BMC in disarray?

[boomcie]

Boomcie Misses Craig

 

[roundabout]

So you are saying that MSR has been one of the easiest races so far?

Otherwise all previous results by Boonen, Cancellara, etc... would not prove anything either. Least of all make someone a favorite for a much harder race later on.

Wait, wait, wait.

Are you saying that last Sanremo was difficult? Slow Cipressa, slow Poggio until the last km, 40+ people just a few seconds behind the lead 3 over the top.

And I don't understand why you brought up Boonen and Cancellara into this, the 2 riders who weren't touring around like Gilbert this year.

But ok, keep pretending that a 6th place by a different rider is a good sign as far as Gilbert's form is concerned. Makes about as little sense as the post I quoted.

 

[movingtarget]

Not much. Which is pretty unusual for Cadel. Even the TT was rather poor.

Not really motivated was he at that stage with nothing to ride for.

 

[movingtarget]

How is that related to the discussion?A Gilbert in good form would have had quite a good chance to win last saturday actually. Sure, we don't know that he wasn't good, but considering his lackluster results so far, it would require quite an unlikely turnaround to be great in Sanremo. I don't know where you base your Vlaanderen prediction on.
Maybe he could top-5, besides the point though, his poorer shape is not planned.

Evans said before the start of the TA that he was using the race as a guide to his fitness. Last year there was no Olympic road race after the TDF nor Worlds Road Race for Evans like this year. If he is a few weeks behind in fitness considering what's to come later it might be an advantage for him and the Ardenne races he rides will be only to support Gilbert unlike previous seasons.

 

[Froome19]

Please say that BMC will turn good Before May Comes

 

[theyoungest]

Not really motivated was he at that stage with nothing to ride for.

He had the camera following him for a bit, and he certainly seemed to be giving it his all.

 

[Panda Claws]

BMC doesn't really fail so far as I'm concerned unless they do not win at least 1 Ardennes Classic.

 

[theyoungest]

BMC doesn't really fail so far as I'm concerned unless they do not win at least 1 Ardennes Classic.

Come on, you can expect a team with more than twice the budget of most other teams to at least win something before April. It doesn't have to be something big.

 

[Froome19]

Come on, you can expect a team with more than twice the budget of most other teams to at least win something before April. It doesn't have to be something big.

Yeh you do but it doesnt mean its a fail.

 

[El Pistolero]

Come on, you can expect a team with more than twice the budget of most other teams to at least win something before April. It doesn't have to be something big.

Of course you can, but if they win Paris-Roubaix, all the Ardennes classics and the Tour no one will give a crap anymore about what happened before April.

 

[Panda Claws]

Come on, you can expect a team with more than twice the budget of most other teams to at least win something before April. It doesn't have to be something big.

The problem with BMC is that their team is not exactly made of winners.

Philippe Gilbert is one of course but he seems to be going for quality rather than quantity.

Ballan and GVA are no winners. Hushovd didn't win anything until the Tour last year either?

Cadel Evans does not usually win much either.


And their indians suck or are no winners either.

 

[williamp78]

Emanuele Sella says hi.

What tooth related mis-hap happened to him?

 

[karlboss]

The problem with BMC is that their team is not exactly made of winners.

Philippe Gilbert is one of course but he seems to be going for quality rather than quantity.

Ballan and GVA are no winners. Hushovd didn't win anything until the Tour last year either?

Cadel Evans does not usually win much either.


And their indians suck or are no winners either.

Agree.

Though GVA will surprise and take either flanders or roubaix. Or maybe I've been bouyed after my Gerrans pick in MSR.

 

[Eric8-A]

Hushovd didn't win anything until the Tour last year either?

Thor won a stage at the Tour de Suisse last year.

 

[Spider1964]

The problem with BMC is that their team is not exactly made of winners.

Philippe Gilbert is one of course but he seems to be going for quality rather than quantity.

Ballan and GVA are no winners. Hushovd didn't win anything until the Tour last year either?

Cadel Evans does not usually win much either.


And their indians suck or are no winners either.

