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It's cold in Europe. Very cold. So, let's go a place where it's warm and cosy! And flat. Like Qatar. At least that's what Team FL thought. Also because of its new rider from Camroun: Jean OlléOllé who does not like the cold weather at all. With him, the following riders attend in Arabia.

x1 Fred Colon who likes queues
x2 Tim Hamberger who likes hamburgers
x3 Niels Hörnö who likes dental floss
x4 Stefan Küng who likes Burger King
x5 Wesley Lichtenkiesel who likes looong and hard races
x6 Jean OlléOllé who likes couscous
x7 Pit Schlechter who likes it better
x8 Cédric Schmarotz who likes victories.

Goal: Stage win with Schmarotz and decent placements for our new sprinter. if possible a nice GC place and lots of money.

Favorit check after the TTT:

General classement:

***** Huib van Answem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
**** David Lelay (ABC-Polsat)
*** Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
** Pedro Lopez (BMG-Allstars), Torvald Hushovd (JOGA-LENNAO)
* another sprinter or an escapee

Points classement:

*** Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
** David Lelay (ABC-Polsat), Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
* another sprinter

Mountain classement:

*** The one who wants it
** another rider
* a surprise rider

Youth classement:

*** Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos)
** Drew Nicolas (Saffunzanos)
* Shawn Kemp (Saffunzanos

Team classement:

*** Saffunzanos (should be sealed already)
** SK Blu-Bardhe
* ONCE-Team

I cant tell much about stage one. Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe) won it, Schmarotz fucked it up and OlléOllé did pretty well. So the TTT today was much more interesting. Not for the stage win, Saffunzanos was too strong, but for the GC. Huib van Ansem is not also GC-Favorite No. 1 as SK Blu-Bardhe got 2nd in the TTT, only 42 secs behind the winner who has no real sprinter in his team. For Team FL, a 4th place was more than we could wish, so we're satisfied, just hoping for one or more stage wins from tomorrow on, either with Cédric or Jean. GC-Leader at the moment is Mr. Cooperatori from Saffunzanos. He will wear yellow at least for one more stage.

gute arbeit fl
ich muss dich aber auf einen kleinen fehler aufmerksam machen. torvald hushovd fährt nämlich nicht für das ONCE-Team sondern für JOGA - LENNAO.

ONCE-Team wrote:gute arbeit fl
ich muss dich aber auf einen kleinen fehler aufmerksam machen. torvald hushovd fährt nämlich nicht für das ONCE-Team sondern für JOGA - LENNAO.

Uh, I am sorry. But welcome to the race thread!

and no one can win the Mountain classement ^^

Team ABC-Polsat wrote:and no one can win the Mountain classement ^^

I know. But the part about the Mountain classement was a copy and paste thing

I still think it will be a suprise rider

Hello,

please find below my favorite check.

General classement:
***** Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos)
**** Huib van Answem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
*** David Lelay (ABC-Polsat)
** Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
* Henri Raland (ONCE-Team)

Points classement:
*** Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
** David Lelay (ABC-Polsat), Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
* another sprinter

Mountain classement:
n/a

Youth classement:
*** Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos)
** Shawn Kemp (Saffunzanos)
* Drew Nicolas (Saffunzanos)

Team classement:
*** Saffunzanos (should be sealed already)
** SK Blu-Bardhe
* Team FL

It is hard that a sprinter can win the GC, because all sprinter are really close. So they will share the time bonuses ... very good prereq for Saffunzanos.

Ronson wrote:It is hard that a sprinter can win the GC, because all sprinter are really close. So they will share the time bonuses ... very good prereq for Saffunzanos.

