Ripley wrote:


Sorry, I assumed for the natural progression you just used the game's system. Have edited my post to not confuse people.

Excellent start in Venezuela!

Both Noah and Sven Zurawski attempted to join the morning breakaway, several attempts were reeled back in before Sven Zurawski was able to join a break of five.

The breakaway was over with a little less than 20 km left, and although a few riders would try a late attack, they did not make it.

Team Lotto - Kern Haus formed a train, aiming for Hermann Keller to deliver Manuel Porzner as leadout sprinter for Joshua Huppertz

Joshua lost momentum at the last 200 meters, finishing 4th, Noah was not part of the train and attempting to hold Joshua’s wheel finished 8th.

The stage was won by Jake Stewart from Groupama - FDJ Continental Team

Joshua Huppertz continues to hold the Yellow Jersey. Noah lost a position in GC now 7th.

With no KoM point on the route, the morning breakaway only had one goal and that was a stage win, the five riders fought brave and came first under the 20 km banner, but it was soon over, with lots of time for the sprinter trains to form.

Inspired by the good result at stage one, Noah was back at the front of the train, hoping to be able to deliver the sprinter trio Manuel Porzner - Hermann Keller - Joshua Huppertz perfectly, to open the sprint from the best possible position.

The timing was great and Manuel Porzner kicks of the sprint from 2.6 km, the team seemingly got the upper hand.

Joshua rewards the great teamwork, with a perfect finish and win the stage. His 2nd of the tour, adding to his GC lead.

Hermann finish 6th and Manuel 8th. Despite finishing 26th Noah is still 7th in GC.

Noah had very bad legs today, crippling his chances to get a good result, he came in 60th losing 3’39� and with that moved down to 23th in the GC

Joshua Huppertz had a much better day finishing as 20th best, losing 1’54�, just enough to stay inside GC top 10.

The stage was won by Henri Treimuth Team Beltrami TSA – Marchiol
Laureano Rosas Transportes Puertas de Cuyo took over the race lead.

With 214 km, 34°C and very little wind it is going to be a hard race for everyone.

10 riders form the morning breakaway, Aldemar Reyes Medellin takes the cat.4 KoM climb, but the breakaway doesn’t make it to the cat.2, caught at the foot of the climb.

After the breakaway was caught, the pack split and the entire Team Lotto - Kern Haus, squad was caught in the 2nd peloton.

Noah pulled team leader Joshua Huppertz back to the leading group but the intense climbing was hard on Joshua, it was clear that he would not be able to make it in the leading group.

Noah continued alone.

KoM leader Nils Eekhoff SEG Racing Academy won the stage, and took the race lead. Noah 4th in the same time as the winner

Joshua Huppertz came in with the Yellow jersey group at 1’18� dropping to 11th in GC.

38°C, a light breeze coming from the Caribbean Sea will cool down the riders as they approach the coast, but most riders will hate the high temperatures.

David Alexander Maidana Massi Vivo – Conecta was part of the morning break and taking the cat.4 he will win the KoM jersey.

The breakaway was over with 12 km left.

Lotto - Kern Haus build a long train to launch Hermann Keller, Manuel Porzner and finally Joshua Huppertz.

The plan was ok, but may have positioned Joshua Huppertz a bit to far from the front.
Anyway, Joshua finished 2nd, Manuel Porzner 4th.

David Dekker SEG Racing Academy won the stage, team mate Nils Eekhoff the general classification.

Best in GC from Lotto - Kern Haus Joshua Huppertz 11th.

Riccardo Ciuccarelli Sangemini – Trevigiani dominated the breakaway, collecting 26 KoM points. Just able to take it first over the late cat.2 before he was caught.

After a hard route with a lot of climbs Noah Takaima was the only rider left to help Leslie Lührs in the sprint, Noah first under the red kite with Leslie clued.

Leslie Lührs wins the first stage of Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc, a great result for the team.
Noah 6th

The breakaway includes Marc-Oliver Pritzen from NTT Continental Cycling Team he was the last rider caught by the favorites and collected 32 KoM points on the stage, taking over the KoM lead.

We are at the middle of the last cat.1, with a favorite group of 18 riders soon the catch Pritzen. Noah the only Lotto - Kern Haus rider in the group.

5 riders attacked over the top of the mountain, Noah was not able to follow, now sitting in the 7 riders pursuit.

The race was won by Marius Mayrhofer Development Team Sunweb who will become new race leader, with 24� down to Hakan Emanetoglu Iseo Serrature - Rime – Carnovali

Noah came 4th in the sprint of his group, finishing 9th on the stage.

KoM leader Marc-Oliver Pritzen NTT Continental Cycling Team part of the morning breakaway, he ends up with Félix Dopchie Wallonie-Bruxelles Development Team as the leading duo making it first over the Cat 1, cementing his KoM lead.

But the favorite group is close and they will be caught at the beginning of the upcoming cat.2

Noah part of the favorite group of 11 riders leading over the cat.2.

On the climb towards the summit finish we get an acceleration from Nicola Plebani Team Colpack Ballan and GC 2nd Hakan Emanetoglu Iseo Serrature - Rime – Carnovali they will never get caught and Plebani wins the stage. Emanetoglu takes the race lead.

GC leader Marius Mayrhofer Development Team Sunweb and Nicholas Dresti Biesse - Arvedi – Premac gains a few seconds on the remaining favorites over the last 300 meters.

Noah finish in the 3rd group as 8th. He is 7th in GC 1’46� behind the race leader, still with one very hard summit finish left.

7 riders form todays breakaway, only Lucas Meunier Groupama - FDJ Continental Teamand and Riccardo Ciuccarelli Sangemini – Trevigiani interested in the KoM points. Gaining respectively 13 and 11 points. With that Ciuccarelli moved to 2nd in KoM now just 11 points behind Marc-Oliver Pritzen.

With Leslie Lührs as stage favorite Team Lotto - Kern Haus dedicate Sven Zurawski and Jan Kuhn to the pursuit, with little help from other teams, they have to lift a lot of the workload alone.

Team Lotto - Kern Haus was not able to bring back the breakaway.

Serge Lagier Jeunesse Chambery wins the stage.

Last call for the vote:

The morning breakaway ends up with a huge group of 18 riders, best placed in GC Sinuhé Fernández Equipo Lizarte 15th at 8’22 and also KoM leader Marc-Oliver Pritzen NTT Continental Cycling Team present.

The last survivors were Sinuhé Fernández and Filippo Baroncini Team Beltrami TSA – Marchiol

Two groups about to melt together forming the breakaway of the day

The profile was very hard and so was the pace, already on the first hard climb, the Hors catégorie Col Tsecore, Noah would lose all support and not see his teammates again. The favorite group reduced to 16 riders.

Attack from pre-race favorite Marius Mayrhofer Development Team Sunweb split the group over the next cat.1, but Noah was able to rejoin on the downhill.

On the final climb Marius Mayrhofer and race leader Hakan Emanetoglu bridged to Sinuhé Fernández and Filippo Baroncini from the breakaway, Marius Mayrhofer won the stage, took the KoM, but did not gain time on Hakan Emanetoglu who would win the overall race.

Noah with a better ride that previous days, finished 6th at the stage losing 3'07�

That was enough to climb to 4th in the GC