I have started a new career in PCM 2011 by making a custom team. Sort of pinching ideas from certain other people, I have decided to become the directeur sportif of a new South African venture - Team South Africa Airways (RSA AIRWAYS). I shall keep updated this thread with chronological reports outlining how the season is going, if anyone shows any interest that is. Unfortunately due to university commitments it will be difficult to provide as much detail as some others who are providing great stories, but if anyone wants to follow this I'll keep posting in here.
The principle of the team is similar to that of top tour British team Sky Procycling, and has parallel aims for it's respective country of origin. RSA AIRWAYS aim to bring through the best South African cycling talent and provide them a platform to perform on the international stage. The team is not exclusively made of South African cyclists and nor does it aspire to be in the future. RSA AIRWAYS main objective is simply to be as successful as possible, to win races, develop young riders of all nationalities, and help South Africans onto the professional circuit.
RSA AIRWAYS 2011 roster (25 riders):
John Lee-Augustyn (RSA)
Inigo Cuesta (ESP)
Stijn Devolder (BEL)
David George (RSA)
Matthew Hayman (AUS)
Robert Hunter (RSA)
Daryl Impey (RSA)
Kevyn Ista (BEL)
Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
Darren Lill (RSA)
Paolo Lina (ITA)
Tiago Machado (POR)
Vincent Mougel (FRA)
Sergio Olaiz (MEX)
Daniel Oss (ITA)
James Perry (RSA)
Pierre Rolland (FRA)
Peter Sagan (SVK)
Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)
Tejay Van Garderen (USA)
Christoff Van Heerden (RSA)
Dennis Van Winden (NED)
Jacobus Venter (RSA)
Lieuwe Westra (NED)
Bradley Young (GBR)
RSA AIRWAYS's directeur sportif signed up 8 South Africans to provide the backbone for new teams adventure into the professional side of the sport. The 8 riders provide a mixture of youth and experience, including sprinter Robbie Hunter, the first South African ever to win a stage on the Tour de France.
The team also were quick to outline their intentions of building towards a developmental squad with the signatures of young European talents such as Pierre Rolland, Steven Kruijswijk and Peter Sagan, aswell as crossing the Atlantic to sign promising American Tejay Van Garderen. Signings such as former Belgian champion Stijn Devolder, Matthew Hayman and veteran Inigo Cuesta add experience to a youthful squad. 4 young riders scouted by the team were handed one year contracts and will be given ample opportunity throughout the season to impress the directeur sportif and earn a longer stay at RSA AIRWAYS.
The compilation of the roster also emphasises the directeur sportif's wish to compete on all fronts in cycling, with a blend of classics specialists, sprinters, and climbers. It will not be clear until the season is in full swing as to whether RSA AIRWAYS have bitten off more than they can chew but the directeur sportif is confident the squad can deliver consistently.
The first weeks of January were taken up by the hiring and firing of trainers, scouts and doctors, before the whole RSA set up headed off to their preseason training camp. The squad spent 10 gruelling days in Cape Town, and were put through their paces from the off. Christoff Van Heerden had initially voiced concerns at the intensity of the training camp, but by the end Van Heerden, along with Perry, Oss and Van Avermaet, were all reported to be in great shape and were thankful to the directeur sportif.
Before a pedal is turned in anger, RSA AIRWAYS have received a boost with the acceptance of a wildcard entry into the Santos Tour Down Under. The curtain raiser will provide the opportunity for the directeur sportif to oversee the early season form of the team's sprinters and general team cohesion.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 10-08-2011 11:13
Good luck!! You've got a decent team there, it really weird because on PCM 09 I made a custom team and also have Machado, Rolland, Augustyn. Rolland has great potential, and Van Avermaet is a good sprinter. I am looking forward to following your story
Interesting team, im also from RSA so will follow closely. Just be careful in just writing a wall of text each post... Add some screen shots/pics when u can. Oh and where did you buy your copy of pcm 11? :-)
Thanks for the responses guys, I'll do my best re. walls of text.
@jojoisme: haha thats strange, must have similar ideas as to what makes a good team! and yeah I'm hoping for big things from Van Avermaet, will try and give him as much support as possible in the sprints
@Boet: I'm from England not South Africa (surprising given the team I know).......not sure why I picked South Africa, just an impulse I guess. Bought it off Amazon.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 27-07-2011 18:41
Reports from Tour de San Luis and Santos Down Under will be posted shortly. The reports are a bit convoluted so will streamline the waffle as the season goes on, but for now I'll post them in all their glory.
Also important to note that I changed the race difficulty level from normal to hard as of stage 4 in San Luis and stage 2 in Australia. As you can see, the results previous to the change are a bit too good!
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, George, Machado, Perry, Van Garderen, Van Winden, Venter, Westra
For RSA AIRWAYS’ first outing 4 of the team’s South African contingent were selected. Machado and Van Garderen were assigned joint leadership of the team and will both ride for the GC. Van Winden will try to mix it up in the sprint finishes, supported by Westra.
