Fabian will be expected to rack up Pro Tour Points in every ITT he rides. His personal goals include winning the Tour de France Prolouge and the World Championships ITT. He also has his sights set on Paris-Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen, and will be the Team Leader for many of the cobble Classics. The team brass are also expecting a win at Milan-San Remo this season, and Cancellara will try to deliver. Fabian will also captain the Tour de Suisse squad in June in his home country of Switzerland. A rare talent, Cancellera is the kind of rider that makes managers drool.
Veteran rider Jens Voigt may be getting along in years, but he is still a dangerous man in the saddle, and will be expected to come up with some podiums for Team CSC this season. He will ride the Tour de France and hopes to win a stage there, and will be a huge part of any success the team might have in the mountains. The Criterium International is a race he will be targeting, having won it in 2004 and returning as the defending champion. He will also lead the squad in the Deutschland Tour in August. With his skills in the mountains and against the clock, Voigt offers Team CSC a versatile and capable Team Leader, and we are thrilled to have the talented German in the fold.
Kroon will be relied on heavily in March and April for the Northern Classics. Excellent in the hills or on the cobbles, he should certainly garner some Pro Tour points during the season. Target races include the Amstel Gold race, Brabantse Pijl, and Rund um den Henninger Turm, all of which he is tenatively slated to captain. Pro Tour races Gent-Wevelgem and Ronde van Vlaanderen will also be key to Kroon's season as well.
Along with younger brother Andy, Frank Schleck forms half of a quite formidable duo. A lock for the Tour de France, Schleck's varied skills offer a wide variety of race scenarios and options for Team CSC to toy with. Although his calender is not quite set in stone yet, one thing is certain, the Schleck's will ride early and often in 2008.
Part II to follow.
Edited by terpripken on 03-05-2008 22:38
Good luck with the Schleck Brothers, and also Cancellara, hes denied me every ITT i have entered so far on my up and coming story. Good luck also, any early transfer targets maybe an american
Our squad's best sprinter, Aussie Stuart O'Grady brings so much more than brute power to the table, and is a very good all-around rider. Gifted on the cobbles, and adequate in the hills, he is well-suited to many of the Northern Classics. He will be a key for us in Paris-Roubaix, and if Cancellara isn't in good form, we will look to him for a victory. He'll be looked to for good results on days where the profile yields a bunch sprint. His season will start in his homeland at the Tour Down Under, where he hopes to get Team CSC their first Pro Tour points of 2008. He'll likely be at the Tour de France as well, where he hopes to rub elbows with the big boys for mass sprint stage victories.
Team CSC's resident climber, Sastre offers our best shot at an overall victory at the Tour de France. While the team will rely on him to don the yellow in July, Carlos has his eye on finally winning the Vuelta in his home country of Spain, after finishing 2nd last season. His schedule will be about nothing more than making sure he peaks for these two Grand Tours. He will more than likely ride in several Pro Tour races leading up to the Tour, with Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco and Tour de Suisse being the most probable choices.
The younger, but perhaps better half of the Schleck brothers tandem, 22 year old Andy will be our guy at The Giro this season. He will use the early season hilly Classics to prepare, and will lead the squad at Tirreno-Adriatico, hoping to make his mark on the country of Italy in 2008. The rest of his schedule is still tenative, much like Frank's. This young, immensely talented rider is not only the present of the squad, but the future as well, for his skills are still growing.
On a team with so much talent, this former U23 World Champion is often overlooked. He will be key for season goals like Paris-Roubaix, and his skills on the cobbles cannot be underestimated. He is also a decent man against the clock and an above average sprinter, so like many riders on CSC, he offers a variety of options and strategies for a manager. His schedule will be quite full to start the season, before he takes a break to gear up for Norway's National Championships.
Edited by terpripken on 04-05-2008 01:43
Plenty more riders to introduce, but I will do that as the season progresses, and they make starts in various races. For now, I want to list our teams goals for the upcoming season, as well as the riders I plan on using to accomplish them.
Goal 1---Win Milan-San Remo
Like our chances for this, as we have alot of good riders who are suited for this race. Cancellara will lead the squad, but Arvesen and Kroon will be given opportunities to win depending on how the race plays out. O'Grady may be an option as well, but unless he is in peak form and gets a little luck, I don't see him beating the big shot sprinters if the race were to end that way.
