Well, 3 weeks ago we kicked off what promised to be an incredible race, and the teams first ever grand tour, we rode hard during the 3 weeks, and were able to make an incredible showing, we won the team classification, and came second in both the KOM and GC rankings, a major congratulations to the team for there efforts, and the amount of work given by every rider over the 21days of racing made Jakab's job much simpler.
We came to the Giro D'Italia, with not WT stage races under our belts, but we showed the big boys that we mean business, holding off competitors in the TT's and Climbing days, to finish up 1st overall in the team classification.
1
YOUTUBE TWITTER
2h15'50
272h11'21 (1)
2
Lampre - ISD
+ 3'24
+ 22'21 (2)
3
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 4'09
+ 24'06 (3)
4
Movistar Team
+ 1'54
+ 30'51 (4)
5
Liquigas - Cannondale
+ 4'08
+ 43'28 (5)
6
Katusha Team
s.t.
+ 46'35 (6)
7
Sky ProCycling
+ 1'13
+ 1h20'32 (7)
8
Pro Team Astana
+ 4'26
+ 1h22'30 (8)
9
Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli
+ 6'17
+ 1h24'43 (9)
10
HTC - Highroad
+ 3'08
+ 1h32'22 (10)
Aside from the team classification, there is only one man whose name need be mentioned, the Euskaltel-Euskadi leader, Igor Antón, put the competition to shame during the 3 weeks, winning 9 stages out of the 21, this places him on top of all 3 individual rider classifications, he really has been a class above!
General Classification
During the race, just one breakaway group was allowed free to take the stage win, with Luca Mazzanti of CT team Farnese Veni leading the group home to evict the leader from day 1, he took the maglia rosa on stage 6, holding it for a second day before Antón took over the race lead after a summit finish.
We were able to take a convincing second place, well in front of the competition of Scarponi and co, just 2minutes behind the pehenomenal race leader. Whilst never getting our grips on the maglia rosa, we did put in a firm showing, and we'll be back next year!
1
Igor Antón
Euskaltel - Euskadi
90h38'55
2
Jakab Zoltan
YOUTUBE TWITTER
+ 2'04
3
Michele Scarponi
Lampre - ISD
+ 8'20
4
Danilo Di Luca
Katusha Team
+ 16'50
5
Stefano Garzelli
Acqua & Sapone
+ 17'29
6
Vincenzo Nibali
Liquigas - Cannondale
+ 17'57
7
Gary Sutton
YOUTUBE TWITTER
+ 21'05
8
Marco Pinotti
HTC - Highroad
+ 23'30
9
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - ISD
+ 24'06
10
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
+ 25'44
Points Classification
The route made something of a mockery out of the points jersey, with only one sprinter making it to the end of the race, and the Red jersey being taken over by the climbers before the hardest section of the Giro had even begun. Igor Antón left all behind in the classification, arguably his most convincing of the 3 jersey victories.
Well, Now the team returns to the Continental Tour, hoping to continue our strong vein of form, as we bring Rory Druce into the core of the team, as he prepares himself to lead the team, during the Tour De France!
We hope to see and hear from you all soon, for now, Goodbye from me!
Bob Haskins.
Edited by baggieboys32 on 06-03-2012 19:32
I'm sorry guys, but my updates are going to be few and far between for the forseeable future, i'll do one sometimes, but exams are looming, and results really not favourable currently, so this is going to have to take a back seat for now.
With our superb performance in the Giro now behind us, we head back to the CT, as we warm up for the Tour De France. We start June with 3 one day classics spread throughout Europe The first is the GP Kranj, Slovenia's addition to the UCI Europe Tour, which provides a 169km of racing, which may see a breakaway claim victory, but we will be hoping for a bunch sprint finish with Mike Pye.
The teams are only allowed 6 riders per team, making a small peloton, favouring the breakaway, so we have brought some stronger riders capable of making something of the route, in Erec Chen, and Il Cassano. Today also presents the main start to Rory Druce's season, as he prepares fully for the month of July.
The day played out, as one of two parts, in the morning, through the hillier section, there were many attacks before the BotD formed, For Youtube-Twitter, Miguel Rocha was able to find his way into a 3 man breakaway, along with a pair of Domestiques from Christina Watches, and Team Type 1.
Spoiler
They were joined by a much larger breakaway after 40kms, the group grew to around 10 riders, but once the two breaking groups had joined, so the pace in the main peloton ramped up and the chase began.
Spoiler
With 30km to go, the breakaway was overhauled, the teams who had been working slowed the pace slightly, and a plucky Eric Chen made an attack for us, he initially opened up a reasonable gap, but the sprinters teams surrounding us quickly came forward and reeled him back in.
