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Team B&O | Congrats Alex
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| niconico |
Posted on 25-07-2011 21:15
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Team B&O relishing Jack Wolfskin challenge in Oman
Contracts have been renewed, riders have left, riders have come in and the raceplanning for the coming season is also in the books as the team is gearing up for a thrilling season of racing. A season that will start in Qatar followed by a new addition to the ProTour - the very exciting Tour of Oman, where Team B&O is looking forward to crossing swords with Jack Wolfskin in the opening team time trial.
The team is sending a very strong time trial lineup including Tour de France Captain Alex Pluchkin and the Moldovan climber knows who to beat.
"I've had my fights with Robert Gesink over the past two years especially in Tour de Romandie, where I believe it's all tied between us with one GC win a piece. I don't know if Gesink is lining up here, but I do count on it. Jack Wolfskin has been talking up their time trial abilities the entire pre-season, but I tell you this, come the first stage of the Tour of Oman, they will have to talk those abilities down as we are going to hand it to them. I look forward to another fight against Robert and since he's chickening out of the Tour de France this season I suppose I get the option to show who is the best on a number of occasions."
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 25-07-2011 21:42
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First of all, no one is chickening out of the Tour de France. Robert has decided that he would rather go for the win in 3 or 4 races, than trying to avoid crashes for 21 days in France and still get a mediocre result.
Second, before claiming that they can be beat Jack Wolfskin in a team time - trial, Pluchkin and B&O should check the race profiles again as there's no TTT in Oman in the first stage 
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| niconico |
Posted on 25-07-2011 22:39
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3rd stage then, whatever. Just trying to get some trash-talking going, hence the chickening
So can JW confirm a resurrection of the Gesink-Pluchkin rivalry come Tour of Oman?
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 25-07-2011 22:56
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Yes, Gesink will be leading the JW squad at the Tour of Oman. And I guess he and Pluchkin will also meet in Romandie, among other races as well, where they'll be both looking for victory #2.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 25-07-2011 22:57
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Enjoy the battle for 2nd place at the Tour of Oman, Uran will dominate 
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Posted on 23-11-2024 12:26
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| niconico |
Posted on 26-07-2011 22:14
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History says that Pluchkin will have the upper hand against Uran, beating him in Tour de l'Avenir and the Tour de France in some of their previous meetings
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 26-07-2011 22:19
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How about in races with a mixture of ITTs, TTTs and Mountains
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| niconico |
Posted on 26-07-2011 22:23
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It's perfect seeing as we are going to beat Jack Wolfskin in the TTT
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| niconico |
Posted on 02-08-2011 15:45
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Hagen, Vanoverschelde set to lead in Qatar
The season is starting and with only a few days until the first Pro Tour Race of the season Team B&O has their leaders ready to get the team off to a good start.
Kobe Vanoverschelde has fond memories of Qatar taking his first ever Pro Win here last season finishing in 16th overall on that occasion. A feat the Belgian would like to improve on this time around. A bit surprisingly, team captain, Edvald Boasson Hagen is also lining up in this very flat race. He has won mass sprints earlier though and with his raw power in the flat he could end up challenging for the overall here.
The race starts off with a TTT and other than the two above mentioned riders, the team has brought six guys who all have great tempo abilities in André Steensen, Alex Rasmussen, Steven Kruijswijk, Morten Reckweg, Sten Stenersen and Michael Færk Christensen.
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| niconico |
Posted on 05-08-2011 16:46
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André Steensen ready to lead team through TTT
Tour of Qatar, first Pro Tour event of the season is about to take off. First stage is an 8-km Team Time Trial and the team is looking to improve on a dissapointing effort last season that saw them took 14th Place.
André Steensen who will be one of the most important riders in the B&O train told us the following just before warmups.
"It's not a decisive stage for us today since it's just eight kilometres or thereabouts, but it is important that we come out strong this year. We have some powerful machines in myself, Michael Christensen and of course Hagen, so we should be able to compete around the Top 5 here. It's also an important test for us ahead of Tour of Oman, where we need a good TTT performance to keep Alex in the GC picture. I think we'll do very well today."