Have a go at BMC for a poor year (to this stage! In March!), but credit where credits due...

Thor has won two Tour de France stages ... he was the 2010 world road champion ... Won stages in all three Grand Tours. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad... A stage in the Tour of California (4th GT for some!).

He might not be the most regular winner in the pro peloton, but he does win and others would kill for his palmares.

 

[Richeypen]

Have a go at BMC for a poor year (to this stage! In March!), but credit where credits due...

Thor has won two Tour de France stages ... he was the 2010 world road champion ... Won stages in all three Grand Tours. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad... A stage in the Tour of California (4th GT for some!).

He might not be the most regular winner in the pro peloton, but he does win and others would kill for his palmares.

I dont think that the post is criticising Thor's Parmares, rather pointing out that last year he didnt really bring the wins in. His Tour was great, up to then he was getting widely slated.

 

[Spider1964]

That's fair enough then.. Although at the start of Panda's post he did mention they were a team of non-winners?

I still reckon March is a bit early to be beating them up on a lack of wins, but to some extent that's the price you pay for having so many big names in the one team. We'll know in a couple of months I guess... until then they'll cop their wack until they win a race... any race.

 

[Woody22]

This discussion reminds me a lot of the GreenEdge thread where so many said that they would win so little and how terrible their roster was.

As has been repeated often it is only March. If they still haven't performed by the end of April then fair enough.

 

[Panda Claws]

That's fair enough then.. Although at the start of Panda's post he did mention they were a team of non-winners?

I still reckon March is a bit early to be beating them up on a lack of wins, but to some extent that's the price you pay for having so many big names in the one team. We'll know in a couple of months I guess... until then they'll cop their wack until they win a race... any race.

Yeah I meant that in quantity not in quality. Thor wins big things but he doesn't win a lot.

 

[dlwssonic]

Guys we shall wait till the end of LBL to make any conclusions. If they really fail to get a big win by then. Than they are in disarray big time but I doubt it will happen. Just hope for no more bad luck.

 

[movingtarget]

The problem with BMC is that their team is not exactly made of winners.

Philippe Gilbert is one of course but he seems to be going for quality rather than quantity.

Ballan and GVA are no winners. Hushovd didn't win anything until the Tour last year either?

Cadel Evans does not usually win much either.


And their indians suck or are no winners either.

It's a team based sport. Gilbert, Hushovd and Evans are expected to win and the others are expected to support. Sky has Cavendish, Wiggins and EBH. Lotto has Greipel. R/Shack has Leipheimer et al.......most teams only have a few regular winners. Any team that won a stage of the TDF plus the overall plus a second in the Dauphine, an overall win in the Tour of Romandie an overall win the the Tirreno Adriatico and a few other minor races would be happy regardless of who on the team won the races. Of course this year the expectations are much higher.

If they fail in the classics there might be a few contracts up for review later in the year plus Evans is not far off retirement and the team really does not have a substitute GC rider at this stage. They will be hoping for Van Garderen to keep improving but might end up buying someone else if he does not do as well as expected. I can't see Evans going for more than two more seasons after this one but you never know. GC riders seem to have longer careers these days and he might concentrate more on the classics and help the younger riders instead of chasing grand tours. A lot will hinge on his performance in ths year's TDF I think.

 

[boomcie]

R/Shack has Leipheimer et al.......

No they don't.

 

[movingtarget]

No they don't.

Of course, I was used to Leipheimer winning races last year. OK R/Shack have no one but potential winners Horner, Kloeden and dare I say it, Andy Schleck. At least Horner and Kloeden won races last year.

 

[theyoungest]

Guys we shall wait till the end of LBL to make any conclusions. If they really fail to get a big win by then. Than they are in disarray big time but I doubt it will happen. Just hope for no more bad luck.

No more bad luck? Gilbert crashed in MSR... that's it, I think?

 

[boomcie]

Of course, I was used to Leipheimer winning races last year. OK R/Shack have no one but potential winners Horner, Kloeden and dare I say it, Andy Schleck. At least Horner and Kloeden won races last year.

Cancellara.