As many of you may know, I started an Auber 93 story back with PCM07. Whilst it still lives (in the physical sense), I haven't played PCM in so long, that returning to 07 doesn't hold the same thrall over me, as say starting fresh with PCM09 would. So, with this in mind, I decided to restart my career playing, and story writing days, for a little while at least, to occupy myself with.
This story will be much in the same structure and writing style as my last one, as I find that's the easiest and most enjoyable way for me to do it. I would appriciate people keeping spamming to a minimum, however, that's not to say the occasional slice of banter, witty comeback, or general insults at my lack of ability to play aren't welcome.
This team actually does exist in real life. It's a UK based team, one lower than Continental level, with ambitions to gain Continental status in the next two years (look out for that!).
Whilst it may appear as a new team, it's the joining of Pendragon - Kalas Sportswear from 2009 (a small South-West based team) and Le Col - Colnago (Yanto Barkers privately funded and sponsored team).
Simply put, some riders stayed on into the new format, while others were lost. The biggest name on the team originally would be David Clarke, winner of the 2009 2.2 ranked Tour of Cameroon. The biggest new signing is definately Yanto Barker, with some great results last year on the UK scene, especially without a team.
The sponsors this season have grown in numbers, with some big companies starting to be attracted to the team, mainly, one suspects, as a result of Yanto being present. That's not to say he's the only talented rider though.
Sponsors
Pendragon is one of the title sponsors. With a background in marketing sporting events and putting on events, they get their worth out of sponsoring a team with well targetted advertising.
Le Col is the second of the title sponsors, and the first thanks to Yanto's prescence. Le Col is Yanto's own company, which produces high quality cycle clothing in mostly sinister black styling. If I could afford it, I'd deck myself out in it, that's for sure!
Colnago needs no introduction to any serious cycling fan, and with a background in sponsoring Italian, Belgian, and now British teams recently, they are certainly targetting the right nations. As we speak, the team bikes are getting shipped to the South West, after having received their custom paint jobs.
A later addition to the sponsorship of the team, Circle provide medical services to private sectors of Europe. Extremely useful for those UCI health checks, and passport checks in the future, should the team attain that position.
FSA do quality, and quality gets results. I'm sure they'll be wanting to see the team utilise the equipment to some great races this season.
Continental tyres. The best? Some would argue so, whilst other's may prefer different companies, but one thing is certain, they provide a damn good level of grip, puncture protection, and low rolling resistance. (I still prefer Vredesteins though...).
An unknown sports drink provider for many, Accerlerade are aiming to increase their brand awareness through results at the highest level in the UK amateur scene.
Oakley's need no introduction, that's for sure. With the team decked out in some sweet ass shades, results no longer matter.... much.
Bont make some serious footwear. Just ask Wiggins. Go on. Do it.
Bell make some seriously good head protection. And don't I know about it!
Even sports teams need legal help, and with Stephens Scowns Solicitors on board they've got it. Lets just hope they don't need their use for anything "dodgy".
Edited by rjc_43 on 02-02-2010 17:00
As I write this story, there will be significantly large periods of inactivity without anything being reported. This is due to living in two seperate locations, one with the required computer, and one without. I live in the one without for the majority of the rest of this year until summertime. You may (but probably won't, but I'll tell you anyway) be wondering how this allows me to start a story now, and that is due to having a lovely broken elbow. The inability with which I find myself able to actually fend for myself gave me good reason to return Home and a story gives a good output for the pain.
You may all of course be also wondering who the heck is in this team. After all, will you ever have heard of any of them? The biggest signing of the off-season was definately Yanto Barker, who provides a serious force to be reckoned with, and a serious attraction to the sponsors. But he's not the only big name to be in the team in the UK scene. Riders such as Rhys Lloyd, previously with Rapha-Condor, and Dave Clarke, who was grateful to the team to get a ride last season.
Due to the largely domestic and amateur basis the team will be racing this season, the races that will be targetted will be in batches within a set country. With this in mind, our sponsors do require us to strive towards certain goals, and so we'll try to couple up our squad with other races in the same country to cut travelling costs. Those riders that aren't racing will be training hard back in the UK, and racing the Premier Calender races, Tour Crit Series and National Circuit races with the aim of increasing home ground publicity.
With an automatic invitation to all UK races on the UCI calender, we have no trouble attempting the first of our sponsors goals, at the Tour of Britain, however, just gaining invites to the other races may well prove difficult. We'll have to wait and see!
For our first two races, Casey Munro will be in his homeland racing the Australian TT and RR Championships. The team don't mind what results he gets, as his aim is further along in the year, hoping to ride over in Ireland in support of the team.
Our first race appearances were Down Under, around the other side of the World, in the Australian National Championships.
Our only rider present is Casey Munro, and as previously stated, we're not expecting him to do anything.
Australian National Time Trial Championships
We all know the profile by now (and if you don't, go glare at another story).
Darren Lapthorne began before Casey, and we'll be very focused upon their team as the season goes on, hoping to beat their results.
Casey then kicked off for our first race of the season (ignore the fact he's black, as he's white in real life - my mistake in editing the team from new youth riders). Going 2nd at the first check, only 3 seconds behind Mick Rogers, he did end up last of everyone. We will work out the pacing strategy in future, but he wasn't too bothered about coming last, after all, it's the first race of the season!
We will also be riding in the Focus kit temporarily, until our British kit sponsor can make the quantity of kit required.
Results:
I also have the luxury of crashes after most races when trying to export results, so I think I probably won't bother much with results, indeed not the full amount anyway.
Our second race of the season, the Australian Road Race Championships, will also just be a low key race for Casey, who is one of our sprinters.
Australian National Road Race Championship
The main favourites are, of course, the teams of HTC-Columbia, Sky, SaxoBank and Garmin. With a certain inability to climb, Munro will struggle once the pace goes on we feel. Rather than go for the long break, we decided that he should try to survive as long as possible in the pack, and maybe try a move after all the favourites have gone, and the pace slackens.
Well, he did just better than that. Attacking over the top of the climb the penultimate time up it, he got away with Simon Gerrans from Sky. Already over a minute behind the break, and two behind the favourites, the two of them pulled out a minute over the peloton.
As the final climb began, Gerrans, predictably left Munro for dead, and us cheering him on wildly as he hoped to reach the top before the pack caught him.
As he began his descent, still in front of the pack, Stuart O'Grady took the win.
After being turned down to ride in the end of month race in Italy, as a warm up to our sponsors goal, the Giro di Sardinia, our next race will be after the turn of the month, at the GP Costa degli Estruchi.
We have however, just been turned down for the Giro di Sardinia race, our request to race there was ignored. Our sponsors won't be so happy that's for sure.
With the team entering debt immediately as well, the pressure to perform to earn the team some money is most definately on.
wackojackohighcliffe wrote:
can we see the team stats please?
I guess so... but they are horrendously overrated. Horrendously. I'll post them up later.
Bare in mind, however, that most of the guys over 25 are already at their stat limits I gave them too, and all riders are potential 3 or 4, with one exception...