• Stage 1 (Flat - A virtually pan-flat stage with one small uphill drag)
Quite a frenetic stage, peloton was panicky all day as an 11 man breakaway stretched out a lead which topped 9 minutes at one point; all mountain and intermediate sprint points were hoovered up. All RSA AIRWAYS cyclists spent the day in the peloton; team leaders Machado and Van Garderen near the front and out of trouble. With the breakaway reeled in by the 10km to go mark, RSA AIRWAYS were able to form a leadout train for sprinter Van Winden, consisting of Perry, George, Van Garderen, and leadout man Westra. Van Winden took up the sprint at the 500m mark and provided the team’s first ever professional win. Westra rolled home in 2nd narrowly ahead of Modolo (Colnago) to make it a perfect start for RSA AIRWAYS.
• Stage 2 (Mountain Finish - Undulating, with short, sharp, energy-sapping bursts in gradient designed to shake off the ‘hangers-on, before the final climb and summit finish at El Mirador del Potrero, again a short but nasty climb)
The day started with Van Winden in yellow and Westra in green as RSA AIRWAYS rolled out on a stage markedly different to the previous. Again the peloton appeared panicky and the pace was high, stringing out the riders. RSA AIRWAYS’ Augustyn tried to initiate a breakaway but with no-one following and the peloton still tetchy, he decided to return to the peloton. Eventually, 9 men made a successful breakaway, including the dangerous Di Gregorio (Astana); all mountain and intermediate sprint points were hoovered up. With 70km to go, and the breakaway’s lead touching 6’30, RSA AIRWAYS sent South African trio George, Perry, and Venter to the head of the peloton to do the pacemaking. At the foot of the El Mirador del Portrero with the breakaway caught, numerous opportunist attacks took place, of which Machado followed the move made by potential GC danger Li Mevel (Garmin-Cervelo). Machado showed he was strongest climber amongst the opportunists and found a nice tempo which opened a gap, but the RSA AIRWAYS man had no energy to sprint and was denied the stage win by the latecoming De Waele (Landbouwkrediet). Yellow jersey Van Winden rode to a credible and surprising 14th place on the stage (picking up 2 vital sprint points), slipping to 5th overall and replacing yellow for green. De Waele moved into yellow, with Machado 13 seconds adrift in 2nd overall and now in polka-dot. Unfortunately, Van Garderen was badly positioned in the peloton on the narrow road of the final climb and his GC hopes are all but dashed having lost over 4 minutes, he will now look for breakaways and be Machado’s super domestique.
• Stage 3 (Flat – pan-flat)
With the stage profile so flat, RSA AIRWAYS cyclists were instructed not to join the day’s breakaway as the opportunity to repeat the result of stage one a real possibility. A 4 man breakaway was allowed to escape until 10km to go on a quiet day. With the breakaway caught, RSA AIRWAYS replicated the leadout train of stage 1 and had looked to have judged it to perfection but Van Winden was pipped on the line by Van Hummel (Skil). The team can still take heart from a strong performance which saw Van Winden strengthen his grip on the green points jersey with 13 points separating him and nearest challenger, teammate Westra. GC standings were unchanged with Machado remaining 2nd overall and in polka-dot.
• Stage 4 (Individual Time Trial – a pan-flat 19.5km course)
Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) took an unsurprising victory but by a margin of only 2 seconds to Van Garderen. RSA AIRWAYS had a fantastic day with 5 of the team in the top 10 including GC contender Machado who took the GC lead by 38 seconds from De Waele (Landbouwkrediet).
• Stage 5 (Pan-flat until a climb of 6km to summit finish)
With the leaders jersey back in RSA AIRWAYS’ hands, the team were instructed to stay in the peloton and protect Machado. A 13 man breakaway with no GC contenders was allowed to establish a lead before being caught on the final climb. Similarly to stage 2, De Waele (Landbouwkrediet) launched a devastating attack and took the stage ahead of Van Garderen. Machado struggled up the final climb and slipped out of yellow and 2 minutes behind De Waele (Landbouwkrediet) who thoroughly deserves the GC lead. The new GC leader has also stolen the lead in the points completion by 1 point but Van Winden will still wear the jersey.
• Stage 6 (Mountain – 2 average climbs followed by a plateau finish)
Van Garderen was determined to make a breakaway work and eventually escaped alone and took maximum king of the mountains points on the first two climbs. Behind him, the field fractured greatly on the tough 2nd climb, with Venter inadvertently finding himself in a yellow jersey group of 11 chasing Van Garderen. Van Garderen sat up and waited for the yellow jersey group on the descent and Venter buried himself to try and maintain the 2 minute gap back to the peloton, but his effort was in vain and at the foot of final climb the peloton was together. Trofimov (Katusha) attacked and took the stage by 2 minutes, yellow jersey De Waele (Landbouwkrediet) was second followed closely by Van Garderen. De Waele (Landbouwkrediet) has a commanding 3 minute lead in the GC over Trofimov (Katusha), and also leads the points and mountains competitions, the latter narrowly to RSA AIRWAYS’ American Van Garderen who will wear the jersey.
