The Broom Wagon

...cleaning up after the week's races.

Gerrans Wins Tour Down Under

Ochre...really?

Simon Gerrans wins the Ochre Jersey with an all around solid effort.  Team Wiskota Dynamic scored big, but almost everyone managed a few points with Forza and upstart STP Greenline leading the way.  More recap to follow soon.

2014 Draft Recap cont.

"Quality not quantity, man"

Team Wiskota Dynamic once again flexed his great cycling mind during this year’s draft and managed to somehow make his team even stronger, or at least in the spring classics. With J-Rod in the Ardennes, Sagan in everything (quality not quantity man) and with the addition of Mr. Recreation, Tom Boonen, Team Wiskota will be off to a strong start in 2014. Backing up his big three, Gerrans, Betancur, Ullisi, and Kristoff could as well score big points in the early part of the season. Once it comes to stage racing and Grand Tours the Commish will need to make some moves. Roche, Uran, Inxausti, Kelderman, and Brakjovik hold the hopes of the Commish in the one weekers and J-Rod is the lone GTGC guy on Team Wiskota. Not many holes in this team, if the Commish can make some meaningful moves for the US races and Le Tour, look out, it could be a three peat. Or will it be Sagan playing grab ass, Purito crying and Tommeke being too damn Pretty! Only time will tell.

Purito crying in the rain.

Best Rider: J-Rod                                                                                  X factor: Kristoff


Biggest Reach: Inxausti                                                                          Best Value: Boonen

Recreation

2014 WFL Draft Recap

The Place

The Picks

The Tots

It's been a long off-season, but the world tour is upon us again.  Thanks to everyone for coming out on a snowy Tuesday night. The picks are in and it's time to assess the results.

Taylor Phinney, Volpe's Legacy Pick

Team Volpe wasted no time in locking up his two favorite riders.  In Cancellera, Patrick has secured a perennial points machine and in Phinney he has the great American hope for the future.  I have to say I was surprised Volpe didn't stick with Boonen for another year, but the man knows who he likes and it has served him well in the past.  As we dig a little deeper in Volpe's lineup we see a lot of potential.  Several young guys on the cusp (Phinney, Kwiatkowski, Talansky) as well as several riders who have done huge things in the past but had a down season last year (Wiggo, JVDB, Pozzato). If it ends in a sprint you know Volpe will be there with Cav and Kittel and Movistar and Great Britain could easily finish on the top again this year.
Best Rider: Cancellera                                                        Best Value: JVDB 

Biggest Reach: Phinney                                                      X Factor: Pozzato

           ^                                                               ^

    Contador                                                     Dan Martin

Don't call me Fujarky.  The Wiskota Fantasy League was taken by surprise when Steven dropped the bombshell; after one season Team Fujarky was no more, welcome Le Pacte de Loups!  The wolf pack is on the prowl.  Led by Alberto Contador and Danny Boy Martin, this team has some bite. These two riders should be solid with the former a Tour favorite and the latter an all year kind of guy.  Steven's team has many likable riders with plenty of upside.  Will Dani Moreno ride a grand tour for himself?  Will the Gorrilla regain the title of fastest German?  Does Sky ride for Thomas on the cobbles?  Is TVG ready for solo Tour leadership? If we end up answering yes to these questions then Fujarky, I mean Le Pacte de Loups will have a strong year.
Best Rider: Contador                                                                  Best Value: Colombia
Biggest Reach: Greipel                                                                X Factor: Moreno

Scarponi, Moser and Pozzovivo 

Taco p/b Twisted Tea Old Fashioneds took the machismo to yet another level this season.  This year Mike plucked some of the best and brightest from around the world.  Italian triumvirate not withstanding, Taco has a very international team.  A chunky mustached German, a hair plug sporting Spaniard, an Aussie named Harley and of course, the god of Thunder!  Even the pretty boys from the low countries have some machismo in thier own way.  Will this translate into points?  My guess is yes, plenty of stage racers with a couple sprinter/one day guys mixed in.
Best Rider: Valverde                                                                Best Value: Henao
Biggest Reach: Thor                                                                 X Factor: A. Schleck

