le Tour team thread

[theyoungest]

Lol. You are saying bakelandts and De Greef will be strong help to VDB in the mountains yet you don't think Morabito or anyone else can do the job at BMC.

Morabito
9th Tour of California + 5th on stage to Mt Baldy.
13th in Romandie (would of been in top 10 without wind disadvantage)
5th Giro del Trentino

4th Tour de Suisse
12th Tour of California
7th Circuit de la Sarthe

De Greef
24th Giro dItailia
15th Tour de Suisse

21st Giro Ditalia
26th Volta a Catalunya
24th Paris Nice

Bakelandts
13th Tour de Suisse
23rd Giro DItalia

18th vuelta a espana
36th Giro dItalia
15th Tirreno Adriatico

I might give you Bakelandts but not De Greef.

You're absolutely right, Morabito is a better climber than both of those guys. De Greef I find difficult to rate though, he has the build of a time trialist but he can't time trial. Instead he focuses on climbing, which he's also not great at.

 

[nesocip]

TBH I thought Jonathan Castroviejo would have made the EE team. He can actually TT as well.

In Suisse his form was completely dreadful, or he was sick or something. Awful prologue (where youd expect him to do really good) and then amongst the last finishers on every other stage.

Im happy to see Gorka Izagirre though, he is an useful addition for the TTT and will surely be in a breakaway or two. Seems in good form judging from Suisse as well.

I think Koldo will do Vuelta, where he has better chances of getting a stage win then in the Tour.

 

[Sylvester]

Castroviejo was injured in Suisse, that's probably why he didn't make the final squad.

Urtasun will be a pure domestique for the flats, methinks, I would be surprised to see him contest the sprints. He's not the worst climber, so he might try his luck in a breakaway on one of the transition stages, too. Koldo is on his way back (he had a lot of bad luck the last few months), the Tour comes too soon for him (and he would not stand a chance of a stage win against all the top sprinters anyway).

 

[craig1985]

I think Koldo Fernández would be lucky to make the time cut for the mountain stages.

 

[hrotha]

I think he's improved his climbing the last few years or so. In shape, he'd be fine.

Also looks like I owe JV a hug.

 

[craig1985]

I think he's improved his climbing the last few years or so. In shape, he'd be fine.

Also looks like I owe JV a hug.

But would he want to hug you?

 

[hrotha]

But would he want to hug you?

Why else would he have selected Tommy D?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

All teams + riders that are still to be selected you can find here

 

[TeoSheva]

cyclingfever is saying that Swift will be at the Tour of Austria... so, no le tour for him?
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjE5MDk=

 

[lucybears]

cyclingfever is saying that Swift will be at the Tour of Austria... so, no le tour for him?
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjE5MDk=

cyclingfever is saying that they have conflicting reports about where he'll be, as they have not removed him yet from the provisional TdF startlist.....

 

[Angliru]

Well I guess I understand that from EE's perspective but kind of disappointing, as I'd like to see what Anton and Sanchez could do together on the Tour climbs. Can't think of too many other teams that would have that sort of 1-2 punch in the big hills.

Keep in mind that the Vuelta is making a return to the Basque region for the first time in quite a while so Euskaltel Euskadi would want to make a good showing this year. Regardless I think Anton would've been at the Vuelta especially with how he left last year's while almost dominating the race and leading at the time. He's got unfinished business.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I'm happy for Danielson, who does deserve a spot at the big show after all these years. He's a rider I have a soft spot for.

However if, as seems likely, it means that Dan Martin isn't going to be at the Tour then all I can say is a thousand curses on you stinking Team Time Trial. Martin is a more exciting rider and is vastly more likely to win a stage or even just animate the race.

Also, despite his long absence from the Tour, we basically know what Danielson is capable of in Grand Tours. We have very little to go on in Martin's case however. He's only been in two GTs, he was a kid in the Vuelta and he was wiped out by his allergies in the Giro. Whether he can hold it together for a three week race is one of the unanswered mysteries of cycling.

If he doesn't get to ride the Tour, I sincerely hope that he goes to the Vuelta as the undisputed team leader.

