Some teams, such as EuropCar, Androni, Vini, Caja Rural, NepApp, etc; could just about kick some of the lower echelon PRTs. By the same token, some Continental teams rock!
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Best Pro-Conti Team for Grand Tours?
- Thread starter WindLessBreeze
- Start date
2009 Liberty Seguros, 2011 Tavira, Miche circa 2009-10 with Niemiec, Baliani and Muto, and Tabriz Petrochemical!
Giro after 15 stages
The pro-conti teams have performed up to expectations. Pirazi/Bardiani leads KOM; Andriato/Vini Fantini leads sprints; Androni sits in 7th place; 4 out of the 5 teams are less than an hour away from SKY. Stages have been won. So far, so good. They've earned their invitations. Questions? Confessions? (Only pundits, please. I do not have patience for smart A>>>>>>>>>>>Z tifosis. Maglia*Nera)
The pro-conti teams have performed up to expectations. Pirazi/Bardiani leads KOM; Andriato/Vini Fantini leads sprints; Androni sits in 7th place; 4 out of the 5 teams are less than an hour away from SKY. Stages have been won. So far, so good. They've earned their invitations. Questions? Confessions? (Only pundits, please. I do not have patience for smart A>>>>>>>>>>>Z tifosis. Maglia*Nera)
No question that the Giro Pro-Conti teams have earned their invitations so far. Really impressed with Vini Fantini - consistently good at the Giro, decent Classics squad as well. I think Androni will really want a stage win though. However I wouldn’t say it was entirely fair to say that they have been kicking WT teams up the backside. Some of the WT teams are fielding teams because they have to rather than it being a big priority for them. Not saying that they are there purely to make up the numbers but (e.g.) Euskaltel will always see the Giro as the third more important GT of the year after the Vuelta and the (Pyrenees stages especially) TdF.
SetonHallPirate said:
Why should they? They are sucking. Especially their two highest earners, Taaramae and Coppel.
One Man Grupetto said:
In past 2 years, 2011 and 2012, Euskaltel is in top 7 or 8 teams in terms of Giro success. 3 stages and top 10 gc placing in both editions.
This year its not so good, but not because they sent a poor team, but because they lack form and/or luck. Sanchez was sent to fight for podium, although top5 was a more realistic target for him. He had a bad day on 1st mountain stage, otherwise he would be around 5th or 6th place.
Urtasun, their breakaway specialist crashed on stage 1, had to abandon few days later.
They still might get a stage. Egoi Martinez looks very strong, and hes back enough on time to be let go by everyone. Maybe Samu can get a stage with lots of luck, but chances are slim since he will be tracked back and/or followed by guys who are stronger than him at the moment.
I don't know about the finances, but Taaramae claims to have had some health issues (asthma related).Gloin22 said:
Amets Txurruca
I'd bet Euskatel wishes not to have ' dissed him now. He's performed great for Caja Rural. As far as Cofidis, they lie 2nd behind Europcar in terms of UCI Europe's tour. (See UCI.CH>Rankings>Teams).
I'd bet Euskatel wishes not to have ' dissed him now. He's performed great for Caja Rural. As far as Cofidis, they lie 2nd behind Europcar in terms of UCI Europe's tour. (See UCI.CH>Rankings>Teams).
I wasn't saying that Euskaltel had sent a poor team and I could probably have picked a better example. However unless you are a WT team with really deep pockets and can send out quality teams throughout the year, you have to prioritise your races on the calendar and work your riders programmes around that. Inevitably that would mean that some of your best GT riders aren't riding in all the grand tours and that your squad is not so strong for a certain GT. I know that (e.g.) FdJ sent Jeanneson and that Mouray is doing a decent GC job but that team circle the dates of the TdF and work backwards from that. So it's not fair to say that native Pro-Conti wildcard teams whose season could be made depending on what they do in a GT, who build their squads around the race and whose sponsors expect them to be visible on every stage are necessarily kicking some WT's teams arses - they just have different motivations and priorities for the race.
WindLessBreeze said:
Thanks for pointing that out, I'd thought that Cofidis had had a pretty weak season so far. I was wrong. Likewise, Sojasun are ranked third.
Adding UCI points w/o sinnergy
True. Your statement gives me the reason. Some of the lower ranked WT teams are low budget. They must cover a whole lot of races. Some of them w/o importance to them. They add riders from Asia, Africa, America; who are dominant in their continents, just to add their points up to their tally. Without
sinnergy. Better to be like Europcar. Ride in your country. Present an strong squad in your national tour; than to ride lots of races and achieve nothing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~nesocip said:
True. Your statement gives me the reason. Some of the lower ranked WT teams are low budget. They must cover a whole lot of races. Some of them w/o importance to them. They add riders from Asia, Africa, America; who are dominant in their continents, just to add their points up to their tally. Without
sinnergy. Better to be like Europcar. Ride in your country. Present an strong squad in your national tour; than to ride lots of races and achieve nothing
2013 Vini-Fantini?!
You can't deny it looked great on paper: Gatto, Garzelli, Di*Luca (arrivederci!),
stage winner Santambrogio; Sprints contender Andriato, et al. Great effort by Scinto. It's a pity when everything is almost ruined by Dogs of War riding the highway of broken dreams for the last time. Maglia^Nera/Montani3Semper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Libertine Seguros said:
You can't deny it looked great on paper: Gatto, Garzelli, Di*Luca (arrivederci!),
stage winner Santambrogio; Sprints contender Andriato, et al. Great effort by Scinto. It's a pity when everything is almost ruined by Dogs of War riding the highway of broken dreams for the last time. Maglia^Nera/Montani3Semper
King of the Mountains said:
And Kern
and Turgot
and Gaudin
and Charteau
and Thurau
and Malacarne
classicomano
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