The Neo-Pro is on the train

The Wiskota Fantasy League is happy to welcome Team STP Greenline - Unobtanium p/b Eric the Neo-Pro to the peloton.  This expansion team does not seem complacent to just participate as he has a top end that can compete with anyone.  Having Richie Porte on your team will draw the ire of the Commish, but it should be worth it.  Current world champion Rui Costa finally gets to try his hand as a team leader and the sky is the limit. Several other stage racers including Mollema, Majka and Spilak could all have huge seasons.  Greg Van Avermaet is Eric's man to watch early in the season, this guy raced in everything last year and that means points.  The second half of this team is more questionable but riders like Paolini and Slagter could just snag a big race or two.
Best Rider: Costa                                                                                  Best Value: Spilak
Biggest Reach: Navardouskus                                                                X Factor: Kangert

The Man Behind the Curtain

Who is Maillot Jaune Guillaume?  The mystery man has done it again.  Without even showing his face "Bill", if that is his real name, has once again fielded one of the strongest teams in the league.  Froome, the early season Tour favorite, Tony "TT" Martin, Kreuziger and Gesink make for a very strong top end.  Bill has podiumed our first 2 seasons. Does he make the mid season moves needed to take home the overall victory this year?
Best Rider: Froome Dogg                                                                     Best Value: Hesjedal
Biggest Reach: Stannard                                                                       XFactor: Ten Dam   

Blast From the Past

Gregario Forza has been coveting the WFL trophy ever since the day he put it together.  He's been moving up each year.  Is this the year he goes out on top?  Well, if the year is 2011 then it's an emphatic yes.  Forza has managed to snag 4 of the top ten riders from 2011, include BoHaug and Cunego and it's 6 of the top 20.  Is Gregario living in the past (Evans)? Grasping on to long since faded dreams (Gilbert)? Remember that time Voekler was really good at the Tour, what year was that again? You know, before all those guys got busted for doping (F. Schleck).  Forza's been soaking in the hot tub time machine, where Boassen Hagen is the next Eddie Merckx and Cunego is a Giro contender.  All kidding aside Team Gregario Forza is a, if not the, force to be reckoned with this season.  With Nitro and Nibs on his team Forza is a favorite at all three grand tours.  If Gilbert can regain form and Stybar, BoHag and Chava get their chances Gregario will have a strong spring as well.
Best Rider: Nibali                                                                             Best Value: Chavanel
Biggest Reach: Voekler                                                                     X Factor: Stybar, BoHag

As always, we will defer to Gregario Forza when it comes to critiquing  Team Wiskota Dynamic.  Look for that post, a Tour Down Under preview and early season updates to come shortly.  All in all a great draft.  I'm looking forward to a fun season with more riding, watching and drinking together. On Wiskota!