• Stage 7 (Undulating profile with a downhill run to the finish)
Given the stage profile, RSA AIRWAYS were keen to be involved in the day’s breakaway. Initially, Van Garderen made a move in a desperate attempt to steal the king of the mountains competition but simply couldn’t live with the pace of other attackers. Eventually, the day’s breakaway consisted of 2 riders including Venter. With the breakaway caught, Modolo (Colnago) took the sprint finish, Van Winden in 12th was unable to mix it up.
Final GC standings:
1st De Waele (Landbouwrkediet)
4th Van Garderen +4’49
12th Machado +8’22
28th Westra +13’26
31st George +14’12
45th Venter +18’12
48th Augustyn +19’02
53rd Van Winden +20’24
71st Perry +24’08
Directeur Sportif comments:
A reasonable showing in a tough race. To take a 1-2 in the opening stage was a special moment, unfortunately for us we were unable to build on the success. De Waele (Landbouwrkediet) rode an exceptional tour and thoroughly deserved the GC victory, although on reflection Van Garderen could have been a real challenger. To have all 8 RSA AIRWAYS riders in the top half of the overall GC standings is highly encouraging. George’s strong riding throughout has been noted and he will prove to be a useful domestique throughout the season.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 29-07-2011 23:16
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Hayman, Hunter, Impey, Mougel, Oss, Sagan, Young
RSA AIRWAYS decided to go top-heavy on sprinting talent, with 5 of the 7 entrants having experience of sprint finishes. Sagan is the designated team leader and will compete for the GC, aswell as stage wins in the sprints. 2 of the 4 youngsters on the RSA AIRAWAYS roster, Mougel and Young, get their first outings in professional cycling.
• Stage 1 (Flat – A short climb early on followed by a comfortable rolling profile)
With a high class field of sprinters eager to get their seasons off to flying starts, the likelihood of a bunch finish meant RSA AIRWAYS decided not to join the day’s breakaway, which after much sorting out consisted of 16 riders. Such a large group was never allowed to build a lead, and after being reeled in at 70km to go, Italians Pelluchi (Geox) and Righi (Lampre) launched a breakaway which was allowed to go. Steegmans (Quickstep) tried to bridge the gap with 30km but failed and the two men out front were caught comfortably in time. RSA AIRWAYS formed a leadout train for Sagan, consisting of Young, Hayman, Oss, Impey, and leadout man Hunter. Sagan took up the reins from about 700m and held on to defeat the fast approaching world champion Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) to give RSA AIRWAYS another fantastic win.
• Stage 2 (Generally flat with a few minors undulations)
With the leader’s jersey to protect, no RSA AIRWAYS cyclist joined the day’s breakaway of 11 riders. With RSA AIRWAYS eager to protect Sagan’s leadout train, youngsters Mougel and Young were left to pace the peloton and drag back the breakaway. The inevitable sprint finish became a reality and was won by Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) ahead of Cavendish (HTC Highroad). Unfortunately, the RSA AIRWAYS leadout train was crowded out at 2km to go leaving Hunter to trail home 19th. Sagan drops to 2nd in the GC and now wears the points jersey.
• Stage 3 (A flat start, 2nd half of the stage is an upwards drag but not too difficult)
Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) took 3rd place behind 2 breakaway riders at the first intermediate sprint. Impey tried unsuccessfully to form a breakaway before compatriot Hunter became part of a 7 man breakaway. Mougel and Lorenzetto (Astana) suffered early on and were dropped by the peloton. Breakaway survivor Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) took the stage, with Sagan landing a promising 6th place. GC standings remain unchanged with Sagan in 2nd, and Sagan now will wear the young riders jersey.
• Stage 4 (An undulating stage with a flat, downhill finish)
Omega-Pharma Lotto were not initially keen at any stage to let a breakaway develop and only 4 riders made a real time gap in the stage. However the pressure eased and Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi) completed a successful breakaway and won the day, just about fending off the rampaging sprinters from the peloton. Once again the RSA AIRWAYS leadout train suffered logistically in the final km’s and could not place any of their sprinters better than 19th (Hunter).
• Stage 5 (Flat – Two climbs near the end may complicate things for the sprinters)
Once again a day for the breakway, with Vaitkus (Astana) taking the victory and only needed another 16 seconds to overhaul Greipel’s (Omega Pharma-Lotto) GC lead. Sagan remains 1 second adrift in the GC on a quiet day.
