|
Euskal Bizikleta - Discussion
|
| Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 11-06-2024 07:23
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2073
Joined: 11-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Not the final stage we were hoping for, but 5th and 12th in the GC is nevertheless a good result. I'm not sure it's quite good enough, though, as we need to pass one of Indosat and Fastned who are still about 40-50 points ahead. If Vansevant and Bilbao do well in Japan Cup, we could very well be out of it, and either way, we will need a top result in Giro dell'Emilia.
Congrats to Manx and thanks a lot for the reports, Ulrich! 
|
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 13:16
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| Laurens147 |
Posted on 11-06-2024 07:34
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1123
Joined: 26-04-2020
PCM$: 800.00
|
Wow, what a result for Podium Ambition  Congrats TMM!
Also a good points haul for Tafjord Kraft. It's a shame about the unfortunate stage from Eiking, otherwise Gjensidige could have scored strongly here too. What a season for them 
Thanks Ulrich Ulriksen for the reports!
I'm looking forward to the ranking update Fabi 
MG - Lotto - Caloi
[MG] New Manager of the Year - PCM.daily Awards 2022
|
| |
|
|
| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 11-06-2024 07:47
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1120
Joined: 07-07-2013
PCM$: 200.00
|
Congrats to wj for another typical Meurisse win. And a big congrats to TMM for a huge GC win and to promotion as I don't see how anyone could get past you now for 5th! Tafjord should be safe by now too. So we're fighting for 6th now (and given the lasting absence of some PT managers that should be sufficient too) and should have it in our own hands. Speaking of 6th: APP got the result we could reasonably hope for here with the team constantly contributing. He only had one disappointing race all season in Trentino, so hopefully he manages to keep his streak in Zuri ...
|
| |
|
|
| Fabianski |
Posted on 11-06-2024 07:59
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4669
Joined: 29-09-2018
PCM$: 185.00
|
Wow, what an end to the GC fight, definitely didn't see that coming! How satisfying that must be for TMM, a homegrown rider winning a C1 stage race and definitely making them very hot candidates for promotion now! Big congrats, and really nice to see Lagane making up for quite some downs this year with a huge up - and it may not even have been his final win of the year... Euskal obviously is a race that suits the punchy sprinters like almost no other (just TDU in my mind), so yes, it's a bit unexpected to see him beat Démare - but otherwise there aren't many riders out there matching his Hi/Spr combo. Great job!
In the end, a great race for Lampre as well - they didn't get the GC podium with the rider you'd expect, but they played it well. And Meurisse with yet another stage win this year, what a rider! A pretty decent race as well for Xero in the end; Houle wasn't amazing, but consistency was key for that 3rd place in GC which should take quite a lot of pressure off from Areruya's shoulders.
On our end, a pretty lame and boring race. Page's stage podium was great, but otherwise we weren't active enough to my liking. Schmid and Theuns were far too anonymous given their skillset - especially the former had another disappointing race. I don't know yet where we'll have to turn some screws to get him to Meurisse level (which he basically has, but doesn't show it), but I hope the final development step should already help him. We'll see if we go down the puncheur path as planned, or if we add some more sprinter skills...
But despite it being a boring race for us, it was by no means a bad one. Errazkin just isn't a spectacular rider - but a very consistent one. He isn't a strong finisher, but somehow rode smart enough to get 4th place thanks to decent stage results - it could also have been 12th place... We'll see what our plans for him will look like in PT - he does have quite some potential, especially given that we'll soon have to "replace" Masnada...
As said before, Theuns was too passive for my liking, given his nice Hi/Spr combo. But at least he made the front group again after missing out yesterday, getting himself a Top 20 GC finish in his final maxed race. We'll see what the offseason brings for him, but keeping him for another year could be a good option.
All in all, a decent enough race - not what I was hoping for with this lineup, but definitely not bad either.
Congrats again to all those who did well, and thanks for the report!
@Ulrich
On the "Démare case", you're right that I didn't consider his low DH stat. Could indeed be what hurt him here - even though I still think he should've been in the Top 5 positions on top of that hill had he really been eager to get the stage win...
|
| |
|
|
| Imladrik |
Posted on 11-06-2024 07:59
|
Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 810
Joined: 05-10-2021
PCM$: 600.00
|
Thanks for the reports Ulrich! Sorry I couldn't answer earlier.
