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Fabio Melani | Road to Le Tour | End of Season
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 16-11-2013 22:35
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[img-l]https://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag38/Abbiati123/FabioDuarte_zps4f66fd2c.jpg[/img-l] [img-r]https://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag38/Abbiati123/GPdeQuebecLogo_zps0339a880.jpg[/img-r]
Unbelievable! After agreeing terms with us, Fabio Duarte has signed with Crelan for next season!
To add to the bad news, we didn't get a wildcard to the GP de Quebec, so no WT race for me  .
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 16-11-2013 22:39
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First of all, here are the TdF results:
GC
Very Weird Final Stage
GP Matteoti
Despite a bad team performance, Leonardo Duque was able to take the win in Italy! 
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| welker3257 |
Posted on 16-11-2013 22:49
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That is a bad podium
Gig 'em Aggies
Fast N' Loud Cycling Project - ICL
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 16-11-2013 23:40
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Welker: Why?
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 22:37
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 16-11-2013 23:56
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This race will be good for guys like Pantano and Duque. But the latter isn't in the team, and the former may lack power in the sprint.
Leader
Fabio Melani
Sprinter
Edwin Avila
Leadout Man
Jarlinson Pantano
Teammate
Dalivier Ospina
Teammate
Wilson Marentes
Teammate
Marco Corti
Teammate
Carlos Quintero
DS Version: The final bit shouldn't be too hard for Edwin, but if he's too tired then we'll sprint for Jarlinson or Fabio.
My Version: Being leader, I hope I get the benefit of the doubt and get lead out at the finish. Hopefully the gradient will help me due to my bad sprinting ability.
DS: Top 2
Me: Top 5
Sponsor: Win
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 17-11-2013 02:44
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 Circuit de Getxo
With only 89 riders registered, you'd think that there would be quite a bit of interest for a breakaway. But no, it took 48km for a group of 5 to form.
With 15km to go, Monguzzi (VIN) from the breakaway was down, just as the favourites' attacks were coming.
We made our train, and had the perfect position with 4km to go. The train:
Marentes - Ospina - Avila - Pantano - Melani.
So, I was leading. Could I repay the team's great work?
The position was still perfect under the flamme rouge! Surely the win would come!
I launched my sprint with 800m to go! That's me on the right of the picture. Marque (OFM) was coming fast and looked like he would win, but when I sprung out of Pantano's wheel, I blocked him. I'm not proud of it, but there was no-where else to go! Could he go around me though?
Nooooo! I won! I won! I won! That picture was taken at the start line - with the finishing line only a few metres after it - but who cares!?
There's the actual finish line, I came with a late dash to outdo my competitiors  .
There it is! Pantano came 2nd, too, to round off a great day!
No doubt here, with 4 in the top 10.
My Views
Not much to say without repeating myself, but this is only the 2nd win of my career. If you don't remember, my first win came in the GP de Cholet, when I broke away with Fabio Duarte and he let me take the win by stopping at the line. So, I guess that this is my first deserved win, even though I had to block the main competitor to do it (possibly). Next I have a season objective, the Vuelta a Burgos. But until then...
ADIOS
Edited by Cycleman123 on 17-11-2013 02:45
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 17-11-2013 07:17
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Wow, great win, you did it in style, but not exactly on your favourite terrain either, well done! |
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 17-11-2013 07:28
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Vuelta a Burgos
Leader
Esteban Chaves
Sprinter
Juan Esteban Arango
Main Teammate
Fabio Melani
Leadout Man and Teammate
Virgilijus Grazhys
Leadout Man
Jeffry Johan Romero
Domestique
Duber Quintero
DS Version: We should be looking for a good GC placing here, and a few good placings on sprint stages.
My Version: It's Virgilijus' first pro race, as he just joined the team. Jagoba still hasn't joined, but Grazhys should be capable. Maybe we can get a good GC placing, too .
DS: Top 3 GC, 2 Stage Top 3s
Sponsor: Top 5 On 3 Stages
Me: Top 3 GC, 1 Stage Win
Edited by Cycleman123 on 17-11-2013 07:32
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 17-11-2013 09:18
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Vuelta a Burgos
Quintero tried to break, but failed. A 4 man break got away, with Barbero (EUK) winning the Cat. 3 climb, as well as all 3 intermediate sprints.
