Here's the current ranking of our riders. As you can see, a lot of them scored points, probably more than any other team. We're proud of so many riders contributing to the team! 24!!! riders have scored points, and the other 6 did excellent work to get them there.
We got first on the Austrasian Time Trial! First to start, that is, as David Tanner was the first to roll off, starting the first Continental Championships.
We weren't expeting much, in fact 3 of our rider were amongst the last 7. Our 4th rider, Jack Bobridge, did manage to get a decent 13th place. Victory was for North Korean Kim Po-ding, but our sponsor is happy we showed ourselves!
The American Time Trial was not something our team was looking forward to, least of all Jorge Cristobal Riquelme, who was all alone on a bike he doesn't really like. Yet is was an important race for our sponsors, so Jorge did his best and we can't complain about his result. He finished 30th in an impressive field, where BMC dominated as Tejay Van Garderen defeated Taylor Phinney.
The European Time Trial was different though. While we weren't expecting a win, we did want some spotlight here. We made it into the Hotseat for a long time, as Luis Leon Sanchez had an amazing run through the rain in his national jersey.
Of course, when the big shots came, it ended for Luis Leon; but he did finish on an excellent 9th place. We would also like to mention the great attempts from Stef Clement and Lars Boom, who unfortunately just missed the top 10, finishing 11th and 12th. Our final rider, Wilco Kelderman came in 25th, but we heard he's greatly improving on time trialing!
The first Continental Road Race came up, but again we had no major expectations from our Australian crew, their ission was to get some sponsor time. Again it was Jack Bobridge's times to shine, as he attacked and formed the break of the day.
But the same story of the time trials continues, we get sponsor time and do well in the race, but then the big names come. This time, it was Simon Gerrans attacking and winning with some strong racing. Jack held on for a nice 9th place, another decent result.
The American Road Race was the first event where we were expecting to play a role in the final. Even though Jorge Cristobal Riquelme was alone, he did not disappoint and made it to the favourites group.
In the end, the lack of team mates started to hurt, and he couldn't keep up with the leaders. Eventually, he finished on the worst possible place a rider could get on championship: 4th. This is really frustrating of course, but we have to say we're incredibly proud of his great race. This must be very hard for Jorge as well, but at least he can say he did so well in his first year in the peloton, even beating fellow rookie Delfi Cervero. Victory was for Carlos Betancur!
Our last chance today, the European Road Race. While we were clearly not a favourite, our team was pretty strong overall. IN the team tactics, we sent Lars Boom ahead, but Omega Pharma, leading the team classification, pulled everything back
We did deliver Bauke Mollema in a good position. But the race needs to get tougher for him to win.
Valverde attacks and Mollema countered, we were hoping this would be the final split.
But alas, on the final Cauberg, Valverde, Gilbert and Cancellara attack and would fight it out for the win. Mollema finishes 6th, another good top 10, but no medal for us these championships.
The UCI has just confirmed our calendar. Praising our detailed wildcard applications, they had no other option but to allow all. And it's quite a few again. Burning race days fast worked very well in the first part of the season, so we continue that policy. Here's our full calendar:
WT.1 Ronde van Vlaanderen [31 March] WT.4 Pais Vasco [1-6 April] CT.4 Scheldeprijs [3 April] WT.1 Paris-Roubaix [7 April] CT.4 Brabantse Pijl [10 April] WT.2 Amstel Gold Race [14 April] WT.2 La Fleche Wallone [17 April] WT.1 Liege-Bastogne-Liege [20 April] CT.5 Tour of Turkey [21-28 April] WT.4 Tour de Romandie [23-28 April] CT.5 Rund um den Finanzplatz [1 May] WT.2 Giro d'Italia [4-26 May] CT.6 Rund um Koln [12 May] CT.6 Tour of Norway [15-19 May] CT.6 Ronde van Belgie [22-26 May] WT.3 Criterium du Dauphine [2-9 June] CT.5 Philadelphia International Championship [2 June] WT.3 Tour de Suisse [8-16 June] CT.6 Tour de Luxembourg [12-16 June]
Edited by Ollfardh on 10-02-2014 16:09
It's not hard to see where our goals are, this part of the season has 2 monuments, a Grand Tour, 2 other major stage races and a bunch of great classics. We want to do as good as the first season part here. We start of with the final cobbles, hoping Sep Vanmarcke or Lars Boom can force something in Ronde and Roubaix. While doing that, Wilco Kelderman starts his Giro preparation in Pais Vasco. We go on to the Ardennes, where we expect a lot from Bauke Mollema and Jorge Cristobal Riquelme. Romandie will be the final test before the Giro, where we hope for some good results. Wilco Kelderman aims for a top 10, while Willem Brouwer should go for a stage win somewhere.
