Wow looking trimmed! Similar to us I guess but certainly have better PT ready leaders. Having those guys already and then over a million in cap space, even if it is for 9 riders, is a very scary team coming up from PCT
Indeed as jandal mentioned, that's a lot of space to play with, despite already having solid leaders for PT. Looking forward to see a major rebuild for your team after ages.
Agree. It`s a good core, half of them slowly ageing and not the most ideal year for a proper rebuild by the look of it, so let`s see what is available on the market this season.
That's a rather slim line-up numbers wise but with good quality. I'm curious how you build on this foundation.
Roster was super slim last year already due to relegation from PT to PCT. Got it working with basically just two leaders out in De Bie and Wellens and filling it with mainly loans and some 50k riders. Most of those dropped out again now. So the extra million is highly needed for a proper 20-24 rider roster again.
Vansevenant is a really cool rider and very strong even without extensive training. The shortened stat table really does no justice to him.
Indeed, without a top top stat I hope the alround skills still deliver him nicely, similar as Pidcock already did last year. In worst case AI ignoring him here and there due to only being 80 hill though.
I had prefered the full stat line but the forum just didn`t want to make it happen.
A very solid base to bring into PT. Need to supplement it with another leader or more depth, but also Vansevenant kinda needs to perform to justify that wage.
Indeed that`s the plan. Get one more leader most likely and then fillers and talents.
Vansevenant is one of the craziest OVL riders in the DB. So hopefully he can justify it on limited race days. Luckily for puncheurs, many races are classics. (Which is also one reason, why allrounders, mainly with high hills, have such high OVL). So usually balances out in the end.
So, it`s 2024 isn`t it? Well, anyway. We welcome back one of the team legends over a short period, Tim Wellens, winner of the Tour of Colombia for us as also a nice GT performance.
And also we might welcome back our new 2024 lead sprinter: Phil Bauhaus!
Who had expected that pre transfers!
A young level 1 talent appears on the market and quickly it`s decided that he is supposed to grow into the team`s leadership role. It`s the team`s 2nd season of existence and the mechanics have been understood enough to see leadership material a lot better.
Still in PCT he started obviously mainly as support rider but was able to show up here and there with a top10 stage performance as also U25 leader jersey for a day in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge as also a solid 20th in the GC of the Tour of Britain.
2014
The team changes more and more towards a team from the Netherlands in their PT debus season and slowly away from the German market. Olivier got a great mentor in Martijn Keizer in especially but also in Luis Leon Sanchez and Jose Angel Gomez Marchante and was able to learn from those. And indeed the leveling up to level 3 as also the bigger role works out by finishing no less than 3rd in the Tour de l'Avenir. A great success for the team. He also showed up with multiple top5s in races such as Tour of California or Tour de Suisse and showed his skills on higher race levels already. Add the 8th in a Vuelta a Espana stage and his GT ambitions already came through.
2015
2015 and now back in the PCT the Dutch sponsor Aegon becomes the dominant part, now with an Italian side as main addition. Another young Dutch joined the team this season in Groenewegen, but there might be a post later for him. Olivier is almost on max potential now, going into his last junior year. Still with Keizer around and the Spaniards being replaced by a similar Italian talent in Aru, who was just fighting for leadership with Olivier in their PCT run.
Olivier decided this fair rivalry for himself and was able to celebrate the first top GC performances. A 5th GC in one of my favourite races till now, the Vuelta al Tachira early in the season (ahead of 7th Aru) showed his ambitions. He later added 6th in the Tour de Romandie and a 20th in the less climbing Czech Tour. He really used the GC races he got as leader well and we were able to max him in 3 years without a loan.
Next to the GC performances he also celebrated his first stage win in the Czech Republic as also took home KoM and U25 jerseys this year. The highlight came late in the season with the win of the U23 Worlds Road Race, which came pretty surprising as he was maybe 3rd or 4th favourite only. While not a TT specialist, 9th in the same U23 ITT event were a nice palmares addition and the PCT title at the end of the season was the icing on the cake.
