.
It's the final month of the racing season, excluding the championships. One final push to get us further up the ranking.
Japan Cup
Hagen has two more races in his final month, starting with Japan Cup. His fate was already sealed though, no matter how well he'd do here it would be his second-last race for us. Looking to increase his value on the job market, he was very active all race and went to the line with Yates, who was the better of the two. Second place in PTHC did deliver a lot of points though.
Rating:
Looking to hire a lazy puncheur who only cares in October?
Vilnius GP
We have a decent but admittedly not extraordinary team time trial squad, especially with Uran needed elsewhere. So any points coming home from Lithuania were welcome. With our twelfth place we scored fifteen, so not bad at all!
Rating:
Almost free points.
Bayern Rundfahrt
Uran was needed for a race with two time trials and a semi-mountain stage. The big climbers already ended their season so this was a huge opportunity to score big. It started off very well, with the Colombian tenth on the first stage ahead of most rivals. Kalaba got boxed in on the flat stage unfortunately. Uran fought his way to the front on the mountain stage but did not gain enough time on some weaker climbers. At this point he was third in the general classification and just needed a good TT to get on the podium. Unfortunately, the legs were quite poor on the final day as he finished thirty-first, and dropped all the way to ninth.
Rating:
What looked so good.
Giro dell'Emelia
On the final day we were not involved in any important ranking battle, so we could ride with no pressure. Hagen took this a bit too literally by not doing anything noteworthy despite coming ninth in the final sprint.
Rating:
The season is over, time to party!
Rankings
Pos
Last
Team
Total
RD
PpRD
1
1
Aker - MOT
3755
175
21,46
2
3
Polar
3331
175
19,03
3
5
Duolingo
3323
175
18,99
4
2
Los Pollos Hermanos
3258
175
18,62
5
4
cycleYorkshire
3250
175
18,57
---
17
17
Minions
2319
175
13,25
These are the final rankings, which we'll cover in more details later. For now, we just want to say we kept seventeenth place which is safe from relegation but also far away from promotion.
I hope I'm invited to the party. You can choose whether I bring Quispe or Manarelli as a +1. Or maybe it's time to invite Bru again? Think your leaders rather disappointed you this season. Hagen was one of the victims of the incredibly strong puncheur PCT division. Interested to see what you will do with him (and Uran) during the off season.
@Nemolito - Manarelli is a team legend so always welcome, and we'd be honored to have the best cyclist ever attending. Bru on the other cannot be seen within 5 kilometers of our HQ
FINAL RANKINGS
.
We didn't spoil it in the October review, but here it is, the final rankings.
Team rankings
Pos
Team
Total
1
Aker - MOT
3755
2
Polar
3331
3
Duolingo
3323
4
Los Pollos Hermanos
3258
5
cycleYorkshire
3250
6
Team UBS
3119
7
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
3053
8
Cedevita
3036
9
Kraftwerk Man Machine
2917
10
Bralirwa - Stevens
2871
11
Binance Cycling
2801
12
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
2744
13
Red Bull Zalgiris
2625
14
Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam
2607
15
Project: Africa
2589
16
Assa Abloy
2431
17
Minions
2319
18
Voyagin - Bird
2144
19
Philips - Force India
2131
20
Indosat Ooredoo
2112
21
Sauber Petronas Racing
2030
22
Carrefour - ESPN
2006
23
Jura - Fiat
2003
24
Podium Ambition
1800
25
Tryg - Ritter Sport
1736
26
Eurosport x GCN
1438
So we finished seventeenth, our worst ever result since barely surviving in our first season in PCT. The last three years we placed exactly mid-table in thirteenth or fourteenth, an now we dropped to middle right-table. After the first few months this does not come as a surprise, it looked clear we were not challenging for promotion and the odd result kept us away from relegation danger. For next season we have to reverse the trend, which might require a big clean-up and some new superstar signings which actually deliver.
