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Team High Road - 2009(EXTREME) - January
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-12-2024 09:13
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| Macquet |
Posted on 05-06-2008 20:05
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Domestique
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ember wrote:
Rogers isn't doing the Tour for him, but I think you can do it with Kirchen.
Oh I know, I meant with my HighRoad game...I am taking Rogers |
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| aavf |
Posted on 05-06-2008 20:08
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Stagiare
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Great story, keep it up, good one with Cav! Your sponsor want top 10 but i think you can do Top 5 easy, if you're good player in the mountains, i know you are in the flat. i'll be watching in the next stages. |
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| Crommy |
Posted on 05-06-2008 21:07
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Given the number of high profile crashes already (suspicious that none of your riders are in them  ), you could grab a top 5...
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 05-06-2008 21:35
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Tour de France - Stage 4
The first of two time trials, this stage is the first that might take a sprinter out of the yellow jersey. Our main concern here is how much time Kirchen could lose to the other GC contenders.
Dekker (over 10 minutes back in the GC due to crashes) set the lead time early on. He was passed by Cancellera a while later and then by Kreuziger.
That time wouldn't even be threatened after Leipheimer crossed 8 seconds back a short while later.
Cadel Evans would take the overall lead after the time trials, with Alberto Contador in second and Janez Brajkovic in third. Four High Road riders would be in the top 10 of the GC with great time trial rides and Kim Kircen was sitting in a respectable 19th in the GC, only a minute and forty seconds back of Evans and only forty two seconds back of the 5th place non-High Road rider. A top five result is still definitely in play.
Stage Results:
1 Roman Kreuziger Liquigas 32'04
2 Levi Leipheimer Team Astana + 8
3 Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 13
4 Fabian Cancellara Team CSC + 20
5 Thomas Dekker Rabobank + 28
6 Alberto Contador Team Astana + 31
7 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 40
8 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road + 41
9 Taylor Phinney Team High Road + 47
10 Andreas Klöden Team Astana + 56
11 José Iván Gutiérrez Caisse d'Epargne + 58
12 Denis Menchov Rabobank + 1'01
13 George Hincapie Team High Road + 1'05
14 Mark Cavendish Team High Road + 1'09
15 Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 1'11
16 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 1'14
17 Tony Martin Team High Road + 1'16
18 Markus Fothen Gerolsteiner + 1'20
19 Laszló Bodrogi Crédit Agricole + 1'22
20 Andy Schleck Team CSC + 1'25
GC:
1 Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 14h10'38
2 Alberto Contador Team Astana + 18
3 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 27
4 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road + 28
5 Mark Cavendish Team High Road + 36
6 Denis Menchov Rabobank + 48
7 George Hincapie Team High Road + 52
8 Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 58
9 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 1'01
10 Tony Martin Team High Road + 1'03
11 Markus Fothen Gerolsteiner + 1'07
12 Laszló Bodrogi Crédit Agricole + 1'09
13 Andy Schleck Team CSC + 1'12
14 Sylvain Chavanel Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone + 1'16
15 Leif Hoste Silence - Lotto + 1'18
16 Luis León Sánchez Caisse d'Epargne + 1'23
17 Stijn Devolder Quick·Step + 1'27
18 Pieter Weening Rabobank + 1'32
19 Kim Kirchen Team High Road + 1'40
20 Alexandre Pliuschin AG2R - La Mondiale + 1'46
Edited by KurtinSC on 05-06-2008 21:44
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 05-06-2008 21:53
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Tour de France - Stage 5
Another flat sprint stage, we'll be working for Ciolek and Cavendish again.
We didn't work hard to pull the break in... and neither did anyone else. I don't think we should have been expected too considering our two guys were only one star favorites... but apparently the pelaton disagreed.
As it turned out the ambivalence of the chase allowed the break to stay away, and Matti Breschel was able to outsprint Nick Nuyens to win the sprint amonst the two who survived from the TV break today.
Tom Boonen won the bulk sprint ahead of Zabel and Ciolek.