• Stage 6 (Pan-Flat circuit course)
Sagan, just one second behind in the GC, decided to take a risky strategy and collect the 3 second time bonus at the first intermediate sprint. Although now in the provisional GC lead, the effort proved in vain and left Sagan tired for the final sprint, which was won by Cavendish (HTC Highroad) who in turn stole the GC lead and the overall victory from 3rd placed Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto). Sagan finished 3rd in the GC and won the young riders GC.
Directeur Sportif comments:
A very promising performance in a top tour race in which the sprint stars turned up in force for. Sagan’s stage victory justified our wildcard selection and was a result of an excellent team leadout. Although it proved tough to mix it up in the stages after that, the team battled hard gave good support to Sagan. Youngsters Young and Mougel struggled at times and will hopefully learn from the experience.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 29-07-2011 23:16
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, Ista, Kruijswijk, Lill, Lina, Rolland, Van Avermaet, Van Heerden
For RSA AIRWAYS’ third outing 2 of the team’s South African contingent were selected. Rolland was assigned leadership of the team and will ride for the GC, Kruijswijk and Devolder his elite domestiques. Van Avermaet will contest the sprints.
• Stage 1 (Pan-Flat, short stage)
A disastrous start for RSA AIRWAYS in Malaysia. A 14 man breakaway escaped and despite the best efforts of the team, the breakaway won the day. Van Avermaet suffered in a large crash in the peloton and Rolland was also held up in the crash. Rolland now lies 2 minutes behind the day’s winners in the GC, and the day marks a great chance for a Van Avermaet win go down the drain.
• Stage 2 (Flat – Lots of undulations and changes of gradient, chasing a breakaway won’t be easy)
Given the breakaway’s success yesterday, RSA AIRWAYS were keen to escape the peloton; which proved virtually impossible despite attempts from Kruijswijk, Devolder, and Van Heerden. In the sprint finish, RSA AIRWAYS struggled to organise their leadout train so leadout man Ista took up his duty from 2km and released Van Avermaet who surpassed at least 10 rivals to take a fantastic victory and banish memories of yesterday. GC standings remain unchanged, Van Avermaet moves into the points jersey.
• Stage 3 (Flat – Lots of undulations and changes of gradient again but no real difiiculty)
With yesterday’s wasted efforts trying to get into a breakaway, RSA AIRWAYS told their riders to stay in the peloton all day and conserve energy to help Van Avermaet win again. Unfortunately, Reimer (Skil-Shimano) survived from the day’s breakaway by the skin of his teeth to hold off the sprinters behind. Van Avermaet got boxed in and it was left to leadout man Van Heerden to battle to 7th. Van Avermaet slips out of the points jersey but still remains just 2 points off the lead.
• Stage 4 (Mountain – significant climbing all day with a tough summit finish – GC will be shaken up)
A long day in the saddle for the RSA AIRWAYS riders, with Kruijswijk assigned the task of nursing Rolland over the early climbs of the day. With no breakaway able to establish itself, Devolder set a hard pace up the final climb, shedding the peloton down to just 17 riders, including Van Avermaet and Rolland. Devolder kept the pace to such a high level he rode off the front of the group with 4km to go. With 3km to, Rolland and Van Avermaet felt strong enough to attack from the group and join Devolder at the finish line to complete a fantastic 1-2-3 finish for RSA AIRWAYS, a landmark result for the new team. Devolder deservedly takes the GC lead, 31 seconds ahead of previous GC leader Kvist (Glud and Marstrand), with Van Avermaet and Rolland handily placed in 6th and 7th respectively, around a minute down. Van Avermaet takes a commanding lead 15 points lead in the points jersey competition.
• Stage 5 (Mountain – pan-flat until a 20km climb and summit finish)
Given the nature of the remaining stages of the tour, it is likely the final climb of this stage would be the GC decider. RSA AIRWAYS controlled the race on the flat section to ensure the battle would be done on the climb. Unfortunately, Caruso (Katusha) took a strong 2nd place and did enough to distance Devolder and take the GC lead. Devolder struggled on the mountain and slipped to 4th in the GC, with Rolland now in 2nd, one minute in arrears of Caruso (Katusha). Rolland moves into the young riders GC lead and with it the white jersey. Van Avermaet lost his strong GC standing but remains in a comfortable points jersey lead.
• Stage 6 (Flat – small climb at 16km but otherwise pan-flat until the finish)
A 14 man breakaway established and with no GC dangers in it, Katusha left the pacemaking upto other teams. RSA AIRWAYS, eager to see the stage end in a sprint finish for Van Avermaet, sent Lill, Van Heerden, and Lina to pacemake for the peloton. On their own, they hauled back the breakaway and the remaining RSA AIRWAYS riders formed a leadout train for Van Avermaet, who cruised to a convincing victory, leadout man Ista rolled in in 4th. GC standings remain unchanged, Van Avermaet extends his points competition lead to 31.
