Written by Olpe 04ers at 10:56 24/10-2022
A long time no one had heard anything about the Olpe 04ers and Luke Bauer, but one and half season ago the manager decided to start a comeback. This time?? with the focus on sprint races, because with Claude Schwabs waited for several years a great sprintig talent in the talent pool, who should now get the chance to start a great career. During the first time he just learned from Wismund and Sessouma, but it was clear that one day he will become the captain. During this season he got more and more responsibilty, but everyone in the team waited for his breakout race.
However, Luke Bauer planned the season very seriously and prepared Schwabs for the last quarter of the Season.
Luke: "Originally the plan was to start Sicilia and in the fourth division classics, but after a phone call with Frank Holwerda I recognized that without tt-skills we would have no chance. So we decided to waiting on and train Schwabs even for the mountains and in time trial and than send him to Fast on Wheels, which he already knows from the last year."
Finally the Baltimore Inivitational race came and Schwabs was perfectly prepared for it and even in top form, but Schwabs reached only the unlucky fourth placed.
Luke: "Everything was set up perfectly and we built also a perfect leadout train, but the race wasnt hard enough and unfortunately Schwabs cant reach the highest end speed and than he will have no chance"
So the team flew back to europe and reached Denmark with mixed feelings, because no one in the team know exactly what will be possible and the concurreny dont even speak about Schwabs. Doug Sadler said for the first stage: " Claude is a really special rider, he is only solid in sprinting, time trials and hill racing and all is necessary during this tour, but he has other qualities which help him a lot, but it is our job that he can use this qualities."
The start in the tour worked well for Schwabs a fifth place in the prologue, which give the team some hope, but no one knew that this fifth place would be the worst result.
The show really starts on the second stage. Sadler made the race incredible fast and placed the other teams often in the wind, the tactic works perfectly, because everyone was in the pain in the end, which helped Schwabs to win the stage.
The third stage was even more the terrain of Schwabs, but because of mechincal issues the team had to bring him back so that he dont have the power two win another stage, but reached the seond place.
The fourth stage was the king stage and not really the terrain of Schwabs. Schwabs: "I knew this stage isnt pefect for me, but we prepared it really well, unfortunately I realized in the morning that i dont have the best legs today. So I try to hide me in the beginnig, especially Picariello with all his experience help me a lot today and so I could follow the others. In the end I decided to play an old trick. Show the others that you are strong even if you dont feel so and it worked perfectly. I started with my last power an attack. Suddenly i was lonely in the front and no one reacts. I think, I really demotivated them with my attack and cycling has to do a lot with your will. It was really a hard race and it was extremly painful but somehow I won it"
With the feeling that everything is possible he reached also a seond place int the second time trial and was finally the winner in Copenhagen. Luke: "In the end of the tour Claude was mental so strong that he even comes a good time trialist and a sprinter, that was really nice. I think also that no one have spoken about him before the race helped him al lot and he has shown that he is really a great rider. His skillset is a bit special, so you cant wait for the last kilometer with him but I love this challenge and this time it works really well. Lets see what is possible in the future."
Also for another rider was in Copenhagen a special race, because it was the last one for Fulvio Wismund, who ends his career. Wismund: "Wow what a great tour for us. Even if I couldnt win a race by my own, it was such a great experience and I am really proud to be part of the team. That is a perfect way to end my career. I won two races in the 8th divison, but today I something else. That is OCM history three jersey for the same rider in Denmark, that didnt happen during the last thirty editions and the biggest time gap ever and Iwas part of it, now I can say goodbye." Wismund will now race a last parade race.
But for the other ones the travel will go on in divison three. It is the first time that the team has reached this divison. Luke: "The team will start now in Toulouse, what will be great a test and nice way to end the season. Today we already presents our new jersey so it is time for a chapter. Lets see what is possible in the next season . Schwabs can fight another year for YCs, for example in Motelbano, and Pedley will get the chance for a last big show in Norway. I am looking forward even if the next months could become really difficult."
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Comments
Another great season for Schwabs, congrats with the classic
Amazing, well done!
Congrats! Very nice domination of the race!
Fun reading. Congratulations again :)
I think the long wait increased his hunger hehehe. Good luck in Div 3!
I think the long wait increased his hunger hehehe. Good luck in Div 3!
Congrats! That was a dominating win, good luck in the higher divisions.
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