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TBAB: California
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 12:43
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A mysterious billionaire.
Born in New Zealand, Brought up in Britain.
An avid cycling fan.
Rumours are flying.
Is there about to be a new cycling team?
Nobody knows.
It's confidential information....
Edited by SportingNonsense on 01-07-2007 20:06
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| Smoothie |
Posted on 24-06-2007 12:49
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Sounds interesting! |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 13:49
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A host of cycling journalists were invited to Auckland, New Zealand for the launch of a brand new continental cycling team, to be funded by a British-Kiwi, a man who noone knows much about. The directeur sportif though, is well known. The experienced manager has worked for CSC, T-Mobile, Toyota-United, Red Bull, Eurosport.com and HealthNet in numerous different roles in his career, and he is also the current chief of British Cycling. (It's me!)
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the launch of this new Continental cycling team. We start at the bottom, but with plenty of resources, the only way to go is up, and I can guarantee to you that we WILL be going up
Cries came out from the audience, Whats the team name? The name??? What is it??
The name? Why of course the name....
The British All Blacks!
With that the lighting on the stage cut out and the room was 'all-black'.
Introducing our team leader...
Charly Wegelius! Having worked in the past for Mapei and Liquigas, as a skilled domestique, particularly when the road goes up - we will finally give him the chance to lead a team.
Enrico Gasparotto! Enrico is a former Italian RR Champion and hopes to become a talented sprinter, although not as talented as ...
Mark Cavendish! Ready to start his breakthrough year with this brand new team. Mark will look to have a strong January before targeting sprint wins across the world, including a hopeful place at the Tour of Britain.
A cheer erupts as New zealander Julian Dean is announced to the crowd, another strong sprinter for the squad - he is infact New Zealand's best sprinter.
The 4 time National New Zealand champion is perfect for the British-Kiwi team. Gordon McCauley has rode for the British Plowman Craven team in previous years. He has cycled in 29 different countries and hopes to make that 30 when we visit El Salvador later this year.
Edited by SportingNonsense on 24-06-2007 13:51
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 24-06-2007 13:54
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ooh thought you were just going to steal Alex's story, before scrolling down a bit more
nice start though there has to be more than 5 riders |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 11:43
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 14:01
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Those are some of our stronger riders, but lets not forget the other riders that will make our team great.
Brett Aitken
The experienced Aussie sprinter will form part of our 3-man attack in January. (With Cavendish and Dean).
Alex Ardila
Alex will look to support Charly Wegelius in the hills and mountains, and may even get his own chance to shine in some races.
Geraint Thomas
This young welsh rider is ready to set the cycling world alight - watch him closely throughout the year!
Timothy Gudsell
Gudsell is an established part of the New Zealand track team and has rode against Geraint + Cavendish in the past, he will hope to use his TT skils in the national TT championships.
Matti Helminen
Finish domestique.
Hayden Roulston
Another of our Kiwis, Hayden is a strong rider in the hills.
Danilo and Marcel Wyss
The Wyss brothers make the switch from Eurosport to BAB, and we will look to them as strong aids to our leaders.
Nicholas Roche and Daniel Martin
The 2 talented cousins from Ireland will be developing into riders who are strong when the road is not flat. Roche will go for the hills and Martin the mountains.
Ivan Stevic
The Serbian national champion is a strong sprinter.
Heath Blackgrove
Kiwi Domestique
Ben Swift, Adam Blythe and Kurt Elkjaer
2 Brits and a Dane, who have progressed from the Eurosport scheme.
Christoph Biedermann
This Liechtenstein rider almost made it into the original Eurosport side, he migrated to New Zealand and has joined our team.
Adrian Laidler
This aussie is no mean time trialler.
Jason Allan
Another Kiwi Domestique
Ian Stannard
A young future prospect from Britain.
Erik Hoffman
The peleton's only namibian joins from the German Lamonta team.
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 24-06-2007 14:03
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Stannard, Swift, Blythe, Thomas and Ardila very, very nice team (especially Ardila )
one question, are you using the 2007 Giant (i haven't seen Ardila in any other db )
Edited by Addy291 on 24-06-2007 14:04
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 14:04
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Yup, 2007 PPDB
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| Smoothie |
Posted on 24-06-2007 14:32
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Looks great , no Peter Kennaugh? |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 15:11
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Nope.
