Garmin Sharp

[Frosty]

Hopefully the kit change will mean a lot of Garmin-Barracuda kit already made will not be sold and there can be a good sale;)

[Andy99]

Noone had this up yet?

great to see JV pick up a blue-chip sponsor particularly after Big-Mat did the dirty. A blessing in disguise, in hind-sight I think.

Good kit. Looks better in the mick-up than in the flesh though - why did they reduce the font sizes of Sharp and Garmin?

[Machu Picchu]

great to see JV pick up a blue-chip sponsor particularly after Big-Mat did the dirty. A blessing in disguise, in hind-sight I think.

Good kit. Looks better in the mick-up than in the flesh though - why did they reduce the font sizes of Sharp and Garmin?

I'm not aware of the finances but why does Cervelo still get such prominence on side/back ?_?

[RedheadDane]

That kit looks sharp! (you were right RedheadDane/GingerViking)

It's a word-play that's just begging to be made!

I'm not aware of the finances but why does Cervelo still get such prominence on side/back ?_?

Yeah, I wonder if Cervelo might be one of the few companies which aren't name-sponsor but still has such a prominence on a team's kit. From above that's basically what you recognize them by that big freaking [SIZE="3"]é[/SIZE].

[maxmartin]

a disaster for GS today
Tom D lost 9min, what happened?
When Farrar was involved in the crash, did they send two guys to pace him back? If so that is just plain stupid.

Guess they have to focus to protect Ryder as the only GC hope

[kurtinsc]

So is this Tour for Garmin now just about Hesjedal?

Farrar is non-existant in the point race (Hesjedal is ahead of him). He doesn't look like he has a chance of winning a sprint. After Hesjedal, their next best GC rider is more then 2 minutes back already with VdV. They sit in 20th in the teams competition. They don't have a young rider.

Maybe let Danielson go in some breaks and chase a mountain jersey once the bigger climbs start? It just seems like their tour narrowed down to one option very fast.

[Coramoor]

I'm not aware of the finances but why does Cervelo still get such prominence on side/back ?_?

probably some deal dating back to the merger, plus they do have an exclusive deal to use Cervelo bikes, so that must be worth something to Cervelo as well

[Normandy]

So is this Tour for Garmin now just about Hesjedal?

Farrar is non-existant in the point race (Hesjedal is ahead of him). He doesn't look like he has a chance of winning a sprint. After Hesjedal, their next best GC rider is more then 2 minutes back already with VdV. They sit in 20th in the teams competition. They don't have a young rider.

Maybe let Danielson go in some breaks and chase a mountain jersey once the bigger climbs start? It just seems like their tour narrowed down to one option very fast.

I was thinking the same, when you compare it to where they where this time last year, I wonder what JV will say?

[Zinoviev Letter]

a disaster for GS today
Tom D lost 9min, what happened?
When Farrar was involved in the crash, did they send two guys to pace him back? If so that is just plain stupid.

Guess they have to focus to protect Ryder as the only GC hope

Danielson suffered a separated shoulder in one of the crashes and barely managed to finish.

No they didn't send back riders to help Farrar, that was a misreading by Harmon then repeated on the forum.

Hesjedal is their primary GC man now, although at least officially he was always supposed to be. It remains to be seen how well he can hold his form, but in theory he's capable of a good GC result.

VdV didn't lose so much time that he will cease to be protected quite yet. He'll be the GC fallback option.

Danielson will be a domestique now, assuming he recovers from the fall.

Martin was also extremely unlucky today. He was trapped behind a crash and then burned himself up trying to get VdV back to the front. It's a pity that this happened on a day when he could have been a contender, but probably a good thing that he lost a big chunk of time early. Given the parcours, he shouldn't really be trying for a GC result at all. At least now he should be let off the leash.

Farrar just has no form this year at all. God only knows what's up with him.

[maxmartin]

Danielson suffered a separated shoulder in one of the crashes and barely managed to finish.

No they didn't send back riders to help Farrar, that was a misreading by Harmon then repeated on the forum.

Hesjedal is their primary GC man now, although at least officially he was always supposed to be. It remains to be seen how well he can hold his form, but in theory he's capable of a good GC result.

VdV didn't lose so much time that he will cease to be protected quite yet. He'll be the GC fallback option.

Danielson will be a domestique now, assuming he recovers from the fall.

Martin was also extremely unlucky today. He was trapped behind a crash and then burned himself up trying to get VdV back to the front. It's a pity that this happened on a day when he could have been a contender, but probably a good thing that he lost a big chunk of time early. Given the parcours, he shouldn't really be trying for a GC result at all. At least now he should be let off the leash.

