le Tour team thread

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kurtinsc

Nov 17, 2009
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TeoSheva said:
no sprinter Rabobank...
Click to expand...

Yeah... and I kind of like that. I really like how Rabo set up their squad. Balanced squads are great for a team that either has great riders in multiple areas (such as a candidate for Green and one for Yellow), or one that doesn't have a real hope for winning either.

But Rabo has a legitimate GC guy in Gesink, and as great as Friere's career has been... he's not going to challenge for many stages or for Green this year. Breschel is another guy who could factor in a certain type of stage but wouldn't contribute a whole lot to the team goal (Gesink in the GC).

It's a focused team that should work very well for Gesink.
 
Timmy-loves-Rabo

Timmy-loves-Rabo

Jun 22, 2009
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I actually think matti is very useful, he always rode well for saxo. I think the fitness and form was the bigger issuer there.
 
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on3m@n@rmy

Jun 17, 2010
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auscyclefan94 said:
BMC Racing Team reveals Tour de France Roster - BMC Racing Team

I am glad they selected Burghardt and Schar over Kroon and Ballan.

Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghardt (GER), Cadel Evans (AUS), George Hincapie (USA), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Steve Morabito (SUI), Ivan Santaromita (ITA), Manuel Quinziato (ITA) and Michael Schär (SUI).

Go Beautiful Male Cyclists
Click to expand...

I like this team. The addition of George should help even if he's getting up there in years.


theyoungest said:
Rabobank announced its Tour squad today:

Robert Gesink, Bauke Mollema, Laurens ten Dam, Lars Boom, Maarten Tjallingii, Luis Léon Sanchez, Juanma Garate, Carlos Barredo, Grischa Niermann.

Hey look Telegraaf, it's Luis Leon!
Click to expand...

Rabo's got a strong team too, and Gesink will be looking to improve on last year's 6th overall.
 
K

kurtinsc

Nov 17, 2009
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Timmy-loves-Rabo said:
I actually think matti is very useful, he always rode well for saxo. I think the fitness and form was the bigger issuer there.
Click to expand...

I just wonder if he'd expect to be protected or have a free role. Looking at their team now... lot of talent to help Gesink but I don't see anyone who'd expect to have a free role overall.

Kind of like when Ballan rode in races with Evans on the team for BMC. While Evans was clearly the leader... for the most part Ballan would have the ability to do his own thing and rarely seemed to work for Evans. For the tour with a team with a true GC threat, I think guys like that who aren't sprinters aren't a great idea. The possible exception to that rule is Gilbert... because while not a sprinter he is a strong bet for results in specific types of stages (sprinter-like in stage result expectation).

I'm not saying you don't want that type of rider... you just want him to come in as a worker, not protected.
 
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kurtinsc

Nov 17, 2009
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Clemson Cycling said:
The Radioshack team should something like this?

Janez Brajkovič
Matthew Busche
Chris Horner
Andreas Klöden
Levi Leipheimer
Tiago Machado
Robbie McEwen (might be a waste of a spot to bring an average sprinter)
Sérgio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Click to expand...

Feel pretty certain Machado won't be there.

I'm uncertain about Busche, but I hope he makes it. I want to see what he can do, and it will be good to have the US champion's jersey in the race.

Who would be there instead of Machado? Rast? Hermans? Hunter? Kwiatkowski? Rovny?
 
T

theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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kurtinsc said:
I just wonder if he'd expect to be protected or have a free role. Looking at their team now... lot of talent to help Gesink but I don't see anyone who'd expect to have a free role overall.

Kind of like when Ballan rode in races with Evans on the team for BMC. While Evans was clearly the leader... for the most part Ballan would have the ability to do his own thing and rarely seemed to work for Evans. For the tour with a team with a true GC threat, I think guys like that who aren't sprinters aren't a great idea. The possible exception to that rule is Gilbert... because while not a sprinter he is a strong bet for results in specific types of stages (sprinter-like in stage result expectation).

I'm not saying you don't want that type of rider... you just want him to come in as a worker, not protected.
Click to expand...
They had Martens slotted for that role (contend in the first week finishes) but they eventually chose otherwise, apparently.

I hope Mollema doesn't lose any unnecessary time in the first week, so he can be a backup GC guy. Because I don't really believe in Gesink's chances until the first week is over and done with :)
 
Timmy-loves-Rabo

Timmy-loves-Rabo

Jun 22, 2009
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I agree, but I think Matti is quite ok with helping the team, has done so in the past. He is a very useful rider at peak.

