AC needs a team?

[mitchman]

Or Not.....The guy’s a one man machine….I almost think He’s so good that any teams going to have a hard time beating him. Even with a stacked lineup…..Like Saxo Bank or Shack

 

[UpTheRoad]

Obviously he needs a team, but I understand and agree with your point. He doesn't need a powerhouse team around him. All he needs is what Astana seems willing and able to provide...support to get him close to the end with the leaders and then he can do his thing.

Team Lance has a lot of horsepower, but will suffer from a huge failing...namely that any attacks/surges at crunch time that don't include Armstrong won't be credible. If that occurs, I'd love to see teams goad Armstrong into pulling them back. Contador can ride up to him and say something to the effect of, "Lance, Astana is not going to chase Leipheimer because I'll just wait a day to attack and recoup all the time and then some. However, your bid for an 8th Tour is going up in smoke unless you get up there. Oh, and thanks for the upcoming pull."

Saxo Bank is another story. Either Schleck up the road are credible enough to be of concern. Obviously Andy moreso than Frank.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Or Not.....The guy’s a one man machine….I almost think He’s so good that any teams going to have a hard time beating him. Even with a stacked lineup…..Like Saxo Bank or Shack

I've thought this for some time now, for all the reasons UpTheRoad gives.

Even if you have three guys who can all go 20 mph up Mountain A, as long as there's one guy going 23 mph, it doesn't matter. On the off chance he does have a bad climbing day, there's always the TT to make up time against the only dangerous guy who will really be able to capitalize (A Schleck).

 

[theswordsman]

Or Not.....The guy’s a one man machine….I almost think He’s so good that any teams going to have a hard time beating him. Even with a stacked lineup…..Like Saxo Bank or Shack

I think he was right to give a lot of credit to his squad for the victory, especially for the stage win. He had guys pushing the pace all day so that most guys (in February form) wouldn't have the chance to respond to an attack. I think the team will be very evident at Paris-Nice, against a deeper field of guys who are there for the win.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan, but the guys who left skin on the road for Alberto and the team deserve their due.

 

[Anonymous]

I've thought this for some time now, for all the reasons UpTheRoad gives.

Even if you have three guys who can all go 20 mph up Mountain A, as long as there's one guy going 23 mph, it doesn't matter. On the off chance he does have a bad climbing day, there's always the TT to make up time against the only dangerous guy who will really be able to capitalize (A Schleck).

I agree to an extent, but I think that stage last year shows he would benefit from someone to help repel attacks on anything other than the final climb of the day, and to bring him a drink/food, like Bottle does for LA.

 

[Polish]

Greg LeMond won the 1989 TdF with arguably the weakest winning team ever.
A very good argument at that - ADR sucked as a GT team - only 2 or 3 riders were able to even finish and make it to Paris

And Greg was clean amongst dopers galore.

It will be fitting when Alberto ties Greg's TdF record this year, also riding clean and on a sucky team

(Greg dumped ADR after one year of riding with them btw....)

 

[isayic]

I think an appropriate TT bike is currently more important.
The team is OK. They still need a bit time to get together and I am sure that Martinelli is a good Directeur sportif to help. He worked for more than 10 years with Pantani.

 

[Publicus]

I don't think there is any question that he needs a solid team around him. What he doesn't need are a bunch of "fake" options around him--i.e., GC candidates in name only. It's not like anyone is going to buy that Vino or Pereiro are options for the overall. He needs workhorses for the flats and billy goats for the mountains. To the extent that Vino and Pereiro are willing to sign on and do that, that just makes them all the more valuable to AC.

Radio Shack, by comparison, needs all of the options it can get simply because it doesn't have a true GC candidate like Saxo or Astana that can do his thing once the hammer is dropped.. Andy has a strong team around him that can work for him on the flats and launch him on the climbs. Same with AC.

His team will be VERY important this year. But it's not about their ability to place highly on GC, but to deliver him to victory.

 

[Polish]

His team will be VERY important this year. But it's not about their ability to place highly on GC, but to deliver him to victory.

I would argue that Alberto's Team will be important - but not VERY important.
Also would argue that the Astana Tour Team will be VERY strong - much much stronger than the Astana team at the Portugese race just ended.

Seriously, Alberto has this years TdF locked up no contest sheesh.
Barring something catastophic.

It will be fun watching Alberto pulverize everybody, but the suspense at this years Tour will probably be the race for remaining two podium spots.

Schleck, Andy 6.50
Armstrong, L 9.00
Evans, C 20.00
Wiggins, B 22.00
Basso, I 25.00
Gesink, R 25.00
Valverde, A 25.00
Menchov, D 30.00
Rasmussen, M 30.00
Sanchez, S 35.00
Nibali, V 35.00
Leipheimer, L 40.00
Sastre, C 45.00
Klöden, A 50.00
Kreuziger, R 50.00
Schleck, Frank 50.00
VandeVelde, C 50.00
Vinokourov, A 50.00
Pellizotti, F 60.00
Martin, Tony 65.00
Cancellara, F 150.0
Casar, S 200.0
Moncoutié, D 200.0
Van den Broeck, J 200.0
Le Mevel, C 300.0

 

[Publicus]

I would argue that Alberto's Team will be important - but not VERY important.

