Regarding your question: We have already sent in the schedule to the UCI and don't think we're allowed to change it once more. Giro del Trentino demands 5 race days and you'd have 26 race days left. This would mean no more stage races and you'd only race Vuelta plus 5 one-day races. So no, you wouldn't have enough race day left and it would temper with your training schedule too much. We thought about including you at the Giro del Trentino but decided against it for a reason.
Peter Luttenberger
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Heineken seriously sucks, also it's a dutch beer, another reason why it can't be good.
It's now Europcar impossible goal to destroy Katusha
Ollfardh wrote:
Seriously, negative points for everyone who called Heineken a good beer
just to remind you, I never did say Heineken is a good beer, even if it's not good beer it's still beer (it would be ignorant for my to say that Heineken is good, cause I only drink Heineken and Amstel beer and since they are made in the same brewery)
While the thread of a bavarian/german team is surely the perfect place to discuss beer, I'd prefer it if the off-topic beer-chat continues somewhere else. Thanks guys.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
So, I had to take some days off to sober up. Except for me and some mechanics, there wasn’t too much drinking going on. Very responsible from most of the riders. Not all of them I might add. However, we who had the chance to loot Luttenberger’s wine-cellar certainly took advantage of it… I may exaggerate a bit though. Truthfully it was a lovely wine-tasting we enjoyed over the day while watching Ronde van Vlaanderen on some big-screen TV.
Now it’s obvious that some of the guys don’t have much profound knowledge of wines, but they do all share a vivid passion for cycling. Long talks where spent over the classic bikes Peter Luttenberger had in his garage, about the Ronde race and history and about the wonderful cycling paths the region had to offer. Some guys went with our fitness chick for a ride and came back exhausted after several hours.
We then told them excited about the race they missed. About the 50 kilometers solo-attack by Van Avermaet and about Tom Boonen’s chasing. We mentioned Cancellar’s constant struggle with top positions and they many, many uprising stars we encountered throughout the race. Peter Luttenberger was particularly impressed by Richard Löwenherz, his fellow Austrian who rides for Katusha and managed to get into the breakaway.
While our guys who ride the País Vasco Tour had to catch a team bus and get to the terminal in time for tomorrow’s big stage, many others decided to stay and enjoy a calm evening with some home-made bread and cheese, while once more tasting some of the wine. Peter Luttenberger even gave a little speech, in which he mentioned how proud he was to be a part of this team. That he thinks, that we will have a great campaign ahead of us, and that our team will have bright future if we keep on working and fighting for it. A truly motivational speech with lots of epicness and emotion; I can't even try to capture it.
He also already announced our season break event: A visit to the Headquarters of NetApp, our main sponsor! See you there then – or on the road.
And by anyone impressed by Luttenberger's estate: Be successful and you can reach it too. I meanwhile will have to write a lot of future articles to even remotely pay my rent...
X
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
It was good to meet the rest of the team at Luttenberger's.
Good luck to the rest of the team in the Part 2 races. I am eagerly awaiting Romandie so I can show you what I am able to do.
After the hilly stage 5 of Vuelta Ciclista a País Vasco, Leopold König is close to achieving our first sponsor goal of Mid-Season. He currently is ranked 8th in general classification and thus has a comfertable lead upon the other contenders. Only the Time Trial is left to race but the picture we caught of him shows how motivated he is of maybe even improving on his great result. Considering that König is an good time trialist and the 25 kilometers of the hilly route suit him, we expect him to achieve the aimed Top 15 without trouble, while crossing our fingers that he won't crash.
König at the decisive time trial.
After 4 stages at the Vuelta Ciclisa a País Vasco where NetApp - Endura didn't show much and was largely on the receiving end of getting beaten, his performance at stage 5 ranks even higher. König rode very aware of the race and made the split alongside Contador and Kiserlovski. The three of them worked great together in order to get up to Moreno and Costa in the final meters and get even the same time as them. Although König dropped at some point in the race from Contador and Kiserlovski's side, he showed a stellar will to fight and came back.
Moreno and Costa at the finish line
Obviously this is the sort of result we need to compete on the highest levels. His showing at stage 5 lays ground for aimed Top 15 and especially our manager is very happy with the (hopeful) result, since it's means he has actually done his job. In fact, I myself was worried about the situation of the team since NetApp - Endura failed to make any sort of impact on the Stage Race so far, but luckily - we were proving wrong with such a great performance.
