Deadpool wrote:
Not bringing a GC rider to the Tour. Not very interesting call from a French squad without serious contenders fighting relegation.
My opinion
Wegmann certainly increases your chances next season, and btw great to see one of my favourite "PCMDaily childhood" stories back! Edited by cio93 on 23-10-2012 22:33
And so, it is without further a do that the goals the sponsors have given us to achieve are announced! Unlike last year where certain goals were always going to be unattainable, this season has seen some very very realistic goals given. Who knew the AI were this good!
Sponsor Goals:
Top 5 - 4 Jours de Dunkerque: Gaudin has previously won the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque for the team in his first year, and Minard came 11th last season without any serious fitness peak. We'll aim to have Gaudin in a more supporting role for Malacarne during the main Cobbled Classics, with the roles reversing for Quatre Jours. It'd be good to see Gaudin claim the overall again.
Stage Win - Tour de France: Gerald Ciolek will be accompanied at this years Tour de France with an entire team built around setting him up for the sprints. That will, in all likelihood include Drujon, Tronet, Sobal, Voeckler, Malacarne and Gaudin, depending on fitness issues.
Wear the Sprinters Jersey - Tour de France: We don't just intend to wear it, we want to win it! Gerald hopefully will be as good as at the end of the Vuelta.
Top 10 - GP Ouest France - Plouay: Fabian Wegmann will be hitting the second wave of his seasons targets, with Poland, Eneco, and the World Championships hopefully all on the cards for him.
Top 10 - GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord: Fabian will also probably be leading the team here too. Last season Decouttere (not well known for his climbing skills) took 7th on this rolling course, and the year previous we took 8th with Drujon.
Sponsors Favourite Races:
And for those of you who wish to see the team and all those stats (which is basically the only reason I like playing the game... ooo, numbers), here is the team in it's entirety. Admire. Blow kisses. Etc, etc.
Auber's appearance at Langkawi is mainly for experience and fitness, but also on the hunt for stage results with a young squad and to see just how badly I suck after a few years away from playing and just jumping back in at Extreme. I can't be as bad as SN right...?!
The squad consists of Gaudin (fitness), Abal (leader, experience), Lesvenan, Baron, Van der Schueren and Megamadov.
Stage 1
Flat, dull, and without a sprinter...
Still, best to hunt for stage wins, so Van der Schueren gets in the break. Which gets caught.
Well known 69-sprint Engoulvent takes the win...
1
Jimmy Engoulvent
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE
1h55'45
2
Roberto Ferrari
TEAM SLIPSTREAM
s.t.
3
Mirko Allegrini
SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS
s.t.
4
Dimitri Claeys
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE
s.t.
5
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
s.t.
55
Damien Gaudin
AUBER 93 - BIGMAT
s.t.
Stage 2
Another flat stage, but slightly longer. A missed opportunity for a break, but can't be helped.
After all, the entire squad was needed just to protect Abal on the flat...
A tiny bit more exciting as we hit a "hill" at the end of the day's stage.
And it's on this "hill" that outside favourite Van der Schueren decides to go for an attack.
Unfortunately, he drags clear Gadret and a few others before falling back into the pack completely blown.
Gadret holds a lead into the final 5km, and looks strong for the win.
Abal is still within the large bunch as Gadret does indeed take the win, over two other attackers.
1
John Gadret
FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
3h59'40
2
Edwin Orozco
NIPPO - MEITAN HONPO - ASADA
+ 14
3
Xavi Tondo
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE
s.t.
4
David Herrero
CERAMICA PANARIA - NAVIGARE
+ 36
5
Christian Poos
TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS
s.t.
29
David Abal
AUBER 93 - BIGMAT
s.t.
Stage 4
Finally! Some mountains! This should be more like it, although looking to do a stage of this severity on one bottle should be interesting...
We ignore the break, and put all the eggs into the Abal basket. All the eggs break.
As Gadret finally attacks, Abal and Lesvenan decide to go too. As both have plenty of blue bar left to attack on (though the green isn't looking all too healthy...).
Though it's looking mightily like Gadret isn't feeling it either...
Up front, Moncoutie, the old cad, takes the win.
Whilst behind him, pretty much everyone blows and the peloton catch, and then also blow, both Auber riders.
Another mountain stage will be interesting, as, once again the organisers deem it too easy, so restrict bottled intake to 1. Whoo!
To excite things further, Megamedov wants to go for an attack, so we let him. But that doesn't work, so we send Baron instead.
This works well!
A quick 45 second lead over the second placed rider means Baron can cruise to the top of the first climb for Auber's first prize money of the race/year.
On the descent, although an excellent descender, Baron is caught before deciding he wants to ride solo for a while. A long while.
None the less, most riders will blow on this stage. It's nothing to be ashamed of. At least, that's what he's been told.
Onto the serious part of the climbing, after the second KoM point, Abal finds himself in trouble as all riders go onto the "hold position" function in the peloton, therefore meaning, on extreme and with bad fitness, you riders will (and do) get dropped. For no reason.
Needless to say, a quick "attack" didn't get me anywhere close to getting back in the group, it just got me close to blowing. Which Abal did anyway. Just for fun.
Classically always been a stage for the breakaway, we thought it'd be a good chance for Lesvenan to attempt to improve on his GC positioning. Not only that, but the organisers decided that to make up for the previous days' lack of water, they'd over supply the riders with 4 today.