• Stage 7 (Flat – virtually pan-flat, an easy stage)
Having got their tactics spot on in the previous stage, RSA AIRWAYS looked to follow the template on another flat course. An 11 man breakaway was allowed 6 minutes before the trio of Lill, Van Heerden, and Lina set about pulling them back. Despite the breakaway being caught successfully, RSA AIRWAYS made a mess of their leadout train and Van Avermaet was a lowly 15th behind sprint winner Gatto (Farnese-Vini). Van Avermaet’s points lead has been cut to 13 with Gatto (Farnese-Vini) now his nearest challenger.
• Stage 8 (Flat – A few niggly increases in gradient but generally flat)
To ensure RSA AIRWAYS would not have to chase the day’s breakaway, Kruijswijk escaped with 13 others for the day. It proved the right decision as without RSA AIRWAYS’ input in the pacemaking, teams Katusha and Landbouwkrediet didn’t do enough to haul the breakaway back. Unfortunately in the breakaway’s sprint, Kruijswijk went too early and had to settle for 10th, as Cardoso (Tavira-Prio) took an emphatic victory. With a 4’11 gap over the peloton, Kruijswijk moved into 6th in the GC. Van Avermaet’s lead in the points competition was cut by 1 point.
• Stage 9 (Flat – A 30km uphill drag in the middle of the stage but ultimately a comfortable profile)
With all the apathy in the peloton, RSA AIRWAYS were keen to have at least one of their riders in the day’s breakaway. However, typical of the quirks of a cycling peloton, a number or teams vied for control and simply would not allow a breakaway to form. Once a breakaway did form, Anderson (Team Spidertech) rode off the front and survived to take the win ahead of fellow escapee Thomel (Team NSP); Van Avermaet was the best of the chasing peloton in 3rd, leadout man Devolder in 6th. Van Avermaet’s new points jersey lead of 28 is virtually unassailable with one stage remaining.
• Stage 10 (Flat – a very short flat stage similar to stage 1 in length and profile)
RSA AIRWAYS were keen to leave on a high with a victory for Van Avermaet so sent Lill, Van Heerden, and Lina immediately to the head of the peloton to keep things under control. With the race under the thumb of RSA AIRWAYS, Van Avermaet was given the perfect leadout and crushed the opposition for his 3rd stage win of the tour. Lead out man Ista emphasised the team’s dominance with a 3rd place finish. Van Avermaet finished the points competition winner with a commanding 53 points lead. Rolland, 2nd in the GC, won the young riders competition ahead of teammate Kruijswijk.
Directeur Sportif comments:
An excellent tour for the team, with only a few minor regrets; it could have been an even more groundbreaking tour for us! 4 wins out of just 10 stages, including the magical 1-2-3 on stage 4 is a pretty special outcome for us. Van Avermaet proved his sprinting prowess and the way the team worked for him was very encouraging. Our only regrets lie in the GC competition, which we felt was very winnable but with 3 guys in the top 10 and all the riders well inside the top half of the overall finishers, we cannot be unhappy; plus we take home two jerseys for our trouble! The high GC finish of Lill was a pleasant surprise and youngster Lina can be proud of his efforts all tour.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 29-07-2011 23:17
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Impey, Olaiz, Oss, Sagan, Van Garderen, Van Winden, Venter, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS decided to take a two pronged attack to Southern France, with 3 in support of Sagan in the sprint, and riders such as Van Garderen and Westra who could potentially win in a breakaway. Youngster Olaiz makes his professional debut.
The French teams were all over this one, not letting a single breakaway escape in the first half of the race, frustratingly for Van Garderen and Westra. Eventually a 10 man breakaway escaped with 80km left to go. Along with Ag2r and Saur Sojasun, Van Garderen and Westra did the pacemaking to ensure the breakaway was caught and there would be a sprint finish. RSA AIRWAYS’ leadout coped well with the technical, twisty last few km’s and Sagan produced a feisty finish to narrowly overcome Lemoine (Saur Sojasun).
Final race standings:
1st Sagan
9th Oss +0’00
13th Impey +0’00
19th Van Winden +0’00
20th Westra +0’00
30th Van Garderen +0’00
137th Venter +4’48
154th Olaiz +9’00
Directeur Sportif comments:
A great result for the team; we were far from pre-race favourites and to upset the apple cart in France is a good feeling! We were able to grab control of the race with Van Garderen and Westra and being the only team to organise themselves for the sprint paid dividends as Sagan took us home in 1st. Once again, the team cohesion and one-for-all attitude is an excellent sign at such an early stage in the season.
just a note though, for continental tour (ie needing wildcards for top events) - take the success early and try to get a WC for a grand tour, a high placing will virtually guarentee top-tour promotion (target the giro with Kruswijk)
it'll be useless trying to target the later tours, becasue your riders will have no fitness
just a note though, for continental tour (ie needing wildcards for top events) - take the success early and try to get a WC for a grand tour, a high placing will virtually guarentee top-tour promotion (target the giro with Kruswijk)
it'll be useless trying to target the later tours, becasue your riders will have no fitness
Thanks for the advice, definitely will try and get a WC for the Giro and hope the likes of Rolland and Kruijswijk can ride above themselves.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, George, Kruijswijk, Van Avermaet, Van Garderen, Van Winden, Venter
RSA AIRWAYS took a strong squad to France with the squad to rally around Van Avermaet when sprint opportunities arise. Van Avermaet’s finishing power means he will assume leadership of the team, with Augustyn, Kruijswijk and Van Garderen all waiting in the wings should Van Avermaet struggle over the hills.
