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Philadelphia Cycling Classic discussion thread
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 17-02-2015 00:15
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Team Leader
Posts: 6036
Joined: 20-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Greetings everyone. Time for the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, our traditional Procontinental gathering of sprinters at the end of the season. As always we have a flat circuit to be completed a number of times, spiced with a small, yet difficult climb along the way, the Manayunk Wall.
Implemented in 2010, this race has become part of Man-Game history, with 4 editions already, despite having always been under the C1 category. Some of its winners though have raced in the upper division of the game, which may be a good premonition of what may happen to this year’s victor!
2010:  Philippe Gilbert
2011: Philippe Gilbert
2012:  Juan José Cobo
2013:  Nolan Hoffman
So a good combination of ability in the hills and a good final kick seems to be the recipe for success here, but let's not discount the pure puncheurs. With that in mind, let's find out who's here to take the triumph in Philly:
Pure Sprinters
| Team | Name | Hill | Sprint |  | Lo Cicero | 62 | 84 | | Napolitano | 66 | 82 |  | Vantomme | 64 | 82 |  | Vanderbiest | 64 | 81 |  | Castañeda | 59 | 80 |  | Farrar | 62 | 79 |  | Andriato | 64 | 78 |  | Sinner | 61 | 78 |  | Chicchi | 56 | 77 |  | Fisher | 64 | 75 |  | Briggs | 63 | 75 |  | Murphy | 61 | 74 |
Half-blooded Sprinters
| Team | Name | Hill | Sprint |  | Ciolek | 66 | 83 |  | Goss | 67 | 82 |  | Van Stayen | 76 | 81 |  | Haussler | 70 | 80 |  | Holloway | 69 | 80 |  | Granjel Cabrera | 68 | 80 |  | Greipel | 66 | 80 |  | Mezgec | 67 | 79 |  | Hoffman | 68 | 78 |  | Breschel | 70 | 77 | | Opie | 66 | 77 |  | Steegmans | 68 | 76 |  | Priamo | 66 | 76 |
Van Stayen stands out as one of the favourites, perhaps even the no.1 candidate. Hoffman is here to defend his title, but the packed startlist won't make it easy for him. Haussler looks like a good bet as well, however you have to wonder how much impact will Manayunk Wall have on the outcome of this race.
If the race becomes too sprinter-friendly you have to fear for Meiji's double lead with Lo Cicero and Napolitano. You can explore the rest of the list to find many more interesting names, but don't forget that there is nothing stopping a surprise breakaway from outpacing the favourites. Also let's not forget the team factor. Support may be vital for the final result, but this preview is long enough already. See you guys tomorrow!
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 02:24
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World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
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Well we better win this, but I fear Van Stayen or Holloway or someone like that takes it.
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 17-02-2015 03:04
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3999
Joined: 26-07-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Excited for this race, home turf for Farrar as we compete against bigger teams. Maybe an American Underdog story in the making!
AZTECA - NBCSN  |
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| NTTHRASH |
Posted on 17-02-2015 03:44
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3192
Joined: 09-09-2012
PCM$: 3540.00
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Funny that Ciolek is considered non-pure sprinter. 
Hoping Fisher pulls out a decent result.
"America. Show a nipple on television and the whole country goes ape-shit." -DubbelDekker
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 17-02-2015 06:23
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
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Top-5 would be cool, but anything can happen here, i fear. Van Stayen as the obvious pick for the win, so looking at our fight for 3rd in the PCT, Gossy really needs to score Oz a decent result 
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 08:02
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World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
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Win. But there's no way that'll happen, so... |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 17-02-2015 08:11
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World Champion
Posts: 14236
Joined: 20-06-2011
PCM$: 300.00
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Hoffman as the title defender here, but late top10 is the result we aim for, to stay in reality borders.
So many good sprinters, but at least some of them lack hilly skills to be totally fresh in the finale, good luck to all and thanks for the preview Gustavovskiy!
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 17-02-2015 10:00
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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A f*ck a Chicchi race
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 14:04
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1036
Joined: 17-06-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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AMEXpc team meeting on the AMEX Bus
Director Martyn Haly addresses the team.
Who read the paper this morning? Some of you read !
There was no mention of Paride, yet he is the best hill rider of the sprinters and he is a solid sprinter. Not a single word about him, not a whisper.
Not only that but not a mention of our improved results in the sprints. What does that mean for use?
