Worryingly, Euskaltel are only 25ish points away, and are so far scoring well. There are only two teams close enough for me to overtake based on stage results only. So it could come down to Paris-Tours & Lombardy!
Ciolek should leave the Vuelta with some great form, meaning he should be a good card to play in Paris - Tours. I've faith in you staying in the Pro Tour, but it'll definitely be touch and go. And Kiryienka might do a top 15 or so, if you're lucky with the start list in Lombardy and his fitness is high 90?
Who do you plan sending to Lombardy/who on your team will be in form for Lombardy?
Edited by ember on 19-10-2012 22:11
Ciolek is, indeed in great form. He should hold low 90's form all the way through to Paris - Tours. Unfortunately I've more problems with the rest of the squad. Most guys have raced 60-70 days and as such aren't in the best shape (combine that with my appalling sense of fitness management, and most are losing fitness due to fatigue). So pulling a break back for Ciolek to then go for the win could be hard to do. Other option is of course to get someone in the break.
Kiryienka is in the "form is decreasing" boat, unfortunately, and I think he is my best hope of a result in Lombardy. Not sure his form will last that long though.
I'm actually interested to see what it would be like if I did demote. Could I get re-promoted against some strong continental teams on Extreme, or maybe it'd be ok getting wildcards into races as a Pro Conti style team.
For Lombardy then, I guess it'll be:
Belkov, Kiryienka, Kuschynski, Abal, Brouzes, Decouttere, Vaugrenard, and someone else for the experience probably. Maybe Sobal as he's close to maxing out.
The last mountain stage of this years Vuelta. With just a couple of hilly stages left and a time trial, moving up in the GC doesn't look exactly very likely for Belkov. But more importantly, Abal in the King of the Mountains jersey, is looking to get a lead that he can hold all the way to the finish.
Attacking 10km from the top of the first climb, Abal got a minute gap which he held all the way up.
Taking the points up for grabs, it was a surprise to see the second rider across was actually Ricco. The GC favourites decided that they too were interested in the points.
Luckily by the next climb, Abal had been joined by two more breakaway experts, though he did get caught out by the KoM prime, and only took 2nd. Oops.
The biggest surprise of the day was to see Cunego go for the remaining points, with Ricco, Kohl, et al. Where Ricco and friends sat up, Cunego didn't! Pressing on, he quickly put 2 minutes into the peloton, who seemed happy to let him go.
Half way up the next climb, he'd caught up the group. Refusing to let anyone else take the front, in an attempt to prevent Cunego from ripping the group apart, Abal led up.
Little did we know that Cunego was very interested in the points on offer. There wasn't a great deal we could do to stop him taking them!
Up the next climb, there was no way to prevent Cunego from leading at some point. And lo and behold, he ripped the four apart. Abal managing to get dragged 10 seconds ahead of the other two. The gap to the peloton was falling fast however.
Not so fast that Abal couldn't cling on to that 2nd place over the top.
Having done his job for the day, Abal sat completely up to roll in with some team mates for company.
Cunego, on the other hand, caught on the final climb, didn't have that luxury. Trying to go on the offensive only works when you have nothing to lose. Cunego had his GC top 10 to lose. With the pace relatively low (Belkov was still in the group of 35 of so riders), Cunego was about to go bang.
Belkov finished fairly well, but still 5 minutes down on the winner.
Results:
1
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
5h54'32
2
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
+ 2'22
3
Riccardo Riccò
SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR
s.t.
4
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
s.t.
5
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
s.t.
12
Maxim Belkov
AUBER - BELTELECOM
+ 4'24
GC:
1
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
61h48'00
2
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
+ 19
3
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
+ 1'26
4
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
+ 7'39
5
Bernhard Kohl
UNIBET.COM
+ 9'57
31
Maxim Belkov
AUBER - BELTELECOM
+ 35'35
KoM:
1
David Abal
AUBER - BELTELECOM
113
2
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
97
3
Damiano Cunego
T-MOBILE TEAM
88
4
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
88
5
Riccardo Riccò
SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR
74
Stage 16
A classic post rest day type stage, where I suspected that a breakaway would make it. So, in my foolishness, I didn't put a rider in it. Therefore ensuring with the stage favourite it WOULD stay away. Not by much, but by enough. A gap out at 10 minutes with 100km to go, Auber's domestiques could only cut it down by 5 minutes or so, until help arrived with 30km to go. Gap still at 5 minutes.
The remains of the six strong break were sprinting for the win.
And win they did, by 25 seconds, over Haussler, Ciolek and Drujon. Typical!
I had it backed up on 4 devices (two computers, 1 external hard drive, and one flash disk). Only one was the one I needed though, the rest were 3 stages behind.
A relatively short flat stage. Perfect for Ciolek. Screw the chasing tactic though, I made sure Sobal got in the break to ensure it got brought back!
And it did, of course. With 8km to go, Ciolek had moved up to sit on Koldo Fernandez's wheel, being led out by Mori. The drag race continued between Euskaltel and Predictor Lotto.
And as the drag continues, Bettini gets Di Luca to lead him, and Mondory has a man up there too!
And as the sprint started, Koldo was a little slow getting past his lead out man, so Ciolek decided, with the open space, to just go for a long one. Nothing to lose! At 2km out he jumped past the Euskaltel lads.
And got quite a nice gap quite fast. Worryingly, Haussler and Mondory looked to be moving up on the far side.