Stage results:
1 Matti Breschel Team CSC 5h12'49
2 Nick Nuyens Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone s.t.
3 Tom Boonen Quick·Step + 44
4 Erik Zabel Team Milram s.t.
5 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road s.t.
6 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole s.t.
7 Robbie McEwen Silence - Lotto s.t.
8 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
9 Mark Cavendish Team High Road s.t.
10 Heinrich Haussler Gerolsteiner s.t.
GC:
1 Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 19h24'11
2 Alberto Contador Team Astana + 18
3 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 27
4 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road + 28
5 Mark Cavendish Team High Road + 36
6 Denis Menchov Rabobank + 48
7 George Hincapie Team High Road + 52
8 Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 58
9 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 1'01
10 Tony Martin Team High Road + 1'03
Points:
1 Óscar Freire Rabobank 106
2 Tom Boonen Quick·Step 92
3 Heinrich Haussler Gerolsteiner 92
4 Erik Zabel Team Milram 87
5 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road 82
Mountains:
1 Nick Nuyens Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone 21
2 Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel 18
3 Paolo Bossoni Lampre 13
4 Markel Irizar Euskaltel - Euskadi 12
5 Murilo Fischer Liquigas 10
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 05-06-2008 21:54
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Crommy wrote:
Given the number of high profile crashes already (suspicious that none of your riders are in them ), you could grab a top 5...
Only suspicious in the fact I always ride at the front of the pelaton.  |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 05-06-2008 22:27
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The signing period has been open for a little while, and High Road is set to announce some of the initial signings for next year.
We're focusing mainly on Germany, Columbia and English speaking countries for our signings this coming season... with the exception of our top talents. We only really want to add no more than two riders each year who don't fit that criteria.
We're losing the following guys next year, having re-signed everyone else:
George Hincapie
Roger Hammond
Andreas Klier
Servais Knaven
Michael Barry
Bert Grabsch
As you can see, we're losing quite a bit in terms of cobbled riders. We'll still have Burghardt leading the team and a few helpers, but we're trying to move toward more of a stage-race oriented team.
First, we'd like to introduce Christian Meier.
Christian is a young talent with some experience riding with the Canadian Symmetrics team. Meier is a strong all-round rider, having won the under-23 canadian championships in cyclocross and the time trial in 2005 and won the under 23 road race in 2007.
Meier will be a strong helper in stage races next season, and his ability to fly in the downhills will really help our team leaders.
Speaking of team leaders, we are happy to announce one of our new team leaders in 2009. He'll be one of our main focuses next season and for many to come having signed a 3 year deal with us.
Please welcome... Alberto Contador.
Now I'm sure we don't need to talk too much about last year's winner of the Tour de France, but Alberto has acheived some other notable results. He's won stages in the Tour de Pologne, Pais Vasco, the Tour Down Under, the Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice and in the Vuelta Castilla y Leon. He also won Paris-Nice and the Vuelta Castilla y Leon last season.
Contador is one of the top riders in the sport today and he's very excited about joining our team. We expect to see great things from him next season.
Edited by KurtinSC on 09-06-2008 13:34
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| Macquet |
Posted on 05-06-2008 23:41
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Domestique
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Meier will be a stud and Contador is a great signing, sad to see Big George go, Gilbert may help replace some Northern Classics power if he hasn't resigned with FdJ |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 06-06-2008 00:03
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Team Manager
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Great win with Cavendish in Stage 3! Its a shame that no time bonuses isnt implemented in game, he might have got in yelllow otherwise
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 02:15
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Before I go on, I'm going to go ahead and apologize to the people complaining about realism.
The next two stages aren't realistic.
The problem is they should have been classified as flat stages but instead were classified as hilly. Because of this, the portion of the sprint where you can set up trains started at 3km and the actual sprint started at 1.5km.
I was ready for it and well positioned.
The other sprint teams were not.
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 02:21
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Tour de France - Stage 6
This is one of the flatest "hilly" stages I've ever seen. I expect a sprint finish, though Kirchen will be alert for any puncheurs going.
