Chapeau!

A “tip of the hat” to this week’s top performers.

Un coup de chapeau a Sep Vanmarcke. The young Belgian was the strongest man at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The 23 year old marked the decisive move on the Taaienberg which resulted in a select group of riders. Sep then went on to attack on the breakaway forcing his main rival’s teammates to be dropped including former World Champion Thor Hushovd.  He was then strong enough to work with Tom Boonen and Juan Antonio Flecha to stay away. Boonen opened up the sprint at 200 m to go. The cycling world assumed the race was over only to watch Sep come over the top and beat Boonen in the final sprint. The youngster and his manager had called Jonathon Vaughters to ask the team to work for him. The “turtle neck” responded by telling Sep he needed to stand up in the team meeting and ask to be a protected rider.  He did and he showed that he was the strongest man in the race. Chapeau!

Un coup de chapeau a Tom Boonen. Although Boonen came away with no wins in the first weekend of Belgium races, he showed that he has returned to his spring classics form. After being away all day at the Omloop, Tommke attempted to animate in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne as well.  Once again he was in the break but Team Sky was just too good and the break was eventually caught. Good to see Boonen back in the mix for guys to beat when the real classics begin.

Un coup de chapeau a Mark Cavendish. Looking resplendent in the World Champion bands, the Manx Mouth did what he does best, win. It seems all other sprinters look to Cav when the bunch sprint is on. The strategy seems to be to get on to his wheel and hope for the best. Once again, his lead-out was superior and no one seems to be as fast as World Champ when his teammates get it right.

Un coup de chapeau a Team Sky. The Manx Missile’s lead-out train was perfect at the end of K-B-K. Team Sky also played the tactics perfectly. Tom Boonen and Tyler Farrar were in a breakaway that never was let out of their sights. Once that group was brought back they allowed a second break that never gained more than a minute. Total control, perfect tactics, and the fastest man in the bunch will equal many wins for this team.

Un coup de chapeau a Mike. Early season leader. He had the audacity to pick up a reviled rider in Mark Cavendish and it paid off. By the looks of it, Cav and Mike are primed for many wins this season.

Un coup de chapeau a Omloop. What a race! The cobbles, Belgian country side, and the attacks made this race a truly great one for the books. I just dreamed of being there, drinking beer, and eating frites.

The Broom Wagon

Cleaning up after the weekend's events.

Anticipation was palpable Saturday morning as the Wiskota Fantasy Cycling season began in earnest; two semi classics, two opportunities to score points. 

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad:

“The Circulation” lived up to the hype in every way.  Despite coverage in Dutch or Flemish or whatever it was, the Omloop was extremely fun to watch.  Punchy cobbled climbs, windmills and cool looking towns made for an enjoyable morning of entertainment.  As predicted the race was animated by breakaways.  When the early breakaway was caught the real action began.  Ultimately, the win went to a relatively unknown upstart named Sep from team Garmin.  But the real question is how our riders did.

Patrick’s team was the big winner on the day.  Boonen was his only rider but he didn’t need anybody else.  Boonen was the one who started the winning breakaway and he was often at the front doing the work, pulling his small group free from the peloton.  As the approached the finishing line Boonen found himself in a group of three.  Perhaps he started his sprint too early, perhaps Sep has a kick that we don’t know about or perhaps the Omloop is destined to be one of the few races Tom never wins.  Anyway Boonen came in a strong second and that earned Patrick 70 points.  Maybe more importantly, Boonen looked good and he will be a force to be reckoned with later this spring…or has he peaked too early? Discuss.

My pre-race predictions had Flecha, Boonen and Thor animating the race.  This proved to be true as they were all in the break.  However, it was the move by Sep that dislodged Thor and created a more selective break of himself, Flecha and Boonen.  Mike missed out on some major points as Thor was unable to finish in the top ten.  I was disappointed that Flecha only came in third, but he is not known for his kick at the end.  This tough effort earned me 40 points.  Flecha looked good on the cobbles.  He demonstrated the cycling awareness that he has honed over the years as a veteran of the peloton.  Can he continue this form and make the breaks that count earning me some serious points this spring.  I say yes.  Discuss.

As I predicted Gilbert was not a factor.  He later stated that he didn’t have the legs, but also complained of a lack of communication.  Whatever the reason he and Voekler earned Greg as many points as Bill the neo pro, zero.  The difference is Bill didn’t have any riders in the race.  Is BMC a bust?  Too many cooks? Discuss.

