So this is my first story I have ever attempted, so apologies if it's not up to scratch
Please, by all means, if you would like to provide a comment or tell me how I could do this better please do. Feedback is always great!!!
So let’s begin
Team Name: Commonwealths Elite
Tour: Continental
Database: PCM Daily
Level: Normal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a warm and barmy English summer’s night, Prince William and his fiancé Kate Middleton were suppering on the veranda on Buckingham Palace. The couple were deep into wedding plan discussions, but his loyal partner felt there was something was amiss and his heart not into the current conversation.
Kate decided that a confrontation was in order to ensure that he was happy with the engagement so their big day would go smoothly. The question was asked, but the response was somewhat of a surprise.
William knew that the empire he was to inherit was shrinking, and the general feeling in the countries of the Commonwealth was that the Royal family was becoming stagnant and redundant. William knew that to keep the house of Windsor alive he needed to be in the public domain.
For hours they pondered the question, how can they ensure that the Monarchy survives? And how can they strengthen relationships with the international community as a whole?
It was getting quite late and the servants were due to change, when suddenly the sound of a bicycles bell drifted across the forecourt, and that's where Prince William got his idea
The Prince, being the quick witted bloke that he was, saw an opening that he never considered before. Cycling.
He researched the sport and saw a huge opportunity to be able to take his message to the people, what better way to promote the Monarchy than support a brand that visits multiple countries through the world of sport
William decided that this was his best option and set about forming a team, The Commonwealths Elite. A team that's made from cyclists of the Commonwealth who will represent him and the house of Windsor with pride and honour
William decided to sent the word, he began in his Native England
A short time after, news was sent to each and every corner of the Commonwealth, to which the Prince waited anxiously
The summer soon drifted into the a traditional cold and crisp winter, as not a single enquiry was fielded, William began to wonder if his project would ever get off the ground
December rolled in, and by this time Prince William began to waiver, not a single rider signed, not a single enquiry. All was lost. On the 10th December 2010, William decided enough was enough, but little did he know the following day he luck was about to change
Word had spread to the land of Australia about the project, to which several riders were in keen, on the 11th December, The Commonwealths Elite signed their first rider
Cadel Evans
[spoiler]
Cadel was a proud Australian and believed in the monarchy, he had wanted to sign but injury had forced him to rest as he was unsure of the outlook for next season. Cadel was given the all clear, and was the first to sign. This opened the flood gates
A few hours after the press release, their second major rider signed. Ryder Hesjedal
Spoiler
Ryder, wanting to raise the profile of his great country, knew this was a great opportunity to get more exposure for the land that he loved. Ryder was keen to begin this new chapter of his new life, and looked forward to seeing what the plans for the year are
As there was a Canadian and an Australian, the Prince knew that he needed someone from his homeland, so when he announced his next signing, he did with some excitement
Bradley Wiggins
Spoiler
The Prince and Bradley had met a couple of time before, and took a keen interest in Brads career. Brad had always intended to sign, but he needed to buy out his old contract, which he did a day ago. Brad knew that the weight of his country was firmly on his shoulders, but he was ready to deal with it
Now having three major commonwealth countries involved, the next signing was somewhat of a surprise
Jack Bauer
Spoiler
Jack is a proud Kiwi, and felt that this was an opportunity to raise the profile of his country also. Jack knew that he would not be a leader for the project, but was willing to give whatever he could to make sure that the team was successful
William had decided to save the rest of his squad announcement until Christmas eve, where he could finalise the details and arrange shirt sponsors
Christmas eve soon came, and once again the Prince, true to his word began to release the next phase of the project
The first major news was that QANTAS had signed on to be the squads official shirt sponsor, and therefore will wear a special shirt for them
The next news was the announcement of two quality sprinters
Ben Swift and Matt Goss
Spoiler
Spoiler
Both were excited to join such a team, and could not wait to represent the team in competitive races
Christmas passed and the New Year was fast approaching. Although the Prince had he team, the remainder was yet to be announced. So on New Year’s Eve, the Prince decided the official launch party would take place, complete with full squad members
Cars arrived at Buckingham Palace as the party began to get into swing. A few hours before Midnight, William took to the stage, he first brought out the announced riders for the year, but the crowd was looking forward to seeing who was joining them
The Prince announced he would do this by country
Oh Canada began to play as the curtain lifted to reveal those members, standing there were
David and Eric Boily, Rob Britton and Christian Meier
As soon as that anthem finished, Advance Australia Fair began to ring out in the hall. Cadel, being the proud Australian began to lead out his train
Richie Porte, Mitchell Docker, Jack Bobridge, Cameron Meyer, Leigh Howard and James Williamson
Just as the crowd stopped clapping, ad odd national anthem came chiming in, My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy. Striding in with a smile came Rein Taaramae. The Prince grabbed the mic to explain that he was looking to get ties within the Baltic States and to get Rein to sign was a massive coup
William explained that the team would be ready at the start of year, and the first priority was to get a wildcard to the Tour Down Under, but nothing more
The Prince advised that he will release the team goals and targets before the first race of the season, but until then, he ordered his team to enjoy the night, because there was a long and hard season that they well all about to embark on
@dienblad. At least I know one person will be following, I hope you enjoy it
Two things,
Firstly: The way I'm presenting my story, does this work?
