[PT] ZARA - Irizar | Final Presentation
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 22-08-2023 14:19
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All Aboard the Nicola Express
During the off-season, our 26yr old Italian star went back home to Trento where he spent day and night cycling around his place of birth. He avoided any road that was remotely uphill as this was not his focus. His friends also noticed that he would refuse to ride with them or anyone else. The mission was to improve when riding on his own and we are pleased to announce that he has succeeded in his efforts.
FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DH | PRO | 71 | 77 | 74 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 78 | 56 | 63 | 68 | 63 | 71 | 77 | | | | ↓↓↓ | | | | | | | | | | 71 | 77 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 78 | 56 | 63 | 68 | 63 | 71 | 77 |
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SotD |
Posted on 22-08-2023 14:27
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World Champion
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What's up with all that TT training? - Guess I can be happy I didn't follow my original plan and put all eggs into Kiriakidis and Ioannidis
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whitejersey |
Posted on 22-08-2023 15:01
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Nice to see that you've already improved him for me when I have money to acquire him next year
Makes a lot of sense, as we have seen there's a lot of value in stage racers with high TT even if their MO is weaker. I think we need to reconsider the impact that TT has on the OVL before next transfers tho
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Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 01:27
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baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2023 15:04
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Tour de France Champion
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Predictable but very smart. Conci was already such a beast, Kamna really won't be happy!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
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redordead |
Posted on 23-08-2023 06:44
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I saw that one coming.
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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Fabianski |
Posted on 23-08-2023 07:41
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I know why I still regret not having been able to sign Conci (or Mano) a few years back - but I'm happy I won't get to face him too often next year
Cool training for sure, as there are definitely some races out there that are tailor-made for this rider type.
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 23-08-2023 13:40
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@Eden: We'll definitely look after him! A pleasure doing business with you.
@Nemo: Hopefully he can deliver in the PT but going to be tough with the calibre of riders he'll be competing against.
The Talent Academy will live on forever and we are definitely Lovin It!
@Fab: Thank you for multiple comments! I would have gone pretty high with Oscar so thanks for not competing
Given Conci was signed initially for 90k, I'm super happy with the rider he has become. Definitely races where he should be scoring some points for sure!
@red: We definitely had to try bring in some PT point scorers and we like to think we've done that with the big 2.
Yeah the Gilmore signing was a bit of a late surprise but seemed better value at the time than the other maxed options.
Conci training was meant to be predictable
@Kaiser, Knockout, alexkr, lief I appreciate the support for the signings and you can check out the full squad very soon!
@DarkWolf: Sam is shaping up to be a fairly solid rider given he was picked up as a stagiare initially. He has his place in our squad for the future
@Sotd: Thanks mate! Trust me I was tempted to go for Koretzky given I've been interested in him for so long but decline hit him a bit too hard for my liking.
Always appreciated your support of my talent approach Agree that Finkler may have had some more use with higher MO but hoping the higher ACC gives him a good shot in breakaways, etc.
With Conci, decided that TT is more valuable than MO given the squad we have where Wellens willl be main climber. Similarly glad you aren't adding to the pain.
@Laurens: It is a great little core of TT and HIL based riders. Probably need to add a bit more variety in the Climber and Cobble form in the next few seasons.
@whitejersey: I wish you the best of luck in your future pursuits of a rider who is going to retire with us
@bbl: hahaha hey man Kamna is a very strong rider in his own right and it seems like they have a lot of added competition now!
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 23-08-2023 14:36
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Squad Presentation - 2023 PT Season
It wasn't the most active of transfer windows for us which was a result of our fairly limited transfer budget in combination with the need for leaders pushing us a bit higher than we'd have hoped in the FA and then needing to use funds for transfers which we'd have liked to secure in the FA.
Ins | | | Outs | | Tim Wellens | Free Agent | | Andres Paez | Transfer | Oscar Rodriguez | Free Agent | | | | Brady Gilmore | Free Agent | | | | Bruno Borges | Transfer | | | |
Presenting our 2023 Team!
