Third day of official signings, and it doesn't slow down at all. Today there were 3 riders signed, all of them riders without contract, and surely to add a bigger variety to the team.
The biggest transfer of the day is French time-trialist Hugues Mottin, one of the strongest in his field on the Free market.
And following yesterday's National champion arivals, today is a matching sucess in that specification. Syrian sprinter Nazir Jaser is sure to bring a slight chance of success in the faster finishes and a very disputed Albert Kireva, from Zimbawe, a time-trialist of excellence, and solid qualities in absolutely every field, the hilly sprints and classics may get him a leadership place if the team fails to get any more cobbled specialists in.
Although some inicial concerns about financial availability, we state THERE IS STILL A LOT TO COME!
By this time it's no surprise the transfer market has come down.. most of the teams' budget is near it's limit and we are no exception.
Today will only be anounced two riders, but both of them should stand out in a newly formed team. Bolivian Óscar Solis is not an all-rounder, but he has an enormous climbing ability and resistance wich should make him a favourite in super mountanous races. He will co-lead the mountain squad for sure, and is able to act as a super mountain-domestique.
Other big name entering, signed off from Evonik - ELKO is Andzs Flaksis. The Latvian will fill in the undisputed cobbled classics leader in the team, as it's not a goal priority he won't have much support but it is believed he can have a saying.
With the stagiare market opening, the team is still considering how to fill in the remaining three spots on it's roster, but it's mainly finished and likely that no other leader will be hired.
Loving how this team is looking so far, hopefully your mountain guys will get easily brushed aside by Pozzovivo though... Also, good choice to sign Flaksis, I wanted to bring him in but almost ran out of transfer budget. Best of luck for the upcoming season mate.
Edited by Martii_Scots01 on 14-09-2017 23:06
With 17 riders already guarranteed, it was a matter for us to fill out the team. The three remaining spots have been taken by two Italians, Alberigo Passalacqua is one of them, he will be the team's strongest rider in hilly terrain, filling a void that existed. And sole team Stagiare Giovanni Carboni, a 22-year old climber with a lot of prospections for the future.
The rider that rounds out the whole team is Israeli Omer Goldstein, a solid rouleur, whose goal is still to develop for further seasons.
After our initial sponsor line-up was revealed, there was no confirmation of the actual looks of the material the team will be using. Today we reveal the material the riders will be riding out on the road for the 2017 season.
Also a long-standing confirmation, Zipp will provide the team with bars, stems and seatposts, but most importantly the wheel range. With a total of six different models, the disc version and the cobblestone specific catch the eye of anyone, and four different models (from pan-flat to mountain-slogs) that will guarrantee the team will be supplied with the best material in every type of race.
And a relative surprise, American helmet manufacturer Giro will keep our riders safer throughout the year. Even though a small object, there is a range of helmets that go from aerodynamic to super-lightweight and we will make the best usage out of it.
Alberigo Passalacqua is the team's option for hilly races. He won't be in the fight for the win but to try and gather some ever-important points for the team. He will do many one-day races, having the Grands Prix Cyclistes as the main goal but will also play a supporting role in some stage races, aswell as breakaways.
Andzs Flaksis is the undisputed leader for the cobbled classics, also a secondary goal for us but the Latvian is considered a big gun inbetween Continental riders. Gent-Wevelgem, Tour du Faso and Benelux Challenge just to name a few of the races he will target as a main goal this season.
In the the time-trialing area we have a big goal. The Monterrey TTT, Isle of Man TT, Windhoek TT alongside some races where TT's will play a decisive role will be a big goal for us. Hugues Mottin and Richard Laningo Laizer are pure time-trialists and will have a big saying in them, and Albert Kireva is a time-trialist with a hint of climbing legs and will focus specificly on the Isle on Man TT.
To finish off Syrian Sprinter Nazir Jaser is set to lead some one-day races and be there in some stage races, not a top sprinter but an outsider, Tour of Langkawi and the Tour of San Luis might be the races that offer him more chances of good results.
