Anyway, Zabel for Vogt, while really tempting I doubt I would ever let Zabel og (or Zepuntke for that matter). Though I have to admit that not fighting more for Vogt was my biggest mistake that transfer-season.
I really hope this is the start of Zabel taking a avenir-record in stage wins, iirc he got 2 more seasons in avenir after this At work atm, so lack a db to look at ages
cio93 wrote:
Still, there is no need to focus or even care about talents, and thus no need to mourn about not having them.
Most they do is to add a bit of PCM career feeling with the stat increases and a few points for U25 classifications.
I bet you can get similar, older riders giving you a comparable combined points haul over 4-5 seasons quite a bit cheaper in 90% of the cases.
Where would be the fun then?
I need that feeling.
It`s 1000x better to see Olivier top10 in the Tour in a few seasons being supported by Koep than to make it with some veterans.
Don't ask me, everyone knows I'm a sucker for that strategy
Put me and Alakagom together in one room and all we'd talk about is
"you have that Morton guy, he was so expensive"
"oh that Daniel guy is so versatile"
"Goos won't stand a chance if Bongiorno is in the race"
"you took Demare from me you idiot!"
"Vanbilsen for Kelderman?"
"are you gonna make van der Lijke a puncheur or sprinter?"
"depends on what you do with Felline"
Sounds like a conversation we had a while back. Make Demare a Sprinter Damnit!
BTW Zabel is from 18th december 1993, so I guess he will be a fair bet for that to happen!
I hope that Lecuisinier can win the race in a couple of years time. He is from 30th of june 1993. He'll be 75MO next season I believe, and after that 78 or 79 while also a pretty good TTer and a fast finisher.
Congrats Heine! I think Zabel has a fair chance to get a lot of more wins here as he can at least ride here 2 more times and wins already in his debut.
The next stage should be up later today I think.
Any bets who will win the 2nd hill stage? Surely not as hard as the 2nd stage, but also with an uphill finish in the end.
roturn wrote:
Congrats Heine! I think Zabel has a fair chance to get a lot of more wins here as he can at least ride here 2 more times and wins already in his debut.
The next stage should be up later today I think.
Any bets who will win the 2nd hill stage? Surely not as hard as the 2nd stage, but also with an uphill finish in the end.
Hoping for Lutsenko!
Regarding the rest of the tour:
We missed the split on stage 3 so Meintjes and Dombrowski lost even more time. I must admit, quite disappointed that the team didn't really send a lot of help back to Dombrowski on stage 2. I would've sent everyone except for Meintjes to help get him back. Hopefully Meintjes can get a top 10/15 and Dombrowski can pick up one or two stage wins. I'd also like to actually see us in a break
For me another bummer. Olivier again on the wrong side of the split. Seeing he is only a top20 climber, he needs to have very good legs in the mountains to reach that at least.
Kennaugh and Bennett obviously with huge success so far. But as said Cattaneo is the best time trialist of those climbers and as he also belongs to the very best climbers this is not over for him now.
Seeing that those hills did hurt some riders quite a lot we should expect a great battle in the mountains and even some of the better climbing puncheurs have top10 chances I guess.
Edited by roturn on 07-11-2013 13:32
Great ride by Houle again thought it might get Lutsenko at the ened but not to be still a good ride by him also by Duchesne to finish in the lead group behind.
Thanks Roturn Very happy for Lutsenko. WackoJacko can be very happy with picking him up. Dombrowski loses even more time Happy to see Meintjes mixing it up - btw he'll be up to 75Mo and 73Hill next season I hope to see him moving up into the top 15
aidanvn13 wrote:
Thanks Roturn Very happy for Lutsenko. WackoJacko can be very happy with picking him up. Dombrowski loses even more time Happy to see Meintjes mixing it up - btw he'll be up to 75Mo and 73Hill next season I hope to see him moving up into the top 15
Let attackers win the stage: fine.
Vogt and Kelderman not really going for it: fine.
Not giving a fuck Bongiorno could miss a split when guys like Dumoulin and Koch don't: not fine at all.
Man..last chance to needlessly lose time, and we take it :/
jph27 wrote:
Sounds like a conversation we had a while back. Make Demare a Sprinter Damnit!
Bad stage for us with the split.
If I just knew it myself what to do!
It's pretty safe to say he'll be trained in hills from 2->3 this off-season though.
This only eliminates the pure sprinter option (73hil, 82sp), but is the only way to give access to 80/77 and 77/80.
Going for sprinter now results in an inferior puncheur option of 78/78 and a useless 76/79.
75/81 is possible either way.
cio93 wrote:
Still, there is no need to focus or even care about talents, and thus no need to mourn about not having them.
Most they do is to add a bit of PCM career feeling with the stat increases and a few points for U25 classifications.
I bet you can get similar, older riders giving you a comparable combined points haul over 4-5 seasons quite a bit cheaper in 90% of the cases.
Where would be the fun then?
I need that feeling.
It`s 1000x better to see Olivier top10 in the Tour in a few seasons being supported by Koep than to make it with some veterans.
Don't ask me, everyone knows I'm a sucker for that strategy
Put me and Alakagom together in one room and all we'd talk about is
"you have that Morton guy, he was so expensive"
"oh that Daniel guy is so versatile"
"Goos won't stand a chance if Bongiorno is in the race"
"you took Demare from me you idiot!"
"Vanbilsen for Kelderman?"
"are you gonna make van der Lijke a puncheur or sprinter?"
"depends on what you do with Felline"
More of this to come in this transfer season too. I don't want to get many young talents, but I think I cannot resist to be fair
Very happy for Lutsenko. WackoJacko can be very happy with picking him up. Dombrowski loses even more time 
Happy to see Meintjes mixing it up - btw he'll be up to 75Mo and 73Hill next season 
