Paris-Nice 14h

[ariostea]

this was a good stage!

why?

1.Nanni taking his first win. finally. actually he is a real loser - like Poalini was before. just a Weichei. but when it´s time to hurt the bergwerks - he finally got it.

2.finally some action in the beginning of the race. some riders want to join a group! good!

3.Bergwerk tactics were good (for me!) - no, not only for me. Watson just a bigger Weichei than everybody else. how can he loose contact after making 3 km tempo uphill? Magallon and Nanni still there - Watson gone? fire him! if he stays with Maga and Nanni is siebed, Nanni has to wait, if it is only seconds...

4. some offline teams kicked out - now we more or less see the real peloton (let´s wait what will happen to Elbe). actually we see that it is too
small to have good race action - but today was better. may be the last days, when nobody needs to save energy anymore, we will get some more race action.

[Robyklebt]

Yep, for Magallon the tactic was good.. jsut Watson too weak. Ok, no form, but hope at least he was protected. And not Björnby.

Action, a bit more would have been ok the first 4 days too... didn't see who the energy was saved for actually

Glamour off didn't help, he would have tried something... don't think much would have come of it, but more action-better.

[Robyklebt]

Mmh, correct myself:

Hope he was protected at least.

He obviously wasn't... I mean, 86 at 85 form is still 84, while 81 at 100 is 83. And Watson dropped before Magallon. THAT'S your mistake right there Bergwerk. Forget your crazy Björnby theories. If Watson is in form, which he isn't as well you said, then the tactic Ari actually proposed is the good one. ONce Watson is with the 2 others, let Luigi work alone, ok, maybe need to cover parts of the climb since if he attacks your done maybe...depending a bit on when the 82 are dropped. If not in the first 9 9 combi, probably no need to cover. But basically let him do the work. And in the back the same with Nanni and if he's there too, Urganov for the downhill. Then maybe you can join Nanni in the flat or the slight uphill, or attack to get rid of Urganov at least (GC threat, grrr!) so you have 2 chances. If Watson is in form. He isn't ok, then clear as well. keep Watson fresh, ride like you did, but Watson will not be dropped before Magallon. Either let him help Magallon, and drop back too then, carry him up, really carry him up because he's at least slightly stronger. Or keep him in front to bluff. Even with only 84 vs 89 (supposing Luigi had 100) you can hang on. Much too long in my opinion actually. Or let him drop if you want to be sure to have help for Magallon immediately. You'll lose much less in the hill. Then it was unlucky that when Magallon was dropped, Nanni stayed on, must have been close though. Can happen. If Nanni is dropped the same km, for him it makes sense to wait I think. Watson, who should be as strong as Nanni will not lose that much to Nanni until the 2-3 etc and there Magallon can hope to gain some time back. If it works like it did, Magallon dropped early, then ok, Nanni is gone probably. he can hang on til the next 9, get the faster Luigiexpress. Otherwise, dropped at the same km, a faster Watson, you lose less time in the climb, then likely have Nanni in the downill, you gain a little bit, Nanni and Watson together in the flat against only 2 in front, not 3 like it was now. Good chances to get him and take your chances in the sprint.

The form? Doesn't explain Watson dropped before Magallon. Your mistake was Björnby. When Glamour did his isolation thing, you need to use Björnby to HELP, not help him. Watson at 1000, Magallon at 1000. So one for Watson, one for Magallon, then if you feel it's not enough, Björnby on one of the 2. That's the logic goal. Not Björnby fit, hoping to have him before Kokorin. Which must be what you have done. Because the 2-3 Km tempo you did with Watson don't explain the dropping either.

[Kajutschka]

Zu hoffen Björnby vor Kokorin zu bringen war blöd, wenn man bedenkt wieviele Rennen bzw. Touren ich diesen Monat fahre sollte klar sein worauf ich form hab

[bergwerk cycling]

Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt ... nun habe ich auch gesehen, dass trotz meiner nicht allzuschlechten Form von gestern wohl beide "Konkurrenten" gleich oder ähnlich eingestellt sind. So hat halt der Masterplan nicht funktionopelt ... mal schauen, was dann morgen oder übermorgen noch so geht.

Da wird es wohl darauf ankommen, ob der "Kampf" um rot beendet ist, so dass wieder auf Etappe gefahren werden kann und ob Ari noch 2 Rennen gewinnen WILL ...

[Robyklebt]

Was only here partially yesterday, grr, but probably the most intersting stage so far.

