A New World: The Señor Frogs team story.
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Neillster |
Posted on 07-01-2012 12:30
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Domestique
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Interesting team, but without any cobble riders, and only one seriously competitive sprinter, how are you going to get the recognition early on to get invites for the UWT events? |
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sutty68 |
Posted on 07-01-2012 12:34
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Tour de France Champion
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What a GREAT start for Senor Frogs and a brilliant sprint by Haedo, Well Done |
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 07-01-2012 17:31
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Classics Specialist
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Neillster wrote:
Interesting team, but without any cobble riders, and only one seriously competitive sprinter, how are you going to get the recognition early on to get invites for the UWT events?
Well like I put in my first post, I'll force those if I have to, but generally I don't. Normally a good showing in the TDU and other early continental rides will get the invites to Paris-Nice and Tirreno – Adriatico, good showings there get you into the Giro, a good Giro gets an invite to the TDF and so on.
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Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 07:58
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 07-01-2012 19:39
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Tour de San Luis | 18Jan | Stage 2: Juana Koslay to Mirador del Portero |
Quintana, Davis, Pereyra | Haedo, Lacombe, Phinney | Boily, East | Mini-team 5 | Mini-team 7 | Mini-team 8 |
After a perfect day to start the Tour de San Luis we now have a huge set of expectations to live up to. Our initial win got us a small bit of media attention as we try to make our reputation being as competitive as any team in the world. This next stage puts our climbers to work as the last 5k of the race is seemingly straight uphill all the way to the finish line. We can't expect Haedo to hold his leader's jersey so we hope he can pass in on to Quintana or Pereyra. We would also like to keep Pereyra as the KoM leader, which he can hold by winning the first two small climbs, so again we will try and get him into a breakaway. | | |
| The early break today gets off without Pereyra able to join, so the team gets out front and works to bring them back in. | | After the first is caught, a second break forms, Pereyra and three others get away. | | The first sprint comes up, with no rider threatening Haedo for points, and Pereyra wanting the mountains, he doesn't join the other three. Sergey Firsanov (Itera - Katusha) is the fastest this time. | | Now to the mid-race mountain points and Pereyra attacks the breakaway to take the points easily, during the short climb 5th rider joins the break after working down the couple minutes gap. | | Everyone has had a bit of time to recover before the second mountain sprint, Pereyra prepares for another attack. | | Again Pereyra is able to attack and hold off his breakaway mates for the mountain points, but in the distance now the peloton can be seen closing in on the riders. | | The field won't catch the break just yet as they race under the second sprint point banner led by Ludovic Turpin (Saur - Sojasun) and head down to the start of the climbs. | | As the road narrows and the grade steepens the climbers set forth, Quintana boldly makes the first move powering past the field. Pablo Lastras isn't going to let him get away cleanly though and sticks right on his wheel. | | Quintana drops Lastras halfway up the climb, he is now all alone but being chased by a small group of climbers. | | No one is going to catch Nairo Quintana today! Another win for Señor Frogs! |
Señor Frogs - Air Canada continues to shine in Argentina as Nairo Quintana takes the second stage in the climb and the Yellow Jersey from teammate J.J. Haedo. The Team also now leads in every category, but will not wear the white jersey tomorrow since Quintana has both Yellow and White. The question now is can they sustain this pace and with the Santos Tour Down Under also starting tomorrow will they be able to win against the best riders on the best teams?
Edited by Kentaurus on 09-01-2012 17:11
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sutty68 |
Posted on 07-01-2012 19:42
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
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2 out of 2 at San Luis, nice riding |
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alexanderlens |
Posted on 07-01-2012 20:27
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Breakaway Specialist
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Good job! One tip: you disable the names with tab and the rounds with the button left to enter.
Guess who's back?
Lets see how many friens are still around...
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 08-01-2012 03:22
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Classics Specialist
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Oh! Thanks, been looking for how to do that. Will really make the pictures look better from here on out.
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alexanderlens |
Posted on 08-01-2012 10:11
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Breakaway Specialist
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You're welcome!
Guess who's back?
Lets see how many friens are still around...