The team fully formed and organized. The calendar has been chosen and the riders are focused on their targets.
After some stressful and very busy weeks, a more relaxed period has come, and here in the team we've prepared a different update. Our contingent of riders that represent their countries have received their customed equipments and it's time to unveil them! Note that all of them are respective Road and Time-Trial champions.
To kick things of, Zimbabwean champion Albert Kireva will have the chance to ride this amazing jersey, and he will specialy be on the look-out for time-trial results with it.
This is the Jersey that will be worn by the team's sole signing David Claerebout, from Luxembourg. A stage-racer that will be one of the team's leaders this season.
The first race of the season, the Venezuelan race will serve as a gauge for most of the teams, as everybody will see how their riders will handle the competition in various terrains. The biggest race of the season for us with 10 days of racing, it's basically divided into 4 Flat, 2 Hilly and 4 Mountain Stages (2 Mountain finishes).
Other than protecting our GC riders, there wasn't any real goal for today. Still, our Zimbabwean rider Albert Kireva had the spotlight, entering the three-rider breakaway and taking home both intermediate sprints. In the end there was a bunch sprint won by JÃri Hochmann of Kulczyk - DMTEX. Except for Kireva, all our riders finished in the bunch safely.
Spoiler
Kireva in the day's break
Stage 2
The job for the day, again, was to save it. Although we can happily say mission was acomplished, it was very hard. There were several bordures throughout the day and certainly both Rujano and Sólis suffered to get through it. Shout out to Ivan Vila for being part of an early break, tomorrow is another test on flatlands.
Albert Kireva once again showing off the Andorran colours
Spoiler
Sólis in pain after Rujano closes a dangerous gap
Stage 5
A flat day with wind and a little bit of climbing. Jiriakov and Schlegel hit the deck, but have been able to finish the stage whilst Sólis and Rujano again dodged any time losses, after briefly loosing contact with the peloton. Tomorrow starts the mountainous terrain and our leaders are perfectly positioned in the GC, and are ready to leave everything in the road.
Not a lot of smiles after a day of pain with virtually no gain
Stage 7
Rujano wins! Yes, the Venezuelan achieved the team's goal on home soil after an incisive attack near the top of the final climb of the day, alongside him went Romain Bardet, but in the descent leading to the finish they've kept the gap and Rujano was the fastest in the final sprint. This has put him in the lead of the race, (aswell as the KOM standings) with a short but motivating gap over most of the favourites. The race wasn't ferociously attacked today, Guy Diaz Groiller confirmed his great form by joining the break and riding strong, while Sólis, although very hidden in the race so far, as once again stayed in the favourites group allowing him to stay a contender to the GC.
He does it! First ever victory for the Andorran Cycling Project
Stage 8
Our day in yellow! It started with a very unusual period where due to a crash, several of our riders including the maillot jaune found themselves ahead of the peloton, but soon laid of the pace. Today was about protecting the lead, the team was very strong arround Rujano (with the obvious exception of an injured Schlegel) but today proved too hard for our Venezuelan, either a bad day or the fatigue of the previous days, he arrived almost 1'30 behind eventual stage winner Rafael Valls (who is the new leader). However the team is not disapointed as the goal as been fullfiled, now with a big mountain stage ahead we will look to create damage.
He gave his all to keep it, he visibly arrived completely empty
Stage 9
The last day in the mountains. As intended Carlos Baltazar integrated the early breakaway, and went over the first climbs of the day still with the front group. The peloton was very reduced by the end of them but no attacks. As the break was caught near the end, attacks went off in the final kilometers, both Sólis and Rujano pulling off good climbs, the Bolivian was 8th and climbed to 13th overall and the former yellow jersey finished 12th moving up to 14th.