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Well, I was too hung over to watch this one live, but I didn’t miss much.  After the action of Omloop, Kuurne seemed a bit boring.  But boring sprints controlled by team Sky are good for one guy, Cavendish.  The Manx Mouth got his first win in his first try for Mike, earning him 80 fat points.  

I predicted Greipel, Farrar and Boonen would be involved in this one, thinking that Cav would miss a break.  I should have known that Sky wouldn’t let that happen.  Farrar and Boonen had a break away, but just like everybody else they were swallowed up by the Sky train.  Greipel was in a good position at the end, or so he says, before he was swamped.  Renshaw blamed team Spidertech.  There were too many riders there at the end, if you don’t like that then do something before that.  That is a note for Greipel by the way, not for Cav.   Greipel ended up in 10^th earning me a whopping 6 points.  If bunch sprints are like that all year Cav will rack up some serious points.  Cav for Milan San Remo? Discuss. 

Panache p/b Gregario

From time to time featured writer Gregario Forza brings his signature panache to the Wiskota blog.

We all know that when it comes to the group ride Luke loves to draft, but how well did he do in the fantasy draft?  Feel free to comment.

 2012 Draft

The Commish may wish he had the Neo pro’s team but ended up with a good squad himself. This team looks to be tough all season long. However, he may need some help in le Tour. The most confusing part of the draft was the attempted trade for the second overall pick.  The pick ended up being Joaquim Rodriguez and according to this expert, it was the right pick. El Purito is a points machine and primed for another big year. He will challenge Gilbert (good luck) in the Ardennes and may even make a run at the Giro and Vuelta. Levi Leipheimer may have been a reach but in the Wiskota Fantasy League the American races carry as much weight as Paris-Nice and the Tour de Swiss. I really like Levi with his new team, Omega Pharma-Quickstep, and he seems to already be in good form. The Eggtimer could also be a factor at this year’s Tour. With all the time trialing and fewer steep climbs this could be his opportunity to make a run at a podium. The Commish may have made the best pick in the draft by taking Valverde with his 3^rd pick. The Green Bullet may be a doper but he has come back from his two year suspension el fuego.  He already is back to his point taking ways. Good thing for us, they don’t count yet.  Peter Sagan was another very good pick. I was hoping he would slide one more slot to Gregario but he was swiped up by the Commish. This may be the year where the young talent becomes a super star. For our sake lets hope it happens next year.  Andre Greipel, aka the Vanilla Gorilla is a tough sprinter for this squad and probably the Manx Mouth’s biggest threat. The Gorilla may also be used in the flatter classics as Lotto-Bellisol isn’t carrying many riders who can win in Belgium, which is sort of a big deal for a Belgium based team. Look for the Grape Ape to start this weekend at Kuurne.  The biggest surprise for me was the Commish taking Tyler Farrar. He doesn’t like the guy; however, he knows that the American is primed for some big wins. Another surprise pick, not because of talent but because of comments made by the Commish in prior seasons, was Il Piccolo Principe, Damiano Cunego. I like Cunego but it is hard to say what his objectives will be. The Little Prince is always a threat when he lines up. The Commish took Juan Antonio Flecha with his final rider pick. The Spanish Flandrian is a beast in the cobbled classics but may be lost on the Sky super team. His best chance for a win may be this weekend at the Omloop.  The Commish rounded out his club by picking Omega Pharma-Quickstep, chapeau, and Spain as his country, which gives him the opportunity to cheer for Euskatel-Euskadi and Movistar, his two favorite teams.

Best Rider: Joaquim Rodriguez   Best Value Pick: Alejandro Valverde   Biggest Reach: Levi Leipheimer   

X Factor: Andre Greipel

On the Rivet

A preview of who's racing hard this weekend.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2/25      Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 2/26

The first race of the Team Wiskota Fantasy Cycling season is upon us.  This cobbled semi classic Omloop is often one of the most exciting early season races.  Taking place in Ghent, Belgium, part of the Flanders region, this race encompasses much of the route of its big brother the Ronde Von Flanderen.  Cobbles, bad weather and aggressive riders, what’s not to like?  The opening classics weekend wouldn’t be complete without Kuurne on Sunday.  Similar terrain and usually similar riders.  However, after the punchy climbs are done there is still over 40 k to go.  Can a break stay away?  Will the sprinters have a chance? Can anyone argue that this isn’t an awesome opening weekend?

