Best team for the Classics

[pmcg76]

There is already a lot of talk about the Tour this year but even more interesting for me is the upcoming classics. Quite a few teams have good squads so it looks like it will be really exciting. Of course it depends on who is riding what but who has the best team for the classics?

My top 3 teams in no particular order:

BMC: Hincapie/Ballan/Burghart for the cobbles and Evans/Kroon/Santabrogio for the hilly races. Excellent allround team.

Katusha: Pozzatto for M-Sr and the cobbles, Rodriguez/Kirchen/Ivanov/Kolobnev for the hilly races. Super stong for the Ardennes but one dimensional for the others.

Saxo Bank: Cancellara/O'Grady/Breschel for M-Sr and the cobbles, the Schlecks/Fuglsang for the Hills. Perhaps the best squad if the Schlecks races

Quick Step/ Cervelo/Garmin/Sky have good teams for the cobbled races but not much for the Hills.

Liquigas/ Caisse d'Epargne/Rabobank have good teams for the Hills, weaker on the cobbles.

Other teams may have potential in one race os so but thats it.

All this adds up to a very exciting looking classics season, roll on April.

 

[Publicus]

There is already a lot of talk about the Tour this year but even more interesting for me is the upcoming classics. Quite a few teams have good squads so it looks like it will be really interesting. Of course it depends on who is riding what but who has good the best team for the classics?

I think BMC, Team Sky and Quickstep. Honorable mention to Saxo Bank and HTC-Columbia.

 

[Anonymous]

There is already a lot of talk about the Tour this year but even more interesting for me is the upcoming classics. Quite a few teams have good squads so it looks like it will be really interesting. Of course it depends on who is riding what but who has good the best team for the classics?

Northern Classics? Quickstep. Boonen/Devolder/Chavanel plus supporting cast... tough to beat.

 

[bianchigirl]

Agreed - QS are the team to beat in the Spring. Sky may come into their own come the Ardennes but I think an awful lot is being pinned on EBH alone.

 

[stefrees]

Agreed - QS are the team to beat in the Spring. Sky may come into their own come the Ardennes but I think an awful lot is being pinned on EBH alone.

what about flecha arvesen hayman?

still think quickstep are the oens here, maybe omega this year, gilbert/hoste?

 

[Kazistuta]

Well, if we take all the old World Cup classics into consideration, Quick Step can't be picked anywhere near the top. Obviously they're the top dog for the cobbled classics, but as TS is stating, BMC and Saxo Bank have the most wellrounded classics teams.

Sky have too few real contenders, with Gerrans, Boasson Hagen and Flecha being the only obvious choices.

Liquigas will be interesting, the hill guys should definitely do fine, but I'm curious to see what Bennati, Quinziato and Willems can do before that.

Rabobank is a big "break or bust" this season in the classics, I see a lot of names capable of doing something (Langeveld, Tjallingii, Boom, Freire, Mollema, Nuyens, Ten Dam, Posthuma and maybe even poor Reus), but it's not the most trustworthy group.....

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed - QS are the team to beat in the Spring. Sky may come into their own come the Ardennes but I think an awful lot is being pinned on EBH alone.

I dont think so, i think they have high hopes for Matty Hayman and Flecha is an obvious choice for Roubaix

 

[blaxland]

Definantly Quickstep and Sky followed by Bmc,Liquigas,Omega,Cervelo and Team Highroad.This is going to be a great year for the classics........

 

[42x16ss]

Definantly Quickstep and Sky followed by Bmc,Liquigas,Omega,Cervelo and Team Highroad.This is going to be a great year for the classics........

Shame that Lotto let Van Summeren and Evans go. With the way Lotto was racing last year they would have been hard to beat in any of the classics.

Anyway, something tells me that there will be some real surprises in the classics this year as all of the above teams are going to be hungry for a few wins - BMC, Sky and Lotto in particular.

 

[pmcg76]

Apologies to the first few respondants, I was still in the middle of writing the OP when I accidentally published it. I meant the best team across all the spring classics. Cobbled or Hilly or Milan-San Remo.

