Rund um die Henniger Turn
Michael Boogerd showed just how strong he is by winning this race whilst not really pushing it! It was ridiculous. How are we going to compete against people like him if we get into the ProTour. He just looked as though he was tarininbg, and only Vicenzon Nibali could join him, taking 2nd. Frank Schleck completed the podium, whilst our only notable rider was Aitor Gonzalez who managed 18th.
4 Jours de Dunkerque
Stage 1
Riders struggle in howling winds, especially Holder, Viera and Cataldo. However, the team held on for the sprint, and with our best two sprinters out there, we dominated it. Damien picked up another stage win, whilst Kirk O’Bee powered into 2nd Stage 2
With a fairly strong tempo being set out today, our two sprint stars were struggling, and Damien could only manage 4th, with Kirk coming in 7th Stage 3
This time we controlled the race , which allowed Damien Nazon to get out in front and take yet another win, clawing back the leaders and points jersey from yesterdays winner Nico Eeckhout. Kirk managed 4th, the same place he is in overall. Stage 4
This stage entered the hills, and was where Gonzalo, team leader for the event would need to shine. This race saw us take a loop about 5 times, with a big hill near the end of it. Lars Ytting Bak got away early, wrapping up the mountain jersey by taking every single KOM sprint. He was caught though near the end, and Gonzalo tried to get off the front, but just succeeded in pace setting for the pack, which broke it up completely. He joined a group of 4 at the top of the penultimate hill, but in the final hill, Johan Van Summeren managed to get away to take the stage win, with Gonzalo at the back of the next group of 3, which is where he is in the GC. Damien Nazon and Kirk O’Bee are still one-two in the points classification, so that’s an aim for them. Stage 5
The last stage was another hilly stage, and the team struggled. It was a bit depressing really. Aitor doesn’t seem to be able to compete at a level I feel he should be able to, as he came in 20th and dropped to 11th in the GC. Johan Van Summeren took the win again and went home with the GC, whilst Damien Nazon held onto his points jersey, which was about the only good side today.
From: To: Subject:Clasica de Alcobendas
We got totally outclassed in this stage race. We were well off the pace for every race, apart from the final TT, where Dominique Cornu managed to ride in 4th. Ryan Keels was our best rider in 37th, whilst Contador won the overall
Course de la Paix
Looking at the start list for this race, I’m absolutely certain we can win this by a country mile. The team leader will be Dario Cataldo, who is already being looked at by several ProTour teams, though he won’t be leaving if I can help it. It’s lucky his contract doesn’t run out this year! Stages 1 – 3
Sprints, which we just sit back and relax in Stage 4
There was a giant mountain in the middle of this stage, that goes steeper as go up. The early suicide break gets 9 minutes ahead as we enter the mountains, and Dario suffers a puncture! However, after a text book tyre change and with help from Ryan Keels and Alfredo Balloni, he quickly makes it back into the peloton. As soon as hit 9% gradient, the whole of our team gets up the front (apart from the pack) and rides tempo as they pull away from the pack! Eventually, we settle into two groups. Dario Cataldo, David Belda, Alex Holder and Gonzalo Bayarri are up front and setting a ferocious pace as they pass the exhausted escapees, and a threesome of Brad Viera, Benat Intxausti and Ryan Keels, who are slowly gaining time over the pack. Over the top of the mountain, and only 1 more rider from the break is ahead, and Alex Holder nobly sacrifices himself in order to chase him down.