Second: How do I do those screenies in the scroll box? (hope that makes sense)
Anyways thanks for reading, and here is the next part, and please forgive the pink boxes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1st 2011
Official Press Conference for The Commonwealth Elite
"Ladies and gentleman of the associated press, His Royal Highness Prince William and distinguished guests, this conference is to outline The Commonwealths Elites schedule for the month of January, release the squads that will compete, announce a new team signing and to advise of the goals for the current year.
Firstly we are delighted to announce the signing of Trent Lowe to the team, we know that Trent will be a valuable asset for our leaders this coming season
Now as you’re properly aware, the season starts with the Australian Championships road race followed by the individual time trial. We are pleased to announce the following will compete. For the ....”
Spoiler
“Mitchell Docker, Leigh Howard, Trent Lowe and the leader Cameron Meyer”
Spoiler
“Cameron has assured us that he is fully ready to lead the team in the championships, and has targeted a top 5 finish. We fully believe that this is achievable and look forward to a great result.
We will also be competing in the Time Trial race
Australian TT
Spoiler
After careful discussions, we have decided to just send the one competitor for this year’s edition, and that rider will be Richie Porte”
Spoiler
Richie himself has advised he wants to win this race, so we have decided that we will not be sending any rivals. We believe, as a team, are sending the best person and hope for a great ride’
Mumbling of the media can be heard, as the slides move of the projector and new ones begin
“Our first official race of the year, as a team, will be in the
As long as our request for an invitation is accepted. Now as you’re aware, there has been recent history between Argentina and Great Britain as early as the 1980s, Prince William sees this as a fantastic chance to heal any wounds between Argentina and Great Britain and her empire.
As such, the Prince has personally asked for the following riders to participate.
Our leader will be Bradley Wiggins
Spoiler
And supporting Bradley will be, Christian Meier, David Boily, Jack Bobridge, Peter Kennaugh, Nicholas Sanderson and James Williamson.
The Prince, in consultation with Bradley agrees that a podium finish is a must on this tour. The support riders fully understand the importance of this race and will be assisting in making this goal a reality. It has been decided that additional accolades are not going to be targeted but would be greatly accepted should these happen’
The photos once again disappear and are replaced with the next target
“Now, part of the teams goals over this coming season is to be competitive in all races raced in a Commonwealth country, and as such are hoping once again that our request for a wildcard for the
Is accepted. The squad for the Tour Down Under has been selected and is hoped, that a top 10 placing is achieved in the race. We have selected the following to compete over the 6 stages.
Matthew Goss will be the leader
Spoiler
And supported by, Adam Blythe, Cameron Meyer, Leigh Howard, James Williamson, Trent Lowe and Thomas Faiers. Along with a top 10 finish, we believe that a podium finish in at least one stage is achievable.
A question is asked why Cadel Evans has not been selected for his home race
“ Cadel and the team have set out a specific schedule for races he will participate in, as much as he wanted to compete in his home race he felt that the team selected, not only has a great chance, but also wants to focus on races later in the year”
A new picture of the next race flicks up
“Our final race of the month will be in the
Now it may surprise a few that we have such a busy January, but in the month of March, we intend to have minimal activity and have a break to freshen up for the following months. As for the race itself, one of our riders requested that we enter
Ryder Hesjedal
Spoiler
Ryder indicated he would like to use this race as a warm up for the coming months and sees this as an ideal race to gain some fitness into, not only himself, but also some of the support riders as this is a short race.
There is no real expectation for the race as we regard this as nothing more than a freshen up, however, Ryder also advised he feels that needs to repay the request and therefore has targeted a top 5 finish. Ryders support for the Giro della Calabria will be, Eric Boily, Jack Bauer, Peter Kennaugh, Mitchell Docker, Jesse Sergent and Rob Britton.
We wish all of our athletes a prosperous journey and a safe return, and look forward to the next press conference on the 1st February
Edited by Sharky2011 on 28-07-2011 12:41
Sharky2011 wrote:
@dienblad. At least I know one person will be following, I hope you enjoy it
Two things,
Firstly: The way I'm presenting my story, does this work?
