Florence Hotel Ebolowa, Ebolowa, Cameroon
Friday 9.10.2020
Grand Prix Chantal Biya
Stage 3: Yaoundé - Ebolowa 149.7 km
Noah 2nd in KoM, works very hard to be included in the morning breakaway, but after a series of failed attacks he has to fall back. Later Andreas Brandt Aidel bridge to the breakaway but was drained after closing the gap and did not take any KoM points.
Andreas Brandt Aidel in today’s breakaway
The Breakaway was over before the last KoM and as a consolation Coloquick’s Jeppe Aaskov took the 6 points on the KoM now 3rd in the competition 4 points behind KoM leader Jayde Julius from ProTouch Continental Pro Cycling.
It turns out to be a very difficult technical finish. In the last very sharp curve not only Coloquick’s train but also other trains was blocked making for an unorganized more or less individual rider v rider sprint.
Both Noah and Sebastian supposed to be the teams two sprinter never got near the front, but what was supposed to be 4th last man William Blume Levy finished 2nd behind winner Adrian Banaszek from Mazowsze Serce Polski.
With this very unexpected William is now team best as 8th in GC.
Two riders from the team wakes up with a bad stomach, can’t expect much from Sebastian Kolze Changizi and Aksel Skot-Hansen today.
For the first time in the race we have a rider alert enough to join the breakaway without having to close a huge gap first. Jeppe Aaskov in a group of four quickly opens a nice gap, he will only take 4 KoM points today, but as he already had 6 from yesterday ends shared 2nd in KoM
Jeppe Aaskov takes two points in each of the two KoM climbs
Either it is the moist heat or the suspicious meals offered on some of the hotels, either way seemingly not only Coloquick has many riders not feeling well. The pack is very slow today, the distance grows to more than 22 minutes.
Although the pack speed up later the breakaway wins the stage with 17'37”, Jeppe Aaskov finish 3rd not being the fastest sprinter, but for a domestic like him a fantastic result. Now 2nd in GC. Unless he crash a podium secured with 3’35” to the 4th rider.
Alex Hoehn from Wildlife Generation won the stage in front of Jakob Egholm, Hagens Berman - Axeon
@Ripley – Ya, great result for the team, was first time ever to see a breakaway win, good to see that it is possible.
Hôtel la Falaisel, Yaoundé , Cameroon
Sunday 11.10.2020
Grand Prix Chantal Biya
Stage 5: Sangmelima – Yaoundé 167.1 km
Sebastian Kolze Changizi is very weak, we pull him out of the race. Aksel Skot-Hansen a little better, he wants to race the last day even though he is rather pale.
First Noah and when he has burned to much calories William Blume Levy with attacks to join the morning breakaway. But only one rider gets some distance before the early KoM, Feritcam Samli from Spor Toto Cycling Team, taking the five points before he was reeled in.
We get a new attack this time João Rodrigues from W52 - FC Porto, not long before Alexander Evtushenko, Spor Toto Cycling Team and Johan Price-Pejtersen, Team ColoQuick counter attack and join up.
Johan Price-Pejtersen well placed on the points classification, sprints for and win all the three intermediate sprints
Johan virtual points leader after the 3rd sprint
It comes to a mass sprint finish won by Enrique Sanz from Equipo Kern Pharma – Lizarte in front of Onur Balkan, Salcano Sakarya Continental Team
The GC was won by Jakob Egholm from Hagens Berman – Axeon in front of Jeppe Aaskov, Team ColoQuick. Pedro Pinto from Miranda – Mortágua took the last podium.
Johan Price-Pejtersen, Team ColoQuick won the points jersey.
Jakob Egholm, Hagens Berman – Axeon the KoM
Miranda – Mortágua was best team
Jakob Egholm, Hagens Berman – Axeon best in U25
Grand Prix Chantal Biya, price money 5.850 €
Earnings:
Race Share
Bonus
Total €
Jeppe Aaskov
€ 2.574
€ 2.574
Johan Price-Pejtersen
€ 1.488
€ 1.488
William Blume Levy
€ 510
€ 510
Sebastian Kolze Changizi
€ 401
€ 401
Noah Takaima
€ 293
€ 293
Andreas Brandt Aidel
€ 293
€ 293
Aksel Skot-Hansen
€ 293
€ 293
Noah level up to Potential 3, next level at 150.000 €
Noah is back in his mother’s small house in Brøndby, a suburban area of Copenhagen, he brought a wooden sculpture in Cameroon as a Christmas present, he don’t like it, but he is sure that his mother being what he sees as an old hippie, will love it.
The old house in Brøndby Vester
During the off-season Noah was in Germany on several occasions, mainly to lay plans for the future with Sports Director Markus Felsing and Performance Director Christian Henn, soon just referred to as Markus and Henn as everyone else did.