Alex quickly halves the time of Andrea Masciarelli, as the rest of the team passes by and thanks him. They now set a brutal pace down the mountain to make up for the time, and with a little hill right next to the finish, they motor up it and pass the solo rider easily, who looked as if he would cry when they just flew passed him. I then allowed them to sprint against each other with a kilometre to go, and Dario Cataldo took a great stage win, with Gonzalo Bayarri 2nd and David Belda 3rd. Escapee Andrea Masciarelli held on for 4th, 1 minute behind, then 5 minutes later, Alex Holder soloed in for 5th. Brad Viera followed in 13th at the back of a pack of 7. Overall, we look untouchable, with the top 3 being our riders, and only Andrea really in touch, being just over 1 minute behind. Alex Holder is 5th in the GC, and Brad Viera is 6th. Stage 5
The second mountain stage had a hill in the middle and a long drag to finish, and we dominated again. We used the same tactics, but couldn’t catch the break which we gave too much time, although it was only Uwe Hardter of Lamonta who was way back in the GC. A couple fo riders kept up with us today, and Dario had to push hard for 2nd, followed closely by Timothy Johnson of Health Net. Alex Holder came in 5th, with Gonzalo Bayarri 7th to complete the group, whilst David Belda fell a little behind in 8th. Our firm grasp of the GC is just firmer however. Cataldo is first, with Gonzalo 2’48 behind, followed by David Belda who is 3’22 off the lead, and then Alex Holder is 4th after his solid performance today, over 8 minutes behind. We are just ridiculous against some strong ProTour opposition. Stage 6
A bit of a disaster in the hills. We didn’t seem to have the strength to stay near the front, and only Gonzalo Bayarri could follow the attacks. At the finish, Gonzalo sprinted for a good stage win. David Belda followed 50 seconds later in 10th, with Dario 2 minutes later in 21st, with Alex Holder suffering, 6 minutes down. The GC has had a minor shake up, with Dario holding off Gonzalo by just 8 seconds, David Belda still 3rd, 6 minutes ahead of 4th. Alex Holder has fallen to 11th after his atrocious ride Stage 7
We allowed a break a huge margin, and it took the win by a whole 11 minutes! A small hill top finish allowed Gonzalo Bayarri to get at the front of the pack and finish 11th, but still he stays 2nd. Alex Holder has now fallen down to 13th due to the break today. Stage 8
Today, another break made it, but only had 1 minute as we celebrated our win. It’s been a very good tour for us, with the top 3 riders, 1st and 2nd in the U25, the team win and 2 excellent stage wins. If you look at on paper though, this is exactly what we should have done. Final GC
1 – Dario Cataldo – Team Cycling24 – 2012 – 33h27’30
2 – Gonzalo Bayarri – Team Cycling24 – 2012 +8”
3 – David Belda – Team Cycling24 – 2012 +1’48
4 – Pedro Arreitunandia – Team Barloworld +7’36
10 – Alex Holder +11’33
16 – Brad Viera +13’58
Bayern Rundfarht
Stage 1
In a standard flat race, Damien showed his great skill by sprinting to victory from some difficult ProTour competition. David Hill finished 12th. Stage 2
The first hilly stage, a reduced peloton of 38 made it to the finish line, and Gonzalo Bayarri excelled in the sprint, finishing 3rd, with only Dario Cataldo and Benat Intxausti our other riders who were strong enough to hang on. Gonzalo also lies 3rd in the GC Stage 3
This stage was another typical sprint, but surprisingly, Damien got outsprinted by Andre Greipel, so had to settle for 2nd. However, he now leads the points competition once again. Stage 4
This time trial could decide the overall GC, and considering our competition, we did fairly well. Sebastian Lang easily won this stage, but isn’t anywhere near overall contention, but a good ride from Matthias Russ takes him to the top of the podium. Our best rider was Dario Cataldo, who finished 11th but moves up to 4th overall, with Gonzalo 9th Stage 5
This final stage was our last chance to break into the podiums, and Dario didn’t disappoint. He and Alex Holder stayed in the front group of 9, who were led by Stuart O’Grady who takes the overall, but Dario moves up into 2nd overall: a fine performance. Not only that, but Damien Nazon broke early today, sweeping up the mountain points to take home the KOM jersey as well as the points jersey! Brilliant! Gonzalo Bayarri finished 9th overall, a good result from him.
31st May – 4th June Tour of Luxembourg
We head to one of the smallest countries in Europe for a race suited to Aitor Gonzalez, who is team leader. Stage 1
A very short time trial, Kai Reus was the strongest as he beat our Dominique Cornu, who came in 2nd by six seconds. Aitor Gonzales came in 5th, and Benat Intxausti rode well above his normal to finish 6th. Stage 2
Well, the server at Cycling24 – 2012 HQ has gone haywire, so the whole network is down so I can’t upload a monthly update for May. They can’t even broadcast at the moment!
Anyway, stage 2 was a hilly stage today, and we performed well, with four of our riders in the top group of 32. Our best rider was Dominique Cornu, who managed 4th today: a great result for him. He also leads the points classification Stage 3 and 4
Two flat stages that ended up as sprints, so no GC changes, apart from Kurt-Asle Arveson taking the lead due to his time bonuses! Stage 5
This stage was the settler, and we just weren’t good enough again. Our best rider was Dario Cataldo down in 11th, finishing 12th overall
Veenendaal - Veenendaal
This classic just winded up into a sprint after some Rabobank pace setting, and a good lead out from Kirk O’Bee (6th) gave Damien Nazon 2nd by inches.
