Hi guys, this is my first story so any feedback is more than welcome! I've already done most of Jan so the details for the first few stages will be from memory...
In order to promote the dual passions of British cycling and comic books, UK comic book store Travelling Man has assigned Rory Walker as their new manager.
The team starts off with an entirely British and very young squad. Almost all the riders are under 25. The eldest is 27. In future at least 50% of the squad must be British at all times but as close to 100% as possible is the aim of the team.
The team's headline riders are Chris Froome, coming off a great performance in the Vuelta last year, Geraint Thomas, a very solid all around rider and time trial expert, and Ben Swift, the team's lead sprinter. The top prospects among the younger riders include climber Peter Kennaugh, and sprinters Adam Blythe and Andrew Fenn.
The aims for the first year are to train up the younger riders, get the whole team plenty of experience and strive for promotion to the Pro Tour if possible. The first job for the new manager was to apply for wildcards and request invitations for the many races the sponsors are looking for good results at. Fortunately, permission was granted for the team to take part in the Santos Tour Down Under, and our season will start there!
Edited by Rory426 on 07-06-2012 10:57
Before Travelling Man get their season underway, we have our preseason meeting to discuss the sponsor's expectations and how we can best achieve them.
The sponsors top aims are to achieve various things in the 3 grand tours. They would like to win the King of the Mountains in the Tour de France, place in the Top 5 in the Giro d'Italia and grab a stage win in the Vuelta a Espana.
The initial reaction to this news was that this would be a real challenge, but not an impossible task. If we put all the efforts of one of our climbers like Peter Kennaugh or Jonathan Tiernan-Locke into the climbs on the Tour, they could have a decent shot at getting their hands on the jersey from all the early climbs. The top mountain finishes might be beyond them though.
Peter Kennaugh
It was also immediately decided that Chris Froome should be the one to challenge for the top 5 in the Giro, as he looks to be the only rider capable of such a feat. His ability in the mountains and time trials make him a GC contender.
Chris Froome
The best chance of grabbing a stage win at the Vuelta would probably come from time-triallist Geraint Thomas or sprinter Ben Swift, but that aim seems a little easier. With good planning we should be able to target a stage early and get a win.
The biggest obstacle to these, and many of the other goals are two-fold. Firstly, there are several classics that the sponsors would like us to place in the top 3-10 at. This will be a challenge due to our lack of classics riders. British riders tend not to be suited to these long cobbled stages, for whatever reason. They also tend to be dominated by a handful of top riders like Tom Boonen, Juan Antonio Flecha, Phillipe Gilbert etc.
The second problem is getting to the startline of these races in the first place. Being a Continental Tour team, we will have to apply for wild cards for all of the Pro Tour races. As a result, an emphasis was placed on getting some results early in the season to build our reputation, get us near the top of the league tables and help us get those wild card spots. Applications were sent in for wild cards or invites to all the Pro Tour and other races our sponsors were targeting.
Good news came in quickly, as Travelling Man were granted a wild card for the Santos Tour Down Under. The British team packed their bags for Australia with the sponsor's objective of winning the sprinter's jersey there in mind. Those who looked closely at the aims will have noticed I've already ridden the first 4 stages and the rider currently attempting to grab the jersey is named on the picture.
Before Travelling Man get their season underway, we have our preseason meeting to discuss the sponsor's expectations and how we can best achieve them.
The sponsors top aims are to achieve various things in the 3 grand tours. They would like to win the King of the Mountains in the Tour de France, place in the Top 5 in the Giro d'Italia and grab a stage win in the Vuelta a Espana.
The initial reaction to this news was that this would be a real challenge, but not an impossible task. If we put all the efforts of one of our climbers like Peter Kennaugh or Jonathan Tiernan-Locke into the climbs on the Tour, they could have a decent shot at getting their hands on the jersey from all the early climbs. The top mountain finishes might be beyond them though.
If you ask me, I wouldn't bother trying to achieve those goals. Sure some of them might be achievable but most are highly unrealistic and in my eyes would make for a less interesting story, Maybe try an easier goal like win Tour of Britain, or maybe top-10 Ronde van Vlaanderen with Geraint Thomas if you're more adventurous.
Teddy The Creator wrote:
If you ask me, I wouldn't bother trying to achieve those goals. Sure some of them might be achievable but most are highly unrealistic and in my eyes would make for a less interesting story, Maybe try an easier goal like win Tour of Britain, or maybe top-10 Ronde van Vlaanderen with Geraint Thomas if you're more adventurous.
