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AMEX Pro Cycling 2013
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 04-02-2013 12:36
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Tour de St Luis Preview
Argentina is the host of AMEX's first stop in the Americas. With five (5) flat stages we expect to see a very talented group of sprinters in the starting field. The other two (2) stages are hilly and will more than likely determine the outcome of the GC standings.
AMEXpc's main focus in the Americas will be sprinting. The Tour de San Luis leader will be Danilo Kupfernagel supported by Jake Keough and Theo Reinhardt. Danilo should be solidly in the top ten for the sprint stages. We also have three (3) solid domestiques which should more than help keep the sprinters close to the front of the peleton in Michael Kurth, Fabien Taillefour and TT specialist Patrick Gretsch.
That leaves Carlos Barredo as our lone threat on the two hilly stages and in the GC. Without support look for Barredo to try and get into a breakaway and do his damage from in front of the peloton.
This is the first race on the PCT that AMEXpc is expected to excite and it will be a guide for the early season.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 17:42
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AMEXpc's team for the cobbled race in Africa - Bahir Dar - has left Salt Lake City for Barcelona and then on to Africa.
Team Leader: Bernhard Eisel
Alternate Lead: Matti Breschel
Domestiques: Robert Bush
Bart Veyt
Yannick Stoltz
Those five will be met by Michael Kurth and Fabien Taillefour still racing in Argentina.
AMEXpc has high expectations for Bahir Dar, we do not see a win or even a podium, but we do think we can place 2 riders in the top 10 and a 3rd in the top 20 and maybe even a 4th in the top 25.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 15-02-2013 21:31
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Our results in Africa at the Bahir Dar cobble race were solid. Bernhard Eisel finished 4th and but for poor positioning on the final lef hand turn, he could have been on the podium. Matti Breschel finished 11th but well behind the leaders but ahead of the peloton. Fabien Taillefour and Michael Kurth fresh from Argentina finished 22nd and 23rd both earning a few points.
4th Bernhard Eisel ST 41pts
11th Matti Breschel +9'23 12pts
22nd Fabien Taillefour +9'56 2pts
23rd Michael Kurth +9'56 2pts
37th Robert Bush +9'56
40th Yannick Stoltz +9'56
62nd Bart Veyt +11'16
Next up for AMEXpc is the Gisborne GP at the end of the month. This will send out hilly squad out for a go. Carlos Barredo coming off a couple of 4th place hilly stage finishes at the Tour de San Luis will be our leader. Supporting Barredo will be Sylvain Chavanel, Matthew Busche and Jan Dieteren with domestques Pawel Cieslik and Maher Hasnaoui. The final rider will be Matti Breschel given a chance to free lance or fill in as needed.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 25-02-2013 10:48
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AMEXpc Preview for Gisborne GP
Two motnhs into the season and this is just the 3rd race for AMEX. We pick up the pace in March, but we are also going to well down near the bottom of the PCT standings.
Gisborne appears to have drawn the better start list of the 2 competing C1 classics to close out February. AMEX looks to have solid team strength on the hills, but with so many talented punchuers in the race t will be extremely difficlt to even earn a top 10 placing.
Carlos Barredo is AMEXpc's best punchuer and he hsd two 4th place stage finishes on the hilly stages of the Tour de San Luis. He will be shooting for a top 10 finish.
Th3 #2 punchuer is Sylvain Chavanel a veteran of the PT and on the backside of his career. He should provide solid support and a 2nd alternative should fortune not favor Barredo.
American Matt Busche will be the top domestique and young German Jan Dieteren will also support. Pawel Cislik and Maher Hasnaoui in thier 1st outings of the season round out the last of the support.
AMEX's 7th rider Matti Breschel a cobble expert, but with good speed on the flats and a solid sprinter, if the course is not too selective he could be a threat to edge into the top 15.
This will definately be a race of tactics for AMEX. They would love to get a man into the break Hasnaoui, Cislik and Dieteren would be the likely candidates. Then Barredo, Chavanel and Busche can save thier energy in the peleton until the end.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 27-02-2013 20:42
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Totally mystified by our lack of any success sprinting. It is very obvious that we are missing some thing in our mix of riders but I do not see what it is. Jake Keough has been in five sprints so far this season. We only got a sprint train set up in one. Keough has been out of position in three of the five so he became a non-factor. Our top sprinter Danilo Kupfernagel has yet to even produce a top 10 stage finish yet he has been listed in the favorites in all four of his sprint stages.
