Cervelo Test Team = **** clowns

[The Colnago Kid]

If you had a cyclist who had just won a Stage of the Giro on a mountain-top finish, off of the back of three top 10 finishes in the Ardennes classics AND last year won a Stage of the Tour on a mountain-top finish … would you name him in your 9 man squad for the Tour de France? I would. Cervelo Test Team did not. Mindboggling.

This has to be the stupidest decision taken by a professional cycling team involving an Australian cyclist since T-Mobile did the same to Cadel Evans with their TDF squad in 2004. And how did T-Mobile fair that year? Kloden finished in second, over 6 minutes down on Armstrong; and Ullrich finished 4th, nearly 9 minutes back.
ar5e clowns. The lot of them.

 

[BigBoat]

Their looking for "mules" to drag Sastre around I think...

 

[subzro]

Cervelo had a strong 12 man selection .... 3 people had to get dropped, it's just a fact of being in a pro sports team.

 

[anubisza]

I'm guessing you're referring to Simon Gerrans.. Bit of a strange move.. Guessing he must be a bit tired after the Giro.

 

[laurentiu46]

And who is that mule that will drag Sastre better that Gerrans would have done it?
Anyway,they also showed how clowns they are during the Giro,when Pauwels was stopped in the most stupid possible way,and Cervelo practically took the stage win away from him.

 

[180mmCrank]

I don't claim to understand this decision. Gerrans is pretty gutted at being left out - not hard to see why he would be.

And at the same time Cervelo have been one of the most impressive new entrants to the Pro scene in a long time. I doubt this is an accident...they have some pretty wise folk at the helm. The Pauwels thing was a one off.

I for one am genuinely interested if they can take there early success and convert this into something for the Tour. My guess is they can.

 

[laurentiu46]

I also think they can,but Cav must agree on this too,if not,Hushovd and Haussler will find it difficult to win a stage.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Maybe they're just ceding control of the mountains to The Brothers Schleck and hoping Sastre can pip them on Ventoux and get yellow there? I don't think Sastre can win this Tour outright in the mountains when he's up against those two, and I don't think he will ever have a chance at being in yellow before Ventoux.

So. Let Saxo work in the mountains, Sastre stays with the skinny guys and hopefully puts some time into the big rouleurs, and then puts a little time into Schleck in the TTs. He doesn't really need a team at all for that. Lol, how strange to think that Sastre might be rollin the "limit your losses and gain time in the TT" strategy, but how else could he beat Andy Schleck? Out-climb him?

Of course, since Contador will most likely be there at those high finishes and place (a lot) higher than Sastre in the TTs, I think it's a moot point. I think Cervelo's utlimate glory in this Tour will be wearing numbers one through nine.

 

[sportzchick]

I think its a stupidly idiotic decision by Cervelo - I dont understand it and I wonder if its not ability or cycling related....clash of characters/team politics etc.

 

[Escarabajo]

Listen guys, I don't want to be the first one to bring it up, but I was completely shocked at these news. So that leads me to believe that the reasoning had to be something else different than being a great rider. There is no other explanation other than being in that stupid list.
There I said it. There is no other explanation.
It is just my opinion, don't bash me for this.

 

[sportzchick]

Oh I agree totally but unless we know the full story we dont know

It cant be form/fitness/ability

 

[laurentiu46]

There is a very high probability that you are right.
I mean,Cervelo had already announced before the list that 4 guys,Sastre,Hushovd,Haussler and Gerrans are in the team.
And now,suddenly,Simon is snubbed? Seems a mail was received by Cervelo in the mean time...

 

[BigBoat]

And who is that mule that will drag Sastre better that Gerrans would have done it?
Anyway,they also showed how clowns they are during the Giro,when Pauwels was stopped in the most stupid possible way,and Cervelo practically took the stage win away from him.

I agree Gerrans has the whole process of tuning down. But he wins stages and goes for overalls. They may be worried he wont be a servant but ride for himself.

 

[Sheltowee]

It might be political because he's been training in Colorado with Armstrong and Leipheimer--and Armstrong may be recruiting him for the Nike thing next year. Could have something to do with Sastre and his hoped for glory and the possibility that he might be outclassed by the Aussie? Too bad, he could have been interesting at the Tour with Saxo Bank's Schlecks and all the Astana crew.

 

[sportzchick]

interesting theory if its true

 

[42coppi]

What a bunch of clowns ! Every hill finish sprinter will be now thinking of stage wins and every climber will be thinking thank you for Sastre not having a work horse like Gerrans. This is worse than Lotto letting Horner go and failing Evans last year.

How do these people get to be Team Selectors.

I hope it was a good Aussie Shiraz or CabSav that Gerrans and Renshaw put away !

 

[laurentiu46]

I think everybody agrees,if it was not for Sastre,Cervelo would have not received wildcards for all the GT's and other PT races in their first year.
And i don't think Gerrans would have outclassed Carlos,simply because he can't.

 

[whiteboytrash]

"I'm still digesting the news. I'm pretty disappointed," Gerrans said on Twitter.

How can disappointed be pretty ? Why can't Australians speak ?

 

[whiteboytrash]

It might be political because he's been training in Colorado with Armstrong and Leipheimer--and Armstrong may be recruiting him for the Nike thing next year. Could have something to do with Sastre and his hoped for glory and the possibility that he might be outclassed by the Aussie? Too bad, he could have been interesting at the Tour with Saxo Bank's Schlecks and all the Astana crew.

http://www.livestrong.com/lance-arm...ate-avi/d0657317-98be-4ca4-975a-969732e64470/

 

[msjett]

"I'm still digesting the news. I'm pretty disappointed," Gerrans said on Twitter.

How can disappointed be pretty ? Why can't Australians speak ?

Bit like asking Americans why they can't shut up?

 

[Como77]

im aussie so obviously like to see as many australians in the tour as possible, but i also know a lot about the cervello team, including riders, officials and how the team is run and what they expect, and someone like gerrans would not have been left out for no reason, may not be right decision for gerrans but i am sure it is the right move for the cervelo team.

 

[franciep10]

Maybe this is one of the various non participations in the tour this year, due to "passport problems"

 

[Ibanez]

He has already ridden the Giro and the Ardennes classics...thats a pretty heavy schedule.

Cervelo have a Vuelta invite. He could easily rest up, ride the Vuelta and come into the WC in top condition, its a hard course he could maybe get a result on. Hardly the end of the world. And then he could try to complete his hatrick of GT stages.

Cervelo don't strike me as a team to make meaningless snubs, could be for his own 'benefit' if ya know what I mean. They will have a strong squad as it is, and as mentioned before I don't know if Gerrans has the mentality to be a domestique.

 

[Angliru]

Could have something to do with Sastre and his hoped for glory and the possibility that he might be outclassed by the Aussie?

Now let's not get carried away here. Gerrans has had his best season thus far but let's be real. Gerrans has yet to show that he can hold it together for an entire Tour so his role would've been as domestique to Sastre and I'm sure he would have recognized that. I imagine with the steep competition that Cervelo faces for the overall from Astana and Saxo Bank, that they also would have given Gerrans a little latitude to chase a stage win too.

Obviously something is up that has yet to reach the surface but I'm sure it will become known before the Tour. There are too many channels of communication out there nowadays for the reasoning to not to come out soon.

 

[anubisza]

The speculation that something bigger is up suprised me a bit, but I suppose it might be right..