Kireva and Vila joining breaks, Jiriakov and Schlegel battered and bruised, Groiller supporting well in the flats, and Baltazar not showing his best. But both Rujano as Sólis will enter their favourite terrain with the same time as most of the GC favourites, as hard as it was.
Hoping to see an even greater race from now, BRING ON THE MOUNTAINS
A lot of involvement in most stages and unlucky not to get a time gap with Rujano. Both him and Solis look set for an attack on the GC. I hope we can keep up on the rest of the mountains
OH YES you're right, the involvement in the stages was very positive, it was a shame with Rujano yesterday but today he made up! Race Goal achieved and first ever victory for the team
The overall feeling we got after this race? A job done, after all we came with the official goal of winning a stage and it was accomplished (unlike our real expectations).
The GC was won by Repsol-Honda's Rafael Valls, perhaps the best-rated contender for victory, but it was a hard one has only in the final stage it was decided.
Not the most suited race for us obviously. On paper our sprinter Nazir Jaser will set out as leader, if he can pull off a good positioning for the final sprint he may be able to obtain a few points. A fully debutant squad for this season, all the other riders have freedom to try and get into a break, Daniel Rinner should be his main support. Andzs Flaksis, Omer Goldstein, Richard Laningo Laizer, Hugues Mottin, Alberigo Passalacqua and Adria Urcelay fill the remaining spots.
Our real goal is a top25, not to leave this race empty-handed
As predicted, there was an agressive and windy race, with multiple echelons forming, and many of the sprinters struggling.
Our designated team leader Nazir Jaser struggled in the crosswinds, but Lichensteiner Daniel Rinner stepped-up to deliver an excellent 15th place after riding brilliantly over the flatlands. It's in the expectations, we got some points and the team is motivated for the next race, Gent-Wevelgem in Belgium for the begining of our northern classics campaign.
With a predominant PCT startlist and some major names, our expectations aren't very big for this race, instead we want to see the level of Andzs Flaksis with some other CT big names, he will be our leader and targeting a place in the top25 (for a point of course). Albert Kireva will be his main support, and Richard Laningo Laizer a good rider over the flatter cobbled sections. The remainder of the team have all freedom to enter a break and help wherever possible, that includes Daniel Rinner, Miguel Afonso, Omer Goldstein, Michal Schlegel, Adria Urcelay.
Will be very difficult for Flaksis to achieve something in a pct race as the other riders should be better on the cobbles and he hasn't the best sprint so I fear that Flaksis will have to wait for better fitting races to score but I'm hoping to get surprised. Of course I'll be cheering for my former (and Latvian!) rider!
A very weird race, the rain and wind alongside the fast pace caused splinters and cracks everywhere but when it came to deciding the race, it came down to a large-peloton sprint won by Alexandr Nepomnyachsniy. Three of our riders finished in the peloton, 25th for Richard Laningo Laizer being the only one in a scorable position. Flaksis and Kireva as predicted were the others.
Results 1 Alexandr Nepomnyachsniy SPAR - Shimano - SCG 5h33'03
25 Richard Laningo Laizer s.t.
42 Andzs Flaksis s.t.
46 Albert Kireva s.t.
113 Michal Schlegel + 3'48
142 Omer Goldstein + 6'31
155 Daniel Rinner + 8'05
159 Miguel Afonso s.t.
166 Adria Urcelay s.t.
Zimbabwean champion Albert Kireva will have the chance to ride this amazing jersey, and he will specialy be on the look-out for time-trial results with it.
Luxembourg. A stage-racer that will be one of the team's leaders this season.
Rwandan Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, another natural stage-racer and one of the team's hopes for the future.
Syrian sprinter Nazir Jaser's jersey. Another great design and hopefully he can raise his arms and show it!
Tanzanian time-trialist Richard Laningo Laizer will wear this jersey, and also show it as much as possible.
you're right, the involvement in the stages was very positive, it was a shame with Rujano yesterday but today he made up! Race Goal achieved and first ever victory for the team