We're currently 2nd in the team ranking, meaning we'll be safe if we have another good season part. But we don't want to fix on the rankings too much, it's been too long since we had a win. Therefore, I hope we will get a few nice victories in the next season part, and the results will follow. We have a good allround squad, but without a true superstar. It's not safe to say of certain stages or classics that we can win them, but there's quite a few we think we have a decent shot at.
I'm back from Valkenburg! Well, back, it's not that far from my home, but you get what I mean
It was exciting to ride the Continental Championships. I only participated in the RR, which is obvious, since TTs are my worst nightmare.
Of course I watched it, and Wiggins really impressed me, dominating the European TT. Same for Po-Ding, who rode the best TT of everyone in the world, and he came out of nothing, really. Not that I want to suggest anything of course, he looks talented.
Anyway, my Continental RR.
To be honest, it was a bit disappointing.
I tried to help Mollema the best I could, even supplying a few bottles(something I'm not used to though). Though the peloton split at the last part of the race, and Mollema was all alone, since I missed the split. So I couldn't help him more than I did. Mollema managed to get 6th in the end, while I got 61th.
I keep wondering if Mollema could've done better if I would have been there in the end.
Maybe I shouldn't be too hard for myself though, I'm not a puncheur after all.
I will focus on the next part of the season from now on though. Can't wait to ride the Giro, my first Grand Tour ever!
I've trained hard on taking tough hills though. Also a bit to compensate after the WC, I guess. I think I've really got better. Looking forward to the hilly Giro stages, hoping to be there in the sprint when others aren't.
Also hoping Sagan won't be riding the Giro, of course
Don't worry about it, Wimpie. If anyone had to be with Mollema in the final, it should've been Gesink or Sanchez.
Also, we're sending you on a special training camp to increase your climbing a bit. You can thank Jorge for getting enough prizemoney in the American Road Race, it was just enough to finance the trip. We hope that this will help you in your Giro.
Jorge, congratulations to you for the best result of the team in the championships. I'm sorry we can't split the money, but since I feel Willem's first season part was slightly better then yours, he earns this training camp.
(Willem Brouwer MO 63=>64 for best custom rider in the American Road Race)
Part 2 of the season start with the second monument of the season, the Ronde Van Vlaanderen. We definitely want to do better than San Remo. While it will be very hard to beat the top cobblers, we aim for a podium. Sep Vanmarcke will lead the team, with Lars Boom getting a free role. Nothing new here, you've seen this team in almost every earlier cobbled race.
Jetse Bol Lars Boom Tom Leezer Maarten Tjallingii Jos Van Emden Sep Vanmarcke Robert Wagner Maarten Wynants
Eight of our other riders will board a plane to Pais Vasco that night, for the next World Tour stage race. A podium will be harder here, but we are hoping for a stage win with Jorge Cristobal Riquelme in the hills, and who knows what Wilco Kelderman or Luis Leon Sanchez can do here.
Graeme Brown Stef Clement Jorge Cristobal Riquelme Juan Manuel Garate Wilco Kelderman Lars Petter Nordhaug Luis Leon Sanchez Bram Tankink
Finaly it's the classic Scheldeprijs in Schoten. Despite this being a Continental Tour race, we are expecting the big sprinters like Cavendish, Greipel and Kittel here. We counter with our two Belgians to break away, or else Willem Brouwer can try it in a sprint against the best of the world. He'll definitely have a worthy sprint train for it.
