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23:29 GMT         Day 4 of 90, Season 69    

Season 23 - the Tours
by Finz, at 18/3-13 - 14:46 GMT


  Written by Finz
  
  When we think back to last season we always let the big moments pass by again. Many big moments happened in the famous multi day events, the Tours. Here are a few of all the good moments. If you want to see more, just click on the race name to see the full results.
  
   Tweedaagse van Antwerpen
  
  The Tour season always starts in Belgium. The cobble tour Tweedaagse van Antwerpen.
  Four days in Flanders with a first winner in Hoogstraten from Nairobi City Cycling Club, Isac Tingman. On day two Lowell Shingleton took the leaders jersey and he never let go of it. Tacxkin won the third stage with Rogerio Echave and in the end Belgium finally got their victory by Quick step minded rider Andrez Cuelens.
  
  Tweedaagse van Antwerpen Top three
  Lowell Shingleton, peddelen
  Mauricio Viola, Glamourade
  Heinrich Uttenberger, Drapeau Noir
  
   Volta ao Porto
  
  Directly after Tweedaagse van Antwerpen an icon on the calendar starts. Volta ao Porto in Portugal. A very long and hard tour in Northern Portugal with ten stages.
  The Porto prologue was won by Gervaso Samper of Cider Riders and he took the first leaders jersey. The first real stage was for Angus Whitlock, Velo Kiwi. Stage three is a Belgian stage, the fifth Belgian winner in a row, this time Robert Lefevre from The Doomsday Bunnies. Wizzyweb rider Chester Frier took stage four and, stage five was again for Cider Riders with his timetrial guy Ovidiu Ogararu. Gilberto Morais took stage six just like last season but, this time for another team, Indurain team was the happy one. One of the most popular riders took his victory, Chris Bauwens from Team Crazy Downhillers secured stage, for the fourth time. Stage eight was for Casper Jill of Leukefans and the final time trial went to Alan Klostergard from ABK. The parade race was finished just like the tour had started, with Gervaso Samper from Cider Riders as winner.
  
  Volta ao Porto Top three
  Goddard Scothern, Telstra
  Gilberto Morais, Indurain team
  Celso Leitao, blast
  
   Monte Rosa Tour
  
  Switzerland, home of many mountains. And the land of the division three Monte Rosa Tour.
  Many climbers want to win the important pink jersey. In Bern they started and Ulrich Orsted of Designa Legends PPDB was the first one to wear it this time. Cody Bright won the second stage for EricV. But the most important stage was won by Dominik Ucinski. He won on top of Monte Rosa for adamo1999. He repeated that on stage four. The final parade sprint was won by Diedrich Rinzema of ScotterPop.
  
  Monte Rosa Tour Top three
  Dominik Ucinski, adamo1999
  Ture Ivansson, NightmareChaos
  Luis Pransgaard, Team Kernow
  
   Cymru Taith
  
  Tour season has really started with Cymru Taith. Many tours will follow each other rapidly.
  Wales is the first stop as division two is gearing up again. Twenty teams were ready but, the victory in Bangor was again for Thodoros Drimalas of Kremer. Stage two was for Giancarlo Genovese who tried to win the leaders jersey for Hard Gaat Ie. Alan Klostergard won the last stage for ABK. But Wales was Greek for the third time in a row.
  
  
  Cymru

Taith Top three
  Thodoros Drimalas, Kremer
  Demario Teodro, The Doomsday Bunnies
  Freek van der Werff, Burren Connemara
  
   Vuelta de los Castillos
  
  In the east of Spain we have the Vuelta de los Castillos. A Spanish tour visiting the many castles the area has. This tour always starts with a stage and the first stage gave a victory for Farley Redman of Gradient Levellers. NECFTW tried to get back into the game by winning stage two with Damin Iacob. Gert Sijmonds secured a sprint victory for Yuri SuperTeam in stage three. Peter-Jan van de Wal took a stunning victory in stage four for CCFC. The hills around Morella gave Lusitano an opportunity to win with Horacio Pimentel and the final stage was won by time trial specialist Juliano Pelentir from Cider Riders. The first stage victory was enough for Farley Redman to secure an overall victory.
  
  Vuelta de los Castillos Top three
  Farley Redman, Gradient Levellers
  Damin Iacob, NECFTW
  Nicholas Ryle, Matrix team
  
   Perm Tour
  
  Perm is the base of a four stages race in division three. The riders go from Ochjor to Perm. The Ochjor stage is won by Duardo Salgada from PEKAC B. The riders now head for Perm in stage two. Yannick de Craene arrives first and wins stage two for SilenceLotteFan. The German Thorsten Roberts wins the Perm time trial for Optimus Prime and the final paraderace is for Diedrich Rinzema of ScotterPop.
  
  Perm Tour Top three
   Felipe Maximiliano, Oekiewakkie
  Jude Evans, Cremtec
  Freek van der Werff, Burren Connemara
  
   Race of the Minutemen
  
  From Russia we go to the US of A. Here we start the division four Race of the Minutemen. Six stages in memory of the American revolution. Stage one sees Maltese champion Kimball Testaferrata Olivier arrive fastest and he is the first leader representing ekaitz team. Udo Breinholt wins stage two for Beardy Bikers and this is repeated by Pablo Cousin in stage three given the same team two stages in a row with different riders. The big climbs are won by Tom Bella of VC Botafogo and Kimball Testaferrata Olivier wins again for ekaitz team. This time stage five, the uphill climb against the clock. The final race is won by Olivier Wittendorp of Cyclocomotiv, he was the fastest sprinter.
  
