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La Vuelta a Espana preview and discussion
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| SotD |
Posted on 03-03-2012 10:36
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My season goals have been fucked up by crashes all year, already lost the Giro Top 10, and definately lost the PT top 3 aswell. I will be lucky to get a top 10 with all those crashes.
I stand a realistic chance at getting 2/5 if I don't crash. Top 10 Vuelta and Tour.
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| Kami |
Posted on 03-03-2012 10:39
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alexkr00 wrote:
Strange thing is that I'm having the worst "goals season" even though the team probably has its best season yet according to the results.
Thing is, you picked some lottery goals really. If i look at them, the only secure ones should have been this Vuelta and the TTT. With the TTT being your win goal, i don't really get why you would also go for the win in Amstel, not only doesn't it suit Gesink that much, hilly classics are generally random. Same case with Oman, only one mountain stage, so more or less random aswell.
Top 5 PT should be managable though, looking pre-season, but it's also a risky goal (but that's the case with almost every teams standing goal  ).
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 03-03-2012 11:00
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Kami wrote:
alexkr00 wrote:
Strange thing is that I'm having the worst "goals season" even though the team probably has its best season yet according to the results.
Thing is, you picked some lottery goals really. If i look at them, the only secure ones should have been this Vuelta and the TTT. With the TTT being your win goal, i don't really get why you would also go for the win in Amstel, not only doesn't it suit Gesink that much, hilly classics are generally random. Same case with Oman, only one mountain stage, so more or less random aswell.
Top 5 PT should be managable though, looking pre-season, but it's also a risky goal (but that's the case with almost every teams standing goal ).
Actually no. The only risky goal that I had was Amstel Gold Race. And I only picked it as it is the only Dutch race left in the Pro Tour.
The top 10 in La Vuelta was a must as Plaza finished in the first fourth riders in the last 2(maybe 3 actually) seasons.
In Oman, if it wasn't for his crash Gesink would have won the race. With a TTT and a huge hilly ITT I think that's the race that suits Gesink the most in the whole calendar.
As you said, Copenhagen-Malmo was always a must in the goals list.
As for the team rankings, last year I had top 10 as our goal and I achieved it. This year I had to aim for something higher even though I might fail. I don't want to stay as middle team for the entire game. I want to win the Pro Tour some day and for that to happen I need to aim for bigger and bigger things as each season passes.
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| Kami |
Posted on 03-03-2012 11:04
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alexkr00 wrote:
Kami wrote:
alexkr00 wrote:
Strange thing is that I'm having the worst "goals season" even though the team probably has its best season yet according to the results.
Thing is, you picked some lottery goals really. If i look at them, the only secure ones should have been this Vuelta and the TTT. With the TTT being your win goal, i don't really get why you would also go for the win in Amstel, not only doesn't it suit Gesink that much, hilly classics are generally random. Same case with Oman, only one mountain stage, so more or less random aswell.
Top 5 PT should be managable though, looking pre-season, but it's also a risky goal (but that's the case with almost every teams standing goal ).
In Oman, if it wasn't for his crash Gesink would have won the race. With a TTT and a huge hilly ITT I think that's the race that suits Gesink the most in the whole calendar.
Forgot that Gesink was there aswell, my bad. Then indeed, it's not a lottery goal. Although, having Gesnk seems like a lottery some times .
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 03-03-2012 11:24
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Yay, we have nine riders picking up next to no points...
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 08-12-2025 04:22
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 03-03-2012 11:43
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alexkr00 wrote:
mb2612 wrote:
alexkr00 wrote:
If Plaza loses that top 10 spot, we are screwed because that would be 3/3 goals failed so far.
I've failled 2 already as well, although the podium in the Vuelta goal should be achievable from here  .
After that I need a top ten in the Pro Tour, which doesn't look likely, so I guess I'll only manage 2/5.
Actually with the points you'll get here, you'll most likely be in the top 10 of the Pro Tour rankings 
Strange thing is that I'm having the worst "goals season" even though the team probably has its best season yet according to the results.
For now maybe, but I doubt I will stay there unless Madrazo gets lucky in the tour.
I would have managed my Cali goal if Tenorio hadn't got unlucky on the flat. But I also wouldn't have managed a podium in Oman if Gesink hadn't crashed, so I guess you can't have it both ways.
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| SotD |
Posted on 03-03-2012 12:02
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I think you will be good mb. Madrazo will probably be around the podium at the Tour aswell. There aren't many riders who can match his stats, even if you pull him away from Spain.