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 09-01-2012 15:12
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Classics Specialist
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Santos Tour Down Under | 19Jan-24Jan | Race Preview |
Van Garderen, Brenes, De Maar | Duarte, Cabrera, Stetina | Delany | Mini-team 3 | Mini-team 4 | Mini-team 9 |
Stage | Route | Distance | Terrain | Finish | 1 | Clare - Tanunda | 139.3 kms | Flat | Sprint | 2 | Gawler - Hahndorf | 146.0 kms | Flat | Sprint | 3 | Unley - Stirling | 129.6 kms | Hills | Hilltop | 4 | Norwood - Goolwa | 125.4 kms | Flat | Sprint | 5 | Snapper Point - Willunga | 131.0 kms | Flat | Sprint/Break | 6 | Adelaide - Adelaide | 93.2 kms | Flat | Sprint |
The first UCI World Tour event of the year, and this does not set up well for the Señor Frogs team. With their only serious sprinters racing in Argentina the team will have to look to take the lead in the only hilly stage on the route. Another option is to try and use the sharp plateaus near the end of Stage 5 to create a breakaway and gain some time over the sprinters.
Due to the unique seven man requirement for the only time this season only a single rider from mini-team 9 is able to join the riders from mini-teams 3 and 4.
Edited by Kentaurus on 12-01-2012 21:11
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sutty68 |
Posted on 09-01-2012 15:36
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Tour de France Champion
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Good Luck in Oz |
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 09-01-2012 17:09
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Classics Specialist
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Santos Tour Down Under | 19Jan | Stage 1: Clare - Tanunda |
Van Garderen, Brenes, De Maar | Duarte, Cabrera, Stetina | Delaney | Mini-team 3 | Mini-team 4 | Mini-team 9 |
The first day in Australia is one of many for the sprinters. The finish is a bit uphill which could make things a bit different, but still likely to be one of the fast men in the field. The Señor Frogs team doesn't have a sprinter here so stage wins will not be a priority for them. Instead on these days, they will look to see if they can catch a breakaway and look to take the mountain points when they can. Today's early climb should give them a chance as the peloton will not likely work too hard in bringing breakaways back that early. | | |
| As expected an early breakaway works to get a gap. Tejay Van Garderen makes the early move to try and get those mountain points for the Frogs | | The peloton doesn't seem happy to see our team leader out in the break, and rapidly catches up, unfortunately for them Tejay is still ahead by a little when the climb starts, and they won't catch him going uphill. | | A new breakaway of four riders including Gregory Brenes gets going, again never given much leash, but just enough to get through the sprint points, the first one taken by Luke Roberts (Saxo Bank) | | The same group gets to the second sprint and has a near identical result as Luke Roberts again takes the most points and ensures himself the lead in sprint points classification. | | Moments later the group would be pulled back and another breakaway forms, this one gets a pair of Señor Frog riders, Duarte and Stetina. | | The field didn't let them go long, as one last chance for a breakaway is taken this started by Thomas De Gendt and joined by Tejay Van Garderen. | | With no breakaways able to get away the race came down to the expected sprint. In the end it was Tyler Farrar (Garmin - Cervélo) that would win the race. |
Winning this stage was never in the cards for the Señor Frogs team, but the team managed to achieve it's goal of winning the mountain points and pushing for breakaways. The team has a lot of work left in front of them to finish with a successful Tour Down Under.
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cunego59 |
Posted on 09-01-2012 17:15
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Team Manager
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I really enjoy your concept, your layout and the reports. Plus, you have a very nice team so if you keep this going, it could turn out into a great story!
