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[PT] Lotto - Australia Post 2014
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| Rin |
Posted on 13-12-2012 17:58
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Lotto - Cervélo news: The latest and last 2 free agent signings
We can announce that with our latest and last 2 free agent signings Maciej Ulanowski and Pedro Pablo Pereyra, we have our squad pretty much together to attack our first ProTour season. I think both will nicely develop in our team and will have this year time to develop without any pressure.
We have found a new team for Jiri Hochmann and are pretty sure that we can do the same with Geoffroy Lequatre and Klaas Vantournhout.
We don't know if we will receive any offer for the rest of the Transfer season because a gap to our cap space is pretty much non-existent.
Our team presentation will be after the deadline we have to send our race programme to the UCI so we can tell a bit more about the riders and which races they will target.
With Pereyra we have signed the national champion in both road and time trial from Argentina so he will wear this beauty made by our kit designer ANFreeman:
Edited by Rin on 13-12-2012 18:03
 Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| Rin |
Posted on 16-12-2012 21:31
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Lotto - Cervélo 2013 presentation
At the evening in Brussels, the Lotto - Cervélo team held their presentation at the Grand-Place where the Ronde van Vlaanderen starts.
The riders ride in on their Cervélo bikes
muscially accompanied by the National Orchestra of Belgium.
So lets go with the presentation!
At first I want to say that we take on the challenge of the ProTour after our promotion last season. We just kept 12 of our riders and added 9!
We would like to wish Koldo Gil, Geoffroy Lequatre, Jiri Hochmann, Klaas Vantornout, Tommy Zaini, Frantisek Rabon and Hubert Schwab all the best for their current teams.
Now lets get on with our 2013 squad!
The team leader this season is a new signing and without any doubt a true cycling legend and champion.
Welcome to our team the current national road and time trial champion of Italy and defending Tour de France champion Damiano Cunego!
Damiano Cunego was the transfer/free agent target number oe and I am really pleased that he joined our team.
With him we will have a strong rider for any of the 3 Grand Tours where ever we will send him to.
And he can count on our best support we can offer to get him on top of the podium!
I am sure that if he could take part at all the GTs he would win every of the 3 Grand Tours. But he will just partipiciate this season in just one but maybe next year a Giro/Tour double?
A Grand Tour, we can't disclose yet but will after we have sent the race programmes to SNUCI, won't be his single race. We have some options to go for smaller stage races, one day classics or a mix of both.
Completing the "triple C-threat"
The next riders to complete the brand new "triple C-threat" are Gerald Ciolek and Dimitri Claeys!
Dimitri Claeys will be working hard to get into form next season and so I think he will be much better than last year where he was very good at the PCT. So the big step to the PT will be a big quest for him I think we can find some percent to optimize his performance.
Without a doubt he will be leading the ardennes classics races!
Gerald Ciolek gets now again the chance to prove hisself at the top level of cycling, the ProTour. Obviously he will be leading our team at flat (stage) races where a good strong sprinter is needed and we improved our sprinters department this season a lot compared to after our first season where we discarded a lot of the sprinters department.
The classics riders and stage racers
Maxime Monfort is since the addition to our team 2011 one of the most successful riders in the history of 3s & 7s Cycling (former ACR Team, the license holder holding?) having won our very first PCT race the Tour Meditteraneen 2011 at the last stage winning it and getting the GC and KOM jersey!
Juan Jose Cobo was one of the reasons why Team Bianchi performed so good leading us to promotion!
As he was leading us to promotion, he will definetely ride a Grand Tour this year as a recognition of his superb leadership and performance.
But he might have also some shots at smaller stage races and one day races.
Manuel Lloret will be completing the Grand Tour leaders part as he will leading us into a 3rd Grand Tour as he is very strong against the clock and still a very good mountain rider. Like with Cobo he will also tackle especially the smaller stage races this season.
David de la Fuente is next on the list and also one of the major part of the Team that lead us to promotion. He will be a luxuristique helping the Stage race captains but also having a shot at some races when he feels strong enough to do ultra-overexceptional.
