As the riders of recent years have failed to promote the team from the dark depths of continental cycling, a complete change of squad has been the final outcome.
With former Astana-assistant Andreï Kasheckin frustrated to be left in the shadows of mighty champions Savoldelli, Vinokourov and Klöden, Galicia has earned an already well-known climbing star. Kash will be the absolute leader at Karpin.
At his side in the high mountains, basque ex-national champion Garate and Caisse-Russian Efimkin are the ones to struggle. On flat road, another Spanish-Russian duo will make their effort in the sprints. Ventoso is the dangerous finisher, Markov the apprentice.
The rouleurs, or close-to-comes, will be Barredo, Quickstep-fighter, Navarro and Abellan.
As a small continental team, our sponsors have demanded us to focus on Spanish races. The regional challenges will be important ones - Vuelta Ciclista Asturias the most important of the Galician races.
But our main goal for the season will be the Vuelta. The national Grand Tour will decide the season outcome and the mood of our sponsors. Kash and Garate should be there at peak form, so should Ventoso - hopefully grabbing a tight one in one of the flat stages. As Kasheckin proved last year, he has the skills to beat the best at the Spanish slopes. He will try to do so.
The race calender of January will prove a limited one:
Doha International GP - will show us the first insinuations on the whereabouts of sprinters Markov and Ventoso.
February will light up the fire for some Spanish action:
Vuelta ciclista a Mallorca - Garate will have to secure some points early on, as Kash rides around Kazakhstan for the season warm-up. The basque climer won't be up for this one though - his form will show that he is not there yet. Efimkin or Barredo should try on break-aways.
Vuelta a Andalusia - This one is always a tightly contested affair - and as the race at Mallorca, some of the Ardennes favourites will try and make an early showing. Garate and Efimkin should try it out, though.
Trofeo Luis Puig - Flat as a pancake, Markov and Ventoso should be up for a sprinters battle at the Luis Puig. Depending on the startlist, the outcome could be anything.
Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana - The last Spanish hilly test of February. The plan will be the same as in the previous ones. Hopefully J.M. will be in good form, but Dutch and Italian classic riders will be so too. A stage win would be great.
The problem, as I see it, is that the Vuelta will demand a lot from the whole squad. Since they all have to participate (...) the focus on the continental races will be severely decreased. Anyway - I don't necessarily want the team to be promoted, not in change of a splendid Grand Tour anyway - because i like playing the smaller sides with only a few riders.
I am in a dilemma, for somewhat reason:
Should I report in a lot of details from the early months, or should i do it swiftly and proceed to the larger and more important races?
I will post Doha in a few minutes...
@Magnum: It is the "Cycling-Event Light" database... I've removed Mancebo and Basso, and fired Honchar...
Edited by Balaverde on 21-06-2007 13:55
Entirely up to you. It depends on how much time you want to put in. Most people just skip the less important races, but I like to give all races some attention - it makes it more realistic as a director sportif for a continental side
A line-up of six men packed their stuff for a flat route of Qatarian dust and sand. Due to preseason crash on our training camp in Calp in southern Spain, Abellan had to watch from the sidelines, as climber Garate cursed his luck and took his place.
The desert race comenced in hot weather.
Markov attempts an early attack, too strong to be left behind on the goalline by his fellow class sprinters. But the Russian is quickly wheeled in as the main bunch seems to be aware of his good form. After some kilometers Barredo decides to go on his own.
As Ventoso appears a bit rusty and Markov short of the final inch, Efimkin tries to follow Carlos and make his way to the front. At this moment, two other teams are able to put up with a double in front, and one man in a break-away of twenty appears to be too little. So, Vladimir breaks away. Danish youth rider Breschel takes on his wheel.
The front group are working well together, eight minutes as the maximum gap back to the peloton. With seventy kilometers to go, the peloton starts moving. Boonen and Steegmans yell their companions to up the pace and the gap quickly decreases.
Wiesenhof in front, working for Radochla.
But the peloton proves to be unable to catch the lot at the front. With twelve kilometers to go, Carlos looks too strong to sit and wait. His limited sprinting skills taken into consideration, he follows the early break-up attemp.
With seven to go, Breschel and Schwab have plunged their lungs out. Carlos is able to continue the fast pace, but his muscles start aching severely. He looks back, the rest of the pack moving in on him at high pace, but decides to continue his fast tempo.
And it's off! Barredo screams from within to throw himself towards the finishing line. The rest of the pack hammers down the last corner as they eye Carlos struggling in front. With only two kilometers to go, it looks to be a tight one.
In the end, Carlos hasn't got the legs. He pulled out all he could manage, but a few metres from the line De Schrooder and Chmielewski shoot up in front of him. He watches Bondariew slide beside him to complete the Polish humiliation.
So, 4th place it is. We dominated the break away and Vladimir sacrificed himself for his break-away mate. Barredo tried to pull it off at the end, but a top 5 seems to fulfill our hopes in flat Qatar-terrain.
