Igor Anton did much better in Tour de San Luis, where he won both hilly stages and earned his first yellow jersey. Malori won time trial session, Juan Jacob Nunez added green one with 3 flat stages wins and Castroviejo brought home Polka dot. Coca-Cola also was named best team of the tour.
Adriano Malori during his first time trial this season.
Golden trio: Jonathan Castroviejo, Igor Anton and Juan Jacob Nunez.
Tour de San Luis (2.1)
Overall: 1st Anton, 4th Malori, 6th Nunez
Points: 1st Nunez, 2nd Demare, 3rd Anton
Mountain: 1st Castroviejo
Young: N/A
Team: 1st
It looks like this season - since I joined the World Tour - I will be much busier when it comes to calendar. I guess the old times when I was waiting even a month for a race are gone forever. Just finished 3-tour marathon - 14 stages in 8 days. Now 2 days break and another 11 stages in 6 days, then 10 days of Tour de Langkawi.
Obviously I had to split my group 1 riders into 2 subgroups. First one including Nunez, Malori, Castroviejo, Anton, Barla and Olszewski flew to Qatar, while other (Demare, Rasmussen, Pozzovivo, Fievet, Bodnar, Monslave and Wieczorek) stayed in Europe - Mallorca in particular.
It was good choice to send my better sprinter for Tour of Qatar as there was better competition there (Cavendish, Boasson Hagen, Sagan) and probably Demare wouldn't do that well. And by well I mean winning 4 out of 5 stages and grabbing both yellow and green jersey.
Nunez winning in Qatar.
Nunez beating Cavendish.
In TTT, despite not being among favourites, my team came 2nd with only 3 seconds loss to team RadioShack-Nissan.
Tour of Qatar (2.1)
Overall: 1st Nunez
Points: 1st Nunez
Mountain: N/A
Young: 21st Olszewski
Team: 1st
While most good sprinters were in Qatar, Demare didn't have any problems to win both flat stages of Vuelta a Mallorca. However, it wasn't so great on hills. Stage 3 was taken by Jose Rujano, who made great attack and left everybody behind. Pozzovivo finished 3:28 later with group of 6 riders, being the best of them and collected 4th place. Stage 4 was won by Robert Kiserlovski. Pozzovivo came 32 seconds behind him, but this time he was second to last in group of 22, what gave him 22nd place. He finished the tour on 6th position. 21-year old Gilles Fievet recorded his first success becoming best young rider of the tour.
I forgot to ad this video with great last km breakaway chase before.
My last tour was French Tour Mediterraneen. Tour of Qatar was still under way, so I had no other choice like register the same squad that took part in Vuelta a Mallorca. It started from Demare's win.
Then, he added another 2, and on the only hilly stage Pozzovio came 2nd behhind Johhny Hoogerland. Monslave easily won KoM jersey and Fievet this time had to recognize the superiority of other Frenchman - Fabrice Prudent from Europcar.
Ok, haven't been here for a while, but here's some update.
I have done two simultaneously races: Volta ao Algavre and Tour of Oman. I decided to allocate both of my sprinters to Tour of Oman as there was just one flat stage in Volta. That paid off pretty well as J. J. Nunez won 3 of them, losing just once to Sagan and once to Boivin (he was even holding yellow jersey before the mountain stage).
Nunez and Demare double win on stage 1 of Tour of Oman.
On sole mountain stage Domenico Pozzovivo came 4th in group of 9 with 35 seconds lead, but finished only 8th in GC and with a KoM jersey with only 1 mountain premium in Oman. Nunez added green and Fievet was 2nd in young ones classification. My team finished 3rd.
Tour of Oman (2.1)
Overall: 8th Pozzovivo
Points: 1st Nunez, 4th Demare
Mountain: 1st Pozzovivo
Young: 2nd Fievet
Team: 3rd
In Portugal it was puncheurs who counted and my team was counting on Igor Anton. He did quite well (not great though). Came in 16-rider long E1 group on stage 1, but only 14th, gaining 34 sec lead. However he did much better on stage 3, that he managed to win.
And then on time trial session Adriano Malori showed the team colours beating even Fabian Cancellara and gaining another win. And it was him, not Anton, who was ranked top in GC - 2nd place. I also grabbed KoM jersey and best team jersey.
