Mads_0 wrote:
I've decided i'm gonna use the PCMbenelux DB. As far as i can tell, there have been no major issues with it. Stats have been reworked a little and seem like they're right on the money.
AND i get the correct racenames and all of that. That means i'll edit the post above with riders and goals when i get home from work. Story should be rolling within a few hours :-)
I'm using it too. Be aware of Rogers TT being too good.
And here we go! First race of the season, the TDU!
We know we don't have sprinters on par with the top teams, but that wont stop us from trying to take something home here. We'll bring the following riders with us for this:
Stage 1
We join the action with 106km left of today. Buffaz is on the attack with 5 companions. We have Oss(Liquigas), Chavanel(FDJ), Sentjens(SIL), Rigotto(SDA) and Mori(LAM).
Some fast people here, so we might aswell make sure Buffaz gathers the KOM points today.
At the 2nd KOM-sprint The gap is 5,22, with 80km to the line. Buffaz drags the pack over the hill and secures 1 day in the polkadots.
At 48km to go the gap is down to 3,20! the peleton is working hard to reel in the breakaway. Columbia, Cervelo and Quick Step doing most of the work.
At 20km the gap is still almost 3 minutes. This could work! Buffaz is upping the effort a little, and we're starting to contemplate breaking away as these guys are much faster at the line.
10km to go, still a good minutes gap! Buffaz decides that this is the time, and shoots forward. He gets a nice gap! His partners today are quickly dropped, but the peleton is REALLY moving.
Buffaz tried his very best, but with 2300m to the line he was caught! The sprintertrains were just too fast! Duque is not in a very good position! Top10 will be hard!
Last corner, it's wide open! Swift & McEwen are there, Brown leads!
Brown holds on to take stage 1, Swift is a VERY close 2nd, McEwen and Rojas after them.
EDIT: Struggling a bit with the exported results, i remember there was some clever way to view them without having Excel installed?
Edited by Mads_0 on 22-06-2009 17:26
The one and only KOM-sprint of the day. Buffaz secures the points as he is being chased by Grabsch of Columbia and Clarke of Fuji.
Buffaz looks stronger than the two and we decide to let him ride.
76km to go. Buffaz still alone out in front. The duo has become a trio as Galdos of Euskaltel joined them in the chase. However, the pace in the peleton is allready quite high.
34km.Buffaz eases up on the gas as the chasing trio is caught. The Peleton is riding with determination today.
22km to go and we're all bunched up. We'll try and use Auge to position Duque here. The finish will be a small downhill with a steep climb right after it.
Recipe will be to trail Auge and set him loose.
10km to go and noone is setting the pace anymore! Auge shoots out of the pack, giving it all he's got, Duque hot on his trail. Only a few riders seem to register what's going on!
And the pair leave the peleton! Auge tries protect Duque as he powers down the hill! A giant blunder by the other teams!
Duque is going to take it! He leaves Auge on the uphill and gives it everything he's got! 1500m in!
Auge is caught by the sprinters and puncheurs! But Duque has managed to build a 47" gap!
There was no doubt here, Duque was set up brilliantly by Auge and exploited the other teams watching eachother. Yellow Jersey!
Auge even manages to hold on to 4th spot as the peleton comes to the line. Landaluze takes 2nd, Nuyens 3rd.
KOM 1 Mickael Buffaz COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 2 6
2 Elia Rigotto SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI 0 1
3 Bert Grabsch TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD 1 1
4 Daniel Oss LIQUIGAS 0 1
Edited by Mads_0 on 22-06-2009 18:46
So we're into a more defensive ride today. We would like to keep our jerseys, so we'll have to stay on our toes. Strong winds will make this one interesting!
Here's a bit of a parade for the cameras and the fans.
After 35km(how did i manage to swap it from km. to go, to how far we've gone?!) the attacks have been many and we've been forced to work a little bit. Buffaz is caught too far back, and the only one able to help with the KOM is El Fares, he does a nice job of gobbling up the points.
The wind pushes the pack around, and the first crashes of the day turn into a massacre. Monier is in it!
The crashes sparked a lot of action! We've been forced to work at the front again, but Buffaz has managed to end up in one of the smaller groups ahead. This is good because it forces the other teams to come alive. Not only is he better placed for the KOM points, but he's also the best placed rider in the GC ahead of the pack. El Fares is still out ahead just sitting on the wheel of the first group.
But that situation didn't last. Buffaz was reeled into the peleton. And El Fares was dropped by the front group. Back to work...
30km to go and it's over for the escapees. The team is nowhere near as fresh as i would've liked at this point. But Duque is still looking good.
The winds are really starting to mess with the pack as the riders tire.
20 to go, last KOM sprint, Buffaz is trying to hang on to the front of the peleton but Columbia and Caisse are tearing it up!
New attackers try their luck, and Buffaz can only watch.
10km to the line. Brard has been charged with carrying Duque forward, as he is the only one who can. Everyone else is just hanging on at this point.
5km, Brard is spent, Duque looks for a new wheel. A glance back reveals the havoc crashes and winds have caused today. The peleton is split in 5 groups now.
3km, Duque desperately needs a new wheel. He manages to latch on to Hunt from Cervelo who has snuck onto the back of the Fuji express. Winds are making it tough, it's a big mess!
2km and the sprint opens, 4th behind Hunt!
Last Corner, 1300m! But it's going to be Vigano of Fuji, in front of Hunt from Cervelo. Vigano was delivered beautilfully by his teammate Del Nero.
