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Cannondale - Drapac Pro Cycling Team
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| VoetsT |
Posted on 08-07-2017 10:43
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 851
Joined: 29-06-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Hello and welcome everyone!
First of all, thanks for clicking on this page. I’m happy to welcome you on my blog. On this page, you can find all the news, race reports, inside information and so much more of the …
Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team
Let’s introduce myself. My name is Thomas, 25 years old and I’m a new sport director of the team. As a boy I played a couple of years the awesome games of “Pro Cycling manger”. And because I never raced as a (semi-)profession cyclist, maybe that’s the reason why I’m here at Cannondale-Drapac right now.
You probably ask yourself how I became a sport director, well that is all about a coincidence.
[img-l]https://i.imgur.com/UVMuJqy.jpg[/img-l]
Last year I was on holidays at Boulder, Colorado, United States. That’s where I accidently met Jonathan Vaughters and Charles Wegelius at a nice restaurant. They were sitting at the bar and talking about cycling. After a few minutes I had enough courage to walk up to them. They were very generous and kind, so we talked for a few hours about cycling and running a cycling team. After a couple of beers and despite I told them the only experience I had with leading a team was that PC-game PCM, Charles asked me if I was interested in a job as DS. I laughed and I said: “Of course I am, when do I start”. The next morning I had an email from the HR-department of the “Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team”. The rest is history and brings us to this point …
That’s enough about me for now. Let’s talk about what you can expect on this page. As said before, there will be inside team information, some news about the team and riders, interviews and of course the race reports.
As a DS, I will bring full report of the races when the team car is driven by me. For all the other race I will try to give a small update on how things went for the team.
That’s it for now, I hope you will follow us through this season and support us as best you can!
Cheers and #RideArgyle
Thomas
Spoiler Database: PCM Daily DB 2017 (racing will start when this DB comes out.
Difficulty: Hard
Updates: 1 or 2 time a week
Edited by VoetsT on 08-07-2017 11:02
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| VoetsT |
Posted on 08-07-2017 10:44
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 851
Joined: 29-06-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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About the team
Full name: Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team (CDT)
Based in: Boulder, Colorado, United States
Founded: 2003 as 5280−Subaru (World tour since 2009)
Main sponsors:
- Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, an American-Canadian bicycle manufacturer
- Drapac Capital Partners, a United States-based real estate firm
General Manager: Jonathan Vaughters
Team Manager: Charles Wegelius
Sport Directors:
- Johnny Weltz
- Juan Manuel Gárate
- Bingen Fernández
- Fabrizio Guidi
- Andreas Klier
- Eric Van Lancker
- Ken Vanmarcke
Equipment:
- Bike: Cannondale
- Components: Shimano
- Wheels: Mavic
Important wins:
- Overall Giro d’Italia 2012, R. Hesjedal
- Paris – Roubaix 2011, J. Vansummeren
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 2012. S. Vanmarcke
- Overall Critérium du Dauphiné 2014, A. Talansky
- Overall Tour Down Under 2011 C. Meyer
- And so much more …
Jersey:
Meet the squad
Our team exists of 27 riders from different countries. The selection consists of quality riders for all kinds of terrains and races. It is also a balanced mix between experience and youth.
Leaders
Rigoberto Uran
[img-l]https://i.imgur.com/7VGtIpk.jpg[/img-l]Nationality: Columbia
Data of birth: 26/1/1987
Specialty: Stage races, climber
Main results:
2x 2nd at Giro d´Italia ('14, '13)
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (’15)
Stage at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (’12)
Rigoberto Uran is the team’s most experienced stage racer. With 2 podium finishes in the Giro, Uran certainly knows how to handle a GT. With a more than decent team trial in his legs and a team to support him, he is a rider to take into account when he is at the start line of any kind of stage race.
Seb Vanmarcke
[img-l]https://i.imgur.com/kQQyY12.jpg[/img-l]Nationality: Belgium
Data of birth: 28/7/1988
Specialty: Cobblestone classics
Main results:
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (’12)
2nd at Paris – Roubaix (’13)
2x 3rd at Ronde van Vlaanderen (’14, ’16)
Sep returned to the team where it all started for him. Back in 2012, he won his only (semi-)classic so far while riding for our team. Now that he’s back, he is ready to win again. The northern classics are still his favorite kind of races and there aren’t many who can ride faster over cobblestones than Seb.
Andrew Talansky
[img-l]https://i.imgur.com/gYSheER.jpg[/img-l]Nationality: United States
Date of Birth: 23/11/1988
Specialty: Stage races
Main results:
GC Critérium du Daupiné (’14)
5th at GC Vuelta a Espana (’16)
Stage at Paris – Nice (’13)
Talansky is one of America’s leading riders. With the overall win at the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2014, he proved he is capable to win some big races. And that is exactly what he is aiming for this season. Throughout the season, Andrew will be on GC duty for most one week stage races.
Free elements
Mountains - Davide Formolo & Pierre Roland
Roland is a very decent climber. He doesn’t win often but when he wins, he does it in style. Like back in 2011, stage 19 of Le Tour with a finish on l’Alpe d’Huez. This year he will get the freedom to fight for stages again.
Formolo on the other hand, is talented, but has still to improve some skills. This season will be all about learning how to fight for the overall in stage races and Grand Tours.
Hilly classics - Tom-Jelte Slagter & Davide Villella
Slagter is the team’s best chance on short steep hills. The Ardennes are his favorite terrain. How harder the races, the better. And with a good sprint, he definitely is man to have an eye on in this kind of races.
