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[CT] Evonik - Signal Iduna | 2014
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 21-02-2015 14:56
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Glad you've managed to engage new sponsors in this uncertain economic climate  . Saramontins strong season has obviously gained good recognition in his homeland!
Having a focus from central through Eatern Europe certainly opens up some good markets to focus on for rider acquisition; hopefully you'll have a PCT budget to splash in the off-season.
Manager of ISA - Hexacta in the MG |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 23-02-2015 12:55
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knockout wrote:
@fjhoekie: I don't think that Ansons will meet my minimum requirements for the quality of my riders - especially when also looking at his age. But your lithuanian duo could be very interesting for me if they'll turn available. Puusepp & Greipel would also be more interesting.
Doesn't surprise me Ansons isn't the quality rider you need.  He only ever won one race for me, the freakin' Latvian TT championship. He's good to use as cobbles leader when you have those races as fillers tho.
Lithuanians, not going anywhere soon. Vaitkus is a beastly lead out and Konovalovas is basically the guy keeping me away from relegation. Puusepp and Greipel could well be available tho. Puusepp has been disappointing this season, at least up to the TONE, and Greipel does not really fit my focus, and Ulanowski will be faster next year.
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| knockout |
Posted on 26-02-2015 17:01
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With the season appoaching towards the end it is time for us to look back at the season. As first part of this we want to look back at the pre-season goals we had for this season. We planned very cautiosly and went with the minimum acceptable difficulty of our goals.
Goal 1 : Team Standings Top 15.
389 points. 8 places. This is the gap we have towards 16th ranked team ASDA and with that it is impossible to not achieve this first goal. Latest predictions see us on 10th in the final rankings. Overperformed or not ambitious? We don't know. Anyway, Goal 1 achieved.
Goal 2 : Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn - Frankfurt Top 10
In our first ever goal race we aimed for a top ten on home ground. While the peleton stopped the mid-race attack of Yannick Stoltz it could not control the original breakaway so the first 7 places were taken when Simon Geschke could sprint for the places. He ended up as 15th so Goal 2 was missed.
Goal 3: Criterium Hainleite Top 10
The Criterium Hainleite is known for its unpredictable results. With cobblers, puncheurs and sprinters competing for the win you'll never now how the race ends. A group with 12 favourites could get a gap on the rest and with it two black-yellows. Both Timothy Dupont (5th) and Aleksei Saramotins (8th) finished inside the top ten. Goal 3 : achieved.
Goal 4: Oberosterreichrundfahrt Top 5
A hilly stage race in Austria was the next target of us. Geschke was our leader once again but his efforts were not enough to get the expected result. The bonus seconds were not enough and his attempt to get a serious gap on stage 2 was closed down quickly resulting in a finish as 11th. Goal 4: Missed.
Goal 5 : Win ACA CycleVanadzor
This armenian hill classic was the most ambitious goal of us and we failed big times. The closest we got to achieve it was an attack by Christian Mager on kilometer 1 but that was it. 43rd in the end result was not close. But at least we participated. Goal 5: Missed.
2 Goals achieved. 1x close miss. That's okay.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| The Rider |
Posted on 03-03-2015 15:21
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All in all a great season for Evonik. Will be interesting to know if you had any plans to get a climber(s) for next season? As Bonsucro have been thinking about hitting the cobbles more we may be racing against each other even more next season (though that might come to nothing!). 
Saramotins' good showings must have played a big part in attaining that Latvian sponsor!
Decent return on the goals as well, you definitely have my respect for choosing goals where different riders could have a go (rather than 1 rider targeting four goals.) |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 19:18
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| knockout |
Posted on 03-03-2015 21:52
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The main reason for the different goal races were that I choosed them for their countries and not for the type of race. A minor reason was that I did not had THE top target in the offseason and i was not willing to overpay for a leader so I could not know I would get and therefore a few different goals was appreciated.
When you want to target cobbles then there is a big chance that we will not meet often There. while my plan of relying on cheaper sprinter who can go decently over cobbles may have worked for the CT the cobbled races in PCT are more difficult and therefore I'd need to a sign real cobblers and i don't really prefer this.
Also Saramotins will decrease, Grand return to Rothaus and Dupont will be available for sale so I'd have no cobbled team left.
Mountains on the other side can well be a good option. There are some interesting Germans our there. But priority is to sign a great puncheur. I'm not a big fan of publishing my transfer targets but our new sponsor has already recommend an ambitious top target to us
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Atlantius |
Posted on 04-03-2015 09:08
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Btw I like your increased focus on the Baltic countries. Had thought of going there myself a bit, but will go other ways sponsor-wise that fit my current roster a bit better in stead.
