Just another question guys. What sort of preview would you like to see? Obviously, I can do a World Tour teams preview if you want but we're not in the WT, so I don't know if there's any point.
And should I do a Pro-Conti teams preview, or shall I just do Endura and then get on with it? I have added a couple of small teams to the database to keep it fresh!
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
I'd like to see Endura again, see who got better and so forth. A small introduction to the WT teams is not necessary but could be interesting. Especially if you're going to get some wildcards.
The newly promoted Dutch outfit will be relying on fast man Marcel Kittel to score them many victories, whilst Langeveld comes from GreenEdge to give them a genuine chance in the cobbled classics. Bos, Degenkolb, Kluge, Veelers and the rather odd acquisition of Hans Dekkers will also attempt to get stage wins. Their weakness is still in the big climbs but Pelizotti and Geniez will hope to have big seasons. They also possess massive talent Tom Dumoulin. They should just about survive.
Pro Team Astana
WOW! Just look at this super-team! Frank Schleck leaves his brother behind to take Vino's place. Kreuziger, Brajkovic, Kessiakoff, Seeldraeyers and Kiserlovski can all lead the team in the mountains aswell. Their reputation is, however, tarnished, by the signings of Ricco and Rebellin. Bozic and Ponzi are their only hopes in the sprints, while Maxim Iglinskiy will hope for a bit of luck in the classics.
B&O
Saxo Bank have gone and been replaced by B&O. No real change though, with the team being completely built around Contador and Nuyens. Chris Anker showed his ability last year in Bertie's absence and will hope to be given more opportunities this year. JJ Haedo is their sprint leader while Jonas Jorgensen and new signing Kasper Jebjerg will hope to improve this year. Expect Majka and Christensen to make a breakthrough soon.
BMC
BMC are still incredibly strong. Evans may be starting to deteriorate but Gilbert, Ballan, Hushovd, Burghardt, Van Avermaet and Hincapie make them a shoo-in for at least one monument victory, surely. The likes of Tschopp, Pinotti, Frank and Morabito are key to Evans' success. Young guns like Blythe, Phinney, Lodewyck and Eijssen will hope to have their big breakthrough. New signing Ferrari and Mattia Gavazzi will have to adjust quickly.
The no-longer all-Basque team have last year's Rider of the Season, Igor Anton in their ranks still. Will the Giro-Vuelta double winner target the big one in July? Sanchez is no longer what he was and Nieve, Txurruka and young gun Landa may usurp the veteran this year. Ventoso joins from Movistar to give the orange boys a chance in the bunch sprints. The team is brimming with promising youngsters although neo-pro Ferrer will have a very tough time this year.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
Losing Tyler Farrar won't please the sponsors but they've replaced him with Ben Swift from Sky. Hesjedal and Vande Velde still lead the team's GC charge. Vansummeren and Haussler need to have strong classics seasons aswell or it could be a lean year for the American team. The squad is packed full of second-tier sprinters like Kreder, Rathe, Hunter, Rasmussen and Fischer.
Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
Well, I didn't think it was possible, but GreenEdge (now Orica) have got weaker in the mountain department! Weening has gone and they've replace him with Trent Lowe. As you'd expect, a million and one sprinters and TT men. Gerrans and Albasini had great seasons last year and will hope to again. Bobridge and Durbridge have progressed to become world class riders. Also, losing Langeveld is a big blow but they have managed to half-replace him with Vaitkus.
Katusha Team
Katusha have strengthened their squad with the signings of old man Horner and sprinter Rojas. The signings of Vlad Efimkin and Moletta don't help the average age of this veteran squad. The likes of Tsatevitch, Porsev, Kristoff and Selig need to usher in a new generation at the Russian team.
Lampre - ISD
Lampre win the strangest signing award with the acquisition of Vino from Astana. Bennati returns to Italy to lead the sprint team while Gasparotto, Bole and Niemiec are all fantastic riders. Gorka Izagirre leaves the Basque country and the likes of Ulissi, Cimolai and Malori are all young talents.
Liquigas - Cannondale
No massive changes here although Quinziato gives them a genuine option in the cobbled classics. Sagan, Viviani, Guarnieri, Sabatini and Gatto give the team plenty of options in the sprints. A lot of great young talents including Nerz, Agostini, Moser and Ratto give the team something to look forward to.