Hard. I was surprised to see Barredo looking so strong on the attack - which is why I allowed him to go on full throttle. But at the end the red bar assasinated his winning chances... I'm playing Mallorca right now. Btw: sad that Efimkin isn't riding Suisse-like in my career - he really puts on the show. Glad you like the start of it.
Your right you will struggle when it comes to the vuelta with a team of that side. Maybe get 1 0r 2 riders from the free agent pool, A columbian or venazualan maybe? Great story so far.
As the first stage race of the season was on its way, our riders packed their gear and travelled south. A hilly experience at the Canarian Islands was the menu of the week, with two flat stages introducing three rounds of Mallorcan hills.
Main GC contender Vladimir seems to have upped the shape, and with Juan Manuel as the most likely assistant, he is to challenge powerful enemies Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel, Dutch talent Thomas Dekker and WC Paolo Bettini.
Stage 1 - Palma - Palma
Only a daring Spanish trio are able to get away from a quick and strong peloton. They are wheeled in twenty kilometers from the finish line in Palma, and the strongest sprinters set themselves up for the last ditch against the line.
Australian sprinter Luke Roberts leads the race, as the riders enter the important final three kilometers. The tempo has slowed down, howewer, as neither of the sprinter squads have taken the decisive choice to pull their train ahead of the rest.
To quote forum member issoisso, Oscar Freire has hidden himself at the front, as the Rabobank team calls on their "you go take care of yourself, Oscar"-strategy. Francisco takes on his wheel in the final dash, with Alexei third, attempting to copy Eastern suicidal sprinter Abdoudiabarov on the last kilometers.
Out-of-form Francisco is ordered around the former world champion, and in a second, the sprinting king of Spain seems to be shaking, as Ventoso pulls ahead of him around the last corner, and with but a kilometer to the line.
But the fast Oscar claims back his Spanish thrown in an excellent finish. He overhauls Francisco who finishes third behind French sprinter Dumoulin. Markov manages to clinch on and stays fifth behind Barbosa.
So, Bettini and the lot were set back by Freires early attack as Ventoso and Markov proved their preseason form and made up a double top 5. Better than expected, although their strength certainly seems to be at it's peak on the shorter stages.
Edited by Balaverde on 22-06-2007 17:19
Second day on the island tour, a flat stage as well, but a longer and tougher one.
Stage 2 - Port d'Alcudia - Port d'Alcudia
Carlos managed to get away in an early break, but Rabobank and Ag2r were too determined in their chase to let anyone slip away on a long run. In the sprint Francisco and Alexei went completely dead, and their empty legs saw them finish a long way behind stage winner Dumoulin. Freire saw a mistimed intervention destroy his hopes for the final. As he sat on Bettinis wheel the two WC's missed the heated front.
Third stage should zap some strenght from the main GC contenders, with Efimkin the man-on-the-move for our squad. Garate should assist him at the final climb, even though the competition provided by Ardennes-finishers Samuel Sanchez and Paolo Bettini seems a strong one.
Stage 3 - Pollenca - Pollenca
Garate is send on a mighty break, crossing two of three hilly slopes alone and emptying out the peloton. But at the long flat stretch onto the last climb at Pollenca he is wheeled in - able to hang on, though, for his team captain.
At the climb, Efimkin is eating his heart out, suffering behind Tinkoff-rider Petrov. When Samuel Sanchez launches the final blow three kilometers from the line, Vladimir is in no condition to follow. He stays put at the front and grabs 11th behind Bettini at 10th, thirty seconds after stage winner Sanchez.
After three days of stage race struggle near the Sahara, the main bunch should be suffering enough to allow a group of riders to break away. Since Garate and Efimkin should be chased down on top of yesterdays merits, Carlos and David will be our important cards for the stage.
Stage 4 - Soller - Soller
After thirty kilometers, Navarro flies away from the main bunch alongside nine others. He seems determined to prove himself at this early stage of the season, driving heard to maintain the distance back to the peloton.
At the first climb, David puts up the pace. With Hruska and Ruiz as the strongest looking break-away companions, they let go of the heavy rouleurs and enter hilly terrain.
With twenty kilometers to the finish, Ruiz drops behind. Hruska sets a hard pace and Navarro struggles to follow. Back in the peloton, Euskaltel controls the race, but it becomes more and more clear that the winner should be found among the two riders in front.
Suddenly, David seems immensely strong. As the slope becomes tougher, Navarro takes on the front - finally attacking to shake off the stronger sprinting and descending ex-ONCE-rider.
But Hruska smells blood and victory on his way down the last descend. David is wheeled in, and the time-trialist Hruska moves ahead of him in a strong sprint. Hruska wins and it is second for the young Spaniard.
Van Hecke and Dekker moves ahead of the main bunch to grap top 5 placings.
Seen in retrospect, the last few kilometers were probably not ridden as they should have been. David blew it all on the top of the last slope, and he ended the final sprint short of that same energy. Hruska moves ahead of the race, one minute in front of Sanchez, but looking to let go of the jersey when the hardest stage of the race will be ridden tomorrow.
Edited by Balaverde on 22-06-2007 17:58
