Sorry about the very long wait, I've been trying to create videos of the races, and managed to get the correct settings with my screen capture software after hours of searching. And then I proceeded to forget what I had done. I came across it by luck, and there are so many variables, I can't be bothered again
Team Presentation, Vancouver, January 3
Welcome to the Symmetrics Cycling Team presentation, I’m Allan Smile, and let me get started with a team overview. Our aim this year is to set up a team and better our talents, so that next year we can challenge for ProTour promotion. Our focus this year will of course be on races in the North American continent, but we hope to prove ourselves all other the world. So, here is this year’s team:
Team Leader:
Alex Holder: Just 20 years old, this British stage racer is a superb acquisition, and will surely be riding the yellow jersey one day. This year, he will be focusing on leading us for stage races
Co-Leaders:
Alex Ardila Cano: Another superb climber, the 23 year old Colombian is a pure climber, and is a great asset for the team. He’ll of course be focusing on helping Alex in the most important races, but will also lead the team in many of the races this year
Kirk O’Bee: The legend that is Kirk. 29 years old, the American is a better than standard sprinter, but it’s his amazing attitude and awesome breaks that make him a co-leader. He has the strength of character to go on long solo breaks and take the victory
Gordon Fraser: Our main sprinter this year, the 38 year old Canadian is approaching the end of his career, but that doesn’t make him any less quicker. His top speed is ridiculously fast, and he can go faster than most and as quick as the ProTour guns on his day
Domestiques:
Alfredo Balloni: Just 17 years old, and already a tremendous sprinter, Alfredo is a great lead out man as well as being a superb sprinter himself. One day, he will be wearing the Green Jersey, there is no doubt of that.
Gordon McCauley: The 34 year old New Zealander is a great fighter, and a complete workhorse, which makes him a great helper for the team. A willing “super” domestique, he’ll mainly focus on providing support for Gordon and Kirk on the flat, but he also has the talents and experience to lead the team on occasions
Andrew Pinfold: Coming into his prime, the 28 year old sprinter is a great lead out man in sprints, and is our number 3 sprinter.
Christian Meier: Another Candian, this young 21 year old is a great domestique at the moment, and will gain valuable experience over the season in his TT speciality, and will slowly move towards taking a greater role in the team
Andrew Randall: 32 years old, another solid sprinter, who will not only work for the team sprinters, but will certainly be looking for some podium finishes himself
Jacob Erker: A super domestique at 31, this Canadian will work hard when asked, and should help both Alex’s in stage races in the high mountains
Ian Stannard: The other Brit in the team, the 19 year old is a great time trial prospect already, and hopes to improve his skill in this area whilst helping out the team in flat or hilly stages
Marsh Cooper: Our final team member is another young Canadian sprinter, who will definitely be a great rider someday.
I’ve just had a look over my season goals, and they seem fairly ambitious, even if they are in low key races. Here’s the goals:
Win the Tour de Beauce, the Vuelta a Cuba, Central Valley Classic and CSC Invitational, and get a top 3 in the Vuelta a El Salvador.
Considering we just want to get settled this year, I’m surprised David set these targets, and I had my first row in years with him over it: “IF WE DON’T AIM HIGH ALLAN, WE WON’T BLOODY SUCCEED!!!” and he slammed the door on me. I think the pressure as owner is already getting to him, I’ve never seen him shout – get angry yes, but not shout.
Anyway, we forwent a pre-season training camp because we couldn’t afford it – I went for the shiny new equipment instead. I think everyone preffered that, although David was complaining that he wanted a holiday somewhere sunny, until I pointed out he would have to pay for it. That’s a funny word “pay”. Whenever I mention that word now, the blood drains out of his face, and he starts sweating, which is why I’ll only reserve it for special occasions.
Anyway, we’re now at our first race in Brazil, and some of the guys aren’t liking the hotel we’re staying in. It’s a bit low budget, then so are the team. Marsh Cooper and Andrew Randall complained the most though, they claim to have seen a rat in their room, but no one else saw one, and they sulked as Gordon took the mick out of them. Until of course, we heard a high pitched scream, as Gordon was running away from the rat, absolutely terrified. That one is going to last a long time.
To the racing. Copa Amercia de Ciclismo
Not a happy day for us, we came with ambitions of winning, and only just managed to get in the top 10. I decided we should control the race today, and gave leadership to Gordon Fraser, who was probably in the best shape. The 77km criterium started well, as Gordon marshalled his troops into chasing down the 8 man break, which was caught with 50 to go. 5 riders then got clear, and the chase really got under way. Gordon McCauley was our main chaser, but even his efforts couldn’t bring them back!!! We tried our best, but the break stayed just ahead until the line, and Gordon was so busy being team leader and controlling his team, that he winded up out of position and just got 10th. It was only his lead out guy Kirk, who managed to get him up there.
