· Il work towards a completely French team. Meaning cyclists, doctors, scouts and trainers. At the start of the story there 2 exceptions (a Danish doctor and Aivaras Baranauskas).
· Il be playing the career on hard difficulty (Except for the first race with was on normal, something that will show in the result lol).
· I won’t use any training camps. Because the effect on French cyclists would make the story very unrealistic.
· I won’t mess with the finances of the team (so no extra money), unless the team comes close to bankruptcy
· It will be a mixture of pure PCM game play and fantasy.
· I probably won’t update the story daily, maybe not even weekly (at least not in June) because I’m still in the middle of my exams.
Edited by soda on 10-06-2008 19:19
Belgian takes over the Roubaix Lille Metropole cycling team.
Day 1
After a disappointing 2007 season , Roubaix manager Fréderic Delcambre decided it was time to do something else and sold his team to Sven Vercruysse, a young sport fanatic who decided the time was right to build a strong French team, something the peleton was missing the last couple of years. More info will be available tomorrow, when the new manager is having a press conference at the Roubaix cycling track.
20 minutes late, Sven Vercruysse walks into the press conference room soaking wet.
Sven Vercruysse: Sorry people, I’ll get back to you people in like 10 minutes, something went wrong with my car and I had to walk the last 1.5 km so I’d like to change clothes first.
And off I went to the backroom, followed by one of those sexy personal assistants that came with the team.
Sven Vercruysse: So what’s your name miss.
Assistant: My name ?
Sven Vercruysse: Yes your name, I won’t be calling you miss all the time.
Assistant: Its Sarah
Sven Vercruysse: So Sarah, I’d like some new clothes, a cold beer and one of those nifty small microphones.
Sarah: A cold beer and the microphone shouldn’t be a problem, but I don’t know if I can find new clothes. I don’t think anyone thought of bringing you an extra pair.
Sven Vercruysse: Just see what you can do
A few minutes later she re-enters the room with a beer and the microphone.
Sarah: Like I said no new clothes.
Sven Vercruysse: No problem just give me your shirt and trousers.
Sarah: … euhm what?
Sven Vercruysse: Come-on, its not like I’m asking you for your bra or anything. I can’t go in looking like this and I’m sure I can squeeze myself in your shirt and trousers. Besides I’ll turn away when we swap shirts and I’ll buy you a coffee after the press conference
Sarah: a coffee …
Sven Vercruysse: or something else. I’d just like your shirt and trousers now.
5 minutes later the clothes were swapped and I was ready to go and give my first press conference.
Sven Vercruysse: so if you want your drink, just wait for me at the exit.
After that I grabbed the microphone pinned it on the shirt, grabbed my beer and entered the press conference room.
Edited by soda on 09-06-2008 17:26
Sven Vercruysse: Sorry I kept you people waiting, but like you saw I really needed to change clothes. So are there any questions
Some hands pop up, I carefully select one.
Reporter 1: Those clothes …, there female clothes.
Sven Vercruysse: Ye, does that matter, I was wet …
Reporter 1: I bet you were
Sven Vercruysse: Whatever, any other questions ?
Again some hands pop up
Sven Vercruysse: Any questions that are related to the team and not to the clothes
¾ of the hands go down
Reporter 2: You were talking about a fully French team. Do you think that’s very realistic in modern days cycling. When you look at the current French pro tour teams , they aren’t doing super well. Most of their wins come from foreign cyclists like Gilbert and Hushovdt just to name 2
Sven Vercruysse: Well I still think its possible, with both a good scouting program and a good developing program we can bring talented French youngsters to the top.
Reporter 2: But that will take time, till then you’ll have to cope with the current era of French cyclists.
Sven Vercruysse: I’m sure will manage to squeeze out some nice results.
Reporter 2: What about the team, it seems to be rather small to get through the season.
Sven Vercruysse: That’s true, we will have to carefully select the races we want to compete in.
Reporter 2: So we won’t see the team in the pro tour next year.
