Welcome everybody to my first story I am going to post!
My story is going to be about the Rabobank team. They have a bit of everything, for the grand tours they have Denis Menchov. It also might be that a talent like Robert Gesink or Thomas Dekker is going for a huge result. For the classics I have Juan Antonio Flecha, the always kind Spanian, for the more hilly classics it’s of course Boogie Time, yes, Michael Boogerd. Hopefully he is going for the Triple in the Waalse Pijl, Amstel Gold Race and Luik-Bastenaken-Luik. Amstel Gold Race is also a goal from our sponsor because it is a dutch race probably. And of course for the lot of wins, “I hope!”, it’s up to Oscar Freire. His first goal is in the early Pro Tour season in Milaan-San Remo, I hope he is also going to be good in the Tour de France, a few days of Vuelta and Paris Tours.
My own goals are to win the Pro Tour standings with my team, I would also like it if one rider of my team was at the top of the individual list because it’s always nice to ride in that white jersey. I want to win al the National Championships, it already happened with William Walker who is riding in is white shirt with the yellow and green stripes. All the Dutch races are a goal and of course also the World Championships with Michael Boogerd and Oscar Freire (but I can’t help Oscar at the WC because he is Spanish probably). Maybe at the WC Time Trial Dekker or Posthuma are in for a good result, I would be very glad if one of my riders has a rainbow jersey. In the big tours there are goals from my sponsor, I’ve to end up in the top 5 of both the Tour de France and the Vuelta Espana. At the Giro d’Italia it’s my own goal to get Robert Gesink as far as I can, I’am aiming for an top 15 spot because he is still 20th. I hope my talents are getting better and better, for instance, Sebastiaan Langeveld already won the Tour of Andalusia because of a great escape at the first stage.
We also have great help from riders as Koos Moerenhout and Leon van Bon, who both are going to retire this year. Max van Heeswijk, Pedro Horrillio, Pieter Weening, Theo Eltink and Mathew Hayman are going to support my best riders but I hope for them they have there own success in this season also. Especially for Moerenhout and van Bon because of there Retiring. But that means I have to get some fresh meat for my orange squad, my scouts are looking for it but I also can mention some names for my self. Lars Boom, who is in the continental team of Rabobank and is a good flat, hills and time trialist. I think he can easily make it in to the Pro Tour. Another talent is Evald Boasson Hagen, a real good sprinter but he can also be played in the classics if it is not to have climbing or hills. The last guy who might be the biggest talent of the three, “but that might be because of one year Pro Tour already”, is Roman Kreuziger. The young Czech is a big talent for the grand tours and I hope he wanted to go to my team at the end of the season because then I have to big talents named Robert Gesink and Roman Kreuziger for the big wins. Menchov and a few other riders don’t now if they are going to stay jet but it is still a long season so will see! Let it start...
I’m going to report only the Pro Tour races, having the newest Stanoscase DB and playing at normal difficulty. Another important aspect is the fact that I hope you are going to like this…
But first a few things about every rider in my team, there abilities and what happened already!
My big boys...
How are my riders…
Mauricio Ardila
Well, i don’t know what to think about this guy. Last year he didn’t ride any result so maybe I can help him as trainer. Some goals for him are the national championships of Columbia and being ask for the Tour de France team. Did already showed us he is in good form.
Leon van Bon
Leon is a very good helper and if he is in great form he can even go for his own result. He is a good cobble rider and also a good finisher if he is in a small group till the end. Is at his peak at the moment for Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and Omloop het Volk. Hopefully he will show something because he is going to retire.
Michael Boogerd
One of my favourite guys, why? Because he will attack until he dies and then another time. Going for the triple this year. I have faith in him for this year, for the triple will Amstel Gold Race be the most important because of our sponsor and in the back of my head I’m thinking about the world championships. Did not showed his form yet, he stayed in the peloton every race he did till now on.
Jan Boven
Another very good helper, he is a good guy for long races to help is main man. Jan is already in a great shape, he can really mean something for the team.
Graeme Brown
Everybody knows his reputation, you just don’t know what he is going to do. If he is in great form he becomes 20th and when you think he can’t do it he wins or end more in front than you think. Until now he is searching for his form which is far away,.
Thomas Dekker
He is not going to have any pressure this year, he can stay in the shadow of guys like Menchov in the big tours and like Boogerd in the classics. Hopefully he will win a prologue in a Pro Tour race and gets in front of the GC one time and another. Thomas is doing well but wasn’t in front once, that was my idea because he could, but I didn’t want him to.
Theo Eltink
This is a nice guy to help bigger riders at the tour or classics when there have to be climbed, hopefully he will have a good result for his own. Also in a great shape, probably will be a good help for us.
Juan Antionio Flecha
This is the guy for the first part of the season, a good result in Paris – Roubaix is what we are aiming for. That’s also one of my favourite races, after the big races he can do what he likes. Maybe he still wants to ride the Vuelta so he can go for a nice stage win. Juan is getting better and better, he has to, in half a month is Roubaix.