After the fantastic stage 5 of Vuelta Ciclista País Vasco we were almost sure and now we know it: Leopold König achieved the first mid-season sponsor goal by coming in 8th at the Tour of the Basque Country.
His performance in the Time Trial ranked him in 16th on the stage. That was enough to secure his 8th place overall. Congratulations to him (and us hehe)!
Leopold König's performance is thereby just the top of Team NetApp - Endura's presence in the basque country. Jan Barta put in a great time trial on the last day, setting in an early best time. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough for the top ranks but a decent result nonetheless, especially when you consider that he really worked for Leopold during this week. Just like the other guys on NetApp - Endura. We are a team and as such, we of course achieve or fail at our goals together. So yes, everybody can clap themselves on their back.
This also lifts our spirits and motivates us even more for the Vuelta a Espana. Our only Grand Tour this year may be under a good sign when we already can celebrate such success in the mid-season spanish stage races.
It's probably the toughest goals for us to achieve this mid-seaso alongside the Overall Victory at Amgen Tour of California: The desired, much craved stage win at the Tour of Turkey.
We have chosen this goal and we have chosen our team much in ignorance of our competition. At first, we didn't know that so many other teams would choose it and the finale line-up surely misses a bit the captaincy. But that's a risk we are willing to take: We are hunting for stage wins here. To get into the break and achieve great things. The riders for this task at hand are: Zakkari Dempster, Heimdal Hägg, Bartosz Huzarski, Erick Rowsell, Blaz Jarc, Daniel Schorn, Michael Schwarzmann and Dermot Walker.
Stage 1 kicked off nicely with young, Tour of Oman stage winner Dermot Walker trying his luck together with Feunard from Sojasun. His attack was the first of the Tour and shows the willingness and eagerness with which Walker races and participates.
Despite their long-range effort throughout the utterly flat stage, Walker and Feunard held up fine against the peloton. His stage win was achieved in a similiar fashio so hopes were that Walker could repeat his winning move. Unfortunately their performance wasn't to be rewarded as the sprint teams caught them at 5 kms left. Walker did take a few sprints points along the way though.
It doesn't always work sadly, but we are hopeful that the team and Dermot Walker will try it again and again in the upcoming days.
Coquard won the stag ahead of Modolo and rising superstar Carlo Calzone (what a fabolous rider!). NetApp-Endura played no role at all in the sprint finish.
Walker and Feunard held up fine against the peloton. His stage win was achieved in a similiar fashio so hopes were that Walker could repeat his winning move.
I like how you just assume that Welker would beat Feunard in a sprint-a-duex
The first stage of the Giro del Trentino saw Jan Barta in the break of the day on a hilly parcour. Our czech rider showed a great performance, but couldn't hold up with his companion Mucelli (BAR) and the late-attacking basque Ion Izagirre from Euskaltel - Euskadi.
On the finale climb, the Iselberg, Barta tried to make his move count but ended up being dropped by Mucelli and Quintero. With the basque Izagirre behind them, Barta quickly lost ground but held up good enough to pass Quintero on the climb once again and coming in 3rd at KOM sprint. He was there around 30 seconds behind them, another group of riders such as Nocentini, Rodriguez & Co. behind him. However, he failed to catch up to Izagirre upfront and was subsequently caught by Group Rodriguez.
In the finale kilometers, Jan Barta had a hard time holding the pace but he finished together in the peloton, 57 seconds after winner Ion Izagirre. Leopold König was in the group too.
Thanks to bonus seconds, Barta currently holds 4th in GC. We hope that with a great TTT performance, the team can further help Barta and König in their GC hopes. None of our riders finishes in the Top 10 of the stage though.
With Izagirre wearing the GC leader jersey on the next stage, and Mucelli either being in the points or KOM jersey, Jan Barta will have the joy of presenting either the points or KOM jersey on tomorrow's stage. Surely at least a bit of compensation for a brave day of attacking!
The news hit us in unexpected frequency. Today's stage saw the Team Time Trial. We are not sure if it was held on the same day as the previous stage (which was the initial plan), or if it's postponed on the next one, but either way, our boys in Blue and Black showed a decent performance once more.