• Stage 1 (Flat – a few minor changes in gradient but very flat)
A 4 man breakaway eventually established itself after a good 50km of the stage had passed. With 75km to go, Augustyn and Venter were sent to pacemake in order to drag back the 4 escapees who had forged a 5 minute lead, assisted by Ag2r and Europcar. With the breakaway caught, RSA AIRWAYS’ lead out train took control at the front. At 2km to go Van Winden and Van Avermaet got slightly swamped so Van Avermaet took Matthews’ (Rabobank) wheel and sprinted to a comfortable victory. Van Avermaet will wear yellow for stage 2.
• Stage 2 (Hills – A tough climb at 30km, followed by undulating terrain)
A high pace was set at the front of the peloton all day, making RSA AIRWAYS’ plan to have a rider escape for the day redundant. Augustyn did manage to briefly escape alone and win all 3 mountain sprints to take the polka-dot jersey. On the 80km flat run to the finish, 4 riders made a breakaway, which Augustyn and Van Winden chased down to ensure another sprint finish. RSA AIRWAYS’ lead out train was organised and leadout man Van Garderen put Van Avermaet in a perfect position to win; he duly obliged. The sprint was a photo finish between Van Avermaet and Mondory (Ag2r) and overally a far more competitive sprint than the previous day, but the Belgian had just enough. Van Avermaet solidifies his GC lead.
• Stage 3 (Medium mountain – undulating profile with one medium difficulty climb)
An awkward day to judge; 9 riders broke away early and were allowed to go. RSA AIRWAYS sent Venter, George, and Van Winden to do all the pacemaking, and the trio controlled the race impeccably; particularly up tricky the mountain climb. A bonus was the shedding of over half of the field on the climb, and the pacemaking trio upped their pace to ensure the peloton could not reform and the dislodged sprinters were not to play a part in the finish. Once again RSA AIRWAYS’ leadout train set Van Avermaet up perfectly and again the Belgian scraped home in a photo finish, this time ahead of Matthews (Rabobank). Van Avermaet’s GC lead appears unassailable providing he doesn’t lose any unnecessary time. Augustyn remains in the polka dot jersey.
• Stage 4 (Flat – Minor ups and downs all day but no difficulty)
Once again, a breakaway established early in the day of 14 riders. RSA AIRWAYS looked to replicate the previous day’s tactics, with the same 3 riders pacemaking the peloton and the exact same leadout train for Van Avermaet. Thankfully, the stage did follow the same pattern as the previous day and Van Avermaet converted another extremely tight victory, this time edging out Mondory (Ag2r) who must be getting frustrated at coming so close yet again. Van Avermaet stays comfortably in yellow and Augustyn stays in the polka-dot jersey.
• Stage 5 (Flat – short circuit course with a minor hill to be circulated)
A tense day for RSA AIRWAYS as they, and Van Avermaet as an individualy, sought to whitewash the opposition at the Etoile de Besseges. Given the success of the previous two stages, RSA AIRWAYS kept their tactics exactly the same. After the race settled down, 10 men escaped and RSA AIRWAYS set about controlling the tempo and eventually dragging them back.
With the leadout trains in place, it would all come down to the final sprint, which Mondory (Ag2r) took well with Van Avermaet a few bike lengths back in 2nd. No fairytale ending for RSA AIRWAYS, but the tour saw Van Avermaet win both the GC and the points competitions, and Augustyn win the mountains competition.
Final race standings:
1st Van Avermaet
6th Augustyn +1’24
12th Van Garderen +1’32
13th Kruijswijk +1’32
40th Van Winden +2’31
47th Venter +2’31
48th George +2’31
Directeur Sportif comments:
The results speaks for themselves; what an incredible tour we’ve had! The team were stunning from day one; everyone pulled in the same direction and for Van Avermaet to convert on 4 of 5 occassions is an unbelievable strike rate. Both the individual and the team fully deserve the GC victory, made all the sweeter with victories in both the points and mountains classifications; we’ve swept the board almost! From a sponsor’s point of view, it is also highly encouraging to see the South African contingent performing so very well. The 2011 Etoile de Besseges will certainly go down in history for Team South Africa Airways.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Lill, Lina, Mougel, Olaiz, Van Heerden, Young
With more important races upcoming in the very near future, RSA AIRWAYS decided to send an experimental squad to Italy; all 4 scouted youngsters making the entrants list. No expectations are placed upon the riders, and joining a breakaway will be encouraged. If the race should culminate in a sprint finish, Van Heerden will be expected to have a speculative pop at the victory.
