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03:19 GMT         Day 5 of 90, Season 69    

Nederlandse Tour 14th edition
by Yuri, at 5/12-12 - 16:08 GMT


  The tour of mills, cheese and wooden shows is about to start. For the 14th time the riders will start in Groningen with a prologue and will finish in Amsterdam five stages later. A quick look at the field will show a huge amount of talented young riders. Some of them might be able to shake down all the opponents and take home the bacon, or in this case some Dutch cheese. The lineup:
  
  Onie
  The Dutch riders in team Onie don’t have a leading role this Nederlandse Tour. Both Rinzema and Arnolds will support youngster Victor Pardo. In his first Nederlandse Pardo will try to get a top 9 in the GC. With some decent support and good form this should be possible.
  
  Mirabelle
  You won’t get them much younger. Just 22 years old an already captain of team mirabelle. Paulis Ronis from Latvia is one of the great youngsters that joined Nederlandse. Ronis can rely on some great support. David Pires who visited the podium of Nederlandse some seasons ago will be one of his LO’s.
  
  Hard Gaat Ie
  Danish Dynamite Marius Lassen is the man who Hard Gaat Ie relies on. Lassen needs to score top 9 in de stages but he doesn’t have great LO’s. Only Gjerde might have a possibility top get a top 9 in the prologue.
  
  ultrajectum
  Dutch team and Dutch captain as it’s supposed to be. Themmen has one of the strongest teams in this Nederlandse behind him. If Themmen can control the damage in the prologue a good GC is possible, however Pees claimed he would only go for top 9 in stages.
  
  Telek@m
  Nathaniel Carrol is back after a short sabbatical. He will be captain of Team Telek@m who has returned from a sabbatical as well. Special note for Jordy van Schaik, he is now ‘only’ a LO but he would be a perfect captain in the future.
  
  nonnies
  A European team has been sent to the Netherlands. Captain of the team Yocemento who turned 25 at the beginning of the season is still able to join the YC. Manager aarin was a bit mysterious about it to OCM News but Yocemento might hit topform.
  
  Lusitano
  Ko is captain for Lusitano. No, not Uramoto Ko but his younger brother Tadaki Ko. The Asian Mollerup has Portuguese orientated LO’s. In fact all of the other riders are Portuguese. Nevertheless the support is good. Good enough to lead the youngest Ko to podium?
  
  Cycling Nieuwegein
  For Cycling Nieuwegein the Nederlandse Tour will only last one stage. The team has only riders that can do well in the prologue. Teofil Ga??zka is captain and the team expects that he will do well in the first stage.
  
  thedutchies
  Reigning Champion Cadman Kantor is back to defend his title. Last season Kantor won the double (YC + GC). This season is the last time he can win them both, but

it won’t be an easy task. The competition hasn’t become less hard and there are a lot of young riders that are aiming for the YC as well.
  
  Drapeau Noir
  A Dutch captain for Drapeau Noir. Timo Buchinx needs some support from the Dutch crowd since he can’t rely on the best team around in this Nederlandse. In the past Buchinx has shown he can surprise, so why wouldn’t he be able to surprise again?
  
  Luveaucek
  The experienced Mikuláš Malina has some fast LO’s that need to lead Malina to victories. Back up for this team is the nr. 1 of the Balearic Islands, Damario Barba. He turned 32 some days ago but he still looks like a teenager.
  
  Team Oasis
  Sterling Renwick has 175 sprinting points, makes that a sprinter? No. Sterling Renwick has 173 TT points, makes him that a time trialist? No. But to quote his manager Nooky: “I just hope for a top 9 in prologue”. And the most of us know there is a lot possible in prologues.
  