Team B&O during last season's 14th Place performance.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 05-08-2011 16:47
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Im surprised to see Hagen in a race such as Qatar!
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| niconico |
Posted on 05-08-2011 16:51
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Bit of a gamble indeed. But with his flat rating and him actually being able to win mass sprints (e.g. last year's Tour of Germany), it could prove brilliant if the wind is as important this time around.
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| niconico |
Posted on 07-08-2011 20:32
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In the Spotlight
Morten Reckweg
In this edition of 'In the Spotlight' we talk to Morten Reckweg, who is currently part of the lineup racing the season-opener Tour of Qatar. Morten has been with the team for more than four years now and in this segment he talks about racing in Qatar, hopes for the season and that infamous first stage win.
Q: So season's finally started and you are once again racing here in Qatar, how's it been so far?
MR: Extremely hard so far springs to mind! Never mistake this race for being easy because of the profile, it might just be one of the fastest on the calendar due to the strong winds and then of course the flat terrain. It makes for fast racing.
Q: What about your performance all-round, can you guys be pleased with what you have gotten from this race at this point?
MR: At this point, no. But Edvald [Boasson Hagen] and Kobe [Vanoverschelde] both seems to be coming into form and I'll do my outmost in the sprints and in the wind to help them get that stage win we want.
Q: You tried to attack yesterday at a point where the pace was already very high, what was that about?
MR: Oh that was just me trying to win the race, if Hagen can do it, I'd like to think I can do it, that's why I'm gunning for the Amstel Gold Race this season. Nah it was just a blow in the wind, testing the legs, maybe something could have come from it, but it didn't.
Q: Enough about deserts and wind, what is Morten Reckweg looking to get from this season?
MR: Hopefully help the team win some races and get a first stage win of my own at some point. I'm riding both the Tour of Spain and Italy, so that's basically 42 chances right there. We do have a captain to work for here, but Nico [Keinath] shouldn't be gunning for more than Top 15-20, so I will have a free role on quite a few occasions there. I'm a very strong finisher so if I hit the right break chances are I can get the win.
Q: Are you going to win a stage this season?
MR: No, two!
Reckweg attacking during stage 2 of the Tour of Qatar.
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| niconico |
Posted on 10-08-2011 12:25
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Pluchkin ready for Tour of Oman
After a sub-average performance from Team B&O in recently concluded Tour of Qatar, the team is now in Oman putting final touches on their preperations for the newest addition to the ProTour Calendar - Tour of Oman.
The stage race starts today and we caught team captain Alex Pluchkin just after the sign-in.
I have really been looking forward to this one in a long time, we initially made this race part of my programme because it's practically tailor-made for me and my team, but also because we didn't think a lot of the big guys would come out so early. Then we saw the startlist... I have a strong team backing me though, I have Andriy [Grivko] who will be important to me on the Green Mountain, and then a team that's one of the best when it comes to TTing and protecting me in the cross-winds. I really think we can win this one.
Pluchkin from back in the days, winning Tour of Hellas in 2009.
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| niconico |
Posted on 14-08-2011 19:56
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Pluchkin scrapes Tour of Oman overall
In an intense fight Alex Pluchkin managed to deny Rigoberto Uran the overall win at Tour of Oman by one single second.
Earlier today Team B&O Captain Aleksandr Pluchkin took his 3rd Overall Stage Race Win by finishing a top the GC at Tour of Oman, which was raced for the first time at Pro Tour Level.
Having been beaten by powerhouse Vesuvio-Accumalux' Colombian climber Rigoberto Uran on top of the Green Mountain, Pluchkin need to claw back at least nine seconds to win the back the additional time bonus that Uran had taken.
In one the hardest fights in Pro Tour History, Alex Pluchkin finished the ITT in Stage 6 exactly nine seconds faster than Uran taking the leader's jersey by just one second. The advantage held through the final stage which was contested by the sprinters securing Pluchkin the overall win and a great result for the team. It was the Moldovan's first overall win since the 2010 Tour de Romandie.
