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[EPIC] #EPICfdj 2014
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 06-03-2014 13:22
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Message from the Manager
Pais Vasco has just finished. There were both good and bad things to take from it as a race. Good things were the general performances of the young riders, they didn't do anything spectacular but neither did they completely struggle. It's all part of the learning process. Also the stage win from Mourey was a perfect moment reaching our expectations for the week long event. The Bad was pretty much Cervero.
However he did then go on to put in his best season performance in the Amstel Gold Race recovering from a crash to finish 18th. However he should not have crashed, like the rest of the favorites, and it confirms his lack of skills. He's got two races left to save his job.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 09:46
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 06-03-2014 16:55
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Cervero rounding off the Basque Country
After the disappointments of the first few stages, I came into the last two stages looking only to save energy for the Ardennes. With some small hilly stages and a time trial. I couldn't do much anyway. In the hilly stage I was misplaced and there was no one to help me... so I just sat there. In the TT there wasn't much point trying as time trials aren't my thing, and there was no GC to salvage. In the end I was 123rd, a nice ranking, but a tiny bit disappointing. The best FDJ rider was Mourey, mainly thanks to his stage win. |
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 18-03-2014 06:51
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Flèche Wallone
Hello again everyone, Delfi is here.
The second Ardennes classic of the year has already finished, there is only one to go, and it's the biggest of all, Liège Bastogne Liège. Unfortunately, there isn 't much good news from the race.
After my crash in Amstel Gold Race, I came here thinking I was fully recovered. As the pace started to get hotter though, I felt it again. As the attacks came I could not make the required accelerations, they all just left me behind. I managed to stick with some of the lesser favourites, but the win was well beyond me. In the end the was no sprint left in me, I finished 45th, last in my group.
Looking ahead to L-B-L it doesn't look so good. The AGR is the classic best fitting my style, but I crashed there, so didn't get a good result. La Doyenne is so much tougher, which means I might not get a good result, especially compared to someone like Rodriguez or Valverde. |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 20-03-2014 09:35
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
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Come on, The Hobbit. We're all waiting for an "In your face, evil manager"-post.
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 20-03-2014 10:27
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Ollfardh wrote:
Come on, The Hobbit. We're all waiting for an "In your face, evil manager"-post.
"In your face, evil manager"-post.? I wanted him to succeed and just had to give him the right sort of motivation. Clearly it worked and hence the manager is a genius. From here he can take the positives and improve his season nicely. A lot of the pressure is eased for the time being and that will allow him to ride more naturally.
It's when the Mafia rock up people have to worry
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 22-03-2014 12:18
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Liège Batogne Liège
Hello everyone, Delfi is here again.
I've left it a while, so you probably all know the result of of Doyenne. That's good as I can focus more on my side of things. The race lived up to all expectations, an exciting race, full of attacks, with an exciting finish, with the fighting not just up front but throughout the entire field.
On paper, this is the classic that least suits me. It has some relatively long hills, but the sheer quantity make it more for me than Flèche Wallone. Even so, my injury in Amstel, my favourite race, means this is my last chance to prove myself to the manager and get into the top ten
This race would decide my career. I was alert from the start, always keeping up front, constantly asking for info on the breakaway, and the other favourites. Then, with a long way still to go, the attacks came in. Against my gut instinct, I stayed in the pack. There was no point making a risky attack, I just needed that top 10. My team mates weren't much help, so it was up to the others to chase.
With the km closing in, I still felt good. Some if the favourites attacked, I let some go, and reeled some in, as long as I was in good company I was happy. Soon I had to start responding, the race was getting faster, the attacks so much more brutal. We were heading back to Liège ever quicker, but the race was beginning to break. I was no longer even able to move forward or attack, I was riding as hard as I could just to keep in contact. This was it, I was riding way past my normal limits, I turned left, I could see the finish line.
I'd done it, 10th place. I'd keep my contract by the narrowest of margins. I got off the bike, and lied down. I didn't get up for a long time. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 23-04-2014 16:16
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Message from the Manager
Today i bring news from the Giro! It's not good. We sent a weak team, saving our leaders Demare, Bouhanni and Pinot for the Tour, so we set our eyes on some breakaways. This would give us the best chance of reaching the Stage Win goal our sponsors set. However things have not been going well, with barely three breakaways as we pass the mid-way point of the race. This is thoroughly disappointing from the riders and we hope they pick up over the remaining stages.
Dunkerque fared better for the team. Pal, Ladagnous and Offredo all rode valiantly and as a team we worked well to reach our Top10 GC goal for the race. Now we enter a quieter period of racing as we start building up again towards the Dauphine, out next big focus race. It's all part of the plan to gather some success from the Tour later into the season.
The race for team selection is hotting up. Demare and Bouhanni have proved good riders this season and will get to fight for a place. Pinot has been off the pace recently and will get his chance to show he is worthy of a place in the team. It would be good to have all three in racing shape but i am willing to drop one or two if necessary. Peter Pal is showing well and looking strong for a place, as is Vichot, Roy and Roux. Cervero was never targeting the race, luckily!
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 01-05-2014 12:38
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Message From the Manager
Victory!!! Pierrick Fedrigo pulls out all the stops to take a stage win at the Giro d'Italia. Fedrigo is no stranger to Grand Tour success having won 4 Tour stages in the past. Now he can add a Giro stage in his first appearance in the race. The rider is known for his breakaways in the mountains, but this come on the hills.
He worked hard in the breakaway with the likes of Izagirre, who he denied at the line. The Giro has been quiet for the team, with Fedrigo himself being the most visible with a couple of attacks dotted around. Geniez has also done a couple and is riding well. Behind them it's not so rosy, but perhaps this can provide that bit more motivation.