Jude Libert and Artemio Moschella are with Gerald the only riders that also rode for us at our very first season 2010! Both were loaned to Carmeuse and Vesuvio to get ProTour experience and I think this experience is now needed like never before! Both are supertiques helping the stage race leaders a lot and I think we might have one the best support for stage races in the ProTour!
Moises Duenas is one of the 9 new riders we got in and I think we made a good trade as I see he is very valueble when ever a TTT is there as he is good in the mountains and good against the time.
Ole Hirschlein and Pedro Pablo Pereyra are also new additions and I see them as talents who have to improve and we will give them time to develop. Pedro Pable Pereyra is even the current Argentinian road and time trial champion!
Andreas Stauff was also loaned last season to Vesuvio and proved that he is a very strong sprinter leading out Ben Swift to the Tour of Qatar victory! I hope he will continue that leading out Ciolek to some very good positionings!
Lars Croket and William Bonnet are also new additions and they are our cobbled classics leaders.
Lars Crokets strengths are that he seems to be less exhausted over a Grand Tour than other good sprinters which might giving him the edge at the last stages of a stage race.
William Bonnet is a good sprinter but he is also a very good time-trialist and prologue rider so he is very good against the time. I hope that he might win a prologue this season and maybe getting a early yellow jersey?
Michael Vanderaerden is also one of the additions to our sprinters department this season and I think with him we are able to make a strong sprint train. He will also get some chances on his own.
Maciej Ulanowski is new and I think he has still some development potential so he will getting experience after his last season where he rode for the Proximus team... I think that says it all...
Piotr Mazur and Javier Aramendia are reponsible for the Time trials and leading the Team time trials with their experience and skill against the clock. They are also good at prologues so they might be also there very good. Javier won last year the 1st stage of the Tour of Japan which was a short 2km prologue.
Coen Vermeltfoort and Piet Rooijakkers are our riders that will have a look for us at the breakaways and I think they are very good for this.
Piet won with this style the KOM of the Giro del Trentino 2010 our first of 7 KOM jerseys and first jersey ever.
Coen is still young so might improve there over this season.
At the end here is the complete squad listed in a small overview
Lotto - Cervélo 2013:
 Dimitri Claeys
Maxime Monfort
Michael Vanderaerden
Lars Croket
Jude Libert
 Gerald Ciolek
Andreas Stauff
Ole Hirschlein
 Damiano Cunego (Italian Road and Time Trial Champion)
Artemio Moschella
 Juan Jóse Cobo
Manuel Lloret
David de la Fuente
Moises Duenas
Javier Aramendia
 Piet Rooijakkers
Coen Vermeltfoort
 Maciej Ulanowski
Piotr Mazur
 William Bonnet
 Pedro Pablo Pereyra (Argentinian Road and Time Trial Champion)
______________________________________________________________________
Yeah I know that I haven't got any cobblers and the presentation is on a place where the Ronde starts but whatever, it's still a nice place.
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 16-12-2012 21:55
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A nice team, but if Cunego fails to deliver, you might find yourself in trouble as none of your other riders are Pro Tour top material. Good luck though!
And an awesome presentation. I guess it took you a while to write it. 
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| Rin |
Posted on 17-12-2012 10:35
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alexkr00 wrote:
A nice team, but if Cunego fails to deliver, you might find yourself in trouble as none of your other riders are Pro Tour top material. Good luck though!
And an awesome presentation. I guess it took you a while to write it.
I don't think Cunego will fail to deliver thats why got him 
I wouldn't say that no one else is PT material when I have a lot at other PT teams there are weaker ones and teams who have a weak part like having absolutely no rider for races like Fleche or LBL. Or having 2 superb rider for the mountains but no real support.
You shouldn't underestimate Cobo, Claeys and Monfort, maybe even Ciolek.
The goal is to score so much to avoid relegation and landing in Top 15-20 positions of no matter which race still score nicely plus having in mind that you can score in a lot of ways.
