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Team Columbia Gran Turismo Season 4
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 19-01-2009 12:25
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
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Mikkel Lund? The guy from Odense Energi / Energi Fyn? |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 19-01-2009 12:39
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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CrueTrue wrote:
Mikkel Lund? The guy from Odense Energi / Energi Fyn?
That's him I think - he started as a free agent if memory serves (I'd have signed him if I knew he was going to improve that much!  |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 19-01-2009 17:04
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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I've managed to find the screenshots and have cobbled together this report....
(sorry about the pun!) 
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Stijn Devolder jumped clear on the last couple of hills to record a solo victory. Pliuschin finished with the chasing group but was outsprinted into 5th place.
Gent-Wevelgem
This time a bunch of 5 got clear within the last 25km, and Devolder assisted his Quick-Step teammate Tom Boonen to get the win. Pliuschin finished a slightly disappointing 7th.
Paris Roubaix
This was the big one for us, with the sponsors demanding nothing less than a win!
The early pace was leisurely, due in part to the driving rain.
But as the day continued the pack became more stretched out through the countryside.
With 50km to go, the favourites jumped clear, led by Cancellara. Pliuschin went with the leading group and was looking OK.
Cancellara was too strong though, and gradually everybody lost his wheel.
Until finally he crossed the line looking very pleased with himself in the miserable weather.
6th place for Pliuschin wasn't enough for the sponsors, but overall 3 top ten finishes (5th, 6th and 7th) is a good start to his career with Team Columbia!
Cancellara had the best results on the cobbles, winning the Paris Roubaix and getting 3rd in the RvV, and 4th in the GW.
Ballan and Flecha will be the most diappointed though as Ballan finished 2nd in the RvV and 3rd in the PR, and Flacha finished 2nd in the PR and 3rd in the GW! |
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 19-01-2009 17:32
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
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Well, that was kind of expected. Cobbles isn't exactly your team's force 
I love Cancellara's shirt. |
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 20-01-2009 07:04
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Team Leader
Posts: 6045
Joined: 20-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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I think you have a pretty interesting story here facmanpob
Glad you took my advice
Keep it going I hope it lasts for long
Good luck to it
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 20-01-2009 09:45
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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CrueTrue wrote:
Well, that was kind of expected. Cobbles isn't exactly your team's force
I love Cancellara's shirt.
I'm pretty happy with 3 top ten finishes, and the sponsors gave me 2 stars for the 6th place in the Paris Roubaix, which was nice
Cancellara's shirt is quite cool isn't it, I'll try to get a better screenshot of it the next time he races - some of the shirts in this db look very nice actually! They give an added colour to the peloton
Edited by facmanpob on 20-01-2009 10:05
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 20-01-2009 09:46
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Gustavovskiy wrote:
I think you have a pretty interesting story here facmanpob
Glad you took my advice
Keep it going I hope it lasts for long
Good luck to it
thanks for your support B) |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 20-01-2009 10:04
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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A week to Basque in the sunshine (again with the bad puns....sorry )
I'll make no bones about it, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco is the all-time easiest race to win, even on hard difficulty. Even when you don't attack on the downhill finishes, it just seems straigtforward to win. Gerdemann is defending the title he won last year, and Boom is also defending the mountain jersey he won last year.
Boom leads the break on day 1
and sure enough, by day 2 he is in the polka dot jersey
by stage 4, Boom is content to defend his lead in the Mountain classification from the pack, and we send Voeckler away for a break
Gerdemann has been in the leading finishers all week, but hasn't actually won a stage yet. He makes his move on the final hills on stage 5, and sprints clear of the leading group
to take the vistory!
Going into the final hilly Time Trial, Gerdemann has a decent lead on his rivals....
Contador goes off first, and sets the fastest time of the day
followed closely by his Astana teammate, Basso, who finishes 3" behind Contador
Dekker puts in a fine effort to beat Basso, but Contador still has the fastest time of the day
But Gerdemann is on fire in this race and beats them all to take his second stage win and the overall!
Boom retained his mountain jersey, and took the Young riders jersey too, while Gerdemann secured the points jersey with his two stage wins. All in all, a good Vuelta al Pais Vasco!
Although I failed in my second objective (winning the Paris Roubaix) the sponsors are still content with my progress this season.
Edited by facmanpob on 20-01-2009 10:07
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 10:37
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Ardennes Classics
We’ve never won here, and in fact only have one podium to show for our efforts over the past few seasons. This season though, Kirchen has made these three races his priority……
Amstel Gold Race
The pack comes together in the final few km. With 7km to go, the pace increases dramatically, only Rodriguez of Gerolsteiner is out front
With 3km to go, Gautier attacks for home
in the last km, Gautier sails past the fading Rodriguez
Kirchen makes his move far too late, and has to settle for 5th place (Di Luca is seen here in his Caisse d’Epargne World Champions jersey!)