Rick Flens
One of the young guys, no pressure, no expectations. I’m just hoping he can live up to his own expectations. He’s form is getting better but he is not on he’s peak yet.
Oscar Freire
Do I have to say anything about him? He didn’t race much but he won both stages of the Tour of Valencia that I am riding with my team at this moment. He almost won a nice stage in the Tour of Andalucia but was blocked by Samuel Sanchez against the side way.
Robert Gesink
Maybe the biggest talent in my orange squad. He don’t have to ride much to get in form and that’s what he showed me. I told him to stay in the peloton the whole Amgen Tour of California and that is what he did. Only the queen stage he may attack if he could. And at the biggest climb he attacked and showed the pro’s how good climber he is, only Devolder and Schleck came back but he still won the sprint of those because he was much stronger that day. Unfortunately at the time trial he lost 1:30 at Devolder and became 3th because also Frank Schleck was better. We could now that but the day after the TT he was one of the riders of the mass crash at 4 km from the finishline, I was scared for our young gun and also for Denis Menchov because he was involved to. Robert showed he’s form and is going to train for the Giro to ride top 20, can I ask more of him in the 2007 Giro?
Bram de Groot
Great helper, one of the guys who wanted to ride the Tour, he is a good help for our team and is good in staying in front of the peloton with a small group. He’s form is getting better every race.
Matthew Hayman
Matthew helped William very good at the national championships and is also a great finisher. He could do well in some cobble races and might help Van Heeswijk. Not in a good form but he is coming.
Max van Heeswijk
He’s is a good sprinter and also a cobble rider, maybe he can help Oscar or Graeme in a big tour and in the first part of the season ride a nice result for himself. Probably at his peak now the cobble season starts.
Pedro Horrillio
Is a good helper for Oscar because they can understand each other and he can sprint very well. His form is already good.
Dmitry Kozontchuk
Don’t know what to expect from him, he’s young and a good rider for the hills. Hoop he can show himself sometimes and also help his team-mates when necessary. His form is also going up.
Sebastiaan Langeveld
A good rider for the hills, cobbles and also for attacks. The first stage of the Tour of Andalusia he stayed in front of the peloton with a small group and became GC. He could keep it for five days and stayed at the yellow for his team mate Freire who became second because of his sprinting abilities. He is first pro season.
Gerben Lowik
Did not do much already, is a strong helper and attacked in Omloop het Volk to stay in front of the peloton for more than 180 km and became 14th afterwards. He is growing to his peak.
Marc de Maar
An perfect helper for the cobble races and probably also for a grand tour. We will see when he is in great shape which tour he will ride. At the moment his form is pretty good so we hope he can help is team mates through the difficult first big races.
Denis Menchov
I’m going to let him do what ever he wants almost the whole season, hopefully he will win a stage in de Tour but my, wel my, it’s more my sponsors goal. Is to finish in the top five of the Vuelta and the top five of the Tour because. Hopefully someone else is also strong in the Tour because everybody knows he is not very good there every year, Vuelta is more his race. His condition is not very good, “luckily”.
Koos Moerenhout
Another great helper, especially for a Tour because he is also a good climber and hills rider. Also on the flat he can stay’s his man. His form is really good already but he did not make any result yet. Hopefully he will because this is his last season, he is going to retire.
Grischa Niermann
Is almost the same as Koos, he is pretty good at the hills and on the climbs but not really a winner. His form is also pretty good but he is not really more then a helper.
Joost Posthuma
Probably one of the best helpers you can ask for, good at the hills, a good time trialist, good at the flat, good at the coble’s. He is not in such a good shape yet and that’s good because a lot of team mates are.
Kai Reus
This young guy is just going to ride things he like and not to much, maybe a big tour if he things he is ready. His form is coming and I also hope that a win is coming, this might be is break through season.
Thorwald Veneberg
He is another fine helper, he is a rider who can do every section a bit but is not superb at one thing. But that’s why he is a fine helper, you can almost count on him every time, especially now because he is very fit already.
Pieter Weening
Don’t really now what to expect from him, a couple of years a go he was the Dutch climbing talent but he did not really had his moment yet. Maybe in a big tour this year if the moment is there, but we have better climbing talent already in the name of Gesink. Hopefully he will do his best.
William Walker
The first race of the season was the Australian Championships, he was there a helper for Brown. He was in the escape and didn’t have to do much because he there for Brown and not to let the escapee’s get to far away. But at the second last hill he felt so strong that he attacked and stayed clear of the peloton and a few fellow escapee’s. He had such a good day that the escapee’s where on 1:30 and the peloton on 2:45. His form is one of the baddest but he is getting better.