I think we can/will land around P9-P14.
Yes, it took a while around 1h30min-2h haven't stopped it plus being abstracted by "I need a pause..". I am glad that you liked it
Edited by Rin on 17-12-2012 10:35
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| cio93 |
Posted on 17-12-2012 10:43
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Cunego crashes in the GT he rides, and voila, you'll have a hard tike staying up 
Not that I wish you the worst
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| Heine |
Posted on 17-12-2012 12:25
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Cunego has crashed before... He got on his bike again and won the Giro...
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| Rin |
Posted on 14-01-2013 20:55
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Lotto - Cervélo news: Cunegos race program
Damiano Cunego revealed in an italian newspaper his race program for the season 2013:
The italian road and time trial champion will begin his season with the first ProTour race of the season, the Badaling International around Beijing.
Tirreno-Adriatico will be his 2nd race and a good preparation for Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
The Classique du Grand-Duche in Luxembourg the next race after a pause plus it's the race before his biggest goal of this season will be defending the title at the Tour de France.
Afterwards, he will ride at the GP Liechtenstein before his 2nd goal of the season defending his last seasons win at the Giro di Lombardia.
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 08:44
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| Rin |
Posted on 15-01-2013 10:23
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Lotto - Cervélo news: Badaling International
The first race of the first ProTour season for Lotto - Cervélo is close.
But it isn't the first race in the ProTour for the 3's & 7's. We rode in 4 ProTour races with a wildcard 2010 and 2011, the Badaling International and the Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt in 2010 and the Fleche Wallonne and the Classique du Grand-Duche in 2011.
And 2010 looked better for us as Gerald Ciolek managed to grab a stage win at the Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt and Koldo Gil managed to grab a 15th place at the Badaling International.
2011 the best results were Koldo Gil 12th at the Grand-Duche and Claeys 19th at the Fleche Wallonne.
So the Badaling International route hasn't changed since 2010 as it is the same route from the Road Race at the Olympics 2008 in Beijing. So we know the route and with Cunego taking part here, I think he can get us a good start into the new season here. And as we definately want a good start into the season, Cunego got the support to do well with Cobo and De la Fuente.
So this is our team for the Badaling International:
Damiano Cunego
Juan Jose Cobo
David de la Fuente
Moises Duenas
Jude Libert
Artemio Moschella
Ole Hirschlein
Pedro Pablo Pereyra
Edited by Rin on 15-01-2013 10:25
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| roturn |
Posted on 15-01-2013 10:27
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You have a strong line-up there and it would be awesome when you win and immediately lead the rankings after the first race.
Cunego definitely should belong to the biggest favourites here together with 1-2 others. |
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| cio93 |
Posted on 15-01-2013 10:53
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Thank you a lot for that Cunego schedule
Although the T-A points jersey is probably out of reach now.
And yes, that Badaling team looks like it could give you the early rankings lead, though elite puncheurs with good sprint are even more abundant than ever.
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| Rin |
Posted on 21-01-2013 16:05
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Cunego wins the first race of the season!
The Badaling International was the start of the ProTour season 2013 and Cunego would extend his winning streak as he won the last race of last season with the Giro di Lombardia.
The beginning of the race was not that good unfortunately as Moises Duenas hit the ground first but could ride on and finished 163rd. He will get a pause he will gladly take as his next race is the Volta Ciclista a Cataluna one of our small goals.
Ponzi seemed to be a great threat to any of the top teams as and we missed his attack so we got into there with Pearl and Vesuvio reeling Ponzi back in into the peloton.
Now with having an eye after Ponzi and his 2nd attack, this was the time to send Cunego went with him and some companions followed distancing the other teams missing this attack.
Cunego did a lot for the front group with Hagen and so it was really a deserved win for the great italian champion.
Now we have to holding on getting the places infront of the bottom 4 team standing places to avoid relegation. But we know even the first PT win tastes very good, it's a very long season as just it was just the first race of 37 races following with having Cunego not at every other race in the squad.