I agree QS are the strongest team for the cobbles but dont think they will do much in the Ardennes.

Sky have the potential but still a lot to prove just like the team in general I suppose.

I think people are seriously overlooking Katusha. Pozzatto has won Milan-San Remo and can contend at Flanders, Roubaix. Then they have AG winner Sergei Ivanov, former Fleche winner Kim Kirchen, consistent Ardennes man Rodriguez and Kolobnev who aint half-bad. Thats an impresive team with proven talent.

 

[Bike Boy]

There is already a lot of talk about the Tour this year but even more interesting for me is the upcoming classics. Quite a few teams have good squads so it looks like it will be really exciting. Of course it depends on who is riding what but who has the best team for the classics?

My top 3 teams in no particular order:

BMC: Hincapie/Ballan/Burghart for the cobbles and Evans/Kroon/Santabrogio for the hilly races. Excellent allround team.

Katusha: Pozzatto for M-Sr and the cobbles, Rodriguez/Kirchen/Ivanov/Kolobnev for the hilly races. Super stong for the Ardennes but one dimensional for the others.

Saxo Bank: Cancellara/O'Grady/Breschel for M-Sr and the cobbles, the Schlecks/Fuglsang for the Hills. Perhaps the best squad if the Schlecks races

Quick Step/ Cervelo/Garmin/Sky have good teams for the cobbled races but not much for the Hills.

Liquigas/ Caisse d'Epargne/Rabobank have good teams for the Hills, weaker on the cobbles.

Other teams may have potential in one race os so but thats it.

All this adds up to a very exciting looking classics season, roll on April.

As I can't bring anything new to the table I will just post my list:

Cobbled classics:

1. Quick Step
2. BMC
3. Omega Pharma Lotto
4. Sky/Saxo Bank/Rabobank (split decision)

Hilly classics:

1. Katusha
2. Saxo Bank
3. BMC
4. Lampre

I can't really settle for anything, in 5 minutes I might feel different.
Honestly I don't know much about EBH, he's probably better suited for the cobbled classics, but maybe he doesn't care about that an then decides to go for the ardennes.
I absolutely can't comprehent the magnitude of this guy's talent.

 

[Anonymous]

Apologies to the first few respondants, I was still in the middle of writing the OP when I accidentally published it. I meant the best team across all the spring classics. Cobbled or Hilly or Milan-San Remo.

I agree QS are the strongest team for the cobbles but dont think they will do much in the Ardennes.

Sky have the potential but still a lot to prove just like the team in general I suppose.

I think people are seriously overlooking Katusha. Pozzatto has won Milan-San Remo and can contend at Flanders, Roubaix. Then they have AG winner Sergei Ivanov, former Fleche winner Kim Kirchen, consistent Ardennes man Rodriguez and Kolobnev who aint half-bad. Thats an impresive team with proven talent.

I think you are on target except the team that is most overlooked may be Cervelo Test Team. Hushovd, Haussler, Klier, Hammond... not too bad for the stones.

 

[maltiv]

As I can't bring anything new to the table I will just post my list:

Cobbled classics:

1. Quick Step
2. BMC
3. Omega Pharma Lotto
4. Sky/Saxo Bank/Rabobank (split decision)

Hilly classics:

1. Katusha
2. Saxo Bank
3. BMC
4. Lampre

I can't really settle for anything, in 5 minutes I might feel different.
Honestly I don't know much about EBH, he's probably better suited for the cobbled classics, but maybe he doesn't care about that an then decides to go for the ardennes.
I absolutely can't comprehent the magnitude of this guy's talent.

EBH will focus on the cobbled classics, although it is certainly possible that he in the future could do well in Fleche for example. At the moment he is fairly good in hills and has an unbeatable uphill sprint, but he struggles when the course is hilly for a long time.

Lövkvist and Gerrans will probably lead team Sky in the ardennes.

 

[auscyclefan94]

What do QS have for the ardennes?

 

[jonjungel]

For the Ardennes, the best team is definately Saxo Bank. If Rebellin had been excluded a few weeks earlier last year, Saxo would have had two victories and a second place. That's domination if you ask me. Kroon and Kolobnev have left, but I still think they have a strong enough team to set it up for the Schlecks (maybe Fuglsang).