Sven Vercruysse: Most likely not, were aiming for a top 10 spot in this year continental ranking. Off course you never know, if anywhere in the season we would get to a place that gives us a spot in next years pro tour, we will off course do our very best to keep it.
Reporter 1: What about Baranauskas
Sven Vercruysse: I’m not answering your questions anymore. Anyone else ?
Reporter 2: Euhm so what about Baranauskas?
Sven Vercruysse: What about him ?
Reporter 2: Well are you keeping him in the team, or does he get too look out for a new one ?
Sven Vercruysse: I’m keeping him with the team, but his contract won’t be renewed.
Reporter 2: don’t you think that will de-motivate him.
Sven Vercruysse: I don’t think so, Aivaras is professional enough to keep doing the best he can and off course he will be motivated to score some nice results so another team picks him up next season.
After that I pretty much had it with sitting still and answering questions, so I decided it was time to end the press conference.
Sven Vercruysse: That was it for now, thx for showing up, drive safely and goodbye.
Oh and one more thing I’ll announce 3 new signings tomorrow I’ll just send you guys an e-mail that should do the trick shouldn’t it?
I saw some people nod, decided that was all the confirmation I needed, got up and went to the exit, were I saw Sarah waiting.
... I saw some people nod, decided that was all the confirmation I needed, got up and went to the exit, were I saw Sarah waiting.
Sarah: Hi, I presume you want to change clothes before we head out. I got them dried
Sven Vercruysse: Don’t think that’s a bad idea, although these clothes are surprisingly comfy.
Sarah: Off course they are, I pick my clothes well.
Sven Vercruysse: you sure do
So we went back to the backroom changed clothes and left the cycling track.
Once outside I saw a tow truck driving on the parking lot, pulling behind him the remains of what used to be a brand new Aston Martin. I ignored the sight and carefully guided Sarah to the other side of the parking lot, making sure she saw everything except the car.
Sven Vercruysse: Perhaps its better we take your car, since mines a bit buckled and walking in this weather would let us catch pneumonia.
Sarah: I guess your right, but I’m driving and I’m choosing the place where were eating.
Sven Vercruysse: Eating ? who said anything about eating?
Sarah: I’m hungry, so either your buying me lunch, or your walking home.
Sven Vercruysse: Lunch it is.
After that I just followed her around the parking lot (I had no idea with car was hers). Waiting for her to walk up to a car. When she did it wasn’t what I had hoped for.
Sven Vercruysse: …
Sarah: Is something wrong?
Sven Vercruysse: Nope, nothings wrong … everything’s fine … mhmm
Sarah: I know its not a brand new Aston Martin (so she had noticed). But my dad drove this to work every day for 20 years and it never failed on him nor has it failed on me. So get in
Slightly embarrassed I open the passenger door and squeeze myself in the seat of the forest green Renault 4. Sarah starts the engine, backs out of the parking space and off we went.
The next day, It’s the sound of my phone ringing that wakes me up. I try to ignore the noise as long as possible but when the 5th series of rings start, I give in knowing that I won’t out last it. I reach for the phone and when I finally manage to get my hand around it, I see its a reminder going off. “Newspapers still need the teamupdate” great .
Half an hour later I finally drag myself from the bed to the computer desk, knowing the first thing I’ll do when I get at office is hire someone to do this kind of jobs for me. (Sarah perhaps)
From: To: , , Subject: Team Presentation Roubaix Lille Metropole 2008 and the sponsor goals
As promised here’s the complete team line up for the 2008 season.
As you can see we managed to sign an additional 3 cyclists to bring our entire line up to 14.
Besides that we also received this years sponsor goals. Some of them seem hard to accomplice especially with the small team we have, but like Jonathan Winters said “Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others.”
If there anything else you guys are eager to know, just reply to this email and il get back to you as soon as possible.
First race reports should be up either this weekend or early next week, together with a January update
(with was a dead month for my team B))
Edited by soda on 10-06-2008 19:22
.
B))