Also that could even make your team relevant for a possible Finnish loan-in after you promote I suppose...
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| knockout |
Posted on 04-03-2015 15:59
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We'll get into talks
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 05-03-2015 06:16
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Interesting news, i was of course aware of your interest in latvians in the first transfer season for Evonik, as we were in some bidding battles there, but in the end both came out with nice rider on decent wage. I have Liepins and Smirnovs in the team and Emils Liepins is ready to look for a new team most likely.
Good luck!
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| knockout |
Posted on 05-03-2015 19:05
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Oh yeah. We had a lot of clashes in the last transfer season. A bit too many if you ask me 
Liepins looks interesting. But better give me Smirnovs as well
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 06-03-2015 06:43
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Worls is small, sooner or later we all run into other teams with similar region focus, even when i though you will go forr Germans only.
Smirnovs would be obvious target, but he has some great value for us, so we will see. 
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| knockout |
Posted on 08-03-2015 13:57
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Grand Tour Champion
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With the last regular season race finished it is the perfect time to look back at a wonderful season for us. The award for the rider of the year has to go without a doubt to Simon Geschke who was responsible for 11 of our 16 wins.
The other star of the season was latvian Aleksei Saramotins who took 2 cobbled classic home and with that he could arguably be the best cobbler of the continental cobble season.
Look below for a complete overview of our results:
| | | | VICTORIES | | | | 1 | Aleksei Saramotins | GP Oudenaarde | - | | 1 | Aleksei Saramotins | Lincoln GP | - | | 1 | Andris Vosekalns | Tour de San Luis | KoM | | 1 | Guillaume Boivin | Istrian Spring Trophy | U25 | | 1 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 1 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 1 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 2 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Volta ao Algarve | Points | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | Stage 6 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | Stage 7 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | Points | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Istrian Spring Trophy | Stage 4 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Tour de Pologne | Stage 5 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Tour d'Indonesia | Stage 5 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 1 | | 1 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | Points | | | | | | PODIUMS | | | | 2 | Andris Vosekalns | Vuelta a Guatemala | Stage 2 | | 2 | Guillaume Boivin | Istrian Spring Trophy | Stage 4 | | 2 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Istrian Spring Trophy | Stage 1 | | 2 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 3 | | 2 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Vuelta a Burgos | Points | | 2 | Simon Geschke | Istrian Spring Trophy | Points | | 2 | Simon Geschke | Tour de Pologne | Stage 2 | | 2 | Timothy Dupont | GP Oudenaarde | - | | 3 | Aleksei Saramotins | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 1 | | 3 | Aleksei Saramotins | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 1 | | 3 | Alexander Edmondson | Bucks County Classic | - | | 3 | Florian Bissinger | Benelux Challenge | Stage 5 | | 3 | Gert Joeaar | Tour de San Luis | Stage 4 | | 3 | Gert Joeaar | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 4 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 3 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | Stage 4 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Istrian Spring Trophy | Stage 3 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Oberösterreich Rundfahrt | Stage 2 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Tour de Pologne | Stage 3 | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Tour de Pologne | Points | | 3 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 6 | | 3 | Timothy Dupont | Tour de Rwanda | Stage 2 |
Spoiler | OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS | | | | 4 | Phil Bauhaus | New Zealand Cycle Classic | Stage 5 | | 4 | Alexander Edmondson | Great Ocean Road Race | - | | 4 | Timothy Dupont | Tour de San Luis | Stage 1 | | 4 | Guillaume Boivin | Seskin Classic | - | | 4 | Willi Willwohl | Tro Bro Leon | - | | 4 | Simon Geschke | Tour d'Indonesia | Stage 2 | | 4 | Gert Joeaar | Tour d'Indonesia | Stage 3 | | 4 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 5 | | 5 | Alexander Edmondson | New Zealand Cycle Classic | Stage 4 | | 5 | Andris Vosekalns | Tour de San Luis | Stage 3 | | 5 | Andris Vosekalns | Cauberg Classic | - | | 5 | Gert Joeaar | Windhoek ITT | - | | 5 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Ruta America del Sur | Stage 1 | | 5 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | GC | | 5 | Simon Geschke | Istrian Spring Trophy | GC | | 5 | Simon Geschke | Tour d'Indonesia | Stage 4 | | 5 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 2 | | 5 | Simon Geschke | Grand Prix de Montreal | - | | 5 | Timothy Dupont | Criterium Hainleite | - | | 5 | Timothy Dupont | Cigar City Brewing Twilight GP | - | | 6 | Gert Joeaar | New Zealand Cycle Classic | Stage1 | | 6 | Gert Joeaar | New Zealand Cycle Classic | GC | | 6 | Aleksei Saramotins | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 3 | | 6 | Eloy Teruel | Tour of the Middle East | Stage 7 | | 6 | Guillaume Boivin | Istrian Spring Trophy | GC | | 6 | Simon Geschke | Volta ao Algarve | GC | | 6 | Yannick Stoltz | Benelux Challenge | Stage 6 | | 7 | Aleksei Saramotins | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 2 | | 7 | Simon Geschke | Ruta America del Sur | Stage 3 | | 8 | Yannick Stoltz | Benelux Challenge | GC | | 8 | Aleksei Saramotins | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 1 | | 8 | Aleksei Saramotins | Criterium Hainleite | - | | 8 | Eloy Teruel | Tour of the Middle East | Stage 6 | | 8 | Gert Joeaar | Volta ao Algarve | Stage 4 | | 8 | Gert Joeaar | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 1 | | 8 | Gert Joeaar | Herald Sun Tour | Stage 3 | | 8 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Bucks County Classic | - | | 8 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Tour de Slovenie | Stage 1 | | 8 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Vuelta a Burgos | Stage 4 | | 8 | Simon Geschke | Tour de Pologne | GC | | 8 | Simon Geschke | GP Yekaterinbourg | - | | 9 | Aleksei Saramotins | Barcelona Classic | - | | 9 | Gert Joeaar | Herald Sun Tour | GC | | 10 | Simon Geschke | Herald Sun Tour | GC | | 11 | Yannick Stoltz | Great Ocean Road Race | - | | 11 | Simon Geschke | Oberösterreich Rundfahrt | GC | | 11 | Simon Geschke | Cauberg Classic | - | | 13 | Gert Joeaar | Volta ao Algarve | GC | | 13 | Aleksei Saramotins | Cigar City Brewing Twilight GP | - | | 13 | Florian Bissinger | Cauberg Classic | - | | 15 | Gert Joeaar | Ruta America del Sur | GC | | 15 | Aleksei Saramotins | Tro Bro Leon | - | | 15 | Simon Geschke | Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn | - | | 15 | Aleksei Saramotins | Herald Sun Tour | GC | | 15 | Florian Bissinger | GP Yekaterinbourg | - | | 16 | Simon Geschke | Tour d'Indonesia | GC | | 16 | Yannick Stoltz | GP Tokyo | - | | 19 | Lasse Norman Hansen | Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn | - |
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| knockout |
Posted on 08-03-2015 19:10
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Grand Tour Champion
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Before we take a look forward at the next season it is time for a final farewell with a few riders. Rothaus, Puma and RBC have trusted us by loaning their talents to us and we want to thank them for that.
All four developed well in our team colors and we look forward to racing against them in the future. Here is a quick look at their season:
 Christian Mager (Lvl 2.13) For Christian's development the move to our team was the right decision. While he would be the nobody at Puma he was welcomed along similar and less experienced talents in our team and he got to race a lot for our team. A total of 85 used race days (not counting the Tour d'Avenir) was written down in his race calendar - only Phil Bauhaus had the same amount.
Inside a peloton there are only few guys that can really get the glory of winning. Christian was none of them. Instead he had to work hard and long to catch the early break all year long. When he did not do that he was sometimes allowed to attack himself but remained unsuccesful.
If our training consulting expert calculated it right, he should be around Lvl 3,52 after this season.
 Arnaud Grand (Lvl 2.28) Arnaud Grand participated on 59 days this year in cycling races and 8 points are his stats for this season. Was he a disappointment? No! Throughout the season he was the sole domestique for our cobble duo Dupont & Saramotins. One only has to make a quick glance over our earlier published results to notice what a great cobble season we had so Arnaud fully delivered what was expected from him.
He was rarely allowed to ride on his own but if you want to see his full potential then take a look back to the Tour of Bretagne. He proved the heart of a true fighter by attacking again and again and again. He was part of the daily break on stage 1 and 3 and attacked on roughly half the distance on stage 2, 5 and 6. His aggresiveness was honoured with the honor of wearing the KoM leader's jersey on stage 2 and 3. What a fighter!
He finished the season on lvl 3.19.
 Alexander Edmondson ( Lvl 1.24 ) He is weak they said.
He lacks experience they said.
He does not help you they said.
I say: You all were wrong. Alexander Edmondson is one of the surprise riders of the season. Getting a total of 66 points is outstanding for a talent of his current assumed abilities. He finished on the podium in Bucks County Classic. He finished fourth in the Great Ocean Road Race. All of these results resulted from longe range attacks. And those were only a few of his attacks which made him a great weapon for us and with a bit more luck or better : a few meters of course less he would have even won the Bucks County Classic which would have been the absolute highlight of a great season.
