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CSC in 2008
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| alex153 |
Posted on 29-03-2008 13:40
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First of all, I didn't abandon the Liquigas story, but when I started to race it I ran into a problem. I couldn't take pictures on the pc for some reason, all the ones I took turned out black. So instead I'm going to do a pure text story with CSC which I have managed to reach the start of 2008 with. First is a look on the previous year and how it went.
Summary of 2007:
The year started decent with Goss having a few top 10 places in Tour Down Under. In Februrary we didn’t have much luck, Breschel got injured during his first race of the year, Tour de Med and later also Sastre was injured in Andalucia. Despite these setbacks we got our first podium place with Kroon in Tour de Med after a very good Mont Faron stage.
In March the Pro tour kicked of with “The race of the sun”. CSC sent a fairly weak team and only managed a 2nd place on stage 1 with Cancellara as our best result. In the GC Kirchen was in a great early form and won with almost two minutes to second placed surprise, Kohl. Devolder filled up the podium, with Bruseghin 4th and Dekker 5th. Best home rider was Chavanel in 7th place just behing Gerdemann.
At the same time Tirreno-Adriatico was raced and there it was Riccó that showed the best form. Was top 10 in all stages except one, and took the GC clearly before Italian rider Davide “Tin-Tin” Rebellin. The dutch hope Boogerd took 3rd place here. Yet again CSC didn’t have much to show and the sponsors were starting to get a bit irritated.
On a side note, Sastre and Breschel were now fit to race again and the later would race the cobble classics in early April.
Now it was time for Milano-sanremo and after the disappointments in the first two races of the Pro tour our sponsors demanded a top 10. The hope was up to australian sprinters O’’Grady and Goss. It all ended with a sprint with about 60 riders and several of the favorites still in the group. Steegmans came out in top, just edging out Paolini and Van Petergen with Burghardt 4th. Goss had managed to keep up with the peleton and managed to get 5th place and the first Pro tour points of the year for CSC.
Next report: April-May |
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 29-03-2008 13:56
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Looks good |
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| alex153 |
Posted on 29-03-2008 15:58
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thx
Early April:
During the last days of March and beginning of April we rode several smaller classics to prepare for the big cobble and Ardennes classics. Cancellara and Kroon both managed a few podium places and things were looking good.
Ronde van Vlaanderen became yet another big let down for our team. Cancellara who had excelled in the last races before had no chance to follow the best and only finished in 14th place over 7 minutes down on winner Boonen. Van Petergen summed up another big day for Quickstep with 2nd place and Ballan took 3rd. Notable is that Boogerd took 6th place and seemed to be in peak form way to early.
Then it was time for Gent-Wevelgem which was a race that suited Cancellara much better, with fewer hills and lots of flats where he could get away. He attacked with 25km left and right away Steegmans and Burghardt followed, the trio got a gap of almost 2 minutes and was going to sprint for the win. Cancellara gave it his best, but Steegmans was just too strong and bagged Quickstep’s 2nd win in a few days. Burghardt finished in 3rd place.
In the meantime Vuelta al Pais Vasco had been raced and with 4 stage wins, Sanchez Gonzalez was the clear winner. Pellizotti was 2nd and Valverde 3rd, Voigt was best CSC rider in 9th place.
Paris-Roubaix was the next race at hand and it was the biggest season goal for us of the classics. Cancellara was determined to win this one. Sadly, he wasn’t strong enough, a group of 14 riders sprinted in the Velodrome and he only managed 5th place there. Winner was not Quickstep for once, it was Credit Agricole and Thor Hushovd who got it. Boonen was 2nd though and Steegmans finished in 4th place just before Cancellara. 3rd place went to Bäckstedt.
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 29-03-2008 16:01
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Tough luck with Cancellara's placing, in my A&S game, he has won Milano-Sanremo, and Gent-Wevelgem
Edited by Deadpool on 29-03-2008 16:06
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 29-03-2008 16:13
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And now he has won Paris-Roubaix, that is ridiculous, to win Milano-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix in one season.
Note: He is not on my team, and although I got wild-cards to each of those races, I didn't play a factor (3 top-50's, highest - 5, highest in northern classic - 43, Acqua e Sapone isn't the best northern classics team, but a 5 in Milan-Sanremo) |
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 29-03-2008 16:52
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8915
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Good luck once more Alex
YORKSHIRE BORN, YORKSHIRE BRED... |
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| micke007 |
Posted on 29-03-2008 17:49
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Stagiare
Posts: 193
Joined: 01-12-2007
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is it possible to see a picture of the team or is that not possiblole either?
contador rulezzz
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| micke007 |
Posted on 29-03-2008 17:50
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Stagiare
Posts: 193
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hope you get better results and more luck next time btw
contador rulezzz
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| alex153 |
Posted on 30-03-2008 10:57
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thanks addy
All the pics I take in game turns out black, so no picture of the team, sorry. Will write what transfers I made during the year though, so you know that
Late April:
After failure during the season so far, our next race were Amstel Gold Race and here we have a title to defend. Both F. Schleck and Kroon are in top form and therefore we had good hopes. With 50km left of the race we still had a good chance with both riders being in the front group of about thirty riders. Next Bettini attacked and got a good lead, after a few km Rebellin and Boogerd followed and right befvore the finishing climb they had a 45 sec lead. In the sprint Rebellin was the strongest of them, Bettini got 2nd and Nocentini sprinted really well and snatched 3rd place from Boogerd. Schleck and Kroon took 5th and 6th and got a few points at least.
Fleche Wallone ended in a mass sprint of 13 riders with Valverde finishing just before Rebellin, 3rd place went to Ricco and Schleck took another top ten with a 7th place, but still no win this year. Would it ever come?
Of course it would, it came in the next race already. Liege-Bastogne-Liege was a perfect race fur us. Several riders attacked with 70km left and with the help of Voigt and Kroon we managed to get them back just 15km before the finish. Right away Schleck launched a big attack and got a decent gap. He sprinted for an easy win and celebrated CSC’s first victory of the year in a Pro tour race. Behind him Pellizotti took 2nd and Cobo ended the podium. Kroon with his hard work finished 11th.
AGR
1.Rebellin
2.Bettini
3.Nocentini
4.Boogerd
5.F.Schleck
6.Kroon
FW
1.Valverde
2.Rebellin
3.Ricco
7.F.Schleck
LBL
1.F.Schleck
2.Pellizotti
3.Cobo
11.Kroon
Next: Romandie and Giro d’Italia
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 06:50
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| micke007 |
Posted on 30-03-2008 11:12
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Stagiare
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a nice first win in LBL
good job m8
contador rulezzz
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| Crommy |
Posted on 30-03-2008 11:18
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World Champion
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Nice victory (at last  )
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| ember |
Posted on 07-04-2008 20:02
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I want more |
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| alex153 |
Posted on 07-04-2008 20:29
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Will have an update soon, just got an unplanned exam to study for
New one on Wednesday I hope |
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| ember |
Posted on 08-04-2008 17:39
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Good luck on your exam |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 19-04-2008 20:45
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well done |
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| alex153 |
Posted on 19-04-2008 21:02
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Posts: 1396
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Had to reinstall my computer after a crash, so didn't have much I could write |
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