I can quite frankly only see Cunego beating him, and obviously if you are unlucky riders such as Gesink, Dekker and perhaps my own Fothen (Whom I don't believe as a top 5 candidate though) could pass him. But it would require some super efforts from those riders.
Don't know who you have for the other races though but you should be good, on paper, for races such as Dauphine, Tour of Switzerland, Tour de France and Vuelta a Colombia. You might not win, but you got so much strength in the mountains that you should be thereabouts in all GC races.
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 03-03-2012 12:30
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SotD wrote:
I think you will be good mb. Madrazo will probably be around the podium at the Tour aswell. There aren't many riders who can match his stats, even if you pull him away from Spain.
I can quite frankly only see Cunego beating him, and obviously if you are unlucky riders such as Gesink, Dekker and perhaps my own Fothen (Whom I don't believe as a top 5 candidate though) could pass him. But it would require some super efforts from those riders.
Don't know who you have for the other races though but you should be good, on paper, for races such as Dauphine, Tour of Switzerland, Tour de France and Vuelta a Colombia. You might not win, but you got so much strength in the mountains that you should be thereabouts in all GC races.
Arroyo is at the Dauphine, Tenorio at Suisse but then they are both done. Madrazo has the Tour and Liechtenstein, but he has no support at all. Lopez Garcia will probably manage a top ten in Columbia, but after that I need Ventoso to pick up points in all the mostly flat races.
The problem with so many people coming to the Vuelta is that I'm pretty thin on the ground elsewhere.
EDIT: The tour with no support will be very tough, a top 5 should be fine without crahses, but I suspect he will get isolated early on a mountain stage and that will cost him too much time to compete for victory with Cunego.
Edited by mb2612 on 03-03-2012 12:33
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| SotD |
Posted on 03-03-2012 13:34
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I think Cunego is set for the Tour win aswell, but even if isolated Madrazo should do very well. I can't see him off the podium to be honest. You will probably be the 4th best team overall after the Vuelta so you got some ground to work from.
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 03-03-2012 13:58
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I certainly hope Cunego does do well at the Tour. 
Abal did a bit better than I was expecting on that stage - thought he might have struggled more looking at the length of the stage. Still, he's not doing as well as I hoped - just hopes he comes home ahead of Gomez Marchante!
Would love to see someone like Mike Rogers get in a break over the next few days.
Edited by fenian_1234 on 03-03-2012 14:00
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| Roman |
Posted on 03-03-2012 23:54
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Rohregger looks quite safe in the top 20 for now, I should get some solid points from this race after all that effort.
Anyway, with the goals, I was a little bit lucky this season. Top 10 in San Remo, Bewley was 10th. Top 10 in Flanders, Bewley was 10th. Then Top 10 in Giro, Henao was 6th. And now, "only" win in Chrono des Herbiers and top 10 overall left for me. Happy with 3 from 5.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 04-03-2012 20:32
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Sorry once again for the delay in getting these stages out - Looking for a triple whammy Monday eve, Tues morn, Tues eve for the next three 'flat' stages.
Mb time to start hiding behind your sofa again!
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 05-03-2012 21:56
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Smowz wrote:
Sorry once again for the delay in getting these stages out - Looking for a triple whammy Monday eve, Tues morn, Tues eve for the next three 'flat' stages.
Mb time to start hiding behind your sofa again!
4 flat stages to go, although I'm not liking the fact that no one bothered helping. I need to be fresh for the final mountains.
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| Kami |
Posted on 05-03-2012 21:58
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Not bad to gain a few spots in the GC, although i lose them again anyways . I hoped for Pardilla to be in the break actually, as he can actually sprint more or less .
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 05-03-2012 22:00
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That was a disappointing end to such a promising move. Still, plenty more chances to get into breaks I hope!
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 05-03-2012 22:04
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Damn Faiers noobish riding, that may be our best chance for a GT stage win.
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| ember |
Posted on 05-03-2012 22:17
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Very nice to see Zeits being active for Spyker. Hopefully that's a good sign for what's to come next year |
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 05-03-2012 22:25
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That was really poor from Perez Sanchez to be gapped that easily. He's not bad with the uphill stuff.
Btw, really loved this screen, smowz.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 05-03-2012 22:28
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Good job I get a small amount of ranking points for having Intxausti 3rd overall each stage, since the AI is never going to let the rest of my team going for breakaways like these while he is placed there.
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 06-03-2012 10:52
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Nice effort by Cornu there.
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