Goal 2---Win Paris Roubaix
Again, I like our chances. However...even though we have riders capable of winning here...so do alot of other teams. Cancellara will be Team Leader, with Arvesen and O'Grady expected to play pivotal roles in what hopefully will be a victorious day on the velodrome.
Goal 3---Win Giro di Lombardia
This one could be tough, a 246 km. race in October with some killer climbs. Its the final big Pro Tour race, so hopefully somebody will have something left in the tank. Not sure who is gonna start in this one, we'll have to wait and see and the season plays out.
Goal 4---Finish in the Top 3 at Tour de France
Sastre. Sastre. Sastre. Maybe Frank Schleck has the tour of a lifetime. Gonna need Jens Voigt's help to pull this off too.
Goal 5---Win the Vuelta a Espana
Sastre has the goods, but will he have enough left? I'm really going to have to manage his training and race schedule well to accomplish both Grand Tour goals.
Key Race 1---Tour de France (3 stars)
Besides the Top 3 overall, we are shooting for at least 3 stage wins. Cancellara hopefully can deliver in the ITT's. With a well-rounded squad, I think we can accomplish this.
Key Race 2---Post Danmark Rundt (3 stars)
Yikes! 2 days after the tour ends, we are suppose to do well here? Not suprised though that the sponsors what us to do well in Denmark's tour. At least its a flat tour, and guys will be in peak form. I'm just going to send my fittest riders and hope for the best.
Key Race 3---Vuelta a Espana (2 stars)
Come on Sastre. One of the Schleck's is gonna have to ride in this one too I'm afraid.
Key Race 4---Liege-Bastogne-Liege (2 stars)
Perfect tune up race for Andy Schleck before the Giro. Jens Voigt could be key here as well. Alexandr Kolobnev wants a shot to be team leader for this, and may have his wish granted, as he should fair well here. Karsten Kroon should be in good form as well. Alot of options to excel here I think.
Key Race 5---Giro d'Italia (1 star)
Putting all my eggs in Andy Schleck's basket. A victory may be too much to ask, but I expect him to do well here.
Key Race 6---Paris-Roubaix (1star)
As stated above, lots of talent in this race gives us as good a chance as any to win.
Edited by terpripken on 04-05-2008 03:23
Here is the schedule for January, along with expected start lists.
1/11/08---Australian Championships ITT
Stuart O'Grady, Bradley McGee, Matthew Goss
1/13/08---Australian Championships
Stuart O'Grady, Bradley McGee, Matthew Goss
1/20/08---Down Under Classic
Stuart O'Grady, Matthew Goss, Allan Johansen, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Nicki Sorensen, Lars Ytting Bak, Kasper Klostergaard, Marcus Ljungqvist
1/22/08---1/27/08---Tour Down Under
Stuart O'Grady, Matthew Goss, Allan Johansen, Kurt Asle-Arvesen, Nicki Sorensen, Lars Ytting Bak, Kasper Klostergaard, Marcus Ljungqvist
1/22/08---1/27/08---Tour de San Luis
Frank Schleck, Andy Schleck, Juan Jose Haedo, Matti Breschel, Anders Lund, Fabian Cancellera
Edited by terpripken on 04-05-2008 03:33
With the Aussie Championships on the horizon, its time to introduce our other two riders from down under.
McGee is a very good time trialist. In fact if not for the presence of one Fabian Cancellara, he might be the squads best man against the clock. (no disrespect to Jens Voigt) However, he has enough skills in the hills to be a very useful support rider, and because of his time trialing he can place well in the GC of shorter tours. His schedule is still tenative, but the Tour de Romandie has 2 ITT's suited to his abilities, and I will start him there. He will also likely ride in a Grand Tour. I'm gonna see what he has in Australia to start the season, and go from there.
Matthew Goss is a young sprinting prospect. He is still very raw, and may have trouble staying with the pack on some days. However, if he has any gas at the end...he could make a podium or two. More than likely though, he will apprentice under McGrady, and he will start the season leading him out in the Tour Down Under. He can fly however, and it won't be long before he is getting leadouts himself. Not so much a key to this season, he is a rider we will develop for the future.
Edited by terpripken on 04-05-2008 03:44
mrlol wrote:
cancellara's morale will most probably drop one level if you dont race qatar
just win one or two big classics and he's over the moon again
Yeah...and I was aware of this...