That's the question. Still four flat stages to go with 4 times:

20'' for the 1st -> 80''
10'' for the 2nd -> 40''
5'' for the 3rd -> 20''

And here the time the sprinters have to gain on Saffunzanos (for all that still have theoretical chances):

00:22 Huib van Ansem, Sprint 93 -> needs at least three 3rd and one 2nd place
00:47 Henri Raland, 92-> needs at least three 2nd and one 1st place
00:51 David Lelay, 94-> needs at least two 2nd places and two 1st place
00:55 Cédric Schmaroz, 94-> needs at least two 2nd places and two 1st place
00:57 Roger Förster, 92-> needs at least two 2nd places and two 1st places
01:01 Pedro Lopez, 93-> needs at least one 3rd place and three 1st places

Everybody else is already out of the fight for the GC. But for me, Huib still has good chances in the GC. For the rest, it will be much more difficult. But it depends on the upcoming sprints. At least, it will be very interesting

Btw, there are also time bonifications at the intermediary sprints: 6/4/2 seconds...

Yes, it will be interesting ... also for the intermediate sprints.

We'll see

i think the yellow jersey have to work much if there are sprintteams that attack and are in an agreement.

Stage three went how I like it. Except the beginning with Genius in offline tempo. Luckily, he was online later and put his riders out of tempo in the peloton. The end is a short story: Sprint royal in the peloton, Schmarotz won it. So far so good. Much more interesting are the fights in the different classements. Of course the most important one is in the GC between Saffunzanos and the sprinters. Huib van Ansem earned five bonus seconds today and needs only one victory or two second places for the lead in the GC. the points classement is also pretty close with van Ansem leading one points in front of Lelay and six points in front of Schmarotz. Everybody else is already more than 10 points behind the Team FL sprinter. the youth classement is reserved for Saffunzanos of course, there will be no change until the end of the tour, most probably. Finally, here are the most important GC-riders with their placements and time gaps (and what placements they still need for a GC win, theoretically):

00:00 Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos) -> needs the others listed here not to get bonus seconds
00:17 Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe), Sprint 93 -> needs one stage win or two second places (out of the upcoming three stages)
00:35 Cédric Schmaroz (Team FL), 94 -> needs two vicories or one victory and two second places
00:41 David Lelay (ABC-Polsat), 94 -> needs two victories and one third place
00:47 Henri Raland (ONCE-Team), 92 -> needs two victories and a second place

So my guess is: Either Huib or Fernando will win the GC. Even if Cédric wins two other stages, Huib still can get bonus seconds with a gap of currently 18 seconds to Cédric. And there is also Lelay left who could be the laughing third. But so far, he was the unlucky one of the sprinter trio. Anyway, there is still the possibility for other sprinters to get the bonus seconds, like Lopes, Hushovd, Förster or Raland. Not to forget Hondo.


Edith says thanks to Roby's corrections.

team fl wrote:Sprint royale

Le sprint so should be royal.

team fl wrote: Huib van Ansem earned three bonus seconds

5 really.

team fl wrote: But so far, he was the unlucky of the sprinter trio.

the unlucky one

team fl wrote: Either Huib will catch Fernando in the fight for the GC or nobody does.

Ah... but then

team fl wrote:Even if Cédric wins two other stages, Huib still can get bonus seconds with a gap of currently 18 seconds to Cédric.

Ha. then your Schmarotz gets Fernando too. So don't talk about catching Fernando, but talk about the GC win. Either Huib or Fernando will win it. Ha.

But, kind of disagree, the intermediates are there, probably not tomorrow yet, too early, but if Lelay or Schmarotz wins tomorrow, there will be an incentive for those 2 to try to get the intermediate sprints. And there "NORMALLY" they are favored over Huib, so normally should be something like Lelay/Schmarotz 6/4", Huib"... Open and interesting. And you should praise the great sitter who perfectly prepared todays win with his classy sitting 2 days ago more, that sitter made all the difference.

So you think it's either Schmarotz or Lelay?

Nope, I think it's either Schmarotz, Lelay, Cooperatori or VanAmsen (hope got the name right). While you seem to think it's a fight between 2, I still see 3 guys and one Schafhauser in the fight.

At least it will be an interesting sitution in the upcoming stages. Like that. And yes, depending on the sprint results, it might be the fight between the four. But who is the Schafhauser?

Thought Schmarotz came from there? Or was it Schaffhausen?

Robyklebt wrote:Thought Schmarotz came from there? Or was it Schaffhausen?

Schmarotz is originally from Biel, near the lake. The only rider we have from Schaffhausen is Gaudenz Taverna.

