race this tough stage race.
Rohregger, Agudelo and Nicácio look like the biggest contenders behind those two. Just like other guys like Haga and Dyball, those allrounders will love the amount of TT-kilometres here. This may become a big race for CT-teams like Bonsucro, Chiquita or Wounded Warriors!
Pure climbers like Vasquez, Rodas, Sarmiento or Shimizu/Doi can well score big results, too, though. It's those several mountain stages, where they need to gain time on the better TT-specialists.. some premium domestiques like Stetina/Peterson, Txurruka, Briceno, Pozzo or Pauwels may fancy their chances to finish not too far behind their captains. The small startlist will make things interesting anyway.
The Stage-Hunters
| Sprinters | TTlers | Puncheurs | | Kankovsky | Boaro | Zaini | | Clarke | Danacik | Gaimon | | Thorsen | Van Zandbeek | | | Manarelli | Donald | | | Mezgec | Oyakaua | | | Drujon | | | | Andriato | | | | Nateghi | | | | Haddou | | | | Sweeting | | | | Friedman | | |
Sprinters should have plenty of opportunities to shine, so we do have some fast guys hoping for some "easy" big scores: Belarus is lining up with a hill-hating three-headed sprint lineup Kankovsky/Clarke/Thorsen. Not exactly the most complete sprinters, but as for the pure speed, they are the fastest here.
Manarelli, Mezgec (2 stage-wins last season), Drujon and Andriato should be the other top-favorites for the sprints and it's mostly up to those teams to control the race in the first week here.
The late timetrials may not suit those few TT-specialists at the start, but given the length of the TTs, they may well be amongst the best anyway: Boaro/Danacik in particular, followed by Van Zandbeek or local hero Donald.
With just three rather easy looking hilly stages on the menu, it ain't surprising to see less pure puncheurs in the startlist: like last year, Meiji's Zaini will be at the start again. He took a stage-win one year ago, but may hope for more this time.
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:41
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
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Since there are unfortunatelly too many inactive teams amongst those with GC-favorites (Repsol, Magna, Kazzinc and Wounded), I guess this could become a quite frustrating race for a reporter. So I thought I may do some role-playing here and act like Ben Dyball's personal coach to join the discussion like a non-reporter 
Just wanted to let you know, so do not wonder later on!
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| Selwink |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:45
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8856
Joined: 17-05-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Very surprised to see such a small startlist here. Applying for this race could have brought Serebriakov more points here than his entire season total, although that does not mean very much.
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:46
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World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Should have spend Pedraza's 21 race days here...
Vasquez will be shit probably. He's always failed this season. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:52
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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So many inactive big names here  Plus side is the overall small startlist creates so many more opportunities for a result.
Sarmiento has shown some good climbing and attacking legs this season. Primarily looking for stage results hopefully he can dig a good GC out as a side-effect. Ewan will look to mix it up in a relatively weak sprint field (compared to most races with PCT teams). Then it's a selection of breakaway hopes.
A key race in the fact it's a lot of race days. But even so after this race we've still got more days left than most of our rivals so not as big to us as to some. Points will come, there's 21 stages simple maths dictates we get something at some point! Hopefully they come sooner and more often though
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| jph27 |
Posted on 30-01-2015 15:59
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Team Leader
Posts: 7339
Joined: 20-03-2010
PCM$: 900.00
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This could be a good race for us in our hunt for the top 10 by virtue of the teams racing just below us. To match our pprd teams are going to need ~330 points here, and I can't see Kazzinc, Meiji, Repsol or Magna acheiving that. |
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:06
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7593
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 15345.00
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I: What do we need 
Minions: Points 
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| roturn |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:07
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Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
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Feel sorry for you tsmoha.
Small startlist and half will be inactive.
Kashechkin to win this one. Eastman might lose it in the hills imo.
Sprinting wise Manarelli, Kankovski and Drujon I guess.
Stages 5 & 7 don`t look that flat though. Could be an interesting race for breakaways as so many this season.
Surprised to see Mobil here. Could be their neck breaker. Can`t see them scoring a lot here and losing 21 race days for almost nothing will surely mean relegation for them. Quite a pity to see an active manager eventually losing it in the end after 1-2 month of nice scoring recently.
