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[EPIC]Team Sky
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| jaxika |
Posted on 10-05-2014 11:07
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Really great Giro for you Adrien. We go to nationals with a good squad, so a lot of opportunities there  |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 06-06-2014 09:40
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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 Shindigs
Nationals were pretty poor from Sky. The Road Race was a disaster and the Time Trial not much better. I think some of the guys were out of rhythm because of their Tour build up, while i struggled to just get my legs working. No excuses from me it was just a bad day and i should have done better.
Season Break 2 is pretty much upon us now so it's time to think about a big block of training and then onwards towards the end of the season. I hope i can improve something like my stamina or ability to recover in this period. My speed and climbing are great, as proven in racing, but to take that next step i think it will just take having that extra ability to last over a race distance.
I don't know what races the team are planning on but i can see a few i'd like to race. The two that jump out are the RideLondon-Surrey Classic and Tour of Britain. RideLondon is a great sprinters race but with some sharp climbs thrown in, and as the teams premier sprinter i hope we attend and do very well. Tour of Britain is the biggest race in the country so naturally it peaks my interest. It will be key to sponsors so perhaps the focus will be on GC rather than stages.
There are a number of other sprint classics like Paris-Tours, Vattenfall Cyclassics and Paris-Bruxelles i could target as well as stage hunting in some stage races. I know the management can pick out a strong end of year calendar for me
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| jaxika |
Posted on 15-07-2014 13:20
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Season Part 3 Goals
Easy: TOP10 Tour de Pologne
Medium: TOP5 Vuelta
Hard: TOP3 Tour de France |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 13:40
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Bot Agent
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| Silvio Herklotz |
Posted on 15-07-2014 13:42
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1246
Joined: 26-02-2014
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jaxika wrote:
Season Part 3 Goals
Easy: TOP10 Tour de Pologne
Medium: TOP5 Vuelta
Hard: TOP3 Tour de France
Don't you think Froome will win Tour and Vuelta? 
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| brewers90 |
Posted on 15-07-2014 13:45
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3711
Joined: 01-09-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Yet more ridiculous goals. Ollfardh, it's time to be an utter bastard now. 
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 15-07-2014 14:14
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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Oh yes, this is even worse then OPQS top 10 Roubaix 
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| jaxika |
Posted on 15-07-2014 14:21
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Ollfardh wrote:
Oh yes, this is even worse then OPQS top 10 Roubaix
I wait then for the impossible |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 15-07-2014 15:13
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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jaxika wrote:
Season Part 3 Goals
Easy: TOP10 Tour de Pologne
Medium: TOP5 Vuelta
Hard: TOP3 Tour de France
Countered goals:
Easy goal: Stage Win Beijing
Medium goal: Point Jersey Britain
Hard goal: Win Lombardia
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 18-07-2014 09:20
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4478
Joined: 30-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Hard is a Top 3 TDF...
If I was SKY medium would be win TdF and hard would be 2 in Top 5
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| jaxika |
Posted on 20-07-2014 11:10
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Dear Adrian,
We know you train hard and we bother you only to ask what races you want to ride in the rest of the season? We already have a plan, but you have the opportunity to show your opinion.
The Staff |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 22-07-2014 14:05
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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Your races for part 3:
Tour
San Sebastian
Pologne
Eneco
Vuelta
Vattenfall
Plouay
Quebec
Montreal
Lombardia
Beijing
Osterreich
Danmark
London
Varesine
Dutch Food Valley
Paris-Bruxelles
Fourmies
Britain
GP Wallonie
Piemonte
Vendee
Chrono
Hainan
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 19-08-2014 21:28
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Shindigs
Hi, this is just a short post concerning recent transfer rumors. Sky is a great team. They have given me a brilliant chance this season that i will be ever thankful for. However i feel that the team is too focused on the GC and won't be able to manage my wishes alongside those of big names like Porte and Froome.
As such i am openly listening to offers from other teams. So far only one has shown a real interest i could consider. To obtain my interest i would need some real guarantees about GT leaderships and in giving me proper sprint support.
In an ideal world i would remain with Sky, the British team i support, so i wait to see what will happen
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 22-09-2014 09:48
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Shindigs
Hello once again. It's been a pretty busy but ultimately successful period for me. I have signed a contract for the 2014 sesaon with BMC and not Sky. I have felt a bit out of place this season in amongst the GC atmosphere here at Sky. They have some incredible GC talents and the squad has been developed for that aim since 2010. I came on board because i would be lead sprinter, which i have been, but i have often lacked the support in races or training i really need. BMC can offer me these things and i am excited for the move.
