Luis Leon Sanchez wrote:
Congrats Sotd on a fantastic season which will only get better with the talent coming through and maxing out!
On paper, yes... In reality I will probably struggle to keep my team together as Spilak is probably not getting cheaper, and 11 riders max out.
I have to let Ricco go, that is a given, and doing so I really hope I will still have 150-200K left for assigning some talents, but I suspect that I will struggle to maintain that much (if any) free cap space after selling Ricco. And with selling Ricco I am down to 20 riders - Where one is a stagiare
Well done, SotD. Not only getting the first place but also going 5/5 in goals and coming back from lesser WT places in previous season, is a verdict of a true stellar season with stunningly effective planning and wise management.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Congratz, achieving 5/5 goals and then winning the PT-title in the same season is surely something special. Look forward to what your gonna do to your already ``okay`` team now
Shonak wrote:
Well done, SotD. Not only getting the first place but also going 5/5 in goals and coming back from lesser WT places in previous season, is a verdict of a true stellar season with stunningly effective planning and wise management.
Thanks a lot. I did spend quite some time planning. I even did so before signing riders, to see what I needed if selling rider X or Y. So I already had planned what to do if Guerao was staying, and who to get if I sold him.
But it is mainly down to luck that I end up winning.
Congratz, achieving 5/5 goals and then winning the PT-title in the same season is surely something special. Look forward to what your gonna do to your already ``okay`` team now
Thanks
Yeah, that has to go down as a Dream-Season indeed. Looking back, I could've easily tried for more difficult goals, but achieving all is quite something no matter what.
It will all come down to what the wages will be. If it is possible to play with my frenchies then I obviously want to do that, as I have been developping them for this long - But if that is not possible, then I might go balistics and remodel everything
I think dev said it already - it was the dream season with all goals secured and winning PT.
Just wanted to say thanks as well for loaning us Gougeard for the season - he was a shining light in a tough season for us. Will happily have him again next season if he is available
the_hoyle wrote:
I think dev said it already - it was the dream season with all goals secured and winning PT.
Just wanted to say thanks as well for loaning us Gougeard for the season - he was a shining light in a tough season for us. Will happily have him again next season if he is available
No problem, regarding Gougeard. I am happy he delivered a bit here and there, he wouldn't have done that at us.
Big congrats for finally getting on the top of the PT, that is something we all dream about. I think Spilak + depth was the key here, having ten! riders in top 200 and six in top85 is incredible and something that separates you from the rest.
Festina seems like a role model for a successful team and we will try to replicate some of the the things to be there too, one day.
Big congrats for finally getting on the top of the PT, that is something we all dream about. I think Spilak + depth was the key here, having ten! riders in top 200 and six in top85 is incredible and something that separates you from the rest.
Festina seems like a role model for a successful team and we will try to replicate some of the the things to be there too, one day.
Thanks a lot mate
Depth indeed seemed to be the key - More precisely: Depth in several categories. We failed a bit in the cobbled sections, but we were well aware of the importance in the area hence loaning in two 76COB riders, both of which punched well getting 126 and 123 points, which was above most our own domestique riders.
The importance in having riders that can perform on more than one aspect of racing seemed to be the key with Spilak and Ricco both capable of riding GC races and hilly one day races, while Tom David could ride both hills and cobbles, and Coppel managing both hills and TTs.
We have to look back, though, and say we got lucky aswell. Ricco in 16th overall seems to be a little bit better than what could be expected, especially as he wasn't our ardennes leader. Tzortzakis fighting inside the top 50 is also a bit of an overperformance, but he was planned well I think, and I specifically aimed for races where I suspected competition would be lower than normal.
Looking at the individual rankings list I feel a bit scared for next season because I probably can't keep Ricco - And how do I find those 1200 points? Lecuisinier can probably get 200 more, as can Koretzky and Pichon combined, while Coquard, Vlatos and Paillot should all get 50-100 points more each. But will Tzortzakis do as well? Will Hacecký? I doubt it. So I suspect I will come out with a points haul of 700-1000 points below what I did this season and if that is anything to go by then I should be 4-5th in the PT next season.