Climbers/Stage Racers
| FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DHW | PRO | Age | Tim Wellens | 72 | 82 | 75 | 72 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 62 | 63 | 68 | 64 | 70 | 72 | 32 | Nicola Conci | 71 | 77 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 78 | 56 | 63 | 68 | 63 | 71 | 77 | 26 | Enric Mas | 69 | 78 | 77 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 77 | 56 | 60 | 77 | 73 | 70 | 68 | 28 | Oscar Rodriguez | 69 | 77 | 75 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 55 | 63 | 73 | 72 | 64 | 74 | 28 | Marc Soler | 69 | 76 | 71 | 74 | 76 | 74 | 76 | 54 | 54 | 66 | 60 | 61 | 77 | 30 | Ruben Fernandez | 66 | 75 | 75 | 66 | 72 | 69 | 72 | 57 | 60 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 65 | 32 |
The focus area for the team is, unsurprisingly, spearheaded by our big transfer of the year in Wellens. The Belgian is very capable and we expect big things from him throughout this season.
Conci will be supporting Wellens in select races but will have plenty of opportunities to go it alone this season where we hope he can put his TT training to use. Having been 22nd in the PCT standings last season, he's shown he's capable at a high level.
Mas is the strongest of our supporting riders and will have some leadership opportunities in which he will be free to ride how he likes. He will otherwise be a lieutenant to Wellens.
Rodriquez and Soler are similar riders with Rodrizuez more of a pure climber who is capable over the hills while Soler is more a stage race support rider with his TT and solid energy stats.
Fernandez has been on our books since our inception and actually won our first ever GC race in our debut season. He finally gets the chance to be with us in the PT and will support across various terrains.
The Hills
| FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DHW | PRO | Age | Bruno Borges | 70 | 70 | 80 | 61 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 54 | 71 | 81 | 75 | 65 | 60 | 32 | Leo Finkler | 68 | 68 | 75 | 65 | 74 | 70 | 69 | 61 | 67 | 73 | 73 | 69 | 63 | 24 | Luis El Chapu | 68 | 66 | 72 | 60 | 73 | 74 | 69 | 64 | 67 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 65 | 23 | Pau Miquel | 68 | 67 | 72 | 58 | 73 | 74 | 69 | 61 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 58 | 23 |
The signing of Borges was key when you consider our other options in this terrain. As our other big signing, he will lead us in all hills, except those stage races with TTs. He will have support from the likes of Mas, Rodriguez and Fernandez above.
Finkler, despite having a yar of development remaining, will be able to provide domestique support to Borges, speaking the same language definitely helps!
Our 2 younger riders in El Chapu and Miquel will be in all of the hill classics but we don't expect much support other than running water bottles and maybe the odd breakaway.
The Fast Men
| FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DHW | PRO | Age | Fabio Jakobsen | 74 | 59 | 67 | 59 | 75 | 73 | 81 | 73 | 80 | 80 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 27 | Gerben Thijssen | 75 | 61 | 63 | 60 | 74 | 70 | 78 | 65 | 79 | 81 | 65 | 64 | 60 | 25 | Alex Ovsya | 74 | 61 | 68 | 64 | 75 | 72 | 80 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 73 | 64 | 26 | Hugo Hofstetter | 74 | 62 | 70 | 64 | 71 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 71 | 68 | 66 | 29 | Jules Hesters | 73 | 61 | 63 | 60 | 72 | 74 | 77 | 71 | 76 | 76 | 63 | 67 | 60 | 25 |
A part of our team that we are very excited about this year is our Sprinters. With everyone here aged 29 or under, we have a plethora of young riders eager to prove themselves at this level.
The main guy here is of course Jakobsen who leads us in the PT having won the CT Individual Rankings in 2021 and continued that form with 10th in the PCT Standings in 2022. It'll be a tough step up to the PT but we believe he's capable of great things still.