2016
What did change? Keizer, Boom, Groenewegen as team mates remained. But going up to PT another leader appeared in Sean De Bie and focus switched to hilly races as well just like towards sprints as Ben Swift was added in his prime as maybe best MG sprinter. Also George Bennett was one of 3 Kiwi riders this season and it was the new double leadership behind Keizer for the mountains.
Talking about leadership: 2 GTs as main leader and twice he delivered. 9th in the Giro d'Italia was sensational and even above expectations for sure plus his first GT stage win in that same race and also coming close in both U25 and KoM ranking as runner-up. His 18th in the Vuelta a Espana was maybe a bit below but showed his skills over 3 weeks. Another 10th in the Tour de Suisse. Clearly his breakthrough year on the highest level showing to be a great rider against the very best. The team finished 5th in the PT which is to date the best ever shared performance.
2017
It was the most successful era of the team maybe by again finishing 5th. The team was mainly kept together and so it was still a focus on three and a half terrains as only cobbles were kind of ignored.
For Olivier it was about repeating his performance and he kind of did. 14th in the Giro, 15th in the Vuelta, 5th in Deutschland and 10th in Suisse. Clearly won`t complain even though no stage win but coming close twice this year with podium placements. The issue though became obvious. With training money going elsewhere, it was harder and harder to grow with the best as the top became stronger and stronger.
2018
It was the end of Keizer`s era in the team and Olivier grew into the clear stage racer leader, therefore the team now fought on all terrains slowly with the addition of Van Hooydonck, yet a talent. Instead time trialing became ignored, basically a known issue of the team for several years.
For Olivier it was a tough year. The money was spent elsewhere and the gap between him and former companions in the talent time such as Herklotz, Lecuisinier got stronger and strong, not only by talent but also by being the clear team leaders and came back improved year for year after long training sessions.
The year itself wasn`t even bad, but when you basically start to finish in all the mountain races, you once were able to fight for the top5-10 and only come in as "expected" 14th-18th, it`s frustrating clearly.
2019
Olivier was sent to his first small training session as well and obviously hopes were high to get closer to the top level again. He still was more of an outsider bet but at least the first results were promising.
GT wise he was back in the top10 range. 9th in the Vuelta a Espana was good and seeing that basically most of the riders above were stronger TT riders, it was hard to get much more these days. In the Giro he was even 8th and the training effort was well worth it.
2020
A little bit more training and he basically was on todays level in 2020. In the future the money went elsewhere, mainly to De Bie, who was the clear team leader.
The year itself though was one of the better again. The 5th in the Tour de France and actually with the smallest gap yet to the top showed, he can do it as well in the biggest race of the season. Also in smaller races such as 7th in Paris-Nice, 5th in Dauphine Libere it apparently was successful training.
The highlight though was the newly introduced PTHC race division and the Tour of Maroc. The team didn`t even dominate the first three days with consecutive stage wins by Groenewegen and twice Olivier, but also got the GC win in the end. Something that was really rare for the team still after years of existing. For Olivier it was the very first GC title anyway and the PTHC looked suddenly perfect for him as the very best riders couldn`t spent all their time in those events and startlists on PT level was a bit lower, giving more riders a chance to shine.
2021
Olivier without any further training basically remained in that top5-10 area for most of his career. Another 9th in the Tour de France this season, 5th in Portugal and 8th in Tirreno-Adriatico remained the highlights in this season. Afterwards it was actually considered if moving elsewhere was an option but during transfers to the 2022 season the actual offers weren`t working out eventually.
2022
2022 marks the last GT appearance for Olivier in the team history. It was the Vuelta a Espana ending as 10th. 6th in Paris Nice, 9th in Liechtenstein, 9th in Colombia (as helper of GC winner Tim Wellens as new team mate).
In the end it wasn`t bad but neither as strong as in the years ahead.
The bigger problem was, that it was a really awful season for mainly De Bie, who kind of dominated the year before in the same races. So the team was even relegating again to PCT level...and decisions had to be made...who stays...who has to leave...?
2023
The Finale!
