Domestique Dream Team

[Ibanez]

José Vicente Garçia Acosta. Fifteen years hammering out a tempo. Never moved teams. 9 wins in his career. The only rider still out there who domestiqued for Indurain. Last Vuelta he sat on the front, km after km, and set everything up. In Paris-Nice he was the one that forced the split in the wind, and then he and José Iván Gutiérrez drove it home. He's an underrated beast.

Yes! At the start of every grand tour I check the start list, and I will always, always, check for Acosta.

Incredible to think he has been riding at the top level since I was 7/8 years old. That a large portion of my life he has spent at the front of the peloton bashing out the tempo.

Andrea Noe as well is still knocking about, only just made the move down from ProTour to ProConti after leaving Liquigas and moving to Ceramica Flaminia. He's 41. Thats 5 years younger then my dad. Turned pro back in 1993!

 

[Moondance]

My dream team:

Leader: Contador

Domestiques: Sylvester Szymd, Chris Anker Sorensen, The Canc, Grischa Niermann, Steven de Jongh (retired recently, but still), Mark Renshaw, Jens Voigt

Sprinter: Whoever. Pretty much any half-decent sprinter should be able to finish off a Voigt, Canc, de Jongh and Renshaw lead-out.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

My dream team:

Leader: Contador

I really don't think Contador fits in the domestique category

 

[Moondance]

I really don't think Contador fits in the domestique category

Yes... That's why he's the leader and the others his domestiques.

I was spelling out my entire dream team.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Yes... That's why he's the leader and the others his domestiques.

I was spelling out my entire dream team.

I understand that, was just pointing out that it was a bit OT

 

[RedheadDane]

A wee bit OFT again but the Schlecks have young Fugslang down as their last man standing on the climbs in the TDF this year. So, sort of super domestique in the making, does that count

And last year they had Chris Sørensen. But... maybe "Birdie" can hang on a little longer.

That being said I do think Saxo Bank is the sort of team where a bunch of riders may easily be the protected riders in one race and then domestiques of another. If I recall correctly Birdie was the captain of last year's Vuelta squad, wouldn't that make the Schlecks ultra-super domestiques? (Also the Schlecks often seem to, more or less, play domestiques for each other.) Chris Anker should have been the Giro captain and now the team is riding for a neo-pro. Roles can easily change!

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Sylvester Szmyd
Laurens Ten Dam
Jens Voigt
Jose Ivan Gutierrez
Kloden
Van Summeren
Cancellara
Vandevelde

 

[ak-zaaf]

Kevin Hulsmans

 

[spanky wanderlust]

fun thread. i'm surprised arvesen is not on more folks' lists. i also like van summeren.

 

[Carl0880]

As far as the past 10 years, a name forgotten because he has been retired for 2-3 years now is Gian Matteo Fagnini, lead out man for many years for Cipollini and then Zabel for a couple.

As far as still active, Marco Velo leadout for Petacchi for a few years and he still races. Think Velo last victory was in the Italy TT championship in 2000.

 

[slowoldman]

Andrea Carrea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Carrea

He wept when he inadvertently took the maillot jaune.

 

[flicker]

Since I am tall and wide,

Fabian Cancellera
Magnus Bankstead
Tom Boonen
Mr. T
Dolf Lundgren
Rolf Aldag
Miguel Indurain
Hulk Hogan
Eddy Merckx
Luis Ocana
Battaglin
Fausto Coppi
Felice Giomondi
Tom Zirbel

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hulk Hogan

tish and piddle! Virgil was the best domestique in that era, without him the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase would never have won all those semi-classics!

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

What about Serge Pauwels in last year's Giro?

 

[analo69]

What about some of the Italians. I remember a couple of Italian domestiques leading the bunch for hundreds of kilometers at the Worlds when Betinni won. But I don't remember their names.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

More belgians: Van Summeren, Aerts, Rosseler, Cretskens, Gilbert (did it for Evans), Axel Merckx, Van Sevenant

 

[kjetilraknerud]

What about some of the Italians. I remember a couple of Italian domestiques leading the bunch for hundreds of kilometers at the Worlds when Betinni won. But I don't remember their names.

Tosatto, Bertolini and Tonti perhaps?