Well, unfortunately, one Director Sportif can.  Bill the Neo-Pro does not have any riders in the weekend races.  Sorry Bill, that’s what you get for taking Andy Schleck.  Looks like you will be waiting for the Strade Bianchi on the 3^rd.

Greg has two riders in the Omloop, or Circulation as the Google translator calls it, Gilbert and Voekler.  I’m going to get real sick of writing this, but Gilbert is one of the favorites to win this race.  He won in 2006 and 2008.  It sounds like he’s going for the win, but we don’t really know.  Who is BMC really riding for? Thor? Phinney?  Well, probably Phil-Gil.  Greg’s other rider is an interesting prospect.  Voekler the hero of le Tour is known to be a race animator.  Can he turn that into classics win?  Fortunately for us Gilbert is not racing Sunday, but Voekler is and he is wearing the team’s first bib.  Does that mean they are riding for him, well…sometimes. Can Voekler’s facial expressions propel him to victory? Can the Grimace of Gaul pull one out? Greg is betting he can.

Patrick would have had two riders at the Omloop, but BoHaug has got a cold and has been replaced by Sutton.  Pat shouldn’t be too bummed because it just so happens that the rider he does have is the favorite in both races.  Come this weekend the hills of Flanders might start to look more like mounds of blow as Tom Boonen looks to get recreational all over the cobbles.  Boonen won Kuurne in 2007 and 2009 and has finished in the top 10 at the Omloop before. No one has won both races in the same weekend, but Boonen has been looking tough so far.  As he puts it, “when everyone is tired, I’m the best in the world.”

I have some seriously high expectations for this weekend.  Flecha is my boy and I first really got into him watching him win at Omloop in 2010.  He has only been off the podium once in the last 5 years.  With BoHaug out, team Sky should be riding for the man they call The Spanish Flandrian.  Flecha will have a run at Kuurne as well, however chances are Sky will be riding for Cavendish.  Can anyone beat Cav in a sprint?  Yes, and his name is Andre Greipel.  The Vanilla Gorilla may get his first crack at it this weekend.  The other man always chasing Cav is also on my squad.  Farrar may never beat Cav straight up, but Farrar is much more likely to get into one of these breakaways and then win the sprint.  As you can see I expect a lot from my team this weekend.  Too much? Let me know.

Mike has a serious contender in each race.  If BMC rides for Thor then we might all be in trouble.  If they don’t ride for Thor then we might all be in trouble.  The Omloop is his kind of course and he won in 2009. Thor may be looking for some early wins knowing that they may be hard to come by later in the season.  Millar will probably be riding for Johan Van Summeren or more likely Haussler, but one never knows.  To win one of these you don’t have to be the best all year just the best for one day.  Kuurne is an interesting opportunity for Mike’s other big weekend hopeful, Mark Cavendish.  The world champ is still considered the fastest man on two wheels.  Can Sky deliver him to the line or will the course be too lumpy?  Is he still that fast after 6 hours in the saddle?  You know how I feel about it.

Predictions:

Omloop

Wiskota Fantasy Podium: Flecha, Boonen, Thor

Spoilers: H. Haussler, S. Langeveld, B. Leukmans, M. Breschel

Kuurne

Wiskota Fantasy Podium: Boonen, Greipel, Farrar

Spoilers: C. Sutton, A. Ballan, J. Degenkolb, Y. Hutarovich

From the Commish

Remember these points were earned before our season started and must be subtracted from our riders' total world tour points. Also, don't foget your riders can earn points in other non-world tour races as well, see the schedule and the UCI point system link.

Gerrans 106

Valverde 87

Machado 72

Rodgers 61

Bakelants 40

Boassen Hagen 34

J. Moreno 20

Greipel 18

Mathews 15

Hutarovitch 7

Friere 6

Pettacchi 6

Renshaw 5

Vorganov 4

Ciolek 4

Bennatti 3

JJ Rojas 1

Sanatini 1

McEwan 1

The Broom Wagon

Cleaning up after the weeks events.

Now that the draft is complete let’s take a look at how the teams have rounded out. Who did the best? Who got the biggest steal of the draft, who reached? Whose team is Luke most jealous of?