I am a professional so i am working out my contract with Sky as i would do at any other point in the season. Recently i was racing in Denmark and boy what a race! Stage 1 lacked the final positioning, kind of proving my point about sprint support, so it was only 6th place. Stage 2 went a lot better, hopping between other leadouts, as i came away with my first stage win of the race!
The uphill sprint on Stage 3 was a formality. Ciolek went well but had no match for me. Stage win number 2 thank you very much. Stage 4 we let slide to the breakaway, but i still dominated the pack sprint for 5th place just because. Let's not mention the stage 5 time trial. Stage 6 also went a breakaway and i was just focusing on securing the Points Jeresy. Overall a great race with 2 stage wins, 10th GC and the Points Jersey.
Currently i am at the Eneco Tour and it's a chance to resume my rivalry with Willem Brouwer. We've clashed a number of times this season as very similar riders, most notably at the Giro. 5th on Stage 1 was solid, and it was ahead of Brouwer. Stage 2 was more about looking after out GC chances in riders like Sithembile and EBH. I'm hoping for a few more Top5's from the race.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 05-10-2014 18:55
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Shindigs
Sup dudes!
The Eneco Tour finished and i'm enjoying a short pause in my racing schedule. The race wasn't too bad really i think. It started with 5th place on the opening flat stage. It was a real messy contest and i got a little bit blocked out keeping me behind some slower finishers, but ahead of Brouwer. Stage 2 was taken out by a breakaway, whilst i was on duties protecting our cobbled and hilly leaders for the day. I was allowed to contest the finish by couldn't find any space to really sprint. For stage 3 Bernie gave me just an oncredible leadout, pitch perfect! I'm going to miss having him around actually. Unfortunately Nizzolo and Degenkolb benefited from my slipstream demoting me to 3rd place, but a podium is still a podium! And it was ahead of Brouwer. The twisty finish to Stage 4 saw myself, and the Sky Train almost completely blocked out of the running. Stage 5 was time trial, we don't talk about time trials. Stage 6 was the hilly one, so my job was to work for Sithembile and EBH and they pulled off a decent result. The up-down-up-cobbled finish to Stage 7 mixed things up a lot and it was again over to aiding EBH and his assult on the GC.
Conclusion? Yeah i'd say it was a good race. When i was able to contest the sprints things went well, and i provided solid support to the other guys when asked. Still learning all the ins-and-outs of this level of racing so hopefully next season can be even better.
My rivalry with Brouwer continues and is becoming one of the primary rivalries inside the peloton. It's nothing malicious, off the bike we get along well enough, just purely sporting because we are such similar riders. Rumors are of another hilly sprinter joining the peloton next season. I looked into it and dismissed people as not knowing what they were talking about. Yes a guy called Wesenbach from Germany could be seen in the same style, but i view him as a hilly guy that can sprint. I'm not going to count him as a rival because of this fundamental difference.
I've been watching BMC a lot closer since i confirmed my move. They've been doing ok, not outstanding. They desparately need another guy who can win them stages and next season they will have that rider. I'm looking forwards to Transfer time and can start putting my lead-out together, i've got a shortlist of riders i hope they can target.
For the rest of the season? Not quite sure what races i've got exactly. Hopefully i can ride in the Tour of Britains, i've been saying all season it would be a personal goal. Otherwise my thoughts are to the late classics like Plouay or Vattenfall, and then onwards to the Worlds where i hope to break into the GB squad.
I guess i'll catch you up again after some more racing
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| jaxika |
Posted on 07-10-2014 14:04
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Hi Adrien. Firstly congrats to your recent results. (Maybe you realise its a mistake to ddint remain at our team  ). Secondly, here is your full race schedule for part3 of the season. I hope this schedule fit for you well and can you see, its no punishments from the team management, we fully support your advancement as leading british rider (first the WT, then the CT races). Sorry for the RideLondon-Surrey, it was the same date as Denmark and your results there proove the wise of the choice.
Eneco Tour
Vattenfall Cyclassic
GP Plouay
Tour of Beijing
Danmark Rundt
Paris-Bruxelles
GP de Fourmies
Tour of Britain
Tour de Vendee
Tour of Hainan |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 07-10-2014 14:11
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Thanks for the confirmation! I will work out my contract to the full extent of my capabilities, don't worry. I have been enjoying the increased support, especially from Eisel, but i stand by by choice to move away to aless GC focused team. Now lets continue to smash the Team Rankings!
