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Gisborne GP Discussion
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| matt17br |
Posted on 12-08-2016 22:51
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 10525
Joined: 28-09-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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 Gisborne GP
4th edition in PCT for one of the division’s toughest hilly classics: the Gisborne GP. 226 long kilometers for the riders, who will have to face a route full of twists and turns in the fields of New Zealand, but most importantly, a route that suits the top puncheurs in the division, those riders that can get up any hill with the best, however short, long, easy or steep it is. The final ascent is well suited for puncheurs that can also get over longer climbs, as it’s not short at all and very constant in its slopes throughout.
Monfort’s all-round skills won him this race last year in his last chance to do so. While the Belgian won’t be here to defend his title, 2014 winner  Gautier is. After a quite shabby season in PT, he can certainly be considered as one of the favorites again in a lower division, along with the likes of bookies’ pick  Kinoshita,  Roche, who has had a good season start, and  Anuar Aziz, who also has to prove his worth in PCT.
Obviously, in such an open race it’s hard to restrict the favorites to a mere 4, so let’s take a look at the rest of them.
| Rider | HI | MO | AC | RS | ST | Rider | HI | MO | AC | RS | ST | | Kinoshita | 81 | 72 | 77 | 77 | 80 |  Caruso | 78 | 69 | 77 | 71 | 76 | | Anuar Aziz | 81 | 68 | 71 | 73 | 78 |  Landa | 78 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | | Roche | 80 | 78 | 72 | 75 | 78 | Mendes | 78 | 68 | 65 | 68 | 72 |  v.d.Hugenhaben | 80 | 77 | 66 | 76 | 77 | Roy | 78 | 62 | 65 | 73 | 68 | | Gautier | 80 | 68 | 77 | 72 | 76 | Slagter | 77 | 78 | 71 | 73 | 71 |  Vogt | 80 | 62 | 61 | 71 | 78 |  Preidler | 77 | 78 | 69 | 77 | 71 |  Cunego | 79 | 80 | 74 | 78 | 74 | Kratochvila | 77 | 76 | 64 | 68 | 70 | | Bilbao | 79 | 67 | 75 | 71 | 77 | Paulinho | 77 | 75 | 75 | 72 | 70 |  Reichenbach | 78 | 73 | 69 | 69 | 76 | Prevar | 77 | 71 | 73 | 70 | 77 |  Waeytens | 78 | 71 | 73 | 70 | 72 | Zingle | 77 | 69 | 76 | 69 | 74 |  Palini | 78 | 70 | 74 | 68 | 75 | Mudarra | 77 | 68 | 68 | 70 | 74 |
As anticipated, Kinoshita has got all what it takes to be considered the number one rider to watch. His punching abilities, explosiveness, resistance and stamina are not only about the best of the division, but close to the best in the entire MG universe. Add to that good skills in longer mountains and there you go, hard to find anyone able to match him in the pack.
Anuar Aziz, Roche and Gautier are three very different – yet oh so similar - riders under many points of view. They can almost match the Japanese’s puncheur abilities, with the other Asian being slightly better at that purely compared to the Irishman and the Frenchman, and the former 2 are not anywhere near as explosive, while Gautier is just as much. However, while it won’t matter that much at all, Roche is a much better rider than both when it comes to longer climbs.
van den Hugenhaben is the kind of rider who could really excel in this race, but his 2015 doesn’t leave much hope. He certainly felt the effect of his lack of acceleration in the final season’s rankings, but he has some great climbing abilities on his side. Vogt is the kind of very inconsistent rider that turns up in top shape in one race each 10, but when he does, oh boy he does it in the best of ways. I really hope that’s the one for him, but as he’s very not suited to this terrain, he’ll probably have to wait for another brighter chance.
Cunego is the best climber here, but as years pass by, he just kind of loses the punch he could show last year, 2 years ago or further back. Bilbao might surprise here as a rider that could be very consistent throughout the season, but it’s hard to foresee a victory here for a rider that is pretty good in the skills that matter, but not particularly great at any.
All the other second tier favourites have at least one weak point, however. Reichenbach has shown he definitely could use some more explosiveness and he never really manages to make strong attacks last for a significant time. Waeytens on a good day is an incredibly consistent rider that however is pretty much worse than the top favorites in everything, while being still pretty good.
Palini has been a good domestique in PT and so has Caruso while they were riding for Good Energy being both around the top 100 in the final season rankings, but you just don’t see them fighting for a podium or a win in a field as good as this. Landa can defend himself, but I doubt he’ll be anything less than his leader’s main domestique. Mendes only really seems to be top in CT and while getting up a division is a bold move, I don’t see him succeeding with such an inconsistence a la Vogt.