Individual rankings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Team
Total
1
Eduard Alexander Beltran
COL
Cedevita
1171
59
Edvald Boasson Hagen
NOR
Minions
350
64
Daniel Vesely
CZE
Minions
329
76
Rigoberto Uran
COL
Minions
282
97
Dusan Kalaba
SER
Minions
229
100
Ruben Zepuntke
GER
Minions
222
112
Alvaro Hodeg
COL
Minions
177
129
Pawel Poljanski
POL
Minions
148
162
Chad Haga
USA
Minions
113
197
Laurens Sweeck
BEL
Minions
85
272
Leandro Marcos
CUB
Minions
49
283
Borislav Ivanov
BUL
Minions
46
304
Andrei Nechita
ROM
Minions
38
315
Mauri Vansevenant
BEL
Minions
36
322
Jordan Cheyne
CAN
Minions
34
326
Mathias De Witte
BEL
Minions
33
334
Bert-Jan Lindeman
NED
Minions
32
348
Bjorn Selander
USA
Minions
28
349
Pim Ligthart
NED
Minions
28
360
Laureano Rosas
ARG
Minions
26
400
Antoine Duchesne
CAN
Minions
18
460
Florentino Marquez
ESP
Minions
8
465
Mikkel Bjerg
DEN
Minions
8
While in previous seasons we had a rider high up in the individual rankings, we do not find any Minion inside the top fifty.
At fifty-nine is our highest scoring rider: Edvald Boasson Hagen. Before the season this would not have been a surprise, but his performances during the season were mostly bad. Somehow still ending up as highest scoring rider is testament to how the rest of the team did.
Daniel Vesely is only a few positions behind but he also had his fair share of missed opportunities and poorly timed sprints.
For the first time, Rigoberto Uran is not our best rider in the individual rankings, but the legs haven't been what they used to be. We didn't expect him to pull out wins everywhere and his points were still quite decent.
Our secondary sprinter Dusan Kalaba only finished a hundred points behind the lead sprinter, despite having to do with lesser opportunities. Perhaps a change of role for next season?
Ruben Zepuntke received training but that did not translate to significantly better results. We might need to throw bananas at someone else.
Rider of the season: Alvaro Hodeg! What a season from the young Colombian who might not have been that successful as lead-out, but in the very few opportunities he had for himself he converted them to very good results, including the odd win. He'll have earned more chances next season.
Everyone in the team managed to score points, so no one has to feel bad and everyone is invited to the team party. May next season be a better one and finally fix our procastrination of building a team capable of promotion.
Bru scored six points for us, now ex LPH rider Marquez only scored eight for you. I think we now both know to not scout for any of our ex-riders anymore I hope Zepuntke can deliver a bit more for you next season, he's really had some atrocious results :/
God damn those Goal results are awful! Quite interested in your off-season plans, as this team has been treading mid-table water since promotion to the PCT. More so when realising EBH & Uran are on yet another decline (along with 7 other riders).
Maybe time to remove the minions from a position of control?
@Nemolito - Thanks for the present, I'm sure the team won't fight over who gets it.
@TheManxMissile - Planning the goals around Uran, those super suitable to his skills even after decline, did not turn out well. We need a rebuild, but I've been saying that every year. Perhaps the Minions have trouble following my orders.
Hooooolyyyy that's a rough go at goals here, looking forward to watching how you sort out the aging squad rebuild in the transfer window with what one could assume is going to be a pretty gimped budget.
Edited by whitejersey on 22-06-2022 22:16
I think you have some decent building blocks for a rebuild. Two good young sprinters, Zepunkte will be around for a while and still has potential, Bjerg should become a very consistent scorer when maxed. They probably all would need some training to be elite in their respective role, but still. Anything climbing related is obviously a bit rough, but Hagen and Uran (either by release or by lower demand) should reduce your wage bill significantly and give you some flexibility. It's a big task to be sure, but you got something to work with I think.
@whitejersey - On the bright side, lesser budget means less chance to waste it
@cunego59 - The flat discipline is well filled. It are the mountains and hills where we need to redevelop. Uran might still be useful next year but I don't see Hagen having any future.
@quadsas - We need to start a moral support group.
At the end of the season, riders from each country battle it out for the right to wear a jersey with the country's flag. It does not bring any ranking points or money, just pure nationalism. We have riders from sixteen different countries all over the globe, so a lot to report about.
Argentina
Rosas rode the Argentinian races together with riders from Brazil, Chile and Panama. He only had to beat his countrymen to win a title though, with big chances in the time trial. He had a good ride but unfortunately Sepulveda was a few seconds faster.
Laureano Rosas
RR
5th
+ 16
TT
2nd
+ 23
Belgium
Our busiest NC with three participants: De Witte, Sweeck and Vansevenant. The first one performed best on the cobbled road race, finishing in the front group of a strong field in seventh. Sweeck was our winner in the time trial with fifteenth place, three places ahead of Vansevenant.
