Modern Times, Old Roads | The End
|
SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 11-04-2014 18:01
|
World Champion
Posts: 11971
Joined: 21-07-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
Jesleyh wrote:
Nice team choice! Lots of talent, especially with Caleb in as well
I'll be going away to The Netherlands and enjoy the beach in the Fall with my mates. After that, I'll start preparing for the next season.
What!? Yeah, beach is nice at 14 degrees
how would you know it's not as bad as it seems, I mean was 12 degrees today and I was riding in shorts (to be fair I'm known for riding in the winter with shorts but that's beside the point) |
|
|
|
TheManxMissile |
Posted on 11-04-2014 18:04
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
|
SSJ2Luigi wrote:
(to be fair I'm known for riding in the winter with shorts but that's beside the point)
Bitch please! (yes this is off-topic)
My lecturers and old teachers called me O'Neil cause i always wore shorts and flip-flops, even in the snow. It's so bad that i was forced to wear shorts and a lay on my flights to and from New York.
|
|
|
|
Mresuperstar |
Posted on 11-04-2014 18:22
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8057
Joined: 22-06-2009
PCM$: 650.00
|
Good luck Matt (and Ian), really like the Orica-GreenEdge team choice.
Looking forward to reading your journey.
|
|
|
|
Shonak |
Posted on 11-04-2014 18:33
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
PCM$: 350.00
|
The team really fits great and I'm sure Matt will soon show his worth to the team, be it either by supporting his teammates or surpising the peloton.
Edited by Shonak on 11-04-2014 18:33
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
|
|
|
|
admirschleck |
Posted on 11-04-2014 18:41
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6690
Joined: 11-10-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Good luck my friend, I am glad I started Trek a month ago, as I would have no chance on winning NSoTM.
Great layout, texts and team choice! Once you really start story-writing, you'll never stop it (I definitely know it).
|
|
|
|
Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 01:52
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
IP: None |
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-04-2014 19:04
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
Selwink - I think so, too. Glad to hear it's your favorite team
Beach-Discussion - In the summer I dislike the beach and the ocean. But during winter or fall, it has a nice quality. Matt is going there to do stupid stuff with his mates, not to bake in the sun
Mresuperstar - Thanks I'm glad you like the team choice. I think it's a good team for someone like Matt.
Shonak - That's the plan! Let's hope for a great first season.
admirschleck - Oh I'm not so sure about that and, indeed, once you get into it, it's hard to stop
Thanks guys! I'm putting together a schedule now, it's not easy. The expansion pack has variant routes and there have been generated some strange variants for this season |
|
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-04-2014 20:59
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
After one hell of a month I've finally found the time to get this update out. The training camp was amazing. I got along with all the guys. Orica - GreenEdge is not just a cycling team, it's also a bunch of mates. I'm real happy I am part of this group.
Sprinting
We spend quite some time working the sprint. We experimented with the lead-out. I admit I screwed up a few time the first day. But I wasn't the only one. So the coach came up with some sprinting exercises first. I've got some action pictures, too.
For one exercise, we formed smaller lead-out trains and we'd compete against each other.
I'm in great shape and I think the DS saw it, too. Michael (Matthews) had a hard time shaking me off in some sprints.
For the next exercise we teamed up by pairs or threesomes. One sprinter, one rouleur. I ended up with Svein Tuft, which was about the best one I could hope for. He can pull harder and faster than anyone else I know.
The sprint itself was very exciting. It's hard to say who took it on the line: Michael (Matthews), Caleb (Ewan) or me.
Eventually we got the complete lead-out train on its rails and we feel confident about the start of the season. So next on my schedule for the training camp was climbing. Uh-oh...
Climbing
There's no profiting from someone's wheel on a slope. It was every man for himself. The heat was getting the better of me. Unlike all these Aussies, I'm not used to these temperatures.
Every day we got teamed up with different people. Unfortunately the day these pictures were taken, I was in a group with some of the best climbers on the team. Yes, this is me here in the back. I was having a bad day, with the heat and all.
All in all, this was a great experience and I've learned so much already. Everyone is in top shape and I can't wait for the season to start. This team is ready for it!