After a small pause for the PT teams, meanwhile there are 2 C1 and 1 C2 stage races, the next race will be the sprinters favourite stage race: the Tour of Qatar.
5 flat sprint stages with a small prologue TT just 3.5km long favouriting the track/prologue specialists.
But with the time bonuses during the stage and at the finish line maybe a sprinter can hold on to a time trial specialist?
We decided for a 2 headed giant team:
William Bonnet
Gerald Ciolek
Andreas Stauff
Michael Vanderaerden
Lars Croket
Javier Aramendia
Maciej Ulanowski
Piotr Mazur
4 new riders will make their debut here with Ulanowski, Croket, Vanderaerden and Bonnet.
The captains are Ciolek and Bonnet.
I think Ciolek is still our strongest sprinter in the team so I hope we can set up a sprint train for him and that should be possible.
Especially Stauff should know how to do it here as he rode with Vesuvio 2012 leading out Ben Swift to the title of the Tour of Qatar 2012.
Bonnet is our strongest Prologue specialist so we hope that he might get a decent position at the last stage -> the prologue!
We hope that we can achieve here some good results and even a Top 3 stage result would be very good as we expect the creme de la creme of the sprinters here at this Tour.
Edited by Rin on 21-01-2013 16:06
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| cio93 |
Posted on 21-01-2013 17:13
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Congratulations on that impressive win, although that has to be expected from Cunego to justify his wage
I wouldn't expect anything from Qatar if I were you, that startlist is unsurprisingly massive
Oh, and if I understood you correctly and you're unsure which type of rider will win the GC, no way this goes to a TTist without serious splits or breaks succeeding.
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 22-01-2013 05:59
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Great win from Cunego, i see he starts justifying his brutal wage right from the start.
Good luck in Qatar, but should be the very short TT on the last day still called prologue? Rather epilogue!
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| Rin |
Posted on 31-01-2013 22:44
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Ciolek: Keeping up with the top sprinters
At the Tour of Qatar we believed we could show something like being in a breakaway, setting up a sprint train or even slip into a Top 5 stage result but well..
The first stages weren't that good with not even Top 10 places but Ciolek improved at the last ones which is reassuring that he could be able to surprise in a weaker field. His best result was at the 4th stage with a 7th place just beating top sprinter Ben Swift.
The last stage with the very short ITT stage was ok with a 12th place for Bonnet which made him the best Lotto rider in the GC with a 17th position. Ciolek managed to be in the Top 10 of the points ranking just infront of ITT winner Fiedler. With the ITT we managed to get the 8th place at the team rankings.
 
a familiar view for Ciolek behind the top sprinters
Next up: Chrono des Herbiers and previewing already the 3 race clash week with Paris - Nice, Tirreno - Adriatico and Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Well this is very straight forward: 48km of a rather flat individual time trial. And as we have 3 good ITT guys not really able to position well in a stage race, it's pretty much obvious that this is our team for the Herbiers.
William Bonnet
Javier Aramendia
Piotr Mazur
They were all involved in the Tour of Qatar and will race here as a preperation for the upcoming stage races. Bonnet is very motivated to ride in his own country even though it's a ITT and not a flat sprinters classic.
I hope we get some points as every point counts in this season to avoid relegation.
Tirreno - Adriatico will welcome the national champion Damiano Cunego this season in his just 2nd partipiciation in the Man-Game ProTour his first one was in the very first Man-Game season 2007!
It might be a very weird selection but I think (even with the team around him) he can be the commanding rider of this years Tirreno.
With the 3 race clashes he had to ride in one of them and if you compare them, he can take the commanding position already at the 2nd stage. Plus racing in Italy in his national champion jersey he will be extra-motivated.
But now the problem: We have not enough riders so 2 races had to be with lesser riders than the optimum and maximum of 8. We thought he can get enough support here plus he is so strong we can use the help at other stage races.