Well, get in the break Arnaud managed.
Stay in the break over the final climb however was a different matter...
Previously dropped Sentjens would claw his way back to Arnaud and take 4th, so a minute gain on the peloton was all Lesvenan could manage.
With just an ITT left of any significance, it'll be down to breakaway attempts to see if we can get a result.
Van der Scheuren went in the move today after Gaudin was chased down.
But, wait, what's that?! The chase, combined with some wind, has seemingly spat Gadret, Gallopin, Tondo and a few others out the back!
Luckily for Auber, although the peloton split to tiny fragments over the next 50km, and into the final 10km, the peloton were all given the same time - Abal survived!
1
Jimmy Casper
UNIBET.COM
3h42'06
2
Francesco Reda
SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA
s.t.
3
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
s.t.
The same couldn't be said for Lesvenan, who dropped further behind!
Another flat stage, but with a kick up at the finish, the best man for us to get a likely result will be Kenny van der Scheuren. With this in mind, Gaudin will be the man for the breakaway attempt.
Though, it appears this isn't a viable option for the peloton as no one wants to work with Damien, and he keeps getting dragged back. To save a bit of face, he drops back into the pack, which allows Kenny the chance to get in the move instead.
It's apparent, by half way through that this break won't be being brought back as well.
Which is all great news, as long as Kenny can save some energy for the finale. As it turns out, he can't really. So, deciding to delay the sprint for as long as possible (a tactic that sometimes works), Kenny leads out with a little over 3km to go.
As the riders behind him start to sprint, Kenny is forced to respond as well. Opening up well before the ideal time. But, being the best hilly rider in the break, there's a chance he could win... right?
Well, on extreme, with 74 fitness, not much chance. Though it is a lot closer than I'd hoped for with 500m to go.
Unfortunately it wasn't to be.
The first podium of the year anyway.
1
Francesco Ginanni
SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA
4h20'10
2
Daniele Righi
UNIBET.COM
s.t.
3
Kenny Van der Schueren
AUBER 93 - BIGMAT
s.t.
4
Pedro Costa
VITÓRIA - ASC
s.t.
5
Andreas Matzbacher
TEAM KONICA MINOLTA
s.t.
Stage 9
The ITT is the last chance for Abal to improve his lowly GC position, and the team to realistically get another stage result. Though this is an unrealistic thought to have.
Although Gaudin was an outsider, he didn't get the pacing right. Crossing the line in provisional 3rd with about 60 riders left to go.
Whilst Abal had the pressure of trying to close down a minute gap in the GC.
Making progress at least. Hard to tell if Van der Schueren would have done better not leading out, but then, the game doesnt usually give you that option!
The final stage of the Tour of Langkawi is half mid-air, and half circuit race. As if you'd expect anything else with PCM07!
So the team sit in, waiting for the inevitable crashes, until Gaudin realises he's on a +4 day, and it's the last stage! Attack!
He's past the remnants of the break, and catches the last rider easily. Into the final 10kms and he's still got a lead as the last rider is now caught by the peloton.
Unfortunately though, within all of 800m of sprinting, the peloton wipe out 30 seconds of gap as Gaudin can't sprint for toffee!
Best Auber 93 result was in 2008 with a 21st spot for Tristan Valentin, who no longer rides for the team.
Lining up this season for Auber 93 is new recruit Fabian Wegmann, backed up by a strong team of hard men for the Northern Classics, and a few of the puncheur variety.
F.Wegmann
D.Malacarne
A.Kuschynski
K.vd.Scheuren
T.Voeckler
D.Gaudin
F.Morizot
R.Savinaud
As soon as the flag drops, Voeckler, being in an ideal position, attacks! Allez! Allez!
After a fair amount of attacks and counter attacks, Voeckler finally gets into the large move that will dictate the day.
By the start of the longer, more steady, climbs, the break has eeked out a moderately sized gap.
But as the peloton hits the same point, a counter move flies out containing Pavel Brutt and Aleksandr Kolobnev.
After a considerable chase, the four manage to make it up to the break as the gap to the peloton is down to two minutes.
Not put off by the addition of fresh legs, Voeckler realises it's getting far too close to the break being caught, so on the steepest climb of the day decides to test his breakaway compatriots.
Unfortunately, back in the pack as the favourites start their very own battle, Wegmann is running on fumes, and back up front Voeckler is being dragged back by Kolobnev.
It doesn't matter though, as the three main favourites for the day get past the break, and Voeckler drops back into a support role for Wegmann.
Whilst a few more Italians get away on the flatter sections before the finale, with a spot of support from Voeckler, Kuschynski and van der Scheuren, Wegmann gets to the front of the bunch for the sprint for minor placings. Sneakily attaching himself to Romain Feillu's wheel.
And what a lead out Romain provides. If only Fabian could hold the wheel or come past...
Not to worry though, a modest placing on 53 fitness for Fabian proves he was a purchase worth making for this season.
Gaudin (fitness), 
Abal (leader, experience), 
Van der Schueren and 
Megamadov.
Roberto Ferrari
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
Better go post a DFL update to have them both on the front page!
Edwin Orozco
Christian Poos
Tadej Valjavec
Gilberto Sampaio
Andrei Sartasov
Andreas Matzbacher
Stef Clement
Ondrej Sosenka
Miles Olman