Provisional Race Calendar 2014
Besides training a lot and hanging out, we also layed out the big lines for the upcoming season. I was very excited to see what kind of racing schedule the team would come up with for me. At the end of the training camp, the DS talked to me about it. He told me he was very happy with the enthusiasm and commitment I'd been showing. He was also very hopeful about the numbers of my power test. So he's drawn me up a schedule to reflect that. It's a lot to take for a neopro, but he says I can certainly do it, but to come to him when I feel it's too much.
February: I'm starting my season in La Costa degli Etruschi (), the Italian opening race. I'll be going there with Ewan, hoping we both survive the little hill in the finale. From there I'll travel to Oman (), where I'll ride in the service of Michael Matthews.
The Belgian opening weekend is next, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad () and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne ().
March: My first World Tour event, with an extremely surprising route of Paris - Nice (). The ASO has finally listened to the voices of the riders and has made a fairly "easy" route, without slopes of 30% or 300 km stages, so to speak. I'll be riding for Matthews here as well. I'll go straight to the four races that I love: E3 - Harelbeke (), Gent - Wevelgem (), which starts in my city, De Ronde Van Vlaanderen () and Paris - Roubaix (). My status in these races is to be decided later.
April: I'll be starting in a three-day stage race called Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (). I'll be sprinting alongside or for Caleb, depending on who's in the better form, I guess.
May: A nice break from racing. I'll be getting into an extensive training period around here.
June; If all goes well up to here and the DS is happy with my results, I'll be starting in the Tour of Suisse (), followed by the National Championships (). This year's profile is in favor of sprinters, so I'll definitely try to get to the start line in a good form.
July: Things get blurry here. It's tough to schedule ahead so far with a neopro, the DS explained to me. An option is to start in the Tour of Austria (). Another option is the Tour of Poland (), or the Getxo Criterium ().
August: Hopefully I'll be selected for the Eneco Tour (), where once again Michael Matthews will be the number one sprinter. And then it's onto my biggest challenge yet: La Vuelta a España (). Well, at least I'll have to fight to get selected, but the DS said he wants me to go there. That's still far into the future, but I hope to get the spot, though. The DS already assured me my development is his main concern so finishing the Vuelta wouldn't be compulsory. I could leave on the second rest day, for example. But let's hope that doesn't need to happen.
Anyway, I don't know much else. Let's get there first. I've got a heavy schedule planned out ahead of me, but I'm full of energy and I plan to make the most of it! There is a lot of work to do but I'm also starting in some races where I can ride for my own account.
Oceanic National Championships
The Australian and New Zealand National Championships are just around the corner. I decided to hang back to watch the races. I'll be training here a bit more and return home right after the Australian Road Race. As an Australian team, we're hoping to take at least one National jersey here.
See you then,
Matt |
|
|
|
Shonak |
Posted on 11-04-2014 21:06
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
PCM$: 350.00
|
Great training sessions, I especially enjoyed the sprint trains. Also the schedule looks good. I don't know if Vuelta might not be a bit early for Matt and a rider of his profile. Right now it seems to me more rewarding for him to compete in some lesser races around August & September. But hey, just me thinking out loud. I guess we'll see how he'll handle mountains in a few months then.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
|
|
|
|
NTTHRASH |
Posted on 11-04-2014 21:06
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3192
Joined: 09-09-2012
PCM$: 3540.00
|
Ian Butler wrote:
I completely trust the team's staff, they know what they're doing
TdF bus.
"America. Show a nipple on television and the whole country goes ape-shit." -DubbelDekker
|
|
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-04-2014 21:10
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
Shonak - You may be right. I guess we'll see when we get there. An alternate road could be to participate in some American races or maybe in Plouay and Hamburg. The Vuelta is still a long way away, after all. Thanks for your opinion, though Maybe 22 years old is a bit too young for a GT, though Danny Van Poppel begs to differ
NTTHRASH - Touché |
|
|
|
Shonak |
Posted on 11-04-2014 21:31
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
PCM$: 350.00
|
Well, wherever he goes, either in Spain or to America, I hope he'll bring home a girl or a victory. Preferrably both.
I like that, I have a little bit the feeling that Matt and Raphael V are kindred spirits and share some similiar values to racing & maybe even life in general. And I thought back then, during my planning, that for guys like them, who love cobblestones, one-day classics and a good, day-long race, the Vuelta isn't the best place to get their wings chopped so early. I'd love to see Matt conquer America though and make a name for himself at some of those late season races, best of all at Eneco Tour and Geraardsbergen of course.