With 3km to go, High Road had moved toward the front. With a short sprint like today we knew we had to be in position.
Hincapie began his lead out. Our sprinters were up front. So was Kirchen and his protectors.
And as we spinted to the line... most of the other teams didn't really take part. High Road's Kim Kirchen wins the stage with ease.
Stage Results:
1 Kim Kirchen Team High Road 4h26'57
2 Mark Cavendish Team High Road s.t.
3 George Hincapie Team High Road s.t.
4 Tony Martin Team High Road s.t.
5 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road s.t.
6 Markus Fothen Gerolsteiner s.t.
7 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road s.t.
8 Vladimir Efimkin AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
9 Karsten Kroon Team CSC s.t.
10 Bobby Julich Team CSC s.t.
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 02:32
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Tour de France - Stage 7
This is a little more realistic in terms of being classified as hilly, but it's still got a long flat stretch toward the line.
For the first time, High Road sent a rider on the break today. Youngster Taylor Phinney went on the break and rode very well. He took the first classified climb.
And he actually just stayed ahead enough to take the second as well. Kirchen had come up to cover an attack but they didn't try to break from the pelaton on the downhill.
The pack was quickly back together and stayed together up to the shortened sprint at the finish. High Road formed a train again, and like yesterday, many other teams did not.
Apparently the climb was enough to tire our sprinters to the point they couldn't keep up with the train. Kirchen (who was second in the train today) tried to keep his lead... and just managed to do so ahead of climbers like Moreau and Horner.
In addition to the stage win, Kim Kirchen's back to back stage victories have put him in the green sprinter's jersey. Taylor Phinneys efforts on the break today actually earned him the polkadot jersey as well. Great ride Taylor!
Stage results:
1 Kim Kirchen Team High Road 4h01'29
2 Christophe Moreau Agritubel s.t.
3 Chris Horner Team Astana s.t.
4 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana s.t.
5 Luis León Sánchez Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
6 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road s.t.
7 Vladimir Efimkin AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
8 Andreas Klöden Team Astana s.t.
9 Andy Schleck Team CSC s.t.
10 Tomas Vaitkus Team Astana s.t.
GC:
1 Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 27h52'37
2 Alberto Contador Team Astana + 18
3 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 27
4 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road + 28
5 George Hincapie Team High Road + 44
6 Denis Menchov Rabobank + 48
7 Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 58
8 Kim Kirchen Team High Road + 1'00
9 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 1'01
10 Tony Martin Team High Road + 1'03
Points:
1 Kim Kirchen Team High Road 129
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank 106
3 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road 104
4 Mark Cavendish Team High Road 102
5 Tom Boonen Quick·Step 92
Mountains:
1 Taylor Phinney Team High Road 30
2 Nick Nuyens Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone 21
3 Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel 18
4 Geert Verheyen Mitsubishi - Jartazi - Protech 17
5 Nicolas Jalabert Agritubel 15
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 06-06-2008 03:10
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Very nice results. About the results, I can't see any other wayyou should have done it, if you didn't form a sprit train it would just be stupid
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 14:11
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More signings
High Road is pleased to announce the signing of Oscar Sanches of Columbia.
Oscar rode with Columbia el Passion last year and won a couple of stages in the Vuelta de la Juventud Colombia and the race itself. Other than the cobbles, he's solid in every area... even with a half decent sprint. We feel he could be developed into almost any type of rider.
We're going to determine in the off season with Oscar what direction he wants to go with his career. He'll probably be mainly a helper next season, but could also lead in a couple of smaller races. |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 14:24
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Tour de France - Stage 8
This is the perfect stage for our sprinters. We'll be setting up Cavendish and Ciolek and we expect success today.
Our train started with Hincapie leading Cavendish then Ciolek. Kirchen couldn't get on Ciolek's wheel so was hunting around and finally grabbed Friere's wheel as the sprint began.