Noah was also looking for a place to stay, turned out that 19 years old teammate Jan Kuhn was living with his parents in Düren, commuting the about 100 km on a daily basis and had been looking for a place to stay near Koblenz, just to get a life on his own.
Jan had been talking with the owner of restaurant Die Traube in nearby town Vallendar, attempting to rent the rooftop apartment on top of the restaurant, but haven’t been able to pay the 800€ Mr. Schleier demanded, including an occasional meal if the restaurant was not too busy.
The rooftop apartment
Jan and Noah soon agreed to join up and rent the 59 square meters, they hire the rooms early December, able to move in before Christmas. Noah’s father help with the transport of the few belongings Noah waned to move from Denmark, most of his furniture and stuff stays in his room at Mothers house.
Noah with salary from Coloquick from November and December 5000 €, excl. 400 € paid to Mr. Schleier as December rent.
Noah just flew in via Frankfurt am Main last night, this morning opening his season with a meeting the office of performance director Christian Henn.
Henn: “Good morning Noah, have a chair and take some coffee, I know you came down late last night, did you get any breakfast."
Noah: “Ya I’m fine had something at the restaurant kitchen."
Henn: "Great! I have noticed looking at your records that you did not take part in that many races last season, guess Coloquick did not have the funding to travel all that much, never mind just saying you can expect to race more with us, even though you can't be in all races. We got a rather packed calender, Florian will brief you on the details."
Noah: "Correct very few reached 40 race days."
Henn: "Enough about that, lets take a look at your teammates.
Joshua Huppertz is our sole leader and most of our calendar will be focused around him, besides being a great sprinter, he also has a good punch."
Henn: "We got other fine sprinters to back him up or even be the leader in some situations, Manuel Porzner and Leslie Luhrs most notably.
Christian Koch is our baroudeur, with a great acceleration to break free and good on the flat or semi-hilly terrain, mainly the rider we send out in long breakaways, he also got a bit of sprint to finish it off."
Henn: "We are not so strong in the mountain stage, but we acquired free transfer rider Jonathan Dinkler, not a super climber but just to fill the gap, sadly not the one to ride the ITT."
Henn continues mentioning every rider one by one, describing the forces and weaknesses.
Noah: “Looks like a strong team, with a good variation”
Henn: "Yes I think it is, but now what role do you think you can fill out best?
As I see it looking at the test we did together in the winter, and the results you got, there is mainly two directions for you.
1. Continue you training as a cobbled race specialist, you are clearly great at it, but with a team like ours you are not going to get many races matching you specialty, but you will develop fine and we will help you move on to a cobbled focused team at some point.
2. Change you training style towards becoming a stage racer / climber, if you develop fast you can become our leader in those races quite quickly I believe."
You can race a few races while you are thinking it over, but we need to start focus training at the end of January.
There will be the option to change long term training (rider type) at the start of each season, as long as he is relative young, but the higher skill levels he gets the more costly it may get in terms of skill decrease
VOTE
Option 1: Continue as Northern Classic
(+1 COB +1 STA)
Option 2: Change to Stage Racer
-2 COB +2 MON +1 PRO
Noah have been riding a fitness route with teammates yesterday in the undulated area between Weitersburg and Marburg, today he is called into the manager’s office as soon as he arrives.
Florian Monreal: “Good morning, I see you are already starting to lose some of the weight you gained over Christmas, that is good.”
"We are sending most of the riders to New Zealand setting up our own January training came for a few weeks there, and to make it more competitive we have also registered the team for two races while we are there."
Noah: "Sounds great"
Florian Monreal: "I know you are expecting to peak a lot later, but I want you there and also in the squad for both races, to get you fit as fast possible. There will be no pressure for results and no bonus either. Just help your team and if you get the unlikely super legs, go for it."
I'd choose option 2, get a bit more versatile. But you did put cobbles as the first/default option, if that's where you'd rather go, Tamijo, I'll support it.
Ripley wrote:
I'd choose option 2, get a bit more versatile. But you did put cobbles as the first/default option, if that's where you'd rather go, Tamijo, I'll support it.
Don't think about where I want to go, I am always trying to make options as equally good as possible, within the overall "frames" on the storyline. If I did not want to go there, I would not make it possible
Option 2, he can be better then Dinkler in no time, being this way the mountain leader and still maintaining the cobble leader status in the squad, for the few races as stated...
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
Friday 15.1.2021
New Zealand Cycle Classic
Stage 1: Masterton - Castlepoint 121.0 km
The squad left the training camp at Riverslea Retreat near Paraparaumu early, to be ready for our first race day. The tricky undulated stage with hilly climbs close to the finish hard to predict. We are protecting Tobias Knaup and Jonathan Dinkler hoping they can make a result.
After a hectic morning Leon E. Brescher was able to become part of the three riders breakaway with Filip Maciejuk from Leopard Pro Cycling and Corentin Ermenault from SEG Racing Academy. Ermenault would be dropped after the intermediate sprint.
