Dunkerque 9h

[team fl]

No Giro, no fun? Nah! Dunkerque to come! Team FL riding at 9h, still having to confirm the presence for some day, but well, no other stupid things to do. Line-up will be the following:

x1 Nathaniel Biedermann, the quiet leader
x2 Toni Hassler, the angry leader
x3 Harry Hole, the drunken helper
x4 Niels Hörnö, the team dentist
x5 Stefan "King" Küng, well, the King
x6 Wesley Lichtenkiesel, still a monster
x7 Cédric Schmarotz, the old man and the sprint
x8 Arni Steinsson, misses Kari
x9 Xaver Unsinn, don't really know why he's in the line up....

Goal is to lose lots of money...

[Bear]

Team Bearclaw will start here too (hopefully I don't fall asleep on Monday and Tuesday after working at night). My goals: Try to reach a good GC rank, earn points and money and have fun riding in a nice and strong group.

#1 Morris Claiborne - GC leader, he should be my strongest rider for this kind of terrain
#2 Elvis Dumervil
#3 Jaroslav Katrinak
#4 Ray Lewis
#5 Tyrann Mathieu
#6 Willis McGahee
#7 Darren Sproles
#8 Lawrence Taylor
#9 Demaryius Thomas - Sprinter

Salary: 376k

[Alkworld]

Team Alkworld for the last time will be led by Miguel Otero in northern France. But just in case he wouldn't be able to win everyday, there will be some more captains in the team this time.

1) Miguel Otero - tries to dominate as usual
2) Eloy Alfaro - the next pavé hero will try to show his value
3) Romulo Betancourt - another old man, who might be good for a stage win
4) Joaquin Camacho - as fast as usual
5) Francisco deMiranda - hopefully still fast after Saturday's training and showing only small signs of aging
6) Antonio Narino - the "Arbeitstier"
7) Bernardo OHiggins - getting faster and faster
8) Ernesto Sabato - always neglected, but still the most successful rider in the team this year
9) Benito Salas - all good captains come by three

Goals: Success!

[thorgrin]

Medvedi participate with the following line-up:
x1 - Petr Adamek - sprinter
x2 - Antonin Blaha
x3 - Rudolf Cada
x4 - Pavel Erban
x5 - Albert Fadrny
x6 - Jan Zelenka
x7 - Jiri Zeman
x8 - Norbert Zima
x9 - Filip Zlatnik
No specific goals, will see what will happen.

[team fl]

Stage 1 is over and we know now two things: Miranda and Meierhofer are sausages and Kaltenbrun won it as a puncheur at the last km, one second before the group with Benito Salas, who reserved the stage win already some time before. For the GC, everything is still open with Otero and Hassler as the main favorites. Everything else depends on form and how the other stages will end. Green should be fixed for Salas, although being the first loser today. White for Kozlov should also already be seald while also having good chances for a decent GC-placement. The mountain classement is open as usual, but it seems that Bearclaw is eager to get it with Tyrann Mathieu, who also would have been a shot for white. The team classement will be arranged between Team FL and Alkworld, most likely. But now here the GC Top10 after stage 1, followed by the general favorite check :

01. 00:00 Henry Kaltenbrun (ATB-Racing)
02. 00:05 Nathaniel Biedermann (Team FL)
03. 00:06 Benito Salas (Alkworld)
04. 00:07Josef Schadler (team belloz)
05. 00:08 Jeff Thompson (ATB-Racing)
06. 00:09 Stefan Küng (Team FL)
07. 00:11 Romulo Betancourt (Alkworld)
08. 00:11 Xaver Unsinn (Team FL)
09. 00:11 Aleksander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro)
10. 00:11 Toni Hassler (Team FL)
-> 7 more riders with 00:11

Favorite check:

General classement

***** Miguel Otero (Alkworld)
**** Toni Hassler (Team FL)
*** Piotr Trachowski (team belloz)
** Aleksander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro) and many others
* a surprise rider(Henry Kaltenbrun?)

