This looks really nice. Van Impe as team manager/coach Van Impe is probably the best thing Henry can ask for. Also good to see Pinotti is still active in here and as a team leader. Hopefully he won't retire soon and will contnue to race for the team beyond 2013. Oh, and this painting up there is beautiful.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
duxili - The shirt might as well be French, indeed and about Citigroup, well, in my story they are anti-doping. Enough said
Shonak - Henry is very pleased with Van Impe indeed Pinotti is a great rider so he was the perfect choice to lead a young, inexperienced team! The painting is beautiful indeed, don't know who painted it, though Thanks for following!
I expect the next update either this evening. Saturday evening by the latest. Update will include Henry's schedule and some news about Wildcards for the team
Sorry about this report, I had a much better report all typed up but somehow it got erased I didn't feel like spending another 40 minutes on this so it's a bit more sloppy, sorry for that! Hope you still enjoy it, though!
Welcome!
It's January 2013 and what better way to spend the start of the new year in sunny Australia? That's right, the training camps period is upon us!
Training Camp
Teambuilding camps are hot, and I'm all on board! We've already had some teambuilding in the States in November, so these three weeks in Australia have the emphasis on cycling. Only this morning, the entire team went mountain biking, which was a lot of fun!
I'm really having the time of my life here. The whole team just connects! On the first uphill training, Warren and I discovered we're about the same level, which is great. I couldn't ask for a better training buddy, now could I?
The hotel is fantastic, too. I understand a little better why the budget limit was reached so soon. But, hey, who's complaining?
Because of these wildcards, it's tough to plan out the season entirely in January, but I have received a temporary schedule up until the National Championships. I won't bore you with a full list of races, but I'll give you a brief overview of the most important ones!
But as I'm typing this, I realize nothing is cut in stone yet. Tell you what, I'll give you a better overview when I know more myself. This is enough to get my started, though. So I'm working hard!
Our Squad in Numbers
Lucien Van Impe is a good coach, I could tell immediately. He's introduced a system which should allow us to keep an eye on our development a lot better. By assigning easy numbers ranging from 0 to 100, our recorded wattage, combined with other factors, on different terrains are being translated into those easy numbers. With a two-monthly check-up, we should hope to see the numbers go up.
Here are the starting numbers for our team, most of those were recorded during our training camp here in Australia.
And this is my profile, looked at a little closer, with my (most recent) schedule of how I'm about to peak. Our coach is very visual, so that's why he likes to put everything into those statistics. I like it, too, because it reminds me of the cycling game I used to play when I was younger!
Australian Championships
de Jong, the only Aussie in the team, has already had his first two race days here, during the training camp. Entering the National Championships, he put in a decent performance in both races.
Michael Rogers won the Individual Time Trial. Simon Gerrans won the Road Race.
Edited by Ian Butler on 29-11-2013 17:29
Ian Butler wrote:
Our coach is very visual, so that's why he likes to put everything into those statistics. I like it, too, because it reminds me of the cycling game I used to play when I was younger!
Schedule seems nice, Crit. International could be really nice. I like that he gets to ride a lot in his home country
Jesleyh - His ACC will certainly come in handy at times
welker3257 - He surely has a talent for that, now he needs to grow! thanks!
Shonak - Looks like an awesome hotel indeed when the opportunity presents itself, Henry will rather attack than sit back! Though being able to attack is a luxury strong riders can afford, he needs to grow
Sorry this is going slow. I really want to play PCM and move faster but, you know, life. Got a lot of stuff going on! I hope to play a little bit tomorrow, though!
duxili - Well I had an interview thing written up, also a section where Henry talks about his goals of the coming season. But now I'll probably implement it in a later stage of the season and just let him focus on his first races Thanks a lot! Hope the promotion is just around the corner!
I'm sorry I have been absent from blogging for a while now, things have been hectic, let me tell you! We have all been training like crazy and finally the new season us upon us. Today, eight of us were at the start of the Bessèges stage race. I was keen on performing well in my first race as a pro, in my home country!
I'll do the race reports as following: I'll write the race profile and tactics early in the morning, before the race. I'll write the rest after the race and post it all together in the evening (when possible).
Etoile de Bessèges - Stage 1
Well, nobody will argue this is a stage for the sprinters. Actually, this whole tour is made for the sprinters. It's a good way to start the season and build up slowly.
Plan of the Day: it's my first race here. I'm real excited and also a little scared. I've prepared as well as I could, but still anything could happen. I hope to stay upright and finish in the bunch today!
