Garmin cannondale

[42x16ss]

You make it sound as though Cervelo and Cannondale bikes are night and day apart.... I would argue that they're pretty darn similar....the SuperSix Evo High-Mod isn't that different than the R5s (or even R5ca) that most of the Garmin-Sharp guys were used to riding... I doubt the team would notice much of a difference between the P5 and the Slice RS as well.... so long as the team isn't forced to ride the new Non-RS Slice which looks far less impressive.

The riders will have no issues switching to the Super Six. It comes in more frame sizes, the geometry varies between sizes in a much more sensible way (who can forget the ridiculous stems Ryder and others have used in the past?) and the carbon used is just as stiff. I guess the only possible downside is no aero model but that doesn't seem to hold back Sagan.

There may be some minor performance with the new Slice compared to the P5, but I'm convinced it would be minimal. The current Slice is still an excellent TT bike even if it looks a little silly with that skinny seatpost.

The comments earlier about Lampre not liking their Focus bikes was regarding their TT bikes as well. IIRC the riders didn't like the way the direct mount brake was routed around the bottom bracket. Apparently it took away a lot of the stiffness in the area and caused the frame to twist slightly. They thought that the road bikes were decent overall though.

 

[Ad Rock]

The comments earlier about Lampre not liking their Focus bikes was regarding their TT bikes as well. IIRC the riders didn't like the way the direct mount brake was routed around the bottom bracket. Apparently it took away a lot of the stiffness in the area and caused the frame to twist slightly. They thought that the road bikes were decent overall though.

There were some concerns about the Road bikes too apparently... I've heard from a reputable source that more than one of the pros riding older model Focus bikes had custom bikes made by Sarto and badged to look like a Focus.....that was several years ago though - it seems like the new Focus bikes are more well received!

 

[42x16ss]

There were some concerns about the Road bikes too apparently... I've heard from a reputable source that more than one of the pros riding older model Focus bikes had custom bikes made by Sarto and badged to look like a Focus.....that was several years ago though - it seems like the new Focus bikes are more well received!

Focus have stepped up regarding their road bikes, the new Izalco isn't bad at all, especially for the price. However, their TT rigs look fast, but for riders putting out the kind of power a WT TT specialist does, they aren't quite up to spec.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The JV thread in the clinic has a post from JV admitting both the UCI and ASO are directly involved in his hires. I really don't have a clue how much they are involved, so I could be too broad. Conversely, unless you work for the UCI/WT Team in this area, then you don't really know either. I totally agree with not knowing either way!

Occam's razor.

There are simple, straightforward reasons why getting involved in rider selection to keep some undesirables out is in the interests of the UCI and ASO. And it is relatively easily and simply achieved. It is conceivable (ie just about possible) that the UCI or ASO are involved to the extent of determining that team a should have winners, team b should be full of kids, but that would be a much more complex undertaking without anything like the clear motivation and with the real risk of disgruntled riders and teams spilling the beans.

Further, who teams sign or don't sign can, with the possible exception of a few undesirables, be adequately explained by budget, race focus, sponsor nationality, rider availability and the occasional managerial whim. There is no need to introduce some secret outside direction to explain the resulting signing policies, whether that outside force be the UCI or ASO, the illuminati or mind controlling aliens.

The overwhelming likelihood is that Garmin, for example, don't ram their roster full of stars because they've never had the budget to do so, rather than because the ASO decrees it. Likelihood does not of course exclude all other possibilities.

 

[avanti]

Team presentation tonight at 8:30 pm EST and will be streamed on the internet.
http://www.cannondale.com/nam_en/cannondale-garmin-team-launch

Update at 7:30 MST: So far 55 minutes down and very boring presentation so far. Not to mention audio volume is too low.

Update at 7:40 PM: Kit displayed - not a winner in my view.

 

[theyoungest]

The problem wasn't really with the bikes, but that the riders hadnt trained on them (ie brand new bikes of a brand new design) for more than an hour before the most important TT of the year.

It turns out that the problem was with the bike, or at least with Mollema's. His idiosyncratic style on the TT bike caused the back wheel to touch the frame. Bianchi have this countervail system that absorbs bumps in the road for a classics rider, but it's totally unsuited to a TT frame as it isn't stiff enough.