"I am extremely happy having won this one. There was nothing in it. It was always going to be between me, Uran and Gesink I think, unfortunately Gesink crashed and lost his chances of winning, but the battle I had with Uran for the final win was definitely the closest in my career. I am very proud to be the first rider to win this race and it is exactly what I need at the start of a new season. I want to celebrate this win with the team and then it's all about Catalunya."
Pluchkin has won the first ProTour Edition of Tour of Oman.
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| niconico |
Posted on 17-08-2011 20:46
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After a great start to the season triggered by winning the new Tour of Oman, the racing is only just about to start. The next race is the prestigous Tirreno-Adriatico, where Edvald Boasson Hagen will be starring for the team for the second time this season and he is looking to bring home a good result.
"I had a hard time in Qatar getting caught out by the wind on one of the first stages an losing any chance of a good result. Nothing really worked for me. It was inspiring to watch Alex [Pluchkin] win the Tour of Oman and it spurs me on to do even better here. It's a race that suits me quite well with some steep climbs, especially the Montelupone stage should be a great spectacle again this year. My goal is to win a stage and do a solid GC, hopefully Top 5."
With Hagen in Tirreno-Adriatico are Domenik Klemme, Morten Reckweg, Rasmus Guldhammer, Michael Færk Christensen, Kristian Sobota and Danish Champion Thomas Riber-Sellebjerg. For Guldhammer this will be his first ever race for Team B&O.
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| niconico |
Posted on 23-08-2011 18:23
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Awful luck in Tirreno-Adriatico
The first European race of the season is underway and Team B&O initially had one of the big favourites for the overall in Edvald Boasson Hagen. After three stages though fate has wanted different for the Danish team as Hagen went down on the tarmac along with lieutenant Domenik Klemme.
The Norwegian seems to have picked up an injury finishing more than 18 minutes back the following day and meanwhile Klemme has also been performing way below pair. The team also suffered some very bad luck last season with Hagen crashing in the final stage and dropping from 3rd to 8th on GC. Danish climber Rasmus Guldhammer who's also racing in Italy has said as follows.
"Eddy went down in the second stage and I know he's hurting quite bad right now. Also Domenik seems to be struggling though me and him did manage to stay with the favourites a bit longer. It's a big blow becuase Eddy was really feeling ready for this and after Oman we had a real chance of challenging the top of the Team Standings with a good result here, so we're very disillusioned with things right now. There's still four stages to go though and we will be on the hunt for stage wins now to hopefully get something out of this race. So far it hasn't been worth mentioning.
It has been boiled down to carnage so far for B&O in Tirreno-Adriatico.
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| niconico |
Posted on 29-08-2011 23:48
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Team Captain Alex Pluchkin has so far not set a foot wrong this season and after winning the Tour of Oman, he is now in a good position for a very good results in the first stage race on Spanish soil in 2012, Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.
With a very good 5th place in the opening prologue and finishing second in stage 4, after being overtaken by Jack Wolfskin's Ruben Plaza in the last 50 metres, after a strong solo punch, the Moldovan is sitting 3rd on GC and he is looking to pounce tomorrow in the Queen Stage of this race.
Tomorrow will be decisive. Whoever comes out in yellow there, will win this race. The finish suits me very well and I'm feeling stronger than ever really, but I'm keeping in mind the very strong opposition that's right behind me in the GC. Plaza has had a great start, but like in Oman I don't think he will be strong enough for this kind of finale. The way I see it, if I can finish ahead of Contador, Intxausti and Tenorio, I think I will be in a great position. But right now, I'm only thinking about that mountain top finish tomorrow.
Pluchkin on the attack in stage four.
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 29-08-2011 23:53
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Pluchkin shouldn't underestimate Plaza. This is not Oman. Ruben likes riding on home grounds more than anything. 
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| niconico |
Posted on 30-08-2011 16:58
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That's what I fear regarding all the Spaniards
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