Thanks for the comments.
Actually I played the race directly after the last Tirreno stages. Just had no time to report it.
It was pretty weird. Haussler had no problems on the second last hill but on the last he just felt back, no matter what % I gave him. This sucked as he was in great form and should have stayed in the first group challenging Bennati.
But obviously I will never get any good result in MSR in PCM.
I am waiting since "PCM04" or so.
Little bit dissaponting result for Garmin, but as you say, MSR is probably the hardest race in PCM. For me, it works with doing the tempo on the Poggio, just be the first man on the top with high dot percentage, because when you are not the first,you will be dropping like a stone.
The race is held since 1911 and is most times dominated by Spanish cyclists.
Next to the Vuelta a Pais Vasco it`s one of the most important regional races in Spain.
Record winner is Mariano Cañardo with seven wins between 1928 and 1939.
Result in 2012
1
Tony Martin
Team HTC - Highroad
25h50'35
2
Alberto Contador
Astana
+ 43
3
Daniel Moreno
Omega Pharma-Lotto
+ 47
4
Amaël Moinard
Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne
+ 1'04
5
Juan José Cobo Acebo
Team Movistar
+ 1'09
6
Bradley Wiggins
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 1'12
7
Jakob Fuglsang
Garmin - Cervelo
+ 1'16
8
Yury Trofimov
Team Katusha
+ 1'22
9
Robert Gesink
Leopard Trek
+ 1'24
10
Dario Cataldo
Quick Step - Innergetic
+ 1'28
Lots of big names in last years Catalunya. Fuglsang`s 7th was a great result for us in one of the less important races.
Martin and Moreno proved to be the strongest in the mountains and both took stage wins.
But most surprising was Rojas 15min breakaway success, where he took the leader jersey after the hardest mountain stage ridden. This secured him a top15 overall result in a hard race.
Also Millar and Boom delivered nice podium results, which made it a successful race for Garmin.
Garmin squad in 2013 Dan Martin will be our leader here in a race without time trial and one mountain stage, what suits him pretty well.
He will have great support by Stetina, Kessiakoff, Peterson and Duggan in the hard stages. Haussler will try to grab a stage win and is surely a favourite for some stages. With Pate and Murphy he got two loyal helpers at his side.
Our goal is surely a top10 here and a stage win.
***** A Schleck
**** Contador, Anton
*** F Schleck, Dan Martin, Monfort
** P Velits, Cataldo, Evans, Cobo
* Brajkovic, Seeldraeyers, Gerdemann, Masciarelli, Sagan
Again a superb startlist in Catalunya. Some riders will use the race as last preparation for the Ardennes classics but many of them will take this race serious and want a win here.
Especially Astana with 4 potential top5 riders and Quickstep with 3 of those favourites have a favourite role here.
It was a while since my last comment to this story, but first of all a good result in T-A with Fuglsang! To bad Haussler couldn't take Nokere-Koerse but Veelers was just to smart... And well.. Congrats with your personals best in MSR, but 19th is ofcourse a not so good result..
Well, good luck in Catalunya and I think that this race suits Dan Martin very well!
Just one question, so you don't let Haussler participate in G-W?
vangerner wrote:
It was a while since my last comment to this story, but first of all a good result in T-A with Fuglsang! To bad Haussler couldn't take Nokere-Koerse but Veelers was just to smart... And well.. Congrats with your personals best in MSR, but 19th is ofcourse a not so good result..
Well, good luck in Catalunya and I think that this race suits Dan Martin very well!
Just one question, so you don't let Haussler participate in G-W?
Actually I just checked my MSR results in PCM10 and I once was 4th with Hesjedal but it was on hard and surely the best result I ever had in MSR.
Since I play on extreme this was the first top20 I think.
My race planner is not working 100% for some reason.
Actually Haussler was supposed to ride G-W. Normally I compare the lists in the planner with the team list in the game first but I forgot for Catalunya. So shit happens. Maybe he will have even better form for Paris Roubaix now.
Still have Maaskant, two time winner Vansummeren, Boom and Felline for G-W, but Haussler would betop favourite for sure...
The last story I had to catch up with and definitely not least !!!
