Grand Tour Wild Cards - 2011 Thread

[Moondance]

1) I don't vote Wilders. I actually despise him and his ideas, especially referring to his ideas of Dutch people of different heritage.
2) If you don't get my kind of cynical humor, please don't respond at all... Seems you guys can't recognize any of it and somehow thought I was serious. When I play so clearly a stereotypical chauvinist from Limburg this would go with that... it's so darn obvious. Why don't you guys get it?
Thank you.

Oh and lastly.
If you are so seriously posting on internet forums, you should really start to learn and recognize one thing from another (to AK-Zaaf, Moondance AND theyoungest). Get more intelligent. Please.
Although I am touched by your dislike of Wilders.
To remind you, 2/3rd of Limburg actually did NOT vote Limburg, so that's the MAJORITY of Limburg not voting for him.
Shows also the hypocracy of you 3... blaming 1 guy for racist (although I already explained I was trying to be the stereotype), yet rather, you throw all Limburgian people on the same page....
Funny Hollanders!

Don't get mad because you know I'm right.

I don't care what you say, I'm not doing the Limburgeringscursus.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Just so you know the majority of Limburg does NOT vote Wilders.
The 1/3rd that do are white 'trailer trash' and I wish we could deport them to Belgium or something

 

[Francois the Postman]

Next one talking race, Dutch politics, Wilders, the PVV, etc, here in this thread, rather than the appropriate sub-forum, better edit their post before I see it.

 

[Moondance]

Just so you know the majority of Limburg does NOT vote Wilders.
The 1/3rd that do are white 'trailer trash' and I wish we could deport them to Belgium or something

I was well aware of that.

I will, however, note that you're employing one of Wilders' favorite tactics however. You made a joke (which I recognized as such) which was nevertheless probably inappropriate. However, you are now painting AK, Youngest and myself as the bad guys for pointing it out. Wilders 101.


EDIT: This will be my last contribution to this discussion Francois. Promise.

 

[craig1985]

Nope, You will have all left after the les essarts team chrono because BMC will win (yes i said win) the ttt. Evans will then crush all competition including TGBM in the pyrenees and alps and then in final tt he will complete the course with an average speed of 55km/hr and win the tdf. The only people left will be ACF Mafia. And you all will be lining up to join the religion of Cadelogy because you have seen the yellow light of god!



Just a random question (because we are talking about politics): Is there a sex party in the Netherlands?

No thanks.

I was just thinking, perhaps this is a sign to Gianetti that he should resign from the team. As for the forum, it's a good thing Lance won't be riding, this thread won't have so many pointless threads.

 

[luckyboy]

No thanks.

I was just thinking, perhaps this is a sign to Gianetti that he should resign from the team. As for the forum, it's a good thing Lance won't be riding, this thread won't have so many pointless threads.

If this was the case, maybe it would've been better if the ASO had said at the presentation Geox gave that they would accept them if Gianetti left rather than what is potentially looking like endangering a whole team, the jobs etc.

 

[craig1985]

If this was the case, maybe it would've been better if the ASO had said at the presentation Geox gave that they would accept them if Gianetti left rather than what is potentially looking like endangering a whole team, the jobs etc.

But wouldn't Gianetti then accuse the ASO of picking on him etc., and make him more likely not to resign?

 

[595RED]

Seems like Geox will be the Vacansoleil of 2010 and the Unibet of 2007.

Get rid of that slippery over tanned crook Gianetti and you have a team with options.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Geox got invited to Milano-San-Remo, so maybe not all hope is lost for getting into the Giro

 

[taiwan]

Geox got invited to Milano-San-Remo, so maybe not all hope is lost for getting into the Giro

Good stuff. They're not exactly stacked with sprinters though. Good opportunity for a younger guy I suppose. Look at Sacha Modolo last year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Marko Kump and Fabio Felline are both youngsters who could feasibly be this year's Modolo.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Marko Kump and Fabio Felline are both youngsters who could feasibly be this year's Modolo.

I agree about Felline, but isn't he more of an attacker than a sprinter? I'll be looking forward to see him on the cobbles again though

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Felline is an attacking rider, but he does have a good sprint on him. He was 5th in the 1st stage of Romandie last year, for example, while his 2nd stage in in Lothringen was a sprint, admittedly not against the strongest of fields (the likes of Colli, Hutarovich, Docker and Paolini). If attacks can create a reduced bunch, he could be a threat the same way somebody like Peter Sagan could. Theoretically.

 

[taiwan]

Marko Kump and Fabio Felline are both youngsters who could feasibly be this year's Modolo.

I'll need to check CQ, but Daniele Ratto shows promise also, IMO.

[edit] Maybe not for the sprints primarily.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

While I agree with the majority of posters here about the craziness of omitting a team of the strength of GEOX, we have the issue of the promise made throughout last season that any team finishing in the top 17 of the rankings was guarranteed a place in the GTs. This was repeated after the Giro di Lombardia at which time it was clear that this included a team with no ProTeam ambitions.

