2015 Tour de France Start List

[Anderis]

I'm a bit disappointed Pozzovivo is not riding, but maybe that's better for team's interest to have him for Vuelta. But since he abandoned Giro so early, yet he seems to have regained good form already based on yesterday's TdS stage, it would be a good year to give TdF a try. And it would give AG2R a better chance to win team's classification yet another time.

 

[staubsauger]

Got Lavenu infected with idiocity by Martinelli lately?

Seriously, they turn down the chance to have Pozzovivo as a strong co-leader beside Bardet or to give him a free role to go for the polka dot. Why? Only to not hurt the leadership status of Peraud who has been out of contention the whole season apart from Korsika?

Oh dear!

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I think it's smart to hold Pozzovivo back for what could be a relatively weak Vuelta

 

[Poursuivant]

Brailsford near enough confirmed Porte will go. I don't see him being the last Sky man with Froome personally, but we shall see.

 

[staubsauger]

Re:

I think it's smart to hold Pozzovivo back for what could be a relatively weak Vuelta

Hmm I like that idea. If he improves one last time and can equal his magic 2013 tt, he's a contender!

 

[Miburo]

Stupid french, they only care about their bardet and peraud. Jesus man, pozzo should have been in this race

 

[staubsauger]

Re:

Stupid french, they only care about their bardet and peraud. Jesus man, pozzo should have been in this race

He would've looked so lovely in polka dot shorts!

 

[jens_attacks]

Pozzovivo is not made for le tour
Wise decision imo
Better avoid those pesky cobbles

 

[De Snelle Duif]

They really should take Bakelants, because he seems to be peaking towards the Tour and can be put in the breakaway at mountain stages.

 

[greenedge]

Is Kadri injured??? Because if he is not that's pretty bad to not include him.
I agree about Bakelants as well.

 

[greenedge]

Re:

The Bodnar situation now opens a dillema. Will they include Tossato or Paulinho (or will they be satisfied with Sagan, Bennati and Valgren as the flat men and put Basso in just for the sake of it - which would make a big problem in the TTT - noting that Basso isn't much help in the mountains either).

Would it Rogers, Kreuziger and Contador along with those 3 would make it 6 riders.

 

[bajbar]

Re: Re:

The Bodnar situation now opens a dillema. Will they include Tossato or Paulinho (or will they be satisfied with Sagan, Bennati and Valgren as the flat men and put Basso in just for the sake of it - which would make a big problem in the TTT - noting that Basso isn't much help in the mountains either).

Would it Rogers, Kreuziger and Contador along with those 3 would make it 6 riders.

Well: Contador, Majka, Kreuziger, Rogers, Kiserlovski, Sagan, Bennati, Valgren (not 100% of him, but hope he makes it) are 8 riders. The last place would (I guess) be occupied by Bodnar normally, but now that he is not ready, that leaves an open space. Though it would seem that Basso is the one that is going to make the cut, based on on the comments by the team... I would rather have another flat-man in the team (Tossato or maybe Breschel), who could do some work in the first week and be a help in the TTT. But it is not me who is making the call, it is the team managment, and I hope they know what is best for the team...

 

[Stilletto]

Omg can we change this thread to the tour start list and let's talk about sky !!! Snoozefest every other post is about sky ! Isn't there like other teams?
Anyway if you could which team(s) would you swap and who would they bring ?
Personally I'd get rid Bretagne or even trek !
And add Caja Rural could be fun no ?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Omg can we change this thread to the tour start list and let's talk about sky !!! Snoozefest every other post is about sky ! Isn't there like other teams?
Anyway if you could which team(s) would you swap and who would they bring ?
Personally I'd get rid Bretagne or even trek !
And add Caja Rural could be fun no ?

Funny that 'every other post being about Sky' yet 11 of the previous 12 posts in this thread were not about Sky

I agree Caja Rural would be good and they've had some good performances but they will feature prominently in the Vueltas breaks in August.

 

[greenedge]

Trek with Cancellara will perform ok. Mollema could even top 5, as the back injury seems to be recovering.

 

[Arredondo]

So no Dani Moreno in the Tour! Surprising news. Moreno himself is pissed with the news, that's for sure.

So next year he's gone. He already hesitated to sign a new contract. Perhaps that's the reason Katusha doesn't let him start.

Curious to see how Purito will react to this contract-wise. Moreno is a really important player and helper for him. Looks like the team is focusing all on Kristoff, Zakarin and Spilak for the next years.

‏@danimoreno81
Para las personas que me aprecian no corro el @letour,era fijo pero ya no,mi estado de forma debe de ser pésimo a pesar que después de Suiza

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

So no Dani Moreno in the Tour! Surprising news. Moreno himself is pissed with the news, that's for sure.

So next year he's gone. He already hesitated to sign a new contract. Perhaps that's the reason Katusha doesn't let him start.

