Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!

For the some of you that may know me from the Girobio then you won't need to read the next piece I am writing but for those of you who Iam a new name to here is a little piece about myself.

I am twenty years old and I currently ride for Argos-Shimano where I will lead in some stage races as the team is focused around sprinters - Marcel Kittel in particular. I will also be expected to occasionally help where I can for Kittel in the lead out trains.

I am a stage racer who excels on long, drawn-out climbs as that is where I can show my skills. On the sharp climbs I have the power but not the acceleration for them so I will likely never be as good as Gilbert or Rodriguez is now. I can probably be one of the best climbers in the world with the right training and some mentoring but that will probably not come at Argos-Shimano unless they sign a big name climber.

This season will be one to build experience up for myself, I will lead the team in quite a few races although I'm not sure which ones yet. The experience of leading a team is great but then, so is the pressure. The team should be able to get promoted, especially with the extra firepower in stage races I will bring. I think the team should be aiming to be the highest ranked PCT team in the superprestige rankings.

Although this is a bit off topic I will be keeping a photo gallery for important moments in my career and I hope I will get a lot of them! Unfortunately my achievements in the Girobio were not photographed so I will have to wait for something significant to happen (i.e. my first win) before I am able to put something there.

My schedule is not yet decided but I am probably going to take part in a lot of minor stage races and a grand tour (hopefully the Tour de France where I would ride alongside the very best!) if I'm lucky and I impress the manager. I'll have to work very hard to have that kind of honour though as it is the biggest race in the world and it is my dream to win it one day!

Overall I am the best stage racer on the team and second best climber. I am a diesel engine uphill and tend to keep a consistent pace, I can't usually handle very hard accelerations but I can keep a very steady rhythm which is hard to follow already for the non-climbers. I am an efficient climber but not really an explosive one, every climb to me is just a long time trial and I try to imagine no one else is there so I can focus properly. I do get a little nervous if I see a rider get out of the saddle and shoot ahead of me and that can ruin my pace and has done in numerous U23 races.

The Girobio 2011 was my breakthrough race however and I managed to win it comfortably. I was the calmest out of everyone there and was too strong for most people and those I did not drop on the climbs were finished in the time trials. I was one of the youngest riders then so i guess on the first mountain stage people weren't ready for me to be able to stay with the best and then drop them on the final climb. I should recap that stage as it was one of my best victories to date.

There were two major climbs, the first one the favourites for victory hit the front on and soon I saw lots of riders falling off the pace. The group soon was that of 19 of the best riders - and me. I hung near the back as I didn't want my opposition to know I'd held on. Halfway up that climb I saw the race leader begin to fold up and retreat to the back. I knew this was my chance. I pulled myself to the front and made the pace even higher and the race leader cracked. I pulled off, satisfied with my efforts and I was sure I could win the stage if I just stayed calm.

The descent started and the race leader began to come close to the leading group again but he didn't have it in him. On the final climb five riders attacked isolating me and the now struggling and shrinking group of eight. I then rode to the front of the group and slowly but surely began to reel in the five riders. I had no help from anyone though, they were all exhausted after a kilometre I had dropped all of them. I was isolated against five riders but my legs felt extremely good.

I then had them in sight with two kilometres to go. Then it was the final kilometre and I was all alone, I'd ridden past them with ease and they were all struggling to get on my wheel but I was too far ahead. They'd misjudged their own efforts and were completely out of energy. I had done it and I raised my hands as I crossed the finishing line.

Palmares

2012

Welcome to the presentation of Team Argos-Shimano for the 2012 season. We really only have two leaders and the rest of the opportunities will come to the large number of stronger riders we have. We should be the strongest sprint team in the Pro Continental Division and with new signing latest Girobio winner Fabian Eichel we can aim for thje top ten in minor stage races.

The Leaders

Argos
***** 1st Vatenfall Cyclassics - Realism 7.5/10
***** Gp Ouest France Plouay - Realism 5/10
**** 1st Points Classification Tour de France - Realism 7/10
**** 1st Paris-Tours - Realism 8/10
*** Stage Win Criterium du Dauphine - Realism 9/10
*** Stage Win Paris-Nice - Realism 9.5/10
** Top 3 Criterium International - Realism 6/10
** Top 10 Amstel Gold Race - Realism 4/10
* Stage Win 4 Jours de Dunkerque - Realism 10/10
* Stage Win Ronde Van Zeeland Seaports - Realism 10/10

Shimano
***** 1st De Brabantse Pijl - La Fleche Brabanconne - Realism 7/10
**** Top 10 La Fleche Wallonne - Realism 3/10
*** Stage Win Eneco Tour - Realism 9/10
** Stage Wins Tour de Belgique - Ronde van Belgie - Realism 10/10
* Stage Win Tour de Wallonnie - Realism 10/10

***** First Professional Victory - Realism 9/10
**** Win a Stage Race - Realism 7/10
*** Be part of a winning lead out train - Realism 8.5/10
** Be part of the teams Tour de France squad (if we get a wildcard) - Realism 7/10
* Top 10 in World Tour Stage Race - Realism 5/10

francopell wrote:
@Froomedog99 Thanks

@Jakstar22 PCMCL is still my number one priority and I won't be reporting this until I have played the stage of the PCMCL

@Ian Butler Thanks, glad you like it

I'd get my chances here today. I was a free element and we'd brought Degenkolb as when he got down to it he was a decent climber up the hills. I knew that I could perhaps win from a breakaway so I tried to attack from the start. Unfortunately I was starting right at the very back of the peloton so it was a fight to get to the front of the peloton! I was out of energy by the time I'd managed to get to the front of the peloton but with the start on a tricky hill I might've been able to stay away...


Climbing in France. the first climb of the day was very steep and it took me by surprise.

After dealing with a few attacks I was feeling my legs begin to tire. But I also knew that I was in good form and good try for a long range podium...

I then heard something from the manager that threatened to jeopardise the season on the whole:

"John is down and out. He's not looking very good. I'll tell you guys more when I've heard from the physio. Change of plan, Fabian, try and get as much time as possible."

This was bad news but I had to do my job...

I was trying to establish the break of the day with a Europcar rider but the peloton was not on my side. I was really annoyed but I couldn't do anything about it. I wasn't going to surrender but it certainly looked bad for me and Bouyer.


I'm not a threat but people are still a bit afraid of me. Good sign?

Two more riders bridged the gap and began to help.


Surely now the gap will grow bigger than at least one minute?


A growing gap, five riders and 90km. Maybe, just maybe, we can do this...

60km now. I was the strongest climber of the group and was towing everyone. I didn't know what to do, if I rode harder they'd crack, if I stayed at my current pace the peloton would catch me.


A dilemma...

I chose to do what I did best and churn out a pace. If I went too slow the peloton would catch us and the race would be a disaster.


Picture in numbers. 20km to go, minute and a half gap, five riders vs a peloton of 173. One hill and one downhill remaining. Game on!

Then another german came along. Everyone's favourite German, Jens Voigt. Maybe if I didn't win he could keep the win in Germany...


Voigt had bridged the gap!

We'd been caught and Voigt then launched another attack...



I wasn't dead yet as I tried to get away again.


Me at the front of the race


Bye bye victory...

Managers comment

That... was awful. Fabian had a chance to come in the top ten even when he was reeled in but he ruined it through attacks. Had he not attacked he could've won here. The early attack was good but he got nervous and reacted to other attacks near the end. He will only ever be able to ride his own pace but he didn't do that today.

Stage Rankings