 Recap:

Greg didn’t surprise anyone (not even Mike I think) by taking Gilbert with the first overall. His run on Italian cyclists insures Gregario some quality points in the Giro and will possibly help him to retain the Maglia Rose. Basso is past his prime, but for where he was drafted he has pretty good value. The later part of Greg’s draft is where there may be some questions. Can Bauke (Bartakomis) Mollema score enough points in the mountains to warrant such a high pick? I’m a huge fan of Luis Leon Sanchez having watched him win at Issoire in Le Tour, but this was his only real win last year. I’m rooting for a return to his form of a few seasons ago, but I think Rabobank just doesn’t work for him. He showed no form at the Tour Down Under and if he doesn’t podium at Paris Nice his season could be over before it starts. Horner was a solid pick and will get Greg some points in the American races. Voekler is hardcore and that’s all there is too it. As for Greg’s team pick no one can deny that Nissan Trek is going to be a force to be reckoned with, but if they put all their hopes and dreams in Andy at Le Tour they might miss out on a lot of other points. Although U.S.A is probably the weakest country selected there is a good chance that could all change this year. Look for an American riders blog later this season. It must be reiterated Greg has Gilbert. Gilbert had over 700 points last year. That’s nuts. Even half that many points is a top 5 finish many seasons. I doubt he can have a repeat performance of last year but nonetheless he is a great pick.

Best Rider: Gilbert    Best Value Pick: Nibali     Biggest Reach: Mollema   X Factor: Voekler

Luke obviously has the best most well thought out team coming out of the draft. Well, that may not be true, but he was very confident in his pulled pork sandwiches. I will let Gregario write a review of my team (or leave a comment, seriously write some comments guys, get into this shit) however I will explain a few things. I built a team heavily based on the classics with a hope to make a few tweaks for the tours. Also, I avoided the super teams for the most part; I’m not sure how that is going to work out. It was hard to see other riders I really like (Tony Big Mouthed Martin, Suave Sammy Sanchez) go to other teams but that’s the draft right. Let me know what you think.

Patrick picked with his heart. Now that doesn’t mean he didn’t make good picks. His top three should strike fear in the hearts of all the team managers. If Boonen is half as good going forward as he’s been so far this season, not to mention in seasons past, he could be the steal of the draft. But let’s return to Patrick’s top three. Evans is tough, a solid first pick. I like him in the tour again, but my question is will he win another race. Last year it was Tirreno Adriatico, admittedly a surprise win for Evans. A loss of that kind of points this year and anything less than a win at Le Tour and he might not be a top 5 guy. Cancellara has to win in the Classics in order for Patrick to get big points. Fortunately for Patrick I see this happening. Less of an emphasis on time trials and a refocus on the cobbles, awesome. I also love BoHaug and everyone knows this. My concern is the super team factor. Cav will take away some of the sprints that Eddie was getting, yet BoHaug seems strong enough to win on his own. I’m thinking a stage at Le Tour, Vattenfall classics and a few other wins here and there. I have a hard time getting behind the rest of Patrick’s picks. Dan Martin is a proven point getter but I don’t see it. Jerkin Hand on Cock obviously has potential, is this the year? Uran and Nyuns could be good picks but have the potential to be huge busts. Pat is all in for his limey compatriots. Team Sky is a great pickup. Great Britain, meh…maybe.

 Best Rider: Evans   Best Value Pick: Van Den Broeck    Biggest Reach: Dan Martin    X Factor: Boonen

Mike’s team is comprised of solid stage winners. Mike benefited from many of the other team directors dislike of good riders. Namely, Cavendish, obviously the best sprinter. Can he repeat at the Worlds? How about the Olympics? Add to that possible double digit stage wins in the Grand Tours and he could have some serious points. Thor was awesome in Le Tour last year and maybe with the help of Big George Hincapie he can get another classics win. Also, Matt Goss is touted as the Aussie outfit Green Edge’s best chance for stage wins or perhaps Milan San Remo or another classic. Sammy Sanchez and Frank Schleck have both podiumed at Le Tour. My main man Sammy will be good all year, classics and Grand Tours. Also, don’t forget who is wearing the gold helmet, will he repeat? Gesink has been on the brink for a while now and he should provide some action in the Grand Tours. Millar and Fuglsang are classic Mikey picks. Team Garmin may not get the points Mike would like, but Italy has a chance to finish first.