Second: How do I do those screenies in the scroll box? (hope that makes sense)
Anyways thanks for reading, and here is the next part, and please forgive the pink boxes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1st 2011
Official Press Conference for The Commonwealth Elite
"Ladies and gentleman of the associated press, His Royal Highness Prince William and distinguished guests, this conference is to outline The Commonwealths Elites schedule for the month of January, release the squads that will compete, announce a new team signing and to advise of the goals for the current year.
Firstly we are delighted to announce the signing of Trent Lowe to the team, we know that Trent will be a valuable asset for our leaders this coming season
Now as you’re properly aware, the season starts with the Australian Championships road race followed by the individual time trial. We are pleased to announce the following will compete. For the ....”
Spoiler
“Mitchell Docker, Leigh Howard, Trent Lowe and the leader Cameron Meyer”
Spoiler
“Cameron has assured us that he is fully ready to lead the team in the championships, and has targeted a top 5 finish. We fully believe that this is achievable and look forward to a great result.
We will also be competing in the Time Trial race
Australian TT
Spoiler
After careful discussions, we have decided to just send the one competitor for this year’s edition, and that rider will be Richie Porte”
Spoiler
Richie himself has advised he wants to win this race, so we have decided that we will not be sending any rivals. We believe, as a team, are sending the best person and hope for a great ride’
Mumbling of the media can be heard, as the slides move of the projector and new ones begin
“Our first official race of the year, as a team, will be in the
As long as our request for an invitation is accepted. Now as you’re aware, there has been recent history between Argentina and Great Britain as early as the 1980s, Prince William sees this as a fantastic chance to heal any wounds between Argentina and Great Britain and her empire.
As such, the Prince has personally asked for the following riders to participate.
Our leader will be Bradley Wiggins
Spoiler
And supporting Bradley will be, Christian Meier, David Boily, Jack Bobridge, Peter Kennaugh, Nicholas Sanderson and James Williamson.
The Prince, in consultation with Bradley agrees that a podium finish is a must on this tour. The support riders fully understand the importance of this race and will be assisting in making this goal a reality. It has been decided that additional accolades are not going to be targeted but would be greatly accepted should these happen’
The photos once again disappear and are replaced with the next target
“Now, part of the teams goals over this coming season is to be competitive in all races raced in a Commonwealth country, and as such are hoping once again that our request for a wildcard for the
Is accepted. The squad for the Tour Down Under has been selected and is hoped, that a top 10 placing is achieved in the race. We have selected the following to compete over the 6 stages.
Matthew Goss will be the leader
Spoiler
And supported by, Adam Blythe, Cameron Meyer, Leigh Howard, James Williamson, Trent Lowe and Thomas Faiers. Along with a top 10 finish, we believe that a podium finish in at least one stage is achievable.
A question is asked why Cadel Evans has not been selected for his home race
“ Cadel and the team have set out a specific schedule for races he will participate in, as much as he wanted to compete in his home race he felt that the team selected, not only has a great chance, but also wants to focus on races later in the year”
A new picture of the next race flicks up
“Our final race of the month will be in the
Now it may surprise a few that we have such a busy January, but in the month of March, we intend to have minimal activity and have a break to freshen up for the following months. As for the race itself, one of our riders requested that we enter
Ryder Hesjedal
Spoiler
Ryder indicated he would like to use this race as a warm up for the coming months and sees this as an ideal race to gain some fitness into, not only himself, but also some of the support riders as this is a short race.
There is no real expectation for the race as we regard this as nothing more than a freshen up, however, Ryder also advised he feels that needs to repay the request and therefore has targeted a top 5 finish. Ryders support for the Giro della Calabria will be, Eric Boily, Jack Bauer, Peter Kennaugh, Mitchell Docker, Jesse Sergent and Rob Britton.
We wish all of our athletes a prosperous journey and a safe return, and look forward to the next press conference on the 1st February
Wow, Hesjedal looks a lot lik Cam Meyer
Anyway, it's a weird start to the story, possibly the only one to include the royal family . Looks interesting though, very similar to my team.
Is there a competition to see how many stories we can get going that include Geraint Thomas! Good Luck.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
@Brewers90 - haha yep thanks for pointing that out, I'll change that tomorrow yeah it is something different compared to the rest. Is this to full on???
