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A Tale of Two
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:26
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Tour de France Champion
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Dutch Valley Classic
Well, we mainly ride here to prepare ourselves for the Tour of Colorado, but it wouldn't hurt to get a good result, wouldn't it?
Because of the inexperience of our young team, we would prefer someone in the breakaway. With Stijn being among the favorites now (as a sub-topper sprinter), people would start to count on us chasing down breakaways. So I chose someone's slipstream to escape! I'm not afraid of some dirty work.
I formed a little group with Pate and Tschopp, not the least of riders.
With 30km to go, Vacansoleil had a plan with Hoogerland and Mol. They and some others joined our group, as the peloton was drawing nearer.
Our mission had already succeeded, as we didn't have to work today. However, I was feeling good so I decided to test my legs even further.
Of course, the peloton caught me, and the sprint trains were being set up...
We were able to make a pretty strong set-up for our lead-out train.
But we came a bit too early and I got boxed in. Sutton won deservedly and I end up right inside the top 10. Better luck in a couple of days, because tonight we leave for the USA, for the Tour of Colorado!
In other news, Greipel and Sieberg will both be going to Saxo Bank, reinforcing the weak-performing team.
Euskaltel seems to have given up on their principle of only riding Basque riders, as Simon Gerrans signed for the team. |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:28
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These transfers are reallly out there. Are you sure you don't want to regulate them?
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:33
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baseballlover312 wrote:
These transfers are reallly out there. Are you sure you don't want to regulate them?
I just discovered how I can change them.
However, some of them I'll just leave like they are. (Gerrans, for example, because they're attracting non-Basque riders irl now too) or do you think I should put Gerrans back in GreenEdge?
What other transfers would you adjust? (I already changed many, like Van Garderen going to some continental team, Siutsou going to Christina Watches and Rogers to Europcar)
EDIT: I think that some transfers that would never be possible in real life, I'll just allow, because it's a game here, and some things are more possible in a game than in real life  but of course, too weird transfers I'll edit. But I'm open-minded about some rider's decisions 
Edited by Ian Butler on 22-08-2012 18:39
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:41
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I think any that are maybe not possible but at least plausible keep, however some are just wack, like.
Hushovd -> Greenedge
Evans -> Radioshack
Cancellara -> BMC (maybe)
Phinney -> Cont Team
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:45
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I already changed Phinney (he remains at BMC)
I'll think about the others (Cancellara isn't that bad, I think), I'll do a final, big transfer blog at the end of the season! (if I don't forget) But in Evans' case, he's pretty much washed up anyway, he's already decreasing in stats and he won't compete for top 10 in the Tour next year so it doesn't really matter where he goes to |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:46
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Is his mtn + or - 79 mtn?
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:50
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Right now 79, but we're 1 year away from next TDF, so he'll be like 78 - 77 at max. Not enough, I think. |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:52
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For a top 10 I think, not contention, obviously.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:54
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Well, I'll think about it. Thanks for remarking anyway  |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:56
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I just thought that while it may be fine now, by 2014 it would be madness.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 18:57
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I definitely agree there, I'll try to keep it under control
Tour of Colorado is up next (hope you'll like it, baseballlover)! |
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| JuanMotr |
Posted on 22-08-2012 19:52
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good job by Eric to be in the BOD.
better luck in Rocky mountains  |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 22-08-2012 22:54
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Hope you have a great time in Colorado |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 22-08-2012 22:58
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Thanks, the Rocky mountains will be for tomorrow, though
Let's see what the two wonder boys can do there, the way they're racing through their fist season |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-08-2012 10:43
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Tour of Colorado - Stage 1
A prologue with the first part practically downhill all the way. The main thing is for Eric to be well positioned, because a stage win will be difficult against specialist like Taylor Phinney.
Well, I got off to a decent start.
However, I think I4m definitely over the top of my season, I just feel it in my legs. I gave it my all in the cobbled classics, the Giro and in Poland, I'm pretty much done. I just want to finish my schedule and take a break, only to return next season even stronger!
