We have almost reached the end of my first season as manager, and it has gone really well. Still, we haven' thad a win since the Vuelta, so we're hoping for one last good result in the late season.
First we have two Italian classics, Milano-Turino and Gran Piemonte. Jorge Cristobal Riquelme will lead the team, with alternating support from Robert Gesink and Luis Leon Sanchez. Next up is the last Monument of the year, Il Lombardia. Jorge will be there again, but we also send Mollema and Kelderman. On the same day we also have the Tour de Vendee, where we count again on Willem Brouwer and his leadouts Theo Bos and Moreno Hofland.
Beijing is next, the last World Tour race will welcome Gesink as team leader, while Mark Renshaw will handle the sprints. We'll also return to Italy for the Giro dell'Emilia, where it's again Jorge with the support of Sanchez and Lars Petter Nordhaug. Paris-Tours, the biggest CT race is next. We decided to go send a very strong team there, with Willem, Jorge, Sep Vanmarcke and Lars Boom.
Finaly two lesser races for some last-minute points. Our time trialing squad goes to the Chrono des Nations, while Jorge and Robert go to Japan.
Is was a close call this month, with two goals achieved, but as we only had one real winner, this month's Rider of the Month is:
Stef Clement
For his great win the Vuelta, completing a season goal! Runner up is Willem Brouwer, picking up podiums and completing another goal. Third is Jorge Cristobal Riquelme, picking up podiums and top 10's in the Vuelta.
It's oktober already, the end of the season is rapidly approaching. For us, it's ok to end it here, as BMC is really closing in on us on the rankings. Luckily a few good results gave us some room to breathe again.
In the Vattenfall Classic, Vanmarcke wanted to avoid a sprint and attacked with Stybar in his wheel. No cobbles today, but we are closer to the win anyway.
Unfortunately our young Belgian got outpokered by the Czech and had to settle for second place. A great results, but we're getting a bit tired of those second places.
Theo Bos, disappointing all season by not winning a single race, was really redeeming himself lately as a leadout for Brouwer. Once again he did an exellent job, overtaking the Sky and Orica sprint trains to deliver Brouwer in a perfect position.
I'ts "Khan" here and I would just like to update you on my latest progress. I have currently returned to New Zealand to regain my form for the next season, which hopefuly will start very early. Since it's my ambition to compete at the Tour Down Under as my first race in the Belkin jersey.
And after some talks with Mr. Vermaelen it seems like this might be possible, it all depends on my performance at our Training camps and the few days up to the race. So before joining the rest of the team to meet my new teammates, I have returned Down Under and will in the next month be racing some NCup 1.2 Races for New Zealand here, including a set of 3 night stages just outside my city of birth, Auckland.
(the manager is Jos Vermaelen, Verboven is my rider )
Khan,
We understand it is your desire to ride Tour Down Under, so we'll definitely send you there. You'll probably get a few of our Aussies as company, but we have to await the transfer period. It might be we're getting rid of all of them.
For the rest of the season, we have to take a look at the race profiles before we assign you races. You'll definitely be leading the team in certain races though.
Belkin is ready for the world, with a lot of our riders slected to ride. First of all, our 6 riders for the team time trial:
Lars Boom Stef Clement Robert Gesink Wilco Kelderman Bauke Mollema Luis León Sánchez
This is pretty much our best team, so a big thanks to all our riders volunteering to participate. It's probably not the best team, but I think our line up is solid enough for a top 10, perhaps even competing for a top 5 result.
Looking at the nations, we have a few U23 selections and a lot of elite selections.
U23 Time Trial
Jack Bobridge Jorge Cristobal Riquelme Marc Goos
No real expectations here, on a really good day Jack could get a top 10.
U23 Road Race
Jack Bobridge Jorge Cristobal Riquelme Marc Goos Moreno Hofland Tom-Jelte Slagter
Jorge has a shot here, although the lack of team mates wil give him a hard time. Tom-Jelte could try something from the breakaway.
Elite Time Trial
Jorge Cristobal Riquelme Wilco Kelderman Lars Petter Nordhaug
Wilco can get a top 10 on a good day, the others will use this as a warmup.