Points classement

*** Benito Salas (Alkworld)
** Jeff Thompson (ATB-Racing)
* another rider (sprinter, classic rider with sprint)

Mountain classement

*** Mathieu (Team Bearclaw)
** Schwarz (Moscow Team Pro), Lipin (ATB-Racing)
* another rider

Youth classement

*** Aleksander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro)
** Darron Sproles (Team Bearclaw)
* Vyacheslav Konyzev (Moscow Team Pro)

Team classement

*** Alkworld
** Team FL
* another team

[Bear]

A day with ups and downs for me. The group not really worked but was not a problem because Alk controlled in favor of Salas. So I switched to mountain-jersey-mode and sprinted for some points. Tyrann got the jersey, at least something worked out well. In the end, Sproles and Claiborne dropped off the main group and lost some sec in GC. The youth classement is no deal for Tyrann, and never was. Maybe Sproles can fight with Kozlov, but will be hard. But last km was bad, did not realized Henry could be that strong, went for Willms but that was a bad decision.

... more after working...

[ATB - Racing]

Here are my "No-Blumentopf-Winners"

x1 Henry Kaltenbrunn, Southafrican champion and of course our leader
x2 Jeff Thompson, redneck from Austin / Texas
x3 Xian Lipin, out of an unnamed chinese desert
x4 Pat Mohair, Southafrican surferboy
x5 Stephen Wilshere, reliable helper
x6 Achim Abfuhr, the secret leader
x7 Jean Dugarry, Francemen ... all said
x8 Igor Rostovsev, Russian Standard, Partisan, Moskovskaya are his doping
x9 Yevgeni Alenichev, new to our pack; just here for earn money

aims before the tour: get a shot at red, a top 10 gc
now? ... dont know

[Alkworld]

I still cannot believe someone could get away on the last km, bad luck for Salas again. But this can only mean that he will win the three remaining sprints. The favourite check is a very tricky thing, especially for the GC. I will wait for tonight's training before making any predictions, as Miranda, Romulo, Otero, Nate and Hassler may lose skill points, while some others may still get stronger.

[team fl]

Again one second too much for Salas. That seems to be the general rule for this stage race. Besides that, Medvedi got the stage win with Pave Erban, Moscow Team Pro got Red with Schwarz (!) and the points jersey changed too, now Cris Webor wearing it. GC is still mostly the same than after stage one. Stage 3 today will be for the sprinters I guess, tomorrow then the great battle. GC will follow again after today's stage is finished.

[ATB - Racing]

01. 00:00 Henry Kaltenbrun (ATB-Racing)
02. 00:03 Benito Salas (Alkworld)
03. 00:07 Nathaniel Biedermann (Team FL)
04. 00:07 Toni Hassler (Team FL)
05. 00:08 Jeff Thompson (ATB-Racing)
06. 00:09 Josef Schadler (team belloz)
07. 00:09 Miguel Otero (Alkworld)
08. 00:11 Fjodor Gorobsov (Moscow Team Pro)
09. 00:11 Stefan Küng (Team FL)
10. 00:13 Alexander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro)
-> 7 more riders with 00:13

Today nobody wants to ride. At the first intermediate Otero, Hassler and Gorobsov fight for some seconds for the GC. After that Team Bearclaw build a group to ensure the green jersey (formely red) for Mathieu. On the second intermediate Kaltenbrun gains 3rd place and additional 2s. After the 3rd intermediate Moscow and Team Fl do some tempo and so there was a MS. Podium for Fox, Schmarotz and Salas, who although takes the red jersey (formely green).

So tomorrow we expact a selective race. Kaltenbrun have to fight to get a decent chance to stay at the podium.

[Alkworld]

We are all gespannt like a Flitzebogen now. Tomorrow we'll have to see who's the strongest. The stage itself looks very tough with 10 laps on a hilly circuit that should leave the best chances for Otero and Hassler. However, surprises are also possible. Really hard to predict this time.

[team fl]

Thanks for the GC, ATB

Expected more action today in the escape, but well, like this it saves power. Moscow unfortunately was distracted but did his duty at the end. So deserved winner, although a bit lucky with Salas as backwheel.