Mondory being the stronger. But with 500m to go, no one could even begin to come back at Ciolek. Could this be my first Grand Tour stage victory on Extreme for Auber?!
And it was! Convincingly!
Results:
1
Gerald Ciolek
AUBER - BELTELECOM
3h12'11
2
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R PRÉVOYANCE
s.t.
3
Heinrich Haussler
GEROLSTEINER
s.t.
4
Christopher Sutton
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
s.t.
5
Koldo Fernández de Larrea
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
s.t.
Points:
1
Heinrich Haussler
GEROLSTEINER
181
2
Koldo Fernández de Larrea
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
159
3
Lloyd Mondory
AG2R PRÉVOYANCE
148
11
Gerald Ciolek
AUBER - BELTELECOM
80
Stage 18
Unfortunately not a flat stage. Two hilly ones coming up, and Abal has to make sure he defends that KoM lead. He should be ok, but you can never be too sure!
Well, try as he might, Abal couldn't get away, so Belkov did the honours today! He might even gain time! (What was I thinking...?!)
Belkov took the first KoM, and that was about it really...
Results:
1
Igor Antón
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
5h03'16
2
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
s.t.
3
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
s.t.
4
Leonardo Bertagnolli
LIQUIGAS
+ 1'34
5
Björn Leukemans
PREDICTOR - LOTTO
s.t.
GC:
1
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
73h52'48
2
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
+ 8
3
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
+ 27
4
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
+ 6'13
5
Bernhard Kohl
UNIBET.COM
+ 10'05
Stage 19
The second hilly stage (boo!). Abal will try again.
Apparently Cunego and Ricco were still up for those KoM points, but Abal did manage 4th at the first KoM sprint.
By the second, he'd broken away solo, chasing Ballan and some Bouygues guy. He took 3rd. By the third KoM, he'd caught the Bouygues lad, and led him over for 2nd.
Shortly after, he was caught. But KoM jersey secure!
The leaders fighting out for the win are the three still within a minute of each other!
Whilst Abal got a team mate led ride over the line
Results:
1
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
4h21'37
2
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
s.t.
3
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
s.t.
4
Damiano Cunego
T-MOBILE TEAM
s.t.
5
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
+ 1'27
51
Maxim Belkov
AUBER - BELTELECOM
+ 3'24
GC:
1
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
78h14'25
2
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
+ 8
3
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
+ 27
4
Janez Brajkovic
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
+ 7'40
5
Bernhard Kohl
UNIBET.COM
+ 12'38
37
Maxim Belkov
AUBER - BELTELECOM
+ 44'09
KoM:
1
David Abal
AUBER - BELTELECOM
120
2
Óscar Pereiro
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
107
3
Damiano Cunego
T-MOBILE TEAM
98
4
Roman Kreuziger
LIQUIGAS
93
5
Haimar Zubeldia
COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE
88
Stage 20
The final time deciding event of the race. A fairly hard, long time trial! As fate would have it, the computer decided to ruin my screenshots and so just the results.
The final stage in Madrid. As we have nothing to lose (apart from a KoM jersey), every man will be on hand to pull the break back. Dress rehearsal for Paris - Tours, if you will.
And here's the team on the front!!
Helping to peg the gap down, other teams took over with 40km left to go, and a 3 minute gap.
Coming into the finale, Ciolek had snuck onto Bettini's wheel, though a bit stuck in the middle.
No worries though, jumping again with 2km to go, he squeezed through Di Luca's arm pit and started a drag race against Boonen.
Who was no match for our speedy German! But another German was closing fast. Haussler had moved into 2nd.
But the line came just too soon for him. Perfect end to a Grand Tour!
So, the great question, where does that leave us after the points are all in? Those two great stages by Ciolek certainly helped us out of the bottom two, and thankfully the teams we were chasing (Milram, Wiesenhof and AG2r) didn't gain too much.
Up in to 16th, I think it's almost safe to say I've done it! I mean, the lads have done it! Unless Milram, Euskaltel and AG2r all out score us at Paris-Tours and Lombardy, another season at Pro Tour level is on the cards it seems.
Transfers
And on to the more important matters, ones that everyone loves to see and hear about.
Riders currently confirmed as coming in to the team are:
Arnaud Lesvenan
Stolen from our old Continental rivals, Bretagne, Arnaud thoroughly deserves the chance to ride at the top level. Foolishly, perhaps, he's been signed on as a leader, though I foresee that leadership role will only be in Continental level races if that.
Raphael Savinaud
This exceptionally talented young Frenchman has shown glimpses of brilliance all year. With a flair for climbs day after day he'll fit into the team wonderfully once fully mature.
Martial Jarjat
His colleague throughout the year in the Amateur ranks, Martial, will provide the team with some much needed fire power in the time trials. Possibly looking to delve into a bit of hilly work, look to Martial in the years to come as a Vaugrenard type rider.
Kenny van der Schueren
Having spent the last two seasons leading the Unibet feeder team, but not being picked for the main team, we felt Kenny deserved the chance to have free reign in the hills. With our season beginning early next year at either the Tour Down Under or Langkawi, Kenny should get into his peak just in time for the Ardenne Classics, where he hopes to better the results of Brouzes this season.
) if you had anybody lined up for next year. Care to elaborate?
Óscar Pereiro
Andy Flickinger
Heinrich Haussler
Roman Kreuziger
Kenny van der Schueren