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sutty68 |
Posted on 09-01-2012 22:47
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Tour de France Champion
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Nice riding by Van Garderen to claim the Mountains Jersey |
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 10-01-2012 02:49
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Tour de San Luis | 19Jan | Stage 3: Buena Esperanza to Villa Mercedes |
Quintana, Davis, Pereyra | Haedo, Lacombe, Phinney | Boily, East | Mini-team 5 | Mini-team 7 | Mini-team 8 |
After a great finish for the team in the climb by Quintana, the race again goes flat, and a finish for the sprinters. Haedo will be looking for his second win and the team will be protecting the yellow for Quintana. Probably means lots of work for the domestiques as they will have to chase down every breakaway that heads out today. | | |
| As expected the breakaway starts early and big, the Señor Frogs team is going to have a long day ahead of them. | | The first break was just too big, everyone left in the field seemed willing to help out, after being caught it doesn't take long for a second break to get free. | | As expected now it would be entirely up to the Señor Frogs team to do the catch up work. | | The break gets to the first sprint just before they can be caught, with Emanuele Vona (Farnese Vini) being the first across at the line. | | Little would happen until nearing the second sprint point when a set of attacks would free up a new breakaway led by Imanol Erviti (Movistar). | | Nearing the finish, things speed up for the mass sprint, but a small crash creates a split in the field, Quintana gets caught behind and the chances of catching the sprint trains at this point is very slim. | | Amidst the confusion it looks like the Señor Frogs sprint train doesn't get formed up, and Haedo is forced to try things out on his own, he doesn't have very good position. | | Kenny Van Hummel (Skil - Shimano) takes the sprint over Daryl Impey (NetApp), Haedo comes in 5th, while the previous second in the overall Lastras finishes right behind him in 6th place. |
After such a great start for the team here in Argentina everything seemed to come crumbling down all at once. A crash dropped Quintana from the lead group, the three Señor Frogs riders at the front, Phinney, Lacombe and Haedo couldn't seem to get organized and left J.J. out on his own. Thankfully there were no mountain points on this stage or we probably would have lost that jersey too. Everyone will be happy to see tomorrow and hopefully we can get back to looking like we did in the first two days.
Edited by Kentaurus on 10-01-2012 16:08
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sutty68 |
Posted on 10-01-2012 14:49
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Tour de France Champion
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Haedo just missing out this time |
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Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 11-01-2012 06:05
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World Champion
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Nice story you have here, i like the idea with the mini-teams a lot, very interesting. Nice results so far, keep up the great work
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 12-01-2012 21:10
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Classics Specialist
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Santos Tour Down Under | 20Jan | Stage 2: Gawler - Hahndorf |
Van Garderen, Brenes, De Maar | Duarte, Cabrera, Stetina | Delaney | Mini-team 3 | Mini-team 4 | Mini-team 9 |
Our second day here is much like the first, without a sprinter and the chances for a breakaway being very slim, we will focus on now holding and increasing our lead on the King of the Mountains. There isn't much in the way of climbs here, but two short and sharp slopes around 60k into the race will have to do. Tejay will then need to hold off the peloton for the remaining 20ish km to the points. After that the team will be able to rest for the next day. | | |
| Thomas Vaitkus (Astana) wastes no time in starting the breakaway. We didn't even get 20 meters in! | | His attack might have been a bit too early and he was caught, a new breakaway formed this one looks more normal and stable | | Some of the breakaway stays out just long enough to get through the first sprint, led by Daniele Colli (Geox - TMC) | | Our two little climbs are here, and Tejay makes his attack with the help of Marc De Maar. Hopefully the bit of separation will hold up. | | Van Garderen holds off the field until he gets the mountain points, I'm sure he will happily rejoin the pack for the rest of the day now. | | The last breakaway of the day is only three riders, and they wouldn't hold off the sprint trains at the end, however they get some points in the intermediate sprint won by Hilton Clarke (United Healthcare) | | The sprint trains are really going, and the Garmin train takes off from everyone could this be another win for Tyler Farrar? Koldo Fernández (Euskatel - Euskadi) and Romain Felliu (Vacansolei) are right on his wheel looking to spoil the win. | | With that kind of lead out though, no man is going to catch Tyler Farrar as he asserts his dominance Down Under. |
Two straight wins for Tyler Farrar gives him a good cushion on the sprint points, and the potential to think about competing for the overall if he can stay close on the single hilly stage. Tejay also makes it a double taking the only two mountain sprints in the Tour so far.
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Kentaurus |
Posted on 12-01-2012 21:18
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Classics Specialist
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Wow, I've all but forgotten to give out team points, Quintana definitely deserves a point for his win in stage 2 of TdSL. And now I'm debating giving Tejay Van Garderen a point for winning both mountains thus far in TDU, but not sure if that's giving away a point to easily, I'll let you all decide.
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tastasol |
Posted on 12-01-2012 21:54
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Good story. Like it very much. Keep up the good work!
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FreitasPCM |
Posted on 12-01-2012 22:17
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Grand Tour Champion
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I like the layout of this story, aswell as the reports. The game flags here are nice to see. |
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