It is very frustrating to have a favorite in 5 sprint stages and never even challenge for a top 10. The team will chase down the breakaway, but as we approach the final kilometers we fade into the peloton and never make a serious run for the front.
Frustrating and so far unexplainable. Since much of our team is based around the six sprinters we signed in the transfer period this looks to be a brutal season ahead and relegation is highly probable.
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Posted on 22-11-2024 12:08
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| roturn |
Posted on 27-02-2013 20:46
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I know this feeling. I had it last season as well with Vantomme...
Can be very frustrating. |
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 27-02-2013 21:14
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I imagine your frustration. You've had lot of bad luck so far, but I believe that is just a matter of meeting the right circumstances. In this last race it was the rider who blocked Keough and that's absolutely unpredictable obviously, but in San Luis it was because of the early setting of the sprint train which had something to do with the lack of other sprint trains I guess.
I hope your team can surpass that problem though. I feel I'll suffer similarly with Avelino later in the season.
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 28-02-2013 06:31
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I know that feeling bro, Metinvest was creating the only train whole Thuringer Rundfahrt, to see Rothaus and others tearing us apart, while we got 3rd at best. I think creating the only lead-out is the worst thing you can see for your team, it never goes well.
I wish you some better luck and results in the future. 
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 05-03-2013 11:22
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AMEXpc Olympia's Tour Preview
Amex is currently struggling to avoid relegation. Expected success in the sprints has not materialized and it will be a long and difficult process to crawl out of the cellar. Olympia's tour does not appear to be the launch point for renewed success. The team sent to the Netherlands is very young with the most veteran rider just 27 years old. A tour with heavy demands on the flats and the sprints, AMEX has not sent any of thier top 3 sprinters.
This is very obviously a development squad and as such fans will need to accept only marginal success. The team leader is not clearly defined. Fabien Taillefour is a very strong flats rider with the stamina to handle the 2 long stages but his ability to sprint or attack are at best described as awful. Patrick Gretsch is a top level time trialer capable of top 5 finishes on the prologue and Stage 6's ITT, but he will need help to handle the 200k plus stages to stay near the top of the GC. Michael Kurth is a durable, efficient domestique who may be given the opportunity to lead this squad. He can ride the flats, he can sprint and he is not a miserable TT rider and given that the ITT is only 12k he just might be AMEX's best GC option.
The reality of the race is that AMEX will seek top finishes on the TT stages and look for Kurth and or Yannick Stoltz to challenge for the Points/KOM and in Stoltz case the White Jersey.
This race is not about 2013 it's about the future.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 14-03-2013 13:12
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AMEXpc is definately off to a slow start. After just 6 races and only 23 race days we have scored less than 250 points, 10.7 per race day. At this current rate we will be in the relegation mix.
Sponsors and management are not (yet) in panic mode, but they are concerned. 2013 was seen as a development year. The team had no designs on promotion. The goals this season are to learn about the PCT, develop some younger riders and transition from a climbing team to a Cobble/Sprint team.
While the points have not been piling up we have had some limited successes. The scoring we have had has been spread over 11 riders. This shows that while we do not have any riders in the star catagory we do have a good deal of depth and that was one of the goals heading into the transfer season.
