Garmin-Cervelo TdF

[maltiv]

I don't think that's remotely true. You could see in the vuelta a few times that Hushovd helped Theo Bos to get in position before some sprints that he himself didn't contest and on certain occasions in classics he encouraged Haussler to attack and go for his own results eventhough Hushovd was in the same group.

When he thinks he has a shot at winning then of course he will expect to have support but when he himself is not interested in a perticular race I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is above helping his teammates.

The first thing Hushovd said when he signed for Garmin was that he wouldn't be doing leadouts.

 

[Frosty]

I think they will get that elusive Tour stage win though.

Team time trial? Their team will be hard to beat and the winning team should have someone in yellow assuming that there are no significant time gaps the previous day. Have Garmin had a man in yellow before?

This might not make much of a difference to the general composition of the team as most of the leading selections would be in the TTT anyway. However, it might influence the chances of someone like Martin getting in the team. Would he be much good in a TTT? He does well in classics and so has some punch which is a good start but maybe Garmin will just want to pretty much select the nine who will produce the fastest TTT. Same goes for Le Mevel although i would have thought being the only Frenchman he would be unhappy to not be in the TdF.

I see their goals as being very similar to Sky's actually although Garmin have a better sprinter, at least on the flatter stages,

 

[ingsve]

Yeah, but he won't be happy leading out Farrar if he wants the green jersey. Even if he's never fast enough to beat Cav in a flat sprint, I think he'd rather place top three than lead out Farrar who might win one out of five.

According to himself he won't be competing for green anymore.

 

[ingsve]

The first thing Hushovd said when he signed for Garmin was that he wouldn't be doing leadouts.

At that time he also thought he had another shot at green in him but after that he won Worlds and stated that he wouldn't be riding for green anymore so things change.

Do you really think that on a flat stage where the team decides to go for a sprint with Farrar that Hushovd would simply roll on through with the peloton without helping? I really can't see that happening.

 

[Kvinto]

I still think that Hushovd has better chances for green than Farrar. Maybe Farrar is a little bit better sprinter but still not enough strong to beat Cavendish in top form (I'm about Cavendish 2009 or 2010). Even in his bad year Cavendish was unbeatable at TDF sprints. But Hushovd can win sprints at intermediate stages what Cav and Farrar can't do. It's obvious: both Farrar and Hushovd at Garmin-Cervelo TDF startlist means no one of them in green

 

[Rocksteady]

I still think that Hushovd has better chances for green than Farrar. Maybe Farrar is a little bit better sprinter but still not enough strong to beat Cavendish in top form (I'm about Cavendish 2009 or 2010). Even in his bad year Cavendish was unbeatable at TDF sprints. But Hushovd can win sprints at intermediate stages what Cav and Farrar can't do. It's obvious: both Farrar and Hushovd at Garmin-Cervelo TDF startlist means no one of them in green

I think the new Green Jersey system of one intermediate sprint will really change the green jersey competition in 2011. I'm just not sure how it will change things. Will the sprinters teams work to catch a break before the intermidate? I think making Cav work to keep Thor from getting intermediates specifically using up teammates from the slightly weaker HTC train could help Farrar get what Garmin is really working for... A TdF stage win.

When Cav loses is when he is alone at the end of a stage/ things get hectic.
Garmin can increase those chances of Making Cav jump too early with a 2 sprinter system (like Petacchi and Bole at last year)... or they could fail miserably. Either way, they will try something.

 

[goggalor]

According to himself he won't be competing for green anymore.

That's the end of the season talking.

 

[Eric8-A]

Team time trial? Their team will be hard to beat and the winning team should have someone in yellow assuming that there are no significant time gaps the previous day. Have Garmin had a man in yellow before?

This might not make much of a difference to the general composition of the team as most of the leading selections would be in the TTT anyway. However, it might influence the chances of someone like Martin getting in the team. Would he be much good in a TTT? He does well in classics and so has some punch which is a good start but maybe Garmin will just want to pretty much select the nine who will produce the fastest TTT. Same goes for Le Mevel although i would have thought being the only Frenchman he would be unhappy to not be in the TdF.

I see their goals as being very similar to Sky's actually although Garmin have a better sprinter, at least on the flatter stages,

I'm not so sure about them winning the TTT. The Giro and the Vuelta both had TTT's and Garmin didn't win either one of them.

 

[Frosty]

I'm not so sure about them winning the TTT. The Giro and the Vuelta both had TTT's and Garmin didn't win either one of them.

Im not saying they will win, there are some pretty good teams out there, Columbia, Sky for two, and the results last year werent great, but Garmin will have their best team out and guys like Hushovd and Haussler (if he rides it) will add to the team. In the tour 2009 they were down to 5 quite early on in the TTT and still finished second - four out the five (Zabriskie, van de velde, Millar and Hesjedal) are still there. We'll see what happens next year but i can see the potential for it to sway their team selection.

 

[Frosty]

There were thoughts that being the only frenchman in Garmin-Cervelo may help Le Mevel to be in the tour 9 this year. However, it looks like he is going for the giro instead, firstly aiming for a top 10 and if that doesnt work then it is stage wins.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/le-mevel-back-on-form-for-paris-nice-after-broken-wrist

 

[Ferminal]

Indeed, doesn't seem like he's doing the Tour.

Here it is for me then...

Hushovd
Farrar
Dean
Millar
Zabriskie
Vansummeren
Hesjedal
Vandevelde
Danielson

 

[online-rider]

Here it is for me then...

Hushovd
Farrar
Dean
Millar
Zabriskie
Vansummeren
Hesjedal
Vandevelde
Danielson

 

[Ferminal]

Well I'm only assuming that when Haussler says he isn't too interested in the Tour, it means he definitely isn't riding it. A lot of this could just be the usual selfless talk about doing whatever is best for the team - if given the opportunity maybe he would want to ride in July. That said I do have a bit of trouble with Thor and Heinrich both in this team. On another note, Haussler, Hushovd, Farrar and Dean could win the TTT for them.

 

[online-rider]

Well I'm only assuming that when Haussler says he isn't too interested in the Tour, it means he definitely isn't riding it. A lot of this could just be the usual selfless talk about doing whatever is best for the team - if given the opportunity maybe he would want to ride in July. That said I do have a bit of trouble with Thor and Heinrich both in this team. On another note, Haussler, Hushovd, Farrar and Dean could win the TTT for them.

OOoops. It looks like I need to check my press releases
I geuss someone from either Thor, Ty or Haussler has to miss out simply because theyll be too many cooks in the kitchen. My choice would be Thor to sit it out. But its a hard choice and only because Haussler has more to offer Cavendish mano a mano.