On the cobbles, I would say Quick Step. Their results the last few seasons have been second to none.

All spring classics taken together, I think Saxo Bank will get the best results. I can't think of any other team that has their overall strength.

 

[mortand]

What do QS have for the ardennes?

Carlos Barredo should be able to make an impact in the Ardennes, but I actually can't remember if he's ever really been a factor in those exact races. The race profiles do fit him, though. Jérôme Pineau might be their best bet, he's finished around top-10 or so before. Dries Devenyns might be an option, too. 16th at Flèche Wallonne last year, not too shabby.

Personally, I'm interested to see what a guy like Dario Cataldo is capable of. He's a great hill climber and an above average finisseur, so the Ardennes are definitely not out of his league. He was 22nd at Flèche Wallonne last year.

 

[ak-zaaf]

What do QS have for the ardennes?

Pineau, Barredo, a very tired Chavanel... Maybe Deveneyns and Cataldo are a bit better this year.

They don't really care anyway.

/edit: mortand was a minute quicker

 

[mortand]

Ha, great minds think (almost exactly) alike

 

[theyoungest]

Honestly I don't know much about EBH, he's probably better suited for the cobbled classics, but maybe he doesn't care about that an then decides to go for the ardennes.
I absolutely can't comprehent the magnitude of this guy's talent.

Well, he's not an Ardennes rider, that's for sure. He hasn't shown anything to indicate otherwise. Yet.

Rabobank is a big "break or bust" this season in the classics, I see a lot of names capable of doing something (Langeveld, Tjallingii, Boom, Freire, Mollema, Nuyens, Ten Dam, Posthuma and maybe even poor Reus), but it's not the most trustworthy group.....

Yes, they tend to be underestimated, and based on the past few years, rightly so. But they can't keep f@cking up, sooner or later they're bound to win something. And I predict it'll be Langeveld.

 

[Bluebeard]

I'd like to see Quinziato come good in the cobbles this year, though that would involve Liquigas getting the finger out and making a go of giving him proper support, so that may well be a no.

 

[markene2]

Hilly Classic
1. Saxo Bank
2. Katusha
3. Lampre
4. Astana

 

[craig1985]

Pineau, Barredo, a very tired Chavanel... Maybe Deveneyns and Cataldo are a bit better this year.

They don't really care anyway.

/edit: mortand was a minute quicker

Devolder is targeting L-B-L as well.

I would have to go for Quick Step, Katusha, and Saxo Bank as being the strongest Classics squads. O-P-L can't be underestimated, especially if Gilbert is racing. Leif Hoste is good for a second spot at RVV. Cervelo are quite good and so is Rabobank. I wouldn't bet against Gesink ever winning Fleche or Amstel Gold. BMC also have a solid Ckassics line-up.

I'm not sure about Team SKY when it comes to the Classics, particularly the cobbled ones. I guess have EBH is always an asset, but I think Flecha's chance of winning a Classic has almost passed. He was robbed of Ghent Wevelgem in 2005 and I don't see him winning unless he can get clear on his own. Or not like in Roubaix last year where he crashed and Hushovd barely broke a sweat in the sprint for 3rd place in the velodrome.

 

[il_fiammingo]

Devolder is targeting L-B-L as well.

Don't let him fool you. He'll target LBL if his Ronde sucked. There is no doubt he only focusses on a 3rd Flanders. He's becoming the next Van Petegem.

 

[il_fiammingo]

Well, he's not an Ardennes rider, that's for sure. He hasn't shown anything to indicate otherwise. Yet.


Yes, they tend to be underestimated, and based on the past few years, rightly so. But they can't keep f@cking up, sooner or later they're bound to win something. And I predict it'll be Langeveld.

I'm quite curious about Boom's northern classics debut.

 

[Michele]

Boom might be the 2010 Spring Classics surprise.

As an outside team, I will say Vacansoleil with guys like Leukemans, Bozic, Marcato and Hoogerland.