Spoiler
With 2km left to ride, the sprinters began to line up, we had Pye on the wheel of Zhou, and around him were a collection of sprinters and punchers, ready for the slightly uphill sprint finish.
Spoiler
In the end, Pye was only able to hang on for 3rd place, being dislodged by the fitter punchers around him, who were able to out ride us on the short ascent to the finish. De Greef took the victory for Omega-Pharma Lotto, in front of the Danish RR champion riding for Saxobank, Nicki Sørensen who claimed second place.
Spoiler
Top 10
1
Francis De Greef
Omega Pharma - Lotto
3h53'09
2
Nicki Sørensen
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
3
Mike Pye
YOUTUBE TWITTER
s.t.
4
Sergey Rudaskov
Itera - Katusha
s.t.
5
BenjamÃn Noval
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
6
Daniel Navarro
Saxo Bank SunGard
s.t.
7
Tomasz Marczynski
CCC Polsat Polkowice
s.t.
8
Rigoberto Urán
Sky ProCycling
s.t.
9
Jussi Veikkanen
Omega Pharma - Lotto
s.t.
10
Marcel Sieberg
Omega Pharma - Lotto
s.t.
DS comments: Well, it was a shame to just miss out on the win today, but none the less, 3rd place is still a fine result, as we lead up to Le Tour. Todays main aim was to keep Rory out of trouble whilst he gains fitness, and he was today able to do just that, not contesting the ride today, as we worked for a bunch finish.
Rider of the Race: Well, for me today this has to go to Miguel Rocha, he worked hard in the breakaway today, and then took a strong role in carrying Pye to the line, we new he would have a big job to do today, as he was by far the fittest member of the team, and he took the weight on his shoulders with a fine effort!
We have 2 more one day races coming soon, the first the recent addition to the calendar, The Memorial Marco Pantani, and the second, The Ryedale GP.
In other news, it was made clear to the press today, that Ivan Basso will not be signing a further deal with Liquigas, so we may look to add Ivan to our side, should we fail to re-sign Gary Sutton.
Our search for a replacement for Peter Pal continues, he has refused our negotiations, and is thought to be talking to both Omega-Pharma Lotto, and Quickstep regarding next season.
Well, after much kicking and screaming, and a trip to the DB editor Gary Sutton will be re-signing next season, taking a 20% Salary increase, and being named as Team Leader, but he will be sticking around!
I figured as it's a "YOUR" riders story, and @Sutty was so keen to stay, it should be made to happen
After a strong podium finish for the team 4 days a go in slovenia, we now head to Italy for a one day classic in memory of the great rider Marco Pantani, who tragically died at 34, from acute cocaine poisoning. The race starts in his home town, before winding steadily, with some sharp climbs en-route, towards his birthplace, for 3 laps around the town.
Once again, we bring a strong sprinters team here to the MMP, it will be interesting to see whether our sprinters can get over the early hills with the bunch, before coming forwards for a bunch sprint finish. Rory Druce also rides the MMP, though once again, mostly to improve fitness at this point, unless a chance to jump away late in the day appears for Rory.
In the morning, a 9man breakaway group formed on the first climb, who were able to gain a peak lead, of 6'20, before the combined efforts of AG2R, and Lampre proved too strong for the leaders, and they were brought back before the final climb of the day.
At this point, having missed the attack, we were forced to come forward, and wind up the pace in the main group, as all 3 of our sprinting men had survived the climbs of the day, meaning we would hope for a bunch sprint today.
Spoiler
The group was brought back with 18km left to race, and which point 2 lines started to form at the front of the peloton, Lampre, versus Youtube-Twitter, Lampre, were without a genuine sprinter, but seemed to be trying to set it up, for Damien Cunego, who had a disappointing Giro D'Italia this year, missing out on both a stage win, and a top 20 placing.
Spoiler
As the sprinters launched, there were seemingly 3 teams in with a good chance, Hondo on Cunego's wheel (Lampre-ISD)Zielinski on Schulze's wheel (CCC Polsat) and Pye on Pal's wheel (Youtube-Twitter)
Spoiler
On the day, Pye was just the most powerful sprinter, with the best leadout here, he was able to surge off the wheel of his team mate, Peter Pal, and pull away from the others in order to take 1st place, with Pal hanging on for 4th.
Spoiler
Spoiler
Interview with Mike Pye Stong ride from you today Mike, the team seemed to set you strongly in the last few hundred metres?
Yeah, the team were amazing for me today, they just took control of the race with 50km to go, grinding down the break thanks to some excellent work form Heinrich, and Rocha, before lining it up perfectly in the last 200m.
Peter Pal lined it for you today? will be seeing you two ride together a lot this season then?
Honestly Dave, I doubt it, he's so strong in his own right, it's a waste for him to be setting up races for me, he can win plenty on his own, today was just his first race in a while, which is why he was working for me.