Finally, Delage has been back to the Basque series of races. Again it wasn't a good day out as his allotted helper was more concerned with personal glory. Combined with no chance to fit Ladagnous into the race we are starting to reconsider out involvement in the events. We've also declined to take part in the Champion System series, reasons stated in our message to them. As a team we are open to taking part in these extra events, but so far they are not meeting what we see as basic standards.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 03-06-2014 17:49
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Message From the Manager
Break number 2 is almost upon us and this final phase of the season is absolutely crucial to the team. Not just the Tour de France but a whole host of other World Tour races and a number of Continental races to participate in. It's going to be a bit of a slog to grind out results and get to October.
First up though we should look back at Part 2. It's been a roller coaster of a time, from Grand Tour highs to Ardennes lows. We missed our first goal at Paris-Roubaix but the performance from Peter Pal was admirable and he was a real star of the Flanders events putting a challenge to the established order. Chapeau!
We did much better in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, claiming a strong GC placing and securing our goal. The race could have been better but the consistency showed by Pal, Ladagnous and Offredo was a real plus point and bodes well for their futures. Pierrick popped in a Giro stage win to secure a second Goal of the part. His attack and win was the high point in what was almost a disastrous Giro. Luckily we also saw real promise from Geniez in the GC as he rode magnificently for all three weeks.
It wasn't so good in Romandie, where Pinot struggled against strong competition and he missed the Top10 GC goal. Then there was Fleche Wallone where Cervero missed his target of a Top10 finish. Most recently the Dauphine has seen Pinot again miss his goal, except it was an impossible Top5 GC placing.
Not all of that is negative though. Pinot has shown consistency and aptitude in the mountains so with some more luck perhaps a Tour result is not without reason. Then there is Cervero who did deliver a Top10 at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and most recently took home the Costa Rican National Road Race title. It shows he has something but with zero consistency and only under threat of contract termination. A big goal for Part 3 will be finding some way for him to produce results and getting him off the team after the season finishes.
The Part 2 has been smattered with stage wins from Pais Vasco through the Giro and the Suisse. It's good stuff from a period where most of our big names were resting or training. It's all part of the build up to the Tour de France where we really hope the team can deliver something special on home soil. We are low down in the rankings, but it was all planned for this stage, and now we hope to capitalize on our banked race day advantage. Ideally we will put together a string of results and avoid relegation, but already we are drawing up procedures in case we miss safety come October.
In the immediate future we have the French Nationals, and hope the team can keep up with a good time for the team. Cervero got a win and Rollin took a surprise win in the Canadian Road Race. The perfect result is a win but against some stiff competition a podium placing will do.
Will catch up just before Le Tour with a proper preview of the race.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 15-07-2014 12:41
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Season Part 3 Goals
Hard: Win TDF Points Jersey
Medium: Stage Win TDF
Easy: Wear a TDF Jersey
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 15-07-2014 13:07
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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TheManxMissile wrote:
Season Part 3 Goals
Hard: Win TDF Points Jersey
Medium: Stage Win TDF
Easy: Wear a TDF Jersey
What to do with you.. I was tempted to copy those and replace "Tour" by "Vuelta" 
Countered goals:
Easy goal: Top 10 Chrono
Medium goal: Top 10 GC Vuelta
Hard goal: Podium Paris-Tours
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 22-07-2014 13:32
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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Your races for part 3:
Tour
San Sebastian
Pologne
Eneco
Vuelta
Vattenfall
Plouay
Quebec
Montreal
Lombardia
Beijing
Fourmies
Britain
Vendee
Paris-Tours
Chrono
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 12-08-2014 17:23
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Hello everyone Delfi here. I was wondering whether the team manager would mind revealing where I'll be riding so I can begin work on a revolutionary new fitness routine so I can win every Autumn classic? |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 12-08-2014 17:41
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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He might want to reveal it to me as well 
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 12-08-2014 17:46
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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He might want to stop working 15hour days *yawn*
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 12-08-2014 19:01
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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He might not want to lose his Costa Rican Ardennes specialist too
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 19-08-2014 21:17
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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Cervero to Leave, Pal to Stay?
Today it was confirmed by the FDJ.fr management that Costa Rican rider Delfi Cervero will be leaving the team at the end of the season. The primary reason is the lack of results, but also possible budget concerns with a number of other stars in the team.
It was also leaked that a new contract was offered to Peter Pal, the French classics talent. Pal performed admirably in the Flanders races and elsewhere. The management is keen to keep him so now we just wait for news from the rider.
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| Shonak |
Posted on 19-08-2014 21:20
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
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Keeping Pal is a good move, guy was a beast in Ronde & Paris-Roubaix (if I remember correctly).
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| The Rider |
Posted on 19-08-2014 21:28
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4543
Joined: 29-02-2012
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Shonak wrote:
Keeping Pal is a good move, guy was a beast in Ronde & Paris-Roubaix (if I remember correctly).
Yep, but Pal may be killed off depending if Ollfardh sticks to his guns and gets rid of the inactive riders. If he was active RadioShack might be interested. |
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| jaxika |
Posted on 01-09-2014 21:12
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3148
Joined: 16-07-2008
PCM$: 9200.00
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Hi guys, Pal here. I know it was a long time when i write for the fans, but i can promise i trained hard. Yesterday i heard bad rumours about im missing for so long meaning i died, but here i am After my succesful spring campaign as neo-pro the team allowed me a little rest, then i restarted my tarining program in this roads:
My next goal (if im in form and the team let me, but why not), i want to take part in the Eneco Tour. Altough the TT in the stage 5 give me some headache, i hope i can make a good result. My target stage is the stage 7:
Im back to training now, i send some text and pictures from the race. Bye now |
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
