That's what I like to think of myself to become, the best, GT winner best. Leipheimer or Armstrong or Horner or even Greg Lemond, they all left the sport with an impact of what Americans can do.
My names John Devine, I'm 22 years old and ride for the new American team, Team High Road.
[img-r]https://images24.fotki.com/v799/photos/1/108147/4854527/coletdgst5usa-vi.jpg[/img-r]
I'm a climber, and as many people have already slated, the new young hope for American cycling. My job for now however, is to help out the already champions on our team, while I still develop.
The main riders I'll be working for the year include, Linus Gerdemann, George
Hincapie, Kim Kirchen, and Michael Rogers. Our team this year is basically built for next year, we aren't expecting and GT wins, maybe a monument from Kirchen and a classic from Hincapie at most.
Our team director Bob Stapleton is our key to success, he was very smart in the team car for past years with T-Mobile. Since Bob lives in America, he has already flew into my home state of Georgia late last year, when we signed the contract, face to face. Coming from Discovery Channel last year, I think that this will be a more tighter nit- closer bit of guys which should definitely help me out alot on my way to success.
My two close friend and teamates this year are, the new young Norwegian talent, Edvald Boasson Hagen, and my fellow young American Craig Lewis.
[img-l]https://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa199/T-Baum_2007/Untitled-1-11.jpg[/img-l]
Me and Edvald have become good friends over the few years we spent racing each other plus, he's one funny bastard! Craig lives and trains in Georgia with me right now, it's great to have each other to ride and train with.
Now I bet your asking, what about big George? Ahhh, big George, we do training rides together alot with me him and Craig, along with Saul Raisin. He has taught me so much, from all of his years in racing he knows so much information too help me.
This year will be an important one, I hope to jump from "Just some Domestique" to "Established young Lieutenant", I think it's possible, so wish me luck on my new team, year, and chances.
So enough with that right? Let's get to racing!
Specs:
Pcm daily 08 DB difficulty hard
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Hey guys, I'm writing to you from Santa Barbara, California we just got here and we will start a training camp tomorrow.
I have some very exciting stuff to share with you, first off the team has managed to net the super talented Taylor Phinney. We jetted off to the training camp together along with Craig and George. Everyone that is here are getting ready for either the Tour of California or the Tour of Australia, and some both.
We have, me, Craig, George, Taylor, my British friend Mark Cavendish , the Austrian Bernard Eisel is also here, and my little Norwegian buddy Edvald.
Some news came in today that Gilberto Simoni, the Italion rocket will be retiring at the end of this year, I modeled my style after him so I defiantly will be sad not see him anymore.
Mich, Scott Davis, and Adam Hansen are racing the Australion championship TT today. The road race is in a few days so I'll report to you after the road race so wish them good luck!
Edited by t-baum on 23-04-2008 21:30
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Hey guys, I'm here in Aussie land for the Tour Down Under with my teamates at the hotel. I'm feeling good after our training camp, i think i may have the legs for a jump on Willunga hill if I get the go.
Our Aussies on our team have done the national championships and came out ok. The TT went ok, nothing special, Adam took home second while Mick saved his legs for the RR, which turned out good as he took home third behind O'Grady and Evans.
The team for this race is me, Taylor, Mick, Eisel, Craig, the Cav, Edvald, and Michael Barry.
I think Cav and Eisel should team up for some stage wins on the flat, and Craig will try to get into some breaks, while Mick says he is strictly here for the Tour of California.
Well the first stage is tomorrow and it's getting late here (I still haven't gotten used to the time change) good night!
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
The TDU: Stage 1
Todays stage was relatively flat, but it had a decent climb at the beginning, Cav will struggle to get over them. I fully expect Eisel and Edvald to do a good result here, and I'll be there to help them.
The tv break today wasn't a big deal but Bob decided to send Craig in it just in case, but when he went to attack he couldn't quite bridge up to the front group no matter how hard he tried. He ended up being between the pelaton and the front group for a long time before being swallowed up by the main field.
The break stayed out to the front until the were inevitably caught with 5 ks to go.