The Tirreno team:
Damiano Cunego (Italian Road and Time Trial Champion)
Artemio Moschella
Dimitri Claeys
Michael Vanderaerden
Andreas Stauff
Pedro Pablo Pereyra (Argentinian Road and Time Trial Champion)
We hope that Claeys for the hills, Moschella and Pereyra for the mountains and Stauff and Vanaerderen to chase will be enough to secure a good race here. But we know that is very very risky.
The hardest stage race in the 3 race clashes week in my opinion so our Co-Captain will race here.
The Paris - Nice squad:
Juan Jose Cobo
William Bonnet
David de la Fuente
Maxime Monfort
Jude Libert
Ole Hirschlein
So you see that we took our optimum for the Catalunya stage race. But I think even though it could look weak, I think if we can't get Cobo behind the top leaders then we could get someone into the breakaway.
We hope that Cobo could lurk into a good position at the 3rd stage.
Otherwise with De la Fuente and Monfort here and there might be some attacks. Our only sprinter will be Bonnet who will also look after the test at Herbiers if he can manage a better place at the prologue.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
At first the team for the Catalunya:
Manuel Lloret
Moises Duenas
Lars Croket
Javier Aramendia
Piet Rooijakkers
Coen Vermeltfoort
Maciej Ulanowski
Piotr Mazur
It will be the debut race for Vermeltfoort in the Lotto - Cervélo jersey!
We know that at every race there will be a tough field to crack but we hope that with Lloret and the support he gets, that he could surprise with a Top 10 GC place.
Edited by Rin on 01-02-2013 12:25
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| cio93 |
Posted on 31-01-2013 22:59
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I sadly expect Cunego to win the points jersey in Italy ahead of Bennati, but that support looks thin indeed, especially as I assume stages 2 and 6 have a rather high Mo/Hil ratio.
Lloret for a Top10 in Catalunya is highly optimistic imo, I remember most of the startlist and I even doubt a Top10 for VDB is a given.
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| Rin |
Posted on 26-02-2013 11:17
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After the Paris - Nice, Tirreno - Adriatico and Catalunya race week.. And Milan - San Remo
Keeping up with (one of) the Schleckashians
The Tirreno win was very lucky, the leader Frank Schleck was taken out by a crash and Cunego inherited the 1st place as one of the luckier riders not crashing.
I think Tirreno showed that we might think over the tactic of just sending 6 riders in it as we were really passive at Tirreno which wasn't good, we were just reacting on what Frank would do and cover/marking him with a Cunego attack.
So, even though the legend won, I have to be honest that it's an undeserved win.
We aren't really Paris Nice
 
Thats a performance I really like to see!
Very aggressive even though they aren't the best, at least they tried to munch up the field.
The 6th place by Monfort is really really good.
Too bad we couldn't keep the team rankings lead as at the last stage Pendleton thought they would like to have it but 2nd is still very very good.
Well..
Oh and there was a race in Italy.. If there wouldn't be this picture I thought we weren't there and I got those fake Walkie Talkies.
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| Rin |
Posted on 12-08-2013 22:10
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The season so far - after Milan - San Remo to the Grand-Duche
The cobbled one day races
At first I am really sorry about this part.
I haven't fancied the cobbles this season and I can't really say here anything valueble as our roster wasn't for those races plus no action for us at all.
We took those races as practice roll out for the younger inexpierienced riders to get them some expierience and forming them to better riders.
But I take this space to announce that I will look to get a cobbler in the future in my team!
The races we "missed" but also as a list what we might ride in the future more seriously than in our history:
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
East Midlands Cicle Classic
Gent - Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris - Roubaix
Strade Appia Antica
One-day races and the Ardennes classics before the Grand Tours
Rund um Köln
A sprinters classic but in the end it was probably too hard for Ciolek.
Ciolek felt not that good so it was up to Lars Croket and he managed with a 10th place a respectable finishing place.
I hope that at the next time we have our star sprinter finishing Top 5 at my home race!
The finish at the Rheinauhafen is just beautiful and superb.
Amstel Gold Race
We planned in here that Claeys will show how strong he really is. The hills aren't too long but still very sharp and steep so he can play his strengths out.