  Stroopwafel
  Stroopwafel has a strange kint of team. Kint is captain. No, not Martijn Kint, but Balthazar. It will be interesting to see if Martijn and Balthazar Kint can perform without the presence of Armand and Frank Kint. Like I said, a strange kint of team.
  
  peddelen
  This Nederlandse Tour is the farewell tour of Jan-Joost Dussel. Dussel will ride his last OCM-kilometers in the Nederlandse. Dussel won the Nederlandse Tour in Season 18, 19 and 20. A three time winner. An achievement that only Torben Sturmann has reached before.
  
  lastplace1414
  1414, what could that mean. ADAD? Or maybe it’s 14-14, that would be 0. 14+14 would give you 28. Most likely it’s 14x14, that’s 196. And if you would reduce that amount of sprint points that captain Clement has (217) then you would get (217-196=21) 21. It can’t be a coincidence that 21 is exactly the age of Gerald Jenks who is the youngest rider in this Nederlandse.
  
  TEAM SERFIN97
  English powerhouse Finbar Wollam and the experienced Jannick Oldenbeuving who recently joined TEAM SERFIN97 are the leaders of this squad. Oldebeuving for the prologue and Wollam for the other stages and the GC.
  
  Team Crazy Downhillers
  Preben Nørskov & Olexandr Nagy are the captains of this team. But for Team Crazy Downhillers the Nederlandse Tour will only be 4 kilometer. Just the prologue and that’s it. Maybe the team can get a BA result in the other stages but that isn’t likely.
  
  Leukefans
  Youngster Torrens who is made for Essex and most likely will win it in the future is the captain. He might not have the best support, but with some luck he can earn his team some money and points in the sprint stages. Besides that he is an outsider for the

YC.
  
  blast
  Brandan Wehrl will need to blast team blast to money and points. I will be hard for Wehrl to blast to a top 9 in the sprint stages. Luckily the youngster has some experienced riders to guide him through the Nederlandse.
  
  QSM
  White light, white light, white light, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, white light. White, white, white, white, are there oceans full of things you never say, are there skylines of the cities you don't see. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Jamal White is captain for QSM this Nederlandse.
  
  Predictions*
  
  Groningen Prologue
  *** Preben Nørskov (Team Crazy Downhillers)
  **Teofil Ga??zka (Cycling Nieuwegein), Celso Leitão (blast)
  *Lars Gjerde (Hard Gaat Ie), Santiago Dinis (nonnies), Olexandr Nagy (Team Crazy Downhillers
  
  Groningen – Hengelo
  *** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano)
  ** Cadman Kantor (thedutchies), Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen)
  * Mikuláš Malina (Luveaucek), Jamal White (Quick Step Minded), Finbar Wollam (TEAM SERFIN97)
  
  Hengelo – Eindhoven
  *** Cadman Kantor (thedutchies)
  ** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano), Jamal White (Quick Step Minded)
  * Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen), Paulis Ronis (mirabelle), Victor Pardo (Onie)
  
  Eindhoven – Maastricht
  *** Nathaniel Carroll (Telek@m)
  ** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano), Cadman Kantor (thedutchies)
  * Mikuláš Malina (Luveaucek), Victor Pardo (Onie), Timo Buchinx (Drapeau Noir)
  
  Utrecht – Rotterdam
  *** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano)
  ** Mikuláš Malina (Luveaucek), Cadman Kantor (thedutchies)
  * Nathaniel Carroll (Telek@m), Finbar Wollam (TEAM SERFIN97), Paulis Ronis (mirabelle)
  
  Den Haag – Amsterdam
  *** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano)
  ** Mikuláš Malina (Luveaucek), Cadman Kantor (thedutchies)
  * Ernst Themmen (ultrajectum), Finbar Wollam (TEAM SERFIN97), Nathaniel Carroll (Telek@m)
  
  GC
  *** Tadaki Ko (Lusitano)
  ** Cadman Kantor (thedutchies), Nathaniel Carroll (Telek@m)
  * Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen), Finbar Wollam (TEAM SERFIN97), Timo Buchinx (Drapeau Noir)
  
  YC
  *** Cadman Kantor (thedutchies)
  ** Paulis Ronnis (mirabelle), Tadaki Ko (Lusitano)
  * Victor Pardo (Onie), Lippai Attila (ultrajectum), Salvador Yocemento (nonnies)
  
  * Predictions were made before knowing which riders would have topform and who not, so please don’t take them too serious.
  
  
  
  Written by pundit Onie from Onie to OCM Magazine



Comments


NECFTW at 16:14 5/12-2012
  So Ko will win GC but not YC?
  