We can fly under the radar. Nobody will care what we are doing, nobody will be marking us, nobody even knows were here. Let's make that work for us.
First Arnaud (Godet) do you best to get into the early breakaway, that will let us hide in the pack resting as long as possible. Keough and Kurth stay with Grillo, Selig and Reinhardt cover Breschel. That leaves Klemme for shuttle duty.
Pay attention to the radio we cannot get spit off the back. If the winds pick up move up towards the front.
I am convinced this will come down to a sprint, but I want to take some legs away, so at about 20k out Matti I want you to launch. this is not a bluff, you go for the win.
At that point if Godet is still in the break he will fall back to help Matti bridge up. The rest of you circle up around Paride and move him to the front of the chase.
We will decide on what the final 3K will bring when we see what the situation will be, but I expect Breschel will be a threat the sprint teams cannot ignore leaving us to launch Paride on fresh legs.
Questions?
Ok watch the wind to not get dropped.
Edited by Mhaley45 on 17-02-2015 14:05
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Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 11:06
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 17-02-2015 14:06
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Ah crap, just spotted Allianz and Hornbach. Time for inspirational speech #2!
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 17-02-2015 14:11
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Team Leader
Posts: 7357
Joined: 06-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Not sure how the newer PCMs handle uphill sprints. Should Van Stayen be considered the favorite here, or will anyone with hill stat above 60 not have an issue? |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 17-02-2015 17:35
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4476
Joined: 25-07-2010
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3 Sprinters here and Konovalovas, so 4 chances to no fuck up. Please PCM, let me end the season on a high...
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| jph27 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 17:43
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Team Leader
Posts: 7339
Joined: 20-03-2010
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In theory this should be a good race for Haussler. But I doubt it.  |
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| Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 17-02-2015 17:53
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2073
Joined: 11-07-2010
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The finish suits Van Stayen better than most other riders in the peloton, so hopefully he can live up to the expectations. One day races has not been his thing this season, so would be nice to see him deliver well here.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:04
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
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NTTHRASH wrote:
Funny that Ciolek is considered non-pure sprinter.
Hoping Fisher pulls out a decent result.
Same  Especially as the same hill stat, but one point less in sprint makes Napolitano a pure sprinter...
So this is the first race in months that I get a comment in BEFORE the race...hmm how to handle this.
It's a difficult race to predict, but I hope Ciolek remembers what he did in a similar Post Danmark Rundt finish long time ago (/an hour ago in my timeline ).
We could use at least a decent result going into our last goal race Paris-Tours and a Tour du Faso that will decide our final rankings position. I'm saying Top5 please just for the sake of saying something.
Of course there's no way to look past Van Staeyen, but positioning will be key too.
Edited by cio93 on 17-02-2015 18:04
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:05
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Team Leader
Posts: 7357
Joined: 06-10-2007
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Sykkel_Freak wrote:
The finish suits Van Stayen better than most other riders in the peloton, so hopefully he can live up to the expectations. One day races has not been his thing this season, so would be nice to see him deliver well here.
I feel like PCM has a tendency to Sagan riders, i.e. in a hilly race that could be won from either a select group or a sprint it'll take riders good at both and make them unwilling to commit to either, reducing their chances of being in the right place at the right time. I feel like Sagan has that tendency in real life, he frequently doesn't know whether to attack or wait out a sprint (but still wins a lot since he's so incredible, but not quite as much as you may think).
Edited by Sykkel_Freak on 20-02-2015 10:27
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:43
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Team Leader
Posts: 6036
Joined: 20-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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NTTHRASH wrote:
Funny that Ciolek is considered non-pure sprinter.
Hoping Fisher pulls out a decent result.
Well I had to draw the line at some arbitrary level. Ciolek just happened to be upon the median hill stat for the main sprinters. Napolitano was just wrongly placed on my behalf.
And sorry Mhaley for leaving Grillo out of the preview. My bad.
The report will follow in a moment.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:54
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Team Leader
Posts: 7339
Joined: 20-03-2010
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jph27 wrote:
In theory this should be a good race for Haussler. But I doubt it.
Yep, nailed it. Thanks Gustav, great report. |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:54
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
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Oh god, I should have never said anything.
I should have never come back in the first place
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 17-02-2015 18:55
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Bah! Plus side, minimal points for Honrbach and Allianz but it's not enough for us
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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)