Curious to see how Purito will react to this contract-wise. Moreno is a really important player and helper for him. Looks like the team is focusing all on Kristoff, Zakarin and Spilak for the next years.

‏@danimoreno81
Para las personas que me aprecian no corro el @letour,era fijo pero ya no,mi estado de forma debe de ser pésimo a pesar que después de Suiza

Why? just why? Moreno is such an important rider for rodriguez, is it possible that katusha just doesn't believe rodriguez can perform well in july, so they want to concentrate more on stage wins.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

So no Dani Moreno in the Tour! Surprising news. Moreno himself is pissed with the news, that's for sure.

So next year he's gone. He already hesitated to sign a new contract. Perhaps that's the reason Katusha doesn't let him start.

Curious to see how Purito will react to this contract-wise. Moreno is a really important player and helper for him. Looks like the team is focusing all on Kristoff, Zakarin and Spilak for the next years.

‏@danimoreno81
Para las personas que me aprecian no corro el @letour,era fijo pero ya no,mi estado de forma debe de ser pésimo a pesar que después de Suiza

Why? just why? Moreno is such an important rider for rodriguez, is it possible that katusha just doesn't believe rodriguez can perform well in july, so they want to concentrate more on stage wins.

It has to do with the fact Moreno doesn't want to sign a new contract. He wants a new team. So Katusha just bans him from the big races because of that. Just like Slagter a couple of years ago with Belkin (when he signed a contract with Garmin, so no Tour for him).

I think Katusha believes Purito can perform well. But perhaps they think Caruso, Losada and Machado is good enough for company. Now they can pick one more extra rider for the Kristoff-train.

Or Spilak

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Looks like they are going all USSR. And the Norwegian could easily turn out to be Kristov.

 

[Velolover2]

Purito without Moreno?

That was unexpected.

 

[Velolover2]

I was guessing on a line-up without Russians.

Rodríguez
Kristoff
Paolini
Caurso
Moreno
Losada
Vicioso
Machado
Smukulis

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

So no Dani Moreno in the Tour! Surprising news. Moreno himself is pissed with the news, that's for sure.

So next year he's gone. He already hesitated to sign a new contract. Perhaps that's the reason Katusha doesn't let him start.

Curious to see how Purito will react to this contract-wise. Moreno is a really important player and helper for him. Looks like the team is focusing all on Kristoff, Zakarin and Spilak for the next years.

‏@danimoreno81
Para las personas que me aprecian no corro el @letour,era fijo pero ya no,mi estado de forma debe de ser pésimo a pesar que después de Suiza

pretty big news, thx

 

[trevim]

Re:

Pozzovivo is not made for le tour
Wise decision imo
Better avoid those pesky cobbles

He has never ridden the Tour, it's about time he tries it.

 

[JRanton]

Re: Re:

Well, more than two riders outside the Dauphine team are required in team Sky:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-skys-tour-de-france-line-up-takes-shape

So looks like it's Froome, Porte, Roche, Poels, Kennaugh and Thomas as certs then between Henao, konig, Kiri, Nieve, Rowe and Stannard for the final 3 spots.

I'd take Rowe and Yogi as the flat engines and the final spot will be either Henao or Konig.

henao is also certain.

Source? Unless it's direct from Brailsford, it's not certain.

I agree that Froome, Porte, Roche, Poels, Kennaugh and Thomas are as good as there, given form, ability and race programmes.

Of the others, you'd definitely want another rouleur/cobbles/TTT man. On current and recent form, that will surely be Rowe.

Realistically also, to balance the team, another rouleur is likely. Stannard enamoured himself to Froome and proved himself yesterday. Close to a cert too.

Of the rest, Konig is consistent, versatile and capable, Kiri and Nieve are top notch doms, and there's Deignan, who hasn't been mentioned yet, but is riding brilliantly. There's Knees too, who's a tremendous all-round dom, but he and Froome haven't ridden together for yonks. And, finally, Henao. Probably the best climber of that lot, if he's on form, but he's yet to show he's back on top form and doesn't have a track record of being a loyal helper to Froome. He might be the most likely of that lot, but, especially considering Sky's surprises in choosing last year's team, I wouldn't hold too much stock in what Henao's told a Colombian journalist.

Henao rode pretty well for Thomas in Switzerland. He seems to be a pretty loyal, team player, whereas Konig would probably be constantly saving his own legs and crossing his fingers that Froome crashed out.

My Sky Tour team: Froome, Porte, Henao, Poels, Thomas, Roche, Kennaugh, Kiryienka, Stannard.

 

[TheArt]

The first comfirmed squad:

LottoNL-Jumbo: Robert Gesink, Laurens ten Dam, Wilco Kelderman, Bram Tankink, Steven Kruijswijk, Tom Leezer, Jos van Emden, Sep Vanmarcke, Paul Martens,.