In the end Olivier was feeling responsible to fix this relegation issue and decided to stay with the team while De Bie and Wellens had to leave. Slowly ageing but still being in his prime, the new generation slowly grew up around Van Hooydonck for the cobbles, Vansevenant for the hills or Hessmann for harder TT races. His companions Groenewegen also still around those two basically formed the double lead with the aim to go back to PT immediately.
And well, what shall I say? The performance of Daan Olivier was legendary.
HE surprised already with the win in Pro Hallstatt Classic, a race suiting him perfectly normally but he never showed the will to win that much before. In Japan he came close to make it a double but Adam Yates was a little bit stronger, but he was able to add a stage win and the pts jersey there. Eritrea followed and another top5 GC in a strong starter field. 6th in Balkans International. Again against some of the very best. Same in Colombia and so he really delivered in basically all the races he participated and could even carry the team in times where Groenewegen and Van Hooydonck really struggled.
In the end it might have been a bit closer than hoped but mainly due to Olivier the team is back on highest level.
2024
It has been 11 years now and Olivier just coming from a top performance in 2023. But everything has to end at one point. With a bit more luck or 1-2 days difference, I am sure Olivier would now sit next to the new star of the team and could ride alongside him. But timing was just not ideal and so decision came, if the team is supposed to improve and another relegation season is ideally not happening, he has to leave. He had to leave to make room for no other than Taylor Phinney, older yes, but still a star of his own and a real MG legend, basically having won whatever there is.
The team is very happy that his finds his new home in another Dutch focussed team in Sony - Force India and who knows? Maybe his performance makes the difference for them as well in the PCT to follow us one year late.
When you think Lars Boom was long term, Olivier easily topped it, when you think the Aegon era was long-term (2013-2022), Olivier topped it by one year. And Olivier even matched the team`s longest ride as 11 years is just equal to what Koep did for the team. If you are really strict though, Koep had to develope one year loaned away, so I`d say it`s fair enough to say, that Daan Olivier might be on step with Lars Boom for greatest rider of the team.
Great read! Worthy of the team legend that Daan Olivier undoubtedly is. it feels like i'm part of the MG for half an eternity already but Olivier has joined your team before i even entered the game and its weird to see him go to another team.
That said, it certainly makes sense to now move on for the last year of his prime.
Great to read up on the history of Olivier with your team. We hope to give him a good home for the season and maybe beyond Hoping that he can contribute just as well for us too!
With just 11 riders before transfers, it was rather obvious that the team would see bigger changes. In the end though the changes were even bigger than expected. A Maximum of 1/4 leaders were expected to leave with another one in the end leaving alongside another strong rider in Vanhoucke and not to mention Bob Jungels, who just arrived and was on his way out already again. This kind of crashed our Dutch core, that regional wise was important for us since year 1 and the leadership of riders from the Netherlands was never that small. Boom, Keizer, Groenewegen and the now leaving Groenewegen and Olivier carried the team for the last 12 years.
So what did change really and why these changes?
Well, future was looking bright already with Vansevenant at age 25 now being maxed out and having an incredible skillset that even without training big things are expected. On the climber side an upgrade was not really planned or easy to get and so the decision was made, that Tim Wellens, another former team leader actually and one of the most successful as well in his short period earlier, was supposed to come back from the FA market and make it a double leadership with Olivier again ahead of the Cras/Vanhoucke duo.
In the end though at one point Phinney was thrown onto the market and really quickly it became clear, that chances were really good to reach a swap agreement with Groenewegen, who to be honest, was the most expected leader to leave this season anyway. Unfortunately Phinney`s wage forced another leader to leave and so the question mainly was if Wellens remains the leading bid and if so, Olivier had to leave. So it was a bit of coincidence that both leaders left in the same season but even at age 34, it`s obvious, that Phinney is a huge upgrade and giving us a lot more tactical opportunities this season. This guy is just a legend for more than a decade now and still able to fight for the big wins.
Other than that the main additions are our now best Dutch rider in Ide Schelling, who basically came in a swap with Vanhoucke.
Then Salas, who was our early aim to finally improve our TT skills and early on we were able to make this happen (without Phinney yet in mind even).
