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Your season so far
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| Heine |
Posted on 24-11-2010 13:16
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Grand Tour Specialist
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I'm kinda bored atm (supposed to be studying for exam, but it's a exam where I'm allowed to bring my notes, so neh :-p) so I decided I want to know what you guys think about the season so far for your team. Happy? Dissapointed? What have been good? Bad? What are you looking forward to?
Myself and my team have had both up and downs. My biggest dissapointment is Greame Brown who seems unable to even get a top 5 in sprints. The fucker managed to be in a nearly completly flat stage race without scoring points... Way to go!
On the extremly happy end however was Bøchman's race win! I love that guy at the moment, other than him I have only 1 stage victory (Vaitkus), but I'm also happy about how Kessiakoff and Rohregger has performed with Kessiakoff being the best til now. Hopefully he's getting a mountain jersey in Tour de Picarde.
I would also like to point out some of my weedy actions, like haveing 4 sprinters on the team, but none of them in a flat race... Paying Brown anything at all...
For the rest of the season I'm really looking forward to the scandinavian races (they are my main goals :-p) and the Int.Osterriech where Rohregger and Pfannberger will have a national bonus, I hope for some good results there!
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| Kami |
Posted on 24-11-2010 13:25
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3485
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I'm happy with my season so far, except for my last 2 races, Corsica and Amstel.
Kirchen has been doing very good. Goss had some good results but doesn't bother to sprint anymore now. I did hope that Smukulis would bring some better results, but i got some good results from some other riders (Nazon, Bagdonas, Kruopis, ...)
I'm really looking forward to the last part of the season, cause most of Ricco's races are there. I do hope the hilly classics don't turn out to be a complete lottery and Ricco & Kirchen can get good results there.
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| SotD |
Posted on 24-11-2010 13:48
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World Champion
Posts: 12188
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Good topic!
We need one of these in the PT aswell. Are you also the man for that, considering that you are really bored? I know you don't have a team there but perhaps a wee analyse of who you think have performed well, underperformed and such?
I would happily write a fairly long note on how I feel my team has been performing, but I would like someone else to be in charge of the idea :-)
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| rycadinho |
Posted on 24-11-2010 14:05
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Protected Rider
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I'm pretty satisfied with the team so far, even though we've also suffered some bad results as well. I think the highlight so far of the season must be Serpa's strong season so far, the man who is also behind the biggest disappointment when he lost the GC lead at the final stage in trentino...Okay, Ricco is a beast but it was still sad to see a almost achieved goal perish like that.
Loddo has like so many other sprinters been strange, sometimes performing and sometimes not seem to care to do anything useful!
Biggest surprise? When Paolini grabbed an very unexpected stage win in Olympia and got 4th in the GC! That saved our race 
Now I'm looking forward to Int.Osterriech and especially tour of Portugal, where I once again must rely on Serpa. Tour of Columbia and America should also be great fun since I've send some of my lieutenants to compete there.
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| Heine |
Posted on 24-11-2010 14:24
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
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Hmmm, maybe I might do that, though I belive Smowz would be better at it. He's writing good analyzes before races atleast
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| Waghlon |
Posted on 24-11-2010 14:31
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7694
Joined: 18-08-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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My season so far is all about next season. I were all about NEXT season even before the transfer season.
THE THOMAS VOECKLER PROPHET OF PCM DAILY
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 16:48
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4790
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Vespa's season so far has pissed me off no end.... |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 23:55
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| Thrige |
Posted on 24-11-2010 17:13
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Breakaway Specialist
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Believe it or not, my team has performed better than I expected 
I've actually had wins!! |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 24-11-2010 17:17
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Heine: I think it is a case of live and learn with sprints my observations is that a good team really does need riders with reasonable sprint quality to give them a chance of consistent points scoring in the CTour. Wiggle might not have an out and out sprinter (actually Luke Rowe is) but a lot of their hilly men such as Ignatiev and Ponzi sprint really well. Ikea, UBS, Petronas, Pendletons, Mercedes, 100% Me etc all have at least some men who can sprint in pretty much every race they go for.
However the dark arts of getting a good sprint train is really down to a lot of luck, we have seen that the AI sometimes even sets a sprinter as not sprinting at all.
Another thing you notice when doing the races is the sprinters to stack up behind a naff sprint train that will take out numerous sprinters. Then they do the same thing again on the next day, it is perhaps to at least try and get a sprint train into a race so at least you can blame your own fellow!
Pokerstars have a squad that seem to have made a decent fist of forming endless sprint trains, it has translated into lots of high placings but not necessirily stage wins. This seems to reserved for the elite 80+ sprinters who also have a high flat stat... even then you get some inexplicable nonsense (such as Goss at Olympia). Anyway we are both going to be better next season I am sure by observing what happens this year.