Scoring thru 6 races & 23 race Days:
1. Patrick Gretsch 85
2. Carlos Barredo 63
3. Bernhard Eisel 41
4. Michael Kurth 25
5. Matti Breschel 12
6. Theo Reinhardt 7
7. Fabien Taillefour 4
8. Sylvain Chavanel 3
Yannick Stoltz 3
Aggrey Sebright 3
11. Jake Keough 1
None scoring riders:
Matthew Busche 2 race days
Robert Bush 2 race days
Pawel Cieslik 1 race day
Jan Dieteren 7 race days
Mike Aaron Egger Stagairie
Tyler Farrar 0 Race Days
Maher Hasnaoui 1 Race Day
Daniel Klemme Stagaire
Danilo Kupfernagel 7 Race Days
Nico Schoch Stagaire
Rudiger Selig 14 Race Days
Willem Van Dyne 0 Race Days
Bart Veyt 1 Race Day
So far we have been very disappointed in our sprinting performances. Kupfernagel had 4 sprint days in his 7 race days and has yet to break into the top 10. We need to have him wake up and start scoring some points or relegation will be a serious possibility. Jake Keough has not done very well as Kupfernagel's lead out man and that also need to change. The only light amoung the sprinters is 1st year pro Theo Reinhardt who has shown some ability to get over the hills and has the quickness, so he continues to look like a prospect. Selig on the other hand has banked his contract and with a team leading 14 race days delivered nothing. Expected #2 sprinter Tyler Farrar does not start his season until near the end of April. His training schedule is set so that he can be highlighted in the American races later in the season.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 21-03-2013 10:39
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AMEXpc enters the PCTs 2nd cobble race of the season after a solid but at the same time disappointing effort in Ethopia (Bahir Dar). AMEXpc sends out thier cobble squad minus Yannick Stoltz.
Team leader is once again veteran Austrian cobbler Bernhard Eisel who finished 4th at Bahir Dar. Top aide, Matti Breschel is expected to be allowed to race at the Dwars Door Vlaanderen. Breschel was allocated as a blocking force in Bahir Dar leading the peloton home in 11th place. This race is more suited to his style of riding and he has hopes of a higher finish.
Fabien Taillefour and Michael Kurth are key domestiques and will make the trip easier for Eisel and Breschel. On thier own they will be expected to earn points and both are shooting to top20's.
The roster is filled out with developing cobbler Robert Bush who had a 37th place finish but was 9'56 behind the leader. His goal for this race will be to find a slot with better riders and close down that gap time to 3 to 4 minutes. Breakaway specialist Bart Veyt did not get much of a chance to show in Bahir Dar finishing 62nd. With the local fans on his side he hopes to represent better. The final slot is a 23 year old Belgium rider Willem Van Den Eynde and this will be his very 1st professional race.
AMEX needs a strong race here to pull the team up and away from regegation roulette.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 03-04-2013 17:45
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AMEXpc's abismal start to the season has trigger rumors about the team's manager Martyn Haly not being retained for 2014. Early last season rumors started but the team rallied in the second half of the season for a 2nd place finish and a promotion into the Pro-Conti Tour. Things feel different this season as no matter what terrain AMEX races on they are not putting up solid performances.
They have had a couple of nice outings, but they have been few and far between. A look at the remainder of the schedule and the team will have to make a major turnaround and it will need to start very quickly.
American Express was on the fence at the end of last season about sponsoring a Pro-Conti team, but in the end the re-upped. With the return on thier investment so far in 2013 that is looking like a very bad decision. American Express declined to provide a statement when asked about the status of thier sponsorship or if they will exert pressure to have Haly removed.
One name that has surfaced as a possible replacement for Haly is retired cobbler and super domestique, American George Hincappie. It would seem like a good fit for AMEXpc to hire Hincappie, but that assumes that American Express stays on as the primary sponsor. If another sponsor is signed then other managers would most likely be in contention.
AMEXpc has two more races in March. The final two stages of the Corsica International. One ITT and the final mountain climax. AMEXpc has a solid time trialer in Aggrey Sebright who will compete for stage 2, but the final stage will be left to French native, punchuer Sylvain Chavanel, who will have to get into a break to be a serious threat for a top 10 finish.
The final March race is the HC cobble classic E3 Prijs. Bernhard Eisel was asleep at the wheel in his last race ending up in the thrid group of a 3 way peloton split. He battled back but was never able to link back to the lead group and finished outside the top10. Eisel and his top aide Matti Breschel need to step up to make this a successful cobble season.
One last bit of news, American sprinter Tyler Farrar who has not even made the trip over to Europe this season, is expect to arrive next weekend to begin his final training before he opens his season in Germany at the end of April. One of the major disappointments so far this season is the total lack of any teamwork and resulting success with the team's sprinters. It is hoped that Tyler Farrar will re-energize the AMEX sprint squad and improve thier results.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 02-05-2013 16:19
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After a miserable January and February where the AMEXpc riders appeared helpless. The March and April results have been much improved including two classic wins by Austrian cobbler Bernhard Eisel and a 2nd place sprint finish for American Jake Keough.