Also would argue that the Astana Tour Team will be VERY strong - much much stronger than the Astana team at the Portugese race just ended.

I agree with the bolded point.

 

[BroDeal]

Schleck, Andy 6.50
Armstrong, L 9.00
Evans, C 20.00
Wiggins, B 22.00
Basso, I 25.00
Gesink, R 25.00
Valverde, A 25.00

Those odds are screwed up. I would give Basso a better chance than Wigans. I would give Evans a better chance than Armstrong. Both Gensink and Valverde should have much better odds. Schleck might even be a little low since there is a not unlikely chance that a racing incident or something could take out Contador just as there is always is with any contender.

 

[Race Radio]

How is a team with 3 GT winners on it considered weak?

 

[franciep10]

I would argue that Alberto's Team will be important - but not VERY important.
Also would argue that the Astana Tour Team will be VERY strong - much much stronger than the Astana team at the Portugese race just ended.

Seriously, Alberto has this years TdF locked up no contest sheesh.
Barring something catastophic.

It will be fun watching Alberto pulverize everybody, but the suspense at this years Tour will probably be the race for remaining two podium spots.

Polish you are the only person on this forum that I don't understand, one week you're pro lance the next you're pro contador. Seriously man are you bi polar or something

 

[BroDeal]

How is a team with 3 GT winners on it considered weak?

It is understandable.

Vino is old, but I think he will be a lot stronger than some expect. He quickly got to a high level by the end of the last season.

Does anyone really consider Periero a GT winner? I mean, come on.

If the Tour team is loaded with three Kazakhs other than Vino then that will not be too good for team strength.

 

[BikeCentric]

AC still needs a team no matter how good he is (and yes I watched the Algarve Stage 3 where AC is apparently still by far the best climber in the world just on his base miles, LOL).

Look at stage 4 in the Algarve, there is a break off the front and it falls on the race leaders team to control the front of the main field. Without a strong team AC is SOL and the break opens the gap letting an also-ran in it win the overall. This kind of pattern is going to repeat itself in many flat and rolling stages in upcoming stage races; AC will need a strong team to control the peloton.

Even on pure mountain stages AC needs good domestiques. Many mountain slopes are not too steep and drafting still plays a role; he will need good climbers to go the front and string things out for him, keeping him well positioned to launch when the road truly gets steep.

Even the strongest rider in the world needs a solid team or he can't win anything in cycling. An American football analogy is that even the most talented running back can't do jack without a solid offensive line blocking for him.

 

[BroDeal]

It's freaking February. Let's wait until April or May to see how strong the team is.

A rider like DDLF can be great help in the mountains if he rides at the level he is capable of.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'm just hoping that AC is really challenged this year by a few riders. I'm hoping for an exciting thrilling tour which will come down to the wire!

 

[Prodigy]

AC still needs a team no matter how good he is (and yes I watched the Algarve Stage 3 where AC is apparently still by far the best climber in the world just on his base miles, LOL).

Look at stage 4 in the Algarve, there is a break off the front and it falls on the race leaders team to control the front of the main field. Without a strong team AC is SOL and the break opens the gap letting an also-ran in it win the overall. This kind of pattern is going to repeat itself in many flat and rolling stages in upcoming stage races; AC will need a strong team to control the peloton.

Even on pure mountain stages AC needs good domestiques. Many mountain slopes are not too steep and drafting still plays a role; he will need good climbers to go the front and string things out for him, keeping him well positioned to launch when the road truly gets steep.

Even the strongest rider in the world needs a solid team or he can't win anything in cycling. An American football analogy is that even the most talented running back can't do jack without a solid offensive line blocking for him.

I disagree. Most of this team stuff is psychological in the mountains. They are going too slow for a proper slip stream and they can tag behind someone else before he attacks in any event. If the difference between AC and the rest is as big as last year (big if) then he could enter the race alone and still win.

 

[peloton]

I disagree. Most of this team stuff is psychological in the mountains. They are going too slow for a proper slip stream and they can tag behind someone else before he attacks in any event. If the difference between AC and the rest is as big as last year (big if) then he could enter the race alone and still win.

 

[Prodigy]

There's no doubt it really effects some riders not to have team mates around them on the climbs. Evans for instance. But Contador is not one of those. Mentally is he as hard as they come. Who helped him on the mountains last year? All he has to do is TT well and he should be home and dry, team or no team.

 

[Night Rider]

Alberto has a team strong enough to win the tour, no doubt about that. Astana might not be as strong as a Saxo Bank but then they only have one rider to protect and one goal, and their rider is perfectly capable of looking after himself.

 

[BikeCentric]

I disagree. Most of this team stuff is psychological in the mountains. They are going too slow for a proper slip stream and they can tag behind someone else before he attacks in any event. If the difference between AC and the rest is as big as last year (big if) then he could enter the race alone and still win.

Well, now we know that you've never raced.

 

[El Oso]

Polish you are the only person on this forum that I don't understand, one week you're pro lance the next you're pro contador. Seriously man are you bi polar or something

Flandis probably hacked into his computer

 

[quadsRme]

Flandis probably hacked into his computer

That would probably be a blessing in disguise

 

[Prodigy]

Well, now we know that you've never raced.

Not any grand tours, no.

Which stage (apart from the TTT) did Contador need a team for last year?