Volta ao Algavre (2.1)
Overall: 2nd Malori, 7th Anton
Points: 7th Malori, 8th Anton
Mountain: 1st Castroviejo
Young: 2nd Olszewski
Team: 1st
It was much easier in Langkawi where I didn't have to split my team into two. It all started with 20 km long ITT, where Coca-Cola got a triple (Castroviejo, Malori, Rasmussen).
Jonathan Castroviejo overtaking during ITT in Langkawi.
Having both of my sprinters on the road (Demare and Nunez) flat stages were dominated by the second one - however Demare was faster on stage 1, but apart from that, and stage 9, which ended up with succesful breakaway, all the other stages were won by my super-sprinter, who increased his win record to 20, and totally dominated points ranking.
But it was sole mountain stage, where most important thing was to decide... and I guess Pozzovivo did pretty well there gaining 3 min lead.
Castroviejo also did pretty good and finished 12th, which together with great time trial performance, gave him 2nd place in general. Nunez won last stage sprint and jumped into 3rd position, just 1 second ahead of Tiernan-Locke, so that way I got platform for myself.
So far that was my best tour, but it's only 2.HC, and I'm pretty sure it will be much harder in forthcoming Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.
Edited by wroblitz on 28-09-2012 17:44
Finally did some racing, and yet again it was 2 simultaneously races - Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice. Both on my sponsor's list (looking for a 1st place in GC) and I think it's fair to say they were tours of mistakes.
First of all I didn't withdraw one of my sprinters (possibly Demare, as Nunez was 1st in points ranking and 3rd in GC) from Tour de Langkawi, so I ended up without a sprinter for 3 flat stages of Paris-Nice. But that was just the beginning of my failure.
On the opening time trial Barla was only 14th, while Malori came 7th. Win went to Taylor Phinney - an American, who's maybe worth of signing for next season, as my sponsor's are extremely unhappy at the moment.
Disappointing - Luca Malori in Issy-les-Moulineaux.
Due to lack of sprinters I've simulated next 2 flat stages. On stage 4 Igor Anton came 4th in a group of 10 with 1:04 lead to E2, and 5:01 to E3 - so it wasn't too bad. Stage 6 wasn't that lucky for him and he finished only 17th, but without any time loss. He was just 5 inches away from winning stage 7, but eventually win went to Michael Morkov.
Just by a whisker - Igor Anton losing battle to Michael Morkov.
Last stage was also a bit unlucky for him, as he came 5th after very close finish.
One inch short - Igor Anton finishes 5th after very close finish.
He finished the tour on 6th place (7th in points ranking). Youngster Gilles Fievet scored another Polka for the team and was 4th young rider of the tour, and that was it really when it comes to this year Paris-Nice.
Paris-Nice (WT)
Overall: 6th Anton
Points: 7th Anton
Mountain: 1st Fievet
Young: 4th Fievet
Team: 7th
Tirreno-Adriatico was just a little bit kinder to me. Stage 1 ended up with a solo win by Kreuziger who got 1 min lead ahead of the others. Pozzovivo came 10th, and protecting him - Nunez was 13th. Nunez won the 2nd stage sprint... but having just 5 riders on tour I was unable to catch Niki Terpstra, who had a great solo breakaway and reached the finish line 46 sec earlier. What my super-sprinter couldn't do on stage 2, did perfectly on next one, grabbing first, and as it will prove later on - last win of the tour.
J. J. Nunez's only win in Tirreno-Adriatico.
Kreuziger was in top form for the tour and gave no chance to the opposition winning both 4th and 5th stage and both points and general classification with 2:21 lead. Pozzovivo came 5th. Nunez was 2nd in points ranking and Jonathan Castroviejo sweated much to got team's favourite - KoM jersey.
Leading through the mountains - Jonathan Castroviejo defending KoM jersey.
Milan - San Remo was another race on my sponsor's list (5 stars and 1st place). I modified my fitness plans a little bit, just to have my riders in tip-top condition for this race. All of them were 95-97, including Nunez in which I put all my hopes. There was a 4-rider breakaway including Silin and Tiernan-Locke, but they were caught before Capo Berta.
Breakaway group in Milan - San Remo.
Poggio di San Remo was taken slowly, however I was bit late with forming the train, and having only 3 riders in it: Malori, Demare and Nunez. Demare was 1st with 1.5 km to go, but then Peter Sagan and John Degenkolb shot up. I started sprint with Nunez before they overtook him, with 1.2 km to go, but they were too good for him. I was also afraid that riders like Cavendish and Boasson Hagen will pass me too, but they didn't and it was good thing that Nunez fought to the very end as Degenkolb lost some energy on final meters and Nunez came 2nd just by the millimeters. Demare was 9th.