The 1st third of the season (thur April) has been driven by the AMEX's cobble squad. Cobble leader Bernhard Langer, top Lieutentant Matti Breschel and key domestiques Fabien Tillefour, Michael Kurth and finally young American cobbler Robert Bush. All of them have scored points and AMEXpc is the #2 PCT cobble team behind the highly regarded Team Bpost.
The early season also displayed some glaring weaknesses. Well paid German sprinter Danilo Kupfernagel and key leadout man American Jake Keough were not in-snych. Keough would launch too early or Kupfernagel would not wait for his leadout. In four straight sprint finshes the duo found 4 unique was to fail.
The remainder of the season AMEX will be unable to rely on thier cobbles for consistent points gains, they will turn to punchuers Carlos Barredo, Sylvain Chavanel and Matthew Busche and top sprinter Kupfernagel, Keough and the yet to race American Tyler Farrar.
As the season progresses AMEX has chosen to focus thier strengths on American and Germany venues, in an attempt to please sponsors and garner national fans. The recent Phildelphia International race was the first stop in North America and American Jake Keough got himself positioned well at the 5k banner and at the 1k banner was right on the wheel of the PCT top sprinter Nolan Hoffman. This proved to be the perfect choice as Hoffman rocketed to victory, and Keough slipstreamed his way into 2nd place.
AMEXpc has one remaining race in April the Oestentschland Tour comprised of 6 stages in Germany. AMEXpc will be sending a very national team. 5 of thier 7 riders are German. Stage #1 is a 5.6k Prologue and Patrick Gretsch has this as his personal win goal. Gretsch has one podium and another top10 ITT finish this year and he wants to add a win here in Germany.
The next four stages are listed as flat stages. Two of them are very flat and will provide Danilo Kupfernagel opportunities to race for victory before his homeland fans before the big goal race in Berlin later in the Summer. Two of the other flat stages have some small hills that might allow the punchuers to steal a stage but AMEXpc will be pushing the pace to make sure tha does not happen.
The queen stage be a hilly contest for the punchuers but AMEX will surely be hoping the track is not too selective as they should have 3 or 4 rides going into stage 6 in the top 25 hoping to hold on to as many points as they can.
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 22-08-2013 19:08
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AMEXpc has struggled since the cobbled season ended. After building a climbing team last year, the move to the PCT left AMEXpc unprepared. Only two riders made the transition with the team to the PCT and they have been ineffective. The transfer season was much more difficult to plan and to manage than the D2.
AMEX lost several bidding wars and had to shift focus from climbing to cobbles and sprinting. Even schedule was more difficult. Every race is populated with strong riders.
In the end AMEX's management has been what has failed. They were unprepared to make the transition, they made poor choices for goals although some of that was we had just 2 riders signed going into the transition period and goals had to be submitted by then.
Year 2 in the ManGame has been a huge learning experience, much more so than the year in the D2. In the standings we are below where we hoped to be but unless the bottom falls out in the final months we should be able to avoid relegation.
Changes must be made to AMEXpc's who operation. Better preparation (it has already started for next year), more realistic goals based on key riders, a more focused strategy for the transfer season and the purging or riders who will no longer fit our future.
There have been some bright spots during the season and we would be remiss if we left them unrecorded. Bernhard Eisel, Matti Breschel combined to make the cobbles races a dream to race and watch. Even the young American Robert Bush showed future cobble potential. AMEX will stay a strong team over the cobbles.
Sprinting was a disaster for AMEX. Kupfurnagel did not product at a level where he was paid or where the team expected him to be. Some of that was his support which was very young but Kupfurnagel let us down. Tyler Farrar's season is just starting but in his early races he, like the German, has disappointed.
AMEX will have to seriously rethink placing so many assets into sprinters.
On the road AMEX did not even have a single MT climber and their hilly riders were 2nd tier guys who rode well and performed well. Young Punchuer Jan Dieteren does have a future.