  Race of the Minutemen Top three
  Fergus Harrold, Velo Club Bored Man
  Pablo Cousin, Beardy Bikers
  Dirceu Scahisi, Joss
  
   Essex Tour
  
  Three stages through the county of Essex. Will we see a different winner or not this year. We already saw this season it is possible, win a tour three times in a row. Stage one is taken by Thodoros Drimalas of Kremer. However in stage two Sandro Montelbano, Team matrix, puts everybody back to the place where they belong, behind him. The final stage is given to Jeffrey Clement of Yuri SuperTeam but Essex Tour is won, for the third time, by Sandro Montelbano.
  
  Essex Tour Top three
  Sandro Montelbano, Matrix

team
  Kishor Liuni, Drapeau Noir
  Farley Redman, Gradient Levellers
  
   Germany Tour
  
  The biggest race of them all has started. Germany Tour is what everybody wants to achieve. To become Team Weeny, three times winner of Germany Tour. The prologue in Kiel is won by Teun Swin of Red Star and he is our first leader. In Bremen we see a familiar face on the podium. Jan-Joost Dussel, winner of twenty seven!!! stages and classifications in Germany Tour for peddelen. Gil Correa beats him in stage three to win for Glamourade. Bjorn Eskildsen repeats last seasons victory in stage four to win for WV De Dommel. Brian Hitchens makes Jonas Pro Cycling happy in stage five. WV De Dommel is celebrating another win of Bjorn Eskildsen, this time stage six.
  Time trial specialist Richardas Mikaitas wins stage seven for time trial specialist team Nairobi City Cycling Club. Petur Snaulaugursson tried his very best to secure an overall victory for NECFTW and what better way to do that is by winning stage eight, in the mountains. Stage nine was again for Glamourade 's Gil Correa who was the fastest sprinter this season in Germany. And Brian Hitchens cheered also twice this tour to give Jonas Pro Cycling a deserved second stage win. The overall classification was for the rider that did not win but did definitely not loose. Matrix team Nicholas Ryle was primus in Berlin.
  
  Germany Tour Top three
  Nicholas Ryle, Matrix team
  Petur Snaelaugursson, NECFTW
  Chris Bauwens, Team Crazy Downhillers
  
   Nederlandse Tour
  
  The flat lands of the Netherlands are on the calendar again. All the sprinters in the first and second division join for this sprinting bonanza. Six stages from north to south and from east to west, the riders will see the whole of Holland. Stage one is a prologue and that is won by a man we have seen before, Gervaso Samper brings home the bacon for Cider Riders. In stage two Cadman Kantor from thedutchies is celebrating and is moving up the leader board. Stage three sees a surprise winner in nonnies rider Eddi Autzen. The southern hills are always difficult but this time all the favourites were surprised by Antip Tsiolkovsky of Comfius. He took off from the start and they never saw him again. Canadian topper Evan Topper secured a stage win in Rotterdam for Quick step minded. And the final stage in Amsterdam went to Philip Plagge of ultrajectum.
  
  Nederlandse Tour Top three
  Cadman Kantor, thedutchies
  Gervaso Samper, Cider Riders
  Philip Plagge, ultrajectum
  
   Fast on Wheels
  
  The final tour of this season was the Danish Fast on Wheels in division five. Who will succeed Carroll Mullan this season. The start in Esbjerg is a five kilometer prologue and it is won by Kristiaan Roels of California Mist. He is the man to beat this tour. Stage two is also won by Kristiaan Roels beating the others. Stage three gives us again Kristiaan Roels. Stage four, Roels. Stage five, Roels....no wait! Stage five is won by Sten Hallkvist of Twente Cycling Team. And he took the red jersey also. Stage six was won by Kristiaan Roels again, but it was in vain.
  
  Fast on Wheels Top three
  Sten Hallkvist, Twente Cycling Team
  Kristiaan Roels, California Mist
  Kimball Lanchbury, jmtoler



Comments


ScotterPop at 20:18 18/3-2013
  Rinzema: Parade Machine!


Cider Riders at 20:39 18/3-2013
  Great write up.
  
  We posted some good results with our riders in tours, especially Gervaso Samper. His points jersey of Volta is an achievement we are very proud of, just like the podium place in Nederlandse.
  
  To achieve these results provides great satisfaction to our fans. Let's see what Season 24 holds.


SprintingKings at 20:54 18/3-2013
  No tour was one by a home rider this year althoug the portugese came close...


Team Oasis at 22:09 18/3-2013
  yeah even no.4 was portugese


Twente Cycling Team at 23:43 18/3-2013
  Fast on Wheels :D


NECFTW at 01:53 19/3-2013
  2nd, 2nd, aargh!!!!!!


Hommerts Cycling Team at 07:21 19/3-2013
  Nice article!


Glamourade at 16:43 19/3-2013
  Great article Finz. Congrats. Bye


Jonas Pro Cycling at 21:26 19/3-2013
  Nice read, thanks for the article finz


Burren Connemara at 22:58 24/3-2013
  I can relate NECFTW, getting 3rd, 3rd :). Totally happy with it though & thanks Finz for the review.