The Race
A lot of my mates came down here to show their support. They found me at the starting line and after the race was finished and I opened my cell phone, I noticed I'd received a snapchat.
The race itself was real hard. The weather conditions made for a tough day. We were all cold and wet and nobody had any energy to waste away, so the breakaway consisted of a small group, they wouldn't stay away. The tempo was quite high in the peloton, though, I didn't have an easy first race.
Nothing big to say here. My day went good. This was a good experience and I hope to learn this much every day!
Ryan (Eastman) is in pretty bad shape, though. He'll start tomorrow but his leg doesn't look good. Let's hope he gets better soon!
Tour de San Luis
I almost forgot to say, our team's first race was in Argentina! Marco Pinotti was eager to show the new jersey to the world. He stayed calm and waited his turn in the time-trial, taking the win and defending it in the hills! He also took the Points Jersey.
Day two here in Bessèges. Things are going great, here's why!
Etoile de Bessèges - Stage 2
This might be classified as a flat race, but it's quite hilly. The final sprint is on a slope, too. It won't be an easy day once again.
Plan of the Day: With a finish like this, I see a possibility to put in a nice sprint. Maybe I can get my first top 10 place here today?
The Race
Contrary to my earlier plan, I put myself at the front at the starting line. At the warm-up, I felt I had great legs, so I wanted to use them early on. When a fellow Frenchman attacked, I followed in his slipstream.
When I saw he couldn't keep the effort, I put in a little accelaration of my own. The DS was not happy that I'd attack on a stage I could sprint a top 10 place, but I've been racing like this since forever, it can't be helped.
And I managed to break away! Only me and Boris Zimine, a Roubaix rider. It really gave a rush, being at the front of a race as big as this!
Both being from around the same area and him only being one year older, we got along very well. We quickly made a deal: I would take the first KoM sprint, he would get the intermediate sprint.
We put up a little fight for the final KoM points, but I took them ahead of him! Now placing me second in the overall mountain rankings!
The peloton caught us with about 20 kilometers left to go. I didn't even try to hang on, since I wanted to start recuperating already, taking it easy, so I could try to get in the breakaway again one of these days.
Meersman, the Belgian hilly sprinter, took the victory today. Jonas managed a nice top 10 here today!
I finished a happy man, but last. Just a little behind the peloton. But I did the right thing, taking the final 20km warming down.
Today was just great! I love being in the attack, it does make for an interesting day. And with Boris, I might have made my first non-teammate friend in the peloton.
Now that I'm way back in the general classification, I'm putting all my focus on the Mountain Jersey. The DS has already given me the okay to go for it.
The only downside is that the day where the most points can be earned is tomorrow. I hope I can recover in time and go for it!
Interview
I even got interviewed by a local radio station after today's efforts. It's only a small interview, though, but it's my first!
Radio B: And here at the finish line we see young Vergnaud coming in, one of the main players of today's stage. Henry Vergnaud, congratulations on today's stage. Henry Vergnaud: Thanks. I had a lot of fun today. Radio B: You finish last today. Quite a performance! Henry Vergnaud: [laughs] Well thanks! It was hard to achieve. Radio B: All right, we have to go. Henry, let's make a quick deal, grab that mountain jersey and we'll talk again, properly! Henry Vergnaud: I'll try, thanks!
It's short and it was strange, but I loved it. For those who don't know Radio B, they're a station who aren't shy of irony, satire and doing funny interviews. I'm honored they found me worthy of a joke!
Better get to sleep now, tomorrow might be an extra tough day!
Henry
Nice way to start his pro career, going for the mountain jersey. And getting in the breakaway in his second ever pro race sure is an achievement as well!
dippofix - Thanks for following and commenting so closely! Yes, it's the perfect way to start his pro career. He puts his name on the map and shows his talent. He sure has a knack of getting in the breakaway from the first go!
Sorry for this, but a little post so the next report is at the top of the page..
Will take this post to say that I'm trying to make Sunday my free day. Unless I'm way bahind schedule, I won't work for school on Sundays. Will do some music but will also reserve some PCM time. So even if things go real slow during the week, you can always expect a few reports on Sunday. If things go right, that is Edited by Ian Butler on 01-12-2013 11:30
and about Citigroup, well, in my story they are anti-doping. Enough said 
Pinotti is a great rider so he was the perfect choice to lead a young, inexperienced team! The painting is beautiful indeed, don't know who painted it, though 
Thanks for following!
I didn't feel like spending another 40 minutes on this so it's a bit more sloppy, sorry for that! Hope you still enjoy it, though!
Etoile de Bessèges - Stage 1 
Tour de San Luis 