 Best Rider: Sammy Sanchez    Best Value Pick: Cavendish   Biggest Reach: Millar   X Factor: Thor

Bill was, hands down, the most infuriating drafter. To put it bluntly his team scares me. Everybody knows I like Tony Martin. He should win every time trial he enters. That means big points at the Olympics and Worlds. Don’t look for him to repeat at Paris Nice this year, too much climbing for the big German. That could be a hit in points. Some say that with all the time trialing at Le Tour Martin has a chance to podium. I feel, and he has said, that he does not have tour aspirations, those mountains are very high. Leave that up to Bill’s top pick Bradley Wiggins. He actually just beat Martin in a time trial and has shown that he can hang in the mountains. If he can get another big win (Paris Nice? Dauphine?) and a podium at Le Tour it could be a good pick. In any other league there is no way Andy Schleck would have lasted that long. Kudos to Bill for picking him, however you must now endure the wrath of the Commish. I hope he’s worth it. Contador was a bold pick. Going to be waiting a long while till he has a chance to earn some points. Vino is by far my favorite cheater. He is also a points magnet. Will he race beyond the classics or is he going to run for political office in Kazakhstan (true story). Froom, one hit wonder or new phenom? Kreuziger once again looks poised to be not quite as good as we would like him to be. I still think he has a chance at the Giro and I was hoping to pick him up in free agency (add it to the reasons why Bill’s draft made me mad). Bill’s most bold move of course was taking BMC and Belgium back to back. Bill showed some of his draft experience with these wiley moves.

Best Rider: Tony Martin   Best Value Pick: Andy Schleck   Biggest Reach: Wiggins    X Factor: Contador

Check back for Omloop Het Newsblad preview.  Season starts this weekend!

From the Commish

2012 Draft Results -------Greg: 1. Gilbert 2. Scarponi 3. Nibali 4. L.L. Sanchez 5. Horner 6. Mollema 7. Basso 8. Voekler Team: Nissan Trek Country: U.S.A. -------Luke: 1. Rodriguez 2. Leipheimer 3. Valverde 4. Sagan 5. Greipel 6. Farrar 7. Cunego 8. Flecha Team: Quickstep Country: Spain -------Patrick: 1. Evans 2. Cancellara 3. Boassen Haggen 4. Boonen 5. D. Martin 6. Van den Broeck 7. Uran 8. Nyuns Team: Sky Country: Great Britain -------Mike: 1. S. Sanchez 2. F. Schleck 3. Cavendish 4. Millar 5. Thor 6. Gesink 7. Goss 8. Fuglsang Team: Garmin Country: Italy -------Bill: 1. Wiggins 2. T. Martin 3. Vinokourov 4. A. Schleck 5. Contador 6. Kloden 7. Froome 8. Kreuziger Team: BMC Country: Belgium

Panache p/b Gregario

Strategery

 

We are on the cusp of greatness. To attempt a cycling fantasy season like no other. One tied to the already controversial and inefficient UCI point system. The World Tour is already underway with Gerrans winning at the Tour Down Under, Boonen winning at Qatar, and now Sagan primed to take Oman. Just around the corner is the classics season. Het Nieusblad, Milan-Sanremo, the cobbles, the Ardennes, I can hardly wait. All the excitement of a new cycling season and now we embark on the first ever Wiskota Fantasy Cycling Season. Which has me thinking? How the hell am I going to pick my team? Heavy on the classics? Grand Tours? Daniel Martin? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject.

Gilbert will be picked #1 overall. But who will be picked #2? With Contador out of the mix and the emphasis on time trialing during the tour, my money is with Cadel Evans. Cadel could make a run during the Ardennes classics and has to be the Tour’s favorite.

If Gilbert and Evans go 1 and 2, who is picked 3-5? Without sharing too much of my big board, I will say this, Joaquin Rodriguez should get a long look at 3. The Schlecks have to be near the top, I’m sure the Commish will be taking them, Nibali, Scarponi, Sanchez (Luis Leon or Sammy), Martin (Tony or Daniel), Wiggo? I just don’t know. I do know this, the American Tours will shake things up so don’t forget about Levi and Horner. Both could be major players on their home turf, and again, Tour - Contador + time trialing = wide open results. Did I leave someone out? Maybe I meant to………..

