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Although the frist day is already over, I'd like to start a racethread for the Akropolis Tour at 9h. First, the Team FL line-up:

x1 Luigi "Gigi" Mastrangelo, of course the leader. getting old.
x2 Nathaniel "Nate" Biedermann, the quiet key domestique No. 1
x3 Toni Hassler, Angry as usual
x4 Harry "the black" Hole, a good asset, if not drunk
x5 Niels "Teeth" Hörnö, team dentist
x6 Stefan "King" Küng, responsible for good sprint results in the flat stages, handy man for everything else to come
x7 Wesley Lichtenkiesel, the monster
x8 Hugo Marxer, the quiet key domestique No. 2
x9 Takashi Murakami, well, it's all in his head.

Team FL starts with a low profile line-up, mainly for the GC, the mountain and middle-mountain stages. Schmarotz was left at home, mainly because of form issues (already a christmas candy belly) and not the have to ride every day. Aim is clear: A stage, Podium for GC.

First day: Ruhrgebiet got yellow as expected with his time trialist, Alkworld won the second half stage as expected with his strong downhill sprinter. Suessem got the mountain jersey, at least until tomorrow.

Now, the favorite check:

General classement

***** Luigi Mastrangelo (Team FL)
**** Gabriel GarciaMarquez (Alkworld), Moritz Steiger (Suessem)
*** Maurizio Moreno (portiolo)
** Paul Kracksler (Team CoosTek), Arvid Sveringson (poriolo)
* Jerome Chapelle (Angry Cycling)

Points classement

*** Benito Salas (Alkworld)
** Romulo Betancourt (Alkworld)
* another sprinter

Mountains classement

*** somebody who really rides for it
** a climber
* anybody else

Youth classement

*** Jerome Chapelle
** ---
* anyobdy else at the age of 24 or younger and more than 60 mountain

Team classement

*** Team FL
**Alkworld
* RSV Kagran

I think if Mastrangelo helps Marxer he isn't the top favorite.

Robyklebt wrote:I think if Mastrangelo helps Marxer he isn't the top favorite.

Well, Mastrangelo told me he would do this only with Petit Singe as teamchef. Although Marxer insisted that this would be the best strategy for the tour.

I thought it was a traditional tactic in Liechtenstein!
So it isn't always like that, standard kind of thing? Strange.

Robyklebt wrote:I thought it was a traditional tactic in Liechtenstein!
So it isn't always like that, standard kind of thing? Strange.

Nothing is standard in Liechtenstein. Except chaos tactics and improvisation.

Team Alkworld is apparently also there with two captains this time: Our new hill sprinter Benito Salas in his first big race and Gabriel GarciaMarquez who's rather on the way to the end of his career. The first day was already a big success for the team with Salas' first victory. An average result was expected for him as he trained the whole month for this tour, the descending sprint also was a big advantage for him. But the result was still a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, Benito won't be able to hide again the next days.
To the favourite check, I can easily agree, although with only one decisive stage for mountain riders, a lot can happen there. Also, you never know where a white rabbit might show up.

Stage 3, second stage win for Alkworld. Not for Salas, but for Betancourt. Salas still in a very good position for green though. Yellow changed from Ruhrgebiet to portiolo (Moreno), as expected, the mountain jersey is now held by ABC.

So nothing unexpected. Team FL a bit unlucky when attacking with Nate, Toni and Luigi 9 km before the end of the race. Without Toni, things could have been different. But like this, it was just a waste of energy. Fortunately, tomorrow the Team will be fit.

Salas says: Grrrrr! He would have loved a second stage win, but learned today, that he needs to train a bit more to win such a difficult one. Not even an annoying Betancourt could stop Team FL's classic riders armada (something unimaginable a while ago). But now my riders will continue this night with their training for the showdown tomorrow

Stage 4, decision day. And another demonstration how to fuck things up when you're not patient enough. Luigi attacked early at the last climb and was caught by the irresistible Gabriel who then gained 3 seconds in the GC and won the stage with an attack at the last km that nobody could follow. Solution would have been just to wait in Gabriel's wheel as it was clear he had a very good form, most likely top form. But lose 19 seconds on the last 8 km after successful attackis just horrible to watch...

So, GC favorite now with five stars: Gabriel GarciaMarquez the horrbile.

So withhow many stars?

Robyklebt wrote:So withhow many stars?

fourandahalfdividedby1plusahalftothepowerof1.

Very interesting.
Polsat attacked to bolster 2nd place in the youth classement. With the effect that he lost it.

