RobaL86 a écrit:How is it possible to win the overall team standings with Orica Greenedge? This platinum challenge seems very unrealistic and unbelievably difficult. I lost more than 10 minutes on the TT (quick tour) and even more on the mountain stage. Before the TT i had 9 minutes to second place and after the tour i was placed 17 +30 minutes. Unless you a couple of sick +10 minutes breakaway wins, you are not to get this challenge?
Any advice or help?
Well, it's an unbelievable hard objective. Almost impossible! I hope, the TDF 2014 objectives will give us realistic challenges. Like if a team is weak at TT and at mountains, and the objective is to win the team class, then it's better not to put all 2 tipes of stages to the default list. (Or at least not a brutal HC finish, like Alpe D'Huez.).
After I saw RobaL86's post, I started it immediately. I put stage 2,3,5,9,14 next to the defaults because the "downhill-climb-downhill" finishing of these stages. Stage 16 is also good to gain advantage, but it's already a default one.
I used the technique what I mentioned in an earlier post. (With the "downhill-team comm. button" trick.). Read that!
So I reached a 23 minutes lead over Team Sky before the stage17 ITT.. I thought, it's enough. After that, Team Sky shocked me brutally! I was lucky to keep my "before TT" save. Sky won back 18 minutes at the TT, and gave me another 20 minutes at Alpe D'Huez!
Next try. It's nothing to do with the ITT. Only the technique, what Patatrasse used to do the Millar challenge. (I mean I had the top three GC-place, so I chose the 3. placed Albasini to give the boost to the first 2 riders.) With that Sky "only" gave me that 18 minutes defeat not a bigger one.
So, 5:30 lead before Alpe D'Huez? Well, it was hard as hell, but manageable with perfect attention. Before start: Choose 2 cakes!
Step1: Send your 4. place rider to an early breakaway. (Key moment, because I couldn't save one of my top 3 riders, so breakaway-Gerrans saved me as one of my top3 after the stage.)
Step2: Order 3 other riders to protect the top 3 one by one. Order your top3 to "stay in this group".
Step3: Attack downhill with your weakest climber top3 rider to gain a little advantage on the last 2.category hill before the big one. Start the HC slowly with him.
Step4: Pay maximum attention to the 3 helpers. Feed them with the 2 cakes when needed, and after switching to another rider, order them again to protect. Feed the key riders as well, if needed. They must reach the top of "Col de Sarenne" with the peloton. (At that point I lost one, but Gerrans was at the lead.)
Step5: Gain advantage at downhill with your remaining Top3 riders. Use the "team-comm. trick".
Step6: Order them to "stay with the group." Feed them when needed. (I had all 2 cakes with Albasini at that point.) Step7: Carefully go up.
Step8: Pray a lot!
I managed to hold a 46 seconds lead over Sky. They were only 4:44 better than me at stage18.
Oh, Step9: Try not to lose it in Paris.
By the way, this objective needs a lot of luck, and is very frustrating.
21 Juil 2013, 15:06
I was not aware of that exploit and I will only use it if that the last option. This will ruin the game for me I think. 
, prevented me change the pedaling effort across the stage, plus the change also influenced dish. Tube to go well to make efforts to finish without coming up with half of the yellow bar, unable to continue the attacks or increased effort in goal I lost about 8 minutes and a consequent significant drop in the overall classification 
.