Thijssen returns to us after being on loan in the PT last season where he came very close to wins in the GTs. He will have the opportunity this season to go 1 better and we're eagerly looking forward to seeing what we can do!
Ovsyannikov is an interesting rider. He also returns to us after a year on loan and we don't really know what to expect from him. As our best rider over the cobblestones, he will be our leader in the cobbled classics but we can't expect too much from him there. He will also act as a lead sprinter in some races where he could pop up with some surprise results.
Hofstetter was a great lieutenant for Jakobsen last year in the PCT and he is here to do it all again in the PT.
Our one undeveloped sprinter is Hesters who has just the 1 year to go. He's already going to be a key part of our lead-out trains this season.
Time Trialists
| FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DHW | PRO | Age | Benoit Cosnefroy | 76 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 81 | 74 | 78 | 28 | Benjamin Thomas | 73 | 56 | 66 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 64 | 74 | 79 | 64 | 66 | 79 | 28 | Jaime Castrillo | 77 | 66 | 67 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 55 | 70 | 73 | 71 | 67 | 76 | 27 | Julian Cardona | 72 | 64 | 63 | 75 | 71 | 72 | 67 | 62 | 64 | 67 | 61 | 65 | 75 | 26 | Henry Alberto Sam | 72 | 65 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 58 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 68 | 73 | 24 | Yentl Vandevelde | 71 | 58 | 63 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 70 | 65 | 73 | 23 | Brady Gilmore | 68 | 53 | 54 | 71 | 70 | 65 | 65 | 58 | 60 | 72 | 73 | 68 | 71 | 22 |
Another part of our team which is very young with our oldest TT specialist being only 28! A real mix and match of riders here all offering different things.
We believe Cosnefroy will be the key man the follow of these riders. He is simply irresistible, he loves an attack and he can handle himself over all terrains. He was inside the Top 50 last season and we believe the PT calendar suits him and his srengths well.
I would say Thomas is more of a pure TT rider but he's really not with his strong prologue and his SPR/ACC making him a great lead-out rider also. Another rider who will be key to us across multiple terrains.
Castrillo is a somewhat more conventional TTist but, even then, his strength on the flat roads combined with his eagerness to be involved in sprints also makes him versatile.
Cardona, Sam and Vandevelde are all developing but they will be called upon to support in various TTTs throughout the season.
Gilmore is the future of this part of the team but it'll be a while until he's up there.
Worth noting that Conci (78TT) and Soler (74TT) will also be key to our TTT set-up to support Wellens (72TT).
Given our lack of experience in the top division of the MG, and the change in Engine, it is very difficult for us to evaluate where we're at as a team and how we fare against our competitors in 2023.
We believe we have a strong Climbing/Stage Racing core that, with smart planning, can score very well for us with Wellens doing the heavy lifting.
Borges will be tested for sure but we hope that he can pull through, especially in the one day classics.
The Sprinting department is an interesting one. Jakobsen did struggle a bit at PTHC level in 2022 but with him, Thijssen and Ovsya we can cover all race days that have a flat stage this year so I think collectively we can score well.
We believe we have a strong TTT set-up for stage races which will support out GC ambitions in such races. In the TT specialist GC races, we'll need overperformances to be on the podium but I expect both our 2 guys to be scoring some reasonable points.
The Cobbles are a bit of a write-off. If Ovsya can stick around in a couple races to participate in a sprint that'd be great but may just be some low scoring points for him this year.
Last but not least, the Talents. We have 8 of our own riders developing with us which provides great opportunity to utilise them as domestiques while enjoying their breakaway success. Also means I only have to support myself
Bring on 2023 |
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cio93 |
Posted on 23-08-2023 15:34
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Excited to see you finally join the big ranks after many years of development coming to fruition!
I was worried you'd go for (very justified) Jakobsen or Cosnefroy training to challenge Kanter/Ganna, but I'm unsurprisingly a big fan of starting to improve Conci after the fond memories made together two seasons ago.