Lafay good positionning nets us some points, so that's not a zero pointer, but seems he was indeed too strong for us to be allowed in any break, so that's another disappointing C1 race. We'll have to think on how we handle them next season, if we don't get top contenders.
Disappointing race with all our hill teams here.
Congrats to TMM and the stage winners !
“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably."
A. Roy
|
| |
|
|
| Bjartne |
Posted on 11-06-2024 09:02
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 2907
Joined: 15-07-2007
PCM$: 300.00
|
From what I can understand, we're now passed by Podium Ambition by a slight margin, but still holding on to 5th.
Now, if we can get a result in Zuri, then it should be enough to promote.
But the season isn't over for the other teams either yet, so we're terrified we can drop even more places.
Huge congrats to TMM with this incredibly feat, winning a C1-race with a local lad. Big respect!
Thank you Ulrich for the high quality reports as well, it's been a blast! |
| |
|
|
| ivaneurope |
Posted on 11-06-2024 09:27
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 2933
Joined: 09-05-2011
PCM$: 300.00
|
Our season ends on a whimper
|
| |
|
|
| whitejersey |
Posted on 11-06-2024 09:52
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 2905
Joined: 07-08-2011
PCM$: 300.00
|
And with that final stage our fortune for this race shifts 180. What a win from Meurisse and great scamming fro Dzama to snatch second place in the GC! Thanks for the reports and congrats to TMM on a great win!
|
| |
|
|
| quadsas |
Posted on 11-06-2024 12:27
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2518
Joined: 18-01-2013
PCM$: 300.00
|
Those are some points and we like those
|
| |
|
|
| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 11-06-2024 18:04
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
|
No word of a lie, and Fabianski can check his PMs to confirm, Euskal was my main OR C1 Goal choice - that's why we won here because this team has been cracked in Goal races this season.
I'm holding off the wild celebrations until I see the points finalised in the table. I know what C1 GC + Youth should do to the rankings, but after the sh*t show that was Herald, and the insanely competitive nature of the CT promotion chase, i refuse to get carried away.
Eyes on the season closing Zuri Metzge and our chance to promote with a 5-for-5 Goal record. I will allow myself to indulge slightly by working on PCT level rider suggestions - y'all ain't ready for it!
|
| |
|
|
| jandal7 |
Posted on 12-06-2024 02:31
|
World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
|
Not sure what the "Zubeldia" word for a podium is but Houle pulled it off, potentially his final race for us and going out with his best result of the year and a crucial one for us after an AI disaster in Japan so bad I'm still working on recruiting Arnold Schwarzenegger to come and prevent it.
Thanks for the reports Ulrich, always quality! Congrats TMM - while I thought your comments early in the race about the race being a potentially very poor one for you were patently ridiculous with Lagane being one of the absolute top favourites, it must still be a huge joy for you to win here
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
| |
|
|
| Ulrich Ulriksen |
Posted on 12-06-2024 03:05
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 3263
Joined: 02-11-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
Great ride from Revard from the break salvaged the race for us. Pity he couldn't hang on for the stage win but that would have been asking a lot.
Hopefully that ride has changed our mojo with this race because this was the third straight year where I thought I had a rider with a shot at a top 10 and maybe even better than that and ended up not even in the frame.
Man Game: McCormick Pro Cycling |
| |
|
|
| liefwarrior |
Posted on 12-06-2024 04:25
|
Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 864
Joined: 04-07-2019
PCM$: 300.00
|
Massive congratulations on the win TMM and many thanks for the reports UU. Although it did not quite go in the manner we wanted, Hoelgaard did very well in the end and even Schlegel came through with a depth result. I agree with UU that it might not have been unrealistic AI as much as poor fortune, but I still question whether we might have achieved more without a superdomestique. Could it have forced Démare to be more attentive at the front or would he have instead burnt himself out chasing attacks? Maybe I'll try it out next season (and watch as it blows up in my face). |
| |
|
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