We had Rooijakkers in the breakaway group so we couldn't care less about relaying and with Monfort he had a very good domestique on his side.
Unfortunately for us we thought the attack of Hagen, Schleck etc. could be reeled in but the group splittered and so we were bonked for a Top 10 position. Ponzi outsprinted Claeys for the 8th place.
Fleche Wallonne
With the harder hills we expected that Claeys might struggle but with the home crowd support at his side that could grow him some wings.
Again we had someone in the break but this time with Vermeltfoort so Claeys and Monfort could save their energy up when they have to go.
We tried to get clear with Claeys before the Mur but his group was reeled in but the only thing you need at the Mur with a lot of energy and power is that you need a great position before you climb the Mur up.
Claeys was in a great position but was beaten by E.B. Hagen but the 3rd place was more than we expected as Claeys had beaten riders like Bakelants and Gilbert meaning that he was the best belgian rider at the Fleche Wallonne.
Edvald Boasson Hagen taking the victory before Tejay Van Garderen and Dimitri Claeys
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Cunego wanted to race this monument and we had nothing against it.
It is a race to show what a champion really is and so a champion like Cunego could show here what a legend he is.
Unfortunately before the important slopes Monfort went off the bike and we had to leave him alone there was we needed everyone for Claeys, Monfort and Cunego.
Even though that here is an example how we ruined ourselves, Monfort leading Claeys but where is Cunego? Nevermind before the Cote de Saint-Nicolas what a great picture was taken by Pellizotti2!
Cunego managed to get 7th, Claeys 10th and Monfort 13th.
That was disappointing as we expected a better result here than that.
The stage races before the Grand Tours
Vuelta al PaÃs Vasco
We went with our one-day races squad plus De la Fuente hoping for something countable from the hills and mountains in the basque country.
We had to attack as the last stage the time trial would get us back in the GC.
We tried so hard and got so far but in the end it doesn't even matter. We had to fall to lose it all but in the end it doesn't even matter.
In the end Monfort got 9th and Claeys got 10th and it mattered.
Tour of Romandie
Well the Tour of Romandie was not a good race for us as we just have 1 top climber and to be honest no good climber who could get something from here.
We were almost anonymous at this race with Lloret finishing 18th at the GC.
Tour of California
We like California but we haven't got any rider who could race here for the win. So we did what we could do the best here: Racing anonymous.
No exciting racing etc. just riding with the peloton.
We might look for the future to change this but the season is still long enough to decide otherwise. All I can say that we can't focus on every race but some "minor" stage races with good results would be still great and not racing anonymously in these races.
The Grand Tours Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana
Giro d'Italia
We decided with Cunego against this race as we thought it was a more traditional Tour de France route rather than those crazy Giro stages.
Too many TT km killed this race for him so we decided for the Tour and defending the title for Cunego.
So it was a race for Lloret to shine at his advanced racing years.
We knew that with a lot of flat stages that the best sprinters will come here but we decided to take Ciolek here and at the Tour de France to give him those prestigious races to prove that he is able to sprint against the top guns.
But we took also Claeys here to go for a stage win as otherwise with Lloret and Ciolek the chances of something would have been at 1%.
The first week
This was a box of tricks week having something for the sprinters, puncheurs and time trialists.
The first 3 stages were for the sprinters and the horses went with Stauff as he managed to leadout Ciolek and even outsprint him at the 3rd stage. A 4-5 isn't as great as a 1-2 but still a good team effort.
Stauff showed that he is very promising for the future.
Dougie that was close! Stauff 4th and Ciolek 5th
The 4th stage was a finish for Claeys but he managed a 6th place.
The second week
This was the week for the strong riders with mountain and hill stages.
And this was the week where our team had the chance to shine with a stage win for Claeys at the 10th stage.
From an okish position storming to the front as he never needed to use all the power at those mountain stages saved up all for this final sprint moment beating Spilak.