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-12-2024 00:25
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Joined: 23.11.09
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 21-01-2009 10:39
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
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No way - a Frenchie for a French team winning an important classic. This has got to stop  |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 10:41
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Domestique
Posts: 426
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La Fleche Wallone
Lars Boom tries his luck in the breakaway
But with 15km to go the pack is back together. Di Luca leads off the front
And with 7km to go all of the favourites (including Kirchen and Gesink) are together, with Di Luca still providing the engine power
Its Di Luca in the lead up the final climb, but Kirchen is motoring, and the World Champion is tiring
But Cunego has the strength to come through for the victory
And again we come away with 5th place! 
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 10:42
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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CrueTrue wrote:
No way - a Frenchie for a French team winning an important classic. This has got to stop
I know, what a disaster - It crossed my mind to delete the whole game and start again! |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 13:23
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Once again, Lars Boom tries his hand in the breakaway, and ends up spending 50km out on his own
Meanwhile, the pack follows along happily
With 40km to go, Boom is swallowed up into the peloton. His day’s work is done
A dozen or so riders make a break for the line at 20km. Then, inside the last 15km, a powerful group of four (Kirchen, Ona, Valverde and Sammy Sanchez (now of Astana)) cross to the lead group
And with 6km and one climb to go, a group of 11 is clear of the bunch, with our own Kim Kirchen guarding his strength at the back
Frank Schleck and Valverde make an early attack for the win
Cunego trails the 2 leaders, and Kirchen attacks to join them
These 4 will contest the victory (no 5th place for us this time!)
With 2km to go, Cunego has been dropped, and we will get a podium place, but Valverde is the best of the three in a sprint and remains the favourite
But Kirchen sprints early and has a lead!
He’s going to make it….
And he punches the air in joy at the win! B)
Team Columbia has its first win in a spring classic! 
But the sponsors don’t really care that much, only giving us 2 stars!
In other news, our Giro riders had a nice work out in the Tour of Georgia, with Vanoverschelde winning two flat stages, Devine winning the mountain finish, and Zabriskie demolishing the TT, although we didn't win the overall GC.
Next up, a very brief report on the Tour of Romandie and Vuelta Asturias (which I was halfway through playing as of last night), and then we will finally be at the Giro!! |
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| olabj |
Posted on 21-01-2009 13:25
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1105
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facmanpob wrote:
CrueTrue wrote:
No way - a Frenchie for a French team winning an important classic. This has got to stop
I know, what a disaster - It crossed my mind to delete the whole game and start again!
And Gautier managed a second in La Fleche
Edited by olabj on 21-01-2009 13:28
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 14:42
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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olabj wrote:
facmanpob wrote:
CrueTrue wrote:
No way - a Frenchie for a French team winning an important classic. This has got to stop
I know, what a disaster - It crossed my mind to delete the whole game and start again!
And Gautier managed a second in La Fleche
And 5th in the LBL! |
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| olabj |
Posted on 21-01-2009 14:59
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Protected Rider
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What are his stats?
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 16:10
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Domestique
Posts: 426
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olabj wrote:
What are his stats?
He's on the hill climbers list from the previous page - third on the list
I'm surprised Vanendert didn't do better though (a 4th and a 7th is all he could manage) |
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| olabj |
Posted on 21-01-2009 17:03
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isn`t Gautier a former Bretagne or Auber rider?
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| untal |
Posted on 21-01-2009 17:27
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Sprinter
Posts: 1727
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A former Bretagne, olabj |
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| facmanpob |
Posted on 21-01-2009 22:58
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Domestique
Posts: 426
Joined: 29-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Tour of Romandie and Vuelta Asturias - The Giro warm-up races
The Vuelta Asturias was a quiet race for us, with the main aim being to get some race fitness into fresh legs. Francisco Pacheco came away with two 2nd place finishes in his first racing of the season.
The Tour of Romandie, on the other hand, saw some of our main Giro riders in action, fine tuning their race fitness in preparation for the big event! In addition, John Devine and Robert Gesink had a personal battle, to decide who is to lead the team into the Giro!
The race started well for Team Columbia, with Gesink and Boom celebrating a 1-2 on stage 2
Several days later, on the Queen stage, David Blanco, seen here in his Spanish Champions jersey, led the breakaway over all of the main mountains, to secure the KOM competition
although it was Alejandro Valverde who took the stage and put himself in prime position to win the race. Gesink finished 3rd on the day, cementing 2nd place overall, with Devine a disappointing way down the field
David Zabriskie, resplendent in his US TT jersey, destroyed the field on the final day's 20km hilly TT, but Valverde finished close enough to the pace to take the race win
Gesink took a podium place for Team Columbia, and won the Young rider's jersey, while David Blanco kept the KOM jersey to the end. Devine could only just manage a top 15 placing, and on that result, Gesink will lead the team into the Giro!
Next up..........the Main Event!
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