In the last metres, Cherel manages to squeeze past Duque. We hold on for 4th, good result considering how this stage played out! (sorry, no lineshot, no idea why!)
GC 1 Leonardo Duque COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 10h46'55
2 Davide Vigano FUJI - SERVETTO + 46
3 Ben Swift TEAM KATUSHA + 48
4 Jeremy Hunt CERVELO TEST TEAM s.t.
5 Iñigo Landaluze EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI s.t.
6 Elia Rigotto SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI s.t.
7 Massimilliano Mori LAMPRE - N.G.C s.t. 8 Mickael Buffaz COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE + 49
9 Julien El Fares COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE s.t.
10 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK + 50
KOM 1 Mickael Buffaz COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 0 6
2 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK 2 2 3 Julien El Fares COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 2 2
4 Elia Rigotto SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI 0 1
5 Bert Grabsch TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD 0 1
6 Anthony Charteau CAISSE D'EPARGNE 1 1
7 Daniel Oss LIQUIGAS 0 1
8 Bradley Wiggins GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM 1 1
Another day on the defensive. There are 2 KOM points out there, but it's not worth it tearing Buffaz apart each day. We'll try and focus on helping our leader today.
With 100km to go a group of 11 have formed the break of the day. Most notably Bernad Eisel from Columbia.
67 to go, and it seems our pace is not quite fast enough. More breakaways have formed. We're setting a steady pace for now, just keeping a leash on them.
With 40 to go we've allmost caught the escapees. However we're starting to feel it. Duque doesn't seem troubled by the pace at all.
Quick Step come forward and lend us a hand. They want to see Boonen win today.
13km to the line and it's all square. Buffaz puts in his last bit of work and we switch our focus to Duque.
10 to the line, Auge carries Duque forward. He'll need to find a good wheel soon.
And just as we hit the 3km mark, Auge lets go and Roche of AG2R whistles by us on the left, he's going places! Duque latches onto his wheel!
Duque struck gold, Roche shot through the front and Duque finds himself with energy to spare with 1500m left! Boonen is coming strong on the right. This will be close!
This says it all! Duque holds of Boonen for his 2nd stagewin in the TDU!
Reaction:
We're absolutely thrilled with the team so far. Willunga hill is tomorrow, and i think we have a good chance of holding on to the jersey. Our only headache is the polkadots. We'll see how it all pans out.
Stage
1 Leonardo Duque COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE
2 Tom Boonen QUICK STEP
3 Nicolas Roche AG2R LA MONDIALE
4 Maxim Iglinskiy ASTANA
5 Filippo Pozzato TEAM KATUSHA
6 Davide Vigano FUJI - SERVETTO
7 Mirko Lorenzetto LAMPRE - N.G.C
8 Enrico Gasparotto LAMPRE - N.G.C
9 Ben Swift TEAM KATUSHA
10 Simon Gerrans CERVELO TEST TEAM
KOM 1 Mickael Buffaz COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 0 6
2 Julien El Fares COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 0 2
3 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK 0 2
4 Dominique Rollin CERVELO TEST TEAM 2 2
5 Elia Rigotto SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI 0 1
6 Bert Grabsch TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD 0 1
7 Anthony Charteau CAISSE D'EPARGNE 0 1
8 Daniel Oss LIQUIGAS 0 1
9 Olivier Kaisen SILENCE-LOTTO 1 1
10 Bradley Wiggins GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM 0 1
Edited by Mads_0 on 22-06-2009 21:35
If we're to lose our Yellow jersey. This is the stage. There are actually only 4 KOM points out there, so the Polkadot is safe as Buffaz has 6 points.
We've sent Auge out today, but he's caught in limbo with 2 riders out in front of him. Long day for Auge! Euskaltel seem to have some sort of plan today as they've set the pace so far, and we don't mind at all!
Coming up on the first climb, Euskaltel are still doing all the work. Auge will be caught soon.
And in between the climbs, we do our part and the escapees are caught one after the other. This is pretty ideal so far, now we have control! We're gonna set the highest possible pace as we approach the hill as Duque seems more than fine.
Despite our best efforts, the attacks still come tumbling down on us! Duque will have to defend himself today!
Here we go! Over the top, with his legs still in good shape, Duque sets out in defense of his jersey.
15km to go. It's Iglinsky(AST), Landaluze(EUS), Soler(BAR), Cherel(FDJ) and Duque. Iglinsky holds a small lead... the others seem reluctant to work!
10km to go, Duque accellerates to catch up to Iglinsky. His 3 rivals follow.
5km to the line. All square! We will have to watch Cherel, as he is, save for Duque, the fastest man here.
1900m and we're in the perfect position! Duque still looks decent and Cherel is in front of us.
1100m, Cherel leads by ½ a length! Duque let's give's it his all!
Duque!! He has been so impressive in this TDU! 3 Stagewins!
KOM
1 Mickael Buffaz COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 0 6
2 Julien El Fares COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 0 2
3 Nicolas Roche AG2R LA MONDIALE 2 2
4 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK 0 2
5 Matthew Lloyd SILENCE-LOTTO 2 2
6 Dominique Rollin CERVELO TEST TEAM 0 2
7 Elia Rigotto SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI 0 1
8 Filippo Pozzato TEAM KATUSHA 1 1
9 Bert Grabsch TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD 0 1
10 Anthony Charteau CAISSE D'EPARGNE 0 1