Lotto - Belisol
Again, no widespread changes here. Duque joins from Cofidis and Van der Sande has improved drastically and will probably lead them in the Ardennes. Barry Markus also comes in from Vacansoleil but their success inevitably relies on Van den Broeck and Greipel.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
This team is embarrassingly one dimensional. Getting rid of Rojas and Ventoso was a terrible decision as 90% of the team are climbers. Visconti, Costa, Konovalovas and Castroviejo are some of the non-climbers. World Champion Valverde will hope to do the rainbow stripes justice, while Kiriyienka, Cobo and Intxausti head the myriad of climbers here.
Omega Pharma - Quickstep
Omega Pharma obviously didn't feel that their classics team was good enough so they brought in Flecha! They still have no true GC contender but Velits, De Weert and Cataldo will go for it in the GT's. Tony Martin remains the best tme triallist in the world even though he lost his world title and both Vanmarcke and Monfort are strong Belgian signings. Jan Barta comes in from NetApp and Casar, strangely, joins them aswell.
Rabobank
Rabobank and Vacansoleil have been swapping riders and Poels and Feillu should prove their worth. Peraud jumps ship from relegated AG2R but looks out of place in the Dutch team. There are plenty of sprinters here and youngsters like Kelderman, Slagter, Vermeltfoort and Bol keep the future hopes going. Dekker is back in Holland and Ivar Slik is the only rider promoted from their feeder team.
Radioshack - Nissan
The Shack lose a Schleck but gain a Wiggins. It will be interesting to see what will happen if Brad is asked to work for Andy. El Fares is a great rider who joins from Team Type 1. Dan Martin and Van Garderen are great signings but Tony Gallopin is their quickest sprinter, which could cause them some problems. Then again, when you've got Spartacus, do you need a sprinter?!
Sky ProCycling
Not sure about the decision to swap Swift for Farrar. EBH won't be happy about having another sprinter ahead of him. They have replaced Wiggo with Pierre Rolland, who is a great climber. Tiralongo also comes in from Astana. Rogers finished third in last year's Vuelta and he, along with Froome, Siutsou, Porte and Uran will be hoping for more success in the Grand Tours. Luke Rowe had a great season while it's surely time for Pete Kennaugh to make the leap to the big time soon.
Vacansoleil - DCM
Vacansoleil have brought in Breschel and Mollema from Rabobank in a swap, Poels and Feillu going the other way. Hoogerland and Valls are super riders, while Van Hummel, Marcato, Boeckmans and new signing Michel Kreder form their sprint lineup. The ever-aggressive Dutch team look strong this year.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
Team Leaders JTL had a magnificent season last year, picking up seven victories, although he was much better in the first half of the season than later on. He will be hoping to improve on that this year, and continue to win in tough hilly races.
Hivert is a new signing from Saur Sojasun. He is a very similar rider to JTL but his powerful finish means that he doesn't have to finish races off on the hills, and can wait for the sprint, which is definitely a tactical advantage.
A World Championship top ten finish really shows how much young Tom Faiers has improved. He was signed as a domestique last year but he is now a key part of the team. He is a very similar rider to JTL but doesn't like the mountains. However, he does have supreme stamina, meaning long races don't affect Tom, as he showed in the Worlds.
Another of our big new signings, Steve may not be as good as the other three puncheurs in the team, but his all-round ability make him a great one-week stage racer. His experience will also be key in helping the younger riders.
Dan Fleeman is the best climber in the team and his ever-improving TT ability will make him a superb guy for the mountainous stage races. He would certainly relish the opportunity of WT races were we to get any wildcards.
Mandri is a great rider for this level with his ability to get over the hills and even mountains and then display a rapid burst at the finish. A good sprinter on his day but his lack of time trialling means he can't really compete in tours.
Our leading sprinter Russell is certainly quick enough when in form to win some pretty big races. Another rider who can cope with the tougher terrain and then deliver at the end. He is also a solid all-rounder.
Ed Clancy comes off the track to join us and his track skills make him very useful in the flat races. Quick in a prologue and at the end of a stage, Ed will hope to make a successful transition like track team mates Thomas, Wiggins, Swift and Kennaugh.
Endura's leader for the hard Belgian races, Jan Ghyselinck is a very talented young all rounder. The Belgian time trial champion will hope to score some great results in the shorter tours in Northern Europe.
