Thanks. Unfortunately he lost a lot of his stats. So he is just good for attacks on flat stages
Niedersachsenrundfahrt - Stage 1
Wallenhorst - Bremen
A very flat stage, perfectly for the sprinters. Today we will see if Hunter (77) or Fischer (72) will do better. Fischer`s hill skills are better and also his fitness. So we might go for him.
A big group around Kopp (Kuota) with an early attack.
The 3 biggest teams here are doing the pace. Garmin, HTC and NetApp.
With Kluge, Sieberg (NetApp) and Rensaw, Clarke (HTC) they have good options.
With 20km the group will be caught.
The sprint starts soon and Fischer has got a very nice postion, while Hunter has to come from a bit further behind.
On the last corners some rider crashed including Cameron Meyer, but he isn`t injured.
Roger Kluge wins today ahead of Peeters and Fischer. Also Hunter as 6th with a very nice result. Very important bonus seconds for the Brazilian.
Result
Spoiler
1
Roger Kluge
Team NetApp
3h29'24
2
Kevin Peeters
Landbouwkrediet
s.t.
3
Murilo Fischer
Garmin - Cervelo
s.t.
4
Marcel Sieberg
Team NetApp
s.t.
5
Dieter Cappelle
Landbouwkrediet
s.t.
6
Robert Hunter
Garmin - Cervelo
s.t.
7
Stefan Radochla
Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse
s.t.
8
Max Stahr
Team NetApp
s.t.
9
Mark Renshaw
Team HTC - Highroad
s.t.
10
Michael Schweizer
PSK Whirlpool - Author
s.t.
Overall
1
Roger Kluge
Team NetApp
3h29'04
2
Kevin Peeters
Landbouwkrediet
+ 8
3
Murilo Fischer
Garmin - Cervelo
+ 12
4
Cristian Dörner
Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse
+ 14
5
Carlos Martínez
Café de Colombia - Colombia es Pasión
s.t.
6
Mariusz Mielcarski
Miche
s.t.
7
Ryan Roth
Spidertech powered by Planet Energy
+ 18
8
Marcel Sieberg
Team NetApp
+ 20
9
Dieter Cappelle
Landbouwkrediet
s.t.
10
Robert Hunter
Garmin - Cervelo
s.t.
P:
1
Roger Kluge
Team NetApp
25
2
Mariusz Mielcarski
Miche
20
3
Carlos Martínez
Café de Colombia - Colombia es Pasión
20
KoM:
1
David Kopp
Team Kuota - Indeland
12
2
Wojciech Ziółkowski
Ceramica Flaminia
6
3
Mariusz Mielcarski
Miche
3
U25:
1
Kevin Peeters
Landbouwkrediet
3h29'12 (1)
2
Cristian Dörner
Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse
+ 6 (2)
3
Carlos Martínez
Café de Colombia - Colombia es Pasión
+ 6 (3)
Team:
1
Team NetApp
10h28'12 (1)
2
Landbouwkrediet
+ 0 (2)
3
Garmin - Cervelo
+ 0 (3)
Niedersachsenrundfahrt - Stage 2
Bremen - Melle
The 2nd stage is also for the sprinters probably although it`s more hilly than the last and due to the very short cobbled section the startlist is that strange
Again a bigger group today. As Meyer lost almost 3min yesterday we have im there, too. He won`t go for the stage win as he would help all the riders with just +20s. He will try to get both mountain sprints. If everything works then the peloton will catch up between these sprints and the finish.
Again these 3 teams in the lead. The maximum advance was almost 10min so we really have to work now.
First goal achieved. Meyer wins both mountain sprints and will take the lead in this ranking after the stage.
35km left and still 3'47 to the peloton.
On the 10km mark the break is splitted into 2 parts. Kreder and Hunter are also doing the pace now as Fischer will have better chances today. Also Cameron Meyer is waiting for the group to help out on the last kilometers.
(Actually he felt back automatically, good idea, luckily I didn`t want to win the stage with him)
Martin Pedersen was the strongest today. A great effort by the Dane as his only helper is the former Garmin rider Svein Tuft. Yesterday`s winner Kluge finished 2nd and will stay in the lead. Sieberg completes the podium, while Fischer finished on the 5th today and will keep a good overall placement.
Niedersachsenrundfahrt - Stage 3
Melle - Rheda-Wiedenbrück
Another very flat stage means another chance for our two sprinters. In a race like this every bonus second is important as there won`t be big time gpas in the end.
A group of 5 in the break of the day. Unfortunately David Kopp is there again and takes both mountain sprints and the jersey back.