He also improved a lot here by gaining two levels finishing on lvl 3.01 which should make him a useful rider next season.
 Guillaume Boivin ( Lvl 3.25) Guillaume was the most complete loaned in talent. He was planned as main leadout man for Simon Geschke and together with Lasse Norman Hansen and Aleksei Saramotins he has delived some truely beasty leadouts. Sometimes he could even finish high himself after bringing Geschke into the winning position. Prime example is propably stage 4 of the Istrian Spring Trophy where he finished second behind Simon.
And sometimes, he even managed to steal Simon the show by outperforming him. His highlight of the season must be the Seskin Classic which he finished as a strong fourth after being in the break all day.
He finished the season with Lvl 4.00
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 08-03-2015 19:21
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Thanks a lot again for taking Mager on loan, it was sad to see he actually didn't score a single point for you...
I was hoping he would join a ton of breaks and at least get some KoM points or GC/U25 points with the bonus seconds along the way, possibly a breakaway win somewhere.
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| knockout |
Posted on 08-03-2015 19:27
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Hoped for that, too, but obviously he was too strong in comparison to the team mates i sent for being allowed to join the daily break. He was the fourth best hill rider in my team after all and normally only the two/three worst riders are allowed to join the morning break.
That said the only thing i regret about him is that i could not find the money to buy him instead of loaning him. I'd have taken him again.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| roturn |
Posted on 08-03-2015 22:00
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Thanks again for taking my two riders. Both obviously had good seasons and were able to support you, which is nice too see. Will hopefully be the same for me next season, when we ride against each other.
Geschke with another huge season. Really great leader for you. |
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| knockout |
Posted on 09-03-2015 20:45
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Geschke indeed was incredible but I think I don't have to say that once again.
I hope to see my loanees of this year all perform well as that would propably take some points away of my more direct rivals.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| knockout |
Posted on 12-03-2015 18:12
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We had one of the youngest team and of course we a lot of our riders developed during the season. We have talked about our loaned in ones but of course our own riders have developed well, too!
Having talked about our strong talent core so often before and during the season it is time to justify that once again:
Phil Bauhaus has taken quite a step forward this season. Our ways might part next season since he'd love to get some top level experience in the highest division of cycling.
Just like some other big talents Willi Willwohl has missed to take an even bigger jump of experince. The positive aspect of this is that it is undoubted that riding for our team will be best for his development.
Indulis Bekmanis was loaned out to Team TomTom to develop better late in the off season. He developed fairly well so he will help us a lot next season as an ideal breakaway rider to counter the recent tendency of lazy peletons.
Andris Vosekalns is one of the brightest talents in Latvia and a personal favourite of new sponsor ELKO. While we think it would be the best for him and us to loan him out this year to develop further our new sponsor wants to see him racing in our team colors. A decision will propably be made in the final days of the transfer period.
Michel Koch is a very promising German climber who'd love to experience the joy of riding a GT and participating in monuments this year already. This would result in another year waiting time before he races his first race for our team but we are okay with that.
Mark Dzamastagic is a fantastic rider who learnt a lot from his spell at pro tour outfit Pokerstars. One day he will be one of the finest leadouts in the world of cycling but next season he will have the freedom of fighting for his glory himself as a true fighter.
And finally Lasse Norman Hansen who is looking for a PT loan. After being a key member of our sprint train this year he will be allowed to learn from the best. He would be the perfect fit for any team that wants to improve its team time trial squad but he is also a very interestic fighter or powerhouse for sprinter teams trying to rule in the break of the day. A very versatile rider.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 13-03-2015 07:00
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Fantastic group of talents, both german and baltic ones. I have to say that Evonik is probably my most favourite team coming from CT, i like how you managed to finish well in the standings, while getting so many talents. We had some clashes during transfer season and i expect some more this year (and also some possible moves between us), but i will still cheer for Evonik, good luck!
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| Heine |
Posted on 13-03-2015 08:42
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I like riders like Dzamastagic, even though I would most likely have trained him in hills all the way (without having crunched the numbers). Though in general I prefer training sprinter/puncheurs in hills (see old discussions regarding Demare :-P)
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| jph27 |
Posted on 13-03-2015 09:05
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Heine wrote:
I like riders like Dzamastagic, even though I would most likely have trained him in hills all the way (without having crunched the numbers). Though in general I prefer training sprinter/puncheurs in hills (see old discussions regarding Demare :-P)
And yet again, I feel I must bring back the counter argument that it's cheaper to train the hill stat of a sprinter than the sprint stat of a puncheur
Very nice selection of talents there. Would have made Bekmanis a sprinter myself, but I can understand the logic of wanting a fast finishing puncheur. |
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