Fantasy Cycling 2004
Period One

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Date: Monday, 8 March, 2004
Time: 6:39:04 am
Topic: The Season Starts: Paris-Nice, stage 1

After the cancellation due to snow of the Belgian classic Het Volk last Saturday (28th February), the 2004 Fantasy Cycling season opened with the first stage of the 62nd Paris-Nice stage race on Sunday (7th March) - a 13km time trial.

First blood of the new season went to Thomas's Tiger team who picked up the first FCL point of the season thanks to Erik Dekker's third place. It was "Plucky Brit. comes fourth" time for Steve's Nightowlers as David Miller just missed out in fourth. Bobby Julich took seventh spot for Sophia's Sure Shots, while the best ride for Lisa by a Ready Steady Rider was Tyler Hamilton in 29th place.

Date: Monday, 8 March, 2004
Time: 7:47:58 pm
Topic: Paris-Nice, stage 2

More blasts from the past today as two ex-Ready Steady Riders, now riding for Sophia's Sure Shots took second (Beat Zberg) and third (Michele Bartoli) places on the stage.

George Hincapie rode in 9th for Thomas's Tiger Team while Bobby Julich's 24th position was enough to move him up to third overall (Zberg is 8th and Hincapie 11th).

The first of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders to finish today was Richard Virenque back in in 85th while Steve had to look down the finishing list as far as 121st before spotting a Nightowler, in this case David Miller.

Date: Wednesday, 10 March, 2004
Time: 10:08:49 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 1

Steve's "Mr Reliable", Erik Zabel took second (to wunderkind Allessandro Pettachi) in the big bunch sprint on the opening day (Wednesday, 10th March) of the 39th Tirreno-Adriatico stage race and score the first points of the season for the Nightowlers.

Steve's other sprint king, Mario Cipollini was 7th with Spohia's Stuart O'Grady right behind him in 8th.

Thomas's highest placed rider was Ralf Aldag at 35th while the first Ready Steady Rider home for Lisa was Juan Antonio Flecha, who was 59th.

Date: Thursday, 11 March, 2004
Time: 10:34:40 pm
Topic: Paris-Nice, stage 5

Nothing of note on stage 3, and stage 4 was snowed off, so onto stage 5 where again Michele Bartoli found his way into third place for Sophia's Sureshots and moved up to 6th overall.

George Hincapie was 7th for Thomas's Tiger Team and now holds 5th spot on CG (Bobby Julich is 3rd overall for Sophia).

Ivan Basso, in his first season as a Nightowler, came in at 26th but the first of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders to come home today was Tyler Hamilton, back in 64th.

Date: Thursday, 11 March, 2004
Time: 10:48:39 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 2

Another stage and another second place for a Nightowler. Today it was Mario Cipollini's turn to give best to Alessandro Pettachi in the sprint finish and he moves up to 4th on GC for Steve.

Nightowler Erik Zabel's 5th place put him 3rd overall, just behind Juan Antonio Flecha (71st today): one of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders). Stuart O'Grady only just missed out today, coming fourth for Sophia, and now sits 7th overall. Also in a scoring GC position (12th) is Steve's super domestique Marco Velo (39th today).

Ralph Aldag was again Thomas's best finisher at 55th and it was 64th today for the best Ready Steady Rider, in this case Andrea Tafi.

Date: Friday, 12 March, 2004
Time: 11:33:44 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 3

Sophia's Sure Shots claimed the stage victory thanks to Oscar Freire Gomez. He also took the lead on GC.

Erik Zabel remains 3rd overall (he was 5th today) for Steve's Nightowlers and Stuart O'Grady's 29th place on the stage allowed him to hold onto 7th for Sophia.

Pavel Tonkov was the day's highest finisher for Thomas's Tiger Team, in 33rd, while Lisa's Ready Steady Riders could do no better than 122nd from Andrea Tafi.

Date: Saturday, 13 March, 2004
Time: 11:51:36 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 4

Oscar Freire-Gomez scored again for Sophia's Sure Shots today, with third place on the stage, but dropped to second overall behind today's winner Paolo Bettini.

Erik Zabel retained fifth on GC for Steve's Nightowlers and Sure Shot Stuart O'Grady moved up to sixth as Ralf Aldag jumped up to ninth for Thomas's Tiger Team.

Aldag and Zabel were Thomas and Steve's highest finishers on the day, coming in at 20th & 21st (O'Grady was 25th). Back in 54th, Juan Antonio Flecha finished the stage best of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders.