(Nice that he attacked like the 2nd to get the points, why the AI isn`t always playing this way)
As already on the last days it`s Brent Rowe doing the pace on the first half of the race. We are still not sure about him in the next season. He stagnated a bit in his development and we don`t see him becoming a Pro Tour rider. So he might have to look out for a smaller team probably.
25km in front of the finish the group was caught and a last intermediate sprint before the final sprint.
Steffen Radochla wins it ahead of Murilo Fischer and Kevin Peeters. These seconds are very important for us. Hopefully he can relax a bit before the final.
But also Hunter is feeling quite good today, so we decided to go for Hunter in the final and Fischer in the intermediate.
And this worked out very successful. Hunter wins the 3rd stage ahead of Radochla and Fischer. Both of them obviously had enough time to relax after the intermediate. And no Kluge or Pedersen in the first placements.
Of course both of our riders will improve in the rankings now.
roturn wrote:
Gilbert (83), Sagan (80), Vaugrenard, Roche (79) have no contracts for 2012. So Sagan would definitely be a nice addition for my team.
Go for Sagan and Roche. A young and one nearly in the 30's (he's 28 in 2012, I think), should be nice additions for the team in the hilly and mountain terrain. Youth and experience make good results.
Also my first plan. Sagan would be a bomb in my team.
But another way could be to get another top10 GT rider and then I have Hesjedal or another rider just for the Ardennes primarily. That`s what is missing most in the team.
A Hesjedal with 98 fitness would also do much better results than my Hesjedal with focus on stage races with 89(AGR), 92(FW), 91(LBL).
No actually I have my semester break at the moment. University will start again next week. Plus I don`t play other games normally. And the only time needing thing is to play the stages. Editing the screens and upload lasts 2min and writing the reports also just a few minutes in most cases.
Thanks. I was surprised that Kluge and Pedersen were quite far behind, so my choice to take Radochla`s wheel was perfect.
Last 2 stages will be reported now. Was a great fun to play 5 sprint stages, that`s why I love these smaller races, much more fun than 5 sprint stages of a bigger race actually plus the fact that I made this race
Niedersachsenrundfahrt - Stage 4
Rheda-Wiedenbrück - Duderstadt
This is one of the harder stages in Niedersachsen. Especially the last hill after the first finish passing could be great for an attack.
Meyer is again in the break to get the KoM jersey back. With Cesar Veloso a good hilly rider is in there, too. So Meyer can`t handle to stay with them. Obviously he doesn`t feel too good after two crashes on day 1 and day 3.
NetApp is taking care for the pace. Rowe just has to do a little bit. Some riders in the break are just 36s back and so a big danger on this stage.
Later the stage it`s a very clsoe decision. Meyer, Duggan, Millar and Löw are doing a very high pace now.
In the group, Cesar Veloso attacked and leads the race now. He looks very strong. Big luck for us that he is already more than 2min back. But we want another stage win and so we are still doing a high pace.
But no chance. The Spaniard wins the 4th stage after a 15km solo.
Behind him the peloton prepares the sprint for the 2nd as everybody else was caught.
Sieberg takes it ahead of Thomas. Fischer again with a strong performance as 5th behind Kluge, who will keep the lead.
Niedersachsenrundfahrt - Stage 5
Osterode - Göttingen
The last stage starts quite hard and with the "Hoher Hagen" 30km to the finish there is another difficulty. So all riders must be concentrated today.
Also the fight for the podium is very close, so a good placement is important today.
Meyer tried it again to have a last chance for the KoM jersey but although he was in the group until the 2nd mountain sprint he wasn`t able to get any points today.
A complicated situation after the "Hoher Hagen". Many splits in the peloton and nobody really knew, where his leader is. In the end Kreder was able to stay in the first group together with ~10 riders including Pedersen and Cesar Veloso.
Fischer felt back into the 2nd group (~20) with the yellow jersey Kluge and Millar.
Hunter even felt back into the next group with Duggan.
Millar is working hard now to bring Fischer back into the first group. Of course Kreder has a nice position but he would fight for a stage win and the 6th-10th, while Fischer is fighting for the podium.
With 10km to go the groups are together again and with just 3km to go even the group around Hunter was able to find contact again.
Unfortunately Fischer lost a lot of energy and so he won`t be able to sprint for the win today but probably the same for most other sprinters as the stage was harder than expected.
This is a big surprise. Sivtsov "attacked" on the last 4km and created a small gap. In the end all the sprinters were too exhausted and so the whole top10 looks very weird for a sprint finish.
But the good news first, Fischer will keep the 2nd and the point jersey, while Hunter falls back on the 5th behind Pedersen. Kluge will take the overall win, what was very important for Team NetApp.