My downhill skills were very useful here and I finished third, not even a second behind Phinney and Van Garderen.
Result/GC
| 1 | Taylor Phinney | BMC Racing Team | 6'43 | | | 2 | Tejay Van Garderen | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | | 3 | Eric Lombaerts | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 4 | Jens Mouris | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 1 | | | 5 | Alex Rasmussen | Team Garmin-Barracuda | + 2 | | | 6 | Stuart O'Grady | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 4 | | | 7 | Cameron Meyer | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 6 | | | 8 | Adriano Malori | Lampre-ISD | s.t. | | | 9 | Maciej Bodnar | Liquigas-Cannondale | s.t. | | | 10 | Ramunas Navardauskas | Team Garmin-Barracuda | + 7 | | | 11 | Dario Cataldo | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | s.t. | | | 12 | Marcel Wyss | Team NetApp | s.t. | | | 13 | Frantisek Rabon | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | + 8 | | | 14 | Steven Cozza | Team NetApp | s.t. | | | 15 | Michael Hepburn | Orica-GreenEDGE | s.t. | | | 16 | Markus Fothen | Team NSP-GHOST | s.t. | | | 17 | Stijn Van Gent | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 18 | Alexander Wetterhall | Endura Racing | s.t. | | | 19 | Paul Voss | Endura Racing | + 9 | | | 20 | Stefan Schäfer | Team NSP-GHOST | s.t. | |
The following 3 days are most important for the GC, as the final 3 days are quite flat. See you tomorrow! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-08-2012 10:51
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Tour of Colorado - Stage 2
Bille rode an excellent race and was in the breakaway of the day. He takes the only mountain points of today and will wear the jersey tomorrow, well done!
At one point, he even had a chance of winning, as the peloton hesitated too much. However, his breakaway companion Da Dalto refused all cooperation and Bille could forget about his win. Why he didn't want to cooperate is a mystery to me, maybe he couldn't?
So it came to a mass sprint uphill, which Rabon won, right in front of Ulissi.
Result
| 1 | Frantisek Rabon | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | 4h13'33 | | | 2 | Diego Ulissi | Lampre-ISD | s.t. | | | 3 | Rubens Bertogliati | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | s.t. | | | 4 | Sep Vanmarcke | Team Garmin-Barracuda | s.t. | | | 5 | Jure Kocjan | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | s.t. | | | 6 | Valerio Agnoli | Liquigas-Cannondale | s.t. | | | 7 | Stuart O'Grady | Orica-GreenEDGE | s.t. | | | 8 | Eric Lombaerts | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 9 | Dennis Vanendert | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 10 | Timothy Roe | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | |
GC
| 1 | Frantisek Rabon | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | 4h20'04 | | | 2 | Taylor Phinney | BMC Racing Team | + 12 | | | 3 | Tejay Van Garderen | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | | 4 | Eric Lombaerts | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 5 | Jens Mouris | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 13 | | | 6 | Rubens Bertogliati | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | + 15 | | | 7 | Stuart O'Grady | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 16 | | | 8 | Mauro Da Dalto | Liquigas-Cannondale | s.t. | | | 9 | Diego Ulissi | Lampre-ISD | + 17 | | | 10 | Cameron Meyer | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 18 | |
Tomorrow is the big mountain stage, that will definitely stir up the GC. Afterwards is the TT, I'm ready for both of them! |
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| JuanMotr |
Posted on 23-08-2012 11:03
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Eric will have it tough against Tejay in my career with BMC he is leading Giro |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-08-2012 11:09
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Yeah, but he knows Van Garderen because by some coincidence they ride almost the exact same schedule He was up against him in the Giro, in Poland and now in Colorado, he'll have his hands full with him (but Van Garderen will probably be in top shape here, so it'll be very tough) |
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| JuanMotr |
Posted on 23-08-2012 11:34
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Domestique
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i think Eric should use that Tejay is really bad at hills so there should be his chance |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 23-08-2012 13:50
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Eric has made a great start to the race |
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