2012 Weakest World Tour Team

[toolittle]

Vacansoleil-DCM is my choice.

Skil-Shimano, Europcar, FDJ, Cofidis. All possible new world teams seems to be stronger than Vacasoleil-DCM

 

[just some guy]

Vacansoleil-DCM is my choice.

Skil-Shimano, Europcar, FDJ, Cofidis. All possible new world teams seems to be stronger than Vacasoleil-DCM

Don´t we need to know who is in the WT 1st ?

 

[theyoungest]

Vacansoleil-DCM is my choice.

Skil-Shimano, Europcar, FDJ, Cofidis. All possible new world teams seems to be stronger than Vacasoleil-DCM

Depends on what you call "stronger". Skil will probably get more wins, because they have Kittel. But most of their other riders suck balls, whereas Vacansoleil have a pretty decent team overall.

 

[The Hitch]

Depends on what you call "stronger". Skil will probably get more wins, because they have Kittel. But most of their other riders suck balls, whereas Vacansoleil have a pretty decent team overall.

Degenkolb will probably get a lot of wins too.

 

[maltiv]

GreenEdge will surely be the worst team when it comes to climbing/GC! They'll be even worse than 2010 Sky, like every time a hill approaches you will just know that 8 greenedge riders will immediatly get shot out the back

 

[Richeypen]

Don´t we need to know who is in the WT 1st ?

And final transfers would help as well. Some big names still without teams

 

[Shardi]

gotta be GreenEdge.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

It's not Vacansoleil, that's for sure. They have a pretty strong team imo. Probably Skil. SBS have a weak team aswell.

 

[maltiv]

It's not Vacansoleil, that's for sure. They have a pretty strong team imo. Probably Skil. SBS have a weak team aswell.

Indeed, they might not have any big stars but they're pretty strong overall.

 

[The Hitch]

Woet Poels is going to Gadret the Giro and Marco Marcatto will win a classic and set up lots of sprint wins for Bozic.

 

[El Pistolero]

Woet Poels is going to Gadret the Giro and Marco Marcatto will win a classic and set up lots of sprint wins for Bozic.

We need some more Italians at the Ronde van Vlaanderen again. Marcato would be a fine addition. Wondering if Farnese Vini will get an invite at the Ronde, but that's a bit off topic

As for Wout Poels, he really needs to stop thinking about riding a good GC. He doesn't have it in him and never will(he'd be a Cunego 2011 at best). I hope he focuses on the classics even though he already said he wants to improve in Grand Tours.

 

[janraaskalt]

GreenEdge will surely be the worst team when it comes to climbing/GC! They'll be even worse than 2010 Sky, like every time a hill approaches you will just know that 8 greenedge riders will immediatly get shot out the back

Euskaltel probably the worst when it comes to cobbled classics and/or sprinting.

 

[La Pandera]

gotta be GreenEdge.

I'm going with GreenEdge too. They seem to be very one dimensional and not exceptionally talented in that one area either to separate them from the teams that will be giving them opposition for their wins. They'd be wise to pile on the wins in the early season ala Cofidis because they'll be in short supply later.

 

[therealtimshady]

Greenedge. But before signing Martin quickstep haven't been great lately either

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Woet Poels is going to Gadret the Giro and Marco Marcatto will win a classic and set up lots of sprint wins for Bozic.

Bozic is gone.

 

[Altitude]

I'm gonna have to go with BMC Racing Team

 

[El Pistolero]

Greenedge. But before signing Martin quickstep haven't been great lately either

Peter Velits(Tour next year is suited for him), Leipheimer(had a great year and Tour is suited for him), Tom Boonen(he'll bounce back), Sylvain Chavanel(favorite for the cobbled classics, can win Tour stages), Tony Martin, Stybar, etc

Even without Martin they wouldn't be the weakest by a long shot.

 

[theyoungest]

As for Wout Poels, he really needs to stop thinking about riding a good GC. He doesn't have it in him and never will(he'd be a Cunego 2011 at best). I hope he focuses on the classics even though he already said he wants to improve in Grand Tours.

Yeah, I think we can write him off, after just having finished 17th in his first GT

He faded away towards the end, because Vacansoleil don't know how to give a young rider a non-overloaded race schedule.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, I think we can write him off, after just having finished 17th in his first GT

He faded away towards the end, because Vacansoleil don't know how to give a young rider a non-overloaded race schedule.