  ;)
  
  Nice reading, onie!


ultrajectum at 16:21 5/12-2012
  Nice read! There are many many many good sprinters this season!


ferchochelsea at 16:25 5/12-2012
  ferchochelsea


nonnies at 16:27 5/12-2012
  This field makes my team look like a div 8 team lol.


Drapeau Noir at 16:35 5/12-2012
  Top form should make the difference for the GC. I hope Ko and Cantor will miss it somehow ;-)


Onie at 16:37 5/12-2012
  Whoops. If Ko wins the GC he will probably win the YC as well xD. But if Kantor wins i had one prediction right :p.


Team Oasis at 16:37 5/12-2012
  Its going to be a blast with my 175p Sprinter


Stroopwafel at 16:56 5/12-2012
  Fun preview! Don't forget guys, pancakes for everyone if Kint cracks a point.


ultrajectum at 17:45 5/12-2012
  Free pancakes!!! Just tell him to hook his wheel to my LO train


Gradient Levellers at 18:04 5/12-2012
  Great preview and nice reading, Onie. Am liking humour.


NightmareChaos at 18:40 5/12-2012
  wooden shows :D


Team Crazy Downhillers at 22:40 5/12-2012
  QSM one: epic xD


Luveaucek at 03:01 6/12-2012
  Nicely done Onie. Barba will have a go during the prologue, but he'll be a luxury lead out for Malina the rest of the tour most likely.


Team bike Gucci Dior at 16:39 8/12-2012
  I want a WC
  


Drapeau Noir at 16:06 13/12-2012
  0 star for Buchinx in Groningen – Hengelo? Won nonetheless :-)
  34k, 280 pts, 3 Results, all without TF: my Dutch rider overperformed on his home turf!


Onie at 17:54 14/12-2012
  Yes 0 star for Buchinx. Because there were at least 9 riders in TF that were better as Buchinx. And at least 3 riders without TF that were better suited for that stage.
  
  It still doesn't make any sense he won that stage.


Drapeau Noir at 01:36 15/12-2012
  I would add to your sentence "...for players who don't understand how important are other factors than TF and Race Analyzer place".
  
  You should not say "better as Buchinx" because he proved again and again how good he is. His last win is a surprise, ok (I said "overperformed"), but let's not overstate it. When you look at his career, it DOES make sense (as an unexpected result, yes, but not as something out of the blue).


Onie at 11:50 15/12-2012
  Sure, i look at other important factors like TS and LO's. Buchinx TS wasn't (much) better as the other sprinters and his LO's weren't top class.
  
  And in the past v. Hummel has beaten Cavendish in a sprint. If he does it again it wouldn't be out of the blue, true. But it doesn't make sense and would be surprising.


Onie at 11:52 15/12-2012
  And it's hard to compare equipment since it can't be checked who has equipment, what type of equipment or no equipment at all (so i didn't look at that while making the preview).


Drapeau Noir at 04:42 16/12-2012
  "It doesn't make sense" for you.
  It does make sense if you look at my previous results, especially with Buchinx. I had a dozen of results like that therefore some managers were able to see a pattern (and even to understand why). You didn't and still don't.


nonnies at 06:29 16/12-2012
  Then he overperforms. If there is such a pattern. I have personal experience with a rider who inspite of lesser abilities dominated for a season , that doesn't make him good , just lucky. The same goes for Buchinx , he was lucky. I have this feeling that the engine just favors some riders at a time in their carreer. I'm not saying Buchinx is that bad , but compared to the field one can only say that he had a lot of luck on his side. Weak lo's and non top form seems to be the way to go. Ie Holm won a race with almost no support , now Buchinx. That said , I'm happy that he won , because I actually detest top form.


Drapeau Noir at 16:26 16/12-2012
  I give you a hint: if someone is "overperforming" all the time, he's not overperforming. If someone is "lucky" all the time, he's not lucky.
  ;-)


nonnies at 17:27 16/12-2012
  No , I disagree. If he was good he would've had Mollerup like results. So there are only a few good sprinters in ocm.