How do I manage the transfers? I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know. My plan going in is that I will pick my team based solely on UCI point at the end of the year. I will plan to have my guys throughout the year and will use the transfers to replace injured riders, bad form, and to maybe find that diamond in the rough. Who knows, Gorka Izagirre could be a Tour surprise and a favorite for the Vuelta. I don’t know.  I’m pretty sure Cobo was not a hot pick before last year’s Spanish tour.

All in all this should be an adventure and another great way to watch this year’s big races. Enjoy the season.

Forza!

From The Commish

Draft Day 2012

Remember

1.      Draft is at 1 O’clock. 

2.      Bring beer.

3.      I have MPLS Wi-Fi so you may want to bring a laptop.

Advice

1.      Check the scoring rules.  You need UCI points.  You want riders that win races and place high.  You cannot score UCI points for breakaways, helping teammates or being hardcore (Johnny Hoogerland=hardcore, Johnny Hoogerland= very few UCI points)

2.      Let’s face it, the draft lottery should be renamed “The Phillip Gilbert Sweepstakes”.  He had a crazy amount of points last year and he will be the #1 overall.

3.      Don’t forget about the American races.  They carry points equal to a Paris-Nice or a Tour de Suisse.  We get good TV coverage of those races so at the least you want to have a dog in the hunt.

4.      Along with #3, remember this league is all about making cycling more fun to watch and follow. Pick riders you like.  In addition, you pick a country and a pro tour team.  That means in every race, even if your club riders are not doing well, at the least you can route for riders from your pro team or country.

5.      There are transfer periods where you can add or drop riders.  You may want to draft some riders who you think will be good early in the season and then drop them later.  However, be aware that the grand tours give the most points and the top contenders probably won’t be available later in the season.

Resources

1.      UCI point rankings from the last few seasons can be found at the link provided on the blog.  Select season in the dropdown then click world tour to get rankings from the last few years.

2.      The point system is under UCI links.

3.      The schedule is a blog post.

Panache p/b Gregario

From time to time featured writer Gregario Forza brings his signature panache to the Wiskota blog.

This is the first installment of a Gregario's 2012 team previews.  Feel free to comment.

2012 Preview: Teams 17-15
 

17.          FDJ- Big Mat

Additions: David Boucher (Omega Pharma- Lotto), Arnaud Demare (neo pro, U23 Word Champion of the Road), Kenny Elissonde (neo pro), Gabriel Rasch (Cervelo Garmin), Jussi Veikkanen (Omega Pharma- Lotto)

Subtractions: Olivier Bonnairre, Gianni Meersman (Lotto-Belisol), Wesley Sulzberger (GreenEDGE)

Keys for 2012: After a successful 2011 campaign, FDJ gained a new sponsor in BigMat and has regained World Tour status for 2012. Manager Marc Madiot expects young riders like Thibault Pinot, Arnold Jeannesson, and U23 World Road Champion, Arnauld Demare to continue their progress and lead the team to victories. Pinot looks to make his Tour de France debut in 2012 but may have to settle with leading the team in the Vuelta. Jeannesson will lead the team at the Tour and will look to build on his 15th place during last year’s campaign. Sandy Casar will lead the team at this year’s Giro. With Jeremy Roy and Anthony Roux, FDJ will be in plenty of breaks. The young Nacer Bouhanni looks to be the man in the sprints.

16.          Euskatel-Euskadi

                Additions: Mikel Astarloza, (ex-pro Euskaltel-Euskadi, 2009), Ricardo Garcia (neo pro Orbea), Victor Cabedo (neo pro Orbea), Adrián Sáez (neo pro Orbea)

Subtractions: Koldo Fernández (Garmin-Barracuda), Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar Team), Iñaki Isasi (Retired), Javier Aramendia (Caja Rural), Daniel Sesma

Keys for 2012: The team experiences a managerial change, as Igor González de Galdeano left at the end of the 2011 season, and was replaced by the man he replaced, Miguel Madariaga. Sammy Sanchez will give the team an opportunity for some big wins in the classics or in the grand tours. He won the Tour’s KoM last year and will want to improve on his 6^th place finish. Astarloza returns from a suspension and his presence should bolster the talent on the Basque team. I like Igor Anton to once again be a player in the Vuelta. Of course we will all be cheering for Gorka Izzagirre in the breakaways. It’s all about Gorka in 2012 (that’s for you Commish).  Basque Power!