Where are we? Symmetrics are notable by there absence
1 Omar Cervantes TECOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE GUADALAJARA 1h55'09
2 Jonathan Garcia BMC RACING TEAM s.t.
3 Alejandro Acton COLAVITA - SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT s.t.
4 Juan Pablo Araya HOTEL LOS LAGOS - DOS PINOS - PASOCA s.t.
5 Nilceu Santos SCOTT - MARCONDES CESAR - FADENP SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS s.t.
6 Surley León Fontes TRAVEL & BUSINESS s.t.
7 Mike Sayers BMC RACING TEAM s.t.
8 Daniel Rogelin SCOTT - MARCONDES CESAR - FADENP SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS s.t.
9 Juan Carlos Arias Pérez TRAVEL & BUSINESS s.t. 10 Gordon Fraser SYMMETRICS CYCLING TEAM s.t.
11 Kirk O'Bee SYMMETRICS CYCLING TEAM s.t.
There was a row after the race. The team didn’t think I could here it, but I decided not to reveal that fact, the walls in this hotel are paper thin!
It was all over Gordon today, the sulking twosome Randall and Cooper were having a go at Gordon for pushing them too hard and ordering them about like their nothing. The team just then bickered for a while, so I came in and told them all to go to bed. Not a great mood or result for our first race, we really should have done better. Kirk and Gordon have tried to cheer me up, but the team mood is bleak already. One race, and we’ve already had a row!
After I got back, I decided to send Dave to the Tour of Qatar, after we enetered every other race in January and got rejected. He’s not good behind a desk, and he needs to get out, and get with the team. He’l have a strong team, and I’ll be preparing for the Vuelta a Cuba, one of our big early season races. I’m also thinking of applying for the Tour of California. It’s the biggest race on this continent, and will be great exposure for the team, and great experience against some tough ProTour competition.
Date: 28th January 2007
From:
To:
Subject: Re: Damn!
>>We absolutely messed up today in the Tour of Qatar. I mean totally.
>>A TTT, and it was just 8km!
>>You wouldn’t have thought we could mess up, but we did.
>>My boys didn’t realise it was 8km, and went out too easy.
>>By the time they saw the 1 km banner, it was too late, and we finished a clear last (46 seconds behind surprise winners Agritubel)
>>I was going to meet up with a couple of friends of mine, but they just started laughing when they saw me.
>>I feel awful, this is a mistake even an amateur wouldn’t make. I’ve let you down, and I feel awful.
>>Andrew Randall is giving me a lot of grief at the moment. So he should after today.
Dave, don’t worry!!! Everyone has these lapses from time to time, remember all the mistakes I made when I fist met you that long time ago. You had to correct me loads of times! All we need to do is readjust our goals – no overall goal, lets just go for stage wins now, you’ll do great
P.S. Let Kirky sort out Andrew, knowing you you’d probably just beat him with a stick.
Date: 29th January 2007
From:
To:
Subject: Tour of Qatar Stage 2
Hi boss (or should you be saying that?). I’m glad you sent that mail, it got me a bit out of the dumps. The stage was 134 km, and I sent off Ian Stannard into the first break, but too many went, so it was caught. I then sent out Gordon McCauley, some guy in the peloton mentioned that rat incident, and he just looked up, set him himself, and went off. 12 other guys joined him, but it was all him at the front. I was telling him to let others take their turn, but he just sat up front and opened up the gap. He took the first intermediate sprint, then came second in the last one. And only then did he ease off as the ProTour guys reeled everyone in.
So it came down to a sprint, and sprint we did. Aurélien Clerc went off early and just stayed out, but the fight for second was very close. Kirky did a great lead out, and propelled Gordon forward to take second! It was close though, 5 other guys were pushing him right up to the line. Unfortunately though, I fractured my finger when punching in the air in delight. I hit the car roof, and made a bit of a hole in it. Oh well, I’ve always thought it needed a sun roof.
What a great ride by Gordon McCauley, he was on another level today. He’s getting old though, he needed a long, long massage today!
Close stuff - Gordon takes victory!
1 Aurélien Clerc BOUYGUES TELECOM 2h58'05
2 Gordon Fraser SYMMETRICS CYCLING TEAM s.t.
3 Igor Abakoumov ASTANÁ s.t.
4 Martin Elmiger AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 Mashahiro Shinagawa SKIL - SHIMANO s.t.
Andrew Randall wasn’t a problem today. He sulked a lot, but didn’t utter a word. Kirky sorted him out, just like you said
Date: 30th January 2007
From:
To:
Subject: Tour of Qatar Stage 3
Christian Meier and Ian Stannard were our two guys in the early TV break. It numbered 7 in all, and I had Ian take the pulls whilst Christian sat in. The break didn’t make it though, Astana decided to flex their muscles, and pulled us in with 17 km left. We formed a chain in the sprint, and it all went well. Randall gave us a head start as the sprint began, then Pinfold and McCauley pulled up Gordon into the lead, but Abakoumov spoiled it for us by outsprinting Gordon to the line. So close, 2 days in a row!!!
The yellow train marches on
Date: 31st January 2007
From:
To:
Subject: Tour of Qatar Stage 4
My last update of the month isn’t a great one. Kirky Bee had a go first off, but the pack knows what he’s like in a break. We sat in for the rest of the race, and totally messed up the sprint. Gordon got boxed in, and came in 9th. Rubbish again, but hopefully we’ll get that stage in the next couple of days.
Yes the other good (old) film that springs to mind is Zulu, a bit of topic but im not the first one
Anyway i think everyone is just waiting for crommy to buy rensing