I hope I can do magic though and make Spilak score even bigger.
Funny Facts:
- Last season we saw the B Worlds for the first time. Back then, the race was for the sprinters. This season, it is for the climbers.
- Despite the B Worlds having only been ridden once, we already have one medal, as Georgos Tzortzakis won bronze here last year.
- This season our chances are limited, having only a few riders available, while non should be a favorite. We hope to be visable!
Startlist: Piter Campero Martin Hacecký Panagiotis Vlatos
Prior to the race our biggest shot at making a result lies with Martin Hacecký, but also Piter Campero could potentially do well. Neither are favorites for the win, albeit the top 10. Hopes are, that Campero and Hacecký can help their team leaders; Solis and König to achieve a top result.
Results:
1
Thomas Lövkvist
Sweden
6h25'38
2
Jianhua Ji
China
+ 31
3
Michał Kwiatkowski
Poland
s.t.
4
Óscar Solis
Bolivia
+ 1'07
5
Mwangi Samwel
Kenya
s.t.
6
Konstantin Siutsou
Belarus
s.t.
7
Natnael Berhane
Eritrea
+ 1'22
8
Rasmus Guldhammer
Denmark
+ 1'31
9
Robert Kiserlovski
Croatia
+ 1'43
10
Yevgeni Nepomnyachsniy
Kazakhstan
s.t.
15
Martin Hacecký
Czech Republic
s.t.
58
Piter Campero
Bolivia
+ 5'20
191
Panagiotis Vlatos
Greece
+ 1h11'04
Looking back:
Both our riders were here as helpers, and both did a nice job. Unfortunately for Czech Republic, Leopold König were pretty bad, but Martin Hacecký did well to finish close to him, and taking 15th. Piter Campero fought well to keep Solis in the battle, but in the end Solis failed to deliver, getting a dissapointing 4th place, just outside the podium. Panagiotis Vlatos was unsurprisingly here as fillup, but yet he almost managed to snatch the final spot.
Next up...
TTT World Championship
Edited by SotD on 30-11-2015 17:19
Funny Facts:
- In the history Holland and Spain have been the best in these World Championship races, and both are amongst the favorites again.
- Last season Russia and France snatched a podium, and chances are they will do it again.
- Festina riders have rarely done anything interesting here, although former Festina rider, Tim Dees, actually was World Champion in the discipline before.
- Last season, France got a bronze, and to get a medal we have to rely on them doing it again.
Startlist: Martin Hacecký Jerome Coppel Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier Yuriy Vasyliv Riccardo Ricco Simon Spilak
Unlike the B World Championship, we actually have a few riders here capable of performing well. The favorites for the win, Holland, needs to have competition, so we hope our riders can perform well. France, Germany and Italy could potentially fight for a medal here.
Results:
1
Italy
1h24'40
2
Spain
+ 21
3
Colombia
+ 23
4
Netherlands
+ 44
5
Germany
+ 1'16
6
Great Britain
+ 1'20
7
France
+ 1'22
8
USA
+ 1'31
9
Venezuela
+ 1'35
10
Austria
+ 1'43
11
Czech Republic
+ 1'48
22
Slovenia
+ 3'31
Looking back:
France never showed up to the race, so we thought for a while that we would have to look a long way for a medal, but then first Germany, and then Italy showed up to do well. In the end Germany faded away, while Italy kept improving. We are very happy to announce that we have achieved our first World Championship medal of 2015 - Riccardo Ricco and Team Italy!
WC Medals: 1/1
Next up...
U23 ITT World Championship
Edited by SotD on 30-11-2015 17:19
Funny Facts:
- The U23 races was never of much interest to Festina, before the relance of the team, going for talented rider.
- Last season was the first season ever where Festina had a rider that could potentially do anything positive - Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier and Bryan Coquard.
- Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier managed to get inside the top 10 of the U23 ITT WC last season, as he was 9th. This season he aims for a top 5, or possibly a medal. Also Yuriy Vasyliv will aim to get close to a top 10.