15.          AG2R

Additions: Jimmy Casper (Saur Sojasun), Sylvain Georges (Big Mat-Auber 93)

Subtractions: David Le Lay (Saur Sojasun), Cyril Dessel (Retired)

Keys for 2012: This team looks to rebound after a poor 2011 campaign that featured stage wins at the Giro (Gadret) and Nicholas Roche winning a stage at Beijing. Roche needs to finally show some results for all his potential or recognition. Jimmy Casper and Sylvain Georges are nice additions for the squad. Georges should bolster their classics squad. Rinaldo Nocentini and Jean-Christophe Péraud could produce results as well. This is a team that needs wins if they are to retain sponsorship in 2013.

2012 Fantasy Schedule

Wiskota Fantasy Cycling

2012 Calendar

Omloop Het Nieusblad                       2/25/12                                   Bel.

Kurne-Brussels-Kurne                         2/26/12                                   Bel.

Strade Bianchi                                     3/3/12                                     Itl.

Paris-Nice                                            3/4/12-3/11/12                       Fra.

Tirreno Adriatico                                3/12/12-3/13/12                     Itl.

Milano-Sanremo                                 3/17/12                                   Itl.

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya                   3/19/12-3/25/12                     Esp.

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke        3/23/12                                   Bel.

Critérium International                      3/24/12-3/25/12                     Fra.

Gent – Wevelgem                               3/25/12                                   Bel.

Ronde van Vlaanderen                       4/1/12                                     Bel.                                                     

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco               4/2/12-4/7/12                         Esp.

Paris- Roubaix                                     4/8/12                                     Fra.

Amstel Gold Race                               4/15/12                                   Ned.

Giro del Trentino                                4/17/12-4/20/12                     Itl.

Le Fleche Wallone                              4/18/12                                   Bel.

Liege Bastogne Liege                          4/22/12                                   Bel.

Tour de Romandie                              4/24/12-4/29/12                     Sui.

Transfer 1                                           4/30/12-5/4/12

Giro d’Italia                                         5/5/12-5/27/12                       Itl.

Tour of California                               5/13/12-5/20/12                     USA

Bayern-Rundfahrt                               5/23/12-5/27/12                     Ger.

Tour of Belgium                                  5/23/12-5/27/12                     Bel.

Transfer 2                                           5/28/12-6/1/12

TD Bank Int. Cycling Champ.              6/2/12                                     USA

Criterium du Dauphine                       6/3/12-6/10/12                       Fra.-

Tour de Suisse                                     6/9/12-6/17/12                       Sui.

Tour de France                                    6/30/12-7/22/12                     Fra.

Tour de Pologne                                  7/10/12-7/16/12                     Pol.

Olympics                                             7/28/12-8/1/12                       GBr.

Transfer 3                                           8/2/12-8/5/12

Eneco                                                  8/6/12-8/12/12                       Ned., Bel.

Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian             8/14/12                                   Esp.

Vuelta a Espana                                  8/18/12-9/9/12                       Esp.

Vattenfall Cyclassics                           8/19/12                                   Ger.

Us Pro Cycling Challenge                    8/20/12-8/26/12                     USA

GP Ouest France – Plouay                  8/26/12                                   Fra.

Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec           9/7/12                                     Can.

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal        9/9/12                                     Can.

Worlds                                                 9/16/12-9/23/12                     Ned.

Il Lombardia                                        9/29/12                                   Itl.

Paris Tours                                          10/7/12                                   Fra.

Tour of Beijing                                                10/10/12-10/14/12                 Chi.

Panache p/b Gregario

From time to time featured writer Gregario Forza brings his signature panache to the Wiskota blog.

This is the first installment of a Gregario's 2012 team previews.  Feel free to comment.

2012 Preview: Teams

20.          Cofidis

Additions: Remi Di Gregorio (Astana), David Moncoutie, Tristan Valentin,  Romain Zingle (all re-signed), Edwig Cammaerts (Landbouwkrediet), Egoitz Garcia Etxegibel (Caja Rural), Jan Ghyselinck (HTC-Highroad), Arnaud Labbe, Rudy Molard (re-signed).

Subtractions: Remy Cusin (Team Type 1), Julien El Fares (Team Type 1), Jens Keukeleire    (GreenEdge)

Keys for 2012: Will Moncoutie continue his climbing prowess demonstrated at last year’s Vuelta and target a stage win or a high placement in the KoM in the Tour? Remi Di Gregario is a nice addition to both Moncoutie and Samuel Dumoulin in the attempt to win stages via a breakaway. Rein Taaramäe looks to build on last year’s success. Possibly more grand tour stage wins and a top ten at this year’s tour?

