I love to see Caisse d'Erpagne back, it was one of my favorites Nice presentations so far. I'm looking forward to the new season.
€: By the way, I figured you made most of the transfers yourself? Otherwise you would have the very rare luck of realistic PCM transfers Edited by cunego59 on 21-01-2012 09:44
Great to see Caisse d'Epargne back into the game, i have always loved their jersey Also nice to see Euskaltel with such a strong team. In my careers they're always some of the first Pro-teams to develop the wrong way
cunego59 wrote:
I love to see Caisse d'Erpagne back, it was one of my favorites Nice presentations so far. I'm looking forward to the new season.
€: By the way, I figured you made most of the transfers yourself? Otherwise you would have the very rare luck of realistic PCM transfers
+1
Thanks both! I've of course made the transfers myself.
And I also love Caisse. That, plus that I've never liked Movi's jerseys was reason enough for me to get them back.
FreitasPCM wrote:
Great presentation. Really like the teams, and of course, the random potential.
Thanks!
roturn wrote:
Awesome presentation. Must have taken a lot of time to write.
Euskaltel and Caisse d`Espargne have some serious climbers in their squad to dominate the mountains.
Thank you! As you said, I've used a fair bit of time on it.
sutty68 wrote:
Euskaltel looking really good
fcancellara wrote:
Euskatel is really strong...
Agreed.
andy222c wrote:
Great to see Caisse d'Epargne back into the game, i have always loved their jersey Also nice to see Euskaltel with such a strong team. In my careers they're always some of the first Pro-teams to develop the wrong way
Couldn't agree more. One of the best ever jerseys according to me.
valverde321 wrote:
Caisse is back!
I love you so much! The jersey probably looks amazing. Illes Balears is back too!
But no Valverde Make that your priority, to manually transfer him to Caisse next year
Yeah! And with the good old jersey too!
And don't worry, Valverde is in the WorldTour, just not in Caisse.
baia wrote:
Really some surprises there....Euskaltel and Caisse show to be strong in climbs,Cofidis will give nice fight too...
Bring Valverde to Caisse...
Yep, all three are looking nice. And as said above, Valverde is back, and soon you'll know where. Edited by Pellizotti2 on 21-01-2012 20:32
Ste117 wrote:
When sponsorships change, do the jersey change also.
Good luck for the new season, I missed your last season but I will be there cheering you on every step of the way
Of course.
Oh, and nice to see you around here!
Garmin - Barracuda
With HTC now gone from the cycling world, it's up to Garmin to wave the American flag up high. They seem to have taken the challenge seriously, by wrapping up two strong GC captains in the shapes of Alejandro Valverde and Bradley Wiggins. While the first of those comes back from a lengthy suspension, the latter also marks a return, but rather to the team than to the sport.
Also the rest of the team has been revamped, with strong riders like Romain Feillu, Sebastien Rosseler and Gustav Erik Larsson all joining from other WorldTour teams. But to the looks of it, Jonathan Vaughters' plan is to continue focusing on the youth. In Esteban Chaves, Nathan Haas and mainly, 19 year old Ryan Eastman, they've acquired talents that any team in the world would be happy to have.
Unlike some of the other strong looking teams, they've got the part the others lacked: a multi-talented squad. Grand Tours, shorter stage races, hilly classics, cobbled classics, sprints and time trials. Garmin has a rider or two for everything. That, in addition to their young, talented squad gives them the highest possible rating from me. Will be interesting to see whether they can meet my expectations.
Pellizotti's rating: 5/5
GreenEDGE Cycling Project
A Tour de France winner and world champion in Cadel Evans, a Tour Down Under winner and Amstel Gold race podium finisher in Simon Gerrans, a Tour de France points jersey winner in Robbie McEwen and a Milano-San Remo champion in Matthew Goss. GreenEDGE has both the experience and the talent in the squad that's needed for success.
Evans moves over from BMC after a so-so season, where I think he expected more. He might not be as young and fresh as in his old days, and the stats are starting to drop the wrong way, but he's still one of the world's best GT riders and punchers, and the kick he'll get from riding in the first ever Australian top team should give him some extra motivation to perform on top level at least one more season.
Even if Evans doesn't meet the expectations, they can still rely on Gerrans and their many sprinters to collect points throughout the year. Main sprinter Matthew Goss and the reborn Robbie McEwen might be the best ones, but also the likes of Leigh Howard, Julian Dean or possibly even Daryl Impey will also score a fair amount of points.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Katusha - The Russian Cycling Project
A team that does to me, look like they're going the wrong way is Katusha. Sure, they've signed some strong new riders, but it's hard to replace riders like Mikhail Ignatiev, Yuri Trofimov and especially super domestique Daniel Moreno. At least they managed to keep Joaquim Rodriguez, who gets company from Russia's biggest star, Denis Menchov.