Sponsor Goals
A list of goals where the sponsor wants us to shine;
Win the Amstel Gold Race
Best Climber in the Tour de France
Best five in the Tour de France
Win the Brabantse Pijl
Best five in the Vuelta Espana
*** Amstel Gold Race / Tour de France
** Tour of Flanders / Dutch Championships
* Eneco Tour / Vuelta Espana
The ride to the sun, first won in 1933 by the Belgian Alphonse Schepers and won last year but probably also not fair, Floyd Landis. With the finish at the "Promenade des Anglais" in Nice but most of the time it didn't start in Paris. Let see who is going to be in this year, the startlist;
CSC
1. F. Schleck
2. L. Bak
3. M. Blaudzun
4. I. Cuesta
5. A. Johansen
6. K. Kroon
7. C. Sørensen
8. J. Voigt
Euskaltel
11. S. Sanchez
12. A. Aranaga
13. J. Azanza
14. D. Galparsoro
15. I. Landaluze
16. A. Luengo
17. A. Txurruka
18. J. Zubeldia
Gerolsteiner
21. S. Schumacher
22. T. Klinger
23. B. Kohl
24. S. Lang
25. D. Rebellin
26. M. Russ
27. R. Scholz
28. F. Wegmann
Unibet
31. J. Rujano
32. A. Coyot
33. M. Eichler
34. S. Kolesnikov
35. G. Larsson
36. T. Vinther
37. M. Wilson
38. M. Zanotti
Saunier
41. J. Gomez Marchante
42. R. Belohvosciks
43. A. Gomez
44. P. Mazur
45. M. Mori
46. L. Pagliarini
47. C. Rinero
48. C. Zarate
Discovery
51. J. Brajkovic
52. T. Danielson
53. T. Lowe
54. J. McCartney
55. U. Murn
56. B. Noval
57. S. Paulinho
58. J. Van Goolen
Caisse
61. R. Plaza
62. F. Brard
63. V. Efimkin
64. J. Horrach
65. P. Lastras
66. M. Perget
67. N. Portal
68. S. Portal
Lampre
71. M. Bruseghin
72. F. Baldato
73. D. Bennati
74. M. Bono
75. P. Fornaciari
76. M. Mori
77. G. Stangelj
78. S. Szmyd
FDJeux
81. T. Lövkvist
82. L. Auger
83. S. Chavanel
84. C. Da Cruz
85. L. Jégou
86. C. Mengin
87. F. Mourey
88. B. Vaugrenard
Cofidis
91. I. Parra
92. S. Augé
93. F. Bessy
94. S. Chavanel
95. M. Elijzen
96. Y. Huguet
97. A. Moinard
98. D. Monier
Astana
101. A. Colom
102. A. Bazayev
103. M. Gourov
104. M. Iglinskiy
105. J. Mazet
106. A. Mizourov
107. D. Muravyev
108. J. Redondo
Rabobank
111. R. Gesink
112. G. Brown
113. B. De Groot
114. M. De Maar
115. J. Flecha
116. K. Moerenhout
117. M. Van Heeswijk
118. P. Weening
Predictor
121. D. Cioni
122. C. Brandt
123. D. Cornu
124. W. De Vocht
125. D. Devenyns
126. B. Dockx
127. N. Ingels
128. F. Rodriguez
AG2R
131. J. Gadret
132. S. Calzati
133. C. Dessel
134. S. Dumoulin
135. S. Goubert
136. J. Loubet
137. C. Riblon
138. B. Sonnery
Milram
141. A. Grivko
142. M. Celestino
143. V. Dyudya
144. M. Müller
145. F. Sacchi
146. B. Schröder
147. C. Scognamiglio
148. S. Siedler
Agricole
151. F. Bellotti
152. A. Charteau
153. C. Edaleine
154. C. Kern
155. C. Laurent
156. C. Lemoine
157. J. Marino
158. Y. Talabardon
Liquigas
161. R. Kreuziger
162. M. Backstedt
163. D. Cataldo
164. F. Failli
165. E. Gasparotto
166. V. Miholjevic
167. A. Spezialetti
168. G. Trenti
Bouygues
171. L. Brochard
172. J. Belgy
173. M. Claude
174. P. Drancourt
175. A. Flickinger
176. P. Fédrigo
177. A. Labbe
178. T. Voeckler
Agritubel
181. M. Mercado
182. M. Calvente
183. M. Duenas
184. M. Gaztanaga
185. N. Jalabert
186. B. Salmon
187. B. Sinner
188. N. Vogondy
T-Moblie
191. M. Pinotti
192. E. Baumann
193. S. Davis
194. A. Hansen
195. G. Henderson
196. A. Klier
197. S. Knaven
198. A. Korff
Quick Step
201. B. Tankink
202. S. Baguet
203. S. Rosseler
204. K. Seeldrayers
205. G. Steegmans
206. C. Vasseur
207. G. Verheyen
208. D. Vigano
Jacques
211. G. D'Hollander
212. K. Barbé
213. J. Coenen
214. D. De Fauw
215. K. Hovelijnck
216. I. Keisse
217. S. Pauwels
218. S. Renders
Edited by Tombola on 28-10-2007 10:19
I'm sorry, there are no shots of the prologue of Paris Nice, i had some problems also with my export results but here you have the first 10 and my best rider;