 

[filipo]

It turns out that the problem was with the bike, or at least with Mollema's. His idiosyncratic style on the TT bike caused the back wheel to touch the frame. Bianchi have this countervail system that absorbs bumps in the road for a classics rider, but it's totally unsuited to a TT frame as it isn't stiff enough.

All of which would have been discovered had the dude ridden the bike beforehand.

Your point is valid, of course -- I just still can't believe that went down. Sometimes all the fancy buses in the world can't hide the fact that cycling can be a sh!tshow sometimes...

 

[theyoungest]

All of which would have been discovered had the dude ridden the bike beforehand.

Your point is valid, of course -- I just still can't believe that went down. Sometimes all the fancy buses in the world can't hide the fact that cycling can be a sh!tshow sometimes...

Bianchi indeed takes the prize for most amateurish bike manufacturer, delivering the bike a few days before the most important TT of the year. Of course, Mollema could have chosen not to ride it...

 

[grizzlee]

Team presentation tonight at 8:30 pm EST and will be streamed on the internet.
http://www.cannondale.com/nam_en/cannondale-garmin-team-launch

Update at 7:30 MST: So far 55 minutes down and very boring presentation so far. Not to mention audio volume is too low.

Update at 7:40 PM: Kit displayed - not a winner in my view.

Im quite disappointed that the WWF panda is gone from the kit

 

[vedrafjord]

Occam's razor.

...

The overwhelming likelihood is that Garmin, for example, don't ram their roster full of stars because they've never had the budget to do so, rather than because the ASO decrees it. Likelihood does not of course exclude all other possibilities.

Yep. Hiring young unproven riders: he believes in the potential of the youth of tomorrow, or, they're cheap. Hiring sanctioned dopers like Millar and Dekker: he truly believes in giving people a second chance, or, they're damaged goods so they're cheap.

 

[durtyfat]

It is official!. Hesjedal should be the leader at the Giro. Talansky and Martin will share the leaderships at the TDF. I really hope that Hesjedal will regain the form he had in 2012. What do you guys expecting from these riders at the 2 GTs?

 

[Afrank]

That's a bad decision...IMO. Hesjedal doesn't convince me much anymore, he hasn't really shown the ability to win another GT since his Giro win. Top 10 at best I'd say.

They should have Talansky lead the Tour team and Hesjedal co-lead with Martin in the Giro.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That's a bad decision...IMO. Hesjedal doesn't convince me much anymore, he hasn't really shown the ability to win another GT since his Giro win. Top 10 at best I'd say.

They should have Talansky lead the Tour team and Hesjedal co-lead with Martin in the Giro.

They want Martin at the Tour because the parcours offers easy stage wins to Ardennes types.

 

[ray j willings]

They want Martin at the Tour because the parcours offers easy stage wins to Ardennes types.

Martin has yet to sustain his great form through a 3 week race.
Ryder is a bit of an enigma. I love the way he rides and he can easily blow a race to bits. If can get through the first week or so of a GT in contention then he is in with a shot because he's not scared to try something.

It would be great to see Talansky break through.

Garmin have always tended to be more fluid than other teams about who's leader but they also have the worst luck as well.

I don't like the colour scheme and don't like JV.

 

[durtyfat]

That's a bad decision...IMO. Hesjedal doesn't convince me much anymore, he hasn't really shown the ability to win another GT since his Giro win. Top 10 at best I'd say.

They should have Talansky lead the Tour team and Hesjedal co-lead with Martin in the Giro.

Actually, he was not lucky in the last 2 years. I wouldn't count him out. If you look at the route of the Giro this year, it's one of the easiest route since 10 years, probably easier than 2012. Of course, many good riders will be present in this edition(Contador, Uran, Aru, probably Nibali), but he will have his shot for the GC if he has a great form.

 

[trevim]

Actually, he was not lucky in the last 2 years. I wouldn't count him out. If you look at the route of the Giro this year, it's one of the easiest route since 10 years, probably easier than 2012. Of course, many good riders will be present in this edition(Contador, Uran, Aru, probably Nibali), but he will have his shot for the GC if he has a great form.