19.          Europcar

           Additions: Rafaâ Chtioui, Davide Malacarne Matteo, Pelucchi BjörnThurau AngeloTulik
             
           Subtractions:

Keys for 2012: Europcar was not granted a ProTour license for 2012. However, this a team with ambition. Pierre Rolland has already notched a stage win as he looks to build on his break out year of 2011. The Tour de France is obviously the main goal for this team but Bernaudeau, Director Sportiff, is quick to underline certain important targets for the new season. "The Flanders and Ardennes races could well be important for us. They are well suited to riders like Thomas Voeckler, Pierre Rolland and Christophe Kern, who already won Liège-Bastonne-Liège juniors in 2002." Voeckler  looks to target the Vuelta as well in 2012. Le Chouchou is my dark horse to make a run at the Olympics and Worlds.

18.          Vacansolei

Additions: Bert-Jan Lindeman (trainee), Barry Markus (trainee), Kenny van Hummel (Skil-Shimano), Martin Mortensen (LEOPARD-TREK), Kevin Van Impe (Quick Step), Gustav Erik Larsson (Saxo Bank Sungard), Kris Boeckmans (Lotto), Stefan Denifl (LEOPARD-TREK), Tomasz Marczynski (CCC-Polsat), Jacek Morajko (CCC-Polsat), Rafael Valls Ferri (Geox-TMC), Nikita Novikov (Itera-Katusha).

Subtractions: Joost van Leijen, Jens Mouris, Gorik Gardeyn, Borut Bozic, Alberto Ongarato, Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez, Michal Golas, Santo Anza, Ruslan Pidgornyy, Maxim Belkov.

Keys for 2012: General Manager Daan Luijkx told the international cycling press, “In last year’s Tour de France we were happy to be in the breakaway of the day, however, now we expect more than just that. We have the riders to be able to do it. Ambitions are clear: a top ten ranking in a final, a stage win in one of the big tours and a podium finish in a monumental classic. I'm really looking forward to the World Championships in Valkenburg too.” Look for Hoogerland, hero of Le Tour, to dominate in the breakaways. Thomas De Gendt, Romain Feillu, Stijn Devolder, and Björn Leukemans all look to have a good year in the classics and as possible stage winners.

European Tour

The commissioner has yet to finalize the European tour races that will count for the 2012 Wiskota Fantasy season. Some possible races include: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianchi, Criterium International, Bayern-Rundfahrt, Tour of Belgium...  Let me know what you think.  Do we want a lot or just a very select few?  Leave comments.

Wiskota League Rules

League Rules

Each club consists of 8 riders, 1 Team and 1 Country.

Each club manager earns their rider's UCI points.

Points earned for Team and Country are as follows: 1st place 200 points, 2nd 150, 3rd 100, 4th 50, 5th 0.
Grand Tour Jersey Bonus Points are as follows: Mountains 40, Points 20, Young Rider 10.

UCI points prior to the start of the league season do not count.

Club managers only receive the UCI points their rider's earn while they have them on their roster.

Trades and transfers are only allowed during transfer periods.

All trades and transfers must be approved by the league commissioner.

No trade or transfer of teams or country after draft day.

Draft order to be decided by drawing the day of the draft.

Draft will proceed 1-5 and then invert with the 5th overall pick picking 6th and the first overall pick picking 10th.  The draft will continue this way until everyone has  a full roster.

Draft day pick and rider trades to be approved by the league commissioner.

Winner receives a trophy; dinner and drinks paid for by the other members of the league at the end of the season league banquet in late October/early November; and drinks of their choice at the next year's draft party. 

All UCI World Tour events will be in play. In  addition, the 3 HC races on the American Tour namely: the Tour of California,  TD Bank International Cycling Championship and the  USA Pro Cycling Challenge.  Also, the Olympics and the Worlds TT and Road Race will be in play as will select Europe Tour races.  Complete schedule with UCI points scoring system and transfer periods to come soon.

Welcome

Welcome to the inaugural season of Wiskota Fantasy Cycling.  2012 fanatsy draft is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday February 18th.  The draft will be held at Luke's house, 4901 Chicago ave.  Bring beverages, Luke will fire up a crock or two.  League rules to be posted soon.