EnCy wrote:Very interesting.
Polsat attacked to bolster 2nd place in the youth classement. With the effect that he lost it.

he was too strong^^

Not much to say, another win by Alk. FL could not be there most of the stage, Steiger (Suessem) was so cheeky to gain two more seconds at an intermediary sprint. Nothing else changed. Damn.

team fl wrote:Not much to say, another win by Alk. FL could not be there most of the stage, Steiger (Suessem) was so cheeky to gain two more seconds at an intermediary sprint. Nothing else changed. Damn.

If it runs, it runs I think I had to use up all the remaining luck for the month, so it's a good time to go on vacation now. ByZickl is sitting my team tomorrow. Be nice to him, when he will go for the mountain jersey, youth rider's jersey and another stage win

Alkworld wrote:If it runs, it runs I think I had to use up all the remaining luck for the month, so it's a good time to go on vacation now.

Seems you forcasted it perfectly, left your luck yesterday, as you wrote. I would blame it to the bad setting of the Min-Tact. But anyway, still four stages, Green and the team classement. But still "ärgerlich"... Zickl did everything right except put Miranda too late in tempo and NOT HANGING ON LUIGI with Gabriel. How cheeky was that order?

But what a stage. First, the hard fight for the mountain classement between ABC and Suessem, then the Team FL masterpieceat least the anticipated good attack with lots of luck (Fortune favors the bold) and Luigi wins the GC. First tour win ever for Team FL! And Luigi now has the full palmares, green, mountain, youth, stage, and GC. Very nice.


Just for the record: I would have liked it much more to win the Tour at stage 4.

And here the final results:

General classement:

1. 00:00 Luigi Mastrangelo (Team FL)
2. 00:03 Moritz Steiger (Team Suessem)
3. 00:41 Gabriel GarciaMarquez (Alkworld)
4. 01:00 Anton Delgado (Granduca
5. 01:03 Paul Kracksler (Team CoosTek)
6. 01:13 Arvid Sveringson (portiolo)
7. 01:37 Jerome Chapelle (Angry Cycling)
8. 02:08 Anton Schmidthuber (louts-dream)
9. 02:53 Romulo Betancourt (Alkworld)
10. 03:57 Peter Holovec (Team Ruhrgebiet)

Points classement:

- Benito Salas (Alkworld)

Mountain classement:

- Ruud Jol (Team ABC-Polsat)

Youth classement:

- Jerome Chapelle (Angry Cycling)

Team classement:

- Alkworld

Stage wins (rider):

2 - Benito Salas (Alkworld)
1 - Romulo Betancourt (Alkworld)
1 - Gabriel GarciaMarquez (Alkworld)
1 - Werner Frantz (louts-dream)
1 - Sven Schröder (Team Ruhrgebiet)

Stage wins (team):

4 - Alkworld
1 - louts-dream
1 - Team Ruhrgebiet

team fl wrote:Seems you forcasted it perfectly, left your luck yesterday, as you wrote. I would blame it to the bad setting of the Min-Tact. But anyway, still four stages, Green and the team classement. But still "ärgerlich"... Zickl did everything right except put Miranda too late in tempo and NOT HANGING ON LUIGI with Gabriel. How cheeky was that order?

Not following was part of the plan. Gabriel was supposed to help Romulo all the time. So he wouldn't have followed anyway. After a blocked attack, Francisco and Romulo usually should quite easily catch a possible attack again. Or even easier, Gabriel himself blocks and Nate doesn't even get away. But I have to admit, that the whole thing hasn't been an easy task for Zickl. And anyway, Gabriel beat Luigi where it mattered

Alkworld wrote:

team fl wrote:Seems you forcasted it perfectly, left your luck yesterday, as you wrote. I would blame it to the bad setting of the Min-Tact. But anyway, still four stages, Green and the team classement. But still "ärgerlich"... Zickl did everything right except put Miranda too late in tempo and NOT HANGING ON LUIGI with Gabriel. How cheeky was that order?

Not following was part of the plan. Gabriel was supposed to help Romulo all the time. So he wouldn't have followed anyway. After a blocked attack, Francisco and Romulo usually should quite easily catch a possible attack again. Or even easier, Gabriel himself blocks and Nate doesn't even get away. But I have to admit, that the whole thing hasn't been an easy task for Zickl. And anyway, Gabriel beat Luigi where it mattered

Hi Alk. Hope you had nice short-holidays. Yes, Gabriel beat Luigi in the mountains (bad form setting from my side, and I underestimated the climb a bit), but in the end, I am just happy that Luigi won the tour, although it was very lucky. Anyway, I just have to mention again: it is always a challenge to ride against you. And that makes RSF more interesting and therefore funnier to play. Even if you win more often than not against me. Grrr...

Vacation is still ongoing, it's just that I now have internet for the last three days (which won't be used for races, I promise) But anyway, we had a very nice tour with exciting stages, even if it was in the end mostly the same winner. My congratulations to the first time tour winner Luigi! He certainly deserved one in his successful career.