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Karl Hammarling - Scene 25: The Grand Finale
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Posted on 22-11-2024 03:37
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 02-03-2015 20:30
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The relatively rare triple post, not the start to the finale i wanted 
Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 3: Win or Lose, Part III
The gap had dipped to 9 minutes passing the 125km mark. The pace increase was only slight but already I could see a few riders dropping backwards. Just those who were basically amateurs and those without full-time contracts, no-one of note. They weren't being dropped, just shuffled backwards in the bunch.
If I was going to leave Linkoping perhaps I should go one step further and really shuffle up my life. I was already being forced to clear out a couple of big parts so it wouldn't be a huge leap to tidy up the rest. If Hannah and I were going to have a serious try at a relationship she would definitely help out.
The question would be where to focus myself. On racing? On Hannah and Erik? On Higher Roads? Three things that meat everything to me all the time. Racing would take care of itself without the drugs really. Higher Roads was burgeoning still by itself and i'd given it minimal attention for the last 6 months. Then there's Erik.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 02-03-2015 20:52
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Focus Karl Focus!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 03-03-2015 19:31
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 4: Win or Lose, Part IV
I hadn't seen im since May and the Tour of California. The first time I would see him again would be the wedding. But i'm not going to let that be it. Lucy might have a stronger claim and bond with him but i'm not letting go that easily. My dad was so important to me, I want to be meaningful to Erik.
Dad... I can only imagine how excited he would be to see me racing the Worlds as a favorite. He's missed so much, and I think that perhaps I wouldn't have gone so wrong if he was still around. If he was still here he would be right by the finish line, drapped in Blue and Yellow, and ready to sing my praises until the world ended.
In the quiet moments before the race I had thought about him looking for advice. Ultimately my plan was inspired by him. As much as he wanted me to succeed he always pushed me to do it in the right way. To be respectful in victory and gratious in defeat. He taught me manners i'd long since forgotten but came flooding back this morning.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 03-03-2015 19:32
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Do it for your dad Karl!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 04-03-2015 01:01
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Totally agree, put in the race of your life for your Dad  |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 05-03-2015 15:51
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 5: Win or Lose, Part V
There's this one phrase that sticks in my head. I phoned him the night before my first race when I was feeling nervous. I was terrified! The staff told me I was race ready but nothing prepares you fully for a race. He'd often given me wisdom from his days racing but thise line elevated itself.
“If there's one thing you do, Karl. Make sure that it is making someone else feel a little better.”
A relatively small piece of advice and at the time I had no idea what he meant by it. I guess it took time to learn and understand. So that philosophy, of making others happieness the result of my efforts, is what I bade my race plan on.
8 minutes and the distance starts counting down. 150Km to race. The pace was constantly increaseing bit by bit. Still not at the time to enact my plan but time to start laying ground work. I moved my way up to Johan and told him what to do.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 05-03-2015 15:54
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Come on Karl, make me feel better |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 06-03-2015 18:33
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 6: Win or Lose, Part VI
It was a realtively simple idea I guess. On the first climb of the infamous Kemmelberg, with roughly 100km to go, I was going to attack. The goal was to force the bigger teams to chase and tire their helpers. If I stayed away so be it the damange would be done. Hopefully I would be caught though.
A second pass of the Kemmelberg occureed wth 75km to go. Again I would attack and shed a few more domestiques. By the time I was caught I wanted the peloton down to less than 50 riders. This would mean most of the Sweden squad would be gone, just as long as Johan remained. That was the key part, Johan.
If we could get rid of enough sprinters then Johan would stand a chance. He was primarily a sprinter but like Demare could handle himself on cobbles. Dunkerque showed me this. It was a while ago but basic techinque doesn't go away. And he was in great late season form. The final part of the plan I with-held, others were listening.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 06-03-2015 18:37
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Excitement is an understatement.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 06-03-2015 18:49
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This is brewing nicely!
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 07-03-2015 19:21
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 7: Win or Lose, Part VII
Before long we reached the Kemmelberg. The pace was still fairly light, the break only 7 minutes ahead and still 100km remaining. To accelerate away from the pack took no effort at all. In fact no-one really clocked on until we'd crested the climb! By then I was 30” down the road. This was working better than expected.
As I had hoped it forced France, Germany and Belgium to the front. 100Km was obviously too far to go solo and win, but they couldn't risk it. Thank god I was a double-monument winner on these roads! The pace shot up and shed a significant number of riders who didn't have leaders or personal hopes.