Like Alkworld, I am really looking forward to tomorrow's stage, as it is very hard to predict something, although Otero and Hassler are the main favorits on paper. Anyway, Kaltenbrun starts with an advantage of 7 secs, and he will be hard to eliminate without creating a chaotic stage. Same counts for the pavé specialists from Medvedi, Blaha and Erban, although they are not that well placed in the GC. Another lucky third could be Moscow Pro Team with the duo Gorobosov and Koslov. Not to forget Trachowski from today's off-team belloz. We will know more around 11 am when the stage is over...

[Moscow Team Pro]

I would like to apologize for not being there all day. Unfortunately I have not found a replacement and I had to take my pc. I do not work in the office but in a bar, so I followed the race between a cafe and more. In the end I was lucky, definitely did not deserve to win. Sorry again.

[team fl]

I would like to apologize for not being there all day. Unfortunately I have not found a replacement and I had to take my pc. I do not work in the office but in a bar, so I followed the race between a cafe and more. In the end I was lucky, definitely did not deserve to win. Sorry again.

You may even it out tomorrow . Luckily, there was not much to do anyway yesterday.

[team fl]

4th stage ended as expected: Otero wins in front of Hassler. The rest behind both of them. GC in the same order. In the meantime, Kozlov seales the youth and Mathieu the mountain jersey. The points classement is still open, but I guess Salas will keep it, most likely. Tomorrow will be another chance for Schmarotz to win a race, maybe one of his last ones. So FL will ride for a sprint royal, hoping that Fox will have a bad day

[ATB - Racing]

At the beginning olsenbande build a little group of two riders and the weather was "lovely". Cause of unexperience and excitement ATB - Racing chased pretty soon (about 6 min). After the 2nd round out of 10 Alkworld take the responsibility and startet quickly making the race hard. Followed by some "siebs" by the strong paveriders from Alkworld and Team FL. Later on, when the olsenbande guys get back in peloton, alkworld goes into a dangerous escape with Miranda and Alfaro. This escape was ended by Schrader (belloz) and Team FL. At the last round Morris Claiborne (Team Bearclaw) attacked at km 179 just 6 km from the finish. He was followed by Rudolf Cada (Medvedi) and Henry Kaltenbrun (ATB - Racing) the general leader in his pretty pink shirt (colour changed when giro started). Then at km 182 Henry attacked and just Morris Claiborne followed him; this attack was really stupid. After the race we heard that his manager command him to attack. Out of the leader group Ernesto Sabato (Alkworld) attacks and jumps in front. At the end Toni Hassler (Team FL) and Fjodor Gorobsov (Moscow Team Pro) take places 2nd and 3rd at the podium in Cassel.

GC before the last stage:

01. 00:00 Miguel Otero (Alkworld)
02. 00:11 Toni Hassler (Team FL)
03. 00:19 Henry Kaltenbrun (ATB-Racing)
04. 00:21 Fjodor Gorobsov (Moscow Team Pro)
05. 00:30 Stefan Küng (Team FL)
06. 00:32 Piotr Trachowski (team belloz)
07. 00:44 Alexander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro)
08. 00:44 Francisco deMiranda (Alkworld)
09. 00:44 Morris Claiborne (Team Bearclaw)
10. 00:45 Jeff Thompson (ATB - Racing)

Pink (aka Yellow): Miguel Otero (Alkworld)
Green (aka Red): Tyrann Mathieu (Team Bearclaw)
Red (aka green): Benito Salas (Alkworld)
White (aka youth rider): Aleksander Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro)
Team classement: Team FL

I have to told you that i cant be online later because i have to work ... Damned. But i got a sitter, hopefully he will do not more stupid actions than me and he will be kind to all of you. Was a really nice tour. At least with an unexpected start for me. I just want to ride for red and ended up in yellow (the better pink).

Good night. Like to see you again on the roads.

[team fl]

Last stage, Fox denied Schmarotz his victory at Dunkerque and won his second stage while Otero was celebrated as overall winner. Points classement went to Alkworld as well as Benito Salas could win it. Youth classement was as expected won by Kozlov (Moscow Team Pro), the mountain classement by Tyrann Mathieu (Team Bearclaw). For Team FL, there was at least the very unglamurous team classement and 3 2nd places as well as the 2nd place for Toni Hassler in the general classement. Nevertheless, it was a funny stage race and for sure a financial success.