Edited by Crommy on 23-05-2007 22:22
From: To: Subject:Tour of Slovenia
Hi boss! Sorry I haven’t given you stage by stage updates, but with that server crash all my notes on my laptop have just disappeared randomly. I’d be surprised if this reaches you. We did okay, with our best rider Aitor Gonzalez in 4th, followed by Dario Cataldo in 6th and Gonzalo Bayarri in 7th. Alex Holder also managed 10th. Brad Viera did well in the penultimate stage, taking the stage WIN and the mountains jersey, winning by miles. Quite good, but apart from that nothing spectacular, The lads just aren’t in form at the mo.
QUARTERLY UPDATE To:Dan Taylor, Cycling Team Liaison, Cycling24 TV From:Allan Smile, Team Cycling24 – 2012 Team Director Date: June 31st 2006 Subject:Quarterly Update
It’s been a very good quarter for the team again, scoring even more impressive victories and actually making a large profit
2006 March Budget: €1205951 Income:
-Race Bonuses: €1153700 Expenditure:
-Salaries and Bonuses: €231250
June 2006 Budget: €2474000 Predicted End of year Balance: €1205951
We’re already putting this large profit into use as we’ve hired a scout, but in the next quarter we’ll be signing new riders, which will need a fair amount of money in terms of paying new contracts and buying out contracts (although this should occur infrequently) CYCLING24 – 2012 MONTHLY ROUNDUP Posted online on Cycling24.tv and broadcast on Cycling24 (channel 450 on Sky TV), direct from Allan Smile
Well, I’ve got to report on two months worth of action, and we’ve seen some spectacular riding. We’re almost guaranteed ProTour promotion, so I’ll be handing another race management to Dave Jones whilst I begin to prepare for the signing period. We also saw a fairly good Giro as Denis Menchov took the crown. Results: May
--Rund um die Henniger Turn: Aitor Gonzalez 18th
--4 Jours de Dunkerque: Damien Nazon 2 stage wins and points classification, Aitor Gonzalez 11th
--Clasica de Alcobendas: Dominique Cornu 4th stage 3, Ryan Keels 37th
--Course de la Paix: 1st Dario Cataldo plus U25 jersey and a stage win, 2nd Gonzalo Bayarri plus stage 6 win, 3rd David Belda and team classification win
--Bayern Runfahrt: Dario Cataldo 2nd, Damien Nazon stage win plus points and KOM jersey June
--Tour of Luxembourg: Dominique Cornu 2nd stage one, Dario Cataldo 12th
--Veenendaal – Veenendaal: Damien Nazon 2nd, Kirk O’Bee 6th
-Tour of Slovenia: Aitor Gonzalez 4th, Dario Cataldo 6th, Gonzalo Bayarri 7th, Alex Holder 10th, Brad Viera stage win Rankings: Continental Individual Rankings: (points earned in the past two months in brackets)
1 – Damien Nazon – 831 (181)
2 – Janek Tombak JARTAZI – 7MOBILE – 732
3 – Sergio Ribeiro BARBOT – HALCON – 670
4 – Gonzalo Bayarri – 523 (131)
5 – Dario Cataldo – 435 (255)
10 – Kirk O’Bee – 279 (50)
45 – Alfredo Balloni – 116 (0)
58 - David Hill – 86 (0)
80 – Dominique Cornu – 66 (34)
93 – David Belda – 58 (43)
162 – Benat Intxausti – 30 (5)
165 – Alex Holder – 29 (22)
205 – Brad Viera – 21 (16)
232 – Ryan Keels – 16 (0)
311 – Graham Taylor – 8 (0) Continental Team Rankings:
1 Team Cycling24 – 2012 – 2651
2 Comunidad Valenciana – 1151
3 Jartazi – 7Mobile – 961
4 Barbot – Halcon – 837
5 Team Barloworld - 710 Doctor’s Report: Another injury free month Wiggle.co.uk Rider of the Month: Damien Nazon
The French sprinter has held the continental leader’s jersey for 6 months now, and has somehow been in form for the whole of that period! In the past two months he has taken 3 stage wins, two points jerseys, a KOM jersey a podium place. He is “Mr Reliable” Best Under 25 Rider of the Month: Dario Cataldo
This rider has been the revelation of the season. Forget Nibali, this guy has gone from a helper to team leader and he’s still only 20! In the past two months, he’s picked up some impressive wins and his ride in the Czech Republic was the mark of a true climber Next Month:
Next month will be very relaxed as we prepare for the signing period. We’ll only be racing for 9 days in China, in the high altitude Tour de Qinghai Lake. We also look forward to the biggest event of the year as we watch the Tour de France, which promises to be extremely exciting
Trouble at Cycling24! (July 10th)
It emerged today that Team Cycling24 – 2012 is wanting to go for a major shake up as they look to enter the ProTour ranks this season. In a shock announcement, it was announced that the job of general manager for the team had been offered to current manager Allan Smile’s assistant David Jones. It seems that the board believe that David has done all the hard work this season, and they announced that they don’t feel Allan would be able to cope with the big time. However, tensions are mounting here as David Jones hasn’t replied to the job offer for over a week!