@Evann0 - Thanks mate, both for the comment and the imageshack suggestion
Now to the first race of the year, and remember comments and suggestions are most welcome
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9th January 2011
Prince William landed in Melbourne and made his way straight to the National Championships in Geelong to cheer on his newly founded team. The mood was upbeat before the off, as a good result was expected
Spoiler
There were 36 starters for the race
Spoiler
BMC Racing Team
Timothy Roe
Commonwealth Elite
Leigh Howard
Cameron Meyer
Trent Lowe
Mitchell Docker
Endura Racing
Jack Anderson
FDJ
Wesley Sulzberger
HTC - Highroad
Mark Renshaw
Leopard Trek
Stuart O'Grady
William Clarke
Liquigas - Cannondale
Cameron Wurf
Omega Pharma - Lotto
Adam Hansen
Pro Team Astana
Allan Davis
Simon Clarke
PSK Whirlpool - Author
Jakub Vecera
Rabobank Continental Team
Rohan Dennis
Rabobank Cycling Team
Michael Matthews
Graeme Brown
Saxo Bank SunGard
Baden Cooke
David Tanner
Luke Roberts
Sky ProCycling
Simon Gerrans
Michael Rodgers
Matthew Hayman
Team Garmin – Cervélo
Heinrich Haussler
Travis Meyer
Matthew Wilson
Brett Lancaster
Team RadioShack
Robbie McEwen
Team Type 1
Fabio Calabria
Benjamin King
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
Karl Menzies
Jonathan Clarke
Rory Sutherland
Hilton Clarke
Can’t Be Ruled Out
Sulzberger (FDJ) Cooke (SBS) Tanner (SBS)
Hayman (SKY) Docker (QUE) Meyer (QUE)
Wilson (GRM Renshaw (THR)
The first 30 kilometres were largely uneventful, the peloton keeping together and sharing the workload, until the first breakaway of the day
The breakaway riders included
B. King (TT1) D. Tanner (SBS) R. McEwan (RAB)
With the peloton just over a minute behind. There was no urgency within the peloton and were soon swallowed up
With 100 kilometres left to go, Commonwealth Elite sent Leigh Howard to the front of the peloton, and was soon joined by Cameron Wurf. The break to the peloton was 52 seconds
By the time the 20 kilometre flag was passed, Haussler, O’Grady and Travis Meyer had caught Howard and Wurf, and as a group managed to get the gap between the breakaway and chasers to a massive 3 minutes 31 seconds
The peloton tried in vain to chase them down, including a fast chase by Mitchell Docker, but it was no good
At the 1.5 kilometres to go mark, the breakaway had into two groups, Heinrich Haussler and Stuart O’Grady followed by Leigh Howard and Cameron Wurf over a minute behind
The line was getting closer and closer, who would win? Haussler was strong, by O’Grady fought on, it was head and head but
Stuart O’Grady took the honours, from Haussler, but the question was, could Leigh Howard grab an unexpected 3rd place?
Yes he could, a fantastic 3rd place for the Commonwealth Elite, but it was a rather disappointing 14th place for leader Cameron Meyer. Cameron was appalled with his ride, but over the moon for Leigh.
Spoiler
1 Stuart O'Grady Leopard Trek 4h20'51
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Garmin - Cervélo s.t. 3 Leigh Howard Commonwealth Elite + 1'34
4 Cameron Wurf Liquigas - Cannondale s.t.
5 Travis Meyer Team Garmin - Cervélo + 2'21
6 Allan Davis Pro Team Astana + 2'41
7 Michael Matthews Rabobank Cycling Team s.t.
8 Simon Gerrans Sky ProCycling s.t.
9 Michael Rogers Sky ProCycling s.t.
10 Karl Menzies UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling s.t.
11 Simon Clarke Pro Team Astana s.t.
12 Matthew Wilson Team Garmin - Cervélo s.t.
13 Wesley Sulzberger FDJ s.t. 14 Cameron Meyer Commonwealth Elite s.t.
15 Timothy Roe BMC Racing Team s.t.
16 Mark Renshaw HTC - Highroad s.t.
17 Jonathan Clarke UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling s.t.
18 Baden Cooke Saxo Bank SunGard s.t.
19 William Clarke Leopard Trek s.t.
20 Matthew Hayman Sky ProCycling s.t. 21 Trent Lowe Commonwealth Elite s.t.
22 Brett Lancaster Team Garmin - Cervélo s.t.
23 Rory Sutherland UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling s.t.
24 Robbie McEwen Team RadioShack s.t.
25 David Tanner Saxo Bank SunGard s.t.
26 Luke Roberts Saxo Bank SunGard s.t. 27 Mitchell Docker Commonwealth Elite s.t.
28 Graeme Brown Rabobank Cycling Team s.t.
29 Adam Hansen Omega Pharma - Lotto s.t.
30 David Kemp Veranda's Willems - Accent s.t.
31 Jack Anderson Endura Racing s.t.
32 Jakub Vecera PSK Whirlpool - Author s.t.
33 Fabio Calabria Team Type 1 s.t.
34 Hilton Clarke UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling s.t.
35 Benjamin King Team Type 1 s.t.
36 Rohan Dennis Rabobank Continental Team s.t.
The question now tho, can Richie Porte win the Time Trial?
. Looks interesting though, very similar to my team.