It's up to you though, so good luck.!
I agree. The Tour of Britain is a little further down the list there but we will be attacking that race with all we've got! Geraint will be the man for the classics for sure. I'm going to try to achieve the goals set our by the sponsor, but the 5* aims certainly seem a little over the top. Chances our the wild card situation will stop us doing several of them too, but it's not too unrealistic to expect big things from Chris Froome at one Grand Tour, I think.
Teddy The Creator wrote:
If you ask me, I wouldn't bother trying to achieve those goals. Sure some of them might be achievable but most are highly unrealistic and in my eyes would make for a less interesting story, Maybe try an easier goal like win Tour of Britain, or maybe top-10 Ronde van Vlaanderen with Geraint Thomas if you're more adventurous.
It's up to you though, so good luck.!
I agree. The Tour of Britain is a little further down the list there but we will be attacking that race with all we've got! Geraint will be the man for the classics for sure. I'm going to try to achieve the goals set our by the sponsor, but the 5* aims certainly seem a little over the top. Chances our the wild card situation will stop us doing several of them too, but it's not too unrealistic to expect big things from Chris Froome at one Grand Tour, I think.
Yeah I understand that, I just don't think it's realistic for a team like yours to get a wildcard to more than one GT, or more than 2 or 3 monuments.
Teddy The Creator wrote:
Yeah I understand that, I just don't think it's realistic for a team like yours to get a wildcard to more than one GT, or more than 2 or 3 monuments.
I agree. Hopefully the game will prove to be realistic by itself, or perhaps I may not apply to take part in more than one, having a squad such as this. I'm tempted to attack the Giro, however, because it would be a great challenge for the team to get behind Froome.
Ben Swift (Leader)
Adam Blythe
Matt Cronshaw
Alex Dowsett
Andrew Fenn
Chris Opie
Luke Rowe
Stage 1
With the points jersey the aim for the team, we decided upon a two-pronged attack as we try to make a name for ourselves on our first big Pro Tour race. In the Tour Down Under the finish is worth 8 points, and we will attack that with our main sprinter Ben Swift. However, this is a pretty low points score for a finish, and the 6,4,2 scoring for the top 3 at the intermediate sprints presents a possibly even better opportunity to win the sprint jersey.
On Stage 1, we attempted to get some of our other sprinters in the break to get those intermediate points. Matt Cronshaw's break was reeled in but Andrew Fenn managed to get in the break that stuck. He was out-sprinted at the first intermediate, getting 2nd and 4 points behind Elia Viviani, but won the next sprint to give him a tally of 10 points.
With 4km to go, the break was finally caught and the main sprinters took over. Fenn tried his best to hold Mark Cavendish's wheel and steal some more points but he faded away quickly. Ben Swift was glued to Alessandro Petacchi's wheel as the Travelling Man leadout had fallen apart. Petacchi won the stage going away, almost creating a time gap to some of the field, but Swifty gave his all and managed to use Petacchi's sprint well to grab 2nd place, ahead of Haussler, Farrar and Cavendish. Farrar was easily the fastest on the day however, but his Garmin-Barracuda team train had too many other sprinters. Once Robbie Hunter had pulled off to release Heinrich Haussler there wasn't time for Farrar to come out of his wheel from so far back. The Australian convert Haussler grabbed 3rd on "home soil".
In an unexpected twist, Andrew Fenn was also 2nd over the stage's climb, and took 12 points behind Aussie Ben Day who took the full 16 as the only man to attack the climb. It was decided that the aim for the rest of the tour should be to get Fenn in the break every day, try to take those intermediate sprints and make a small effort on each climb as a backup plan. It's quite possible he could find himself in control of both competitions if the fellow escapees each day are different.
Stage Result
Stage 2
On stage 2, a much more hilly stage with an uphill finish, the intermediate sprints were early on as was the day's only recognised climb despite the uphill conclusion. Andrew Fenn extended his points lead at the intermediates and on the climb, with no real sprinters of note in the break.
The finale to the stage didn't really suit leader Ben Swift so we put our fate in the hands of Luke Rowe, who has decent abilities on climbs and in acceleration. He attacked at the base of the final climb but was soon engulfed by an uphill sprint featuring many of the race's top climbers. Roman Kreuziger, Levi Leipheimer, Linus Gerdemann and Jens Voigt were first to pass, but a 2nd wave of riders came with 2km to go and it was Vaconsoleil's Bjorn Leukemans who claimed the stage while Rowe faded and Travelling Man struggled up the climb to finish in the peloton and avoid losing time. Heinrich Haussler was in the mix again, claiming 4th on the challenging finish to move closer to Petacchi on the GC.