Future Uncertain (July 11th)
After yesterdays shock announcement that David Jones had been offered the top job at Cycling24, David released a statement to the press, refusing the job and placing full confidence in current manager Allan Smile. To the shock of the Cycling24 board, he said, “There have been reports that the reason for the team’s success is down to me. These reports are incorrect, and I have full confidence that Allan Smile will take the team to success next year, and hope that the board will share in this.”
Furthermore, David Jones also announced his resignation as assistant at the end of the season, citing his reasons as “I could not work for a board that backs there manager. Allan has been a good friend and a great manager, the Cycling24 team are very luck to have him.” Reporter Geoff Stubbs caught up with Allan Smile to find out his reaction to the recent days events:
GS: How do you feel about the Cycling24 board feeling your inadequate for the job?
AS: I just can’t believe it. This came out of nowhere. I’ve done so well this year, and they reward me for it by this! Quite frankly, I’m disgusted with them.
GS: Do you feel you’ll retain your job next year?
AS: If they have any sense they would keep me on. I’m kind of doubting they do at the moment
GS: How do you feel about David Jones leaving?
AS: I’m very sad. He’s been a great help this season, and also a great friend, nudging me in the right direction and helping me out however he can. I don’t want him to go, but I can see why he feels he needs to. I wish him every success in the future.
July 20th – Transfer Limits
Surprisingly, I got called into the board room this morning and I got some fairly vicious looks from some of them. However, the reason they called me in was to set me some transfer limits which I had to abide by in order to be 100% secure of my job. I sat open mouthed as they read them out:
Sign an English speaking leader
Sign a top 10 rider in the ProTour ranks
Sign at least 1 British youngster in support of the 2012 scheme
Sign a cobble specialist
Squad limit of 25 riders
I shouldn’t have to put up with this, it’s ridiculous. But I’m just going to have try as best as I can. I’ve already made some calls, and I’ve booked in riders to talk to already.
Date: 24th July 2006 From: To: Subject: Tour de Qinghai Lake
Hello Allan. I’m not going to even talk about recent events, just get on with the race report. I’ll just inform you of the important events:
Stage 2: Hilly stage, our riders aren’t strong enough in sprint, and fall a little behind the lead
Stage 4: Same happens again, best rider is now Aitor Gonzalez in 4th
Stage 5: Much stronger today, a good overnight recovery from Dario ensured he was at the front, so he took the win, moving up to 5th overall
Stage 6: Aitor Gonzalez and Dario Cataldo came 3rd and 4th today, and move up to these positions in the GC
Stage 8: Another hilly ending, Aitor podiums again, but no GC change
Stage 9: Alex Holder our best rider today in 4th.
Overall, it was a fairly decent tour. It’s our only ride in July, and the riders were not in from and a bit down over recent events, although we had four top 10 riders, which was good.
3rd Aitor Gonzalez
4th Dario Cataldo
8th Alex Holder
10th David Belda
13th Dominique Cornu
29th July – Transfer Update
Today, I saw 5 riders regarding signing for us next season.
In the morning, I saw four youngsters:
Patrick Lecellier and Victor Sassier, two French hill riders
Clarke West and Kenny Rouse, two British time trialist who now join the 2012 programme
They all signed contracts on the spot, and whilst I’m delighted to have them, I question their prospects
In the afternoon, I met Rabobank’s Joost Posthuma, who was quite happy to join with us so he could race more in the ProTour. He seems like a nice chap, but he had an interesting choice of suit: a bright green blazer and pink shirt don’t really go
31st July
I just got off the phone to none other than Floyd Landis, who came 4th in the Tour this year. His contract with Phonak ends this year, and he needs to lead a new team, and he agreed to see us! I thought he wouldn’t even talk to us, but I’m going to see him on the 2nd to discuss a possible contract
I’ve also managed to make an appointment with Australian Cadel Evans on the same day. I’m starting to get really excited about next season already!
