Omega Pharma v Lotto

[Kvinto]

Canc will likely win the prologue.

yep, 6km prologue has never suited Tony, but yet everybody think he will win all 3 Tour tts

 

[taiwan]

Lotto isn't all that bad a squad for the cobbled classics. Roelandts, Bak and Greipel are all worthwhile options for P-R, and Sohrabi is hard to rate, but could be capable of doing something too. Sieberg is also a good domestique for that race, I think he might have been a protected rider in the cobbled classics at HTC.

Voted Lotto overall because Greipel's famously the type of rider that racks up wins in e.g. minor stage race stages (as well as the odd major win). OPQS will be focusing on the Monuments and major classics, as well as stage races' GCs.

 

[ElChingon]

Voted OPQS because Greipel hugged Cav after he lost to him... that can't make me vote for them.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

...because i "think" Boonen will remind everyone that he was once a major threat in all classics he entered...

Come on, he always was. It's not because he didn't win, he wasn't a threat...

 

[uphillstruggle]

Lotto isn't all that bad a squad for the cobbled classics. Roelandts, Bak and Greipel are all worthwhile options for P-R, and Sohrabi is hard to rate, but could be capable of doing something too.

Isn't Sohrabi a climber?

 

[El Pistolero]

Isn't Sohrabi a climber?

Hills, decent kick, explosive type, wants to do good in the Flemish races, etc

Not a climber.

 

[El Pistolero]

Come on, he always was. It's not because he didn't win, he wasn't a threat...

I don't think he meant it that way. More like, he will once again show he's worthy of the status of "odds on favorite", that title has gone to Cancellara these days while before 2010 Boonen had the edge on him.

 

[robertocarlos]

Lotto isn't all that bad a squad for the cobbled classics. Roelandts, Bak and Greipel are all worthwhile options for P-R, and Sohrabi is hard to rate, but could be capable of doing something too. Sieberg is also a good domestique for that race, I think he might have been a protected rider in the cobbled classics at HTC.

Voted Lotto overall because Greipel's famously the type of rider that racks up wins in e.g. minor stage race stages (as well as the odd major win). OPQS will be focusing on the Monuments and major classics, as well as stage races' GCs.

if you go back 2 years when greipel was on his last year at htc he said that he had no intentions of going for classics as they are to long and painful. now he probably has changed his mind slightly and he migh give msr a shot, but p-r i do not think so.

 

[Kvinto]

if you go back 2 years when greipel was on his last year at htc he said that he had no intentions of going for classics as they are to long and painful. now he probably has changed his mind slightly and he migh give msr a shot, but p-r i do not think so.

 

[vcampbell]

Greipel - QuickStep 3-0
Also Greipel, Vanendert, VdB2 > QuickStep.

 

[will10]

Greipel - QuickStep 3-0
Also Greipel, Vanendert, VdB2 > QuickStep.

 

[vcampbell]

Sorry, that's just my opinion, you don't have to agree with me

 

[will10]

Sorry, that's just my opinion, you don't have to agree with me

I meant the 3-0 bit really. Can't imagine Omega are too bothered about how things went Down Under.

 

[El Pistolero]

I meant the 3-0 bit really. Can't imagine Omega are too bothered about how things went Down Under.

Plus it is 4-0 already

(remember, last year QS second biggest win was Nokere Koerse)

 

[Kvinto]

LOTTO BELISOL

4/5 Andre Greipel. Not a contender to Cavendish but definitely the guy who can sprint and does it as one of the best in the peloton. There’s no guarantee that he will deliver some big wins in GT stages and sprinters classics but, apart from Cav, who can guarantee? Nevertheless he will score wins in WT sprints

3.5/5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck. A decent climber of a GT top-10 level. Cares mostly about the Tour that not quite suits him in 2012 (is also strong in Dauphine). Can be useful (is useful) as a domestique in Ardennes.

3.5/5 Jelle Vanendert. A decent climber and hilly classic rider, was a key part of Gilbert’s support team in the Ardennes so can be strong there (not necessarily will win something but can top-10 any of the hilly classics scoring WT points). Useful GT domestique who would like to go for a stage or mountain jersey.

3.5/5 Jurgen Roelandts. Cobbled rider/second tier sprinter. Not the top-level but definitely has decent results in very different races last year like 2nd (behind Cancellara) in E3 or 5th at Worlds. Imo his time is yet to come in a Gilbert-free team (same as Vanendert and also Van den Broeck/Greipel but to a lesser extent).

3/5 Lars Bak. The second man for cobbles, won’t progress as much as Roelandts can, but Lars, as almost everyone who rode for HTC, can sprint (or be used in Greipel’s train which btw seems to be pretty strong) and as he says himself he came to Lotto seeking for his own chances and i think he will find what he’s looking for.

3/5 Greg Henderson. It seems he’s just a lead-out man for Greipel, but you can always count on him as a sprinter in some races. I recall (with great pleasure) how Geraint Thomas made fools of HTC train guys to deliver Greg into a perfect position to win the 2nd stage in last year’s Paris – Nice (for me it was the most memorable lead-out of 2011).

2.5/5 Joost Van Leijen. Riding for Vacansoleil showed decent form on the hilly parcours of Benelux tours, especially Tour de Wallonie, and his great win against Van Avermaet on steep Rue Saint Roch (stage 2). The guy is strong on hills, not that he can be a factor in classics but he can either help Vanendert in Ardennes or contend for smaller hilly races/domestic tours.

