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Seskin Classic discussion
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| Smowz |
Posted on 23-05-2014 19:44
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 Philip Gaimon may have not been a household name before 2014 - but he emerged victorious in the hilly classic opener to give his team some cheer after financial problems in the pre-season. The streetwise American has got great road skills in addition to his hilly punch which helped him in a well timed move in hot conditions in Latin America.
Conditions are likely to be a bit different in a colder climate as Ireland welcomes C2's finest to the Seskin Classic.
A circuit based course riding through the town of Carrick and up the tough 2.3km climb of Seskin Hill 13 times. This climb has a couple of nasty 20% sections which will prove crucial you'd expect to deciding the winner of this classic. The finish comes off the end of the descent, the riders are climbing the steeper side and descending the shallow side.
Home team  Bank of Ireland – Irish Cycling will be desperate to make an impact here with this being a big targeted race for the team. They are looking for the win here through Portuguese climber Jose Mendes or Irish home start Connor McConvey. Both finished in the top ten in the opening hilly classic - though they will be looking for even better here.
They are not the only team however who have targetted this High Category race  Wounded Warrior Racing (Dyball),  Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo Cycling Team (Rosa),  Team ASDA-Savers (Tiernan Locke) and breakaway kings  Eddie Stobart Pro Cycling (Cummings) all have this as a goal race.
Of these teams only really Tiernan-Locke stands out as a geniune hopeful for a high finish. Certainly a good all round rider who has yet to register a checkpoint for the season having skipped the opening C2 hilly classic.
Joining Gaimon on the podium in that race were high class Russian  Kolobnev and Swiss bargain  Wyss. Both riders looking for this step down in class to lead teams and they carried the flag well in the opener and are in the frame here. Wyss followed that up with a win in the Benelux challenge and is already looking well set to be one of the divisions best riders.
C2 division favourites  Risa - Ergon haven't quite made the start they would have hoped for they have one of their guns in Nathan Haas, with Bugge missing this one.
 Passalacqua is a similar sort of rider to big favourite Mendes. The Italian will have a big chance to lead his team here and this will be a litmus test of his season.
As we are not finishing on the climb fast finishing punchaers like  Geschke and  Bole must be factored in. They don't have a long run in so will need to be right there at the final ascent of Seskin hill. Moldova's second best rider  Cioban had success in C2 races last year and could be thereabouts again here.
Behind these we have a whole host of solid punchaers who should not be discounted from high finishes. Differences are small in this division and suprises are likely to be plenty. Colourful  Azteca - NBCSN have a nice enough team of climbers including Wilson Marentes who will be dangerous.  Gazelle clones  Team TomTom have a nice bunch of hill men here possibly high earner Tim Duggan a chance to show his worth. It may not be mountains but  Maloja Mountain Nomads are not quite as one dimensional as their name sounds Fahnert is their leader.
The minions are here with  Selander a decent threat. Also Kazach mecernary  Jumebokov could feature if he has settled into his mainly Hispanic squad,  Seyer will look to unite his multi national squad also. Indonesian  Pranata is also another exotic threat.
Rosa hasn't shown much so far but his team has, he is in and around the other low level punchaers here.  Ebsen is not quite up there for his team with Bochman not fancying this. Race organisors will not be too happy with  Team Ameriabank-Novatek for failing to field a full team, whilst Eddie Stobart Pro Cycling are surely looking far too hopefully that their very mediocre squad will go for the miracle breakaway win here.
This should be a really open race - report should follow over the weekend in and around the Giro D'Italia action.
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| NTTHRASH |
Posted on 23-05-2014 19:55
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Nice preview! Luck to all the teams competing! 
"America. Show a nipple on television and the whole country goes ape-shit." -DubbelDekker
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 12:58
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| admirschleck |
Posted on 23-05-2014 19:57
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Go Bole!
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| roturn |
Posted on 23-05-2014 19:59
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Geschke, Edmondson, Grand, Schachmann. I like this race already.
Edited by roturn on 23-05-2014 19:59
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 23-05-2014 19:59
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I'm surprised that Pranata is considered our leader here considering Schurter has a better hill stat, and Mountain stat so it can't be that ratio and is a Downhill king which proved useful for him in races last year.
I'm not really sure what to expect but I think we should be able to grab a top10 as Schurter's downhill will be very useful if there's a group together at the top of the final climb.
My bet for the win would be Mendes, unless he doesn't want to chase down a teammate.
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| ryant |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:05
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will be interesting to see what Tiernan-Locke will do, hope he'll complete the team goal of a top 3
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:12
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Tour de France Champion
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Could be a good race for us, finishing on a DH, with Duggan being an amazing downhiller.
We're Gazelle clones now? 
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| admirschleck |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:14
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Jesleyh wrote:
Could be a good race for us, finishing on a DH, with Duggan being an amazing downhiller.
And 13 steepy climbs before downhill finish. DH stat so important. 
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:16
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Tour de France Champion
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I know, but Duggan is one of the many good punchers here, so I was pointing out an advantage he has. I'm a positive manager, you know?