Elite Road Race
Sep Vanmarcke Jorge Cristobal Riquelme Paul Martens Robert Gesink Wilco Kelderman Steven Kruijswijk Bauke Mollema Lars Petter Nordhaug Luis León Sánchez
The one race that matters. Sep will be a domestique for Team Belgium, we don't expect to see him in the final unless he gets in the break. Jorge has the same problem as in the U23, he's all alone. Bauke should lead Team Holland, with Robert as free elment to go in a break. Wilco and Steven should be good domestiques here. Lars Petter should also try a break, as Team Norway has no clear team leader. Luis Leon will be a domestique for Team Spain, which should be the strongest team on paper. Knowing his skills, he'll probably be madly pacing at some point.
As I said, team Spain is the obvious favourite with Rodriguez and Valverde as leaders and a great army of domestiques. Gilbert will lead Team Belgium, of which I was ask to become the manager this year, so more about that in a next blog post. The best rider of the season, Peter Sagan, only has limited support, so I don't consider him amongst the favourites. Italy has a very strong team, but Nibali need to finish alone if he wants to win. Colombia has a very strong team as well, if Betancur, Henao, Quintana and Uran can work together. Daniel Martin has had a good year, but he's not really a finisher. Kwiatkowski has a good shot at it, he has some good domestiques as well. That can't be said about Costa, 7 helpers but my guess is he'll be alone in the final. I wouldn't underestimate him on this course though. Then there's guys like Cancellara, Gerrans, Boasson Hagen, Voeckler, Kreuziger, Hesjedal, etc that you can never underestimate. This should be a good one!
As mentioned above, Belgium has asked me to be their manager and I agreed. I'll also release this short statement about the Belgium selection.
U23 Time Trial
Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Julien Vermote
Tim Wellens
No real expectations here, just 3 very talented youngsters getting a chance to show something.
U23 Road Race
Jens Debusschere
Stijn Steels
Tom Van Asbroeck
Tosh Van der Sande
Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Rudy Verboven
Julien Vermote
Jelle Wallays
Tim Wellens
While we're lacking puncheurs to control the race, the number of riders should make something possible. Verboven will lead the team, if he can follow the best, he can use his sprint.
Elite Time Trial
Thomas De Gendt
Maxime Monfort
Kristof Vandewalle
That's 3 solid time trialers, but no one with a shot of winning. Maybe top 10 on a good day.
Elite Road Race
Jan Bakelants
Thomas De Gendt
Philippe Gilbert
Gianni Meersman
Greg Van Avermaet
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Jelle Vanendert
Sep Vanmarcke
Rudy Verboven
The only race where we have a decent shot at winning. Philippe Gilbert will obviously lead the team. His team mate Van Avermeat will be his biggest helper. The Lotto duo Vanendert - Van den Broeck will also be a good help, at least one of them should still be there in the last round. Bakelants and De Gendt are the guys that have to close gaps if it's needed, or attack halfway the race. Meersman and Vanmarcke are domestiques or can go in the morning breakaway so we don't have to work. Rudy Verboven will have a free role, depending on how the race goes.
It was a month of second places for us, so it's hard to find a rider that was above the rest, but the decision has been made that the August rider of the month is:
Bauke Mollema
Getting beaten by Valverde is not a shame, and his great 2nd place in Burgos got us some important ranking points! Runner up is Sep Vanmarcke for his second place in the Vattenfall Cyclassic and third is Jorge Cristobal Riquelme after his 4th place in the Trre Valli Varesine.
Great news from the World Championships, where our very own Jorge Cristobal Riquelme has won the U23 road race. Despite having no countrymen in support, he was the strongest in Firenze. Congratulations Jorge, and let's hope you'll use this opportunity to visit our HQ more often again
Well, we finished the season the way we started it, with a great victory. We had a very strong team in Tours, and Wynants immediatly put pressure on the other team by joining the break.
Next it was Lars Boom's turn to go. The chasers were exhausted after riding in crosswinds all day. It was the perfect time to attack.
And he holds it till the line, great victory for him and the team! Such a prestigeous race truly is the cherry on top of our great season!
We should also note Willem Brouwer's 5th place in his last race with us, Paul Martens' 11th place and Sep Vanmarcke's 15th place, all those guys had a great season as well.
We claim the third place on the rankings that way, keeping of strong teams like BMC, Quick Step, Astana and others. Sky and Movistar were above the rest obviously, but best of the rest is a title we like.
Two wins this month, but one race was really important for us, so the last Rider of the Month award goes to..
