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[PCT]Team UPC - Boehringer-Ingelheim | [2013]
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| tyriion |
Posted on 26-02-2013 18:14
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Thüringen Rundfahrt review
This stage race proved to be one of 'close but not really'.
Stage 1 uncovered our weakness in the TTT, not even world champions Reus and Elijzen could change that. Stage 2 was close, but Lorenzetto couldn't jump onto the podium on 4th.
Stage 3 was THE stage for the punchers and as such Reus had to stay in touch on this stage to keep his GC chances. And he delivered, just holding on to the favorites group in 12th position.
Stage 4 was another nice chance for Lorenzetto. And although he was nicely placed at the start of the final k, he finished in 15th position. A technical difficulty proved to be the problem here.
As Geschke continued his dominance in stage 5, Lorenzetto missed another opportunity as he came in 10th.
Then finally the TT was there and Reus' chance to shine. But sadly he only managed 3rd and what was worse he didn't really gap some riders just in front of him. The hill proved to be a little less TT friendly than hoped for. In the end this meant a 6th in GC for Reus. While respectable it isn't what we had hoped for.
The final stage saw Lorenzetto again missing the podium with his 2nd 4th place of the race.
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| tyriion |
Posted on 26-02-2013 18:31
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Strade Bianche preview
As we stay in Europe to kick off the racing in march it's the race of white roads in Italy. The Strade Bianche are renowned in the cycling world and they will be a major factor in this race. Positioning is key here in a race that should see more and more riders dropping through small lanes and short, sharp climbs.
This race sounds perfect for our Italian sprinter duo Gavazzi and Lorenzetto. A selective flat course should see them with reall chances for a top 5, maybe even a podium. It would be nice if both of them could break into the top 10, which should be possible with enough team work.
And the team to help them consists of Elijzen, whose engine should prove invaluable, Priamo, Schoonbroodt, Teunissen and van der Sanden. A diverse team that should be able to get something done here. We're looking forward to Tuscany!
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| tyriion |
Posted on 27-02-2013 06:31
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Strade Bianchi review
In this race we showed ourselves during all the stages. First we helped control the early break and later on we were involved in the decisive move. While Lorenzetto had a bad day and had to let the pack go on a gravel stretch it was Elijzen who joined Bellis, Hermans and de Maar.
The pack was disorganized and when the dust settled Bellis, Hermans and Elijzen had enough advantage to decide the race between themselves. Elijzen tried several times to drop Bellis, but in the end the three had to sprint. That's not Elijzens strongest point and so we are happy with a third place.
Sadly Lorenzetto and Gavazzi couldn't grab some better placings in the pack sprint as they finished on place 31 and 17 respectively.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 12:12
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| tyriion |
Posted on 06-05-2013 07:35
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Big march update
Busy times and waning results have led to the media focusing on other teams, but here is how Team UPC B-I did in march after the Strade Bianchi.
Tour de Langkawi
Expected to have a weaker start list due to race days and mountains we went here with Lorenzetto with a stage win in mind. In the end he got 6 top 10 finishes, the best result a 3rd spot in the 4th stage. Roelandts was too dominant to get a win here so the result was a let down. The mountains made sure none of our riders featured in the top 50 in the GC.
Olympia's Tour
Our first home race should bring us some media attention. But Elijzen got outclassed in the TTs, while Boy van Poppel wasn't steady and not fast enough to cause any damage. Traksel and Hopman did their best to fill the void, but Hopmans 3rd place on stage 5 was the highlight of the race. (other than Kavsek and Berkhout causing a crash on stage 2)
Corsica International
No real expectations here as this race was sure to have an overwhelming start list. We got what we expected.
We also raced two classics in Belgium on our favorite terrain, cobbles!
Dwars door Vlaanderen
This race was expected to end in a sprint of a small group of favorites, so we had real hopes for Veelers here. In the end he couldn't really show himself finishing 10th. Kavsek saved his leader somewhat by getting 8th.
E3 Prijs
The hardest cobbled race of the PCT and the one with the highest classification (HC) so it was time for Veelers to redeem himself. And while he barely missed out on the top 5 he got 6th, which is what you could expect from him.
Edited by tyriion on 06-05-2013 07:35
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| tyriion |
Posted on 09-05-2013 13:11
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
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April update
April saw us mostly racing classics, which aren't our strongest races so far this season. But cobbles are always fun and the end of the month featured our 2nd German stage race where we wanted to do better than in Thüringen.
Brabantse Pijl
This tough cobbled race finally saw Veelers racing smart and strong. While maybe least suited to his skills he got his best result in a cobbled race so far this season, 5th.
