February Review: Our second month of racing was a mixed bag. We began with a very disappointing day of racing at the Coppa Placci, missing our team goal of victory by a wide margin. After a speculative attack by Kinoshita fell flat, both Masnada and Langellotti came into the finale with a large group of leaders, but could only then manage 11th and 15th at the line. At the Viana do Castelo we were quite active with Ludvigsson, Smith, and Langellotti all joining attacks in the earlier portion of the race, but the demands of the cobblestones were a bit beyond our capacity and we failed to finish in a scoring position.
Our fortunes reversed dramatically, however, with a remarkable Vuelta al Tachira. Hayakawa, lead out most capably by Fiorelli, shocked with wins on Stages 1 and 4 and an ensuing victory in the sprint classification. On Stage 7 Masnada, Smith, and Aebi put together an incredible 2-3-4 finish in the hilly group sprint, with Masnada parlaying that result with his consistency and veteran savvy in the high mountains and time-trials to manage 9th place overall in the GC. Smith contributed further with a 13th-placed finish.
March sees a slight uptick to 15 RDs. We bring high expectations to the Herald Sun Tour and (as another team goal) the C1-level GP Izola, before looking for a more modest return from the Monterrey TTT and Tour of Guadeloupe. Our month will then conclude with what we expect will be an uneventful day at the office at Geraardsbergen - Bosberg, which we attend only as required for a CT GTM race.
Herald Sun Tour
Our first race of the month is a return to Australia for the Herald Sun Tour. With four sprints and a GC-deciding time-trial, leadership duties will be shared between the overall and the road races. For the former Onodera will take a run at podiums both in the time-trial and the GC, while Aquilani will look to take down the sprints as aided by Hayakawa and Moschetti.
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
OVR
Aquilani
76
64
66
67
69
71
74
79
64
77
76
68
67
75
75.02
Onodera
74
66
68
69
78
75
74
71
61
65
68
64
68
75
74.48
Moschetti
70
58
63
67
59
71
72
69
61
75
76
63
65
64
72.56
Hayakawa
70
60
61
62
50
70
63
71
54
76
74
72
70
50
72.17
Kaneko
72
68
69
67
65
72
71
70
60
66
73
71
68
64
70.28
Muller
69
62
65
68
59
66
64
61
54
67
69
64
61
59
68.47
Crescioli
66
64
65
63
53
67
68
67
62
61
69
71
71
60
66.07
GP Izola
The team then turns to another almost-at-home punchy classic: Izola sits right across the border from Trieste, and its hills are as close as we will come riding in anger to our headquarters. A team goal as well, we've sent a very strong hills squad led by the Kinoshita and Langellotti duo, supported by Ludvigsson, Aebi, and even Aquilani for race control.
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
OVR
Langellotti
72
72
75
77
67
76
71
76
59
67
74
73
69
66
75.66
Aquilani
76
64
66
67
69
71
74
79
64
77
76
68
67
75
75.02
Aebi
69
72
74
76
64
74
72
66
60
69
74
66
78
63
74.92
Kinoshita
69
68
74
79
62
74
71
67
55
64
71
69
67
62
74.81
Ludvigsson
67
63
70
76
69
74
70
69
53
67
76
78
68
69
73.15
Miyazaki
72
70
72
73
64
70
69
65
58
61
74
73
73
64
72.68
Froidevaux
70
64
68
72
64
72
70
66
61
72
74
71
68
67
72.40
Bais
66
70
71
72
58
72
71
71
58
62
69
70
64
58
71.32
Monterrey TTT
On then to Mexico, where Onodera and Turek will try to drag the rest of the team to a respectable result in a team time trial. A top-end result will likely be too much in the asking, but we should be able to finish well within the points.
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
OVR
Langellotti
72
72
75
77
67
76
71
76
59
67
74
73
69
66
75.66
Masnada
70
76
76
75
72
75
74
71
59
62
72
68
70
69
75.25
Aquilani
76
64
66
67
69
71
74
79
64
77
76
68
67
75
75.02
Smith
68
77
76
74
67
70
72
73
58
65
72
74
70
64
74.77
Onodera
74
66
68
69
78
75
74
71
61
65
68
64
68
75
74.48
Ludvigsson
67
63
70
76
69
74
70
69
53
67
76
78
68
69
73.15
Turek
72
63
65
67
76
70
71
69
57
60
66
70
59
75
72.58
Kaneko
72
68
69
67
65
72
71
70
60
66
73
71
68
64
70.28
Tour of Guadeloupe
We next stay in North America for a gorgeous tour around the Caribbean island, which will be another sprint-focused race where Aquilani, supported by Hayakawa and Moschetti, will look to mix it up in the bunch kicks.
Nat.
Name
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
OVR
Aquilani
76
64
66
67
69
71
74
79
64
77
76
68
67
75
75.02
Turek
72
63
65
67
76
70
71
69
57
60
66
70
59
75
72.58
Moschetti
70
58
63
67
59
71
72
69
61
75
76
63
65
64
72.56
Hayakawa
70
60
61
62
50
70
63
71
54
76
74
72
70
50
72.17
Kaneko
72
68
69
67
65
72
71
70
60
66
73
71
68
64
70.28
Muller
69
62
65
68
59
66
64
61
54
67
69
64
61
59
68.47
Crescioli
66
64
65
63
53
67
68
67
62
61
69
71
71
60
66.07
Geraardsbergen - Bosberg
We're just here so we don't get fined, and to get Muller and Crescioli some much needed XP. The breakaway will be the limit of our ambitions.
Three wins in the first two months is awesome, I needed my whole first season to get to that number March might be a bit tougher. Monterrey should give a few points I reckon, but if the first two Herald Sun Tour stages are an indication for Aquilani's competitiveness there and in Guadeloupe, Izola might be the only other real scoring opportunity. But there's always room for surprises I guess Good luck!
Herald Sun Tour
GP Izola
Monterrey TTT
Tour of Guadeloupe
Geraardsbergen - Bosberg
March might be a bit tougher. Monterrey should give a few points I reckon, but if the first two Herald Sun Tour stages are an indication for Aquilani's competitiveness there and in Guadeloupe, Izola might be the only other real scoring opportunity. But there's always room for surprises I guess 
Good luck!