CYCLING24 – 2012 MONTHLY ROUNDUP
Posted online on Cycling24.tv and broadcast on Cycling24 (channel 450 on Sky TV), direct from Allan Smile
It’s been an eventful Tour this year, with Valverde staling the lead in the last mountain stage, but Ullrich then bouncing back to wear yellow into Paris. Vino came 2nd, and Valverde sadly had to make do with 3rd. Our month has been very relaxed, as I concentrate on next season, and have already signed 4 youngsters and Joost Posthuma. Kirk O’Bee also agreed to stay on with us for another two years, so none of the team at the moment will have to leave this year
Results:
--Tour de Qinghai Lake: Aitor Gonzalez 4th, Dario Cataldo 4th plus stage 5 win, Alex Holder 8th, David Belda 10th, Dominique Cornu 13th Rankings:
Continental Individual Rankings: (points earned in the past two months in brackets)
1 – Damien Nazon – 831 (0)
2 – Sergio Ribeiro BARBOT – HALCON – 790
3 – Janek Tombak JARTAZI – 7MOBILE – 732
4 – Gonzalo Bayarri – 523 (0)
5 – Dario Cataldo – 435 (75)
11 – Aitor Gonzalez 281
12 – Kirk O’Bee – 279 (0)
47 – Alfredo Balloni – 116 (2)
60 - David Hill – 91 (5)
81 – Dominique Cornu – 71 (5)
82 – David Belda – 70 (12)
108 – Alex Holder – 56 (27)
174 – Benat Intxausti – 30 (5)
214 – Brad Viera – 21 (0)
238 – Ryan Keels – 16 (0)
324 – Graham Taylor – 8 (0) Continental Team Rankings:
1 Team Cycling24 – 2012 – 2839
2 Comunidad Valenciana – 1167
3 Barbot – Halcon – 968
4 Jartazi – 7Mobile – 961
5 Team Barloworld - 814 Doctor’s Report: Another injury free month Wiggle.co.uk Rider of the Month: Aitor Gonzalez
This was a fairly easy choice as Aitor was our best rider in China, appearing on the podium multiple times. Best Under 25 Rider of the Month: Alex Holder
The young Brit was fairly impressive this tour, and rode to an impressive 8th already when his only job was to help out Dario Cataldo and Aitor Next Month:
Hopefully, we’ll have some big name stars signed by the end of next month, but our riding will take us first to Colombia for a 15 stage race, and then home to Britian for our main focus this year, the Tour of Britain
1st August – Transfer Talks
I had a very busy day today, with a whole load of talks with possible riders. Here’s my day:
0800: David Jones rings me to say that he’s managed to get Bradley McGee to come in and talk to us tomorrow, which would be a really good signing for the team, as he’s got great experience. Apparently, David’s good friends with Brad, and persuaded him just to talk to us
0900: Just got off the phone to Emmanuele Sella, who’s decided he wants to have a go in the top ranks and has signed with us
0925: Young British prospect Mark Cavendish comes in to talk to me, and w get on really well. So well in fact, he agrees to sign for us from T-Mobile!
1000: My interview with Ruben Plaza didn’t go well, as he refused to be anything other than team leader with a ridiculous amount of pay. He’s good, but he’s nowhere near that good
1020: I’ve just heard that Cadel Evans has seen a couple of other ProTour teams, so looks like we’ll have some competition over his signature
1400: I’ve just made a double signing from Francaise des Jeux, and I’m extremely happy for it. I’ve not only got the great sprinter Bernhard Eisel, but the hill rider Philippe Gilbert, so I‘ve got a classics leader
1600: I end a good day of transfer deals with the best signing yet! Michael Rodgers of T-Mobile has put pen to paper on riding for the team next year, which is fantastic! He could win a lot of races already, and should develop a lot further
2nd August
Cadel Evans spoke to me today, and it was a brief discussion. He already had a deal ready for another team, and he just wanted to know if we could offer more money. We couldn’t.
I then saw young sprinter Daniele Bennati, who signed a fairly hefty contract, but I feel he is worth it.
At midday, I got really nervous as I talked to Floyd Landis. We deliberated for hours, but eventually, I persuaded to sign the contract. I’m going to be coaching Floyd Landis next year! He’s only signed for a year, which is good for both parties. If we do badly, he can get out, but if he starts to decline due to his age, we won’t keep him.