However...I am aiming to make my calender and start lists as realistic as possible.
I'm rolling the dice...he is too strong of a rider to not get results...I guess we will see how much "morale" and "programme" affect performance.
Bradley McGee rode a perfect time trial, and on most days would be wearing the jersey as the Australian ITT champion. Unfortunately, Luke Roberts had the ride of his life, completely dominating the field. A little disappointing, especially since I thought I had it in the bag after Cadel Evans finished. Still...not a bad way to begin the season.
This hilly circuit suits O'Grady quite well. After McGee's near miss in the ITT, we are gunning for gold.
Suprisingly, the break today consisted of a sole rider, Kuota-Sengas's Steven Robb. I guess after teammate Luke Robert's heroics in the ITT, he decided he didn't want to miss out on all the fun. It was a courageous ride, as he rode by his lonesome for over 100 km, and at one point had a lead over nearly 10 minutes.
With the race nearly 2/3rd's over, and nobody in the pack concerned about Robb, CSC sprung into action and began to force the pace.
50 km. from the finish, a group of 5 tried their luck at getting free from the ever dwindling main group. Amongst them were: Trent Lowe, Baden Cooke, William Ford, Matt Wilson and CSC's Bradley McGee. The pack would quickly reel them in, but Lowe would attack again, and this time he would remain free.
29 km. out, Robb's brave solo effort is drawing to a close. Allan Davis makes a decisive attack. Stuart O'Grady decides that now is the time, and counters. He expects the other favorites to follow suit, but to his suprise the group lets he and Davis slip free.
The duo works well together and soon catch and pass Lowe. With 20 km to go, they have an advantage of over 2 minutes. This just might work. Davis tries to give O'Grady the slip several times, but is quickly caught each time.
O'Grady drinks a bottle 6 km from the finish, he needs all the energy he can muster for what he has in mind. With less than 3 km. to the line, O'Grady attacks. This catches Davis off guard, and after his repeated attempts to shake his rival, he seemingly has nothing left in the tank.
The plan works, O'Grady cruises to a well deserved and superbly executed victory. No way was he gonna let Davis sit on his wheel, and then power past him in a sprint. O'Grady might have won a sprint today, but better safe than sorry when dealing with the likes of Allan Davis. Stuey is gonna look really sweet wearing that beautiful jersey all season. McGee and Goss both finish with the main group and secure Top 20 finishes. A fine performance in these Championships by our Aussie contingent.
This 48 km. Criterium is a sort of prolouge to the Down Under Classic, but is not officially a part of the race. Team CSC would try a few things today, but mostly just to test rider's form. We go to win in earnest when Pro Tour points are at stake in a few days. There was plenty of action however, several foolhardy break attempts (one involving young Kasper Klostergaard), 2 major crashes, and a frentic, chaotic finish. When all was said and done, Credit Agricole's Mark Renshaw would claim victory for the 3rd time this season, having won 2 stages already in the Bay Cycling Classic. The first crash occured 15 km. out and involved no less than 16 riders, most notably AG2R's Llloyd Mondry. Team CSC had three riders go down 6 km from the finish, Lars Bak, Matthew Goss and Kurt Asle-Arvesen. The trio were in the midst of forming a train for Goss and O'Grady to see if they could get something going in the sprint. Rabobank's William Walker went down in front of them, and none could avoid hitting the pavement. I guess this is what happens when you put 160 riders on a tight course for what essentially amounts to a long sprint. All CSC riders ended up finishing with the main group, but 4 riders, including Walker had to withdraw with injuries. Astana's Assan Bazayev and Silence-Lotto's Gorik Gardeyn finished second and third respectively. Both of them also fresh off of multiple podiums in the Bay Cycling Classic. It would seem that at least for now, the sprints will favor those with some saddle time in competition.
I stupidly deleted the original save game, so I had to start all over again from scratch.
I decided it was wise to play out the career for awhile before continuing (on the advice of some story vets around here), and have done so. I am midway through Paris-Nice, and will start posting results once I get to Milan-San Remo.
In the meantime, I'm going to go back and clean up my previous posts to reflect the new results from The Aussie Championships, and perhaps change the format a little.
Edited by terpripken on 01-05-2008 22:23
