You haven't heard from me in a while, as I was on training camp. Two things I learned, my team mates are training beasts and my manager missed a career as drill sergeant. Not that I'm complaining, never learned so much in a week. I feel like I'm already closing the gap between the superstars and me.
Next thing I know, I was on a plane to Australia. First time I've been there, in fact the first time I left Europe. Jetlag? Check! Temperature shock? Check! People riding kangooroos to escape from dingos? Well, those stories are overrated. I do like the country, totally different from Ghent. And in just a few days, I'll be starting my first professional season! Needless to say I'm totally nervous, but on the bright side it makes me eat less so I'm getting closer to my prefered weight.
The manager had a big surprise for me today. He said he was impressed with me at the training camp and wanted me to take my own chances! I thought I was just going to help JJ and Igor, but this is just perfect. The flat stages should pose no problem for me, and I might be able to try something on the hills to take a good GC spot. I'm already dreaming of a stage win in the hills, but of course I'll not be the only one going for that. On the flat, it'll go between JJ and me, just see who feels best that day.
That's all for now, I'll try to keep you updated after each stage, but we have this new young Basque masseuse in the team, and she'll need to take care of my sore mussles after the race. That might take a while. If something big happens, I'll let you know of course. Let the season begin!
We have selected a fairly strong team for this race.
Antón will chase the GC through the hilly stages while Verboven and Lobato will be free to chase some good stage results.
It will be hard, but some top 10's should definitely be possible.
To make a long story short we missed out on the break, avoided the crash that hit some teams very hard and caused a few abandons.
Both Rudy and JJ tried to mix in with the sprint a Verboven gave us a promising 14th place. A fine effort in his first ever pro race!
The first small test for the GC guys. With a steep hill short before the finish everyone had to stay awake.
Jungels was the most awake of all but Antón did great to win the pelotons sprint while Egoi MatÃnez took 10th place. Great effort by the boys giving us the first Basque points of the season.!
A very hard stay to predict with a lot of small climbs but lacking anything major.
In the end it came to something resembling a bunch sprint where both Rudy and Igor was close to the top 10.
Stage 4: Modbury - Tanunda
All in all a fairly quiet day for us ending in a bunch sprint where Verboven once again proves that he only need a little more luck to get a top 10 with him home from Australia.
Antón did well to stay in the front group as the wind tore the peloton apart.
With two passes over Old Willunga Hill this is the stage everyone with GC-hopes has been anticipating.
We wasn't as noticeable as I would have liked throughout the day.
Nevertheless Igor puts in another good effort pretty much securing the GC top 10 as well while Verboven took another step up the ladder.
I'm back form my first race in Australia. I had to say, it was a lot harder then I anticipated. A lot of teams send some team leaders already, making it hard for us to do anything. For the first part, I was mostly helping out JJ and Igor, with mixed success.
Stage one was a sprint, but it was a bit too hectic for us. The second stage was a lot better. I helped Igor getting a nice podium finish. I tried a breakaway on stage 3, but we didn't get any room. Another mass sprint on stage 4, again I missed the experience to get a top 10 result. Stage 5 saw me heping Igor again, as he managed to get a good GC result.
Then it was stage 6, my final chance to do something, so I went for it. JJ guided me through and I gave it all in the sprint. I got an 8th place! I was very happy to give my first points to the team.
All in all, I was happy about my first race. Some point for the team and I liked all stages. I hope to be back here next year, cause I feel I can handle those hills. Brilliant win by Meersman, but he wasn't that much stronger or faster.
Next up it's time for some classics for me. I'm looking forward to returning to Belgium and ride my first cobbled races!
Iban had lost as much as 6 minutes during the first week, but on this day he proved that he was a massive talent. At 25 years old he dropped Armstrong and climbed to 3rd in the Tour GC. After already having crossed Col du Galibier.
Armstrong claims that he allowed Mayo to go, but it was easy to see for everyone that he was having a hard day after having been ill during the first week of the Tour.
Remind yourself of the great stage here: Iban's attack is at 13:30
Euskaltel had quite a decent start, considering its best part, the mountains are still to come. Btw, you named the January rankings the October rankings.
Selwink wrote:
Euskaltel had quite a decent start, considering its best part, the mountains are still to come. Btw, you named the January rankings the October rankings.
That's because I run by real life months being taught by UCPCL that it can be hard to stick to where the races belong in the calendar (we might very well get into "February" before "January's" San Luis is finished)
Do I sense bias since one of your riders is here.... Just kidding. Is the penalty for such incompetence (kidding) points deducted, and I think I need another more in detail explanation of the points system, am I the only one who has 0 grasp of it?
Well, there are two different points, ranking points and advancement points. The ranking points are for the ranking, obviously. You earn them by getting good results in races.
Advancement points are for HQ and post quality, team goals and championships. You use them to advance riders. They'll only come in play after the first part of the season.
Ollfardh wrote:
Well, there are two different points, ranking points and advancement points. The ranking points are for the ranking, obviously. You earn them by getting good results in races.
Advancement points are for HQ and post quality, team goals and championships. You use them to advance riders. They'll only come in play after the first part of the season.
But you can earn something with the ranking points or only the prestige?
Finally our local rider Mestre found his way to the break. Unfortunately that was the only thing he could do today and he was sitting as last man struggling to keep up until he finally lost contact.
In the end it didn't really matter as the break was caught and the big names battled for the win. We had hoped either Landa or Verdugo would have a good day today, but no success there...
The race finished with a TT. Not exactly a speciality for the boys in Orange, but we still had hoped more of Verdugo than a 24th place since he was supposed to be going after a GC top 10.
Kuurne - Brussel - Kuurne has the honour of being the first cobbled race this team have ever cared even the slightest about. Rudy Verboven is the undisputed captain here and the team supporting him is largely the same as will race the other cobbled races.
Back in Belgium after my adventure Down Under. It's good to ride in normal temperatures again, though there's still a few cold days this februari. I'm a bit jealous of the team in Almeria, as it's a race I'd like and a lot warmer.
But I have even better: cobbles! Cobbles are awesome. Too bad the team didn't get a wildcard for Omloop, I'll be swearing in front on my TV on saturday, but we did get into Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. I have the full support of the team, although I had to explain what a cobblestone was to most of them. Yet if they can guide me into a good position, I can take of myself in the sprint. Winning against the big guns might be difficult, but I'm hoping for a good result nonetheless. I'm dreaming of another top 10, but I'll be happy with a top 20 and points for the team as well.
Rudy Verboven 
Juan José Lobato 
André Schulze 
Alexander Kristoff
Bob Jungels
Katusha Team
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Po-ding Kim
Danilo Napolitano
Jacek Morajko
Ioannis Tamouridis 
