For the start of this event, the complete sign-up list and some IC rules go to this post.
Welcome to the second edition of the Island Tour, a cycling race that aims to bring together the best road racers in the multiverse and allow them to compete with eachother in a challenging race amongst a variety of terrain. As you might recall, the first edition of this stage race has been won by Mytanar Wes van der Stijnen (Kuester-Urlaubsonne) who managed to hold off his teammate Erik Karlsen and the climbgoat Gage Castellon (D Air) in the final time trial. The points jersey went to another inhabitant of D Land and Isles and double stage winner, Jack Maddux.
A heroic moment in the history of NS cycling, indeed. Since this first edition, we have seen many clashes between those big names and some newcomers in the World Tour of Cycling. After a fierce battle, van der Stijnen took the grand victory over there against Kytlerian Pieter-Jan Van Der Cappellen (EastWest Energy) while the vertical rainbow jerseys went to Scott Perry (Darmen) and Zwangzugian Nanami Watanabe (Dictine). Over 17 thrilling races, we saw duels of the highest quality with an expanding amount of racers who could challenge along for the victory, being it on every terrain or just in their speciality. We hope to see those riders in the Second Island Tour, where they can challenge eachother over no less then eleven stages to determine a new winner!
Wait... What is this exactly?
The Island Tour is a road cycling race in which fourteen teams (each from a certain nation, but not necessarily only containing riders from that nation) of five riders take it on against each other over eleven stages. These stages have a certain profile or underground, being either sprint (flat stage), TT (time trial, each rider cycles alone to get the quickest time), hills (there are hills), mountain (climbing aboard) or dirt (being either a gravel or cobble surface).
Each race will be scorinated by the SomeScorinator, a cycling scorinator I created myself. For those of you who think "that he invented himself... doesn't sound well", I'm glad to point you towards The Island Tour and The World Tour of Cycling where the SomeScorinator has proven its value already...
I want to participate!
Hurrah!
There are thirteen spots open for teams of five riders. I'll take the liberty to select in case there are more thirteen people interested, with preferences for those who RPed during the first Island Tour or the WToC or those who create a better sign-up sheet (additional information, ...). Sorry, I can't handle more racers. However, based on the interest level of both events, we probably won't hit much higher than 10 teams.
In the spoiler below, you find the magnificent/ugly sign-up sheet. Assign values to your five riders according to the rules that you can find in the spoiler. It could be usefull to think a bit about how you want your team to look. One big leader for the GC with four assistants? A gutsy team that goes for stage victories? A climbing squad or rather a group of paceriders?
To those who know the scorinator already: not a lot has changed, with two exceptions:
* attacks are matched a bit more to your type of racer. Each rider will have a "preference", either flat, mountains, hills or dirt, during which their chance to attack is trippled. (preference determined by which amount is higher) This doesn't affect the mathematical amount of breakaways that make it to the finish (it happens (mathematically) in one stage out of four, but that could be more or less) but will add to the life-likeness.
* having persistance "3" doesn't lead to cruising to the finish anymore. It does, however, make it four times less logical that your rider fails to make it to the finish line.
If you know the drills, you can use a short version of that of course. *looks to Mytannion*
And sponsors?
Indeed, once again I'm looking for interested sponsors for the following things. The said sponsor will appear on the IC jersey and can choose the colour.
- General classification (against time)
- Youth classification (also against time, but only for the young riders)
- Points classification (points, will not exactly work with the rules of the previous Island Tour as the stages will be seperated in three types and more points will be handed out for type one (dirt and sprint), less for type two (mountains and hills) and the least for type three (time trial))
- Combativity of the day (each day, an attacker receives this praise, it's only an additional one-day reward)
When will this be going on?
There are eleven racing days, but there will be one off day. On the maps and IC, it is currently after stage six but it rather serves as my personal buffer day for scorination. So, technically, it might be earlier (or later) but that will be announced well in advance.
Scorination for the first stage would start 36 hours after the official announcement, normally given on Fri/Saturday, so we're done by the 26th.
I've still got questions...
Not a problem, I'm glad to answer them. But please take it to this cycling OOC thread. I'm trying to keep this thread a bit on-topic.
The course
This year, the Island Tour is aiming for "bigger and better". The 'Grand Départ' will therefore not take place on Some Island but in... Mytannion!
Disclaimer: the scale of both maps is blablabla
Prologue: Esca-Esca, 22.3 km, TT won by Nanami Watanabe (Dictine) --- GC: Nanami Watanabe, Points: Nanami Watanabe, Youth: Velma Finkley
We start off with the prologue, a short time trial around the city of Esca. Obviously the dot is where the city centre is located but the riders would all go around the city starting off at the House of Representatives (our government building) and finish at the southern end of the Uhrleich Bridge crossing the Vltava river, where some cross winds could slightly affect the riders final efforts as they head to the line. Therefore, it would be clever if the GC riders do not underestimate this stage as it will give a first indication of who’s strong and who’s not.
