[Green Edge] Shayne Bannan, Gerry Ryan and an Aussie Pro Team for 2012?

[theyoungest]

cobbled races are but a minor factor in cycling. teams without serious climbers and or gt riders should be left out

Pieter Weening is the next Dutch Tour winner, and you know it.

But if he doesn't, winning a few stages plus the green jersey will do. It's BS that a team should have a GT contender, HTC didn't have one either (except for that fluke Vuelta podium with Velits) and they did just fine. Now, whether you'll like them, that's a different story.

Also, Jack Bobridge is a great climber. He managed to hold the great Nathan Haas's wheel in that race the other day, remember?

 

[just some guy]

Pieter Weening is the next Dutch Tour winner, and you know it.

But if he doesn't, winning a few stages plus the green jersey will do. It's BS that a team should have a GT contender, HTC didn't have one either (except for that fluke Vuelta podium with Velits) and they did just fine. Now, whether you'll like them, that's a different story.

Also, Jack Bobridge is a great climber. He managed to hold the great Nathan Haas's wheel in that race the other day, remember?

The problem is that they are not Colombian and each cyclist can not ITT,climb,sprinter, ride the cobbles and sprint from a small group after 240 km better than any cyclist ever .

 

[Anonymous]

the question is, will they get enough points to be world tour for 2013?

 

[just some guy]

the question is, will they get enough points to be world tour for 2013?

If they have enough points before the Tour yep if not they might struggle.

ie the key to their year is the 1st 6 months - if it goes well they might top 10 if it goes bad 15-20 in the ranking by the end of the year.

TDU, and the 2 middle east races are vital to GE imo

 

[Straßenrennen]

and the answer is yes, they only have to out perform the french tv specialists and they are home and dry.
Especially since it seems like EE with go pro conti in 2013.

 

[Nielsa]

Freire said he had a good offer from GE earlier in the season, but he turned it down because he thought he'd have a spot at Rabo. (He's not happy with the Rabo management.)

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Todos/tristes/elpepidep/20111107elpepidep_25/Tes

 

[Kvinto]

I've just realized they signed Jens Keukeleire Why? I doubt he can offer much in addition to their "plain" squad as well as i don't see much of an opportunity for him to develop in the GE...

 

[theyoungest]

I've just realized they signed Jens Keukeleire Why? I doubt he can offer much in addition to their "plain" squad as well as i don't see much of an opportunity for him to develop in the GE...

Yeah, they've signed a sh.tload of sprinters, who all go there because they've always wanted to ride with... other sprinters?

 

[maltiv]

But if he doesn't, winning a few stages plus the green jersey will do. It's BS that a team should have a GT contender, HTC didn't have one either (except for that fluke Vuelta podium with Velits) and they did just fine. Now, whether you'll like them, that's a different story.

One thing is not to have a GT contender, but this team doesn't even have a contender for 95% of stage races. HTC on the other hand won loads of stage races.

 

[theyoungest]

One thing is not to have a GT contender, but this team doesn't even have a contender for 95% of stage races. HTC on the other hand won loads of stage races.

HTC's stage racing talent was always based on their strength in the time trial, no real natural climbers on that squad. GreenEdge could try to do the same with the Meyer-Bobridge-Durbridge generation, when their respective track careers are finally over after the Olympics.

 

[Kvinto]

HTC's stage racing talent was always based on their strength in the time trial, no real natural climbers on that squad. GreenEdge could try to do the same with the Meyer-Bobridge-Durbridge generation, when their respective track careers are finally over after the Olympics.

Yep, all of their "GC riders" were such only in breaks between being motors of the mighty HTC train.

 

[maltiv]

HTC's stage racing talent was always based on their strength in the time trial, no real natural climbers on that squad. GreenEdge could try to do the same with the Meyer-Bobridge-Durbridge generation, when their respective track careers are finally over after the Olympics.

I can hardly imagine Durbridge ever getting over a climb in the front group. Meyer and Bobridge could perhaps become contenders for easy versions of P-N for instance but not in the next 2 years.

 

[El Pistolero]

I can hardly imagine Durbridge ever getting over a climb in the front group. Meyer and Bobridge could perhaps become contenders for easy versions of P-N for instance but not in the next 2 years.