2012 was a killer route

 

[May0maniac]

That's a bad decision...IMO. Hesjedal doesn't convince me much anymore, he hasn't really shown the ability to win another GT since his Giro win. Top 10 at best I'd say.

They should have Talansky lead the Tour team and Hesjedal co-lead with Martin in the Giro.

Hesjedal is one of those guys that has the potential to do good in a backloaded Giro, I'm fine with him being the leader if we also get Formolo at the Giro, but from what I've heard Vaughters thinks that he should ride the Vuelta as his first GT, he also called him a future Giro winner in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

 

[The GCW]

Australia

The Tour Down Under is a different sort of animal for various reasons...

But I'm still bewildered how Garmin Cannondale didn't even crack the top 20.

Why? I didn't pay attention so I don't have a clue. Did they just not send riders? Was it not important at all? Not even a little?

I expect better later but is there a simple explanation?

 

[Afrank]

The Tour Down Under is a different sort of animal for various reasons...

But I'm still bewildered how Garmin Cannondale didn't even crack the top 20.

Why? I didn't pay attention so I don't have a clue. Did they just not send riders? Was it not important at all? Not even a little?

I expect better later but is there a simple explanation?

The riders were so ashamed of their kits that they didn't want to appear on any podiums.

More realistically, they probably are just not in form to do anything this early in the season, focused on other goals, or not good enough to place that well against the competition down under. Or a combination of the factors.

 

[PeterB]

The Tour Down Under is a different sort of animal for various reasons...

But I'm still bewildered how Garmin Cannondale didn't even crack the top 20.

Why? I didn't pay attention so I don't have a clue. Did they just not send riders? Was it not important at all? Not even a little?

I expect better later but is there a simple explanation?

If Top 20 is some sort of a benchmark for you, then Moser and Villela would probably place as 19th and 20th, if not for the crash in the last stage, which pushed them down to 21st and 22nd.

The following ProTour teams did just barely better or even worse than Cannondale (best rider GC-wise and time difference to Moser):
- Etixx 15th -23 sec.
- Lotto Soudal 17th -18 sec.
- FDJ 19th -8 sec.
- Trek 26th +1 min. 44 sec.

Finally, for what it's worth, Cannondale placed in teams' competition 11th out of 19.

Does this provide simple explanation you were looking for? I really do not see why their results should cause any sort of bewilderment...

 

[Ruudz0r]

Haas went down hard on stage 4, he was their leader, and after his crash he didnt have the legs anymore.

 

[theyoungest]

I'm still curious as to whom Vaughters meant in this tweet:

"Jonathan Vaughters @Vaughters ? 18 jan.
And now for my prediction of who's gonna kick *** at TDU........ Oh wait, nope, can't say it. Confidential. Ruins the surprise."

Although TBF he posts something like this before most races and then congratulates himself if the prediction comes true (or remains silent otherwise). I must say me and my CQ team were happy to see Moser is back.

 

[Anderis]

If Cannondale are going to keep Formolo beyond 2015, he may be the best ever signing for Vaughters' team.

But with their budget, it will be really hard to keep him over richer teams if Formolo can continue making progress this way. I can see either him or Dan Martin leaving the team for next year. The budget may be too tight to have both of them and Talansky, who has a contract for 2016 already in place.

 

[Anderis]

What's going on with Acevedo?

He is the only rider of the team that doesn't have a picture in the new team kit. He was the only rider who didin't appear in the video presented during team presentation in which all of the riders introduced themselves.

He was supposed to be a team leader for Tour de San Luis, but he didn't even start the race. He also didn't appear in the any other race since then and is not even on the provisional startlist for any of the races this season so far.

What's going on about him?

 

[PeterB]

What's going on with Acevedo?

He is the only rider of the team that doesn't have a picture in the new team kit. He was the only rider who didin't appear in the video presented during team presentation in which all of the riders introduced themselves.

He was supposed to be a team leader for Tour de San Luis, but he didn't even start the race. He also didn't appear in the any other race since then and is not even on the provisional startlist for any of the races this season so far.

What's going on about him?

According to this CN report, "just" knee problem
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/skjerping-replaces-an-injured-acevedo-ahead-of-tour-de-san-luis