Philadelphia International
A sprinters classic isn't really our terrain. We really need a captain next year capable of using our excellent support riders. Boy van Poppel did his best and got a 10th for his troubles.
Hel van het Mergelland
Back in the Netherlands this race was somewhat tougher again and also attracted less big star sprinters. Traksel stepped up and delivered a decent 6th place finish to keep the points coming.
Duo Differdange
In the planning stages of the season this was thought to be a possible victory, but with loads of great TTists entering the PCT Reus and Elijzen only managed a 5th place.
Ostdeutschland Tour
In the homecountry of our second sponsor we finally tasted wins again. After a good performance in the prologue by Elijzen (4th), Gavazzi grabbed 2 stage victories in a row. An off day on stage 5 meant he lost the points jersey and the 6th jersey saw the true puncheurs step up. In the ned he still finished a respectable 8th in the GC, while Priamo showed on 2 occasions that the basis for a sprint train is there.
Gavazzi leaves everyone in the dust on the first to regular stage in Germany. What tastes sweeter than victory?
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| CountArach |
Posted on 09-05-2013 13:13
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Grand Tour Champion
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Quite a solid month for you, all up.
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| tyriion |
Posted on 12-05-2013 14:27
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
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CountArach wrote:
Quite a solid month for you, all up.
Yes indeed. We're always lurking in the top 10, so the points keep trickling in. A big result would take some of the edge off though 
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| tyriion |
Posted on 12-05-2013 19:59
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Sprinter
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May preview
The month of May will see us race 5 classics and 1 stage race. Starting in Spain we're on for another go at the cobbles, while the remaining classics will be flat sprinter affairs. The stage race is the HC rated Tour of the Czech Republic. This could be a big month for us if Reus can deliver in the Czech stage race.
Avila Classic
The usual team will be at the start in Spain for the Avila Classic. A hilly circuit with some cobbles will hopefully see Veelers aiming for a podium finish, with some of the bigger cobbled stars in France for the 5 days of Dunkerque. He will be helped in this by Traksel, Knees, Oelerich, Kavsek, Hassink and Teunissen.
GP of Moscow
This pan flat sprint fest will probably have a very strong line up. Boy van Poppel, Traksel, Gavazzi, Hopman, Berkhout, van Leijen and Schoonbroodt will do their best to upset the big guns and sneak into the top 10.
GP Tunis
We leave Europe for a circuit race in the capital of Tunisia. As the race features a small climb Gavazzi will lead the team here. Priamo, Oelerich, Groenewegen, Danny van Poppel, Teunissen and JJ Navarro have to make sure this ends in a sprint.
Berlin ProRace
This is the final classic of this month and again one expected to end in a mass sprint. This one is HC rated as well, so this will probably attract the biggest names in the PCT. But the points that can be scored go up as well. Veelers, Gavazzi, Lorenzetto, Traksel, Priamo, Knees, Oelerich and Teunissen will all try to get in there and grab as many points as they can.
Talinn-Tartu Grand Prix
On the same day as the Berlin ProRace we hope that this one won't attract such a strong field as usual for a dead flat race. Boy van Poppel should have a serious shot at a top 5 finish. Helped by his little brother Danny, Groenewegen, Hopman, van Leijen, Kavsek and Berkhout this should be a nice chance to get some publicity and points.
Tour of the Czech Republic
The main features of this 5 day HC rated stage race are a hard hilly stage and a middle length TT. This mix sounds perfect for Reus, but the season so far has shown that he isn't the absolute top anymore. We're still hoping for a top 5, which would give us a nice points boost in the fight against relegation. Elijzen will be Reus' second in command, while the brothers van Poppel, Lorenzetto, Knees, Hopman and van der Sanden will be helpers, sprinters or glory hunters.
Edited by tyriion on 12-05-2013 20:02
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| tyriion |
Posted on 23-05-2013 10:43
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Sprinter
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Joined: 29-08-2010
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Team UPC - Boehringer-Ingelheim is doing fairly well this season. Several cycling guru's predicted a certain relegation at the end of the season, but so far the Dutch-German team is sitting halfway at the rankings table.
But with the months of May and June coming up now it's going to be the time of truth for the new PCT squad. With for HC rated races in a few weeks time this will be the window to score big.
Because of this we interviewed team manager tyriion about his expectations about this crucial time in the season.
Interviewer
Welcome, how do you feel about the season so far?
tyriion
Up until now we are pretty pleased by the results we gained. Some riders performed better than hoped for, to cover for some weaker performances by designated leaders.