Aaaah, I love how I'm already in the hypothetical debate-mood, just like in A Day in the Life when Henry was at the start of his career. hihi
Edited by Shonak on 11-04-2014 22:20
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
|
|
|
|
sutty68 |
Posted on 11-04-2014 23:17
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Matthias and Orica GreenEdge has got the makings of a great partnership |
|
|
|
the_hoyle |
Posted on 12-04-2014 01:03
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7651
Joined: 28-05-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Ian is back baby!! great intro to the story! And of course you choose Orica-Greenedge... You are a big fan of the Yates brothers
.: Manager of :.
.: My Awards :.
|
|
|
|
Cycleman123 |
Posted on 12-04-2014 06:01
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4478
Joined: 30-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaahhhh. #ogerocks
|
|
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 12-04-2014 07:09
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
Shonak - You bring up a good point. I'll see about his schedule when he gets there. It's a danger to send a rider too young to a Grand Tour like the Vuelta, that's true. America might be a nice alternative. Possibly even the Canadian Classics, riding for Gerrans. It's always a big pleasure to have you follow a story of mine
sutty68 - I think so, too! Thanks!
the_hoyle - I do like them Hope you enjoy the story!
Cycleman123 - #verytrue |
|
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 12-04-2014 07:09
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
Greetings from Italy!
My opening race of the season is just two days away but I'm already here to check out the route. The final hill is quite tricky for sprinters to survive. We'll have to be at the front there.
Anyway, what's been happening? First we've had the Oceanic National Championships, where Orica - GreenEdge expected at least one national jersey.
Oceanic National Championships
New Zealand Individual Time Trial 1 | Jack Bauer | Garmin Sharp | 47'53 | 2 | Jesse Sergent | Trek Factory Racing | + 1'37 | 3 | Sam Bewley | Orica GreenEdge | + 2'35 | 4 | James Oram | Bissell Development Team | + 2'38 | 5 | Tom Scully | Madison Genesis | + 3'27 | 6 | Hayden Roulston | Trek Factory Racing | + 3'43 | 7 | George Bennett | Cannondale | + 4'30 | 8 | Greg Henderson | Lotto Belisol | + 5'06 | 9 | Shane Archbold | An Post - Chain Reaction | + 5'32 | 10 | Cameron Karwowski | Veranclassic - Doltcini | + 5'48 |
Sam put in a good performance but there was no doubt about the winner here.
New Zealand Road Race 1 | George Bennett | Cannondale | 3h46'01 | 2 | Greg Henderson | Lotto Belisol | + 1'00 | 3 | Shane Archbold | An Post - Chain Reaction | s.t. | 4 | Tom Scully | Madison Genesis | s.t. | 5 | Alex Frame | Development Team Giant - Shimano | s.t. | 6 | Hayden Roulston | Trek Factory Racing | s.t. | 7 | Aaron Gate | An Post - Chain Reaction | s.t. | 8 | Michael Northey | Madison Genesis | s.t. | 9 | Jack Bauer | Garmin Sharp | s.t. | 10 | Dion Smith | Hincapie Sportswear Development Team | s.t. |
In a very fast profile, Sam got caught behind and didn't finish the race.
