8 riders per GT team

[craig1985]

Do you think that it is adequate, and if so, why? Or do you think that 8 riders per team in a GT is too much of a toll on teams over three weeks, especially those who have ambitions of winning the race overall, various Jerseys (climbers, points etc.), rather than a wildcard team who's main goal is to have at least one man in each break that goes.

I tend to go with 8 as we could fit more teams in, and may actually make teams more balanced with their selection of riders. For instance I doubt Astana in '09 could fit Contador, Arm(Pie)strong, Kloden, and Leipheimer all in one team, with all four with ambitions of finishing on the podium, and only four domestiques left. Horner was the unlucky one who got punted. It would of been interesting out of Popovych, Paulinho, Rast, Zubeldia, and Muravyev. I suppose Rast would of been the odd man out, because Muravyev's Kazakh. Both Popo and Zubeldia have finished high up in the Tour in the past as well.

Also 8 riders per team could make it more entertaining as well.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Keep it at nine. No need for change. Teams still have plenty of riders if they have falls. 8 seems a tad to small if falls occur. My logic in that may seem weird but that's how I feel about it.

 

[Highlander]

I think that you could even reduce the teams to 7. I know that this could create potential problems if anyone crashes out, but it will also make it much harder for any team to control the race. Both the sprinters and the GC contenders would have trouble running down the breakaways and will really have to pick their spots. I also think that it could make a race more exciting and even allow a potential GC threat to get time on a stage that no one would expect.

 

[Cobber]

Keep it at nine. No need for change. Teams still have plenty of riders if they have falls. 8 seems a tad to small if falls occur. My logic in that may seem weird but that's how I feel about it.

I think you mean 15 riders for Evans' team and 5 for everyone else....

I voted for the classics.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think you mean 15 riders for Evans' team and 5 for everyone else....

Well maybe he should have 17 other riders so it can make up for the lack of a team he had other years.

 

[Jonathan]

The reason for decreasing the number of riders is that the number of teams can increase. I'm not sure if the latter is a good idea. Those GT mass sprints are dangerous affairs already, and perhaps it is better if a smaller number of teams can exert more control on them. So I tend toward the second answer, but the trouble is that I'm not sure how the first option would work in reality. Smaller teams might function just fine. The only way to really know is to try it out, right?

 

[BroDeal]

I am for seven rider teams. That would allow 28 teams. The race would be more chaotic and interesting when it is harder for one team to control.

ASO would have the opportunity to do something like invite a Japanese team, which would boost foreign interest and probably be worth a lot of money.

 

[Escarabajo]

I think that you could even reduce the teams to 7. I know that this could create potential problems if anyone crashes out, but it will also make it much harder for any team to control the race. Both the sprinters and the GC contenders would have trouble running down the breakaways and will really have to pick their spots. I also think that it could make a race more exciting and even allow a potential GC threat to get time on a stage that no one would expect.

+1. Enough said.


I put 8 as well.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I hope they will go a step further and have only 6 riders per team like in many Latin-American races. That's alot more exciting and it asks for the leaders of the teams to be much more aggressive since they can't rely on their helpers all the time

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I am for seven rider teams. That would allow 28 teams. The race would be more chaotic and interesting when it is harder for one team to control.

ASO would have the opportunity to do something like invite a Japanese team, which would boost foreign interest and probably be worth a lot of money.

Why would you want a Japanese team. They could barely finish the race they should rather invite Colombian teams again.

 

[BroDeal]

Why would you want a Japanese team. They could barely finish the race they should rather invite Colombian teams again.

Because if you had one or two slots above what is needed for the Pro Tour teams and a good selection of european Pro Continental teams then the ASO could experiment with some wild selections designed to expand the marketability of the race. Invite a Japanese team one year. Invite the Iranian Tabriz Petrochemical team another year. A Mexican team another year. Etc. Yeah, the teams would likely get crushed, but it might stimulate worldwide interest.

 

[Ibanez]

A 28 team tour with only 7 riders per squad would be amazing.

9 is too many, the strong teams are SO strong now the racing is all but neutralized until the final few km's of the last climb of the day in many mountain stages.

 

[Ferminal]

Seven.....

 

[WonderLance]

I vote for more polls.

or perhaps a "whos polls are better?: Auscycle V Craig"

 

[Ferminal]

I vote for more polls.

or perhaps a "whos polls are better?: Auscycle V Craig"

Lance's "poll".

 

[El Imbatido]

Lance's "poll".

Shouldn't that be Lance's Pole Well for polish, not others

 

[blaxland]

I think they should leave it at 9....only the best teams should ride the Gts....

 

[BroDeal]

The French need to follow the American lead. If a team is not chosen then they should be able to pay an exorbiant fee to attend a Chris Carmichael training camp to gain entry.

 

[craig1985]

Why would you want a Japanese team. They could barely finish the race they should rather invite Colombian teams again.

For ASO: $$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

if more teams can come then yes 8. 8 is the perfect number anyway.

 

[TRDean]

Also, limiting the team size to 7 or 8 would make for some intense competition within teams to make the GT squad!! That would be a lot of fun...

 

[sublimit]

Yes I'd go for 7. It will probably mean 2 less domestiques per team, Less control from 1 or 2 particular sprinting/overal classification teams and more higher quality riders and more teams so it has to be the way forward.

 

[flicker]

Way more interesting with 7, plus I like the idea of national teams. More competitive.

 

[kurtinsc]

What would the impact of 7 be for team makeup?

Would it put to an end the idea of having teams field both a sprinter and a GC guy?

With a team like Columbia, it would be pretty obvious they'd only bring a "GC guy" who'd work as part of Cav's train (which they pretty much do anyway). I just wonder how a team like Cervelo or Garmin would handle it.

Can you give a sprinter 2 guys and a GC 3 and really be in the mix for either?

 

[flicker]

What would the impact of 7 be for team makeup?

Would it put to an end the idea of having teams field both a sprinter and a GC guy?

With a team like Columbia, it would be pretty obvious they'd only bring a "GC guy" who'd work as part of Cav's train (which they pretty much do anyway). I just wonder how a team like Cervelo or Garmin would handle it.

Can you give a sprinter 2 guys and a GC 3 and really be in the mix for either?

You train your riders to be all arounders. A good way to clean up the sport.