The icing on the cake today was the signing of Bradley McGee, who signed almost instantly when he heard Landis and Rogers had signed for us. Our team is already starting to look fairly impressive
When I told the board about my signing of Floyd, Bradley and Michael, about half of them jumped for joy: I’d got the riders they’d wanted most, and congratulated me extensively, opening up a bottle of champagne. Some of them however, were already counting the cost of hiring so many riders, and they weren’t happy at all
Vuelta a Colombia Pilsen
Stage 1 ITT
Our team wasn’t great on time trials, apart from Dominique Cornu who completely owned this race, winning by 11 seconds. He was really impressive, gaining a lot of speed when he entered the velodrome at the end. All our other riders weren’t that far behind, so it was a decent TT for us
Stage 2
Our sprinter Kirk O’Bee didn’t perform well today, languishing in 8th whilst Matt Goss took the honours
Stage 3
We absolutely destroyed the peloton in this hilly race right near the end, as we took 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th. The winner was Dario Cataldo, who is now 1st overall. We now have all the jerseys, and will wear them all tomorrow as Dario leads the GC, Kirk O’Bee leads the KOM, Dominique Cornu holds the points jersey, and Alex Holder gets to wear the U25 jersey.
Stage 4
Another hilly stage, and another solo win for Dario Cataldo, whilst the rest of the boys ended up in the peloton. Kirk lost the KOM jersey today, and Dario leap frogged into the points lead
Edited by Crommy on 23-05-2007 22:23
Stage 5
This mountain stage had a slowly increasing climb, that wasn’t really that steep. However, at the half way stage with the mountain at its steepest, we got all our riders apart from Dominique, Kirk and Ryan up front, and set such a ferocious pace, they broke free and began a team time trial as they pulled away easily. They increased their time as they continued up the mountain, passing all the early break aways, and they were just too good as they made it to the finish line a full minute ahead of the next rider. Our riders took the first 5 spots, with Brad Viera taking the win, followed by Alex Holder. We now dominate the GC, with six of the first 7 riders, lead the points competition and are 2nd in the KOM. I love winning
Stage 6
A 3 man break made it to the line today, but no GC changes.
Stage 7
Kirk O’Bee set off in the early break today in hope of taking over the KOM. He joined two others, who quickly got a lead without any real effort. We were quite happy to sit in as Kirk took all the bonus sprints and the pack reacted just too late, as Kirk left his breakaway mates with about 3km to go as they were overhauled, to take a 20 second solo victory, the point’s jersey and the mountain jersey. I’m glad I re-signed him.
Edited by Crommy on 23-05-2007 22:26
Stage 8
Today we showed off just how good we are. With a huge climb in the middle, we wasted no time in getting on the front and breaking off from the pack. Today however, I’d told Dario to really push it, and whilst Ryan could hold on for awhile, our lead group was reduced to 5 as we went over the top. Disaster struck on the descent as Brad Viera suffered a fall, but I told the team to carry on whilst Ryan Keels joined up with Brad as they worked together to keep their distance from the peloton. Unfortunately, Brad was a little injured, so struggled for the rest of the race, eventually being dropped by Ryan on the last climb. The rest of the team who were up front powered their way to another easy victory, with Dario taking the honours, and Ryan and Brad made it a top 6 for us as they came in 3 minutes later. We now have the top 5 GC riders, hold the point’s jersey (Dario) and the KOM jersey (Belda).
Stage 9
Another flat stage, where we let a break develop which took the win by just over a minute. No GC changes
Stage 10
We had a TTT today, and we did well, taking the race win when we weren’t touted to be in the top 3. It was hard work, but we just beat SouthAustralia.com without sacrificing a single rider
Stage 11
Another sprint which Matt Goss took, Kirk O’Bee could only manage 8th as he was tired from yesterday
Stage 12
We allowed a 15 man break to take the win today, 15 minutes ahead of us. We haven’t had any change in the GC rankings though
Stage 13
The final mountain stage and we completely owned this one again. We won by over 3 minutes with 6 out of 7 in the front group, and only Heberth Gutiérrez could stay with us as he took such a commanding lead from the early break and just sat in as we did all the work. David Belda took the stage win and Ryan Keels has now moved up into 6th, so we have the top 6 riders. David Belda takes the KOM jersey whilst Dario Cataldo holds onto the leaders and sprint jersey.