Another sprinter, Cronshaw is very quick when it comes to the end of a stage. However, his all round skills aren't great and he has to be marshalled and looked after during the stage to give him a chance at the end.
Full Squad Jesse Sergent is a superb time triallist who should pick up some easy wins for us. Germans Simon Geschke and Paul Voss are both solid all rounders, as is Ian Bibby. Bradley Smith can be a world beater and hopefully he'll continue his unbelievable start this season. Tennant and Partridge are great team mates, whilst Dempster and McEvoy are both sprinters but may not get too many chances themselves. Lavery is a young classics rider with a good sprint who can hopefully become a very useful rider. Rowsell, Wetterhall and Bewley are all domestiques although the Kiwi should be able to make serious strides in his development this season. There you have it, Endura Racing 2013, the season will start on the other side of the world as usual.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
A British team that is effectively taking the place of Endura on the Continental Tour. The team won't be challenging for promotion any time soon as the team is full of British domestic riders as well as two Irishmen, including veteran Andrew Roche. Adams, Bennett and Opie are all decent sprinters and could get some good results, while Dan Lloyd comes out of retirement to offer the team his experience. Ex-Endura rider Thwaites has signed up as has Clancy's track team mate Steven Burke.
Aussie Sports
A more ambitious project is the Aussie Sports Cycling Team. Touted as an alternative to the worldwide superstars at GreenEdge, this is an all-antipodean squad, Australians and New Zealanders both well represented. Veteran Chadwick leads the team, while Cam Meyer, Wurf, Roe and George Bennett join after being left high and dry by their old teams. Dean Windsor arrives from Endura and young Caleb Ewan gets a chance to show what he can do.
Edited by brewers90 on 11-05-2012 00:43
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
Nice first part of the preview, 2013 Endura will be great, with good and realistic signing you have made. I am looking especially to the results of Bibby and Bradley Smith, these are my two favourites from your team.
Btw. You should check forum section [Man-Game results] and stage 14 of Tour de France, guess who has won the hard stage with style
Hi everyone, and welcome to the 2013 cycling season.
First of all, here's me at the start of the season:
I really hope to kick on and become a team leader soon. The boss told me that my performance in Austria last year will really help my case but I still need to work on my all round abilities to be an absolute leader. Another thing is that my contract is up at the end of the season and, whilst I would love to stay at Endura for the time being, I wouldn't be being fair on myself if I didn't wait and see who might be interested in signing me. Some good results will really put my market value up too.
On to the team then. We have all met up in the South of France as is usual, apart from Dempster, Sergent and Bewley, who are busy doing their national champs back home. The team dynamic certainly hasn't changed and the new guys have been welcomed in. Hivert speaks pretty good English and seems to be getting on with Jan Ghyselinck, which is good because the team were a bit worried that he wouldn't fit in. I've had to suffer my way through Ed Clancy's practical jokes this week, which is one way to introduce yourself I suppose! There is a real buzz around the place as everyone knows how exciting this season will be. Now that we're Pro Conti, we can apply for wildcards for the big races. The management have said that we will certainly go for a couple but don't expect Grand Tours and monuments this year. Damn, I was aiming for the Giro-Tour double aswell!
A great bit of news to start the season with is wildcard-based. Yep, we got granted entry to the Tour Down Under!! I guess having an Aussie and two Kiwis helped but they must have just taken into account what we achieved last season and thought we deserved a go. I won't be going but the best of luck to the seven guys doing the race. I feel we're gonna need it against the likes of Cav and Greipel.
Finally, my season? Well, it will be broadly similar to last year but I'm starting earlier and I aim to peak in May. My first race will be at the end of February but due to the whole wildcard thing, my season isn't set in stone. I will probably be racing a lot in Belgium in March, which is different! Then I'll move further south in April for some tough racing, including the Vuelta Asturias again. Later on in the season, I'll be targeting August and September, rather than July, so I won't be trying to improve on my second place in Austria, unfortunately. My main goal though, will be just like last year, to keep improving and give the big teams something to think about when it comes to forming their squads for next season.
Right, that's me done. We should have some results in from the NC's soon but until then, bye.