They re-caught me with 85km to race. It took fifteen kilometers to catch me, longer than I expected. And the peloton was down to only 100 riders. I guess most had known they didn't stand a chance and were happy for a chance to hit the showers early and use up all the hot water. To my surprise the entire Sweden team hung on, this made things very interesting.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 07-03-2015 19:34
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Oooooh advantage in numbers, interesting. Great work by Team Sweden!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 08-03-2015 17:32
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Tour de France Champion
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Things seem to be going to plan nicely indeed  |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 08-03-2015 20:42
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 8: Win or Lose, Part VIII
Having seen the dangers France and Germany kep a high pace between Kemmelberg's. So with 75km to go, as we hit it again, the breakaways lead was cut to just 3 minutes. I sent Malmgren, Ludvigsson, Balck and Lindau to set a pace on the climb. Attacking wasn't smart now but we could still deal damage.
Tobias and Phillip died off quickly, soon followed by Christian. By the end of the Kemmelberg it was just Sebastian, Johan and myself left for the team. But we had sliced the peloton in half down to 45 riders! A huge effort from the boys and kept the plan well on track. I asked Sebastian to aid in the pace-making as long as possible, this was the critical period.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 12-03-2015 20:34
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 9: Win or Lose, Part IX
The final 75km included 15km of cobbled secions. We had one more Kemmelberg with 15km to go. We had two 5-star sections in the final 30km besides that. Sebastian was commited though, along with some help from the French. The breakaway capitualted with about 60km to race.
Now I was strategising on the fly. I hoped for a lighter pace that I could attack from, but that wasn't going to happen. I had to put others in pain somehow. Ok so the final part of the plan had to change. My goal was to slice the peloton down as much as possible and lead-out Johan to a victory, of course it wouldn't be that simple!
Cobbled sections rumbled under wheels as we sped onwards. The crowds were growing thicker and thicker. I would guess at least 200,000 were crammed around the Kemmelberg for the descive action, probably 500,000 from there to the finsih, possibly overestimating but it was insanity and noise and purely incredible and motivating and scary all at once.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 12-03-2015 23:08
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Tour de France Champion
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Joined: 22-08-2010
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Hope the cobbles don't become an integral part of failure  |
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 13-03-2015 18:26
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Grand Tour Champion
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Cobbles always make it unpredictable! Anything could happen in the finish...
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 13-03-2015 22:32
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Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 10: Win or Lose, Part X
Sebastian dropped off with various riders from our group. Crossing the first 5-star cobbled section with 30km to go the lead pack was down to just 30 riders! Even better somehow Demare had been dropped. Degenkolb presisted along with Thomas but Johan was now possibly the best sprinter left at the head of the race.
More cobbles shed a few more riders. With 20km to go the group was reduced to 20 riders. Johan had hung on and given us one hell of a shot at victory. He could sprint or I could attack. The double header, without supporting teammates, suddenly made us one heck of a threat! Belgium responded and re-doubled it's pace setting efforts.
The final 5-star section passed with 23km to go. Van Kiersbulck buried his personal chances for Vanmarcke. He shattered the group with an insane pace, cutting it from 20 riders to 10!
“Johan! If you've got anything left I need you to give 100% red-zone right now and follow me! Otherwise wave goodbye to the rainbow bands...”
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 13-03-2015 23:15
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
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10 riders left, this is going to be an exciting finale. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 14-03-2015 22:34
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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Act 10: The Final Act
Scene 11: Win or Lose, Part XI
An obvious acceleration followed the command. I joined in the relay with the domestiques left over. Johan sat at the back of the line and waited.... The Kemmelberg, the final truly decisive moment of the race. 16Km between now and the finish line. 16Km of 100% effort and 200% pain.
The roar of the crowd propelled me up the cobbled ascent. A wave of sound pushing me forwards. I couldn't afford to look and see if Johan was there. If he was, perfect. If not I had to drive hard and solo it from here. A defaning roar erupted as I crested the climb. Only breifly did I dare look backwards now.
Johan was on my wheel! He was practically blue with the anabolic effort but he was there! Vanmarcke spotted the danger and was there as well with Thomas, but no-one else. The other favorites were marking each other, hoping someone else would chase. A defining moment, push now and victory was in reach. Delay and all was lost.
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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)
