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Caisse d'Epargne 2008 | At the Tour Mediterannean
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 10:54
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Edited by stuartmcstuart on 10-05-2008 01:42
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| matt493 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 10:55
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Classics Specialist
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good luck.
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 10:59
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-12-2024 09:49
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 11:02
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Sprinter
Posts: 1682
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Welcome to the world of team Caisse d’Epargne! Before I get going in this story (very much inspired by others found on this forum), here is the basic configuration I’ll be playing:
Information:
Difficulty – Hard
I’m not that good at the game, so this will mean wins will be hard to come by – but this should make a more realistic story
Database - PCM Daily 2008 db
Team Goals and Squad list forthcoming
Any other information you want to know, just ask 
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| niconico |
Posted on 21-04-2008 12:44
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Looks very good stuey. Great start 
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 13:03
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Team Leader
Posts: 6716
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Nice, looks good. And i'm very glad you are playing on hard. Nice to see other players actually playing on the more realistic setting rather then "normal and win everything" setting. 
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk]  [/url] |
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 13:31
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Sprinter
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Thanks for the positive comments guys
The team details will be posted later on today! |
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 15:38
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Sprinter
Posts: 1682
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Caisse d'Epargne - Management and Team Goals
I’m currently writing to you from ‘down under’, where it is nearly time for my first race in charge of the Caisse d’Epargne cycling team. I knew that they were looking for a new manager, and a fresh start, but never in my wildest dreams did I suspect it would be that would get the call. There I was, just coaching local sides and developing youngsters in Scotland, and then Boom! I’m manager of one of the biggest teams in the pro peloton. Guess someone up top likes me...but I haven’t slept a wink since I got the news, so hopefully I’ll be able to calm down once the season starts proper in a few days.
Let me bring you up to speed on the set up I’ve really had to put in place in a matter of days, no wonder I can’t sleep! I was told if I accepted the job, things had to become a whole lot more international at the team, which meant hiring international riders and staff. We’ve already made a few approaches for riders, but I’ll tell you about that in due time, when things are a bit more set in stone. What I can say is, I’m delighted with the set up I’ve got at the team. Greg LeMond, Stephen Roche and Eric Vanderaerden are not only some of the biggest names the sport has produced, but they’re damn fine directeur sportifs too. Everyone brings something different to the team, and I’m honoured to be working with them.
These are the team goals for 2008:
It is going to be a tough season, and almost impossible to meet all these goals. A challenge was what I was looking for, and it’s a challenge I’m getting! |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 21-04-2008 16:00
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Team Manager
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Good luck!
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 16:08
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8915
Joined: 29-11-2006
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Those goals couldn't really be much harder, but I'm sure you'll have a damn good go
about the goals, Valverde for everything?
YORKSHIRE BORN, YORKSHIRE BRED... |
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| Crommy |
Posted on 21-04-2008 17:38
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World Champion
Posts: 10018
Joined: 29-11-2006
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I'm liking this story already
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 19:39
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Sprinter
Posts: 1682
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Those goals couldn't really be much harder, but I'm sure you'll have a damn good go
about the goals, Valverde for everything?
I don't know if he'll manage more than two. It don't take a genius to work out which ones he'll be riding either!
I've got a fairly strong squad, so just like in real life, I'll try to rely on everyone playing a role.
Thanks to everyone for their positive thoughts so far, and it'll mean a lot to me to hear what people think about it as it progresses - whether good or bad. Final update before the racing begins coming just shortly!
Edited by stuartmcstuart on 21-04-2008 19:40
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 19:56
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Sprinter
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Caisse d'Epargne Team 2008
Well, it’s been an exciting few days for Caisse d’Epargne. Three of the most exciting young talents in the world have signed up with the team, which is fantastic! They are:
Diego Ulissi, Johnny Bellis and Taylor Phinney are the new faces at Caisse d'Epargne!
Unfortunately, to realize these signings, we had to say farewell to some of Caisse d’Epargne’s more mature riders. So it is a heartfelt farewell to Nicolas Portal and Marlon Perez, who have both been true professionals for the team, but both they and the management felt it was the right time for them to move on in their careers.
Here is the final squad for 2008:
We have a wealth of great riders: Valverde, Pereiro and Karpets are our main men for the stage races, and José Joaquin Rojas is our sprints captain. We have a lot of developing riders in the team now, and one of the reasons I’m here is to ensure these riders make it to the top. The young Venezuelan Rigoberto Uran is the stand out youth for me, he looks very promising indeed. He’ll be a top stage racer in a few years if he applies himself in the correct manner during training.
Well, on another positive note, what better way to sign off than with the team list for my first ever race, the Down Under Classic:
This will be the same team that will be at the Tour Down Under, providing no one gets injured. We don’t really have much hope for the Classic, with Drujon really just hoping for a top 15, but hopefully some racing miles will put Leon Sanchez in the mix at the Tour Down Under. |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 20:00
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Team Leader
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Whoooo go Drujon!!! 
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk] [/url] |
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 21-04-2008 23:45
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Sprinter
Posts: 1682
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rjc_43 wrote:
Whoooo go Drujon!!!