Stage 1: Plauen-Kitzbuhel, 128.7 km won by Tom Simpson (Team TGB) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Tom Simpson, Youth: Chris Boardman
The next stage brings us from Plauen to Kitzbuhel, it is a hilly route with one big 'proper' climb which would probably would be classed as a category 1. There's five big hills other than this in between, at 24km there is the Agknez (0.8km at 8%), at 46km the Deichnerhugel (1.5km at 6%), at 51km the Jantschke (2km at 10%), at 92km there is the Rembrova (1.5km at 7%) and finally at 115km there is the Starken Ansteig (2km at 11%). The stage finishes in the city of Kitzbuhel, a hugely working class city and lots of factories, it is located in the lower slopes of a mountain, Mount Kitzbuhel. That is where the category 1 climb is, 6.5km at 5.3% average gradient starting in the city and finishing in the final habitable place up the mountain at an altitude of 1,630 metres.
Stage 2: Kitzbuhel-Istocna Obala, 181.9 km won by Sean McElroy (D Air by One Nutrition) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Chris Boardman
Stage 2 is a bit of a recovery stage after the challenging hills and mountain finish of the opener. Nearly 182km long, it is downhill at the start as the riders roll away from the elevated city of Kitzbuhel and out towards the coast, after the opening 5-10km it becomes flat for a long while before a slight hill at around 65km (1km, 6%), before it once again becomes flat and winds its way towards the port city of Istocna Obala where the riders will contest the first bunch sprint finish of the race. There are a couple of hills between 100km and the finish, but nothing too challenging and this one should definitely be one for the sprinters to contest at the finish.
Stage 3: Bidone-Deralore, 184 km won by Sean McElroy (D Air by One Nutrition) --- GC: Giacometti LaFleur, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
After a long trip by plane, the riders take on the legendary gravel roads from the northern region of Some Island. No less than 184 kilometers must be contested between Bidone, a calm coastal town, and Deralore. Starting with one eye on the sea in Bidone, the opening kilometers bring us through flat roads in a rather barren landscape, which has desert-like characteristics. The heat might be a problem but more challenging will be the surface after the first 120 km of fine-rolling asphalt. During the final sixty kilometres the peloton must challenge eleven zones of gravel road. Most remarkable amongst these are the village center of the abandoned town of Daroli (km 121.2-124), the white road near Lasalle (km 152.1-154.3), the short but heavily pitted zone in Coron (165.1-166) and the last zone of Cambri, only thousand five-hundred metres before the finish line. Although this not the toughest dirt stage possible, it will definitely challenge the riders. Last year, this stage was won by Jack Maddux after a breakaway on the dirt of Coron.
Stage 4: Deralore-Cadanza, 54 km, TT won by Bradley Wiggins (Team TGB) --- GC: Bradley Wiggins, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
In this long time trial over the flat plains from the river Pedale. Starting in Deralore, the biggest town of the western part of Some Island, huge crowds are expected to head out to witness how the riders leave the platform towards Cadanza. This will be a goal for the strong guys, the ones who are able to keep on going on the big gear, especially as there are few turns. The wind might make this stage more difficult than it would seem at first sight, as the riders will be blown away from the coast and there is little to no shelter on the course. The finish line is drawn in the classy areas of Cadanza, where the riders will meet a few difficult turns and will have to stay concentrated until the very last second. Especially the double hairpin at two kilometers from the finishing line might cause trouble after a long day of going straight ahead. For the riders of the GC, this stage might give a first indication of the form.
Stage 5: Cadanza-Ardoisière, 171 km won by Fred James (Princess Airways) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
The first mountain stage will demand a lot from the riders, but the long descent towards the finishing line might keep the gaps limited. Following the Pedale river, the riders leave Cadanza in the same direction as they came from the day before. After a long, flat opener of some seventy kilometers, they reach the Lembo, a climb that is a lot tougher than the numbers would make you suspect. With an average elevation of 6.7 % for 14 kilometers, it has interesting statistics but it is an ennoying climb due to the changes in pace. Easy strips of 2 percent are alternated with terrible climbing up to 14 percent. It will be a matter of measuring out the efforts, especially since the ten kilometer descent leads the way towards a second climb. The Rostollan, with its summit after 142 kilometers, has a smooth pace, with 18 long km that take you up to 2052 meters. The most difficult part are kilometer fifteen up to seventeen, that never go below 10%, but the final kilometer is almost flat. Afterwards, we get a technical descent towards Ardoisière where we finish at the same promenade where Winnie Raposas could lift up his hands last Island Tour, although that was a different kind of race.