Have you read that post?

 

[theyoungest]

I can hardly imagine Durbridge ever getting over a climb in the front group. Meyer and Bobridge could perhaps become contenders for easy versions of P-N for instance but not in the next 2 years.

Durbridge is just as much of a climber as Bobridge.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

GE will have no problem getting the requisite points to stay WT. They'll come 3rd or 4th in a lot of sprints in events like the TDU, Beijing, Eneco and Poland, and Gerrans will get some completely anonymous 6th-10ths in the Ardennes without ever showing his face once so people will call him a threat yet again. Hopefully if they're lucky he can turn into the old, interesting stagehunting Simon Gerrans from 2008-9 rather than the "accumulate some decent placements by riding as boringly as humanly possible" rider we saw in 2010-11. However, the UCI's system rewards these mediocre placements gained by riding conservatively, so GreenEdge will be absolutely fine.

Albasini can climb better than Weening.

 

[maltiv]

Durbridge is just as much of a climber as Bobridge.

Durbridge is much heavier I think? Surely Bobridge has a lot more potential as a climber because he is built like one.

 

[theyoungest]

Durbridge is much heavier I think? Surely Bobridge has a lot more potential as a climber because he is built like one.

Durbridge has some decent results in hilly stages. He also wasn't far behind on the Willunga stage in the TDU this year, and bear in mind he was still an espoir.

Albasini can climb better than Weening.

Steep hills, yes. But on long climbs where he can grind his ridiculously big gear Weening certainly isn't worse.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Durbridge is much heavier I think? Surely Bobridge has a lot more potential as a climber because he is built like one.

that doesn';t matter. bobridge simply can't climb. same way knaven was build as a climber but couldn't climb for ****. even langeveld with 178 and 68 kg seems very light but can't climb well

 

[theyoungest]

that doesn';t matter. bobridge simply can't climb. same way knaven was build as a climber but couldn't climb for ****. even langeveld with 178 and 68 kg seems very light but can't climb well

Come on, Bobridge can climb a little. Just not on consecutive days, and only on Australian soil.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Come on, Bobridge can climb a little. Just not on consecutive days, and only on Australian soil.

still i'd never put bobridge in a climber category.

 

[karlboss]

HTC had a "genuine" contender at the Giro. Velits has a podium up his sleeve but underperformed in 2011. GE don't have any GT contenders close to the calibre of Siutsou/P. Velits. Nor are they going to win a dozen GT stages in 2012. Goss might get 3-4, but any other stage wins will be more or less down to chance. Quickstep is probably a better comparison.

HTC also had a strong lineup for the big one week races with Pinotti, Van Garderen and Martin.

I was talking about the tour and only the tour, not GE vs HTC in general. Just saying that a team can turn up to a GT without climbers and make an impact.

 

[Ferminal]

GE will have no problem getting the requisite points to stay WT. They'll come 3rd or 4th in a lot of sprints in events like the TDU, Beijing, Eneco and Poland, and Gerrans will get some completely anonymous 6th-10ths in the Ardennes without ever showing his face once so people will call him a threat yet again. Hopefully if they're lucky he can turn into the old, interesting stagehunting Simon Gerrans from 2008-9 rather than the "accumulate some decent placements by riding as boringly as humanly possible" rider we saw in 2010-11. However, the UCI's system rewards these mediocre placements gained by riding conservatively, so GreenEdge will be absolutely fine.

Albasini can climb better than Weening.

In Plouay he actually did something for the first time in years, maybe he's turned the corner...

I was talking about the tour and only the tour, not GE vs HTC in general. Just saying that a team can turn up to a GT without climbers and make an impact.

Ok, I don't disagree with that.

 

[El Pistolero]

In Plouay he actually did something for the first time in years, maybe he's turned the corner...



Ok, I don't disagree with that.

He was third at Amstel Gold Race and 12th at LBL last year.

 

[The Hitch]

Why did you delete your comment Pisti?

 

[El Pistolero]

Why did you delete your comment Pisti?

Well coming third at AGR is good(and better than what he did at Plouay), but I forgot about the anonymous part. It was anonymous.