Date: Sunday, 14 March, 2004
Time: 7:09:24 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 5

Another third place on today's stage for Sophia's Sureshots: this time it was "The Big Swede" Magnus Backstedt who crept into the scoring.

No change at the top of the GC with Freire Gomez, Zabel, O'Grady and Aldag maintaining their positions.

Zabel finished tenth on the day (one place behind Freire Gomez) for Steve's Nightowlers. The highest-placed member of Thomas's Tiger Team was Aldag in 17th. Back in 82nd place, Tafi was the first of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders to make it home.

Date: Sunday, 14 March, 2004
Time: 7:19:46 pm
Topic: Paris-Nice, overall

None of our riders finished at the front of the last three stages but still several managed to place well on the final GC.

Bobby Julich finished 3rd for Sophia and fellow Sureshot Beat Zberg placed 13th overall. Thomas had George Hincapie in 5th for his Tiger Team, while neo-Nightowler Ivan Basso scored his first points for Steve by coming 11th.

Back in 38th on GC, Tyler Hamilton was the highest placed Ready Steady Rider.

Date: Monday, 15 March, 2004
Time: 7:31:54 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 6

Oscar Freire Gomez completed a sweep of the stage podium today, adding second to his previous win & third place finish for Sophia's Sureshots. Nightowler Erik Zabel was right on his wheel to bag third on the stage for Steve.

Overall, today's results kept Freire Gomez in second place (behind today's winner Paolo Bettini) and moved Zabel up a place to fourth. Sureshot Stuart O'Grady held steady in sixth while Rolf Aldag inched up to seventh for Thomas's Tiger Team. A third sureshot moved into scoring position today as Oskar Camenzind snuck into 15th.

Aldag finished 14th on the day, best of Thomas's Tiger Team but you'd have to look down to 90th place before you found a Ready Steady Rider: Juan Antonio Flecha. Flecha did a lot better than Cipollini though, the lion king packed early on today's stage.

Date: Tuesday, 16 March, 2004
Time: 7:51:16 pm
Topic: Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 7 & overall

The race ended as it started with Erik Zabel taking second place in a bunch sprint for Steve's Nightowlers, behind Alessandro Petacchi.

Oscar Freire Gomez was back in 9th on the day for Sophia and Rolf Aldag was the first Ready Steady Rider home in 21st place. Further back in the bunch, Andrea Tafi rolled over the line in 70th to be the first Ready Steady Rider home.

So, at the end of the race, we find Oscar Freire Gomez in second (behind Poalo Bettini) on GC for the Sureshots with Zabel taking third overall for Steve. Stuart O'Grady & Oskar Camenzind also score for Sophia with fifth and 14th places overall, while seventh on GC was Rolf Aldag for Thomas's Tiger Team. Lisa's highest placed rider was Juan Antonio Flecha down in 47th on GC.

Date: Saturday, 20 March, 2004
Time: 8:07:30 pm
Topic: Milano-Sanremo

Onto the first World Cup race of 2004 and Erik Zabel finally got the better of Alessandro Peacchi in the 95th Milano-Sanremo (Saturday, 20th March). But, as was eloquently captured in a photo that will embarrass Erik for the rest of his life, he ended up in a Sureshot Sandwich as Oscar Freire Gomez took advantage of Zabel's premature celebration to sneak the win in a closely fought sprint finish to today's 294km of racing.

Sophia's team also took third overall with Stuart O'Grady and seventh with Romans Vainsteins. Erik Dekker and George Hincapie took 11th and 13th for Thomas's Tiger Team but, sorry George, only the top twelve score points.

As for the Ready Steady Riders, well Robbie McEwan was first home for Lisa in 106th place; in a large group of riders that include many well known names, all over five minutes down on the 60-plus riders who finished together in front.

Date: Monday, 22 March, 2004
Time: 8:26:03 pm
Topic: Setmana Catalana, stage 1

Just two days after his embarassing second place on the Via Roma, Erik Zabel was at it again. Coming second that is, not celebrating prematurely, this time on the opening day of the 41st Setmana Catalana stage race. He's been by far the best of Steve's riders so far this season, surely he must get a win eventually!

Erik holds second overall after the first day as the GC mirrored the stage result. Fourth is Beat Zberg of Sophia's Sireshots with Erik Dekker ninth for Thomas's Tiger Team.

Lisa's Tour de France hopeful Jan Ullrich ended the day 92nd, the highest placed Ready Steady Rider.

Date: Tuesday, 23 March, 2004
Time: 8:42:13 pm
Topic: Setmana Catalana, stage 2

Sophia took another win today as Sureshot Beat Zberg took the stage. His win also gives him the lead on GC.