17th at the Vuelta is like what? Lanterne Rouge at the Tour?(hypberbole)

He faded away because he's not a real climber. The guy has punchy written all over him. To throw that potential away for a 7th place or something at the Tour is ridiculous. At least there's still a few sane Dutch pros left that realize there's something besides the Tour.

 

[La Pandera]

I'm gonna have to go with BMC Racing Team

You are certainly going to get some serious cries from Oz on that choice.

 

[theyoungest]

17th at the Vuelta is like what? Lanterne Rouge at the Tour?(hypberbole)

He faded away because he's not a real climber. The guy has punchy written all over him. To throw that potential away for a 7th place or something at the Tour is ridiculous. At least there's still a few sane Dutch pros left that realize there's something besides the Tour.

Until the Vuelta, I also thought that he was more of a puncheur. But if you watched the Vuelta, you've seen that longer climbs do in fact suit him as well. A bit like Fränk Schleck.

I'm sure that he'll give the Ardennes classics a try as well, but so far he hasn't had any success at all in one day races.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Degenkolb will probably get a lot of wins too.

I rather fancy Gretsch will win a few TTs also.

 

[El Pistolero]

Until the Vuelta, I also thought that he was more of a puncheur. But if you watched the Vuelta, you've seen that longer climbs do in fact suit him as well. A bit like Fränk Schleck.

I'm sure that he'll give the Ardennes classics a try as well, but so far he hasn't had any success at all in one day races.

But how much of an example is the Vuelta with their mountain stages of only 1 mountain and all the rest flattish? It also had a lot of punchy finishes. Rebellin could also climb well from time to time, but he chose for a career in the classics. Smart choice IMO.

If he does it in the Giro or Tour I'll take my words back.

 

[The Hitch]

But how much of an example is the Vuelta with their mountain stages of only 1 mountain and all the rest flattish? It also had a lot of punchy finishes. Rebellin could also climb well from time to time, but he chose for a career in the classics. Smart choice IMO.

If he does it in the Giro or Tour I'll take my words back.

I do like your comment about 17th in the Vuelta being like Lantern Rouge in the Tour, because youngest did once say that 1st in the Giro is like 5th or 6th in the Tour, and obviously the Vuelta is even lesser so a win in the Vuelta is already like 20th in the Tour (if you follow the logic) and then 17th in the Vuelta would be, well first person to get eliminated probably

But Poels brilliance came not on the GC.

It was seen on Alto de Angiliru.

He came 2nd, ahead of Froome and Menchov, half a minute ahead of Wiggins fighting for the red. Ahead of Nibali, Purito, Nieve etc.

John Gadret only came 13th in the 2010 Giro. But he came 3rd on Kronplatz, 10th on Zoncolan and in the Evans group on Mortirolo.

I thought I was seeing someone with real potential. And we get a guy who finishes 20 seconds behind Contador on the hardest mountain stage in modern cycling.

You dont come 3rd in a Kronplatz tt by mistake, just like you dont come 2ndf on Angirilu by mistake. Its all talent.

Back to Poels, his overall gc needs some polishing yes. But a guy who comes 2nd on Angirilu, has real real potential.

Remember the name.

 

[El Pistolero]

I do like your comment about 17th in the Vuelta being like Lantern Rouge in the Tour, because youngest did once say that 1st in the Giro is like 5th or 6th in the Tour, and obviously the Vuelta is even lesser so a win in the Vuelta is already like 20th in the Tour (if you follow the logic) and then 17th in the Vuelta would be, well first person to get eliminated probably

But Poels brilliance came not on the GC.

It was seen on Alto de Angiliru.

He came 2nd, ahead of Froome and Menchov, half a minute ahead of Wiggins fighting for the red. Ahead of Nibali, Purito, Nieve etc.

John Gadret only came 13th in the 2010 Giro. But he came 3rd on Kronplatz, 10th on Zoncolan and in the Evans group on Mortirolo.

I thought I was seeing someone with real potential. And we get a guy who finishes 20 seconds behind Contador on the hardest mountain stage in modern cycling.

You dont come 3rd in a Kronplatz tt by mistake, just like you dont come 2ndf on Angirilu by mistake. Its all talent.

Back to Poels, his overall gc needs some polishing yes. But a guy who comes 2nd on Angirilu, has real real potential.

Remember the name.

I'm a Poels fan, which explains why I want him to focus on the classics