Due to a strike of the Italian timekeepers the last stage was started 10 hours later than planned. And obviously finished, although we feared that it would take Haryono and Leibundgut until now to finish even if the start wasn't delayed. Thanks to the work of 2 volunteer time keepers who drove all the way from ugly Germany, Herne to be precise, to San Benedetto del Tronto, shortly before 2 am the race could finally start. The result was the expected one, Pierrick DeShroef won Tirreno Adriatico, 25" ahead of Dante Mattarozzi.
Congrats to Austis, cool win. Great work on the last stages to defend blue (it was blue, but some saboteurs kept throwing yellow stuff over the rider with the blue jersey, so it looked yellow).
Interesting tour, quite a special group in a way, very attacking, too attacking for my taste finally
But 7 different teams won the 7 stages, (and none called Petit Singe, grr), mountain classification was won with 10 points, green was won with 44. Very competitive tour finally, liked it. Ok, not the result.
Apenews, not much, half the team still dead. "Lost" the tour on the second day... too scared of ornyorny, remembered he wasn't offline often, just a few seconds every 20-30 minutes, but didn't ermember he was off on the weekend. Probably was like that before too, think he was off some full days in Yemen as well, but didn't remember it was the week ends... so too scared of him, respectively didn't want to kill my team, and I had one, for him, who didn't have anything resembling a team.. .Big error of course.. .plus I underestimated DeShroef anyway... Should just have started quite early, fairly sure some of the stage favorites would then have joined... but ok, did it like this, ok too.
Then Chieti, completely overestimated the strength of my 2 climbers... the Gaurain group passes over Lanciano with 1'10"? Shockingly small gap, 1'30" don't remember, was sure would be 2+"... Suspected I would be caught again at some point, but never thought it would be that soon.... saved the day finally, 4th, 2'30" won to DeShroef.. ok, thought a bit more too.
Prati di Tivo then worked well... mistakes though, Austis too... let's start with mine, then we finish with criticism for him, keep the fun stuff for later.... wrong reaction after completely idiotic lavella riding... no need to kill Haryono and Leibundgut, really hurt me the next day, but the way he rode was just too stupid to let him go on escapes again, and to just let him join the peloton again. Brrr. His way of riding just hurt himself, he basically killed his chances for red instead of taking the one he had... but same with my reaction, killed my chances instead of playing with the ones I had.
Next let's go for an austis error, Gadret stays in front. Drop him, let him ride the 4-5 to Pian del Roseto, and it's already less lost. Downhill, again, he's stronger than Kashanov on the steep parts. flatter parts Kashanov. There his second error, he used DeShroef already, noticed it, but made my next error anyway... There Austis shouldn't ride yet with his leader, 66 mountain. Flat costs energy, and the missing energy will make you lose more than the 5" seconds you gained there. My mistake then... not going 100% for the GC, 3 km tempo, then attack, here not completely wrong I still think... without the attack the group was still too big, cooperation was unlikely. So attack, smaller group, cooperation. With that finally I'm not much slower than if I ride alone, plus if others attack me then, I lose less then if I ride alone, and then tehy attack... a Mandelbrot wasn't that far away yet... But then the second attack, stupid, there I eyed the stage win, shouldn't, Mandel goes out, shouldn't have cared, keep riding, cost me some seconds... Without both attacks actually maybe I would be very very close to blue/yellow.. .but then I risk more from Mandelbrot as well, in the end he is just 19" behind me.., he would be closer as well... so ok, all in all my best stage this time around. Offida, no power almost, not much to do, finally went ok, can't complain. TT once the time keepers problem was solved ok as well, even if Todea 23rd doesn't make me too happy. Finally second, ok. No guarantee I do better if I don't let the group in the second stage go, I was the only one really still riding for GC after that besides Austis of course, so was "easy" to "win" in the back. IMO both Mathe and Gaurain could have tried to mount a bigger challenge, they chose the stages instead, ok too of course.
Shit, it's DeSchoef not Shroef as I wrote the whole time.. sorry sorry... but not going to change it all.
Anyway, since by now we are convinced that in Sardegna there are good "health products", Austis calls them wine, we suspect their might be other even "healthier" things around Dante and Yesid will go to Sardegna for a training camp with our team doctor Zhang Ming immediately. In order no too support the Sardegnan economy too much, after all we don't want more opponents from there, since we always lose against them, we'll bring our own food and stay in the cheapest hotel we can find, originally we wanted to have the 3 stay in one tent, but Epeho told us that this very likely wouldn't improve their training perfomances, so we payed for a cheap hotel after all. For the 2 riders, the doctor can sleep in a park, no problem. And since his wife Ma Nan will stay here he probably won't mind either.
Test for the Giro finally ok, TTT was good we thought, Wei's chances for a Giro participation increased, and we think a third +/-60 guy would not hurt either, we'll see if we find one. Todea basically uneffective, but helpful on the way to Prati di Tivo, Alighieri the usual waste of space, but in the Giro with more flat sprints he could bring some money. Olteanu and Gong did good work, Wei excellent the 2 times he had too. Still not a dream team, but workable. And if the Sardegnan Health products work, we are even kind of optimistic for the Giro!
Ah, nice to see Toreeto in the race, new Romanian manager, active in the race, in the chat and in the forum. Excellent, we need more people llike you here! And you rode well enough for a first tour! Keep it up!
it's 3" over 10km, and I did a km for a sieb, less help, less downhill, na na, either you would have worked the same amount as Dante in the last climb today, or nothing! 