Australian Individual Time Trial 1 | Rohan Dennis | Garmin Sharp | 48'42 | 2 | Michael Rogers | Tinkoff - Saxo | + 36 | 3 | Richie Porte | Team Sky | + 42 | 4 | Damien Howson | Orica GreenEdge | + 51 | 5 | Luke Durbridge | Orica GreenEdge | + 1'04 | 6 | Cameron Meyer | Orica GreenEdge | + 1'28 | 7 | Michael Hepburn | Orica GreenEdge | + 1'50 | 8 | Travis Meyer | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 2'05 | 9 | Ben Day | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | + 2'26 | 10 | William Clarke | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 2'46 |
Spoiler 11 | Brett Lancaster | Orica GreenEdge | + 2'52 | 12 | Simon Gerrans | Orica GreenEdge | + 2'56 | 13 | Cadel Evans | BMC Racing Team | + 3'00 | 14 | Heinrich Haussler | IAM Cycling | + 3'06 | 15 | Luke Roberts | Team Stölting | + 3'19 | 16 | Rory Sutherland | Tinkoff - Saxo | + 3'27 | 17 | Adam Hansen | Lotto Belisol | + 3'33 | 18 | Cameron Wurf | Cannondale | + 3'38 | 19 | Adam Phelan | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 3'47 | 20 | Glenn O'Shea | An Post - Chain Reaction | + 4'02 | 21 | Michael Matthews | Orica GreenEdge | + 4'05 | 22 | Luke Davison | Synergy Baku Cycling Project | + 4'06 | 23 | Simon Clarke | Orica GreenEdge | + 4'18 | 24 | Nathan Haas | Garmin Sharp | + 4'28 | 25 | Zakkari Dempster | Team NetApp - Endura | + 4'41 | 26 | Jack Anderson | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 4'45 | 27 | Jack Bobridge | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | + 4'56 | 28 | Jordan Kerby | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 5'04 | 29 | Darren Lapthorne | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 5'08 | 30 | David Jai Crawford | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 5'11 | 31 | Nathan Earle | Team Sky | + 5'12 | 32 | Christopher Sutton | Team Sky | + 5'24 | 33 | Karl Menzies | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | + 5'33 | 34 | Graeme Brown | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | + 5'34 | 35 | Bernard Sulzberger | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 5'44 | 36 | Joseph Lewis | Hincapie Sportswear Development Team | + 5'56 | 37 | Lachlan Morton | Garmin Sharp | + 6'05 | 38 | Mark Renshaw | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team | + 6'18 | 39 | Jonathan Clarke | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | + 6'32 | 40 | Jay McCarthy | Tinkoff - Saxo | + 6'37 | 41 | Matthew Lloyd | Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | + 6'48 | 42 | David Tanner | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | + 7'01 | 43 | Patrick Lane | Synergy Baku Cycling Project | + 7'16 | 44 | Samuel Spokes | Etixx | + 7'21 | 45 | Robert-Jon McCarthy | An Post - Chain Reaction | + 7'26 | 46 | Justin Morris | Team Novo Nordisk | + 7'31 | 47 | Hilton Clarke | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | + 7'40 | 48 | Steele Von Hoff | Garmin Sharp | + 7'43 | 49 | Calvin Watson | Trek Factory Racing | + 7'54 | 50 | Christopher Williams | Team Novo Nordisk | + 7'58 |
Strength in numbers, but unfortunately no medal. This was somewhat of a disappointment for the team.
Australian Road Race 1 | Michael Matthews | Orica GreenEdge | 4h35'34 | 2 | Christopher Sutton | Team Sky | + 2'10 | 3 | Damien Howson | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 4 | William Clarke | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 5 | Jack Bobridge | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | 6 | Zakkari Dempster | Team NetApp - Endura | s.t. | 7 | Ben Day | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | 8 | Samuel Spokes | Etixx | + 5'44 | 9 | Michael Hepburn | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 10 | Patrick Lane | Synergy Baku Cycling Project | + 18'07 |
Spoiler 11 | Michael Rogers | Tinkoff - Saxo | + 31'16 | 12 | Cadel Evans | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | 13 | Richie Porte | Team Sky | s.t. | 14 | Nathan Haas | Garmin Sharp | + 31'48 | 15 | Heinrich Haussler | IAM Cycling | s.t. | 16 | Lachlan Morton | Garmin Sharp | s.t. | 17 | Rohan Dennis | Garmin Sharp | s.t. | 18 | Rory Sutherland | Tinkoff - Saxo | s.t. | 19 | Adam Hansen | Lotto Belisol | s.t. | 20 | Simon Clarke | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 21 | Caleb Ewan | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 22 | Wesley Sulzberger | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 23 | Bernard Sulzberger | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 24 | Nathan Earle | Team Sky | s.t. | 25 | Cameron Meyer | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 26 | Jay McCarthy | Tinkoff - Saxo | s.t. | 27 | Adam Phelan | Drapac Pro Cycling | + 32'51 | 28 | Luke Roberts | Team Stölting | s.t. | 29 | David Tanner | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | 30 | Benjamin Johnson | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 31 | Mark Renshaw | Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team | s.t. | 32 | Jonathan Clarke | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | 33 | Jonathan Cantwell | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 34 | Calvin Watson | Trek Factory Racing | s.t. | 35 | Steele Von Hoff | Garmin Sharp | s.t. | 36 | Darren Lapthorne | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 37 | Brett Lancaster | Orica GreenEdge | s.t. | 38 | Cameron Wurf | Cannondale | s.t. | 39 | Matthew Lloyd | Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | + 34'39 | 40 | Joseph Lewis | Hincapie Sportswear Development Team | + 35'28 | 41 | Karl Menzies | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | + 36'15 | 42 | Glenn O'Shea | An Post - Chain Reaction | + 38'37 | 43 | Robert-Jon McCarthy | An Post - Chain Reaction | s.t. | 44 | Graeme Brown | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | + 38'50 | 45 | Hilton Clarke | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | 46 | Justin Morris | Team Novo Nordisk | s.t. | 47 | Luke Davison | Synergy Baku Cycling Project | s.t. | 48 | Travis Meyer | Drapac Pro Cycling | s.t. | 49 | Christopher Williams | Team Novo Nordisk | + 41'24 |
Very soon in the race, three of Orica - GreenEdge forced a split. Nobody in the peloton was up for the chase so it would be a fight between the nine attackers. The guys played the game perfectly and Michael rounded off an amazing championship, bringing the jersey home to the team.