In the sprint Bob let me lead it out with Edvald and Eisel on my wheel, Cav was too tired from the hill too sprint to sprint, as I had predicted.
Eisel made his move with 1 k to go and never looked back.
Renshaw and Eisel battled the whole way, shoulder to shoulder, bar to bar, who will it be?
Renshaw nicked him on the line but, Edvald did hold onto 4th though, so a good first race for the team.
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
A_Schleck wrote:
Looking good t-rock (or whatever it is you americans call each other )
No, you see, their are three types of Americans - Intellectual, College Educated Liberals (idiots), People who either 1) are, or 2) think they are "gangsters" (idiots), and lastly Hillbilles and Farmers from middle america (idiots).
As you can see we are a very intelligent country, also, I am in group #1, while our current president is group #3, but attempts to be in each group
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
A_Schleck wrote:
Looking good t-rock (or whatever it is you americans call each other )
No, you see, their are three types of Americans - Intellectual, College Educated Liberals (idiots), People who either 1) are, or 2) think they are "gangsters" (idiots), and lastly Hillbilles and Farmers from middle america (idiots).
As you can see we are a very intelligent country, also, I am in group #1, while our current president is group #3, but attempts to be in each group
As in:
Intellectual -
Gangster-
Hillbilly -
Cut the political talk out, this is a cycling story not a political forum. You're comments can easily insult someone, especially "middle-class America" which you classify as hillbillies, where most of them live in suburbs. Let this forum be dedicated to the story, not your misguided info.
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
A_Schleck wrote:
Looking good t-rock (or whatever it is you americans call each other )
No, you see, their are three types of Americans - Intellectual, College Educated Liberals (idiots), People who either 1) are, or 2) think they are "gangsters" (idiots), and lastly Hillbilles and Farmers from middle america (idiots).
As you can see we are a very intelligent country, also, I am in group #1, while our current president is group #3, but attempts to be in each group
As in:
Intellectual -
Gangster-
Hillbilly -
Cut the political talk out, this is a cycling story not a political forum. You're comments can easily insult someone, especially "middle-class America" which you classify as hillbillies, where most of them live in suburbs. Let this forum be dedicated to the story, not your misguided info.
Sorry, I was joking, hopefully people can see that, or otherwise my jokes may not be jokes
Todays stage looks alot like the first one, aswell as our tactics. Cav probably won't be able to sprint again so it's up to Eisel and Edvald, and me to help them. Although I think if my legs are up to par I'll ask Bob if i can go for a late flyer, Craig says he's really motivated for the break to make it after his poor performance yesterday.
He did make it today, he's joined by Catlado, Stamsnijder, and De kort of Astana.
With just under 80 kilometers to go Credit Agricole picked up the pace and we started catching Craig and his break companions, at about this time i started feeling a little fatigued, I hanged in there though and got back into my rhythm.
Craig and the gang got caught with about 30 km to go. I checked how all my teamates were feeling and the overall feeling, with the exception of Cavendish was a good morale for the finale.
I road to the back of the peleton to talk to Bob about the attack but we both decided it would be best to sit back and wait to Willunga.
I decided to let Barry do the leadout work today, he towed up Edvald and Eisel again just like clockwork.
Renshaw took another win today, Eisel could only manage third as Mondory snuck by him.
Rank Name Team Time
1 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole 3h43'58
2 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale s.t. 3 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road s.t.
4 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole s.t.
5 Matthew Goss Team CSC s.t.
6 Claudio Corioni Liquigas s.t. 7 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road s.t.
8 Gorik Gardeyn Silence - Lotto s.t.
9 Elia Rigotto Team Milram s.t.
10 Mathieu Drujon Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
11 Saddo Haddou Bouygues Telacom s.t.
12 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis s.t.
