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Operation Take Down
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 26-02-2014 07:02
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Week 1 Summary
Well, let's have a look at the Tour so far. Overall, I think things have gone pretty well, or badly, depending on how you look at things! I made sure Sky didn't get any of their wanted victories in Corsica, although they did hold the yellow jersey for one day. The TTT was ruined with ease, and there was nothing to ruin in the flat stages that followed. As such, no Sky rider is in the top 20 of GC. They have had no stage wins, and Froome has lost 2:22 already! Mission successful so far!
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 26-02-2014 09:14
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Yes it sounds like a successful mission that you achieved  |
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 26-02-2014 18:28
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
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@Sutty: It's not finished yet though!
Stage 8
The first mountain stage. Froome is absolute leader, and has some time to make up, being 2:22. I'm here purely to make sure he doesn't!
Sky had a point to prove. They were on the front all day, nullifying every attack, holding the breakaway. It was a tough thing to disrupt.
The Sky Mountain train was a fearsome thing to behold. Boasson Hagen, Thomas, Dombrowski, Henao, Wiggins. The peleton was falling apart, and we were still on the lower slopes of the penultimate climb!
If anybody could evade such a train it was this man, Joachim Rodriguez. He attempted to break away.
Quintana was next. And low and behold, the train shattered. Froome was left only with Henao!
What had happened to Froome! Henao had dropped him! He wasn't even going hard, the Brit was suffering! What could this mean?
Seeing Froome was no danger, I bridged the gap to Henao myself.
I made it to Henao's wheel, but feigned tiredness so he didn't expect me to help. Only Contador, Rodriguez and Quintana were ahead.
Rodriguez fended off Quintana for the win. He'd be in yellow
I outdid an exhausted Henao for a disappointingly good 4th.
Froome came in with Horner, 5:00 behind Rodriguez.
Henao was 5th in GC, 5:13 of Purito, Froome was 8th at 7:02
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 26-02-2014 21:07
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 9
Just after a rest day, so the plan is to keep quiet till the bigger days. Sky has no plans to attack, so I have no plans to disturb. Also it's a downhill finish, and no one is good enough downhill!
Eisel fell early on in the stage, and it didn't look like he was getting up any time soon!
The stage went to the breakaway, to Taaramae, with Kreuziger in behind.
Rodriguez won the peleton sprint comfortably, but 6:30 behind, meaning Kreuziger has inherited a very strong GC position. I was our best man in 19th, Eisel our worst in last, 30:00 lost.
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 26-02-2014 21:10
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15274
Joined: 21-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Wow, Sky is awful!
Good work!
Edited by Jesleyh on 26-02-2014 21:10
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 27-02-2014 00:05
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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How long will your dirty plan go un-noticed by the management |
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 27-02-2014 16:50
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
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@Jesleyh: Thanks
@Sutty: I guess that depends how sneaky I am, also, maybe they already know, they're just playing it smart? 
Stage 10
Boasson Hagen had a touch if illness, so he decided to work for me. This was perfect, it would be easier than ever to ruin Sky's chances.
In the end there wasn't even a leadout. Malori won from the break, and there was no point in a sprint that would get 10th at best, so we all gave up.
Edvald was our best rider in 31st.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 27-02-2014 22:47
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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An easy day for the evil plan  |
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 28-02-2014 07:28
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
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@Sutty: Indeed
Stage 11
A Time Trial, there is nothing I can do to influence Froome and co. now. Let's hope I have tired them enough so far, but I doubt that is true given the last few stages.
The big favourite for the day was the WC, Tony Martin. He flew round the course, completing it in 37:18
The main man on Sky was Bradley Wiggins. He also rode pretty well, coming 3rd only 37 seconds off.
Norwegian champion Edvald Boasson Hagen was yet another strong Time Trialist to look out for. He lost 1:17 to Martin.
Froome was the only man I cared about now though, he couldn't have a good ride, as he was in even better shape than Wiggins, and it is normally close between them anyway.
Henao and myself weren't going particularly fast. Henao because he couldn't, myself because I wouldn't!
Froome crossed the line, 5th, 1:04 down. Still the best of the GC guys (except Kwiatkowski), but I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was 38th, 2:25 down, Henao 30th, down by 2:12
Rodriguez keeps yellow by 9 seconds from Quintana, Froome pulls closer but remains 9th. Henao is still Sky's main man, in 6th.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 03:39
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| Cycleman123 |
Posted on 28-02-2014 07:41
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4478
Joined: 30-07-2012
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Let's undo that good work
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 28-02-2014 08:27
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
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There was nothing you could do in the time trial  |
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 28-02-2014 16:43
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
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Stage 12
Flat and boring, but Edvald was going to do a bit of freewheeling, let's see if I could mess things up a bit.
I take Boasson Hagen's wheel, he thinks I'm protecting it, really I'm going to lead out his enemies.
In the end the pace is too hot for me to try anything, I'm just living in hope now.
Edvald is stronger than me, but not by much, he disappoints again, in 13th. All behind Marcel Kittel
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 28-02-2014 16:52
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15274
Joined: 21-07-2012
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Hmm, I wonder what his stats are
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| Adamb |
Posted on 28-02-2014 17:39
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Domestique
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Good job but i still dont like what you are doing to sky. |
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 28-02-2014 17:40
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15274
Joined: 21-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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I do
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 01-03-2014 07:15
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
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@Jesleyh: Like I said, good enough to affect things, not quite good enough to win
@Adamb: Sorry
Stage 13
After yesterday's embarrassment, both myself and Edvald aren't going to try a thing all day. I might be up front a bit, you never know if Henao plans to make a move or not!
In the end he did try, but the pace was ferocious, the sprint teams didn't give him a chance.
Mark Cavendish was again victorious on the line.
I was our best rider in 32nd, still no change to GC.
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 01-03-2014 14:22
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Stage 14
A hillier stage, one for the GC riders. Sky, being Sky, have told me they have no plans to go on attack today. This suits their style I guess, but even so, it's a good chance to win back some valuable time!
In the end it's an easy victory to Pieter Weening and the breakaway. Unfortunately the battle behind was no more interesting.
Thanks to Katusha's pacemaking, we are all together over the top of the final climb.
From here the sprint is mopped up by Katusha, Henao coming home for a decent result too.
Perhaps more interesting is Green Jersey Mark Cavendish's inability to complete the stage within the time limit! He is gone, and with it drams of another jersey. Kittel takes over as leader of that competition.
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| The Hobbit |
Posted on 01-03-2014 18:43
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2730
Joined: 18-08-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Week 2 Summary
Well, week 2 has certainly been interesting, has it not? We've had the first few mountain stages, and the first time trial. Sky, and particularly Froome have been poor. This has put Sky in a tough situation. Me and Henao are both ahead of Froome in GC, yet he is still leader. Sky maybe strong, and Froome miraculously good, but 5:00 is a long time, with only 1 (hilly) time trial, to make up on Rodriguez. Even so, there is still Mont Venteaux and l'Alpe to go.
For my part, this week has been pretty easy. Sky hasn't done anything even bordering on impressive, unless you count one podium in a TT. In fact they are ruining the race for themselves, never mind my intervention. I fear that the final week will be more to Sky's liking though and I'll have to work very hard to ruin things.
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| maxime86 |
Posted on 01-03-2014 19:11
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2950
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Okay i didn't see this story until the story of the month nominations and i just read through the whole thing, and boy is it amazing great job |
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| Selwink |
Posted on 01-03-2014 20:19
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8856
Joined: 17-05-2012
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Weening
That's almost as nice as seeing Sky fail
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