And then from the FA market Bobridge with an welcoming 50k starter offer, that remained till the end to our huge surprise as also Bauhaus as new lead sprinter and actually back to us after about 5 years.
Havik joins in the Olivier deal and perfectly suits the tam in the hard classics as big engine support.
The only other addition is young talent Guernalec, who suited the hill/tt field we aimed for and even with a bit more room to improve.
All other riders join on a loan deal, such as TT riders Waerenskjold, Hoole and Tjotta as also Bax for the hills and Lipowitz for anything uphill.
Are we happy with the 2024 transfers? Kind of, yes. Pretty much happy to a) having improved in the climbing area with a rider as quality as Phinney and b) still having a mainly regional core. Sure, the Netherlands got reduced heavily and there is one leader in Phinney far off, while Aussies and Spaniards have a bit of history with us in fact. But seeing we might have 4 of the very best Belgium riders, this regional focus is more than succeeded still and c) to improve our general TT area. Instead of having level 1 Hessmann last year as maybe best real TT rider, it`s now on several shoulders, in especially Salas is a great pure TT addition for races, Phinney might not be able to ride and while not elite, even the TTT possibilities are far from too bad.
Still transfers end with a bit of a bad feeling as the selling of Olivier potentially could have been avoided by checking big opportunities early and obviously the not so quality replacement in the sprints will hurt the team surely as Groenewegen was one of the most consistent riders over the last 5-6 years for us, even when always having a race or two of lower performance, he never failed to deliver in general.
Last but not least, there is some training money hidden still, rumours are saying. But this will be announced at a later point.
With Phinney on board you have secured your place in PT. Long term the main scorers are older than before. So the top of the roster might see changes again next year.
A lot of changes in the team after a few years, with there being a more Belgian flavour to it than Dutch! Think you leaders should allow you to stay in PT quite easily. Looking forward to see what a maxed Vansevenant and improved Van Hooydonck can do.
Insane to see Vansevenant having a higher OVL than Phinney Pressure is definitely on for young Mauri, 2000+ points are expected On a more serious note, just shows that OVL clearly needs to be reworked...
Nonetheless, a great setup for staying up. Signing two declining leaders (plus Bobridge), and another one about to decline (Salas) shows that staying up is the primary goal this year. And you should easily achieve it.
Even though Phinney and Wellens need to be replaced, you're well set for the next years with Vansevenant and Van Hooydonck, and maybe Cras or Schelling being training targets for the mountains as well. Will be weird to see your team without a top sprinter this year, but in the long running sacrificing Groenewegen could be worth it.
Looking forward to find out your plans for the future - and this year you'll definitely outscore me (maybe by factor 2 even ^^)
Phinney and Wellens together is scary. Not to mention that Vansevenant at 25 looks even scarier. You have a very solid team and I guess a great season lies ahead for you.
Totally agree with you as also this post shows, the team without Groenewegen is weird, in especially planning wise as all those flat races are now rather difficult. Though before there always was the known gamble, that in theory he could be either ignored or be the unfortunate one just outside time bonuses and not performing great in a packed field. Now it`s about hoping for being the overperformer (if the sprinter participates).
Regarding Phinney. Yes, staying up surely has priority, but also it`s great to once have such big leader, which I barely ever had before in my 10+ years of Man Game. And it`s not necessarily his last top level season, could have another one afterwards with some extra planning.
Vansevenant is scary. In especially for me the OVL and wage. Points expected, difficult to say really. Hopefully he does well indeed.
Plans for the upcoming seasons? Well, if I had any. Missed the point of adding 1-2 talents that in especially replace the GC riders or sprinters really. Got Vansevenant and Hessmann, but also due to relegation missed enough money to go for another 1-2 replacement talents. So quite interested myself, where it brings me.