Also nice to see that our former team mate Svein Tuft jumps into the top10 on the last day. Team Geox had just 2 starters but both of them in the top10 in the end.
The Tour de Romandie is a Suisse Pro Tour Race in the Romandie region.
It`s held since 1947. On six stages the riders have to prove their skills in timetrial and mountain stages and so it`s a perfect preparation for the Giro d`Italia. Most wins has Stephen Roche with 3.
Result in 2011
1
Tony Martin
Team HTC - Columbia
2
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
3
Jakob Fuglsang
Team Saxo Bank
4
Markus Fothen
Team Milram
5
Tejay Van Garderen
Team HTC - Columbia
6
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Garmin - Transitions
7
Vladimir Karpets
Team Katusha
8
Andriy Grivko
Astana
9
Egoi Martínez
Euskaltel - Euskadi
10
Daniel Martin
Garmin - Transitions
Route in 2012
I will play Dimi22`s variant. It`s the 2009 Tour de Romandie starting with a very short prologue, then 2 hilly stages, a 14km "hilly" TTT, mountain top finish (actually not the hardest 50/50 mountain/hill) and another hilly/flat finish. Maximum 1-2 chances for the hilly sprinters.
Garmin squad in 2012
It`s nearly the whole Giro squad starting in the Suisse. Martin is aiming for a nice result here, although the two timetrials doesn`t suit him. But together with Pate, Bobridge and Farrar he should be able to avoid to lose too much time in the team time trial. Stetina and Peterson are helping him in the harder stages. It`s the last preparation before the Giro d'Italia.
Tour de Romandie - Stage 1
Lausanne ITT
Luckily the prologue is just 3km long. So Martin can`t lose that much time. Also the biggest favourites aren`t the best in time trials, too.
Richie Porte won the ITT Worlds in 2010 totally surprising. This year he is riding in his team shirt again. But actually not very well. He doesn`t seem to be in a good form.
5'56
Next is Dan Martin. Bobridge, Farrar and Pate did already very well and are possible top 10 contenders today.
Also Martin`s time is quite good.
5'37
Leipheimer lost a lot of his climbing skills but he is still a great time trialist.
4th so far behind Barredo and Cavendish and Vaugrenard.
5'26
Laurens Ten Damhas more freedoms after Gesink left Rabobank. His time is clsoe to Martin`s.
5'39
Menchov won the Tour de France in 2010 surprisingly ahead of Contador and Schleck. He isn`t as strong as 2 years back, but still a good bet for these races. But not today.
5'42
Peter Sagan is a big favourite here if he can stay with the best climbers on the longer climbs. His form was great in the Ardennes and also today he takes the lead.
5'18
Taaramae also a big favourite and a good form.
5'29
Last but not least Robert Gesink for his new Leopard team. With Porte he has also the best helper.
5'30
Except of Menchov and Porte all favourites with a good form obviously. Especially Sagan and Barredo might surprise the real climbers as they showed an excellent result today.
One little question.
Riders like Steegmanns (31) or Vandborg (30) next to nearly 40 riders will retire after the season.
Actually I think 30/31 is too early for them as they didn`t even decreased their stats.
First of all: good luck for Tour de Romandie! Nice start with 2 within Top-10 + Bobridge close to it..
30 years is of course a little bit early to retire.. but sometimes this things happen.. If it's only these two guys, I would let them do what they want But on the other hand, it's a real pity to loose some nice and real riders too early in the game. Maybe you should stop every second too-early-retirement
Thanks for the comment. Will think about all riders born 1980 or later and maybe some of the late 1979 ones.
Tour de Romandie - Stage 2
Montreaud - Fribourg
Although the stage is very hilly, it might be too easy on the last 50km for bigger splits. Big favourites for this stage are Sagan and Boasson Hagen.
A bigger group attacked this morning.
Lastras (Movistar), Beuret (HTC), Huguet (Skil), Delage (Omega), Ricci Bitti (Farnese), Canuti (Colnago), Gustov (Sky), Monier (Cofidis), Kireyev (Astana), Velasco (Euskaltel), Bertolini (Androni), Arvesen (Sky) and Pliuschin (Katusha).
With 15km to ride Gesink with a first attack. It might be too late to catch the group, but gaining time before the hardest stages might be important. Barredo, Albasini. Uran and N.Sorensen try to follow.
With 5km to the finish line and still almost 2min ahead the group prepares the sprint. Biggest chances might have Delage, if he saved some energy on the hills.
No. It`s Canuti, who takes the win ahead of Delage and Arvesen.
Niki Terpstra will take the overall lead.
The first group around all favourites including Martin, Stetina and Peterson finishes with +1'07. No favourite was able to create a gap. The hills weren`t steep or long enough.
