|
Tour de France Discussion
|
| tastasol |
Posted on 11-04-2019 16:54
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 2889
Joined: 11-09-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Think it's the correct decision not to re-add riders, but think we have to reconsider these short stages then. IRL it's not these kind of stages where riders to OTL, but the long ones with an early mountain (might be because PCM don't handle the increased limit in real life). When approx 100 riders go out ut clearly something is not perfect, as you want to at least have some sprinters left on Champs-Elysees.
|
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 09:05
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| SotD |
Posted on 11-04-2019 17:11
|
World Champion
Posts: 12188
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
|
In PCM this stage would always up with a huge amount of OTL. At first I was looking at bringing Coquard to the race, but I immidiately stopped that idea when I noticed the length of the stage. Not that it would necessarily cost a lot of points but the lack of Champs-Elysees and top 3 point jersey battle made it for an easy decision.
IMO it’s OK to have these stages. It’s also OK to re-add riders, but it need to be noticed in the planning phase, so people have clarity. Re-adding riders on all stages shorter than 100km, would have given me a planning headache - in the good sense! :-)
|
| |
|
|
| Croatia14 |
Posted on 11-04-2019 18:02
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
|
I think these stages add a lot to the race. It's perfect to have lots of disbands as it offers some more excitement to these type of races with more diversity.
|
| |
|
|
| jandal7 |
Posted on 12-04-2019 12:55
|
World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
|
Thanks to all of you for your kind words about my reporting. Every one of them is a really nice thing, I really enjoy writing MG reports and about cycling so it's a real pleasure to see you guys enjoying it too. I certainly did, it's been a big task but an absolute pleasure and honour to bring Le Tour to you all  I really loved the race, a few iffy AI problems asides, but that's just PCM, I knew what I was getting into 
Congratulations to everyone who got something out of this, but especially of course to Taaramae and Heine for the maiden GT victory for rider and team, must be a special moment and it was a great race from him  I'd give some more thoughts... but I already have been telling you for 21 stages now
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
| |
|
|
| hillis91 |
Posted on 12-04-2019 13:33
|
Team Leader
Posts: 5896
Joined: 30-11-2006
PCM$: 1500.00
|
Congratz to Rein and his squad
|
| |
|
|
| alexkr00 |
Posted on 12-04-2019 14:01
|
World Champion
Posts: 13915
Joined: 05-08-2008
PCM$: 300.00
|
What a stage win that would have been 
Can't complain when you finish a GT with 3 stage wins.
Thanks for the amazing reports!
|
| |
|
|
| ember |
Posted on 12-04-2019 14:17
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6849
Joined: 27-03-2008
PCM$: 700.00
|
Thank you again for your efforts covering the Tour in great detail, jandal. It has been a pleasure to follow
Kind of a fitting finish, definitely a very iconic finish with Taaramäe proving he had most left in the tank. Congratulations on the stage win and again on the overall, Heine! Must fill you with satisfaction, especially considering what happened the previous season.
A pity Oss didn't survive until this stage, as he showed last year that he would have been dangerous here, even with all the sprinters present too. But having only two finishers is also kind of cool Obviously especially when Galta has had the Tour he has had, really turning everything around and giving us a huge momentum. We've never been close to anything like this before, so I'll happily take the luck we've had here, especially as the season up until this point has felt rather luckless |
| |
|
|
| SotD |
Posted on 12-04-2019 14:36
|
World Champion
Posts: 12188
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
|
Too bad Lecuisinier wasn't strong enough here. I would have loved to see him sprint for a bit better than 8th in a pack like this, but it was always going to be a throw with a dice.
Up to 4th in the points competition is a nice extra bonus after the sprinters dropped out.
Congrats to Heine and Taaramäe for getting it just right. Thanks a lot Jandal for a perfectly delivered Tour de France!
|
| |
|
|
| Bushwackers |
Posted on 12-04-2019 15:34
|
Sprinter
Posts: 1907
Joined: 07-02-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Great work Jandal, you really brought life to the race and it was extremely enjoyable from start to finish. Congratulations to Heine on the win, Rein is a beast. I'm content walking away with a stage win and a top-15. I thought Schelling might be able to place a couple positions higher, but I guess he wasn't bad.
|
| |
|
|
| DaveTwoBob |
Posted on 12-04-2019 19:37
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2433
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
|
Congrats to Heine and a big thank you to jandal for some top notch reporting.
Finished the race with 1 rider, Flugel did himself and the team proud even taking over Cavs sprinting duties on the Champs Elysees.
|
| |
|
|
| CrueTrue |
Posted on 12-04-2019 19:45
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Pretty annoying to lose the podium spot by a mere four seconds. Sicard never had that major off-day like he always has, but he did seem quite a lot weaker than Gesink in the end. At least until that 20th stage where he should have made it back to the podium...
That being said, thanks for great reporting. It was a very, very close race, fun to follow, especially due to the well-written reports.
Congrats to the winners! |
| |
|
|
| tsmoha |
Posted on 12-04-2019 20:00
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
Thanks for the great reports! Would have enjoyable, if my team hadn't decide to do nothing here  As said many times before, reporting a GT is some huge effort and you definitely delivered quite a quality here. Well done.
I've said enough about my team. Haig way too passive for my liking. Just like my other two climbers (Dyball at least had some solid results from time to time). Can't believe that we just had two or three breakaway appearances. There should be only two kind of teams in this world: those, who ride for the GC.. and those, who try to join breakaways. Unfortunately, my guys decided to do none of both (well, Haig tried to ride for the GC, but suffered big time in the final week).
