Written by WelchAllyn at 03:05 24/5-2020
A year has passed, four seasons have gone by and a new cycling team has stormed the prize podium with lightning. The tale of WelchAllyn started with a simple discussion with manager Platedefend of Team Belfius, when international tallow producer Freddy ‘de Vettige’ was searching for new challenges in his life. A dream was born, and seeing the success of his friend, Freddy approached medical firm WelchAllyn for sponsorship.
Team WelchAllyn quickly gathered an all-Flemish squad, of which Bernard Wolfs and Francis Nilis today still remain in important support roles.
Initial victories in the local and lower divisions quickly followed and foreign talents were attracted. A cobbler crew was quickly born, which lead to many victories up to the 4th division.
While competition was very fierce, WelchAllyn was able to keep their spot up there and even came close to the third division with a all time high score of 700 points. Meanwhile new recruits were scouted, trained, assimilated into the team. Some to great success, some less, but nonetheless, WelchAllyn maintained the required speed to follow the peleton of the fourth division. The team started to grow and consolidate into a well oiled machine, a family.
Freddy notes this is when the troupe started to feel adventurous and signups into the Odyssey of the Oryx and La Coupe de la Soif Eternelle Tours were procured, alas without rewards but not without a lust for more.
‘Those were the most exciting parts of our short careers up to this point’, Freddy exclaimed in an interview taken only last week, ‘seeing all these able rival teams who had prepared all season for these battlesites. It really felt like a first school day for the team and me. Without the specialised equipment nor the expertise most of these great teams have, but with a lot of heart and camaraderie we took our first dive into the unknown. And while our results were not that great, it showed that Donald ‘Donny’ Ruiter was a born captain for our team and we started to adapt our whole thinking and tactics according to this.’
It was not long after this that the team saw new additions, most notable Kristiaan ‘the Stalwart’ Paaps and a new (hill)sprinter by the name of Xander Vercouteren, who were both able to give WelchAllyn its edge.
‘Difficult times were ahead of us, we were playing top bill with a young team in the fourth division, we knew we had to take risks’, recalls Freddy, ‘with all these strong competing teams great results were more often than not off the table, and morale had taken a hit for a while.’ The team saw a long period during the late part of season 51 and most of season 52 with a lot of injuries and mechanical issues, resources started to run thin and the future of the team was uncertain. ‘Desperate movements to stay in the fourth division would only give us more headaches. We quickly devised a new plan and focused on morale boosting stepping stones.’
Season 53 has only just entered its second week and the team rejuvenated their spirits and strengths after a quick second spot in the Olomouc-Hulin race, which provided the needed eagerness and bloodlust for their new target: the first Classic. ‘Budapest Meeting point had always been a dream for Donny, he longed for the cobbles of the city on the Danube river. We were training day and night and our sponsor provided us new gear to maximise all chances’, Kerim and Hallur ‘the Viking’ recount.
The crowning achievement arrived just a few hours ago, Donald won Budapest Meeting Point after a though sprint over the riverbanks. ‘I would have never thought this would be possible’, an emotional Ruiter tells us while holding his trophy, ‘a year ago I wouldn’t have thought I’d be riding for a professional cycling team, let alone win in the city were I proposed to my wife.’
Despite our many attempts, Freddy de Vettige was not able to be interviewed today, inebriated by alcohol and happiness. The only thing he could exclaim to our reporters were ‘HE HAS DONE IT! HE WILL KEEP ON DOING IT! Just wait and see! Our friends will quickly join us in our victory dance!’
It is without saying WelchAllyn has had a peculiar launch in their first year, it can only mean promising outlooks are on the horizon, especially as manager Doctor Love of Cokol Breakaway Team was spotted earlier this week at the WelchAllyn headquarters.
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Comments
Great result, congrats on your first trophy!
Congratz Freddy, fantastic job!
Nice! First of many!
Great team, great manager and even better spirit(s)!
Great job there, another cobbler joins the scene
Congrats on a great win in Budapest!
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