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:18
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Jesleyh wrote:
I know, but Duggan is one of the many good punchers here, so I was pointing out an advantage he has. I'm a positive manager, you know?
Except he'd still be beaten by Schurter on the Downhill.
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| admirschleck |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:18
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Jesleyh wrote:
I know, but Duggan is one of the many good punchers here, so I was pointing out an advantage he has. I'm a positive manager, you know?
Good for you. I am an utterly negative and pessimistic manager and it has it good sides - I can't be disappointed.
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| Bikex |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:29
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I hope to do better here than in Cristobal. Both Sayar and Ito have good chances at a good result. I don't want to be disappointed by them again.
Also great preview Smowz! |
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 23-05-2014 20:59
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Go Selander! 
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| knockout |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:03
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roturn wrote:
Geschke, Edmondson, Grand, Schachmann. I like this race already.
I guess I am not the only one to support my team
I hope that Geschke will deliver here as he should be my main point scorer this year and this can be the first real test for many classics to come.
And of course, all eyes on the first edition of THE CT battle Geschke vs. Bole !
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Atlantius |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:09
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I hope Cioban will be able to make a surprise of sorts here
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:12
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Okay time for another breakdown of the startlist!
Kent's Fun Facts
The youngest rider, once again is from Evonik, Phil Bauhaus at 20 years old. With Siam Clement's Zhihui Jiang the second youngest, also only 20 years old. (Using race age, though in actuality, Bauhaus is only currently 19.)
The oldest is my own Mauricio Ardila at 35 years, and then Sylvain Chavanel for In-n-Out who is also 35 years of age. with right around a month separating the two.
As usual there are a handful that will wear their national colors, 6 road champions, and two time-trial champions, with Jimmy Pranata being both in Indonesia riding for Sauber Petronas.
Road:
 | Paidi O'Brien | Bank of Ireland |  | Ermin Van Wyk | Fletcher-Garneau |  | Marco Salas | ONCE-Eroski |  | Bjørn Tore Hoem | Risa - Ergon |  | Jimmy Pranata | Sauber Petronas |  | Marco Zafferani | Sauber Petronas |
Time-Trial:
 | Adil Jelloul | Maloja | | Jimmy Pranata | Sauber Petronas |
There is a large number of riders on loan, 16. And yet again only one ever seems to compete against their team, this time it is Muhamad Adiq Othman riding for Fletcher-Garneau this season instead of Sauber Petronas.
Nationalities:
There are 53 nations represented, with 26 nations having only one rider, while the USA is represented by 13 riders. Switzerland is second with 10 riders, though seven of those are from Team Vontobel. And Australia is third with 9 riders.
As regions go, Europe is the best represented with 87 riders, North America has 19, Asia brings 16, Oceania - 10, South America with 8, Africa got 6, and Central America gets 4.
For the first time I had to make a guess on which rider was actually being sent, I'm assuming #164 is Mohammad Zamri Salleh and not Mohamed Harrif Salleh. I could be wrong on this, but the former is a puncher which fits this stage, while the latter is a sprinter.
The highest rated rider is Tiziano Dall'Antonia of Team Nordeus, with an average of 74.25. Vontobel's Marcel Wyss is 2nd (74.17) and Simon Geschke of Evonik is 3rd (74.08)
The lowest rated is Dario Antonio one of the three riders for Ameriabank, with an average of 62.33. He is tied with Arnold Johnson of Wounded Warrior for that low honor. In third is ONCE's Max Walsleben (62.42).
Jonathan Tiernan-Locke is the highest paid rider, as Team ASDA-Savers is dishing out 240K for him. Timothy Duggan comes in second for Team TomTom (205K) and Simon Geschke takes third as Evonik gives him 175K.
89 riders in this race are making the minimum 50K salary.
And if this race is ridden tomorrow (24th) it would be on the 23rd birthday of Daniele Dall'Oste of Lierse SK. So everyone wish him a happy birthday on road.
EDIT: Oh and I'll link the startlist in xls format.
Edited by Kentaurus on 23-05-2014 21:15
AZTECA - NBCSN  |
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| Firefly21 |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:14
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Domestique
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Go BoI! Would be nice to see the 'home' team take one home
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| Margh Norway |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:21
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Sprinter
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Preview was an entertaining read, well-written!
One of the well suited races for our Team and one of the few where Marcel Wyss is supported by Reto Hollenstein. A Top5 is anticipated by our all swiss team. (Thanks for the Fun Facts, Kent!)
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| knockout |
Posted on 23-05-2014 21:24
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Grand Tour Champion
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Yay another time Kent's Fun Fact!
And again I have the youngest rider. Nobody can beat me in that category!
And i have to agree with Firefly. A win for BoI would be nice.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| 547984 |
Posted on 23-05-2014 22:31
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Prediction: Bole gets 2nd or 3rd, like he seems to always do.
Kent, you're stealing quite a lot of attention from the preview itself!
baseballlover312, 06-03-14 : "Nuke Moscow...Don't worry Russia, we've got plenty of love to go around your cities"
Sarah Palin, 08-03-14 (CPAC, on Russian aggression) : "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke"
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