After much sorting out, an 11 man breakaway eventually established itself with Lill the RSA AIRWAYS representative. Eager to set up a sprint finish for Petacchi (Lampre), Lampre did the majority of the pacemaking in the peloton and brought the breakaway back with around 10km to go. Ultimately it was worth the effort as Petacchi (Lampre) justified his favouritism and cruised to victory. Scrapping for any wheel he could find, Van Heerden battled to 6th place.
Final GC standings:
1st Petacchi (Lampre)
6th Van Heerden +0’00
76th Mougel +0’00
84th Lill +0’00
122nd Lina +0’00
144th Young +0’00
164th Olaiz +5’15
Directeur Sportif comments:
It was always going to be tough to put up any opposition to Petacchi and Lampre. Van Heerden can be happy with his 6th in what was a disorganised sprint with riders all over the place. The youngsters battled hard but Olaiz will have to show more durability if he wishes to stay with the team, but it is still early days yet.
You might know this already, so just tell me if this is obvious, but you can press CTRL+U to clear the screen of the HUD and circles around the riders. This creates usually better screens. By the way good writing, i like this story.
samdiatmh wrote:
top effort for 6th from a first-year rider
KIU
Thanks
kitface wrote:
You might know this already, so just tell me if this is obvious, but you can press CTRL+U to clear the screen of the HUD and circles around the riders. This creates usually better screens. By the way good writing, i like this story.
Cheers for the info, didn't know you could do it so thanks. Unfortunately I've typed out and prepared my next batch of reports so they'll have the circles but I'll get rid of them in future reports.
Boet wrote:
Really enjoying the read with all these South African names flying around... Hope a SA rider can get a big result soon. :-)
My next batch of reports includes a stage win and a jersey for a South African so keep an eye out for it! Been in general happy with their contribution, the likes of Lill and George are proving to be great domestiques as again you'll read in a couple of the forthcoming reports.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, George, Olaiz, Van Avermaet, Van Heerden, Van Winden, Venter, Young
RSA AIRWAYS’ man in form Van Avermaet travels to France looking to add to his victory tally and will be supported in the 4 flatter stages. Augustyn will be eager to stay in close touch in order to have a pop at the GC on the final mountain stage.
• Stage 1 (Flat – a few undulations and changes in gradient but no difficulty)
8 riders escaped for the day and with elite sprinter Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) in their ranks, Omega Pharma-Lotto were left to do all the chasing. However the undulating terrain complicated the chase and the breakaway won the day with Dion (Bretagne-Schuller) taking the sprint. Van Avermaet sprinted to 10th on the stage in order to pick up 6 sprint points.
• Stage 2 (Flat – a couple of minor climbs early on and pan-flat afterwards)
Venter tried to join an early breakaway but without success, so it was left to George to make a lone escape, in the process scooping up enough mountains points to take the lead in the competition. However, no breakaway was to win again and although RSA AIRWAYS managed to organise a leadout train, Van Avermaet took Greipel’s (Omega Pharma-Lotto) wheel for the sprint. Lemoine (Saur Sojasun) timed the sprint to perfection and Van Avermaet had to settle for 3rd. Van Avermaet also moves into 3rd in the points competition.
• Stage 3 (Medium mountain – one long but comfortable climb early on followed by flat roads)
George took the first mountain climb day to strengthen his grip on the polka-dot jersey. A breakaway did of 4 men did establish itself after the climb but was brought back comfortably and although RSA AIRWAYS were able to organise a leadout train, so did Cofidis and Dumoulin (Cofidis) edged out Van Avermaet for the victory. 2nd place however was enough for Van Avermaet to take the lead in the points competition meaning RSA AIRWAYS hold 2 jerseys going into stage 4.
• Stage 4 (Undulating – a climb early doors followed by minor ups and downs all day)
RSA AIRWAYS were hoping the relentless tough terrain of the day may scupper the sprinters and put Van Avemaet in a position to take the victory. With the two points-scoring climbs at the very beginning of the day, George attacked from the roll out to hoover up maximum points. 10 others joined George shortly after and made the day’s breakaway with the GC leader’s team Bretagne-Schuller doing all the pacemaking in the peloton. However it was not enough and the breakaway won the day, with George attacking from 3km out he just clung on in the uphill sprint to the line to capture an excellent stage win for RSA AIRWAYS. George is virtually assured of the mountains classification and also has an outside chance of the overall GC victory, lying 5th with 26 seconds to find.