Let`s just hope Vasquez is overperforming in a race like this.
Seeing them last rated on the startlist probably does not work out well for them. Eventually Torres can jump in GC wise. |
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| ggDonovan |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:11
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 897
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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I could have sent Nieve and fight for the podium...
Good luck to the teams involved
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| Smowz |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:13
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Team Leader
Posts: 6479
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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Well with you rotorn I hope to try and keep you company tsmoha. Certainly is a nice one for the nuetral to follow - much like avenir this race usually gives us differing fights to normal.
It is a return to the usual ToA fare with just the 21 teams - it could be quite a profitable one for the CT teams but then again the PCT teams could pillage points amonst themselves.
GC is Surely a two horse race barring some sort of Avenir style breakaway AI fail.
Speaking of AI could be we see a few eliminations on those short mountain stages in the middle - some very hilly looking flat stages too!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 10:49
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| The Rider |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:16
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4543
Joined: 29-02-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Great preview as I would have expected. 
Huge race for us here and what a team we bring! Manarelli is a match for any other sprinter, Nicácio will have his sights on the TTs and a top 5 in GC. Txurruka is one of the top climbers and puncheurs here. So, in short, we have high hopes ( 4 stage victories at least).
Don't let me down tsmoha, we need 100 points to take the lead in the continental rankings, however, I really believe we could get over 200 points here.
I echo what tsmoha and TMM have said. Of the 12 teams, 4 are certainly disbanding, and most of the other teams aren't too active. A shame such a race probably has the worst number of active managers in a Man Game race, ever.
Let's get off to a flyer. Fingers crossed for a first stage Manarelli win and a Kashechkin abandonment. |
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| knockout |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:18
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7735
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 400.00
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Such a long race with so few active teams must be a pain for the reporter.
I guess I have to support Bonsucro then. It's their chance to secure the #1 CT ranking spot so they've got to score big enough and looking at the startlist this seems well likely.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Bikex |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:19
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Team Leader
Posts: 7257
Joined: 25-08-2012
PCM$: 600.00
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This will be a really interesting race to follow. Delighted to see no CT team there in the startlist that could be an imminent threat to mine in the rankings. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:24
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Speaking of rankings battles the Mobil-Boeing-Belarus one could be interesting here. We come in as 27th-28th-29th in the PCT (26th-27th-28th Projected ranking). Solid races for us three could make some significant changes to the relegation battle considering there are 21 stages to make points in.
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| Atlantius |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:45
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Team Leader
Posts: 6795
Joined: 21-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Very surprised to see such a small startlist here 
I stayed away as I figured it would be too high a priority for a lot of teams in order for my riders to be able to do anything. Guess I shouldn't have...
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 30-01-2015 16:54
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4573
Joined: 07-10-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Will follow this closely, our division next year could depend on it. Got to be a bit selfish and hope Mobil and Boeing don't have great races, although they could do well with such a small shortlist. |
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 30-01-2015 17:47
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World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
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Hopefully we can take out some stages in this race, and Doi can get a Top 20 or so.
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 30-01-2015 20:38
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2073
Joined: 14-09-2013
PCM$: 4500.00
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Shame so few teams. Will still have an interested observer on site for Nutresa - team manager Scorchio is using our teams complete lack of racing for the month of September to make some cash on the side covering this race for Colombian radio . Meanwhile lead DS Henry Cardenas is leading intensive training camp planned with key races on the horizon, including home race the Clasico RCN.
Of most interest for Colombian fans will be the performances of Agudelo, Rodas and national champion Sarmiento. All 3 are expected to flourish in the mountains of week 2 and 3.
Manager of ISA - Hexacta in the MG |
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 30-01-2015 20:49
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15274
Joined: 21-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Shame about the small startlist here. Would've had a nice chance myself here, with less than 100 riders the race could be fairly chaotic.
Glad not to see one of my promotion rivals here, mainly for that reason 
Hope to see some nice racing and will try to follow,'to compensate a bit for the inactive ones I guess
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 30-01-2015 20:56
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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I might have to try to go to the Tour of America next year, have yet to ride an edition of it to date. Although inevitably next year there will be 20+ teams and a really strong field
Still will follow it intently. Can't be any worse than the first edition when Pellizotti won about 7 stages in a row!
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