Nicki Sorensen was in the leading group on the day, to finish 16th for Thoma's Tiger Team, and Ivan Basso made the cut for Steve's Nightowlers, coming home 23rd. Again Jan Ullrich was the best placed of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders: he finished 58th, almost seven minutes back.

Date: Wednesday, 24 March, 2004
Time: 8:50:46 pm
Topic: Setmana Catalana, stage 3

It's that man again, Steve's "Mr Consistent" Erik Zabel, and it's that place again: second! But, hey, they all add up. At the top of the GC, Beat Zberg of Sophia's Sureshots slipped to 5th.

Zberg was the first Sureshot home today, in 15th, while, in 38th, Alex Zulle (yes, he is still around!) was best of Thomas's Tiger Team. Again, Jan Ullrich was the highest placed of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders: he was 77th today.

Date: Thursday, 25 March, 2004
Time: 8:58:48 pm
Topic: Setmana Catalana, stage 4

New boy Ivan Basso grabbed a point for Steve's Nightowlers today, coming third on the stage. He also moved up to 9th overall.

In 17th on the stage, Alex Zuelle was again the best of the Tiger Team today while Beat Zberg's 22nd place droped the Sureshot rider out of the frame on GC. Jan Ullrich took 101st for Lisa.

Date: Friday, 26 March, 2004
Time: 9:09:14 pm
Topic: Setmana Catalana, overall

The Catalan Week finished quietly for our riders, none of whom made the podium on the 5th and final stage.

Overall, only Nightowler Ivan Basso scored points: he was 11th on GC at the end.

Alex Zuelle was the best placed rider from Thoma's Tiger Team, coming 16th overall. Beat Zberg was 24th on GC for Sophia's Sureshots but Ready Steady Rider Jan Ullrich ended the race almost an hour down in 92nd.

Date: Saturday, 27 March, 2004
Time: 9:20:46 pm
Topic: E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

With the demise of the Het Volk, the first northern classic of the season was today (Saturday, 27th March)'s 42nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen. At the end of 195km of racing, almost 50 riders contested the finish and Jaan Kirsipuu took third place in the sprint for Thomas's Tiger Team.

In 12th, 13th and 14th places were Sureshots Romans Vainsteins & Oscar Freire Gomez and Robbie McEwan of Lisa's Ready Steady Riders. None of Steve's Nightowlers were among the 78 riders who finished the race and it's unknown if any were even among the 175 who started.

Date: Monday, 29 March, 2004
Time: 9:43:10 pm
Topic: Criterium International, stage 3 & overall

The first two stages of the 73rd Criterium International passed off with none of our riders troubling the scorers but David Millar took third place for Steve's Nightowlers on the final 8.3km time trial, the second of two stages on the second and final day of this two-day stage race, today (Sunday, 28th March).

Bobby Julich was fifth in the time trial for Sophia's Sureshots, Ready Steady Rider Tyler Hamilton was 10th for Lisa and Laurent Brochard was the highest placed of Thomas's Tiger Team in 23rd.

Overall, Julich finished fourth on GC while Hamilton was 12th, to score Lisa's first point of the season - on the very last day of the first period: talk about cutting it close!

Millar and Brochard were 32nd and 34th overall.

Date: Tuesday, 30 March, 2004
Time: 12:02:51 am
Topic: Period One in Review

With the Criterium International, the first Period of this Season comes to a close. In her first season of managing a team, Sophia has begun with a bang. Thanks in large part to the revitalised Oscar Freire Gomez but with good support from Stuart O'Grady and Bobby Julich (also back to form after a few years in the wilderness) her Sureshots have piled up an unprecedented 128 points: a record total not just for Period One but for any period (the 1999 Nightowlers scored 126 in Period Five, the Tour de France).

At the other end of the scale, poor Lisa gained only a single point (and that at the last possible moment) to log an even worse start than last year's pitiful four points. There's still a lot of racing to do before the Giro di Lombardia wraps up the season, though, and at the peak of the summer you can expect the heavyweight Ready Steady Riders juggernaut to build up an impressive momentum.

Steve is well satisfied with his Nightowlers' total of 56. As usual this was almost entirely due to the reliability of Erik (what? second place again?!) Zabel but it's encouraging to see new boy Ivan Basso making a contribution right from the gun.

Usually a fast starter, Thomas had a subdued beginning to his Tiger Team's campaign this season. Moderate contributions from George Hincapie in Paris-Nice, Rolf Aldag in Tirreno-Adriatico and Jaan Kirsipuu in the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen combined to form the bulk of his 34 points.