Early big group, Ari makes it clear he doesn't want to do it all alone.... The group was still in reach, easily in reach even though it was fairly big, then Glamour did the right thing attacked behind the group. Ok, with 3 guys, idiotic, do it with 2, much more fun.. Even then probably it would have still possible to get them, but nobody was really too eager. Kaju good control when needed, not more. Glamour got it, deserved, behind then not much happened.

Today now, Ari obviously, saved himself for today yesterday, so...Will be here, but a bit afraid will just be a spectator once again, but ok, got my Conti win, so that's ok.

[ariostea]

a real action stage today:

bergwerk in the attack at km 1 - but having the strongest team for the end - so if the Ari´s want to go for the stage - couldn´t let him go. Valotti strong enough for that. honestly: it did not come to my mind that it could be the beginning for an attack for yellow... more than two minutes on a 120km stage ? Kajus Team actually quite strong... did just not expect somebody try that... may be one minute...but more than two?... but ok - did not let him go.

then Roby making the race hard. not unexpected - the course actually made for this. so it came clear very early that it will be more or less impossible to race it for Cutunio - would have needed Morani, Aldelio, Raggi and Cutunio with full strenght in the end. even then, hardly possible - almost everything downhill on the last 15 km. so no way - Raggi and Aldelio helping quite early in the race. Kontersieb, take Anev and make it even harder the next mountain with Raggi. but having 4 riders between 68 and 74 mountain skill actually nothing worth in this finish when it comes to the last hill, with riders like Magallon, Björnby and Qian in this. will be just siebed and not make it back. So the plan was to attack before coming there with Morani and may be Aldelio and see what kind of group it will be and who will have to race behind. BUT Roby´s Qian attacked 3km before the Morani-attack-mark... bah!...instead of being in front and controling the race situation - Morani now had to chase...(being in front would have been better for sure). no way to wait for Aldelio/Raggi - the group of Magallon, Qian and Urganov too strong. would have probably made it. a little lucky they were taken exactly on the last km of the final hill.
after the last hill quite open race. bergwerk with 3 guys in front , but actually only a Björnby attack would have made sense - so everybody who could follow more or less knowing to go to his wheel. so attacking and trying the sprint actually ok for the bergwerks - Nanni just the luckiest in this.

in general a very good tour for the Aris - winnning 4 stages and green jersey with Cutunio. would have been pleased too when taking 1 or may be 2 stages too. nice tour - but 3 or 4 more teams would have been better.

[Robyklebt]

Yep... With Nanni-Morani-Cutunio you might be able to control it, so tried to get your helpers away. Then you mine and everybody elses... Attack, my best hope I thought, or at least my most interesting hope. I could have just waited, then try to ride after the sieb in the Col d'Eze...Qian probably around Björnby, but no fun, plus at that point it seemed clear that you would have to try something too, by then the race looked uncontrollable for any single team. Too bad for us Peshay didn't attack but brought you in front, IMO an attack for him would have made sense... get us, then hope. Of course it very probably would have ended the same way for him and Urganov, dropped by Magallon.

GC attack today. Unlikely to succeed of course. Mostly because of Ari of course... Logic too, with you stages chances. Without him hard, but not completely impossible, his team was not that strong IMO. But well, why not try, you didn't let him go, so ok, but was worth a try.

Generally yes, a few more active teams would have been good. Even just FL without his password thing would have been good, like that basically he was out of anything and then less active. Then another 2-3 active teams. Newcomers Jennay, (but I have some doubts about him being a real newcomer actually) CPION did well, a few more like that, or old guys ok too of course.

For me the Paris-Nice turned out ok, main was Conti, so no Berlogea, with him I would have had more options, but a Conti win was more important, got that. Plus finally third in the GC, thanks to Ari too, his control for Urganov always nice to get third... with a more open race he can try to challenge for the win maybe, but then the ITT loses some of its importance and very likely Urganov loses more time here and there. Sprint on the last intermediate sprint, to secure a podium spot, was clear I was not going to follow Björnby anyway, so the podium the last little success, worked, for 2" and BWs luck with Magallon... But Conti prepared well for MSR now,got Km in his legs, trained on hills too, won a stage for his self confindence (not that HE needs I think, the manager more) that's was the nr 1 goal. MSR preparation.

[team fl]

GW to all winners of the tour

I am very sorry about my absence during the tour, especially the last three days. Not fun for me, not fun for everybody. Unfortunately, I could not forsee the reasons for the absence, otherwise I would not have participated.

After all, the tour was at least not a financial disaster. I don't know if Team FL will be much more active during the rest of march, except the classics of course.

Well, see you soon. Have fun.