The longest story here, keeping strong and awesome I just love this story so much. The reports are exciting and by now I and many others probably feel like part of Garmin
Damn this MSR race, never been much luck for Garmin, still Haussler with decent result and there's always next year for Garmin to try hopefully
Wow, that is going to be hell of amazing race at Volta, shame there's only one mountain stage but we should expect fireworks at least. And in meantime hopefully we'll enjoy great results and wins from Haussler Edited by Alakagom on 15-12-2011 18:22
Thanks Alakagom. Nice to hear you really like this story.
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - Stage 1
Lloret de Mar - Lloret de Mar
The race starts with a pretty interesting stage. Several hills might take care for a smaller field in the end, so it`s surely not a real sprinter stage.
Still riders like Haussler, Sagan or Bazayev might be able to survive the hills.
5 riders in an early break. Also a Garmin rider with Peterson showing our jersey.
Dessel (AG2R), Galdos (Caja Rural), Isasi (Euskaltel) and former Giro stage winner Docker (Skil).
FDJ for Pauriol and Vaugrenard and Movistar for Tirreno winner Evans are doing the pace behind.
Starting with the first longer climb some more riders joined the break.
Monier (Cofidis), Anza (Vacansoleil) and Bono (Lampre).
With ~45km to go Bellotti (Liquigas) attacks. His team doesn`t really have a race leader here and the Italian already might be their best, so he will have some freedom. Today he surely uses it.
FDJ and Movistar still do a hell of a work together with HTC for Sagan now. This splits the peloton and just ~40 riders are left including Martin, Stetina, Kessiakoff and also Haussler.
Some decent puncheurs already contact like Peter Velits, Seeldreayers, Brajkovic, Serpa or Hermans.
While first two have stronger leaders here RadioShack might be disappointed with Brajkovic and Hermans falling back.
The breakaway is almost caught with the last climb starting. FDJ still with several riders in front but most work is done by HTC for stage favourite Sagan.
With Haussler still feeling good, Stetina is coming to the front to work hard to chase the last attackers down. Peterson wasn`t able to follow and is back in the peloton. At least he rewarded himself with the KoM jersey.
Dessel and Galdos are leading the race with many riders falling back now from the former break. Behind Stetina is still working hard.
Vaugrenard starts the favourites attack. He is followed by Sagan, Veelers, Masciarelli and also Evans, who is surely the biggest GC favourite of these.
Haussler and Martin both were blocked and couldn`t follow this move although they still felt good.
So they are working hard to bring the group back in the hope to have a stage win chance here and to bring Evans in especially back,
With 1km to go Sagan still has a gap and starts the sprint ahead of the next group around the other attackers and the last former breakaway riders with Haussler sprinting in the far background trying to bridge the gap.
But too late. Sagan`s attack was well timed and so he wins the first stage.
Evans sprinting on the 2nd taking important time bonuses ahead of Galdos, who was the strongest in the break today. Haussler as 8th secures a good result today and more important takes care that there won`t be any time gaps between the first and the big favourite group with Martin.
vangerner wrote:
It was a while since my last comment to this story, but first of all a good result in T-A with Fuglsang! To bad Haussler couldn't take Nokere-Koerse but Veelers was just to smart... And well.. Congrats with your personals best in MSR, but 19th is ofcourse a not so good result..
Well, good luck in Catalunya and I think that this race suits Dan Martin very well!
Just one question, so you don't let Haussler participate in G-W?
Actually I just checked my MSR results in PCM10 and I once was 4th with Hesjedal but it was on hard and surely the best result I ever had in MSR.
Since I play on extreme this was the first top20 I think.
My race planner is not working 100% for some reason.
Actually Haussler was supposed to ride G-W. Normally I compare the lists in the planner with the team list in the game first but I forgot for Catalunya. So shit happens. Maybe he will have even better form for Paris Roubaix now.
Still have Maaskant, two time winner Vansummeren, Boom and Felline for G-W, but Haussler would betop favourite for sure...
That really sucks, but he is maybe in a better form for P-R indeed... Let's hope he doesn't get to tired!
Good result in this first stage of Catalunya, Martin didn't lose any time, that is a good thing!
Edited by vangerner on 16-12-2011 07:48
8th in a sprint is quite good, especially after long time not playing PCM. Sprinting definitely is harder than all the previous editions, more challenging too making it more fun ( at times ).
Love The Sagan screen under Flame Rouge. Sagan in HTC jersey looks weird in a good way Hopefully Haussler will be able to improve.
so please..don´t stop now.