Glad to have been a part of his path!
You should have good chances of staying up if Mas/Rodriguez/Thijssen are planned well to add to your leaders' scoring. I'm definitely rooting for it!
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redordead |
Posted on 24-08-2023 06:56
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It should be an easy first season in PT for you. Our only similarity is we'll both be shit on cobbles
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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jaxika |
Posted on 24-08-2023 07:23
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So much depth, bar the mentioned cobble. All of this with so few moves on transfers, basically with homegrown riders. I think you have very good chances to stay up and strenghten this already capable team. |
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 24-08-2023 16:01
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@cio: It feels good to finally be here after so long in the game but it took a few years to find my identity and this is really the year we have been most prepared to arrive in the division.
Conci took priority mainly due to age and potential future training too!
I appreciate the well wishes! I trust my planning.
@redordead: I don’t know about “easy”! Racing in an unfamiliar division against high calibre opposition. Ovsya doesn’t appreciate your comment
@jaxika: Will be relying on that depth to keep us up.
It does feel very satisfying to have so many homegrown riders knowing the sacrifices that had to be made along the way. |
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TheManxMissile |
Posted on 24-08-2023 19:49
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More than a fighting chance at safety! Conci looking fantastic. Fingers crossed you get some enjoyment from experiencing the PT.
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 09-09-2023 03:48
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We are inching ever closer to the beginning of the 2023 racing season which seems a fitting time to present to you the goals we set before the transfer season. Were they optimistic, yes. But, here they are anyway!
WIN
Tour of Tasmania
It's the opening race of the season and our goal is to win it. We will need a large slice of luck though. As much as we expect both Conci and Cosnefroy to bring in a solid result, a win is quite the stretch. We'll hope for the best though!
WIN
GP Liechtenstein
Our other win goal is the Mountainous classic, GP Liechtenstein. Wellens will be our main man here but it will be quite the challenge given the calibre of competition we expect will be present here.
TOP 10
Vuelta a Espana
It's our first appearance in our home Grand Tour. Both our sponsors and our fans will demand success here and so it is our goal that we get a Top 10. This should be our most achievable goal where we will have Wellens going for a Top 5 with strong lieutenants in Conci and Rodriguez there as his main supporters.
TOP 3
Giro di Lombardia
Well, we have a goal in our first race of the season and we also have a goal in the last race. Borges will lead us in Italy and we recognise that a podium will be a big ask of him but he will have Mas and Rodroguez for support.
TOP 5
PT Team Standings
Well, we were optimistic with our goals. Do we think we can actually finish Top 5? Realistically, No. But we owe it to ourselves and our fans to try! |
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KaiserAdler |
Posted on 09-09-2023 19:32
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Domestique
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Nice set of goals mate. I love me some ambition. Obviously going to root for the Spaniards in la Vuelta
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Fabianski |
Posted on 09-09-2023 20:37
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Agree that the Vuelta goal is the most easily achievable one, and I can definitely see Wellens crack the Top 5 as well. However, with all GTs having quite some TT kilometers, it's hard to estimate the opposition - and unlike in PCT, you have quite some potential TTT rivals in PT, too...
For the other goals, I guess you chose a similar approach as I did - getting some significant money with pretty ambitious goals. But on a good day, all race goals could be achievable (unlike for me), but I really can't see the team standings goal happening indeed.
Good luck for the season, should be a fun year for you anyway
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redordead |
Posted on 11-09-2023 07:50
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I could see us having some overlap of interests at the Vuelta, but hopefully we can both hit our goals
The others goals should be harder as they're quite ambitious like Fab said.
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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Nemolito |
Posted on 11-09-2023 11:32
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A bit late to the party but I think you built a very nice team during transfers. Both Wellens and Borges should add some very nice scoring, and you even improved your Zara Talent Academy. Goals don't seem to be 'easy', but for sure Wellens should do great in España with your TT setup.
