Really awesome stuff! Excited with the season start.
Indonesia is a good start for us, I believe we have 3 legitimate GC guys with Kozhatayev, Jeanesson and Oliveira (if a really strong TT). Nerz tho is the biggest favourite and the biggest threat, also the Wiggle duo should be up there and Cool Runnings can also have a guy fighting for Top5.
Curiously we will race Towoomba, as one of the 2 CT teams.. A top8 in the TTT is the goal, a GC placing after that is hard but let's see, it's a very consistent and strong TT squad (even without Martin).
Christchurch should also be a good race for us, both Vakoc and Kern don't standout with HIL but they both have a good sprint and should benefit from the fast finish, a top5 is possible if we have a good race.
Rojas to win Bongo and Albini and co. To attack the race hard in Christchurch, let's go Obviously not going to be the greatest WT start for us but I'd like to see minor points and a good attacking attitude
Hope Ross can repeat the heroics of his countryman Smith and start PureBlack off with a bang in Brazil
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." [PT] Xero Racing
Should have sent Moser to Tropicale, but i thought that the hilly stages weren't hard enough and that he could be beaten by weaker puncheur with better sprint abilities
Aquarius97 wrote: @Ripley Very interesting preview! I like the fact that in all previews so far i'm predicted to promote
It's a bit odd that us ICL newbies are predicted to do so well. Personally, I'm still sceptical about my team and planning, I'd be happy to end in mid table.
Aviva's first race is La Tropicale, any kind of result would be nice, a top 10 in a stage or somebody in a breakaway, a single KOM point, anything worth mentioning would be a success.
Aquarius97 wrote: @Ripley Very interesting preview! I like the fact that in all previews so far i'm predicted to promote
It's a bit odd that us ICL newbies are predicted to do so well. Personally, I'm still sceptical about my team and planning, I'd be happy to end in mid table.
Aviva's first race is La Tropicale, any kind of result would be nice, a top 10 in a stage or somebody in a breakaway, a single KOM point, anything worth mentioning would be a success.
I think half of the CT top ten is new in MG? Not so uncommon a situation - Lufthansa and ViditUkraine both promoted too - and did a better job than the established promoting teams at making a WT squad!
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." [PT] Xero Racing
Ripley wrote:
They are low down the totem pole by WAVG, but the WPOS ranking shows some of their depth. It's even more true for CCC, who even have 12 riders who could score well (!). 10th by WAVG certainly doesn't do them justice and even WPOS is too limited for their team.
Ha! Would like to see that!
Thanks all for the previews! It's great to see season under way.
One of those predictions put us correctly. Croatia's is sehr loco
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." [PT] Xero Racing
Wobbles on the Cobbles: A detailed season preview!
Call us biased as a Belgian/Dutch team, but we like cobbles. A discipline loved by some, hated by more. There are two monuments, Ronde Van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix, but also many other iconic classics and even stages races. We want to give you a short preview of the riders and the races.
We'll start with the one riders that can be consideren the best cobbler, even though his results in the last year aren't what they should be. Sep Vanmarcke, age 30, from Belgium. He rides for Grupo Argos and has the best cobble skill and the best stamina of all riders. Some considered his weaker team the cause for his lack of results, and that still hasn't changed. Verhelst isn't the best, and I have my doubts if sprinters Groenewegen and Alaphilippe will be bothered for domestique duties. Next in line is ... Dayer Quintana. I think we can leave it at that.
The next name is Guillaume Van Keirsbulck. He was the best rider on the cobbles last year, winning the World Cup. He has yet to win one of the monuments though. His hill and sprint capabilities give him extra weapons, and his Filliers team is also excellent with riders like Bouvry, Stuyven, Broeckx, Biermans, Vanbutsel and Groen.
Third in the pecking order should be Florian Senechal. At the age of only 25, the frenchman has already caught up with the older guys. He's not as good (YET!) as the two above, but look at what he gets at CarbonSports: Peter Sagan, Boom and Eisaks.
Next are some riders who are getting older and will probably not get a lot of chances for a big win anymore. Greg Van Avermaet still has everything to win a classic, but his team may actually be his undoing. John Degenkolb might not like to share the lead with him, how will the Lufthansa manager handle this?
Zdenek Stybar has the exact opposite problem, aside from Durbridge, there might be no one to help him out in the final. But how many race days will Sugoi give Turbo Durbo on the cobbles?
Though he's getting older, Niki Terpstra showed last year he's still able to win a monument. His support isn't too bad either with Devreese, Schar and Paiani. One last big win for him?
A very dangerous rider will be Alexander Kristoff. No major weaknesses and a killer sprint. Excellent support in Debusschere, Van Asbroeck and maybe even Greipel.
The last rider to deserve a full story is Geraint Thomas. Yes, he riders in a Continental Team, but he'll show up in the big races. McNally and Haussler are better support than some of the team mentioned above have.
Other guys who will be there in the final are Daniel Oss for TVM, Taylor Phinney for Bunzl, Damien Gaudin for Peugeot and Jurgen Roelandts for Italo-Ventilair.
Finaly, we come to our list of shame. These World Tour managers just didn't try hard enough:
Suntory - Jens Keukeleire isn't bad, but you can do better.
Liberty Seguros - Your Spanish nationalism is nice, but please make an exception for your cobbles leader
Alitalia - Nice depth, but missing a leader.
VisitUkraine - Are you going to waste EBH's racedays on the cobbles?
Ceramica - Amador? Are you even trying?
Sevilla - I don't even know who Anders Egsvang is.
Santos - A guy who considers road racing a hobby in between the cyclocross seasons. Please quit this game.
Thanks for the cobble preview
Quite surprised you see Senechal as #3 cobbler. Imo Sagan, GVA, Degenkolb and possibly Kristoff are all ahead of him. I certainly don't hope that the AI treats him as our only leader
Santos - A guy who considers road racing a hobby in between the cyclocross seasons. Please quit this game.
Actually siskevicius is our leader there. Please quit this game.
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." [PT] Xero Racing
Palm Classic 11.01 
Tour of Toowoomba 23.01 - 27.01 
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 21.01 - 27.01 
Tour d'Indonesia 14.01 - 19.01 
Christchurch - Akaroa 29.01 
Copa America de Ciclismo 11.01 
Obviously not going to be the greatest WT start for us but I'd like to see minor points and a good attacking attitude 