Leon takes the first two KoM sprints and will be the overnight KoM leader, the breakaway was over practically on top of the 2nd KoM.
It is a frantic finish with a very high pace over the last KoM just a few km from the finish line, the peloton breaks over with 22 riders in the first group, from Team Lotto - Kern Haus only Simon Laib sitting close enough to the front to make the cut.
Suleiman Kangangi, Bike Aid wins the stage in front of Ramūnas Navardauskas, Tianyoude Hotel Cycling Team and Mekseb Debesay, Bike Aid
Lotto - Kern Haus’s best Simon Laib 17th. The pack loses 31”
@jaxika:
Yes interesting options at least on short team going climber / stage racer. Also possible to change back to a Northern Classic route if he get the right offer later. As you say the manager will do what he can to get into cobbled races so should be a few races during the season where he can test the stones.
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
Saturday 16.1.2021
New Zealand Cycle Classic
Stage 2: Masterton - Admiral Hill 151.1 km
KoM leader Leon Eduard Brescher join an attack initiated by Michael Garrison from Hagens Berman – Axeon, also the strong climber Alessio Martinelli from Team Colpack Ballan part of the group. This early breakaway was reeled in with about 80 km left
At this point Jan Maas from Leopard Pro Cycling had already attacked and passed the original group, now sitting alone on front. Christian Koch and Noah Takaima from Lotto - Kern Haus with Heiner Rodrigo Parra from X-Speed United start a pursuit and catch Maas.
This group will fight like mad to keep some distance, but the pack is coming faster and faster, as we are getter closer to the Cat.1, the last rider in front of the pack was Noah, caught with about 20 km left to the KoM.
The 2nd breakaway
The peloton is packed with rider much stronger climbers than anyone from Team Lotto - Kern Haus.
Everyone on the team dedicated to keep Jonathan Dinkler as close to the front as possible, the domestics burning every calorie before they crack and someone else take over.
In the end Jonathan isolated in a group of about 50 riders, trying to keep up closing in on the final climb, Jonathan crack about half way up the climb, losing contact with the fastest climbers, he ends as 38th at +2’32.
The stage was won by Rui Vinhas from W52 - FC Porto also taking the race lead.
@croatia, yes understand that perfectly also, the best option total skill level wise and he will still be a good breakaway rider with some options in hilly/semi mountain races at continental level.
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
Sunday 17.1.2021
New Zealand Cycle Classic
Stage 3: Masterton – Martinborough 136.1 km
No breakaway was established prior to the only KoM climb, won by a late attack from Michael Garrison, Hagens Berman – Axeon. Later part of a short-lived breakaway never able to distance the pack significantly.
Noah get a technical issue with the bike and never gets back, riding the last 80 km alone.
More than half of the race take part on a final circuit in Martinborough, very technical with sharp curves and narrow roundabouts. Team Lotto - Kern Haus form a train with Sven Zurawski delivering Christian Koch to open for Jonathan Dinkler, mainly to avoid further time losses.
The technical finish prevents most teams from getting good trains up and Lotto - Kern Haus timing was perfect today, against all logic Jonathan Dinkler 2nd on the stage despite being a horrible sprinter. The stage was won by Joris Nieuwenhuis from Tartu 2024 - Balticchaincycling.com
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
Monday 18.1.2021
New Zealand Cycle Classic
Stage 4: Masterton – Masterton 120.5 km
Both Sven Zurawski and Simon Laib was briefly part of the early accelerations attempting to form a break. Only Zurawski made it with Patrick Haller from Leopard Pro Cycling and Daniil Fominykh, Minsk Cycling Club.
The trio was later joined by Edward Alexander Beltran from Cambodia Cycling Academy and Pedro Andrade, Hagens Berman – Axeon. Patrick Haller took most of the KoM points, moving up to 3rd the that competition.
W52 - FC Porto’s race leader Rui Vinhas must have an awful day, may even be sick as the team do not lead at all and the distance grows to almost 10 minutes on this short stage.
Rui Vinhas well protected in the pack, but losing more and more time
With 25 km left and the breakaway passing the last KoM with 8’35” it is clear that the stage win will be decided between the five riders.
Pedro Andrade was dropped about 5 km out after a series of accelerations from Daniil Fominykh and Edward Alexander Beltran trying to go solo.
The strongest sprinter in the group Patrick Haller opens the sprint from pole position and that was a mistake, The stage was won by Daniil Fominykh from Minsk Cycling Club in front of Sven Zurawski, Team Lotto - Kern Haus. The 2nd day in a row Lotto just miss a stage win.
Daniil Fominykh takes over the race lead but the pack did come closer and the distance to Rui Vinhas is just 6”
Florence Hotel Ebolowa, Ebolowa, Cameroon
Brøndby, Denmark,23.12.2020 
Weitersburg, Germany Wednesday 6.1.2021 
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
Riverslea Retreat, Otaki, New Zealand