While their performance on the intermediate was a very good sign, they couldn't quite hold up on the next few kilometers. Ultimately, they reached a time of 11’32, coming in 2nd at that moment, but eventually dropping back until the 9th place. On the photo we see Barta leading the bunch in the provisional worn KOM jersey, which he can proudly show off for the original leader Mucelli.
With about 25 seconds lost onto the TTT winners Saxo - Tinkov, our chances are still very much intact. Both Barta and König are both on course of achieving the desired Top 10 ranking, just give them a little bit of time.
No days without news from Girol del Trentino. On the first real tough mountain stages, where the peloton has to take on the Passo Lavaze as well as the finish climb Vetriolo Terme, NetApp - Endura tried several times to make a break for it on the 220 km long route.
The first rider to attack was Huzarski, but he got reeled in by the peloton rather quick and couldn't catch up to the breakaway. Later on, Jan Barta attacked alongside Pirazzi (BAR) atop of the Passo Lavaze. Euskaltel - Euskadi were very aware though and quickly caught Barta.
Leopold König later on tried it two times too. His first move was together with Hintermüller, but again, the pace of the peloton was too high. On the final climb up to Vetriolo Terme, König tried to hang onto Rodrgiez & Nibali. He was missing a bit his punch at that moment and had to fight up his way, struggling a bit with the pace. Still König managed a great 6th today, over 3 minutes behind winner Nibali. This also puts him into the Top 10 in GC and already close to fulfilling our sponsor goal of a Top 10 GC here.
Stage 3
1
Vincenzo Nibali
Astana Pro Team
5h38'49
2
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
s.t.
3
Alberto Contador
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
+ 30
4
Jean-Christophe Peraud
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 2'59
5
Domenico Pozzovivo
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 3'07
6
Leopold König
Team NetApp - Endura
+ 3'17
7
Franco Pellizotti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
8
Romain Bardet
AG2R La Mondiale
s.t.
9
Cadel Evans
BMC Racing Team
+ 3'30
10
Beñat Intxausti
Movistar Team
+ 3'54
GC
GC
1
Vincenzo Nibali
Astana Pro Team
8h52'45
2
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
+ 6
3
Alberto Contador
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
+ 30
4
Jean-Christophe Peraud
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 3'18
5
Domenico Pozzovivo
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 3'26
6
Romain Bardet
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 3'36
7
Leopold König
Team NetApp - Endura
+ 3'50
8
Franco Pellizotti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
+ 3'53
9
Cadel Evans
BMC Racing Team
+ 4'06
10
Beñat Intxausti
Movistar Team
+ 4'18
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Giro del Trentino, Stage 4: Did our sponsors watch the race?
I really hope they do, because frankly, they get some hot, free tv time there. At least tivosis of Italy will surely know our name by now.
NetApp Endura is really showing its true colours in Italy and Luttenberger is actually thinking that he should have booked way more races in Italy. Serves us right!
Huzarski, our great rider from Poland, iniated the breakaway alongside Velasco from Caja Rural. Anacona (LAM), Verdugo(EUS) & Sella(AND) followed.
Huzarski went on to claim the sprints and brought some team cash for the guys. And the break really had a good run. Despite Anacona dropping and coming back, they all worked together perfectly until it was clear that they were safe for the win. Attacks by Anacona and Verdugo couldn't be countered by Huzarski anymore. He was empty at that point after a wild, hilly and bumpy stage. He came in 5th, and this is nonetheless a nice result for him and the team.
Of course there was another battle going as well: The one for the General Classification.
Vincenzo Nibali (AST) took a major step towards winning Giro del Trentino by getting away from the bunch. König himself was in the group of favourites and showed some fantastic race intuition by following Nibali's every move. That was until the last one, where the Italian got away. We would have got maybe even double-lucky since Contador was chasing for the longest time the group of favourites, however at some point World's greatest Grand Tour rider of the decade, came back of course. Because AG2R La Mondiale's guys missed the break of the favourites, König overtook them easily. He finished the stage 10th (that makes two NetApp guys in the Top 10, what what?!), and he currently resides at 4th in the General Classification.
Seeing as there is still one more mountain stage to be raced, NetApp Endura doesn't want to celebrate prematurely but things are looking good to fulfill yet another goal. What a season start for the team so far, huh?