January Preview
Probably our biggest month of the year, with all 5 sponsor goalsand 28 days of racing.
 3rd-7th - Jayco Bay Cycling Classic
11th - Aussie TT Champs
 11th - NZL TT Champs
13th - NZL RR Champs
14th - Aussie RR Champs
17th-21st - Tour Down Under
 20th-25th - Tour of Siam
24th-28th - Tour of Wellington
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 15:28
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Jayco Bay Cycling Classic
Leaders: Cavendish, Aitken
Helpers: Thomas, Swift, Martin, Hoffman
Season Goals: Stage win and Top 5 overall
A perfect start for the season, a perfect start for the team, in what was to be the only sprint in which my main 3 sprinters worked together.
Geraint Thomas hit the spront with 10km to go, Aitken took over with 2km to go, and Cavendish took the final turn on 1km in the lead. With no opposition, it was a 1-2, with Geraint Thomas 7th. Ben Swift wasnt quite so lucky, as he crashed towards the finish.
In Stage 2, Cavendish took 4th, Thomas 7th, Swift 8th. Aitken crashed and lost time. Luke Roberts won the stage.
Stage 3 was a tough sprint, with Cavendish being judged in 5th - although it looked like 3rd to me. Kirk O'Bee won.
Stage 4 had a tough hill about 3km from the finish, which the peleton climbed several times. It was too much for Aitken (50 HL), who went backwards halfway through. Cavendish struggled too but with Swift, Hoffman and Martin's help, he managed to hang on to the back of the peleton - just. Up front Bram de Groot was a surprise winner having sprung from nowhere. Geraint Thomas took 6th.
Brett Aitken - as well as being dropped, suffered from a horrible crash. He will now be out of action until the end of January - missing all his home races.
With Cavendish lying 5th overall - just inside the sponsor goal today would be crucial.
He took Luke Roberts' wheel with 12km to go. Geraint Thomas meanwhile, tried to get a gap before the sprint. He could not get a gap, so with 3.2km slotted behind O'Bee. A great choice as O'Bee powered to a win, with Geraint rewarded by his consistent finishes - with 2nd. Cavendish took 4th, securing the sponsor goal.
1 Kirk O'Bee HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS 5h38'52
2 Bram De Groot RABOBANK + 20
3 Adam Hansen T-MOBILE TEAM + 28
4 Luke Roberts TEAM CSC + 32
5 Mark Cavendish THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS s.t.
6 Geraint Thomas THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 40
7 Henk Vogels TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
8 Uros Murn DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM + 44
9 Robby Meul DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED + 52
10 Robert Hamish Haynes DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
31 Daniel Martin THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 3'00
44 Ben Swift THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 3'50
Erik Hoffman was our 2nd casualty of the tour, another crash forced him to withdraw from the last stage. He will be out for over 2 months.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 15:50
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Adrian Laidler went into the Aussie TT Championships with hopes of a top 10, but was down in 27th at the first checkpoint. By the 2nd checkpoint though, he was up to 9th and at the finish...
1 Adrian Laidler THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS 55'47
2 Ben Day NAVIGATORS INSURANCE CYCLING TEAM + 7
3 Luke Roberts TEAM CSC + 18
4 Cadel Evans PREDICTOR - LOTTO + 22
5 Miles Olman SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS + 28
6 Adam Hansen T-MOBILE TEAM + 30
7 Michael Ford SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS + 36
8 Michael Rogers T-MOBILE TEAM + 48
9 Stuart O'Grady TEAM CSC + 49
10 James Meadley JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM + 57
Meanwhile, Tim Gudsell was the favourite to win in New Zealand. Hayden Roulston was the best of the 4 other BAB riders, but was in 3rd as Gudsell reached the finish...
1 Timothy Gudsell THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS 55'09
2 Hayden Godfrey COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT + 19
3 Logan Hutchings WIELERGROEP BEVEREN 2000 + 35
4 Mark Jamieson SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS + 56
5 Hayden Roulston THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 1'01
6 Fraser MacMaster TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM + 1'22
7 Jason Allan THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 1'25
8 Heath Blackgrove THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 1'36
9 Justin Leigh Kerr BABES ONLY - VILLAPARK LINGEMEER - FLANDERS + 1'37
10 Joseph Cooper DISCOVERY CHANNEL MARCO POLO CYCLING TEAM + 1'42
14 Gordon McCauley THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 2'22
Edited by SportingNonsense on 24-06-2007 15:52
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| Crommy |
Posted on 24-06-2007 15:51
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Good Stuff, good luck!