Shindigs
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 03-11-2014 14:52
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Shindigs
Hey again, it's been a while since i last posted but as you will have seen i've been very busy racing recently so now i can do a nice big catch up. I'll start with schedule news and that i've been selected for the Team GB squad for the World Championships. No surprise in the end considering my recent run of form but it was a surprise to see myself as part of the Elite team. It also took quite some convincing to get myself into the team at all but thanks to TMM Sports Management i get a real chance. I'll come back to the Worlds nearer the time.
I hit the deck hard in Plouay. I landed hard on my knee and it was certainly aching hard for the remainder of the day. I have no anger about the crash, these things just happen and it could have easily been any other rider involved. Kristoff won the sprint whilst i helped EBH to 4th place with myself 10th. Considering the damage of the fall i was very pleased with the result
From there i moved onto the GP de Fourmies and another fight with Brouwer. Bernard Eisel played a brilliant tactical move late on. We didn't have the power to form a sprint train so he launched a very powerful late attack and forced the other sprinters and teams to burn themselve up. This allowed my to finish 3rd, unfortunately behind Brouwer in second.
The Tour of Britain, my home race. As i said the pre-race interview i only lived in the UK from the age of 17 so it's not as much a home race as for others. Still i went in as clear favorite for the sprints and a decent bet for an outside GC placing. Stage 1 went perfectly to plan using the final uphill to my advantage and claiming a comfortable stage win! Woo!
The much hillier Stage 2 saw Ulissi steal away to win, but i clung on over the climbs to sprint for 2nd from the chase group. Two stage and twice on the podium. We don't mention the time trial.
Stage 4 was tough with a couple of big climbs into Llanberis. I felt good so went on the attack and dropped the rest of the favorites. I couldn't catch or match Bakelants upfront but again finished 2nd and jumped right up the GC to 6th place. Three road stages and three podiums.
Stage 5 included the tough Caerphilly Mountain, twice, so it certainly was yet another tough day ahead. A huge win for Burton from the break was nice to know whilst i continued to move closer on the GC to a Top5 finish.
The summit of Haytor beconned on Stage 6. Again the break won, this time De Maar. Bakelants continued his success with 3nd, and i was yet again on the podium in 3rd place. This jumped my up to 3rd on the GC, just incredible!
CCC tore up the race on Stage 7 to Guildford. This was the closest stage to home for me and one i'd visted before turning pro. In the end CCC botched their lead-out and i used local knowledge to position myself well and take a second stage win! Two wins and 5 podiums. It also meant i'd now matched Brouwers win tally for the season, and i'd done it in just 3 months.
Bardini and CCC worked together in London to shake things up and it left me isolated for the sprint finish. I scrapped hard against the organised teams to finish 2nd behind Brookes. I'd now finished on the podium on 6 out of 8 stages.
It also meant i jumped Voss on the GC to finish 2nd!!! That was way beyond my thoughts of an outside Top10 finish. I also finished 2nd in the Youth competition. My consistency comfortably secured the Points Competition by 50pts. It also meant i lead Sky to a comfortable team rankings win just to cap a ridiculously good race.
The Brussels Classic was yet another late season face-off between myself and Brouwer. This rivalry was getting as much hype and bulling as the big race favorites, something i love being part of. Eisel did huge work again for me, i honestly love that man. I got some great positiong for the sprint and beat Greipel to the line for a nice big classics win!
Vattenfall should have been a great race for me. However in the rain i made a basic error on a decent and crashed hard agin onto my knee. After getting the all-clear from the doctor it wasn't going to be an easy race. The late attackers outwitted the peloton to win whilst my injury kept me out of competing for the win. I did help EBH again as he finished 10th. If i can stay upright i can do well in these classics but twice now that's been undone by mistakes, and i'll be working hard to cut this out next season.
It's been a busy run of races and i've still got one classic, Vendee, and two stage races, Beijing and Hainan, to come. My hope is to pass double digits for wins this season, i only need 3 more. Vendee will be tough again with my best chances i reckon coming in Hainan at the end of the year.
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| jaxika |
Posted on 03-11-2014 16:55
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Thank you Adrien to your efforts, to your commitment. Especially after your aftermentioned transfer, you didnt let down the team and the team seeing this worked for you. The team wishes all the bests for the WC and we hope you can achieve another goal for us in China.
Sky Management |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 19-11-2014 13:34
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Shindigs
Hi,
Just a quick update as i'm very busy with my racing in China. My recent stage win in Hainan has taken my season tally up to 8 wins, all of them coming since August. With a bit of luck i will be pushing hard to hit double digits by seasons end. I think a second win in Hainan is possible and that a win in Beijing is also very reasonable. Just need that touch of luck and a really great leadout.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 20-11-2014 12:21
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Boy did i jinkx Hainan 
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