Its nice to see a familiar face, isn't it? I hope he is as successful for me as has proved for you and Auber 93. |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 23:50
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Team Leader
Posts: 6716
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I'm sure he will be, and you'll be able to develop him a lot faster as well. He's been stuck on level 3 since about the 2nd week for me
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk] [/url] |
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| dave92 |
Posted on 21-04-2008 23:52
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Classics Specialist
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good luck, looking forward to it
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 22-04-2008 13:38
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Well, it’s finally here. My first full day in charge of the squad, and although I’m nervous, I’m experiencing such a rush as I think about today’s race. At 48km, it’ll be over quickly, and realistically I know we don’t have much of a chance, but we’ll try to place someone in the breakaway just incase, and Drujon will try his best in the almost inevitable sprint. We’re here for experience mainly, and race days, so I told Luis just to hold back today. Today’s favourites are Hagen (High Road), Wrolich (Gerolsteiner), and Hayman (Rabobank).
As soon as the race gets underway the attacks start more or less immediately, and it’s going to be a day of constant attacking as we lap round the street circuit. Garcia Acosta told me he was feeling great today and wanted to try something, so we got him up into the break.
Garcia Acosta gets up into the attack. He stays there pretty much all day, although riders are breaking away from the bunch all the time. At one point the front group swelled to 25 riders.
The peloton really kept things under wraps today, with the break never getting much of an advantage. With 10km to go, several strong attacks were made from the peloton. Tonti was the first rider to catch up with the remnants of the breakaway, and Garcia Acosta desperately tried to get onto his wheel. Unfortunately, he just didn’t have the strength today and was soon swallowed up by the pack.
Luis Leon Sanchez takes it easy today, sitting right at the back of the peloton. He dropped off the back before the finale today, in case there were any crashes. Garcia Acosta tries to get on Tonti’s wheel.
We’re into the last three kilometres now and there’s only one rider left out in front. It’s Aleksandr Kuschynski of Liquigas, who attacked with Tonti a few km ago. He dropped Tonti, who’s just been reeled in. Kuschynski is maintaining the gap against the peloton at 20 seconds! We’re entering the last kilometre now, and Drujon is struggling to get a wheel, but he finds Clerc’s just at the right moment as the sprint takes off. At the red kite, the gap to Kuschynski has come down, but not by much as CSC’s Matt Goss and Boasson Hagen spring off the front in pursuit of the Liquigas rider.
Goss, Boasson Hagen and Clarke look like they’ve left it too late...but Goss rapidly closes the gap to finish as the winner of the Down Under Classic. Boasson Hagen also looked to have overtaken Kuschynski but the officials have given 2nd to the Liquigas rider. Great riding by him!
Well, what a finish! Drujon managed to get up in 12th, which is a good result for him because he lacks a bit of fitness right now. Hopefully he’ll manage a top 10 at the Tour Down Under which starts in a couple of days. Although we had a fairly quiet race, we still managed to get our man in the breakaway. Hopefully I can get my first result next week in my first Pro Tour event. As part of the team’s internationalization, it is important to show well in races such as the Tour Down Under. I’m looking forward to it already!
Down Under Classic Results:
1 Matthew Goss Team CSC 1h04'29
2 Aleksandr Kuschynski Liquigas s.t.
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road s.t.
4 Simon Clarke SouthAustralia.com - AIS s.t.
5 Cameron Meyer SouthAustralia.com - AIS s.t.
6 Claudio Corioni Liquigas s.t.
7 Mark Renshaw Crédit Agricole s.t.
8 Peter Wrölich Gerolsteiner s.t.
9 Aurélien Clerc Bouygues Télécom s.t.
10 Iñaki Isasi Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
11 Marcel Sieberg Team High Road s.t.
12 Mathieu Drujon Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
13 Grant Irwin Drapac Porsche Development Program s.t.
14 Francis De Greef Silence - Lotto s.t.
15 Gene Bates Drapac Porsche Development Program s.t.
16 Christian Murro Lampre s.t.
17 Martin Müller Team Milram s.t.
18 Matthew Hayman Rabobank s.t.
19 Oscar Gatto Gerolsteiner s.t.
20 Bradley Wiggins Team High Road s.t.
21 Tom Stamsnijder Gerolsteiner s.t.
22 Pierre Rolland Crédit Agricole s.t.
23 Assan Bazayev Team Astana s.t.
24 Stuart Shaw Drapac Porsche Development Program s.t.
25 Marcus Ljungqvist Team CSC s.t.
45 Imanol Erviti Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
57 Dani Moreno Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
72 Chente GarcÃa Acosta Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
91 Rigoberto Urán Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
96 Luis Pasamontes Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
114 Luis León Sánchez Caisse d'Epargne + 2'26
115 Fran Pérez Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
Edited by stuartmcstuart on 22-04-2008 13:39
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| niconico |
Posted on 22-04-2008 17:22
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4102
Joined: 09-07-2007
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I like your reports format
And you have the full attention of the americans with the signing of Phinney, good job! Looking forward to see this develop.
Btw, don't you think it takes too long to make them like that? That was my main problem with them.
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 22-04-2008 18:14
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Sprinter
Posts: 1682
Joined: 02-08-2007
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A_Schleck wrote:
I like your reports format
And you have the full attention of the americans with the signing of Phinney, good job! Looking forward to see this develop.
Btw, don't you think it takes too long to make them like that? That was my main problem with them.
Haha! You couldn't really not like it!
to be honest, yeah, they do take a bit of time but I will only be providing reports from races I'm at personally - the rest will be much much shorter, as they're done by other members of the management team. I wouldn't enjoy writing it unless I really got into each stage I manage though. I'll try not to burn myself out though, I probably won't post lots of stages in one day or anything like that.
I know Caisse aren't everyone's cup of tea, so hopefully the new signings, and ones made at the end of the season, will help broaden their appeal. Phinney is phase 1! |
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