• Stage 5 (Undulating – up and down all day before a short, severe climb to a summit finish)
Trying to forge a breakaway proved absolutely impossible for both Augustyn and Van Avermaet as they strived to escape the peloton. However with the GC on a knife-edge, a twitchy peloton kept the pace high all day. With the race altogether on the final climb, Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) launched a devastating attack to take the stage victory and importantly the overall GC victory too. Van Avermaet tried to counter attack and although he was no match for Gilbert, he took 2nd on the stage and also 2nd in the GC, as well as hanging onto his lead in the points competition. George won the mountains competition. RSA AIRWAYS also pinched the overall team standings ahead of Rabobank. Youngster Olaiz was eliminated from the race on time.
Final GC standings:
1st Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
2nd Van Avermaet +2’37
4th George +2’55
21st Augustyn +5’37
29th Venter +6’59
30th Van Winden +6’59
32nd Van Heerden +6’59
121st Young +35’01
Withdrawal Olaiz
Directeur Sportif comments:
A really good tour for the team, Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) was always going to be very strong and to finish best of the rest with Van Avermaet is highly encouraging. Also netting both the points and mountains competitions, and the overall team standings, emphasises how well certain individuals performed. Augustyn’s GC position is slightly misleading as he spent a lot of energy trying to forge a breakaway, so his time lost will not be held against him. Youngsters Young and in particular Olaiz struggled badly and patience is beginning to wear thin within in the team’s hierarchy.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, Hayman, Hunter, Impey, Oss, Sagan, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS have sent their strongest flat riders and sprinters for this pan-flat tour in the Middle East. Sagan will lead the team and be supported in the sprints. The advantage of taking such a sprinter-heavy line-up is the flexibility it provides; for instance is Sagan isn’t feeling too good, the likes of Hunter, Impey, and Oss can step in and become the man to support for a sprint. With a short prologue to begin, RSA AIRWAYS believe Sagan can contend for a podium finish.
• Stage 1 (Prologue – a quick 2.5km blast around Doha Cultural Village)
A great start! Sagan took the victory, a second ahead of teammate Devolder. Sagan will wear the leader’s jersey and Devolder will wear the points jersey.
• Stage 2 (Pan-flat)
13 men made the day’s breakaway and were given 6 minutes advantage before Devolder and Westra set about pacemaking the peloton. Unfortunately, a frenetic last 10km saw RSA AIRWAYS struggle to place their leadout train and Sagan had to come from way behind to secure a 10th place finish. Sagan maintains his GC and points competition lead, but Devolder falls out of contention in both competitions as he paid the price for his long turns at the front of the peloton.
• Stage 3 (Pan-flat)
After a disappointing stage 2, RSA AIRWAYS tried to get Hayman into the day’s breakaway but he tried at the wrong juncture and missed out on the 4 man move. Having endured difficulties yesterday, RSA AIRWAYS played a risky strategy and let other teams do all the pacemaking to bring back the escapees. Thankfully, Katusha and Astana obliged, but the high pace and savage crosswinds ripped the field apart and RSA AIRWAYS saw their leader lose time and the GC lead. Davis (Astana) took the stage win with ease. Westra moves into 6th in the GC but that could not disguise a disastrous day for the team.
• Stage 4 (Pan-flat)
13 riders made up the day’s breakaway and unsurprisingly it was left up to Astana to bring them back before the finish. Once again it was worth their effort as Davis (Astana) took the sprint victory and maintained his GC lead. RSA AIRWAYS simply couldn’t get their leadout train to be effective and Sagan trailed home a long way back in 10th.
• Stage 5 (Pan-flat)
4 men escaped for the day and as expected, Astana once again were left to control the race. Once again with the pace and crosswinds high, Astana split the peloton into a number of stricken groups. Only 21 riders survived and Davis (Astana) cruised to the easiest of wins, with leadout man Vaitkus (Astana) in 2nd. Unfortunately, all of the RSA AIRWAYS riders were in the second group on the road. Davis (Astana) strengthens his GC lead.
• Stage 6 (Pan-flat)
With spirits in the RSA AIRWAYS camp pretty low, the team geared up for one last effort to turn their fortunes around and salvage some pride in the sprint. The pattern followed that of the previous 2 stages, with Astana chasing a 10 man breakaway. For about the first time on the tour, RSA AIRWAYS were able to organise a leadout train at the head of the race, but they soon got swamped and typical of the race so far, Sagan trailed home a miserable 12th behind stage winner Guarnieri (Liquigas). Davis (Astana) finished 2nd on the stage and deservedly won the overall GC.
Directeur Sportif comments:
After such a promising start with the prologue, the 2011 Tour of Qatar is not one RSA AIRWAYS will look back upon fondly. Throughout the road stages, RSA AIRWAYS simply lacked the race craft and general energy to compete with the best teams and their sprinters. The top tour teams hung tough and RSA AIRWAYS on this occasion simply didn’t. Hopefully lessons will be learned and the riders will recover and come out stronger for their next outings wherever they may be.