Lars Boom
For his great win in Paris-Tours, finishing our season in style. Runner up is Willem Brouwer, after his win in Tour de Vendee. Third is for Jorge Cristobal Riquelme, although it wasn't in the Belkin jersey, we just can't ignore a U23 World Champion!
When we look at the points, we have to give the award to Willem Brouwer, with 1489 points and a 17th place overall. Sep Vanmarcke comes in second here and Bauke Mollema is third, out of our total 24 riders to score points.
When it comes to the number of victories, it's Brouwer again, with 6 victories, easily more than any other Belkin rider.
When we add the Riders of the Month together, it would be Brouwer again, but it's close here.
However, the management decided to give the award to the rider that gave us the biggest win of the season, Paris-Roubaix. The 2013 Rider of the Year award goes to Sep Vanmarcke!
We're not really sure about a few other riders yet. We have a few Australians we don't need anymore, but seeing as there's a new Australian team with a small roster, extending and selling might be a better option.
Ollfardh wrote: Vanmarcke tells you: I want to lead the cobbles this year!
Please reassure your riders.
You're putting us in a difficult position here Sep, the plan was to have you lead the team in Tour de Suisse and Vuelta. However, we will obey your demands, it will be cobbles for you this year!
Edited by Ollfardh on 02-01-2015 23:04
Most likely staying, pending an incredible offer:
Lars Boom
Robert Gesink
Moreno Hofland
Bauke Mollema
Tom-Jelte Slagter
Can go for the right offer:
Jack Bobridge
Jetse Bol
Theo Bos
Stef Clement
Marc Goos
Silvio Herklotz
Steven Kruijswijk
Tom Leezer
Paul Martens
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Mark Renshaw
Luis León Sánchez
Bram Tankink
Maarten Tjallingii
Jos van Emden
Robert Wagner
Maarten Wynants
Most likely leaving:
Graeme Brown
David Tanner
Definitely leaving:
Willem Brouwer (career in flower arranging)
Juan Manuel Garate (unknown)
Laurens ten Dam (Giant-Shimano)
Dennis van Winden (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)
Edited by Ollfardh on 02-01-2015 12:45
I'm sorry to bother you in this troublesome time and there are only a few months till the next season begins. I joined this team out of many other exciting offers, because I would be on a team with great support for my skills, but also because of the resemblance of gratitude toward riders from Down Under
And for Me to keep as motivated as possible, it would make me sad to see all those natives leave and I hope you'll have a plan to make me feel at home. I've just settled down in the dutch town Utrecht and will be home for many years to come. This means that I will try get into the culture, which is totally different for the Maori background I have.
I'm the only of my kind to be in professional sport and I want you to know where I come from, family is what matters the most and keeping that tradition is very important to me. I hope to convey some ceremonies ones the full team is set and I will do my best to include you and the rest into my family.
As you probably aware of is that Australian and New Zealand cycling is at it's top at the moment and several talents has been spread over the globe, to insure that I can be proud of this project, is only and only if I can share my feelings with natives and therefore I strongly urge you to do so. I could point fingers at a dusin riders, which I would like to have amongst me, but I'm sure your wise intelligence will make this wish come true
I understand your concern, but don't fear we'll sell all our Australians. Especially Jack Bobridge has a great future ahead of him, while Mark Renshaw still is one of the ebst leadouts in the world. Our sponsors did ask to keem the team more local, so we are looking for potential replacements for our riders.
Unfortunately, the great Australian generation you speak of, seems out of reach. Orica will probably want to keep theirs and we already spoke to BMC, they do not want to sell Evans. But you never know what happens in a transfer period.
After the first day of the transfer period we already have 3 new additions to the team. The draft gave us Silvio Herklotz, a 19 year old German talent. We also traded Laurens Ten Dam to Giant for French climber Warren Barguil and Dennis van Winden to Quick Step for cobbler Guillaume Van Keirsbulck.
Rumours are that Jonathan Cantwell (SAX) is up for graps and he would turn to be a great help for both me and the team next year. Jonathan is one of my close friends from my junior time and he is one of the main reasons I'm here today. This would make me very happy.
)
Lars Boom
Luis León Sánchez
Jack Bobridge
Jorge Cristobal Riquelme
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Sep Vanmarcke
Paul Martens