Stage 14
The final ITT was won by the person who had recovered the best from this gruelling tour, and that was Dario Cataldo, who won by 24 seconds from Benat Intxausti. No changes to any of the rankings
Stage 15
After a gruelling 15 day tour, Kirk O’Bee did far better in the sprint and came up 2nd.
A great tour for us, we’ve brought in a very young team, and I can’t belive just how much they’ve won by. We won everything here Final GC:
1 Dario Cataldo 48h03’17
2 Alex Holder + 4’00
3 Benat Intxausti + 4’08
4 David Belda + 4’34
5 Brad Viera + 8’23
6 Ryan Keels + 11’14
KOM:
1 David Belda 66
2 Kirk O’Bee 40
3 Alex Holder 38
23rd July
I spoke to 6 more riders today, and my first signing was Ulugbek Tynyanov, A Kazkhastan cobble rider who David Wyandt said I had to sign. So I did.
I then saw dome very promising riders throughout the day, starting off with Jose Rujano of QuickStep. I had to pay about €100,000 for his signature, but he’s such a good climber, and I feel this is an absolute bargain.
I then saw the Rabobank team over the signature of Kai Reus, but they stubbornly wouldn’t let him go. He would have been a great asset for the team.
Vincenzo Nibali was up next, and I really wanted him, he’d been one of the revelations of the season, a great hill rider. I had to pay over €300,00 to Liquigas for him, and he signed, saying Floyd Landis was a key reason why he considered joining the team.
I finally saw Gusev and Kashechkin, but both wanted to be sole team leaders, and with Floyd, I just cannot give them that. This isn’t the attitude I want for my team
Edited by Crommy on 23-05-2007 22:28
Tour of Britain
The board are not happy with me at the moment. They didn’t want me to sign new riders if I had to buy out their contracts, and especially if they weren’t from an English speaking country. In fact, problems have gotten worse as a board member told the press that they had lost faith in me, and I sort of replied that I didn’t give a damn what they thought. Anyway, hopefully the Tour of Britain will redeem me a bit Stage 1
A tough hilly stage, we had two competitors who were at the height of their form (Kohl and Astarloa), and only Dario Cataldo could hang in and get third. Bayarri and Belda followed in 4th and 5th, 20 seconds later
Stage 2
We went from Blackpool to Liverpool today in another hilly race, but the less demanding terrain ensured our best riders stayed in the top group of 25. Igor Astarloa won for the second day in a row
Stage 3
A third hilly stage, and this time Kohl took the stage win, having support from Bernucci who came in 2nd. Only 20 seconds later was Dario Cataldo, who’s our best rider still in 3rd, whilst Kohl takes the lead
Stage 4
This stage ended in a sprint but we just didn’t get started in the sprint and our best rider was Kirk in 6th
CYCLING24 – 2012 MONTHLY ROUNDUP Posted online on Cycling24.tv and broadcast on Cycling24 (channel 450 on Sky TV), direct from Allan Smile
It’s been a great month for the team as we romped to success in Colombia and look well placed in the Tour of Britain. Damien Nazon still holds onto the Continental lead, whilst Comunidad Valenciana look set to join us in the ProTour ranks next season. Plus, we’ve managed to sign some big stars to lead us next year in the ProTour, including the great American rider Floyd Landis, who’ll lead the team next year. Results:
--Vuelta a Colombia Pilsen: Dario Cataldo 1st plus points jersey and 4 stage wins, Alex Holder 2nd, Benat Intxausti 3rd, David Belda 4thplus stage win, Brad Viera 5th plus stage win, Ryan Keels 6th, Kirk O’Bee KOM jersey plus stage win, Dominique Cornu stage 1 win, team classification win, TTT win
--Tour of Britain: Dario Cataldo currently 3rd, 2 podium positions Rankings: Continental Individual Rankings: (points earned in the past two months in brackets)
1 – Damien Nazon – 831 (0)
2 – Sergio Ribeiro BARBOT – HALCON – 790
3 – Janek Tombak JARTAZI – 7MOBILE – 732
4 – Dario Cataldo – 648 (213)
5 – Gonzalo Bayarri – 532 (9)
11 – Kirk O’Bee – 300 (21)
13 – Aitor Gonzalez – 281 (0)
61 – Alfredo Balloni – 118 (2)
62 – Dominique Cornu – 117 (46)
74 – Alex Holder – 103 (47)
78 – David Belda – 99 (29)
83 – David Hill – 91 (0)
147 – Benat Intxausti – 53 (23)
160 – Brad Viera – 44 (23)
226 – Ryan Keels – 26 (10)
375 – Graham Taylor – 8 (0) Continental Team Rankings:
1 Team Cycling24 – 2012 – 3155
2 Comunidad Valenciana – 1702
3 Barbot – Halcon – 1191
4 Team Barloworld – 1031
5 Jartazi – 7Mobile – 1029 Doctor’s Report: Another injury free month Wiggle.co.uk Rider of the Month: Kirk O’Bee
Kirk O’Bee rode an excellent tour of Colombia, taking a fantastic stage win which showed off his strength of character. Not only that, but he managed to win the KOM which was a brilliant results for 15 days of really hard riding Best Under 25 Rider of the Month: Dario Cataldo
What can you say? 4 stage wins, the GC by miles and the points jersey were just too easy for Dario, as he dominated the Tour of Colombia and guided the youg team to the victory of just about everything. Next Month:
The Vuelta is already underway, and it looks set to be a good contest, with no clear favourites. We will begin to wind down our season but try and keep Damien Nazon in pole position with entry into numerous classics.