What a hilltop sprint finish from Claeys
The third week
Well the race so far was hard for the sprinters so Ciolek only managed to get a decent finishing position at the pancake flat 19th stage with a 3rd place behind the Italians Bennati and Corioni.
The criterium at Udine went like some sprints at the first week anonymously for us with a 9th place for Ciolek.
At the end of the Giro the stage win from Claeys was the only countable result from the Giro. But we knew before it would be hard to get anything from here and we had to hunt for a stage win and Claeys pulled it off. What a great rider he is.
Vuelta a Espana
As we have a lot of Spaniards in our team it was obvious that we had to send them here!
With Cobo we had someone who could fancy those hilly terrain and still decent enough at the mountains.
But we send also some inexperienced sprinters here so they get experience for the future.
So the objective was once again a stage win at the hills as the sprinters won't be able to do that and the mountain stages were not made for Cobo.
But to take all the "How went the race for them" excitement out:
It was very disappointing with the highest of the highs was Liberts 5th place at the mountainous 13th stage and 3rd for De la Fuente at the very hard 19th stage a mountainous stage.
Cobo disappointed at the GC with just 21th and De la Fuente got 17th.
Libert managed the 3rd place at the KOM ranking.
Our team was 3rd somehow at the team ranking.
I still think the Giro went out much better for us.
The stage races in preparation for the Tour de France and "le Duche"
Critérium du Dauphiné
We actually wanted to try something with Bonnet at the prologue as he is french and racing in France gives the french people always some encouragement.
He finished the prologue 5th so no yellow jersey well in the end I have to say that was a long shot and very unrealistic. But just 3 seconds short of Phinney who was 2nd.
We thought like at all the previous small stage races before sending the rest of our team (De la Fuente etc.) and hope for the best.
And that de la Fuente knows how to deliver. At the Dauphine a stage win and wearing the yellow jersey for a day that is something you could pin on your chest.
Yes even a Spaniard likes shadows
The end was great with a stage win.
Lloret managed 13th and de la Fuente managed the 14th place at the GC.
Tour de Suisse
As the Dauphine was more for the climbers we send Monfort for stage win hunting to the Tour de Suisse. At least making a good show trying to be aggressive.
But well the only aggressive rider from us was Vermeltfoort who managed a 2nd place at the KOM ranking.
Otherwise we took a beating left and right with Monforts best stage position 10th place.
Classique du Grand-Duché
In the race calendar discussion with Cunego we came up with an idea to race him at the Grand-Duché because we thought at their home race at least a Schleck will take part. So beating a Schleck on their home soil was the target.
And what can I say than the legend knows how to race a race and how to take a win.
A win at the Duche with a strong final sprint.
Somewhere at the picture there is the legend and current italian champion
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Rumours around the Lotto - Cervélo HQ are indicating that at the end of the season there might be a major overhaul at the team.
Reliable sources say that the team no matter how this season will end for Lotto - Cervélo the manager is worried about the ageing team and is looking to rejuvenating the roster.
The sources were told that the team manager said: "They requested that the team bus should get backgammon boards! I mean really???"
Also another rumour says that Cioleks performances might be good at the Tour de France but he might be also one of the members that will go.
We were told that the manager said: "Maybe the Tour de France results will gather some interest in so I can get something back what could help much more - money."
Another information the "Secret Man-Game magazine" can share is that Cunego is at 50/50 to stay with the team as it depends on his wage plus his value and that the manager is setting everyone under 30 on the transfer list of would release them for "the right offer".
And it is rumoured that the team manager wants to shape the team like:
A strong cobbler, a strong puncheur, a stronger sprinter than Ciolek and especially strengthening the squad towards mountainious stage races
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 14-08-2013 07:42
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World Champion
Posts: 14236
Joined: 20-06-2011
PCM$: 300.00
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Some nice results from former PCT hilly powerhouse coming to PT, especially Clayes in FW and Cunego winning Classique du Grand-Duché. But all is depending on Cunego for your team, hopefully he will snatch that last Tour win. Good luck withg that!