Even the speciality riders who were expected to contribute in the breakaways did not perform as expected (PCM AI changes killed them).
AMEXpc plans to return for another season. They may be adding a secondary sponsor that will be announced later in the Fall.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 22-08-2013 19:27
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Your leadout train is top class, but similar to Bpost you lack a top sprinter. Good luck for the rest of the season |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 31-01-2014 21:33
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AMEXpc's season is rapidly winding down. 4 more stages of the Herald Sun Tour, the one day classic Giro Dell'Emilia, then the last foray down to the C2 for development at the 6 stages of the Tour of Utah and then ending with the 5 days of the Tour of Beijing.
Still a few opportunities to shine, but no real chances for wins or podiums. The step up from the CT to the PCT is difficult. Our top goal was to stay away from relegation and it looks like we have done enough to obtain that goal.
The off season should be interesting with negotiations for the first time and a small budget as a result of Sprinting goals we did not even come close to achieving.
Learn and Grow.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 31-01-2014 21:44
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Rumours in France suggest Carlos Barredo could be interested in a move to the team currently known as Evian-MIAT, with the possibility of some sprinting talent going the other way. What do AMEX make of these rumours? |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 02-02-2014 16:59
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AMEX is not ready to abandon Carlos Barredo. Our difficulties on the Hills have been support. Barredo has had to be a lone rider on most of the hills. That said after the season we have had NOBODY has an extended commitment.
jph27/Evian-MIAT:
Sprinters will not be our targets for this transfer season. We lack a true sprint leader but our support sprinter are young and solid. If you want to get our attention then tell me about your climbers. AMEX used the Mountains to advantage in the CT, but struggled without climbers this year. We need to get back to the Mountains.
It looks like we should barely avoid relegation but not by much. After much review and assessment of our riders and strategies, we have come to the conclusion that the enemy is US! Plain and simple.
1. We underestimated the value of racing in Stage Races.
2. We overestimated the impact of what we knew a corps of 2nd tier sprinters. Our youngsters who have potential were not ready to deliver our sprint leaders to the final kilometer. We also did not understand the need for a flat terrain pacer who can protect our sprint leaders. Our sprinting was a disaster in 2013 but it was management's errors in not getting the needed synergies on our sprint squad.
3. Our goals were not well established. I have to say goal setting was near impossible with a team that promoted from CT to PCT last year. I carried over just three riders, so we had to set goals with 88% of our team undetermined. This year we will carry over (hopefully) over 50% of our riders and be much better prepared to set goals. Not a whine just the facts of last years promotions from CT to PCT.
4. Finally we are still learning the nuances of the different races. That process will be an on-going one that we need to upgrade to move up the PCT standings.
We recently failed to score points in the Giro Dell'Emilia and the Herald Sun tour has been a sprint disaster. Our only remaining races are the C2 Tour of Utah of which we are the defending champions but with out climbers we will not repeat and at best Jake Keough can earn some sprint points. Utah is a developmental race for our youngsters. Our final tour will be the tour of Beijing where we will struggle as well.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 02-02-2014 17:34
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If it is climbers you are after then Serpa (78MO), Sarmiento (76MO) and Landa (75MO) are available for transfer although other teams are circling. And if you did want a lead sprinter, Napolitano (82SP) is likely to be offloaded for a low fee.
It's been a hard year for all of the new PCT teams as the table shows. Safety this year should help us build however |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 06-02-2014 18:25
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It has been a tough year for all the D2 to PCT teams. No complaints we were all in the same boat.
Jake Keough won his 2nd sprint stage of the season at the Tour of Utah after a solid lead out by Rudiger Selig. That win launched him into the leaders jersey. AMEX would love to have Keough hold the jersey for a 2nd day, but that will be a big reach. Stage 4 is a hilly track and Matthew Busche a hilly domestique is our best hope. Busche will be supported by young riders Jan Dieteren and Maher Hasnaoui.
AMEX best tactic would be to get Dieteren in the day's break, then extend that break as long as possible. Busche and Hasnaoui would support and protect Keough and hope that the finish would not produce any time gaps.
An unlikely scenario, but the best AMEX could hope for.
There is no AMEX answer for the 6th and final mountain stage other than finish and not get eliminated by time.
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