You might be able to see part of a KoM sprint banner there, as Engoulvent (SOJ) just took the 2nd Cat. 3.
We made our train after some people attacked on the climb.
Romero - Arango - Grazhys
So the young Lithuanian would get a chance to prove his worth in his first ever professional stage.
Heading into the final corner, 500m from the line, Romero was somehow our best rider, with Grazhys blocked a bit behind.
Hivert of Sojasun just managed to take it over Europcar's Arashiro. Grazhys was our best rider in 11th.
Edited by Cycleman123 on 17-11-2013 09:32
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 17-11-2013 16:11
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Great to see Fabio on the top step of the podium 
And Duarte off to Crelan, what the hell is he thinking of  |
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:15
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Sutty: Definitely .
And I know right! He's capable of Top 5s in GTs!
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:17
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The team's DS, along with some of the other people in management, have created a team rankings system, whereby each rider is ranked from best to worst. As part of this system, riders now all have 'stats' like in a video game. These stats are the basic skills in cycling. For example Mountain Climbing, Sprinting, Time-trialing, Stamina etc. Here are my stats .
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:19
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Hobbit: Thanks . Only just saw your comment, but you're definitely right. Not my best terrain but I'm very happy with the win .
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:28
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You're a puncher, like, since when? Could've sworn you were a climber, |
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:32
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Yeah well I still definitely consider myself a climber, but I guess that the computer thinks otherwise. Better start improving on the mountains
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 07:45
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A nice uphill finish where we will work for Chaves, however Grazhys may also have a chance.
I usually start my reports with something like 'As usual, there was a break..." But today, there wasn't.
In fact, we had to wait 54km for any sort of attack, and it was Mart Ojavee of Champion System who was trying to get an early jump for the intermediate sprint.
He ended up being the breakaway, while in the peloton, the pace was deadly for the final kilometres.
The train was very tired, and this showed with Romero's bad leadout.
 Yukiya Arashiro took the stage win.
I was 4th, Chaves 5th, and Grazhys 8th.
My Views
Well, not much to say really. Arashiro and Hivert seem to be the main men here, while we all struggled with the pace. It was never going to be easy.
Spoiler Tomorrow
Edited by Cycleman123 on 18-11-2013 07:46
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 08:04
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I'm predicted a bunch sprint which will be won by either Arashiro or Hivert. We'll probably work for Grazhys but maybe for Chaves.
This time there was a break . 5 riders who were probably in there for the KoM points. However, the break included 5th in GC Luis Mas Bonet (BUR). He was behind by only 29" and 2nd in the youth ranking - wearing the jersey.
Again there was a bad leadout and thus a bad position for the sprint. Could we crack the Top 5 again though?
CRASH! With 1.5km several riders are down mid-sprint, while a tonne of others are affected. There were some big sprinters down too, including Michael van Staeyen. In a lucky miracle no-one seems to be injured in this top speed crash.
Back to the action, and Hivert takes it from Arashiro, both with late bursts of incredible speed.
No Top 5 for us, as Chaves get 7th, and Grazhys 8th.
My Views
The big talking point has to be the mass crash. To my knowledge no big GC guys were affected.
Spoiler Tomorrow
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 18-11-2013 08:26
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The team are riding a nice and steady race in Burgos |
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 19-11-2013 07:56
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Sutty: Definitely not too bad, but could and should be better.
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 19-11-2013 08:11
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Again a good one for Grazhys. It's likely that we'll work for him, but Chaves my stay on his wheel for the sprint.
3 men composed the break. Kurek won the KoM sprint, while very shortly after the climb the break became 4.
The train formed:
Romero - Arango - Grazhys - Chaves.
Romero's leadout wasn't great (again), leaving the rest of the train with some catch-up work.
Chaves was left behind in the full speed sprint, while Grazhys was struggling to find a way through the other 2 leadout men.
And on the line, Goddaert won it over the in-form Hivert.
Chaves and I both finished with some energy left.
He was 5th, while Arango came 9th.
Edited by Cycleman123 on 19-11-2013 08:11
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