I
You are talking about Lorenzetto and especially Gavazzi, who recently had a nice run in the Ostdeutschland Tour. But now there are big races and sponsor goals coming up. How do you feel about your chances in the Tour of the Czech Republic?
t
Our big leader for that race is of course Kai Reus. So far he has struggled this season to win races. But this isn't due to poor form or bad tactics, but because of the unexpected arrival of the likes of Zabriskie and Rogers in the PCT.
I
So what will be possible for him in the Czech Republic?
t
As this tour isn't just about the TT, but also features a highly selective and very tough hilly stage a rider has to combine several skills to do well there. While Reus isn't the best TTist in the division nor the best climber he is decent enough at both. Beating Zabriskie, Keizer or Dekker if they attend will be very hard, but with a strong performance he should be a solid top 5 contender.
I
On to the first sponsor goal of the season, the Berlin ProRace. So far your team didn't really shine in flat classics, only winning tougher sprint stages in stage races. What do you expect here?
t
The Berlin ProRace is one of the biggest German races on the PCT calendar and as such very important to our sponsor. Sadly enough we weren't able to find the top sprinter we would have needed to compete here. We were in the race for Napolitano, who won in Russia last week, but all we have is the beginnings of a good lead out train. As such we will need a small miracle for the envisioned top 5 spot.
I
Next up is the Criterium Hainleite. Rumor has it you aim to win that race, and signing the defending champion can't be a bad move then. What do you hope for there?
t
This race is the one I most anticipate. Veelers is the defending champion and while he hasn't even got a podium finish so far during cobbled classics the Criterium suits his skill set best. He has been improving his results race by race, with a 4th in Spain as best result so far. And with Breschel and Eisel getting wins in tough cobbled races we can realistically hope for Veelers having a good day and bringing home the biggest result of the season.
I
And last is the Eneco Tour, a 4 stage sprinter race in your main home country. What do you think is possible there, the top 5 result that the sponsor wants maybe?
t
Again the lack of an outstanding team leader will hurt our chances here. But with the home crowds cheering us on we hope for Boy van Poppel over performing and grabbing those all important bonus seconds in some stages. Also Veelers will be there, to give us another spearhead. But this race will be very unpredictable as every sprint is. A top 5 might be dreaming, but it just as easily might happen.
I
Thanks for the answers and good luck in those 4 important races.
Edited by tyriion on 23-05-2013 10:47
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| tyriion |
Posted on 03-08-2013 10:58
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
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The last few weeks it has gone very quiet around Team UPC. The optimistic tone going into the big HC races has proven to be too optimistic and the team are slipping ever downward on the rankings.
Now rumours are surfacing that both sponsors are unhappy about performances, but the team management is unavailable for an interview at the moment.
It seems the director tyriion is enjoying the summer, while the team remains performing subpar. Latetst example is Reus with a 6th spot on the Isle of Man.
More to follow later when the weather turns!
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| tyriion |
Posted on 31-08-2013 07:58
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
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Time for an update.
As we went into May there were high hopes to turn things around and gain a solid placing about midway on the table. Things turned out differently.
Reus crashed in the Czech Republic and the other PCT races weren't much better. Our riders weren't able to score in Berlin or in the Eneco tour, where they even failed to break into the top 20 on every stage!
May and June were comletely anonymous for us. Only Traksel's win in the 2nd stage of the Ster ZLM tour and the third place for Gavazzi in the GC there were looking like decent results.
July was about the same, Reus scoring a third place in Denmark on GC to bring in some much needed points, but a notable lack of results otherwise.
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| tyriion |
Posted on 31-08-2013 11:37
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Review and rest of season preview
With our season at exactly two thirds it's time to look at how it went and what we can expect.
Gavazzi is our best man, starting his season Down Under with a great points haul. Assisted by Lorenzetto, Boy van Poppel, Traksel and Elijzen the points keep coming in.
The big deception is Reus. In part due to the increased TT capacities in the PCT, but also to somewhat underwhelming performances so far. With relegation a real possibility at the end of the season he might have to leave the team.
Overall the sprints were a lot harder than I'd have thought, the Eneco Tour being a great example. There we didn't even manage a top 20 position on any single stage. Next year will see us getting a top sprinter and strengthening the lead out so we can reap more victories.
The lack of climbers is also really hurting us, as any stage race will see us getting mediocre results in the sprints and getting completely blown away once the road rises. This leaves us with little points, while other teams get some with a second level climber. Next season we will need a climber, like we had Nozal last year.
On to the preview....
The Ulaanbaatar GP will see us where we have been in sprints all season long, between places 15-25.
Next up is the Volta a Portugal. With 11 racedays the field won't be completely filled up with top sprinters, so both Gavazzi and Lorenzetto can hopefully gain some nice placings. Reus will lead the team and he will need to deliver. The mountain stage will be too hard, but if he keeps up in the hills and delivers in the TT it could be a somewhat decent result. Hopefully the best TTers won't be here.