The U23 World Championships are of great value to us, so we are very happy - and proud to feature no less than 3 riders for the TT. While we are not the favorite for the win, Lecuisinier could potentially fight for a podium, while Vasyliv could be in for a top 10, and Gougeard could be within the top 25. Should we manage to get those sort of results we would be extremely pleased. Aiming for a total of 3 medals throughout the World Championship week, this could be a key race.
Results:
1
Jack Haig
Australia
1h16'33
2
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
France
+ 1
3
Marlen Zmorka
Ukraine
+ 18
4
Carlos Verona
Spain
+ 21
5
Jasha Sütterlin
Germany
+ 53
6
Fredrik Strand Galta
Norway
s.t.
7
Yuriy Vasyliv
Germany
+ 54
8
Daniel Turek
Czech Republic
+ 1'01
9
Daan Olivier
Netherlands
+ 1'08
10
Truls Engen Korsaeth
Norway
+ 1'19
35
Alexis Gougeard
France
+ 3'20
Looking back:
Both major goals were achieved here, and we got our second medal of the Worlds. A silver for Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier - BUT only a second off the gold, which is painful to say the least. Also Yuriy Vasyliv showed great promise in ending 7th on the days tough course. Yuriy is shaping up to be a great rider next season, where he will yet again compete at U23 level! Alexis Gougeard were here aswell, but the TT was far to tough for him. He ended up in 35th!
WC Medals: 2/2
Next up...
ITT World Championship
Edited by SotD on 30-11-2015 17:20
Funny Facts:
- For the first time ever, we have a rider capable of performing a top result at the Elite World Championship - Jerome Coppel.
- If the U23 ITT is anything to go by, then Simon Spilak and Aleksandr Pluchkin could well be battleing to get near the medals.
- We hope to achieve our goal of at least 3 WC medals here. Just two more races to go!
Startlist: Jerome Coppel Panagiotis Vlatos Simon Spilak
The first elite World Championship race of the year (deducting the TTT), and we are ready to fight! We hope to be able to perform well against the clock, and the goal is to get another medal. Bronze is OK, but we really do hope to get better - Especially since Taylor Phinney isn't here.
Results:
1
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Moldova
1h13'57
2
Simon Spilak
Slovenia
+ 32
3
Robert Gesink
Netherlands
+ 36
4
Timofey Kritskiy
Russia
+ 40
5
Martijn Keizer
Netherlands
+ 46
6
Luke Durbridge
Australia
+ 1'02
7
Rein Taaramäe
Estonia
+ 1'08
8
Riccardo Zoidl
Austria
+ 1'10
9
Jerome Coppel
France
+ 1'18
10
Brent Bookwalter
USA
+ 1'27
44
Panagiotis Vlatos
Greece
+ 3'32
Looking back:
2pilak looked strong throughout the race, and unsurprisingly took a silver medal here. The route was much too hard for the pure timetriallists to perform, shown by Jerome Coppel struggleing to even get inside the top 10. Panagiotis Vlatos had a day to forget, but he should be back next season with a much better performance.
Our total medals tally are now up to 3, with still two races to go. Our medal-goal previous to the World Championships were 3, so we are happy to achieve another one of our goal - Although this one was internal.
WC Medals: 3/3
Next up...
U23 World Championship - Road Race
Edited by SotD on 30-11-2015 17:20
Funny Facts:
- We never had a pre race favorite for the U23 World Championships, but this season we should have a top favorite in Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier.
- Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier took the first ever U23 medal for our team in the recently finished ITT.
- Despite having Lecuisinier here as a favorite, we must assume that the 2015 Tour de l'Avenir-winner, Lachlan Morton, is the biggest favorite.
While Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier should be a pre-race favorite he may struggle to control the race, as his main helpers are all rather weak on a tough terrain like this, with Le Gac being his best domestique. Morton has a much better setup including the recent U23 World Champion in timetrials, Jack Haig - Whom was also the main helper for Morton during the Tour de l'Avenir.
Results:
1
Daan Olivier
Netherlands
6h50'27
2
Lachlan Morton
Australia
+ 1'40
3
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
France
+ 2'53
4
Merhawi Kudus
Eritrea
s.t.