Tour of Britain
Stage 5
A 3 man break made it all the way to the line today, and our hopes of a GC win were dashed, although David Hill sprinted well at the head of the peloton for 4th
Stage 6
The final stage saw a short 70km sprint through the streets of London, and the boys just didn’t rise to the occasion. Dario Cataldo was our best rider in 3rd overall, so meeting the sponsor goals, with David Belda in 5th and two other top 10 finishers in Aitor Gonzalez (6th) and Gonzalo Bayarri (8th)
Date: 4th September 2006 From: To: Subject: Giro della Romagna
Not very good race for us, we couldn’t really get near the front due to the fast pace, and our best rider was Ryan Keels in 42nd. Damien Nazon disappointed me, as he couldn’t keep up with the peloton: I would have thought he’d have the hunger to cling on to keep his jersey of 9 months.
Date:8th September 2006 From:Dan Taylor, Cycling Team Liaison, Cycling24 TV To:Allan Smile, Team Cycling24 – 2012 Team Director Subject: Crisis Meeting
Dear Allan,
I’m afraid to have to inform you that the board have had to enact a crisi meeting over your job because of what they call your ‘unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour’. A deadline of 5 days has been set as they go through intense deliberations, and your future will be decided there.
Yours Sincerely,
Dan Taylor
P.S. I’m on the board and will try to help you as much as I can. Your a good manager who can lead us in the ProTour
Paris-Bruxelles
I’m so nervous at the moment, I’ve got the board breathing down my neck, just waiting for me to make a mistake so they can firmly kick me out the door, I haven’t really slept since they told me. I just hope Dan can rally some support for me.
Anyway, we struggled today against some truly world class sprinters, and Damien Nazon disappointed again as he couldn’t even overtake his lead out man David Hill, who was our best finisher.
Rund um die Nurnberger Alstadt
I KEEP MY JOB! The board were deadlocked, with 5 wanting to see me go, and five wanting to see me to be fired. However, yesterday, Dan managed to persuade another board member to side with me, but I’m now getting sanctions drawn up which will inhibit me further. I’m not that bothered though, I’m just happy to have my job!
My ecstasy must have translated to Damien Nazon today as he cemented his grip at the top by taking the victory today. Kirk O’Bee managed 7th, so things are starting to look better
GP d’Isbergues
Damien Nazon underperformed completely here, and David Hill was the sole pride salvager when he came in 9th
Date: 20th September 2006 From:Dan Taylor, Cycling Team Liaison, Cycling24 TV To: Allan Smile, Team Cycling24 – 2012 Team Director Subject:Crisis Meeting
Dear Allan,
Congratulations on keeping your job, it’s great news, but I’ve also got some fairly bad news. The board has decided, by a 7 to 3 majority, to sell the cycling team for these reasons:
1 Disagreement over team director, Allan Smile
2 Financial Costs of maintaining a ProTour team
3 Board dispute over need for cycling team
4 Recent poor publicity
The team will be sold at the end of this season, but until then, two fairly harsh sanctions have been imposed on you: you are not allowed to spend money on anything other than salaries, and you cannot make any more rider acquisitions
The board want to have the team in a strong situation financially so that they can sell the team for maximal profit
Circuit Franco-Belge
This was to be our last race of the season, as it was agreed by all parties that continuing with any more races was fairly pointless.
The tour didn’t go so well, as we didn’t get a stage win like the board wanted (like I care!), and our best performance was a 2nd place in the last stage from none other than the useless Graham Taylor, who landed 5th overall.