There was no great results in Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Settimana Coppi a Bartali, E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem, but I guess 3 races in one day is just bit too much for a group of 13 riders. Volta Ciclista a Catalunya was first on the calendar. I designated Anton, Fievet, Monslave, Bodnar, Olszewski, Wieczorek, Votava and Giner for this tour (last 2 only to make my squad valid as they are riders from the second group and were withdrew on stage 1). It started pretty well, as Anton came 2nd in mass sprint on the opening day. Next day he was 5th with 1:58 loss to Froome. Day 3 gave him first win on the mountains of Port-Aine.
Igor Anton winning stage 3 of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.
After that he was outside top 10 - 12th on stage 4, 11th on stage 5, 16th on stage 6 and 12th on stage 7, which gave him just 7th place in GC - Chris Froome won the tour.
Didn't do much better in fight for a mountain jersey - Bovenhuis and Geschke gave my youngster no chance, leaving him 30 points behind and Gilles Fievet came only 3rd.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (WT)
Overall: 7th Anton
Points: 4th Anton
Mountain: 3rd Fievet
Young: 5th Fievet
Team: 6th
Settimana Coppi a Bartali could be much better if it wasn't for a team time trial. I had pretty strong squad with Castroviejo, Barla and Malori, I even overtook team that started ahead of me, but for some reason (I guess that had something to do with withdrawals) I was classified second last with 5 min loss.
Coca-Cola during team time trial.
I could only sacrifice 4 riders for this tour, and they were: Pozzovivo, Malori, Barla and Castroviejo. I was looking for some wins with Pozzovivo and aimed for a Polka dot with Castroviejo. He eventually got it (just by 6 points) and Pozzovivo managed to win just one stage.
Castroviejo also added one - a great style one.
And Malori won day 6 time trial, with Barla coming just behind his back.
However, despite that strange TTT I was classified very low in GC with my best rider - Malori - 27th.
In the same time (if that wasn't enough) I had two cobblestone races: E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem. On both I did quite poorly, finishing 14th and 24th with Nunez, but at the end of the day he's only COB 67, so I couldn't really expect better results.
Luckyly untill June non of my races doubles or triples, so there should be better results. At the moment my team is 5th with 272 points.
Edited by wroblitz on 07-10-2012 14:03
Just like I thought - having all my team available helped me a lot in getting better results. It was Anton, Pozzovivo, Demare, Nunez, Castroviejo, Malori, Barla and Monslave who I picked for Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco.
It started well, as Igor Anton won the first stage with 21 seconds lead.
Nunez and Demare did they job on sole flat stage, getting 1st and 3rd place.
Double flat win - Nunez and Demare.
Stage 3 was won by Vicenzo Nibali, but Anton came just behind him, retaining yellow jersey. On stage 4 roles changed and Anton came 43 seconds ahead of Nibali, finishing 3rd. Stage 5 brought a successful breakaway with Castroviejo in it, who eventually came 3rd in a breakaway of 6. It was also great day for him when it comes to the KoM battle, as he got there 31 out of his 41 points and jumped from 5th to 1st position.
Fighting for a jersey - Jonathan Castroviejo winning another mountain premium.
Ahead of last stage - a 26 km long TT - Igor Anton was holding a yellow jersey, but with only 6 seconds lead to Nibali it was quite obvious he's not gonna keep it. I was also bit worried that Uran, who was just 46 seconds behind, also might pass me. And then there was Krauziger and Foome with only 2:30 loss. However Anton did pretty well on hilly time trial and finished the day as my best rider on 13th place with 1:04 loss to winner Martin, 1:00 to Froome, 0:41 to Uran and 0:29 to Nibali (Castroviejo was 14th and Malori 15th). That let him keep the 2nd place, with only 5 seconds lead to Uran. I also managed to defend 1st place as a team.
Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco (WT)
Overall: 2nd Anton
Points: 2nd Anton
Mountain: 1st Castroviejo
Young: N/A
Team: 1st
WT ranking - 5th (374 points).
In the meantime Nunez won Route Adelie de Virte (1.1) (Demare was 4th) and same Nunez came 15th on cobbles of Ronde van Vlaanderen (WT).
Edited by wroblitz on 08-10-2012 02:52
Can I ask please for a screenshot of your squad please. 