Stage Result
Stage 3
The 3rd stage was somewhat reminiscent of the 1st, with a similar outcome. The day's break contained Andrew Fenn for Travelling Man as he tried to extend his sprint points and climbers points leads. However, Liquigas sprinter Elia Viviani was a thorn in his side once again, beating him to the first sprint and limiting the days spoils to 10 of a possible 12 points. Viviani faded from the break after a mechanical on a small descent between the two intermediates and ended the day with just another 6 points to double his tally from Stage 1. It is now becoming clear that the sprint jersey is Fenn's to lose, as is the climbing competition in which his lead is nothing short of dominant, as nobody else seems even remotely interested. Simply placing himself at the head of the group at the top of the climbs is enough to win the points without a sprint.
As the stage came to the end, again Travelling Man's leadout attempt fell apart and our sprinters were forced to grab a wheel where they could. This time, however Garmin-Barracuda's leadout train was shorter but more effective as Robbie Hunter was nowhere to be seen, losing ground on a short climb inside the last 10km. Haussler again played leadout man for Tyler Farrar, but this time their timing was impeccable and the American Farrar took the stage win. Haussler even managed to hang on to 2nd ahead of Petacchi to close still closer on the Italian. Unfortunately the Travelling Man collapse was irrepairable and nobody made the top 10. The only British presence was Team Sky's Mark Cavendish who will no doubt but upset with another 5th place.
Stage Result
Stage 4
Another breakaway for Fenn with largely un-contested sprints, and another mass sprint at the finish. The large climb with 23km to go saw Tyler Farrar and Mark Cavendish drop off the back as Lampre set the pace. Both would regroup but be unable to contest the finish.
That put Haussler in the drivers seat at the back of the Garmin-Barracuda leadout train and it was his wheel that Ben Swift took, as Travelling Man didn't even attempt to make a competing leadout this time. Sep Vanmarcke led out Heinrich Haussler in the absence of Hunter and Farrar, while for Lampre it was Grega Bole ahead of Alessandro Petacchi at the head of the competing train. The lead switched from Vanmarcke to Bole with around 2km left and Petacchi looked set to extend his slender lead over Haussler as he sprung out of Bole's shadow. Vanmarcke faded badly and Haussler had to react quickly to Petacchi's sprint but react he did and he soared past everybody to take a home win for Australia! That brought him level with Petacchi's time and gave him the lead in the GC based on his better finishes. Just behind the duel, our own Ben Swift nabbed his 2nd podium of the race with a 3rd place finish.
Stage Result
That brings us up to date with how far through I am. Hopefully the future updates will look better as I'm better prepared and take better screenshots!
Next time... Just two stages remain in the Santos Tour Down Under...
Thick and fast with the updates while I've time on my hands!
Santos Tour Down Under - Stage 5
Stage 5 was a gamebreaker for the Tour Down Under 2012. It was also an eventful but ultimately disappointing day for Travelling Man.
The course was a tricky one with two trips up Old Willunga Hill, with gradients of up to 12.9% on the climb. With no climbers in the squad, we were expecting to hang in there but no more.
The Course
Early on, several Travelling Man riders tried to get in a breakaway. Andrew Fenn got in a group with Sandy Casar early on but that was pulled back. Adam Blythe and Sky's Mark Cavendish were in a second group with the same fate and a large third breakaway that Alex Dowsett was a part of also failed.
That meant that the group was all together through the first sprint point, where Andrew Fenn took the points uncontested to give himself a practically unassailable lead in the points competition, which should make the sponsors happy.
Luke Rowe then got himself into the next break, which contained some strong riders including one of the favourites for the day, Levi Leipheimer. However, that group split and Rowe was caught on the first trip to the top of Old Willunga Hill.
Over the next few kms on top of and coming back down Willunga Hill, some large gaps emerged in the pack and most of our riders were caught on the wrong side of them as they struggled to maintain position in the peloton. Rowe fought to stay in the top group but slipped off the back just as the decisive move was made by wiley German veteran Jens Voigt.
Jens ended up taking the stage for RadioShack-Nissan and gapped the rest of the riders to take a 6 second lead in the GC from Heinrich Haussler. The entire Travelling Man team finished in a group 2'39" back, meaning Ben Swift had to surrender his lead in the Young Riders competition.