Australian Road Race: In Pictures Howson, Hepburn and Matthews making the race
Howson pulling the breakaway group apart
A final moment of rest before the actual finale
Matthews wouldn't risk the sprint and went solo
Matthews with the solo victory
Next important race on the calendar was the team's home race. We had a motivated Gerrans, a fit Matthews and strong backing riders.
Santos Tour Down Under
The story of the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under is an easy one to tell. It was a major success for us. By lack of sprinters like Greipel or Cavendish, the sprint victories were up for grabs. And thanks to Gerrans' thriving form and an amazing coup d'état on Old Willunga Hill, we assured the general classification! Arthur Vichot and Tom-Jelte Slagter were there to fill the podium.
| Winner | Leader | Stage 1 | Michael Matthews (OGE) | Matthews (OGE) | Stage 2 | Yauheni Hutarovich (ALM) | Yauheni Hutarovich (ALM) | Stage 3 | Gianni Meersman (OPQS) | Yauheni Hutarovich (ALM) | Stage 4 | Caleb Ewan (OGE) | Yauheni Hutarovich (ALM) | Stage 5 | Simon Gerrans (OGE) | Simon Gerrans (OGE) | Stage 6 | Francesco Gavazzi (AST) | Simon Gerrans (OGE) |
General Classification: Simon Gerrans (OGE)
Points Classification: Caleb Ewan (OGE)
Mountain Sprint Classification: Simon Clarke (OGE)
Young Rider Classification: Tom Slagter (BEL)
Best Team: Lampre - Merida
Santos Tour Down Under: In Pictures Matthews winning the opening stage in the Australian national jersey
Our lead-out train at work
Ewan with his first WT victory, Matthews came in 3rd
Gerrans on Old Willunga Hill
Ewan losing the final critérium by less than an inch
Well, the team took a flying start! Our riders in Argentina didn't manage to grab hold of a jersey or a stage win, but nevertheless put in a good performance. I'm very anxious to start my season and prove to the team that they won't regret signing me. I'll see you in a few days, when I report back!
Until then,
Matt
Edited by Ian Butler on 12-04-2014 07:14
|
|
|
|
Shonak |
Posted on 12-04-2014 08:09
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
PCM$: 350.00
|
Great style of reporting, OGE in quite some early form. Training camp paid off.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
|
|
|
|
Ian Butler |
Posted on 12-04-2014 08:16
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
|
It sure did.
Glad you like that style of reporting. I'll do it differently when Matthias races, though. This is more to catch up on important races where Matthias didn't take part |
|
|
|
baia |
Posted on 12-04-2014 09:03
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5398
Joined: 04-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Great to have you back Ian.. another great story to read, PCM.Daily flows with great stories.. it´s just the start but the team is already delivering great results.. hope to see Matthias raise his arms in a near future..
|
|
|
|
Jakstar22 |
Posted on 12-04-2014 09:36
|
Team Leader
Posts: 7293
Joined: 11-04-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
A good report and a great way to start of the season.
Good luck in your first race
|
|
|