Lars Boom Willem Brouwer Moreno Hofland Tom Leezer Mark Renshaw Jos Van Emden Sep Vanmarcke Maarten Wynants
Edited by Ollfardh on 11-02-2014 10:32
Here are the results from the test we took during the season break. Our youngsters Willem Brouwer, Jorge Cristobal Riquelme and Wilco Kelderman have improved a lot compared to the tests at the training camp at start of the season!
The UCI set a hard goal for us here, finishing on the podium. We knew it was going to be hard, as a few riders have really been outstanding this season, but we tried nonetheless. Our plan was to anticipate, so we tried to get in the early breakaway. Tom Leezer didn't make it the first time, but Robert Wagner did get away.
But after that, it all was a bit less. When Leukemans, Lixandru and Eisel went, Wynants or Tjallingi should have followed. But things were getting really bad for us, as halfway the race Wynants and Tjallingi were in a lost position with Ballan and Breschel, while Vanmarcke and Boom were also struggling. Terpstra increases the pace on the Koppenberg, and we were nowhere to be seen.
From then on, we had to chase. Lars Boom would not come back, and he'd end up on his usual 21st place, just outside the points. Sep Vanmarcke did get back, but by then the two leaders were gone already. Boonen and Van Avermaet would fight it out for the win
Sagan attacks on the Paterberg and Sep can't keep up, there goes our hard goal.
The final verdict for Vanmarcke is 6th, being outsprinted by Pal and Cancellara.
We can't be happy with this result of course. The strong team we saw in the earlier cobbled classics, was nowhere to be found today. In an important race like this one, you shouldn't be that far back so you get dropped. Let's hope we learned our lesson for Roubaix next week. It's not in our goals, but with all the ranking points there, we do need a good result.
Edited by Ollfardh on 13-02-2014 10:58
With Ronde Van Vlaanderen done, we finished the third month of the season. No victories this month, unfortunately, but some very good result to go up in the rankings. This month's Rider of the Month is..
Sep Vanmarcke
We want to reward him for his consistent top 10 finishes in all World Tour classics, Milan - San Remo, E3, Gent - Wevelgem and Ronde Van Vlaanderen. No podium, but consistency that led to a lot of points. Runner up is Juan Manuel Gárate, for his brilliant Podium in GP Indurain and decent result in the Pais Vasco series. Third is Lars Boom who got us a GC Podium in Driedaagse De Panne - Koksijde.
Edited by Ollfardh on 13-02-2014 12:00
A hilly Pais Vasco edition saw a lot of our Ardennes guys getting the last preparation they need. But it's also the first step towards the Giro. That's why it was good to see Wilco Kelderman so active already, trying something on a climb.
But it wasn't selective enough today, so we went to a sprint with a reduced group. Another win for Omega Pharma - Quick Step, but Luis Leon Sanchez grabbed another podium for us. We feel the next win isn't far away!
Another podium for us in Pais Vasco, but we're starting to feel sorry for Jorge Cristobal Riquelme. After a 2nd and a 3rd place in Tour Down Under, and another 2nd and 3rd in Catalunya, he's having more bad luck here. We had him in a good position, but then Argos did something weird and he had to start sprinting from way too far. Still, he managed to hold on to the third place. Soon you'll get that first win you deserve, Jorge!
Ronde van Vlaanderen [31 March]
Pais Vasco [1-6 April]
Paris-Roubaix [7 April]
Amstel Gold Race [14 April]
Tour of Turkey [21-28 April]
Tour de Romandie [23-28 April]
Rund um den Finanzplatz [1 May]
Giro d'Italia [4-26 May]
Tour of Norway [15-19 May]
Philadelphia International Championship [2 June]
Graeme Brown
Jorge Cristobal Riquelme