5
Silvio Herklotz
Germany
+ 4'22
6
Fredrik Strand Galta
Norway
+ 4'29
7
Davide Formolo
Italy
+ 5'07
8
Yuriy Vasyliv
Germany
s.t.
9
Volodymyr Dzhus
Ukraine
s.t.
10
Mike Aaron Egger
Germany
+ 5'23
33
Olivier Le Gac
France
s.t.
44
Zhihui Jiang
Asia
+ 23'17
87
Alexis Gougeard
France
+ 29'25
Looking back:
The race was quite entertaining, and we were rather pleased with how Gougeard and Le Gac worked early on for Lecuisinier. In the end 11 riders broke free, including both Lecuisinier and Vasyliv, but as Daan Olivier escaped the energy was used up. Lecuisinier tried a couple of times to make amends, but too late. In the end he was overtaken by his nemesis Lachlan Morton, but managed to get bronze. We are not entirely happy with the result, but making a 4th World Championship Medal, while we really don't usually get any is quite an achievement on top of the great season. Vasyliv also managed to get inside the top 10, so we hope he might improve next season.
WC Medals: 4/4
Next up...
Elite World Championship - Road Race
Edited by SotD on 30-11-2015 17:28
Funny Facts:
- It's here! The race every rider in the world wants to win. Well, one of them atleast.
- We have never been good in the Elite World Championship - Road Race, but then again, we never had a pre-race favorite either!
- Simon Spilak is arguably among the top 3 favorites for the overall win, and with Brajkovic by his shoulder he should have great support all the way.
- Besides Spilak, we also look forward to see what Riccardo Ricco can do in a seamingly free role for the Italian TTT World Champions.
Startlist: Riccardo Ricco Simon Spilak
Having only two riders lined up it would be obvious to think, that we had no expectations for the race - But nothing could be further from the reality. Having Riccardo Ricco and Simon Spilak lined up, indicates that we shoot to kill. Ricco could potentially win the race from a long distance kick, while Spilak should be able to stay with the big gunners, and hopefully he will be placed perfectly in the final, and then move away from the rest. We are aiming at a medal, and we truly hope to win the race.
Results:
1
Andy Schleck
Luxembourg
6h31'01
2
Emanuele Sella
Italy
s.t.
3
Simon Spilak
Slovenia
+ 11
4
Angel Madrazo
Spain
s.t.
5
Rein Taaramäe
Estonia
s.t.
6
Yonathan Monsalve
Venezuela
s.t.
7
Joseph Dombrowski
USA
s.t.
8
Riccardo Ricco
Italy
+ 23
9
Thomas Dekker
Netherlands
s.t.
10
Damiano Cunego
Italy
s.t.
Looking back:
The race was always going to be perfect for Andy Schleck, and despite of Simon spilak riding a good race, the win was well deserved for the Giro d'Italia winner. Simon Spilak managed to get another medal for us, in the end, with 3rd behind Sella. Also Riccardo Ricco had a good race getting inside the top 10.
WC Medals: 5/5
Next up...
National Championships.
Edited by SotD on 20-12-2015 12:08
Going into the national championship phase, we had a hope of getting atleast 1 roadrace national champion and 2-3 timetrial champions. Preferably we would like to have a team leader having a national jersey, to be able to show it off, but less could do. In the following we will be looking at the results for our teams, in alphabetical order.
Piter Campero
Martin Hacecký
Panagiotis Vlatos
Thomas Lövkvist
Jianhua Ji
Michał Kwiatkowski
Mwangi Samwel
Konstantin Siutsou
Natnael Berhane
Rasmus Guldhammer
Robert Kiserlovski
Yevgeni Nepomnyachsniy
Jerome Coppel
Yuriy Vasyliv
Riccardo Ricco
Simon Spilak
Spain
Colombia
Netherlands
Great Britain
USA
Venezuela
Austria
Jack Haig
Marlen Zmorka
Fredrik Strand Galta
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Timofey Kritskiy
Rein Taaramäe
Andy Schleck