Farrar just has no form this year at all. God only knows what's up with him.

oh well last year is radioshack, guess this year is Garmin's turn. Hope things will not get worse in later stages.

[Zinoviev Letter]

oh well last year is radioshack, guess this year is Garmin's turn. Hope things will not get worse in later stages.

I don't think they've suffered anything quite on the Radioshack scale of bad luck so far. One of their secondary GC men is now a domestique, while the other lost a bit of time. That's bad luck, but hardly crippling. Apart from that, pretty much everything is as expected going in.

They were always going to have a tough time matching last years Tour. They have to have used up a lot of key riders energy and form at the Giro. There's no TTT. Farrar has sucked all season. The parcours means Martin was never a GC option.

I suspect that if you offered them a quietish Tour for a Giro win at the start of the season, they'd have bitten your hand off. And they can't be written off entirely. Someone, more likely Martin than Farrar, could win a stage. Between Hesjedal and VdV they'll still probably get at least their usual GC top 10. If they managed both of those things, it would be their second best Tour ever!

[maxmartin]

I don't think they've suffered anything quite on the Radioshack scale of bad luck so far. One of their secondary GC men is now a domestique, while the other lost a bit of time. That's bad luck, but hardly crippling. Apart from that, pretty much everything is as expected going in.

They were always going to have a tough time matching last years Tour. They have to have used up a lot of key riders energy and form at the Giro. There's no TTT. Farrar has sucked all season. The parcours means Martin was never a GC option.

I suspect that if you offered them a quietish Tour for a Giro win at the start of the season, they'd have bitten your hand off. And they can't be written off entirely. Someone, more likely Martin than Farrar, could win a stage. Between Hesjedal and VdV they'll still probably get at least their usual GC top 10.

I know, I just hope nothing worse will happen. You know sometimes bad luck can struck you in consecutive days. It is still a little bit too early to say they will get usual top 10. I still have doubt in Ryder with a fantastic Giro in his legs. But we will see.

[Dr. Maserati]

Danielson suffered a separated shoulder in one of the crashes and barely managed to finish.

No they didn't send back riders to help Farrar, that was a misreading by Harmon then repeated on the forum.

Hesjedal is their primary GC man now, although at least officially he was always supposed to be. It remains to be seen how well he can hold his form, but in theory he's capable of a good GC result.

VdV didn't lose so much time that he will cease to be protected quite yet. He'll be the GC fallback option.

Danielson will be a domestique now, assuming he recovers from the fall.

Martin was also extremely unlucky today. He was trapped behind a crash and then burned himself up trying to get VdV back to the front. It's a pity that this happened on a day when he could have been a contender, but probably a good thing that he lost a big chunk of time early. Given the parcours, he shouldn't really be trying for a GC result at all. At least now he should be let off the leash.

Farrar just has no form this year at all. God only knows what's up with him.

Ya, Ryder was always their GC choice.
Even though he won a difficult Giro I still believe he will do quite well - indeed, so much so I put all my annual bet on him (at 40-1).

This Tour is quite open for the overall and may be quite conservative, and he has one of the strongest teams in the mountains to support him in Martin, VdV & TommyD who are all capable of stage wins too.

[maxmartin]

Ya, Ryder was always their GC choice.
Even though he won a difficult Giro I still believe he will do quite well - indeed, so much so I put all my annual bet on him (at 40-1).

This Tour is quite open for the overall and may be quite conservative, and he has one of the strongest teams in the mountains to support him in Martin, VdV & TommyD who are all capable of stage wins too.

Tommy D might pull out
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12283/Uncertainty-about-Danielsons-Tour-de-France-after-big-crash.aspx

[vcampbell]

It's really bad, what happened today, but as many wrote before I hope too, that Hesjedal could survive this Tour with a good form. As we can see, just a little crash, and many rider can get out from the GC. Now I hope for a top5, and I will think again this after the first TT.

[greenedge]

I feel sorry for Danielson and hope he is ok ( continuation or not ). Martin can still get a stage and Hesjedal looks good.

[barmaher]

Do people really think that a team with Millar, Zabriskie, Martin and van Summeren have only one option for this Tour?

[Rocksteady]

Please don't write VDV off yet JV. 2 minutes is tough, but It's not the end of the world.

[gustienordic]

Please don't write VDV off yet JV. 2 minutes is tough, but It's not the end of the world.

I am hoping VDV will get 15th or so. Working for Ryder in the Mtns usually still results in him doing decently.

[RedheadDane]

They'll have to find another plan real quick! Hesjedal is cracking under the preassure!