The sprint began a little early, and Cav was starting to slow down at 1.5 km out when Pettachi started coming up on the right and Zabel on the left. Ciolek was forced to make his move further out than we'd like.
Ciolek ran out of gas in the sprint as the venerable Erik Zabel flies by to take another Tour win in his long career.
Kirchen (in green) was able to ride Friere's wheel into a 3rd place finish, and Ciolek managed to hold off the rest to take 4th.
Stage Results:
1 Erik Zabel Team Milram 3h57'59
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank s.t.
3 Kim Kirchen Team High Road s.t.
4 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road s.t.
5 Robbie McEwen Silence - Lotto s.t.
6 Tom Boonen Quick·Step s.t.
7 Alessandro Petacchi Team Milram s.t.
8 Mark Cavendish Team High Road s.t.
9 Robert Förster Gerolsteiner s.t.
10 Sébastien Chavanel Française des Jeux s.t.
GC:
1 Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 31h50'36
2 Alberto Contador Team Astana + 18
3 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 27
4 Thomas Lövkvist Team High Road + 28
5 George Hincapie Team High Road + 44
6 Denis Menchov Rabobank + 48
7 Kim Kirchen Team High Road + 52
8 Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 58
9 Thor Hushovd Crédit Agricole + 1'01
10 Tony Martin Team High Road + 1'03
Points:
1 Kim Kirchen Team High Road 155
2 Óscar Freire Rabobank 136
3 Gerald Ciolek Team High Road 128
4 Erik Zabel Team Milram 122
5 Mark Cavendish Team High Road 120
Mountains:
1 Taylor Phinney Team High Road 30
2 Nick Nuyens Cofidis, Le Crédit par Téléphone 21
3 Mikel Gaztañaga Agritubel 18
4 Geert Verheyen Mitsubishi - Jartazi - Protech 17
5 Nicolas Jalabert Agritubel 15
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 06-06-2008 16:24
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With the next stage being the first mountain contest, I thought I'd comment on the tour so far.
The first stages have largely been about sprinters. It's clear that Friere is the strongest sprinter in the pelaton, but High Road has the best sprint team. The wins we've gotten have largely been about the powerful trains we've been able to set up to put our guys in great position to win... not about having the best legs.
Boonen has not been getting into position well. He doesn't seem to have a strong team setting up trains for him and doesn't have the skills that McEwen or Zabel have in finding spots in the trains of others. Every stage he's seemed to be way back and the start of the sprint, then charged up to the top 10.
Hushovd has been sort of middle of the pack, which is a bit of a suprise as he's sprinted very well in events leading up to the tour. Pettachi seems to be fading already... unsuprising as he rode in the Giro.
McEwen is still incredible at finding the right wheel. He's come close in a couple of stages due to finding a great place in a train... typical Robbie.
But after tomorrow's mountain stage... we won't talk much about the sprinters anymore. It's time for the tour to start in earnest. |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 06-06-2008 20:31
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Grand Tour Champion
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cavendish! what a win on stage 3!
and i know what you mean about thatt stage to super-besse. if you look on the same stage that is in the tour de l'avenir it is much much steeper
good stage wins with kirchen - sadly no tbs
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| popkorn |
Posted on 07-06-2008 19:29
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Neo-Pro
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hmm Oscar Sanchez looks like he's on drugs ^^ |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 09-06-2008 13:33
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Zimao91 wrote:
hmm Oscar Sanchez looks like he's on drugs ^^
Just the recreational kind... no performance enhancers.
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 09-06-2008 13:42
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More signings
We have another signing to announce.
High Road is pleased to welcome Jonathon Bellis to the fold for next season.
Jonathon is a versatile rider with a good sprint. He's fairly skilled on the cobbles but he can get up an incline if needed.
Bellis has had some fine accomplishments on the track, but his biggest accomplishment so far was a 3rd place finish in the under-23 world championship road race last season.
With the loss of many of our cobbled riders he'll be focusing on the northern classics next year. Long term we think we might have another George Hincapie if he progresses like we think. |
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