13 Matthew Hayman Rabobank s.t.
14 Markus Zberg Gerolsteiner s.t.
15 Luciano Pagliarini Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
16 Sven Krauss Gerolsteiner s.t.
17 Stephane Poulhias AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
18 Mauro Santambrogio Lampre s.t.
19 Alexandre Blain Cofidis s.t.
20 Alberto Ongarato Team Milram s.t. 73 John Devine Team High Road s.t.
Horrible news for Mark though, after being dropped off the back of the peleton he was involved in a crash with 2 kilometers to go. He had to abandon with a fracture in his arm that will keep him out of the TOC, Bob said that either Greipel or Ciolek will replace him.
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
So, now that we're at a stage Mark could make it to the end of he drops out of, oh well, I talked to Eisel and he was really motivated before the start today, he wants to beat Renshaw and my plan is to help him with that.
After so many attempts at a break a group of 14 was finalized, our team actually had two riders in there with Taylor (+4:44) and Craig (+27:56).
Credit Agricole worked hard to keep the gap down, they surprisingly brought them back in with 20 KM still to go.
Eisel and Edvald ended up on the Milram train, Eisel tried as hard as he could but just couldn't pass Rigotto.
The stage today didn't go to plan for me, I was to weak to work for Edvald or Eisel, and instead of leading them out we had to opt for another train. Sorry guys! Although Eisel is only 4 seconds back now, so maybe a win is in the cards for us?
Stage
Rank Name Team Time
1 Elia Rigotto Team Milram 3h13'23 2 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road s.t.
3 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
4 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole s.t. 5 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road s.t.
6 Matthew Hayman Rabobank s.t.
7 Claudio Corioni Liquigas s.t.
8 Matthew Goss Team CSC s.t.
9 Mathieu Drujon Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
10 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole s.t.
11 Markus Zberg Gerolsteiner s.t.
12 Xavi Florencio Bouygues Tekecom s.t.
13 Mauro Santambrogio Lampre s.t.
14 Francesco Gavazzi Lampre s.t.
15 Alberto Ongarato Team Milram s.t.
16 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis s.t.
17 Gorik Gardeyn Silence - Lotto s.t.
18 Yuri Trofimov Bouygues Telecom s.t.
19 William Bonnet Credit Agricole s.t.
20 Lars Ytting Bak Team CSC s.t. 77 John Devine Team High Road s.t.
GC
Rank Name Team Time
1 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole 10h09'23 2 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road + 4
3 Elia Rigotto Team Milram + 8
4 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
5 Matthew Goss Team CSC + 11
6 Yon Bru Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
7 Christophe Mengin Francaise des Jeux + 12
8 Brett Lancaster Team Milram + 13 9 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road + 14
10 Claudio Corioni Liquigas s.t.
Points
Rank Name Team Points General
1 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole 0 20 2 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road 6 16
3 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale 4 10
4 Elia Rigotto Team Milram 8 8
5 Matthew Goss Team CSC 0 6
Mountain
Rank Name Team Mountain General
1 Craig Lewis Team High Road 0 24
2 Thomas Voeckler Bouygues Telecom 0 16
3 Indigo Landaluze Euskaltel - Euskadi 0 16
4 Christophe Edaleine AG2R - La Mondiale 16 16
5 Tom Stamsnijder Gerolsteiner 0 12
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Ok, you know the routine by now, Craig in the break that will most likely fail.
The only consolation for all of Craigs attempts is he has the mountains jersey, which, after another suicide attack tomorrow will probably hold onto it.
I could here Craig over the team radio talking to Bob, I cut in once they were done and gave him some encouragement, and he soon left his friends in the break and went solo.
He was caught with 20 KM to go and the normal field sprint was on.
Edvald was qued up behind the Rabobank rider Tankink, the CSC train had Goss.
Eisel looked to have it on the line and even celebrated from what I could see, but i heard loud chatters of cuss words over the race radio from Bob...He had celebrated to early and Ongarato passed him in the closing feet!
Needless to say Bernard felt like an idiot when I talked to him after the race. But on the upside we have the jersey from Renshaw. Tomorrow, on Willunga hill I think Edvald will have his chance to shine. We drove over to Willunga after the stage, I talked to Edvald and Eisel and instead of attacking tomorrow I'll help Eisel and Edvald to win.
Stage
GC
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
(or whatever it is you americans call each other 
)