Mathias De Witte
RR
7th
s.t.
TT
43rd
+ 8'25
Laurens Sweeck
RR
23rd
+ 1'08
TT
15th
+ 3'59
Mauri Vansevenant
RR
48th
+ 3'24
TT
18th
+ 4'11
Bulgaria
Bulgaria joined forces with other European countries, but Ivanov only had five opponents. The route was way too flat for him to be a contender, coming in fourth out of six in both events.
Borislav Ivanov
RR
4th
s.t.
TT
4th
+ 5'42
Canada
Duchesne targets the hilly road race, while Cheyne is a favorite for the time trial. Both men got on the top step of the podium but where beaten by Houle and Cataford respectively.
Jordan Cheyne
RR
10th
+ 17.
TT
2nd
+ 1'19
Antoine Duchesne
RR
2nd
s.t.
TT
6th
+ 3'55
Colombia
Uran has claimed the RR title before on mountainous courses, and Hodeg is one of the best sprinters from Colombia, but this profile suited neither. The time trial is Uran's kingdom though with no serious challenger over the years, until now. A certain Bernal beat his time at the first checkpoint, and the second, and would beat him by over a minute at the finish. His best days are definitely over.
Alvaro Hodeg
RR
31st
+ 2'33
TT
18th
+ 3'57
Rigoberto Uran
RR
12th
s.t.
TT
2nd
+ 1'08
Cuba
Mixed with other Caribbean and Central American countries (and for some topography fails, Bosnia and Mongolia), Marcos' only opponent was Perez from Podium Ambition. On the cobblestone course, Marcos let everyone eat his dust to celebrate on the line and the podium. He partied a bit too hard as Perez blew him away in the time trial.
Leandro Marcos
RR
1st
1h10'18
TT
2nd
+ 2'35
Czech Republic
A flat course for Vesely, but his sprints have not been all that consistent. From this race we determined it must have been the sprint train as he sailed to victory solo with ease!
Daniel Vesely
RR
1st
1h21'27
TT
16th
+ 11'22
Denmark
Bjerg is a promising time trialist, but taking the win in the senior Danish TT championship is a year or two too soon. He did take his first top ten though.
Mikkel Bjerg
RR
20th
+ 6'23
TT
10th
+ 3'23
Germany
Zepuntke is a favorite on cobblestones, but anything can happen. The German though got surprised by a strong Degenkolb and never even came close to the champagne. Scheiße.
Ruben Zepuntke
RR
4th
s.t.
TT
17th
+ 6'22
Netherlands
Lindeman participated, and that's all we have to say about him. Ligthart was an outsider for the time trial victory and got onto the podium, but on the lowest instead of the highest step
Pim Ligthart
RR
63rd
+ 3'08
TT
3rd
+ 59
Bert-Jan Lindeman
RR
46th
+ 2'01
TT
42nd
+ 10'44
Norway
If Hagen cannot win the race which has specifically been made to give him one final Norwegian title he is officially the most overpaid rider we ever had. The other riders were not in on the plan and demonstrated what Hagen actually is, a fraud.
Edvald Boasson Hagen
RR
4th
+ 6
TT
10th
+ 2'30
Poland
A hilly route should suit Poljanski, but it suited others more. He did not play a role in the final sprint and finished tenth.
Pawel Poljanski
RR
10th
+ 27
TT
16th
+ 7'39
Romania
On the mountain Nechita failed miserably, finishing last amongst the Romanians, but in the time trial he was on his best form. He had to be with a challenging Tvetcov, but he beat the Evonik rider by three seconds to take the title!
Andrei Nechita
RR
16th
+ 44
TT
1st
1h04'34
Serbia
In a mix with other smaller European nations, Kalaba had to battle with among others Borisavljevic. The latter was the favorite for both events, but had bad legs on the uphill sprint which Kalaba took full advantage of. Not only did he win the Serbian championship but he also beat the riders from the other nations. In the time trial Borisavljevic did beat him though.
Dusan Kalaba
RR
1st
1h17'11
TT
3rd
+ 1'27
Spain
While a mountain climb should be a huge opportunity for Marquez, we'd be talking about the young Marquez. The old Marquez doesn't have enough energy to be there at the end.