2014 WFL Teams

Team Forza p/b Gregorio

Nibali

Quintana

Gilbert

Stybar

Boassen Hagen

Evans

Chavanel                                            Chaves

Pinot

Voekler

F. Schleck                                           Barguil

Cunego                                Bardet

Nocentini           Busche       Frank     Niemiec

Spain

Omega

Team Volpe

Cancellara

Cavendish

 Phinney

Kwiatowski

Wiggins

Talansky

Van Den Broeck

Kittel

Iglinsky

Pozatto

Roelandts

Nizzolo

Great Britain

Movistar

Team Wiskota Dynamic

J. Rodriguez

Sagan

Boonen                                Horner  Dumolin

Betancur

Uran Uran

Gerrans

Kristoff

Inxausti            Niemiec       Konig  Kiriyenka

Roche                                                Arredondo

Ulissi                                                   Aru

Kelderman

Brakjovic        Acevedo       Navarro  Boonen

Belgium

Astana

Maillot Jaune Guillaume

Froome

T. Martin

Krueziger

Gesink

Van Marcke

Hesjedal

Gallopin

Terpstra

Oss

Stannard

Viviani

Ten dam

Italy

Trek

Le Pacte des Loups

Contador

D. Martin

Moreno

Greipel

Van Garderen

G. Thomas

Bakelandts

Gasparotto

Weening

Izaguirre

Peraud

Danielson

Colombia

Saxo-Tinkov

STP Greenline-Unobtainium

Porte

Costa

Mollema

Van Avaermaet

Majka

Spilak

Paolini

Slagter

Kangert                Gatto            Demare  Gatto

Navardouskus                           Busche   G. Caruso

Vandenbergh                              Bideau   Bouhanni

Machado             Kieserlovski    Machado

Netherlands

Katusha

Dirty Sanchez’s p/b Taco

Valverde

Scarponi

Hushovd

Henao

Fuglsang

Degenkolb

Pozzovivo

Moser

A. Schleck

De Gendt

Goss

Sanchez

USA

Sky

 Draft 

Rd. 1

1. Fabian Cancellara

2. Alberto Contador

3. Alejandro Valverde

4. Richie Porte

5. Joaqim Rodriguez

6. Chris Froome

7. Vincenzo Nibali

Rd. 2

1. Nairo Quintana

2. Tony Martin

3. Peter Sagan

4. Rui Costa

5. Michele Scarponi

6. Dan Martin

7. Mark Cavendish/Taylor Phinney

Rd. 3

1. Michael Kwiatowski

2. Dan Moreno

3. Thor Hushovd

4. Bauke Mollema

5. Tom Boonen

6. Roman Krueziger

7. Phillipe Gilbert

Rd. 4

1. Zdenek Stybar

2. Robert Gesink

3. Carlos Betancur

4. Thomas De Gendt

5. Sergei Henao

6. Andre Greipel

7. Andrew Talansky

Rd. 5

1. Bradley Wiggins

2. Tejay Van Garderen

3. John Degenkolb

4. Rafal Majka

5. Rigoberto Uran Uran

6. Sep Van Marcke

7. Edvald Boassen Hagen

Rd. 6

1. Spain

2. Ryder Hesjedal

3. Simon Gerrans

4. Luca Paolini

5. Sky

6. Geraint Thomas

7. Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Rd. 7

1. Movistar

2. Jan Bakelendts

3. Jakob Fuglsang

4. Katusha

5. Alexandre Kristoff

6. Trek

7. Cadel Evans

Rd. 8

1. Sylvain Chavanel

2. Italy

3. Benat Inxuasti

4. Simon Spilak

5. Domenico Pozzivivo

6. Colombia

7. Great Britain

Rd. 9

1. Marcel Kittel

2. Saxo-Tinkov

3. Moreno Moser

4. Tom Jelte Slagter

5. Nicholas Roche

6. Tony Gallopin

7. Thibault Pinot

Rd. 10

1. Omega Pharma- Quickstep

2. Niki Terpstra

3. Diego Ulissi

4. Tanel Kangert

5. Andy Schleck

6. Jon Izaguirre

7. Jurgen Roelandts

Rd. 11

1. Giacomo Nizzolo

2. Enrico Gasparatto

3. Mathew Harley Goss

4. Netherlands

5. Wilco Kelderman

6. Daniel Oss

7. Thomas Voekler

Rd. 12

1. Frank Schleck

2. Ian Stannard

3. Astana

4. Ramunas Navardauskas

5. Thomas De Gendt

6. Pieter Weening

7. Filippo Pozzato

Rd. 13

1. Maxime Iglinsky

2. Jean Christophe Peraud

3. USA

4. Stijn Vandenbergh

5. Belgium

6. Ela Viviani

7. Rinaldo Nocentini

Rd. 14

1. Damiano Cunego

2. Laurens Ten Dam

3. Janez Brakjovic

4. Tiago Machado

5. Sanchez

6.  Tommy Danielson

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Draft Day 2014

Tuesday Jan. 14th, 7:00 pm
Location: Bullwinkle's @ 7 Corners

Better practice drafting

Broom Wagon

...cleaning up after a long season.

Year in Review

Team by Team

Fujarky

Team Fujarky p/b Steven the neo-pro
claims the Lanterne Rouge

What started out as a promising first season for the neo pro ended in disappointment.  Fujarky's  early season transfers helped him reach as high as second overall.  However, a lack of late season transfers and the inability of his top three picks to bring home a Grand Tour or Monument earned Steven the Lanterne Rouge.

Rider Recap

Contador: gave it his best shot at LeTour, but his best ain't what it used to be

Evans: a solid 3rd at the Giro was overshadowed by a horrible Tour

Hesjedal: Did they ever figure out what he was "sick" with at the Giro?

Greipel: Wins, not enough at the Tour though, hard for sprinters to score a lot

D. Martin:  Best pick.  Snatched up all kinds of potatoes

Henao: great season pointswise, but just couldn't get that big win

Gasparrato: the GasMan needs to refuel

Boom:  didn't go the dynamite

Pinot: Finished strong, only mountaintop finishes for this guy, no downhill

Zubeldia: I feel like he was a factor in a race or two, also I feel like he was on drugs last year

Monfort: Dude was at the Tour

Nieve: Looked good, scored as much as Hesjedal, but that ain't a lot

Transfers:

Santambrogio: Great pick up, he managed to not get busted for doping until after the Giro.  Points stand

Majka: Even better pick up, finished the season 20th in points

The Commish's Take

If Fujarky could have kept up with the transfers he probably would have finished much higher.  However, when you draft 3 former grand tour winners and none of them produce it is going to make for a tough season. Better luck next year.