Kami: I am also looking forward to how Ricco fares in the hilly ones, so far we have not really got into these races the big guns have been kinda avoiding each other. Wiggle's numbers have been doing good and Pozzato, Gilbert and Kirchen have won a race but then there was that one that Roux (UBS) won!
rycadinho: I think you have picked a really decent schedule for your team, its tested them in different scenerios and certainly the Pirelli brand should develop next year. Though whether you or Kami will be able to maintain your star man is another matter. Not sure how contract renewels work - whether it is possible to reduce a riders wage? I would imagine that you will have to do like wacko did with Gilbert and float the guys on the free market again! I must admit I am planning to do that with Siutsou and I am 'only' paying him 375000 though he is nowhere near as good as Ricco and Serpa.
Waghlon: I cannot make my mind up whether you simply underestimated the Continental Tour or...? Gusev underachieved on cobbles but probably is still overpaid. Why an earth are Bellis and Ben Nasser shadowing each other everywhere, particularly in crappy little c1 stage races? Bah why bother questioning the strategy of Cillit Bang .
As for my team, when your star men are Augustyn, Siutsou and Arashiro you know you are in trouble! Yet Red Bull are doing reasonably well, I realised after the transfer season that I would have no hope in the of competing with the big guns in races like Trentino and Slovenia and any of the the hilly classics. I picked the HC ones that I had to do and tried to pick some of the long race day wasters like you rycadinho to try and sneak some points in there.
Tachira, Columbia and Tour of America are not for serious promotion contenders, at least you do not want to race them all like me! I was very lucky to have Arashiro win the Tour down under, some of these HC ones really are proving very random the Dutch Valley thing was the same I mean Schierlinckx was at home but even so...
I am really looking forward to the the Portugal/Burgos double header and indeed to seeing what happens in the hilly battle royales. I feel the promotion scrap for the 3rd and 4th spot is going to be an real fight as will the battle for the best new team. For the new teams, Bimbo Nutella and Pokerstars are favourites there but Pirelli, Red Bull and Bacardi may not be far away, with Unicredit and Tinkoff possibly coming up on the rails! In the short term the Vuelta in the Man game should be a real humdinger. |
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-11-2010 17:19
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Team Manager
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For 100% Me, Ive so far been happy with how Froome has gone on the hills, fairly pleased with Stannard in the TTs, a bit meh with Blythe on cobbles given high expectations and very annoyed at the consistent failings of Swift, Cavendish and Kennaugh in the sprints.
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| Vosken94 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 17:21
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Stagiare
Posts: 240
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3 words: Epic rubbish team
Edit: Just kidding
Edited by Vosken94 on 24-11-2010 17:24
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 18:05
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Team Leader
Posts: 6716
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Wiggle? Happy with the team. Some surprising packages (Pavarin, a Locatelli winning a stage somewhere, Rowe winning East Midlands CiCle Classic), and some dependable results. Coupled with some very handy Pro Tour results.
[url=cleavercycling.co.uk]  [/url] |
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| viking90 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 18:41
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4032
Joined: 24-01-2009
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Second Last...
But 5 stage wins and 5 other podium places is always something. Just hope we can get some more points from now and maybe climb a little in the table. |
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 18:56
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Team Leader
Posts: 5759
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Dissapointed with results in general, but a resurganse in form has left me with a decent shot of the promotion I really need
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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| Waghlon |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:34
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7694
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Smowz wrote:
Bah why bother questioning the strategy of Cillit Bang .
I have to insist, i were never about this season anyway. Yes, Gusev was a horrid signing, but at the time, it made sense.
The decision to put them both in the same races? Yeah well, i underestimated the Cya AI.
THE THOMAS VOECKLER PROPHET OF PCM DAILY
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:39
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
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Waghlon wrote:
Smowz wrote:
Bah why bother questioning the strategy of Cillit Bang .
I have to insist, i were never about this season anyway. Yes, Gusev was a horrid signing, but at the time, it made sense.
The decision to put them both in the same races? Yeah well, i underestimated the Cya AI.
Im more 'intrigued' by your decisions to send neither to some hilly classics. Particularly the lack of Bellis at British hilly races like the Gp of Wales.
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| Waghlon |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:40
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7694
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I'm a UCI British Tour denier. It doesn't exist. It never happened. And no one died like they claim they did.
THE THOMAS VOECKLER PROPHET OF PCM DAILY
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:41
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
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Except youre still riding those races. Just with crap lineups.
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| Waghlon |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:43
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7694
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Welsh propaganda. I'm not in those
THE THOMAS VOECKLER PROPHET OF PCM DAILY
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 24-11-2010 19:52
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Team Leader
Posts: 5759
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I also fear the British tour, although thats because they like time trials and dislike mountains, stupid brits
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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