Determined that his overall victory at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2013 wasn’t a lucky shot, Slagter will also aiming some smaller stage races.
Because you can’t go to war with only one soldier, Villella will be at the Ardennes and hilly races as well. The last edition of Giro di Lombardia is a good example of what he is capable of.
Northern Classics - Sebastian Langeveld & Dylan Van Baarle
This Dutch duo couples youth with experience. Langeveld knows how to win a classic as he did in 2011 (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad) this way Van Baarle learns from the best. In support of Seb, these two can do great things or even win a race. Van Baarle’s strength can also be helpful in hilly races, like the Amstel Gold Race. While Langeveld can be a road captain for our younger riders.
Riders to watch
Debutants - Hugh Carthy & Taylor Phinney
Taylor Phinney is a unique individual, a special kind of personality in the peloton. He made a comeback from a dreadful accident (US ITT championships, 2014) a few years ago that obliterated his leg. As the reigned ITT champion of the USA, Taylor’s focus will be mainly on time trials.
Carthy is one of Britain’s next young talents. He showed already that he can win races, as he did last season by winning a stage and the overall at Vuelta a Asturias. Now that he is at WT-level, it will all be about learning and development into a real GC-rider.
Sprinter – Wouter Wippert
As the fastest man at the team, Wippert will be our guy for the bunch sprints. We think that he has the potential to beat the best sprinters in the world. During the season, we will try to develop a lead-out train for him.[/center]
Full squad
This are the 27 riders who will represent #RideArgyle during the 2017 season.
Edited by VoetsT on 11-07-2017 06:32
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| VoetsT |
Posted on 08-07-2017 10:44
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 851
Joined: 29-06-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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Reserved - Results
Feel free to reply 
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 08-07-2017 10:45
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Psyched! |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 08-07-2017 10:56
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World Champion
Posts: 11398
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1120.00
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Play PCM -> become DS. That's the dream 
Best of luck man!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| cunego59 |
Posted on 08-07-2017 13:52
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Team Manager
Posts: 6508
Joined: 14-09-2008
PCM$: 1090.00
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Good to see you with a story! Have fun, I'm interested to see where this is going
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| rogvi97 |
Posted on 09-07-2017 00:56
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 933
Joined: 10-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Make us dream! Will follow this!
No signature available
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| DiCyc |
Posted on 09-07-2017 01:28
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Sprinter
Posts: 1636
Joined: 09-03-2015
PCM$: 200.00
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Well, that's a way to become a DS
Good luck, man, it sounds really interesting 
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| MountainMaster |
Posted on 09-07-2017 03:19
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Free Agent
Posts: 106
Joined: 12-05-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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Beers do miracles
Good luck!
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 09-07-2017 04:28
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8060
Joined: 22-06-2009
PCM$: 650.00
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Lucky guy. How am I still not a DS?
Best of luck. 
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 09-07-2017 08:09
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
PCM$: 599.00
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Good luck ! Always exciting to see a new story pop up.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 04-12-2024 08:23
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Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
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| VoetsT |
Posted on 10-07-2017 16:48
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 851
Joined: 29-06-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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@Ian Butler: Nice first post to the story
@jandal7, @rogvi97 & @DiCyc: Sometimes dreams come true!
@cunego59 & @Tamijo: Thanks, hope you will like it.
@MountainMaster: Without beer, no miracles. Life lesson number one!
@Mresuperstar: Just keep on playing PCM.
Thanks everyone for the replies!
I updated the team presentation.
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 12-07-2017 07:15
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
PCM$: 599.00
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VoetsT wrote:
I updated the team presentation.
Great presentation
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| VoetsT |
Posted on 20-07-2017 18:34
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 851
Joined: 29-06-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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@Tamijo: Thanks
Motivation is really high (due to Uran's good TdF) so I hope the DB comes soon!)
Hey fellows
Currently I’m at the team’s first training camp of the season in Calpe, Spain. We are halfway now and I wanted to let you guys know how things are going. So here is a short summary.
The travel and introduction
Luckily, I didn’t have to travel alone. My companion for the journey was Ken Vanmarcke (the older brother from Seb). Cannondale – Drapac will also be Ken’s first team as a DS. During the (almost two hour) flight, we talked a lot about cycling and the challenges for the upcoming season.
While we were unpacking our suitcases, Jonathan Vaughters asked us if we wanted to follow him. He was going to introduce us to all the riders and staff. And I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. But there were only positive reactions and congratulations for the two of us. We were immediately accepted by the riders and the other staff members.
Learning and training ride
The first days, Ken and I had the simple task to follow Charles Wegelius. He would teach us the basics of being a sport director. How and what to communicate during a race, how to check training results, what to do before and after a race, … There was a lot to learn!
For the riders, this training camp is all about spinning the legs and building some fitness. But is also useful to get to know each other, since there are a couple of new riders compared to last season.
During the rides, I sat in the passenger seat of the team car. Andreas Klier was my driver and explained me how a lot of things work the car like GPS, radio, how to ride next to riders, …
First staff meeting
On the second day, we had our first staff meeting. For most of the time, we discussed the race schedule and which riders will go for which goals. But nothing is finalized yet, a meeting with the riders later at this camp will help us to finish this off.
For us, as sport directors, there was the decision to do most races with 3 sport directors since we are with 8.
Okay, that’s it for now.
Thanks for reading and #RideArgyle
Thomas
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 20-07-2017 19:17
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9100
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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Just here to say that I very much enjoy both team choice and presentation so far
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| rogvi97 |
Posted on 20-07-2017 21:37
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 933
Joined: 10-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Great update and bring on the racing!
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