Analysis Date: Season 75, Day 49
In the annals of cycling simulation, few names carry the weight of forgotten greatness like FFL. To speak their name today is to invoke echoes of a dynasty that once challenged the mightiest teams in the peloton—and then vanished into shadow for forty-two seasons.
This is a story of ascent, collapse, and resurrection. Of a team that reached the summit of the world, went dormant for a generation, and clawed back to Division 1 through sheer bloody-minded persistence.
In Season 4, FFL emerged from obscurity—rank 104, a mere 76 points, anonymous among thousands. But James M had a vision.
By Season 5, the world took notice: Rank 20, 1,526 points, 4 victories. The climb had begun.
Season 6 announced FFL’s arrival. They won the Essex Tour GC with a devastating performance: 14 stage podiums including 6 stage victories. The team vaulted from top-25 obscurity into the elite conversation.
Pascal Lannoye emerged as FFL’s sprint anchor. By August 2009, he had achieved the unthinkable:
“Lannoye takes OCM rank #1”
A Belgian sprinter, wearing FFL colors, stood alone at the summit of the entire game. His first podium finish helped FFL regain their top-10 ranking, accumulating “almost 500 points in their last 2 races.”
Four months after Lannoye’s individual triumph, FFL completed the ascent:
“After nearly 18 months as a team on the OCM tour FFL today added a page to their history by taking the lead in the World OCM rankings by 10pts…”
December 2009: FFL ranked #1 in the world.
Not just competitive. Not just elite. The best.
What followed was a dynasty of near-perfection:
| Season | Rank | Points | Victories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 4th | 4,186 | 6 |
| 10 | 2nd | 4,780 | 6 |
| 11 | 2nd | 4,438 | 10 |
| 13 | 3rd | 5,548 | 5 |
| 15 | 2nd | 7,020 | 11 |
| 16 | 2nd | 5,180 | 9 |
| 17 | 2nd | 4,480 | 4 |
Five times they stood on the second step of the podium, titans among giants. They raced shoulder-to-shoulder with Team Atlantic, skils, and Equipo Easy On—the immortal dynasties of early OCM. In Season 15, they accumulated 7,020 points and 11 victories, their highest watermark.
From world #1 to perennial #2—not a fall, but a statement. FFL was royalty.
“And then—silence.”
Season 18: Rank 94. The decline was sudden, brutal, incomprehensible.
Season 19: Zero points. The team went dormant.
By September 2011, James M was questioning everything:
“FFL: Time to start over?”
“Raising a good team has always been difficult, but with increased competi[tion]…”
The competitive landscape had evolved. What once came naturally now felt like grinding against the tide. The burnout was real.
November 2011 brought the calculated end:
“5m and out”
This wasn’t collapse—it was strategic liquidation. James M wrapped up FFL with over 5 million in cash, two 5★ frames, best wheels, and well-trained riders converted to assets. The dynasty wasn’t dying—it was being preserved in amber.
Then: eighteen months without logging on.
Forty-two seasons of wandering in the wilderness. But the war chest waited.
June 2013. After eighteen months of silence, a single word appeared in the FFL archives:
“Return?”
James M had been watching. Checking how the game had progressed. Seeing “a fair few new areas” develop. The old competitive fire still burned.
Two months later:
“Multi-Million dollar re-launch of FFL”
The war chest—5 million in cash, 5★ frames, best wheels—deployed with precision. This wasn’t starting over. This was legacy restoration.
In Season 61, something stirred.
514 points. Rank 280. It wasn’t much. But it was something.
The veterans Eli Dauphin and Edward Stagg—two riders who had survived from Season 60—formed the foundation. They were not great riders. But they were present. That was enough.
Season by season, FFL rebuilt:
| Season | Rank | Points | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| S61 | 280th | 514 | First breath |
| S65 | — | 1,820 | Rising |
| S68 | — | 2,570 | Breakthrough |
| S72 | — | 2,564 | Consolidation |
| S74 | 14th | 2,620 | Division 1 |
The patience required was extraordinary. Where other managers would have forced the pace, James M let the process unfold.
FFL doesn’t buy stars. FFL makes them.
Luke Smiley arrived in Season 70 as rank 4,156—nobody. Anonymous. Invisible.
| Season | OCM Rank | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | 4,156th | Unknown |
| 70 | 4,280th | Still developing |
| 72 | 4,236th | Four years at 4000+ |
| 73 | 627th | Breakthrough |
| 74 | 90th | Breaking into elite |
| 75 | 29th | #1 American |
From rank 4,156 to rank 29 in six seasons. From nobody to the best American rider in OCM. This is what FFL does—they take the unknown and make them national champions.
Renzo Schautens walked the same path: arrived rank 4,123, peaked at rank 70. Two riders. Combined improvement of 8,180 positions.
Consider the transformation:
| Metric | Luke Smiley (S69→S75) | Renzo Schautens (S68→S72) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting OCM Rank | 4,156th | 4,123rd |
| Peak OCM Rank | 29th | 70th |
| Improvement | +4,127 positions | +4,053 positions |
| Career Wins | 1 | 3 |
| Career Podiums | 8 | 11 |
Both recruited as nobodies, both developed into Division 1 contributors. This is the FFL method.
Season 75. Division 1. Rank 14.
FFL has returned to the elite. Not as contenders—not yet—but as competitors worthy of the stage.
Forty-two seasons of dormancy. Fourteen seasons of rebuilding. And now: Division 1 again.
The trophy cabinet speaks to ancient power—World Championships, major classics, Helsinki GP twice. The phoenix built its legend before the fall, and now stands ready to add new chapters.
| Rider | Nation | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Tavio Pardo | Portugal | S6-7 (2x) |
| Pascal Lannoye | Belgium | S9-13 (4x) |
| Sterling Dorsher | England | S13-15 (3x) |
| Jaroslav Brychta | Czech Republic | S16-17 (2x) |
FFL was claiming national champions before most current teams existed. This is original OCM royalty.
The question isn’t whether FFL has returned—they have, emphatically.
The question is what comes next.
From world #1 to forty-two seasons of darkness to Division 1 resurrection. James M has done what few managers would even attempt: rebuild a dynasty from nothing, twice.
| Era | Peak Rank | Duration | Defining Moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden | #1 | 13 seasons | Lannoye takes OCM rank #1 |
| Dormant | — | 42 seasons | “5m and out” |
| Rebirth | 14th | 14 seasons | Luke Smiley reaches #29 |
The phoenix has risen. Again.
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Current Competitiveness | 3/5 |
| Dynasty Legacy | 5/5 |
| Resurrection Factor | 5/5 |
| Story Factor | 5/5 |
Tour Jerseys:
Classic Trophies:
From world #1 to forty-two seasons of darkness to Division 1.
FFL: The dynasty that refused to stay dead.