Taco's main man, Valverde, gets all the ladies
and some points too

Team Dirty Sanchezs p/b Taco made a late season push to get out of the basement but was just short of overtaking Volpe for 4th.  Valverde just kept scoring all year and Chris Horner turned in the performance of a lifetime to claim the Vuelta.

Rider Recap

Sammy Sanchez:  Scored some points but a massive bust as a first round pick

Valverde: Finished 3rd in scoring on the road and 1st in scoring with the ladies

Moser: Won early, best days are still ahead of him

De Gendt: De Bust

LL Sanchez: Team wouldn't let him race and then paid him to go away, the dirtiest of the Sanchezs

Fuglsang:  Pretty boy looked tough at the Tour, nice comeback

Degenkolb: Chunky German sprinter, what's not to like?

Hushovd:  Won that fjordy Norweigan race that was on tv for some reason, not much else

Horner:  Suprise of the season. La Vuelta! USA USA USA

Van Avermaet: Turns out coming in second to Sagan all the time is worth a lot of points

Rolland:  Like in the Epic of Roland, he goes real hard, but then blows up

Farrar: Got a win somewhere but he still really sucks

Transfers:

None

The Commish's Take

I really thought Taco was going to catch Volpe at the end.  Without the dead weight of some of these guys like DeGendt and Farrar, Taco had a decent team.  Taco needs to tap into the Colombian connection next season and spice things up a bit.  

Volpe loves him some cobbles

Volpe's focus on classics riders has once again provided him with a solid team.  Not good enough to crack the podium but better than the rest.  Last year, Boonen was the man for Volpe. This year it was Cancellera who dominated the cobbles.  If only Patrick could get these two to both do well in the same season.

Rider Recap

Cancellera: Flanders/Roubaix double double! Amazing season
Boonen: He's more of an every other year kinda guy these days
Uran: Highest ranked mullet on the leaderboard
A. Schleck: Pretty sure he finally finished a race at some point
Cav: As always lots of wins, but overshadowed at Le Tour in sprints and in the hunt for green
Phinney: A few gutsy performances but not many points
Basso: "Taint"ed season
Roche: Looked tough when he could ride for himself, solid points
Kittel: 4 big wins at Le Tour, that's 80 points right there. Best sleeper pick of the draft?
Iglinsky: Not so much
Roelandts: Quietly amassed 110 points. Flanders!
VanMarcke: Came in second in Roubaix accounting for all of his 80 points
Transfers: None

The Commish's Take

It must be fun to dominate the cobbles every year.  If Volpe could just get a GC guy to pan out he would be formidable opponent.  If Patrick stays with his current strategy he is going to need to be more active during the transfer periods.  

All he does is win yellow

Maillot Jaune Guillaume racks up his second Tour de France win in as many years.  With a strong team all around it was looking close going into the Vuelta.  Unfortunatly, Froome and Porte took the last part of the season off and Bill ended up just slipping into third.  Even more unfortunate is that we haven't heard from Bill since Volpe drafted for him last year and it looks like Guillaume might be getting dropped off the back of the Wiskota train.

Rider Recap

Wiggo: Sucked at the Giro, then went home

Froome: What can we say?  Best GC guy out there

T. Martin: What can we say? Best TT guy out there

Gerrans: Injury held him back but still managed decent points

Kreuziger: Killer season, did it in one dayers and stage races, that's what makes a WFL star

Scarponi: Still can't believe this guy was allowed to race. Racked up top tier points

Goss: Over this guy

Terpstra: The Terpinator was tough all year, respectable late round pick points.

Haussler: Snagged weird points, especially at the end

Porte: Steal of the draft!  This guy pissed me off all year.

Anton: Weak season

Breschel: Meh

Transfers: None

The Commish's Take

Guillaume had probably the strongest top end in the league.  Take into account the steal of the draft and this was a tough team.  A few transfers, cut some dead weight and this team would be untouchable.  I'm glad that didn't happen.  As Team Maillot Jaune Guillaume looks to go the way of Euskatel it will be interesting to see where these riders land. 

Epic Massive Nibs 

Team Forza made the comeback of the season to end in second place overall.  After yet another disappointing classics season Gregario started to turn things around, mostly through the efforts of his main man Nibali.  Transfers paid off big time for Forza, none more than the Tour runner up Nitro Quintana.  It took until the final few races, but in the end Forza was able to knock off Guillaume and claim a solid second place.