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 16-09-2023 02:19
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| | FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DH | PRO | | Nicola Conci | 71 | 77 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 78 | 56 | 63 | 68 | 63 | 71 | 77 | | Benoit Cosnefroy | 76 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 81 | 74 | 78 | | Alex Ovsyannikov | 74 | 61 | 68 | 64 | 75 | 72 | 80 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 73 | 64 | | Hugo Hofstetter | 74 | 62 | 70 | 64 | 71 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 71 | 68 | 66 | | Benjamin Thomas | 73 | 56 | 66 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 64 | 74 | 79 | 64 | 66 | 79 | | Jaime Castrillo | 77 | 66 | 67 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 55 | 70 | 73 | 71 | 67 | 76 | | Julian Cardona | 72 | 64 | 63 | 75 | 71 | 72 | 67 | 62 | 64 | 67 | 61 | 65 | 75 | | Yentl Vandevelde | 71 | 58 | 63 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 70 | 65 | 73 |
We have a well-rounded team for the opening race of the season. Our first race day of the year is suited to sprinters and we have Ovsya here with the support of Hofstetter and Thomas. We do have a Win goal here with Conci as our most likely candidate for a strong result given the hilly nature of the 2nd stage. Between him, Cosnefroy and Thomas, we have 3 riders to target the final stage TT.
| | FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DH | PRO | | Fabio Jakobsen | 74 | 59 | 67 | 59 | 75 | 73 | 81 | 73 | 80 | 80 | 67 | 68 | 69 | | Alex Ovsyannikov | 74 | 61 | 68 | 64 | 75 | 72 | 80 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 73 | 64 | | Hugo Hofstetter | 74 | 62 | 70 | 64 | 71 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 71 | 68 | 66 | | Benoit Cosnefroy | 76 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 81 | 74 | 78 | | Benjamin Thomas | 73 | 56 | 66 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 64 | 74 | 79 | 64 | 66 | 79 | | Jaime Castrillo | 77 | 66 | 67 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 55 | 70 | 73 | 71 | 67 | 76 | | Pau Miquel | 68 | 67 | 72 | 58 | 73 | 74 | 69 | 61 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 58 | | Yentl Vandevelde | 71 | 58 | 63 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 70 | 65 | 73 |
It's about as flat as it gets as the team goes to Qatar for 6 days. The first 5 days are for Jakobsen to prove his worth and value to everyone on the biggest stage. He will have strong lead-out support from Ovsya and Hofstetter. We expect a showing from Fabio here. The short TT at the end of the race is an opportunity for Thomas and Cosnefroy to get a result also.
| | FLA | MO | HIL | TT | STA | RES | REC | COB | SPR | ACC | FTR | DH | PRO | | Fabio Jakobsen | 74 | 59 | 67 | 59 | 75 | 73 | 81 | 73 | 80 | 80 | 67 | 68 | 69 | | Alex Ovsyannikov | 74 | 61 | 68 | 64 | 75 | 72 | 80 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 73 | 64 | | Hugo Hofstetter | 74 | 62 | 70 | 64 | 71 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 71 | 68 | 66 | | Benoit Cosnefroy | 76 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 81 | 74 | 78 | | Bruno Borges | 70 | 70 | 80 | 61 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 54 | 71 | 81 | 75 | 65 | 60 | | Henry Alberto Sam | 72 | 65 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 58 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 68 | 73 | | Yentl Vandevelde | 71 | 58 | 63 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 70 | 65 | 73 | | Brady Gilmore | 68 | 53 | 54 | 71 | 70 | 65 | 65 | 58 | 60 | 72 | 73 | 68 | 71 |
Our first one-day race of the year and it's back to the Land Down Under again. If this ends in a group sprint then Jakobsen will be our main man with the support of Ovsya and Hofstetter yet again. We do have a 2nd option which is giving freedom to a late attack from Cosnefroy. |
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Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 23-06-2024 02:23
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Our first season in the Pro Tour comes to a close and it's time to see whether we were able to do what was expected from us. Our fans thought we'd be good enough to survive while we were expected to be teetering on the edge of relegation for much of the season.