The Baltic Chain Tour will probably be highly contested, so no real chances for Boy. But he has scored somewhat decently all season long, so if he continues to do that I'll be happy.
The Tour of the Battenkill will be Veelers' chance at a classics victory, but this one looks too hard and the competition has proven too strong. A top 10 is more likely than a podium. Hopefully Knees can score back-up points again.
Tour de Vineyards has a mountain again, so no big points from the GC are possible. Elijzen is our hope in the TT, but he's been severely outclassed all season long. Gavazzi is our real hope here, a stage victory is always possible with the brawny Italian.
Race Horizon Park ----> Ulaanbaatar GP
The Tour of Britain will be one of our big hopes this fall. Gavazzi could really shine here, if he can keep up on the hills. Stage wins are a real possibility. Add in Traksel it could be a real boost to our score.
The Battenkill race might be too hard for Veelers, but Wanze-Arenberg looks right up his alley. With some luck it might be a win. At this point in the season we can probably use that very much, especially if things turned out badly in Britain.
At the Giro dell' Emilia we will just make up numbers in the peloton, no chances for us here.
The Herald Sun Tour is where I might have made my biggest planning mistake. No Reus, not even Elijzen. Boy van Poppel will head one of our weakest line-ups all season and it might cost us dearly.
At the Tour du Faso we gamble completely on the cobbles. If they prove decisive enough Veelers might have a nice shot at a good GC. At 10 days it should deter the very best sprinters if they don't have racedays left anymore. Could give us the edge in the battle to avoid relegation.
The Tour de Bejing is the first of two HC races that close out our season. Lorenzetto might nab a stage, but then again he might not. A good GC seems out of reach, so points will once again be meagre.
The final race is the HC Japan Cup. Reus will have to bear the responsibility here as our best puncher. If he's lucky this race might save us. If he's not we could drop down on the final day.
All in all it will be very tight towards the season end.
Edited by tyriion on 31-08-2013 11:38
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| tyriion |
Posted on 06-09-2013 16:58
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
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While there is still a way to go in the season, there's some news for the 2014 one.
Due to disappointing results so far and involvement over 2 years already, the main sponsor UPC will be pulling out of the team next year. Reasons given were the fact that results haven't been over the last 2 years and the fact that the long term effort needed for this team doesn't fit into the sponsoring strategy of the company anymore.
Boehringer - Ingelheim seems an unlikely candidate to take over the biggest part of the team. While they'd like to stay involved they're not ready to take on the main sponsorship.
Speculations are many regarding the possible new sponsor names that might want to hop on board. Tyriion only said the Dutch/German focus will stay and any sponsors on the team will refelect this philosophy.
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| tyriion |
Posted on 11-09-2013 21:00
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
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Sponsor found
While the racing is slow for Team UPC at the moment, there has been enough activity surrounding the team. With the announcement of the withdrawal of UPC as sponsor came a (frantic) search for a new sponsor to continue the project. And the quest for new money is ended, with success!
The new sponsor is the hardware store Hornbach. Centered in Germany, with stores all over Central Europe they are looking to get exposure through sporting advertisement. Their Do-it-yourself mentality is perfect for cycling. And the colors should bring something extra to the peloton.
As I couldn't wait to share this masterpiece of ANFreeman with you, here is our 2014 jersey.
Let's hope we stay in the PCT so I can show it in the Tour or something 
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 11-09-2013 21:17
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World Champion
Posts: 10497
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That's another brilliant work by An Freeman. |
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 11-09-2013 21:31
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4573
Joined: 07-10-2012
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Similar to what I had in mind. Another good jersey by ANF, the MG peloton should look even better next season. |
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| Alakagom |
Posted on 11-09-2013 21:54
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World Champion
Posts: 10891
Joined: 19-11-2010
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The UPC was one of my personal favoruites, this one is looking to stay on the same boat as the old one.
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| ANFreeman |
Posted on 11-09-2013 22:05
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1019
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I still think it should come with some kind of a warning for being so bright
[url=https://pcmdaily.com/messages.php?msg_send=19438]-Requests for Man-Game 2014 jerseys are OPEN!
Click to request!-[/url] |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 12-09-2013 06:02
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World Champion
Posts: 14236
Joined: 20-06-2011
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I love the jersey! And nice sponsor you have, i suppose you have wrenches and screwdrivers for free now? 
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| tyriion |
Posted on 12-09-2013 06:50
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Sprinter
Posts: 1510
Joined: 29-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Better than television I guess .
Now everyone has to hope I get some NCs, as ANFreeman made some great ones. How are things in Albania?
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