On the bright side, Andrew Fenn leads Heinrich Haussler in the points competition with 36 points to Haussler's 18. With Haussler probably more focussed on gettine the stage win and the time bonus that comes with it tomorrow, we aim to get Fenn through tomorrow safe and take that jersey home! Swifty will be on the lookout for a good result in the finale too.
Next time... The Santos Tour Down Under concludes with Stage 6!
Santos Tour Down Under - Stage 6 – The Dramatic Finale!
There was high drama on the 6th and final stage of the Santos Tour Down Under! During the morning meeting Travelling Man decided that Ben Swift and Adam Blythe, as the two best sprinters in the squad, had the best chance of winning the stage, which was a criterium-style street circuit round Adelaide with only one very short incline of very little importance.
With Andrew Fenn having sown up the sprint points and climbers jerseys, he was held back from the breaks to form a leadout for Ben Swift, so in the early part of the race it was Mark Cronshaw who got in the early break, but that was pulled back at the halfway mark, with only BMC’s Danilo Wyss remaining out in front.
Wyss was finally reeled in with 15km to go and the sprint trains started to form. Heinrich Haussler, Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish were all in attendance. Ben Swift battled to find Haussler or Petacchi’s wheel, while Alex Dowsett and Andrew Fenn drove the Travelling Man train forward to release Adam Blythe.
There was a slightly surprising move as the race leader Jens Voigt pushed forward on the wheel of teammate Maxime Monfort to contest the sprint in an attempt to keep the lead of the race. Ben Swift saw the opportunity to tag along with that excellent leadout and took to Voigt’s wheel.
Travelling Man’s first move was an attack by Luke Rowe just outside the 3km mark, and he led the race around the final corner, as teammate Adam Blythe decided to try to take the superior sprinters by surprise by starting his sprint first. Suddenly, bodies were hitting the ground on the inside of the last corner!
Maxime Monfort had fallen right in front of Jens Voigt and they’d both hit the deck, slowing the field behind right down, and taking out Travelling Man’s Ben Swift and Alex Dowsett down too. Monfort, Swift and Dowsett would later get up and finish with no time loss but, while Voigt was first to his feet, he would not get back on his bike and finish the stage. He surrendered the lead of the race to Haussler!
As those that had avoided the crash went under the flame rouge, Adam Blythe was racing away from the shocked bunch, passing teammate Luke Rowe and looking over his shoulder to see Tyler Farrar and Alessandro Petacchi amongst his pursuers.
With just 250m to go, Blythe began to fade fast, and the pink and blue of Lampre’s Petacchi was cutting through his shadow.
Petacchi came blasting past Blythe at the line!
But Adam Blythe had done just enough! He claims Travelling Man Pro Cycling Team’s first ever stage win!
With 2nd place, Alessandro Petacchi got the time bonus he needed to win the Tour Down Under, 6 seconds ahead of Heinrich Haussler who finished 10th in the stage. Jens Voigt was forced to withdraw from the race with just 1,500m of the 6 stage race ahead of him due to his injuries. Travelling Man’s Andrew Fenn met our sponsor’s aim of winning the sprinters jersey and got the climbers jersey too as a bonus. Team Argos-Shimano’s John Degenkolb won the young rider’s jersey, and Lampre-ISD were the top team.
Reflecting on the Tour Down Under
Safely back on the team bus with no injuries sustained in the crash besides some grazes and bruises, Travelling Man manager Rory Walker reflected on his team’s performance in the Tour Down Under.
“We’re absolutely delighted with our performance here in our first ever stage race. Being a Continental Tour team, getting a wild card to this race, it was important for us to make a mark on this race and prove we deserved to be here. Our sponsors wanted us to challenge for the points jersey so Andrew’s performance, grabbing both that and the climbers’ jersey is a great achievement for us. To top it off, we managed to come away with two podiums from Swifty and a fantastic stage win from Adam today. It was a risky strategy going from that far out but we got a bit of luck with the holdup behind the crash, but he did brilliantly to grit his teeth and grind out the win at the line there. For a second I thought Petacchi had stolen it at the line but Adam’s held on. I couldn’t be happier, the team have been spectacular for the last 6 days and they can fly home happy. Now I have to regroup with the squad and we start the Tour de San Luis tomorrow!
Next time... The Tour de San Luis! Can Travelling Man follow up their success Down Under with a good points haul for the Continental Tour league table?