Pos | | Team | Total | PpRD | 1 | | Aker - MOT | 7664 | 42.58 | 2 | | EA Vesuvio | 7327 | 40.71 | 3 | | Evonik - ELKO | 7307 | 40.59 | 4 | | Team Puma - SAP | 7180 | 39.89 | 5 | | Polar | 6960 | 38.67 |
15 | | Grieg-Maersk | 5247 | 29.15 | 16 | | Rabobank | 5177 | 28.76 | 17 | | ZARA - Irizar | 5109 | 28.38 | 18 | | ELCO - ABEA | 4865 | 27.03 | 19 | | Amaysim Australia.com | 4827 | 26.82 | 20 | | ISA - Hexacta | 4618 | 25.66 | 21 | | Minions | 4407 | 24.48 | 22 | | Binance | 3911 | 21.73 |
Well, we may have finished the season in the final spot above the relegation line but, we survived!
It's been quite the rollercoaster for us this season with ranking updates having just above and just below the line from month to month but we ultimately got what we needed in the end in order to make sure our stay in the Pro Tour is not a single season.
We've learnt a lot about what it is like being in this division and what it takes to score consistently and move up the rankings. Hopefully we can carry these learnings into 2024.
| | Points | Ranking | | Tim Wellens | 896 | 36th | | Benoit Cosnefroy | 650 | 55th | | Nicola Conci | 518 | 72nd | | Gerben Thijssen | 497 | 74th | | Fabio Jakobsen | 487 | 75th | | Enric Mas | 249 | 123rd | | Bruno Borges | 235 | 134th | | Henry Alberto Sam | 220 | 144th | | Alexandr Ovsyannikov | 199 | 159th | | Benjamin Thomas | 159 | 185th | | Jaime Castrillo | 146 | 202nd | | Oscar Rodriguez | 129 | 234th | | Yentl Vandevelde | 92 | 328th | | Marc Soler | 92 | 329th | | Jules Hesters | 90 | 342nd | | Luis Fernando De la Cruz Chapulin | 85 | 363rd | | Pau Miquel | 83 | 367th | | Julian Cardona | 80 | 374th | | Leonardo Henrique Finkler | 75 | 394th | | Hugo Hofstetter | 59 | 447th | | Ruben Fernandez | 58 | 450th | | Brady Gilmore | 10 | 501st |
As expected, our top points scorer this season was our highest paid FA in Tim Wellens. He was consistent throughout 2023 but we do still feel like he should have been in and around the 1,000 point mark.
Cosnefroy as our 2nd highest scorer was superb! His big result coming at the end of the season to keep us up with the win in ToNE. Conci goes from strength to strength contributing well.
Thijssen outscoring Jakobsen is not something we saw coming. Thijssen had an incredibly consistent season with wins in 2 of his races and podium stage finishes all over the place. Jakobsen was actually very good everywhere except the Tour where he just didn't participate..
Mas scored fairly well but we need more from him given his wage. No words for Borges who was just poor.
Young Henry Alberto Sam scored almost all of his points in one race where we finished 2nd in a classic. A great season from the young man who outscores some quality riders.
Ovsya isn't good enough to compete alone in the PT cobbles. We'll need to evaluate during this off-season to decide what to do with him moving forward.
Timetrial depth scoring was decent from Thomas and Castrillo while Rodriguez was very disappointing as we'd expect more points from him.
The mix of talents and domestiques all then got their finishing points. No real highlights from breakaways here is a bit of a let down but not really their primary job.
We will highlight key moments throughout the season from our individuals in the coming days and weeks. For now, Team Manager Luis Leon Sanchez has some thinking and planning to do as we move into Renewals and the Transfer Season ahead. Tough decisions and conversations to be had to ensure we can maintain our place in the Pro Tour for another year. |
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