January Preview
Tour of Tasmania
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Mauri Vansevenant
74
74
80
69
79
78
71
62
70
80
80
71
71
25
Taylor Phinney
71
83
75
81
74
71
73
56
70
72
66
69
81
34
Ide Schelling
72
77
72
70
76
74
72
63
62
67
72
67
72
26
Mario Gonzalez Salas
70
57
60
80
74
76
67
60
61
54
78
61
80
32
Jack Bobridge
69
65
79
73
68
68
63
50
65
74
62
62
73
35
Nico Denz
71
74
76
67
70
70
70
65
63
73
71
65
71
30
Sjoerd Bax
71
68
77
68
77
73
73
62
65
68
74
73
68
28
Thibault Guernalec
69
67
71
72
65
72
70
60
63
64
63
65
72
27
I`d say the season starts with a big bang. It`s probably one of the few races with a leader clash. Our two very best riders in Vansevenant and Phinney will be at the start and even get some pretty decent support.
While originally planned around Vansevenant, who is no big TT guy but had those 3 extra race days, the addition of Phinney made us change plans for obvious reasons. A clear chance to podium right in the beginning sees both of them remaining in that race.
Salas also gets a first chance to show his TT skills while the remaining team is around strong support riders such as Schelling for the harder climbs, home rider Bobridge, Bax and Denz for the hills and Guernalec as only talent but with a decent skillset as well.
Goals as said, going for the podium and making it a very hard race.
Tour of Qatar
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Nathan Van Hooydonck
73
63
71
72
75
74
69
82
61
72
64
67
72
29
Mario Gonzalez Salas
70
57
60
80
74
76
67
60
61
54
78
61
80
32
Sjoerd Bax
71
68
77
68
77
73
73
62
65
68
74
73
68
28
Taco Van der Hoorn
75
60
70
55
76
69
60
75
56
66
84
66
52
31
Ludovic Robeet
76
61
67
61
72
75
65
74
67
69
77
69
67
30
Phil Bauhaus
74
56
61
56
71
65
77
67
78
75
59
63
60
30
Piotr Havik
77
63
70
65
74
73
64
72
70
69
75
70
64
30
Michel Hessmann
70
70
67
74
75
69
70
53
60
67
67
75
72
23
Groenewegen for the podium? Not anymore. We have a new sprint star for 2024, who is no else than Phil Bauhaus. So what to expect from him? To be fair on him, every top5-10 would already be nice to see as this means, he participates in sprints. Hope is that he can somehow position himself and go for some season podiums or even a stage win by going into the wind later, but this is hope only, no realistic goal.
So race wise, it`s more about the TT for us. Salas will get his 2nd race of the year just like Bax. The other 6 riders will make their season debut here with the cobble team around Van Hooydonck, power horse Havik and TT talent Hessmann. Except for last, the team will often ride those flat events together.
The goal is a top3-5 in the TT, active racing by the cobblers and hopefully a few sprints by Bauhaus. GC wise depends on bonus seconds for sprinters how much the TT performance is worth in the end but surely hope is there to be around the top10 as well.
Great Ocean Road Classic
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Age
Phil Bauhaus
74
56
61
56
71
65
77
67
78
75
59
63
60
30
Arvid De Kleijn
70
61
75
60
71
71
76
66
74
75
64
64
67
30
Piotr Havik
77
63
70
65
74
73
64
72
70
69
75
70
64
30
Daan Hoole
71
68
67
72
72
75
68
73
68
69
70
70
69
25
Ludovic Robeet
76
61
67
61
72
75
65
74
67
69
77
69
67
30
Jack Bobridge
69
65
79
73
68
68
63
50
65
74
62
62
73
35
Nathan Van Hooydonck
73
63
71
72
75
74
69
82
61
72
64
67
72
29
Taco Van der Hoorn
75
60
70
55
76
69
60
75
56
66
84
66
52
31
Surely the race with least expectations in January. A sprinter classic without a top guy is never ideal. Bauhaus hopefully participates, again with the support of the cobbled team. In especially Havik can hopefully make the finish difficult as so often this season, while De Kleijn and Hoole make their season debut.
Bobridge again being around to present his Aussie National Jersey to the home crowd.
Hoping that he can contribute just as well for us too!
Pressure is definitely on for young Mauri, 2000+ points are expected 