Those two must produce the expected results if they are expecting to stay on top level for any longer time. Vladimir Efimkin might also be able to save them in a few races, but with the incredibly small amount of strong riders they've got, it will require a great season by all their leaders no matter what.
Another explanation to their loss of riders might be that they're planning to give their own Russian talents more room. Sprinter duo Galimzyanov and Porsev has already established themselves at the highest level, and this season they might get company from other youngsters like Petr Ignatenko, Timofey Kritskiy and Ivan Rovny. Either way, I don't think this looks promising for the Russian pride.
Also Esteban Chaves will be an amazing climber one day!
Katusha sucks
Knew you'd like that.
baia wrote:
Wooow..
I want that Valverde in my story...Light McEwen with 39 years old and 80 sprint...and is Farrar with 27 already loosing attributes?
Actually Farrar hasn't decreased. It's just that at the start of the story, I lowered all stats so that the maximum in every was 80. So in sprint for example, Cavendish had 80 while Farrar got 78. Therefore he hasn't decreased nor developed, apart from McEwen.
Lampre - San Marco
Led by one of last year's Tour's surprises, the heavily improved Przemyslaw Niemiec, Lampre are looking for another successful GT year. In addition to Niemiec they've also got defending Giro champion Damiano Cunego and young star Simon Spilak. I'm quite sure they'll be fine even without previous star Michele Scarponi.
The most prominent names joining for 2012 are Italy's sprinter number one, Daniele Bennati, who's replacing the old and weak Alessandro Petacchi as the team's main sprinter, his new leadout man Paride Grillo, and last but not least, former Colnago star Marco Frapporti, who will unburden some of the weight from Cunego to perform in the hilly classics.
With three strong GC captains in Niemiec, Cunego and Spilak, three fast sprinters in Bennati, Grillo and Bole, and lots of strong support for them, Lampre has built up a solid squad which looks to be strong on every terrain but the cobbles. Still, even without any points there, they will most likely gather those at other places.
Pellizotti's rating: 4/5
Liquigas - Cannondale Cycling Team
The other Italian top team has focused more on acquiring new riders than, like Lampre, using their own talents. The biggest name joining the squad is of course Michele Scarponi, who'll team up with Ivan Basso as replacement for the leaving Nibali.
To help Scarponi and Basso, the management has made sure to bring in two of Colombia's biggest climbing talents, Carlos Alberto Betancur and Cayetano Sarmiento, and also another mega talent, Slovenian Jan Tratnik. Together with Sylwester Szmyd, they form a four man domestique duo with climbing capacity on the same level as their captains, which will secure them help a long way up the mountains.
Apart from the climbing, the team is pretty weak though. They did however, manage to keep rising stars Peter Sagan and Elia Viviani, to make sure that they have someone to rely on in the sprints. Also, the signing of defending Vattenfall Cyclassics champion Manuele Boaro was very vital, seeing he's one of few decent timetriallists in the squad. Still, it's too much focus on the climbing I think.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Lotto - Belisol Cycling Team
One of 2012's most interesting teams in my opinion is the Lotto team. The loss of GT leader Jurgen Van den Broeck hasn't costed them as much as many thought, as they quickly brought in not one, but two equivalent replacements in Frank Schleck and Chris Anker Sörensen.
Also the other leaving leader, Philippe Gilbert, won't be missed that much, as Schleck, Sörensen and Vanendert will make sure that the results roll in also in the hilly classics, while Roelandts, Meersman and Neyens will do their very best to score valuable points in the cobbled classics. Solid team, but not on Garmin level.
Very nice previews so far and some interesting developments. Strange to see, e.g., that Cunego is better in mountain than in hill. And quick question, where is Dominik Nerz now?
@ cunego - I think it's pretty realistic, as he pretty much sucked in the Ardennes this year, while he climbed on top level again. Nerz is riding for An Post - Sean Kelly.
@ baia - That's why I moved him. Looking forward to see them competing against each other.
OmegaPharma - Quickstep
The other Belgian team then, OPQS. Main leader is of course the scarily strong Philippe Gilbert, who's currently probably the most allround rider in the cycling history. Hills, cobbles, sprints and even mountains are his terrains now. With his stats, he can win pretty much any race in the world, except the Grand Tours of course.
One step behind Gilbert is the other two leaders in the team, Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer and surprising Ronde winner Sylvain Chavanel. While the latter enjoyed one of his more successful seasons last year, the American wasn't at the top of his game after crashing just in early June, ruining his whole second half of the season. Still, they'll both be back in 2012, stronger and more motivated than ever.
For the sprints, they've also got an incredibly strong force in the duo Tom Boonen and Gert Steegmans. Both has the speed to win a flat mass sprint against Cavendish & Co. and does also have the ability to survive some hills during the way. That'll make them a dangerous duo both in the sprints, lower hilly stages and cobbles.