And then there’s Roy, who is, uhm, Roy.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 12-08-2016 22:57
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
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Say it with me lads: "Break or death"
Also, uh oh, Efimkin given leader's role ahead of Nzeke. Too late to delete him from some future races  
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 12-08-2016 23:05
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
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We got our good guy here, a top 10 is needed.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 12-08-2016 23:07
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Team Leader
Posts: 7339
Joined: 20-03-2010
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Gautier should go well here I hope having won this race in the past. Seem to remember that in 2014 he finished ahead of Bellis, so I don't buy that this profile is particularly mountainous at all - but if it is then Yates should go well. Hoping for a top 5 and another in the top 20, get that and I'll be quite happy. |
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| sgdanny |
Posted on 12-08-2016 23:12
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3591
Joined: 18-03-2014
PCM$: 200.00
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Roche has been more succesful on hilly stages than Froome, so hopefully he can do just that here in Gisborne. I don't know why Kinoshita is here considering it is not the same point range as Strade, but hopefully we'll prove that decision wrong  Funny to see Cunego here and hopefully he doesn't stay around for long. The lineup is pretty much 2nd tier, so hope to see Roche being on the top of that Tier this season before his sad decline for next year!
Hope for a thrilling report and your PCM matt looks like it likes when Roche is around, he did attack a lot in Catalunya!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 02:48
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 13-08-2016 00:26
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World Champion
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We want to win. Anything less than a podium will be a massive disappointment, in Kinoshita's first race of the year!
And Kinoshita raced here instead of Strade Bianche because the profile there could potentially see a larger group sprint there, while here I think there will be much more selection. A win here still gives a good amount of points.
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| Eden95 |
Posted on 13-08-2016 02:52
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4505
Joined: 05-10-2010
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Finally Aziz gets his season underway. Hoping for no less than a podium here, especially with the field not being as strong as it could be with Strade also on. It's Kinoshita's race to lose though.
Indosat - ANZ HQ
"This Schleck sandwich is going to cause serious indigestion for Evans" - Phil Liggett |
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| Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 13-08-2016 05:08
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Team Leader
Posts: 5533
Joined: 12-06-2013
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Hoping for at least a Top 10 from Caruso or Roy. Would love for Roy to do alright. Also would be good to see someone in the breakaway!
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| Heine |
Posted on 13-08-2016 05:41
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Will be interesting to see what Preidler and Zingle can do without Flügel, one of the few races (1 of 2 I think) where I couldn't send any of my main leaders so this will be interesting
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| weirdskyfan64 |
Posted on 13-08-2016 08:07
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1387
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We've got a seriously decent team here- Top 10 is definitely doable.
Disclaimer- Most of my posts are me thinking aloud. And most of what I think is rubbish.
Winner of a FIFA Prediction Fair Play Award (a phrase becoming increasingly ironic)
"... Because he (me) has a sound tactical mind in general..." jandal7, at 9:30 am GMT on 12th May 2016
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 13-08-2016 08:13
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4476
Joined: 25-07-2010
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Really excited to see if Cunego can perform here, and if he can we may be set for a season to never forget as I've basically made him enter quite a few of these classics.
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 13-08-2016 08:59
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2282
Joined: 13-03-2011
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Bilbao top 5 and 2-3 riders more top 20 has to be the goal here.
Brilliant preview, really hope my hilly depth will pay off.
Kinoshita should win, but really open behind him imo.
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 13-08-2016 11:44
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
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Why didn't I send LLS here instead of Strade? Don't think Palini will do much here, kinda stuffed up the Gisborne/Strade double.
Thanks for the amazing in-depth preview Matt! 
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:10
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
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24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:14
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
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Looked like the team wasn't really that interested today, but Palini 10th was good enough so no complaints from me.
Thanks Matt!
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| sgdanny |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:14
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3591
Joined: 18-03-2014
PCM$: 200.00
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Nice by Shapira firstly, really gave the other teams a fight for sure and Roche was just in the bad end of the lottery here, as anyone could have won that finish. Don't like the AI in this race in particular if I look at it objectively, where the game waits till the final climb to end stuff.
As said it was a lottery and we came 4th, which is okay, great but not good enough if we want to have enough points coming out from this month to survive the Top 10 for the rest of the season. At least the best rider on the hills won here, so give good hopes that Froome will be able to deliver here. Thanks for the report, though it's very confusing for me that the text is above the image
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| weirdskyfan64 |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:23
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1387
Joined: 15-03-2014
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Well, this result was anti-climatic.
Disclaimer- Most of my posts are me thinking aloud. And most of what I think is rubbish.
Winner of a FIFA Prediction Fair Play Award (a phrase becoming increasingly ironic)
"... Because he (me) has a sound tactical mind in general..." jandal7, at 9:30 am GMT on 12th May 2016
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| Bushwackers |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:30
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Sprinter
Posts: 1907
Joined: 07-02-2009
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Congratulations to Valverde for the well deserved win. It was a fun race, thanks for the report. I wish Reichenbach would have made top 10, but I guess 12th isn't horrible.
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| knockout |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:46
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7735
Joined: 21-12-2010
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Much needed win for Meiji who can make a huge jump in the rankings with this victory. Congrats!
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 13-08-2016 21:52
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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Well done Meiji, although it's bad for our own ranking position. Joseph did well, but unfortunately hills aren't his thing. Would've taken a third place anyway though, so he shoudl've wheelsucked more Waeytens did as good as he could with his support away in Strade.
Thanks for the report!
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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