Stage 6: Ardoisière-Gregario, 207 km won by Mark Cavendish (Team TGB) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
The stage towards Gregario is already a classic after the "Kuesterputsch" we witnessed last year, which placed Van der Stijnen in the saddle last year. The first eighty kilometers are smooth but are only the ouverture for what follows. Six difficult hills seperate us from the finishing down, to be more precise the Lankera (2,3 km at 8,1%, summit at 83 km), the long, rolling McGee (4,1 km at 5,3%, summit at 109 km), the vicious Chutti (1,2 km at 11,2%, summit at 142 km), the feared Rossignoli (3,2 km at 8,1%, summit at 168 km) and the Turmer (2,6 km at 7,3%, summit at 184 km). The finish is drawn only six kilometers after the final hill, the mystical Pion Hill which takes over 3 kilometer with slopes up to 14 percent. Rather than the single hill itself, it will be the high pace of hills that will cause the decision of this stage to be located on the flanks of Pion Hill. After that, we go downhill with a few tricky turns and meet the finish line near the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Gregario. A special remark must be made upon the last kilometer, as it goes uphill a few percentages, so it would be a difficult task to both hold on to an advantage and to win a sprint.
Stage 7: Ravittale-Natione, 162 km won by Kalle Markstrom (Onyx Marenisko) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
After a rest day, during which a transfer is made towards the pittoresque village of Ravittale, we head out for a harsh dirt stage. The GC contenders cannot allow to keep calm for a minute as the specialists will enjoy this mix between cobbles and gravel. Already when we leave Ravittale, we're meeting up with the "bald heads". Most important among those strips of cobbles is the road between Apo and Lowie, no less than 6.2 kilometers which are annoyingly uphill at 2 or 3%. As we come closer to the coast, the cobbles are replaced by gravel, with the exception of the Pavés du Fischer, the centre of a town only 9 kilometers away from the finish line. The gravel zones are more doable than those of stage three, but still put up enough of a task to seperate the man and the boys (or a more gender-correct seperation). A special remark could be make to the Blekker area, which brings us to 3 kilometers of Natione. The end of the stage is not on the big boulevard of last year due to maintainance issues, but rather in the town center. The last line is only 400 meters short, so your position in the last turn will be decisive if there is still a group together.
Stage 8: Baracchi-Fringale, 209 km won by Botolv Larsson (Kuester-Urlaubsonne) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Giacometti LaFleur
Baracchi is a known town to those who participated in the first Island Tour and this year it will host the departure of the longest stage. However, the roads that bring us to Fringale do not bring that much difficulties to the riders. The first fifty kilometers might be a bit up-and-down and could ignite a breakaway, but afterwards we will cruise along the coast towards Fringale. Only the wind could turn this one into something slightly more difficult, as we head along the coastline all day, but it will probably be a strong tailwind which blows us right into the finish town, Fringale. This might be named the most cycling-mad town of Some Island and will be greeting the riders with great joy. The final line is drawn on the main boulevard and offers no less than eighteen meters width for a majestic sprint.
Stage 9: Fringale-Parcheggio, 191 km won by Daphne Lake (Princess Airways) --- GC: Wes van der Stijnen, Points: Sean McElroy, Youth: Tomasso DiFirenza
The queen’s stage, as the toughest stage of a cycling race is often nicknamed, will this year be the challenge presented between Fringale and Parcheggio. Starting off in Fringale, the riders will once again be permitted a calm opener which allows the weaker climbers to try and head some time ahead of the opponents. However, three climbs, with their summits in the mist, are awaiting the riders later on. Through the heavily wooded areas of eastern Some Island, they’ll have to take on the Sosenka first, a col of no less than 13 kilometers with an average of 6,3%. The even pace allows this climb to be doable, but does put some tension to the legs already. Up next is the Piasecki, which holds on for only ten kilometers but has slopes up to 12%. Especially the last kilometer, where the gradient never drops below 10% is devastating for tired legs. After the descent of the Piasecki, we leave the path from last year’s stage and have a short bit of valley before taking on the Parcheggio, a mountain that is going to take the last bit of power of the riders. Sixteen long kilometers with an average close to nine percent will hurt, but the supporters will be there to guide their heroes to the finish.
Stage 10: Enbloc-Colane, 21 km, TT
The last stage takes off in Enbloc, a silent town near the foot of the feared Mount Colane. Each rider will separately take on this terrible climb which goes on for eighteen kilometres with an average of 8,2%. The toughest moments will be without any doubt kilometer 14 up to 17, during which the cyclists face gradients of 12% and at some points even more.