Today a good stage for Saffunzanos. None of the dangerous sprinters got bonifications in the end, but Raland now also only with 25 seconds left behind after his victory. So after stage four, Lelay stays only theoretically in for the GC fight, van Ansem and Schmarotz still ned one resp. two victories while Raland developped to a serious competitor. But as said: Winner of today is Saffunzanos, at least regarding the GC. Even more interesting than the fight for the tour win is the one in the points classement, haveing five rider within 10 points, still van Ansem leading (65) chased by Raland (64), Lelay (63), Schmarotz (60) and Lopes (55). The standing in the GC with the most important riders looks like this:

00:00 Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos) -> needs the others listed here not to get bonus seconds
00:17 Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe), Sprint 93 -> needs one stage win or two second places
00:27 Henri Raland (ONCE-Team), 92 -> needs one victories and a second place
00:35 Cédric Schmaroz (Team FL), 94 -> needs two vicories
00:41 David Lelay (ABC-Polsat), 94 -> needs two victories and one intermediary sprint

Very interesting tour
i guess fernando will win. the only one with real chances is huib. another winner would be very surprising.
but the fight for the green jersey is very open. my tip: david will leave the tour in green

Ahhhh, how can Schmarotz lose this sprint... hanging on Raland who's hanging on Hondo against Lopes hanging on Lelay who's hanging on Ollé Ollé. Grrr...

So, I guess only van Ansem has chances to beat Cooperatori, although theoreticalls with intermediary bonifications, also Schmarotz has still Chances, as well as Raland. The only really interesting fight is the one for green having place 1 to 4 in this classemt within 3 points (85. 85, 84, 82).

Will be interesting to see, what happens tomorrow...

What a final stage! Great action. Sk Blu with the right attack at the right moment all hanging on the ABC flatties. Very nice GC- and stage-win while Saffunzanos managed to waste his riders' energy too early when following attacks out of the peloton. At least he got place 2-7 in the GC and won the youth classement with Cooperatori and the team classement. Of course, the most important thing for Team FL is: Green for Cédric. Nice to Have: Top10 GC-placement for oldie Tim Hamberger and decent stage placement for Küng, Colon and Schlechter, who arrived in the second group behind Tim. Notable fact: Wesley Lichtenkiesel got last in the GC with 3:08 behind the winner. And last but not least, I especially want to mention Die Playboys as the most aggressive team during this tour, always in the escape, riding very activly. Finally, the tour's statistics:

General classement:

01. 00:00 José Santos Barroeta (SK Blu-Bardhe)
02. 00:07 Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos)
03. 00:07 Shawn Kemp (Saffunzanos)
. -> 4 more riders from Saffunzanos with the same time
08. 00:15 Niek van Otten (SK Blu-Bardhe)
09. 00:24 Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
10. 00:27 Tim Hamberger (Team FL)
11. 00:27 Roberto Sanchez (Die Playboys)
12. 00:32 Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
13. 00:33 Jalal Ansari (Die Playboys)
14. 00:34 Henri Raland (ONCE-Team)
15. 00:43 Pedro Lopes (BMG-Allstars)
16. 00:43 David Lelay (ABC-Polsat)

Points classement:

- Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)

Youth classement:

- Fernando Cooperatori (Saffunzanos)

Team classement:

- Saffunzanos

Stage wins by team:

2 - SK Blu-Bardhe
1 - Team FL
1 - BMG-Allstars
1 - ONCE-Team
1 - Saffunzanos (TTT)

Stage wins by rider:

1 - Cédric Schmarotz (Team FL)
1 - Huib van Ansem (SK Blu-Bardhe)
1 - Henri Raland (ONCE-Team)
1 - Pedro Lopes (BMG-Allstars)
1 - José Santos Barroeta (SK Blu-Bardhe)

A very exciting tour is over with a lucky ending for José Santos Barroeta. The team can look back at a successful tour with 2 stages and the yellow jersey

It was really thrilling down-the-line.

useless tour for Team ABC Polsat at least a lil bit money by Lelays 2 seconds and 1 third place