Ian Bibby
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
Endura Racing got off to winning ways at the earliest possible race as three of our riders took part in their National Championships. Zakkari Dempster forced his way into the decisive break in Australia and looked good for a top result, but a crash in the final twenty kilometres took him out of contention. In the end, it was an incredibly close finish that saw Mat Hayman of Sky just outsprint Aaron Kemps to win the green and gold stripes. Dempster cruised in to finish 31st. In the time trial, Dempster, still shook up from his crash in the road race, finished way down on the winner, Richie Porte, also of Sky.
A blanket finish in Australia saw veteran classics rider Mat Hayman win the gold medal and the jersey. Dempster was very unlucky to crash from a good position.
In New Zealand, however, the team got everything right and took both titles. In the road race, a two man break of Avery and Bewley pulled out a massive gap and stayed out all day. Young Sam then proved tactically superior as he forced Avery to lead the sprint out before coming round him to take the win. A few days later, Jesse Sergent beat his only real rival Jack Bauer by forty seconds to win the NZ TT Championship. A great start to the season for the team.
Sam Bewley got it tactically spot on as he beat Clinton Avery of Champion System mano a mano in New Zealand.
Australian Championships - Road Race - Result
1
Matthew Hayman
Sky Procycling
4h49'48
2
Aaron Kemps
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
3
Jonathan Clarke
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
4
Scott Law
Sean Kelly
s.t.
5
Caleb Ewan
Aussie Sports Pro Cycling
s.t.
...
31
Zakkari Dempster
Endura Racing
+ 2'18
New Zealand Championships - Road Race - Result
1
Sam Bewley
Endura Racing
4h49'09
2
Clinton Robert Avery
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
3
Julian Dean
Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
+ 8'17
4
Jack Bauer
Garmin - Barracuda
s.t.
5
Alex Meenhorst
Team Differdange - Magic-Sportfood.de
s.t.
...
8
Jesse Sergent
Endura Racing
s.t.
New Zealand Championships - ITT - Result
1
Jesse Sergent
Endura Racing
1h17'22
2
Jack Bauer
Garmin - Barracuda
+ 40
3
Glen Alan Chadwick
Aussie Sports Pro Cycling
+ 1'41
4
Greg Henderson
Saur - Sojasun
+ 1'44
5
Jeremy Vennell
Aussie Sports Pro Cycling
+ 1'47
...
11
Sam Bewley
Endura Racing
+ 3'36
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
What a start of the season!
Can't wait for the next results. Although I gotta say I'm a bit dissapointed Bibby won 't race his first ProTour race (n Australia), but it's quite understandable, seeing he isn't a puncheur nor a sprinter. Who knows, maybe a wildcard in a big race or a grand tour isn't quite impossible for this team, which has taken a patent on winning last season.
Endura Racing took part in their first ever World Tour race this week in the Santos Tour Down Under. The six stage race favoured the sprinters that could get over the small hills as there was no truly decisive stage. It was therefore no surprise to see Michael Matthews dominating the race for Rabobank. The young Aussie won three stages on his way the overall, points and young riders' classifications. However, the first stage was won by Cavendish, before Matthews hit his stride. Stage two saw another bunch sprint, won by Matthews ahead of Cav and, in third place, Russell Downing, getting a superb podium finish. Stage three was even better for Endura, as Tom Faiers followed Matthews home after a stinging attack on the uphill finish to move right up on the GC.
Faiers showed great legs on stage three as only Matthews could stay with him after Tom's powerful attack on the final ascent.
Stage four was a quiet day for the team but stage five was a big day, climbing Old Willunga Hill twice. With multiple attacks on the climb, many sprinters were dropped, including Cavendish and Renshaw, who were both in the top five before this stage. This moved both Faiers and Downing into the top five. Consistent point scoring also meant Jesse Sergent clinched the KoM jersey. But the final stage was the coup de grace for Endura as a late attack by Sergent was surprisingly not reacted to and he rode away to a superb solo victory. Mandri's good performances over the week also saw him finish in the top ten. Endura Racing are currently leaders of the World Tour!
Jesse Sergent, in the KoM jersey, rode away from everyone on the final stage in Adelaide to crown a fantastic week for the team.
Santos Tour Down Under - Final Overall Classification
Great racing in Down Under! This will definitely help later requests for wildcards. I was wondering, will you give an overview of Bibby's schedule this year (or estimated schedule, ~ wildcards)?