Also interesting rumours surrounding Lotto for next season and future, names like Ciolek,Monfort or Mazur are resonating in my ears.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 14-08-2013 10:08
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Some great summaries, although Im not a fan of your Grand Duche strategy!
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| Rin |
Posted on 14-08-2013 12:18
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2748
Joined: 14-04-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Avin Wargunnson wrote:
Some nice results from former PCT hilly powerhouse coming to PT, especially Clayes in FW and Cunego winning Classique du Grand-Duché. But all is depending on Cunego for your team, hopefully he will snatch that last Tour win. Good luck withg that!
Also interesting rumours surrounding Lotto for next season and future, names like Ciolek,Monfort or Mazur are resonating in my ears.
Cunego was the risk worth when I look how much he did so I would be looking for Madrazo if he comes available and if Cunego wanting a bit too much for me as he will be declining after this season.
Thank you I hope that the time bonuses will play into my cards.
I expect the Tour de France going to be amazingly close with around 15 seconds between 1st and 2nd. I hope 1st will be Cunego.
And I am really going to reshape the squad so all the 3 ones you named will be really sold. But for Ciolek I guess there will be someone going through the roof
SportingNonsense wrote:
Some great summaries, although Im not a fan of your Grand Duche strategy!
Thank you Was writing at least 1h and 30min on that one.
I thought spicing the things a bit up would be good so that is why I targeted the Grand-Duche.
Could be counted as a compliment as if you target someone you take the best ones
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No one got the reference at the Pais Vasco? Disappointed but still looking forward putting some song texts/parts into a long HQ post. Or it's obvious that no one likes Linkin Park.
I have to say that I will try for next season regulary updates but something diffrent.
Unlike at the beginning of the season as it hasn't went like I wanted it to with previews etc. already brought up whilst I wasn't online putting my ones up so my squad preview was good for nothing as an example.
So that is coming up for next years ??? HQ:
1st post like at the moment:
- Small welcome
- Sponsors
- Jersey history
- Squad/roster history
- Goals (history)
2nd post also like at the moment:
- Results history
3rd post:
- Probably revealing of the teams name etc. and an interview with myself!
That is always a lot of fun.
Interview contains what the team is going to in the transfer season.
4th post (placeholder):
- The race calendar
PT or chosen PCT ones depends on where we stay
5th post (placeholder):
- Which rider is at which race
Obviously filled in after the 1st seasons race and not before!
Thats a better solution to what I tried at the beginning of the season so I take the previews up already at the beginning of the season
Otherwise before the season starts:
- Revealing the seasons goals as they are always later on in the "off-season" so can't be in the 3rd one
- Contract renewals stuff
- Transfer season what we are dishing out and what we are looking for
- Those weird rumours no one knows where they come from
- If we get a rider who is worth a news like Cunego last year special news
- Presentation of the squad after the Transfer season
- Revealing of the race calendar / revealing star riders races
Afterwards when the season is on:
- I am looking to split the season up into some blocks so it will be review instead of preview + review posts
But as I have no idea where we are going to stay I can't say how much blocks there will be. If it's the PT I would say around 5 blocks.
It might be looking shortened up but at least it would guarantee there will be really regulary posts from me in my HQ.
For the rest of this season:
I am planning a Tour de France review and a big block from TDF to the end of the season which is the Giro di Lombardia.
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In the end I have to say (not as a weird rumour) I have no idea if I am going to continue with the current name or continueing the tradition of mine and changing it.
There are 4 ideas one or two will be included in next years team:
- Continueing with (just) the current main sponsor
- Having my "3's & 7's Racing" license holder name in the team
- Changing to a diffrent sponsor (no idea at the moment which one)
- A big OMG WTF Go! Go! Go! turnaround as in our history as there was a team I really liked but that would be very weird if it's coming back and thats probably the reason why I have problems with letting it coming back :S
EDIT: Corrected the last thing from "4 things I have in mind for next years team" to "4 ideas one or two will be included in next years team" not that all 4 of them will be included in the team
Edited by Rin on 14-08-2013 14:05
Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
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