Who is going to be held to account for unannounced withdrawal of this reward?

How long would the time interval between publication of the participating teams and the issuing of a writ if Androni Giocattoli were American?

 

[luckyboy]

But wouldn't Gianetti then accuse the ASO of picking on him etc., and make him more likely not to resign?

Haha, erm

Suppose I'd rather moan about not having a Tour place rather than moan about not having a team to manage anymore.

 

[craig1985]

When do the Giro wildcards get announced BTW?

 

[IlCobraFan]

When do the Giro wildcards get announced BTW?

Should be within 2 months. Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli and Androni Giocattoli are already 100 % assured.

So the last two spots will go to two of these:

Geox-TMC
Acqua & Sapone
Colnago - Csf Inox

Geox (with Menchov and Sastre) is going to be invited, so either Acqua & Sapone or Colnago will get the last spot.

Between these two, I think it'll be Acqua & Sapone, especially considering their recent invitation to Tirreno-Adriatico and Stefano Garzelli of course.

No matter what, the startlist is already very promising: Riccò, Nibali, Kreuziger, Rujano, Antón, Di Luca, Sella, Scarponi, Menchov, Sastre...

 

[The Hitch]

Wow. I just realised. Only 3 months and 2 weeks left till Il Giro.

 

[profff]

Should be within 2 months. Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli and Androni Giocattoli are already 100 % assured.

So the last two spots will go to two of these:

Geox-TMC
Acqua & Sapone
Colnago - Csf Inox

Geox (with Menchov and Sastre) is going to be invited, so either Acqua & Sapone or Colnago will get the last spot.

Between these two, I think it'll be Acqua & Sapone, especially considering their recent invitation to Tirreno-Adriatico and Stefano Garzelli of course.

No matter what, the startlist is already very promising: Riccò, Nibali, Kreuziger, Rujano, Antón, Di Luca, Sella, Scarponi, Menchov, Sastre...

+1
but do not underevaluate the chances of colnago csf.
colnago is very important person in italian cycling entourage, he has been sponsor for years of gazzetta' s race. he is very influential.
the team has made very well in last year giro and in rcs semiclassic.
pozzovivo is a very good climber and he can do well in gc, if he does not fall soler style.. belletti last year won a very nice stage in cesenatico and the team generally is very good in animating the race.
on the other hand, acqua e sapone have chances too, they have been invited to T-A because garzelli is the last year winner of the race of the two seas. he is very popular in italy, a former giro winner and he has always done well in the giro, with an attacking style that is very appreciated.

it will be a tough race.


i do not know who will prevail, i'll hope a & s because i want to see the young colombians gun, betancur and sarmiento in giro' s mountain,

 

[Matthijs]

I hope Euskaltel drops out of the Giro and Geox, Colnago and Aqua e S are in. Or which PT team should stay away from the Giro? Quickstep? Rabo? AG2R? If anton really targets the race (which I only believe after the first mountain stage) Euskaltel can do something. But they will peak for Pais Vasco, Ardennes, Tour and Vuelta...

 

[Descender]

I hope Euskaltel drops out of the Giro and Geox, Colnago and Aqua e S are in. Or which PT team should stay away from the Giro? Quickstep? Rabo? AG2R? If anton really targets the race (which I only believe after the first mountain stage) Euskaltel can do something. But they will peak for Pais Vasco, Ardennes, Tour and Vuelta...

Word is they wanted to withdraw but the UCI made them race it.

 

[craig1985]

It's tough for Euskaltel. I mean obviously the Tour and the Vuelta are very important for them, but with Antón, and a Giro route that suits him to a tee, and a prospect of winning the race can be very tempting. The problem is that because of their recruitment policy (you're either Basque or came up through the U23 ranks there like Samu did), they have such a smaller squad, which makes things very tricky in terms of squad depth since they would want to have three strong teams because it is plausible for them to win at least one, or even podium in all three races, so you need strong helpers both on the flats and in the mountains to look after Samu and Antón. So with that in mind, I can see why they would want to withdraw from the Giro. It will make things interesting, and nor should it be boring.

Do Radio Shack plan to make everybody else feel worthy so they can grace the Giro with their presence? Also, do Cofidis and Europcar still get invites to the Giro, like what happened last year, or are they reliant on wildcards like Geox, Colnago CSF?

 

[luckyboy]

Also, do Cofidis and Europcar still get invites to the Giro, like what happened last year, or are they reliant on wildcards like Geox, Colnago CSF?

Nah, it's all wildcards now I think. The GT agreement ended last year.

 

[DAOTEC]

Nah, it's all wildcards now I think. The GT agreement ended last year.

Will Astana a.o Saxo-Sun survive the Contador storm ?

If the 4 ethics are applied as stated there will be a victim !

Who will fill the spot(s) ?

If Armstrong and a couple of his current teammates go down next week, it should be more of the same with RadioSoS does it ?

Might a re-shuffle of the GT entry's likely be on the table ?

time will tell