Rider Recap

Nibali: One of the best out there, races all year, serious points

Gilbert: Be a bust once, shame on you, be a bust twice...

BoHaug: Too much time on the beach with his girlfriend, bust

Mollema: Solid pick, but just missed out on being a really good pick

Costa: Can't believe he slipped so far down in the draft, taken way too low, great rider 

Rodgers: Should've started doping earlier in the season

Albasini: He won a stage somewhere along the way I think

Voekler: Did he win anything?

Flecha: Bon Voyage Van der Flecha, you will be missed

Westra: I thought you were supposed to be able to TT?

Nocentini: Sneaky points

Vanenedert: Peanut butter Jelle man

   Transfers:

Quintana: Best pick up, hands down, 2nd place at le Tour plus white and polka dot

Betancur: Colombian of the future, badass

Intxausti: Don't forget about the X factor 

Peraud: Almost a top ten at tour, sad ending, pretty sure he scored all his points before he was picked up 

Kwiatkowski: The Quiet One does it all

Coppel: Nope

Arroyo: Sorry

The Commish's Take

Forza should really have had Valverde on his team because like Valverde he dug himself in hole and just when you started to forget about him all of a sudden he would be dragging himself back up to the lead group. Like Balaverde, when others called it a season Forza hung in there racking up late season points.  And, keeping with the Valverde analogy, those efforts paid off, but only with a podium place.

It was the best season yet for the Wiskota Fantasy League and I'm looking forward to a even more competitive season three.

Team Wiskota Dynamic

Wins!

The Commish takes home his second
win in as many years

Gregario Forza and Maillot Jaune Guillaume
round out the podium

Before the blog goes on it's winter hiatus stay tuned for a season wrap up.  Team by team recap, best and worst picks of the year, best mid season transfers, best races, best moments...and don't forget WFL banquet Saturday the 26th at Pancho Villa.  Ya'll owe me some tacos!

Wiskota Fantasy League

Banquet

Saturday October 26th
6:00 p.m. Be there!

There will be bubbling cauldrons
of mexi meats!

WORLD

CHAMP

Costa!

Panzerwagen

The Broom Wagon

La Vuelta!

The old man has his day.

Taco finally gets his day in the sun as his 9th round pick, Chris Horner, claims the biggest win of his career.  Old man Horner looked crazy good and his epic battle on the Angliru may have been the best climb of the year.  Throw in some high finishes by Valverde and Sammy Sanch as well as a some points in the Canadian races and Taco has rocketed from last place to 4th.

Nibbles doesn't like to lose the jersey.

Forza's plan to overtake Bill for second place came up just short, as did Vincenzo Nibali's efforts to win in the Vuelta.  Second place isn't bad at the Vuelta or in the WFL and with a smattering of points here and there, Forza has inched within 27 points of Bill and his coveted second place overall. 

Skinny Spaniards on a sneaky Russian team

Everybody knows how the Commish likes his cyclists; he likes his Spaniards punchy, his Germans chunky and his Russians sneaky.  If Katusha could just sign Degenkolb it would be one stop shopping for Wiskota Dynamic.  JRod and Dani Moreno racked up some nice Vuelta points and of course Sagan tacked on another 80 points like it was nothing.  If Team Wiskota Dynamic can hang in through the Worlds he may have first place sewn up.

Hometown proud

I couldn't find any pictures of Fujarky's Vuelta riders so I snuck in a pick of Wisconsin native Matthew Busche for our one Wisconsin based team.  Pinot actually did really well for him and Ryder snagged some Canadian points keeping Fujarky out of the cellar.

"Its cold, I quit"

Volpe looked to have us all fooled when a resurgent Basso cracked the top 5 of the Vuelta GC standings.  But alas, it got cold one day and Basso, dreaming of his blueberry farm, stepped off his bike and called it a day.  In reality Volpe should be given credit for the efforts of his great Irish hope, Nicholas Roche.  Roche had the ride of his life and was one of the most aggressive in the last week.   Despite this effort Volpe has plummeted to last place and looks to battle it out for the lanterne rouge with Fujarky and Taco. 

Poppin' Bottles

Bill showed why his team name is Maillot Jaune Guillaume and not Camiseta Roja William.  He didn't have any Vuelta riders worthy of a picture and thus we get some more podium girls and Gilbert.  Bill may have missed his shot at first place, but with the Worlds around the corner he may still be in this.