Regardless rabo still have a very nice nice mix of support for gesink.
 
auscyclefan94

auscyclefan94

Jun 16, 2009
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Clemson Cycling said:
The Radioshack team should something like this?

Janez Brajkovič
Matthew Busche
Chris Horner
Andreas Klöden
Levi Leipheimer
Tiago Machado
Robbie McEwen (might be a waste of a spot to bring an average sprinter)
Sérgio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Click to expand...

Brajkovic
Busche
Horner
Kloden
Leipheimer
Paulinho
Popovych
Rast
Roessler or Zubledia
 
M

Moondance

Jul 2, 2009
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theyoungest said:
They had Martens slotted for that role (contend in the first week finishes) but they eventually chose otherwise, apparently.

I hope Mollema doesn't lose any unnecessary time in the first week, so he can be a backup GC guy. Because I don't really believe in Gesink's chances until the first week is over and done with :)
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about it.... And I still can't get why the chose Barredo over Martens. They're quite similar in what they bring to the team, except Martens has a better TT, a better sprint, and better form this season.
 
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theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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Moondance said:
I've been thinking about it.... And I still can't get why the chose Barredo over Martens. They're quite similar in what they bring to the team, except Martens has a better TT, a better sprint, and better form this season.
Click to expand...
I don't agree. Barredo is a good GT rider, who gets better as the race progresses, as evidenced by the times he contended for a stage win. He's also a better climber than Martens (no way Martens could have won that Vuelta stage last year). And he's probably equal to Martens in TT ability: not great, not bad either.

Martens may have the better sprint, Barredo is the smarter breakaway rider.
 
just some guy

just some guy

Apr 9, 2011
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theyoungest said:
I don't agree. Barredo is a good GT rider, who gets better as the race progresses, as evidenced by the times he contended for a stage win. He's also a better climber than Martens (no way Martens could have won that Vuelta stage last year). And he's probably equal to Martens in TT ability: not great, not bad either.

Martens may have the better sprint, Barredo is the smarter breakaway rider.
Click to expand...

Barredo is a better wheel man
 
TeoSheva

TeoSheva

Feb 4, 2011
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Also the Euskaltel is official

EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
SANCHEZ GONZALEZ Samuel Spain
VERDUGO MARCOTEGUI Gorka Spain
MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi Spain
PEREZ LEZAUN Alan Spain
PEREZ MORENO Ruben Spain
TXURRUKA ANSOLA Amets Spain
URTASUN PEREZ Pablo Spain
VELASCO MURILLO Ivan Spain
IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka Spain
 
M

Moondance

Jul 2, 2009
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TeoSheva said:
Also the Euskaltel is official

EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
SANCHEZ GONZALEZ Samuel Spain
VERDUGO MARCOTEGUI Gorka Spain
MARTINEZ DE ESTEBAN Egoi Spain
PEREZ LEZAUN Alan Spain
PEREZ MORENO Ruben Spain
TXURRUKA ANSOLA Amets Spain
URTASUN PEREZ Pablo Spain
VELASCO MURILLO Ivan Spain
IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka Spain
Click to expand...

Wow... They're gonna get slaughtered in the TTT
 
Boeing

Boeing

Jul 17, 2009
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just some guy said:
As teams are slowly coming together who will have the strongest GC teams

If we look at the Giro saxo as a unit were quite weak really.

To start the thread I will give my top teams

Lopo - trek
Liq -cannondale
Saxo
Shack and BMC same level
EE
Rabo / Garmin
OPL

Right that should get things going.

BMC have 1 leader and 1 job in mind a united effort - high high mths they might miss but Cadel is used to that and good use of breaks will help

Radioshack 4 leader 2 of which levi and Jani if off form will be spat out the back, horner and kodi will ride for others as well Levi not know Lance has retired imo.

Bring out the stones:p

This has been edited - strongest GC teams
Click to expand...

rider to rider straight up Shack is miles ahead of BMC
 
N

Nastyy

Mar 10, 2009
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John Gadret will ride the tour and will support Peraud and Roche. Doubt he will have anywhere near his Giro form and won't be much of a help for Peraud or Roche.

Guess the team will be

Roche
Peraud
Gadret
Kadri (if he recovers)
Riblon
Bouet
Perget
Dessel (hope not, but likely)
Elmiger

Edit: So CN reports that Elmiger isn't in the contention for a spot. I reckon Hinault gets the nod then.
 
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