So. We still managed our stage win goal and Dennis had a stage podium. Time to move on. I never liked you, France
|
| |
|
|
| roturn |
Posted on 12-04-2019 20:21
|
Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
|
Nice final stage with another podium by Dekker. Surely not the best breakaway results except for that one 2nd by Boom but in the end a first, a second and a third for additional points at least.
With a team including Boom, Gallopin, Zardini as support riders though I was hoping for those kind of results.
Dekker slowly dropped down day for day which was expected. Luckily he had no big off day that made him slip out of the top10, which is a great end of his big career I think. Point wise it would have been better to have him around Nerz I guess going for the KoM and stage results instead.
But I prefer seein him giving it a last go in the GC and in total I must say, taking him at higher age from FA last season played out really nicely with a Dauphine GC win 2017 and now a 10th in the Tour de France 2018.
Boom obviously continues to beast for our team with a 1-2 and other solid performances and the yellow jersey. Surely the highlight of our Tour. A pity he had to abandon late.
Zardini with a top30 but other than that anonymous unfortunately just like Gallopin while Koep at least made it to the finish continueing his GT streak, which is still active and counting.
Congrats to Heine for that nice win. Taaramae surely the strongest in the end even though he got a nice challenge by Spilak while behind it was some nice fighting as well from Gesink/Sicard/Lecuisinier etc.
And last but not least, thanks jandal for the great coverage of the Tour de France! Always quite some burden to keep up with 21 stages but you did brilliantly with a lot of pics and written text. |
| |
|
|
| Heine |
Posted on 12-04-2019 21:35
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Fantastic race and fantastic last stage for us. Big thank you to everyone, and most of all to Jandal for a great read, every stage!
Thanks for the great battle to Spilak and Croatia
Now it's time to celebrate!
|
| |
|
|
| sutty68 |
Posted on 13-04-2019 00:35
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Even though i was not taking part i have to say that the reports were brilliant jandal7 |
| |
|
|
| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 13-04-2019 10:21
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6036
Joined: 20-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Since, I've already landed my final rant about the race. I'm just going to congratulate jandal on the masterpiece you've delivered here. Loved the reports from start to finish. What a great read this has been!
Congrats to everyone involved, especially, Heine with this gigantic triumph and this beautiful final victory!
|
| |
|
|
| fintas |
Posted on 14-04-2019 12:16
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
Joined: 21-03-2008
PCM$: 1200.00
|
To start I want to thank jandal for the excellent work he has done throughout this tour. That stage 20 was excellent and very exciting.
As for my team I am very satisfied, Gesink with a victory, many days of yellow and green and at the end of the race was the best of the others after beating Sicard in a great fight for 3rd place. Spilak and Taaramäe are on a completely different level from everyone else so the final podium final is almost like a win.
Also Destribois with a good result and some points conquered, the only negative aspect of the race was even the fact that 6 of our runners could not finish the tour, which removed us enough points especially in the team classification.
Even so, there will be about 800/900 points won, which will not save us from the relegation but that will probably put us closer to the side teams of us.
And of course, congrats to Heine for this great victory.
Edited by fintas on 14-04-2019 12:24
|
| |
|
|
| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 17-04-2019 12:20
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2633
Joined: 20-04-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Loved this Tour. Interesting battles everywhere and very well reported.
Kangert was of course our highlight; 13th in the most hotly contested GC of the season is nothing short of amazing for a guy with his limited climbing abilities.
But I also really enjoyed Kruijswijk's offensive efforts towards the end and the fact that he, Karnulin and Formolo all managed to finish within top 25 of GC, earning the team classification win in the process.
Big congrats to Heine on a deserved win. That Taaramäe training was a very clever play.
|
| |
|
|
| cio93 |
Posted on 05-07-2019 11:45
|
World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
|
Time for another one of my signature "three months late recap posts"!
I hope you'll accept me back among your ranks.
First of all, congrats to Heine and thanks to jandal for amazing racing and amazing reporting that did a TdF justice. Spilak put up a great fight and deserves all the praise as well.
As for our race, we went into it hoping to see Nerz give us a good reason to keep him going into the future after all, and we leave the race having gotten a VERY good reason, but also one that might have had too much luck involved to continue planning with it?! 
But taking it for what it was, that was an incredible performance after a week 1 that in hindsight can be called a genius setup for the rest of the race.
Surely jandal might have a point that chasing that elusive stage victory could leave a sour taste in Nerz's mouth, but I would argue that 13 stages in the polka-dots and taking the top step of the podium on the Champs-Elysées makes up for succumbing to Galta on the line(s).
A classification winner will be far more visible in the history books than a random stage winner.
As for the rest of the team:
Bongiorno had a couple too many off-days to be consistent enough for a convincing GC result, but we saw glimpses of his potential on several tough days as well. He ain't no Arndt who seems to be able to find an extra gear in GTs, but I'd say the Italian is worth his money anyway.
Paddy Bevin had a great perfomance in stage 18 to play a two cards game for Puma, and did surely warrant his nomination with eventual third place there as well as with a Top 50 overall.
Colin Stüssi, still two levels from maxing out, had an invisible race but scored a point in the U25 classification in the end thanks to the OTLs. He'll surely play a vital role in future GTs.
Dylan van Baarle had some very good break performances that sadly didn't result in much to show for due to his weak sprint. He did well to represent us, but I wish we had sent someone like Cavagna into those breaks, he could've competed for the two stage wins on offer on those occasions in his debut.
Cavagna, Dunne and Hadi were pretty much invisible throughout the race, and I was VERY disappointed to see 74 mountain Janvier Hadi mysteriously miss the time cut on stage 20, he would've been by far the top favorite for the reduced Paris sprint...Frankly, while a 50k wage means no harm done either, that was his prime opportunity this season to prove why I considered him such a steal in transfers.
|
| |
|