In addition to their many big names, they've also got an armada of strong helpers. Best of the rest there are the worlds second best timetriallist, Tony Martin, possibly the worlds number one in the same discipline, Michal Kwiatkowski, and also an improved puncher in Kristof Vandewalle. Also deserving a mention does Tom Boonen, even though his career is going the wrong way. He might be decreasing, but he's still an important part of the squad.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Project Radioshack - Nissan
Gone is Tour's third place, Andreas Klöden. Gone is AMGEN winner Leipheimer. Gone is Janez Brajkovic. But I doubt Bruyneel and his management cares, because they've replaced them with even better riders. Andy Schleck will, as main GC captain, try to finish last year's unfinished business - the Tour crown, and now they've also got a man for the Giro in the shape of the returning Franco Pellizotti.
Backing them up in the Grand Tours will Maxime Monfort, Chris Horner and Jens Voigt be doing, also helped by newcomers like Thomas De Gendt, Jan Bakelants and Dries Devenyns. Another big improvement in the squad is the lowering of last year's way too high average age. That is thanks to their new youngsters like one of ContiTour's best riders last year, Tony Gallopin, Britain's big hope Peter Kennaugh and one of the worlds biggest climbing talents, Jordi Ezquerro.
Big star and British hero Bradley Wiggins has left, but he's been well replaced. Andreas Klöden will now be their captain in the Tour, and I'd say it's an improvement from Wiggins. And Klöden is the strongest replacement, not the only one. Sergio Henao and are also joining as contemplated stage race leaders, and possibly also for the Giro and / or the Vuelta.
The rest of the team is pretty much the same as last year. Sure, Mark Cavendish has caught on, together with a few of his helpers, but the big entirety is quite similar to last year. However, with Cavendish in the squad, they will be the new team controlling the flat stages setting him up in the end. Not sure that Davide Appollonio, Chris Sutton, Ben Swift and the other sprinters are that happy with Cav's arrival though.
As with a few earlier presented teams, Sky has a strong, widespread team with many strengths. Not even the loss of cobbled classics leader Geraint Thomas and rising super star Edvald Boasson Hagen has touched the strength that much, as they've replaced them all very well and wisely. And most importantly, they've brought in the world's best climber from HTC - Danny Pate.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Vacansoleil - DCM
With Vuelta second place Wouter Poels at the front, Vacansoleil takes on the new year with an improved squad. Peter Velits, Robert Kiserlovski and Kevin Seeldraeyers gives them even more options for the more mountainous races, while Karsten Kroon and Theo Bos adds new strength to the cobbles and sprints respectively.
They have the materiel to get results in the three Grand Tours, smaller stage races, hilly classics, cobbled classics and sprints. I know it sounds like a repeat from earlier teams, but it's a good way to sum up a team like Vacansoleil. Solid squad with strong riders, in other words: a good team.
Anyway, to the squad. Defending Tour champion Robert Gesink is still around, looking to defend his title. So too are the other improving young climbers Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk, who will probably focus on the Giro and the Vuelta this year, rather than helping Gesink in the Tour.
Mark Renshaw joins the core of sprinters, and will be the main one together with a familiar name, Marcel Kittel. Other than that, it's a pretty weak squad. Focus lies on the youth, and in a few years time they might be one of WorldTour's strongest with big talents like Wilco Kelderman, Tom Dumoulin and Tom Jelte Slagter. They're not there yet though, and currently the team is not top-top class.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
I've also decided to include one CT team, as they look set to dominate there and promote to WT for next season with ease.
UniCredit - Bianchi Cycling Team
As result of a merger between two of the biggest Italian Conti teams, Acqua & Sapone and Colnago, comes a new Italian superforce, UniCredit. With three of Italy's best stage racers and climbers in Vincenzo Nibali, Domenico Pozzovivo, and lastly the very controversial Riccardo Riccò, they will definitely be a force to be reckoned with during the Giro this year.
Apart from the three big climbing guns, the team also includes world champion Marco Marcato, former Giro champions Stefano Garzelli and Danilo Di Luca, and many young talents like Stefano Pirazzi, Gianluca Brambilla and Marcello Pavarin. Focus is clearly on the climbing, but that doesn't mean they lack sprinters and classics riders.
In Sacha Modolo, Claudio Corioni, Tiziano Dall'Antonia and Francesco Chicchi, the squad holds a couple of Italy's fastest guys. Not even for the cobbled classics they are out of options. Manuel Quinziato might not be Fabian Cancellara, but he has the capacity to finish in the Top 10 even in the biggest races like De Ronde and Roubaix. The only question is, how long will it take for them to secure promotion? Two months? Three? Half a season at most. This team is shaped for WorldTour.
Nice presentations so far. I'm looking forward to the new season.
Make that your priority, to manually transfer him to Caisse next year 