Florentino Marquez
RR
12th
+ 17
TT
25th
+ 5'54
United States
Selander felt really good in the road race and made it difficult for the big favorites Van Garderen, Boswell and Phinney, but in the end he had to settle for fourth. Haga played a minor role but nevertheless took tenth in both the road race and the time trial.
The cycling season ends as always with the World Championships, this time held in downtown Manhattan between the big skyscrapers of New York City. The route is mostly flat with a slight bit of undulation. We have eleven riders participating from ten nationalities over the six events, so plenty to talk about!
B Road Race
The B race is meant for smaller countries to have a chance at competing, the country of the winning rider advancing to the main race. Our Kalaba from Serbia had the best chance of achieving that win, while Nechita from Romania and the Canadian duo of Cheyne and Duchesne had a leader capable of this (Grosu and Houle), leaving Argentina's Rosas as the one most likely to only race once. Kalaba participated in the sprint and finished a decent eighth, right behind Grosu and Houle. The spot in the main event went to Kenya thanks to Kemboi's win.
1
Salem Kemboi
Kenya
6h00'12
8
Dusan Kalaba
Serbia
s.t.
35
Antoine Duchesne
Canada
s.t.
99
Jordan Cheyne
Canada
s.t.
114
Laureano Rosas
Argentina
+ 3'31
130
Andrei Nechita
Romania
s.t.
Team Time Trial
Four riders spread over three teams participated in the team event. The aforementioned Canadian duo Cheyne-Duchesne took seventeenth out of twenty-four with their team, while the Dutchies took ninth with Ligthart. Team USA was in the hunt for the victory at home, taking the lead when they crossed the line, putting Haga in one of the hot seats. Portugal relegated them to second and the victorious French relegated them to third, and that is where they remained. Bronze medal for Chad Haga!
1
_
France
53'30
3
Chad Haga
USA
+ 6
9
Pim Ligthart
Netherlands
+ 39
17
Jordan Cheyne
Canada
+ 1'09
17
Antoine Duchesne
Canada
s.t.
U23 Time Trial
Bjerg won the time trial in the Tour de l'Avenir, and as such is amongst the favorites in the U23 time trial against similar opposition. He was too distracted by the NY skyline to get in the zone and only posted the nineteenth time, even losing out to Danish teammate Hulgaard.
1
Byron Munton
Africa A
1h16'23
19
Mikkel Bjerg
Denmark
+ 3'00
Time Trial
Our only representative in the time trial, and the only rider to do three events is Cheyne as Canadian number two behind Cataford. He was one of the weaker riders and his only goal is avoiding the red lantern, which he did by seventeen seconds to Cruz as forty-fourth out of forty-eighth.
1
Taylor Phinney
USA
1h13'16
44
Jordan Cheyne
Canada
+ 4'36
U23 Road Race
Bjerg helped the Danish team take ninth with Rodenberg in the under-23 road race, and even took twentieth himself. Who would have thought he would finish only one place lower in the RR compared to the TT.
1
Alberto Dainese
Italy
5h54'49
20
Mikkel Bjerg
Denmark
s.t.
Road Race
And now for the main event, let's get ready to rumble! For Colombia we have Hodeg, for Norway we have Hagen and the main contender, from the Czech Republic: Vesely. Unfortunately, Vesely could not participate in the sprint due to bad positioning, meaning our only chance for the win went up in smoke. Hagen did much better and benefited from the small inclines to finish in seventeenth. But the best performance came from Hodeg, even though he finished out of the peloton. His work earlier in the day was valuable to bring Gaviria in a promising position, and the Colombian sprinted to the win and the rainbow jersey! At least one of us got a party to never forget!
Even though the results were not always that amazing, we thought it would be a nice idea to end the season with a party. After all, relegation was avoided so there was no need for punishment either. We converted our top secret hideout (in Nepal, halfway up Mount Everest, taking a left at the sign "Top-secret hideout", mind the gap!) into a party venue. Many Minions had too much to drink and partied all the way through the night.
Suddenly, armed men come through the door, having found our secret hideout (how could they have known?). Taken by surprise, the Minions have no time to flee and end up being captured. The men announce themselves as a joint American-Guatemalan-Qatari army. It seems like our troubled past has finally caught up to us.
Shocking conclusion to the season, hope the little yellow guys got out okay
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Tour of Ukraine - Top 5
Tour de Vineyards - Top 5
Tour de Slovenie - Win
Bayern Rundfahrt - Top 5
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg){kind=small}
Argentina
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Colombia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Spain
United States