 

[pmcg76]

RadioShack with four team leaders???

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8...de-France-five-more-riders-to-be-decided.aspx

If they were aggressive, they would sacrifice one of these guys by trying to get them in breaks and going on the attack. Chances of that? Very low I would imagine. But then the Shack would probably rather have 4 guys in 4th-10th place rather than actually try and win the race or put a guy on the podium.

The rest of the team to be selected from 10 riders, fans can try to influence Bruyneel, lol. I am surprised Busche is not on the list. Deignan was never down to ride the Tour as for Hunter who knows.

 

[Ruudz0r]

I'm happy for Danielson, who does deserve a spot at the big show after all these years. He's a rider I have a soft spot for.

However if, as seems likely, it means that Dan Martin isn't going to be at the Tour then all I can say is a thousand curses on you stinking Team Time Trial. Martin is a more exciting rider and is vastly more likely to win a stage or even just animate the race.

Also, despite his long absence from the Tour, we basically know what Danielson is capable of in Grand Tours. We have very little to go on in Martin's case however. He's only been in two GTs, he was a kid in the Vuelta and he was wiped out by his allergies in the Giro. Whether he can hold it together for a three week race is one of the unanswered mysteries of cycling.

If he doesn't get to ride the Tour, I sincerely hope that he goes to the Vuelta as the undisputed team leader.

If Dan Martin wont go to the tour he will most probably be the teamleader in the Vuelta. Was written somewhere although I dont remember where.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

If Dan Martin wont go to the tour he will most probably be the teamleader in the Vuelta. Was written somewhere although I dont remember where.

Well, I suppose it would be fun to watch him trying to take on the likes of Anton and Rodriguez. In that company he'd even be considered a pretty decent time triallist!

Actually, who the hell else is going to be riding for GC in the Vuelta? Is Nibali going to try to defend?

 

[MajorTom]

Team RadioShack

Jani Brajkovic
Chris Horner
Markel Irizar
Andreas Klöden
Levi Leipheimer
Dmitriy Muravyev
Sérgio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Haimar Zubeldia

 

[hrotha]

Well, I suppose it would be fun to watch him trying to take on the likes of Anton and Rodriguez. In that company he'd even be considered a pretty decent time triallist!

Actually, who the hell else is going to be riding for GC in the Vuelta? Is Nibali going to try to defend?

In principle, yes, and Evans and Gesink are also supposed to show up.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Ye Nibali is, + Anton + JRod + Gesink is going to start and probably quite some more from the tour guess F Schleck, Evans, maybe Mosquera if his case is done by then.

 

[roundabout]

Team RadioShack

Jani Brajkovic
Chris Horner
Markel Irizar
Andreas Klöden
Levi Leipheimer
Dmitriy Muravyev
Sérgio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Haimar Zubeldia

They'll win the TTT and then probably suck wheels all the way to Grenoble.

Cracking team though.

 

[Magnus]

Gustav Larsson misses out again:
http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/ingen_gustav_larsson_i_touren/

I'm wondering if Riis will bring all the Spaniards or two of Vandborg, Mørkøv, Cooke

 

[jens_attacks]

the shack is the strongest team on paper,but so it was last year.so although i will cheer for them and wish klodi to win le tour and horner and jani to make the top ten,it will be pretty difficult.at least they should win the TTT with a decent gap.

 

[maltiv]

Gustav Larsson misses out again:
http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/ingen_gustav_larsson_i_touren/

I'm wondering if Riis will bring all the Spaniards or two of Vandborg, Mørkøv, Cooke

Oh come on. He won the final TT in the giro last year and he doesn't even get a GT spot this year? Bull****.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Gustav Larsson misses out again:
http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/ingen_gustav_larsson_i_touren/

I'm wondering if Riis will bring all the Spaniards or two of Vandborg, Mørkøv, Cooke

Strange decision given the TTT.

Hope Larson leaves Saxo now...

... or gets a danish passport.

 

[hrotha]

Is there any weird story between Larsson and Contador/Riis?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Is there any weird story between Larsson and Contador/Riis?

It just doesn't make any sense to leave him out, unless he's out of form or something.