Edited by Crommy on 24-06-2007 15:51
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| Smoothie |
Posted on 24-06-2007 15:52
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Yeh i agree very nice stuff |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 16:07
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Thanks.
Julian Dean is brought in to join his 5 Kiwi teammates. 6 of the 17 competitors are British All-Blacks!
A tough hill at the start means that with little effort, 7 riders are already away. Dean, Blackgrove, Roulston and McCauley for the BAB, joined by Fraser MacMaster (Toyota), Logan Hutchings (Wielergroup Beveren) and Paul Crake (Aurum Hotels).
Roulston sets the pace while Blackgrove and Dean alternate to lower their red bars. They struggle in the hills but hang on. Unlike MacMaster and Hutchings, who are successfully dropped.
Around 20km later, Dean and Blackgrove's yo-yoing finally ends as they are dropped. Roulston and McCauley then seperate themselves from Crake by attacking.
Crake drops back to a minute behind with Dean and Blackgrove, before closign to just 20 seconds behind. Roulston starts to struggle and McCauley is given the green light to go on alone, Roulston falls back to Crake and hopes to hang on.
Roulston gets dropped though and runs out of energy, leaving Crake to an undeserved 2nd. There is a twist though, as Crake crashes and recovers JUST behind Roulston, and with no energy left either - things look good for Roulston.
Meanwhile...
Dean sprints to 4th, somehow. MacMaster and Hutchings had managed to ctach and pass himself and Blackgrove but while I focused on the front - Dean caught back up and easily outsprinted them.
1 Gordon McCauley THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS 4h26'53
2 Hayden Roulston THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 5'37
3 Paul Crake AURUM HOTELS s.t.
4 Julian Dean THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 7'14
5 Logan Hutchings WIELERGROEP BEVEREN 2000 s.t.
6 Fraser MacMaster TOYOTA UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
7 Heath Blackgrove THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 10'44
8 Joseph Cooper DISCOVERY CHANNEL MARCO POLO CYCLING TEAM + 11'58
9 Timothy Gudsell THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS s.t.
10 Nicolas Sanderson SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS s.t.
11 Mark Jamieson SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS s.t.
12 Robin Reid FRANÇAISE DES JEUX s.t.
13 Jeremy Venell DFL - CYCLINGNEWS - LITESPEED s.t.
14 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM + 13'04
15 Hayden Godfrey COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT + 13'37
16 Justin Leigh Kerr BABES ONLY - VILLAPARK LINGEMEER - FLANDERS s.t.
17 Jason Allan THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 14'59
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| Crommy |
Posted on 24-06-2007 16:53
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Nice win, although with that many riders, it was nearly impossible not to 
Difficulty setting?
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 24-06-2007 17:15
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yes what is the difficulty setting, you seem to be dominting so far (yes i know it is only January) |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 18:55
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It is normal and I will not be changing it
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 21:11
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Adrian Laidler was our only hope to fulfil a season goal of Top 5 in the Aussie Champs. No chance.
He got into the break but the PPDB07 course is much tougher and there was no way of amassing a huge lead, so while Laidler finished 32nd. The winner was...
1 William Walker RABOBANK 4h57'26
2 Cadel Evans PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
3 Stuart O'Grady TEAM CSC s.t.
4 Allan Davis DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
5 Adam Hansen T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
6 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
7 Robert McLachlan DRAPAC PORSCHE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM s.t.
8 Matthew Lloyd PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
9 Peter Hatton COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT s.t.
10 Matthew White DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
32 Adrian Laidler THE BRITISH ALL BLACKS + 6'07
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| Crommy |
Posted on 24-06-2007 21:12
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SportingNonsense wrote:
It is normal and I will not be changing it
Glad to see you stick to your guns
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-06-2007 21:20
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Its also one reason why Im not posting this at PPDB. If you start to win regularly, you immediately have to move up to extreme or the few people that do post occasionally just don't bother.
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