So the TDF just around the corner, will you two be fighting for the sprinters place?
At the end of the day, it's not really up to us to decide which one rides, whoever is named as sprinter will i'm sure do a fine job, and if we both are, then we can work together to try and take the results, just because we're both good, doesn't mean we're not friends, or that we won't work for each other after all!
The last of our collection of one day classics, is the 185km Ryedale GP, a british race, normally one for a puncher, or hilly sprinter, due to the route of the last few critical kilometres. For some reason, the race saw only 41 riders take part, 8 of them, our own! so it was clearly going to be up to us to control the day.
We allowed a break away early on, made of 4 very weak riders, and they rejoined them peloton, after 80km of the days racing, as soon as we started to up the tempo.
Spoiler
With 105km ridden, we had fully upped the tempo at the front of the peloton, and suddenly, the peloton ripped in two, with half of the riders being dropped from the back!
Spoiler
With just 5km to ride, Timo Bern made his attack, he held of what remained of the peloton, and took 1st place, in front of Jonathon Bellis in 2nd, a rider we are keen to sign in the closed season, and 3rd place, went to Heinrich Leinstein.
Delta tour zeeland, the tour zeeland, is a 3 day event, consisting of a short opening prologue, and then 2 flat stages, one of which has a smattering of cobbles along the way. Whilst in many ways the race does not suit us perfectly, it is one of our sponsors goals, they are asking for a top 3 finish, and we have placed that task upon the shoulders of Austrian veteran, Heinrich Leinstein, to deliver the goods.
The prologue saw riders all team mates released in alphabetical order, with the named leaders setting off last, Rory Druce was able to take the lead early on, he set a time of 4'15" which was good enough to hold on until over 60 riders had completed the course.
Spoiler
Pavel Brutt, a Katusha domestique, was able to cut 2 more seconds off his time, and take provisional lead, but from this point onwards, the times really started to fall, and the race quickly came back to Youtube hands, Timo Bern rode a fantastic prologue, setting the new time at 4'07.
Spoiler
One of the days big favourites, was Vladimir Gusev, the Russian TT champion, who was unfortunate to just miss out on Berns time, coming in 1" down, just 3riders later!
Spoiler
No rider was able to beat Berns time, though 3 others matched his speed over the 2.8km route, Huub Duyn of Donckers Koffie, Katusha rider Mikhail Ignatiev, and our very own Leinstein managed to equal the 4'07 time, and due to the millisecond gaps, Ignatiev was declared fastest, meaning he will take the jersey into tomorrows normal stage.
Firstly; I will be updating regularly again for the next two weeks, as im now on holiday
Todays stage is an utterly flat, utterly boring day in the saddle, AT 197KM long, the distance didn't prove enough to break up the pack, we saw a four man breakaway go early on, who never really threatened the overall.
The pack came back together with about 15km left to ride, and the sprinters came forwards, sadly, despite having a strong rider, he was in poor shape on the day, and faded to 11th place, with Bobby Traksel of Landbouwrekredit taking the stage and leaders jersey heading into tomorrow, the cobbled day, which should determine the overall class.
Second Note
Thankyou so much for 10k+ hits everyone, i hope you're all still enjoying reading my story, and i'm frankly amazed to have had it read this much!
In terms of updates, i'll try for one a day over the easter hold (next 2 weeks) but then i will go back to slower speeds due to schoolwork commitments for A2 exams.
As you guys may have guessed, im starting to lost the motivation to keep this runnning, your comment inspired me to get going again though, so here is the final stage of the delta tour zeeland
Delta Tour Zeeland Stage 3
Todays Stage is fairly flat, but the cobbles which are present on the way will be likely to break up the field and it should be today which proves decisive in determining the overall race victor.
Early on a breakaway of 5 was allowed free by the peloton, all riders were around 40" seconds down. The best rider was team sky youngster, Peter Kennaugh, who was the victor at the first intermediate sprint.
Spoiler
There was no real expectation from other teams that we would chase today, our best placing was 5th, but none the less, once the break got to 5 mins, with Timo Bern feeling good, we decided to help out, and we started to melt away the advantage built up early on, thanks to some good riding, by A Lens, H Leinstein, and G Sutton.
Landbouwrekredit missed the attack, and Bobbie Traksel found himself slipping away from the yellow, with Seiberg as provisional leader on the road. He called for a big push by his team-mates in the final 5km, and they caught the breakaway on the line, though couldn't stop Seiberg from the stage win, Bern sadly slipped to 5th place, with Traksel taking 3rd behind Rick Flens on the podium.
Spoiler
The bonus seconds with Seiberg collected were enough to leave him as overall victor in the race, sadly, Bern fell to 5th place, along with 3rd in the points competition.