2.5/5 Bart De Qlercq. He won a Giro stage in strong attack on Montevergine (of course you may say the main contenders had watched each other but nevertheless it was a great win that shows the guy’s prospects)

2.5/5 Gianni Meersman. Came from FDJ. I’m not quite sure what to expect from him because the races he rode don’t say much, but he was not bad in Settimana Coppi e Bartali and in the Belgian Nationals RR. It looks like he can sprint from a small group.

2.5/5 Francis De Greef. Pretty consistent GT top-30 rider who seems to neither progress nor regress, anyway can be used as a domestique.


The others are are absolutely unknown Sohrabi, DeHaes as a guy for small sprints, Greipel’s sprint backing (Sieberg, Hansen, Kaisen, Reynes), other domestiques like Willems, and of course youngsters, many youngsters including junior LBL winner Van der Sande or younger Vanendert.

QUICK STEP

5/5 Tom Boonen. The rider who has the most monument wins in the current peloton.

5/5 Tony Martin. The best tter of 2011

3.5/5 Sylvain Chavanel. Cobbles, tts, breakaways, the great Frenchman (my favourite French rider from the older generation)

3.5/5 Levi Leipheimer. Old, but if the weeklong tour contains a tt, he can be close in GC.

3/5 Peter Velits. A rider for the tours.

3/5 Gerald Ciolek. Used to be a very promising sprinter, but did not live up to expectations, though is clearly the second sprinter of the team and not a weak one.

3/5 Gert Steegmans. Great cobbled rider and sprinter and as well an awful underperformer.

2.5/5 Kwiatkowski, Van Keirsbulck, Chicchi, Cataldo, Grabsch, Devenyns, De Weert, Pineau, Terpstra, Stybar, Vandewalle, Golas (too many to describe everyone)

The youngsters like Fenn or Trentin

Team strength:
Quick Step 2012 > Lotto 2012

PS: nevertheless I like Lotto more
PPS: I wonder why i spent time for this

 

[bikeguy]

After Omega Pharma deserted Lotto and went to quickstep which of the former bed partners will do the best this season..

Im going to go with Lotto, although I think Omega Pharma may have a couple of higher quality wins. Lotto will own Omega Pharma on the rankings though.

Definitely more medals in the Games for Omega Pharma...

 

[luckyboy]

Greipel - QuickStep 3-0
Also Greipel, Vanendert, VdB2 > QuickStep.

lol VDB is really gonna hand QST their *** with all the wins he gets

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Quality post, Kvinto!

 

[Ryaguas]

QUICK STEP

3.5/5 Sylvain Chavanel. Cobbles, tts, breakaways, the great Frenchman (my favourite French rider from the older generation)
3/5 Peter Velits. A rider for the tours.

2.5/5 Kwiatkowski, Van Keirsbulck, Chicchi, Cataldo, Grabsch, Devenyns, De Weert, Pineau, Terpstra, Stybar, Vandewalle, Golas (too many to describe everyone)

1st. I think that you are being too hard with Sylvain Didier D) I'd give him a 4... He did very good in the classics last year and with the 2 wins and the yellow jersey in 2010 plus a lot of minor results over the year...

2nd. Kwiatkowski and Chicchi will take several minor TT and sprints over the year, Also Terpstra must receive a 3 at least cuz He is crazy and He always entertaints us in the classics with his craziness

 

[greenedge]

OPQS will own lotto so hard... Tomeke will talke MSR, Flanders, PR and 3 stages in Le Tour, Bottle and Tony will take at least 1 GC each one and Chicchi will win several minors sprints..

Don't get my hopes up CQ wise for Boonen.
And i doubt he could win all 3 of those Classics. I think Flanders might suit him but Cancellara i think will win P-R.

And no way will he win 3 stages at the TDF. 1 if he is lucky ( 2 if he does what Thor did last year )

I do agree that Terpstra will get OPQS a god win next year. Maybe the Tour of Belgium if Gilbert does not do it?

 

[greenedge]

I am surprised that so many are banking on Boonen - lets face it he has not won much in past couple of years so along with levi we can say that their best years are behind them. Personally I think Chavanel will have a better chance for wins than Boonen, he had a fantastic year in 2011 and if it wasn't for Boonen factor he might have even got a big one or two.

I voted for Lotto but Levi last year had quite a good year ( 1 week stage race wise ) Since most of those stage races have an ITT he could probably win another two next year. Also the TDF route suits him.

 

[Ryaguas]

Don't get my hopes up CQ wise for Boonen.
And i doubt he could win all 3 of those Classics. I think Flanders might suit him but Cancellara i think will win P-R

That sounds like an avatar bet to me

 

[greenedge]

Quality post, Kvinto!

I second that.

 

[greenedge]

That sounds like an avatar bet to me

Hushovd is also a logical contender.

Besides i was not challenging it ( i will accept though ) but P-R seems suited to Cancellara very much so. Of course he can still win RvV's ( vice versa for Boonen ) though Devolder did win Flanders because Boonen let him.

 

[Kvinto]

Quality post, Kvinto!

I second that.

Thanks, i'm glad that you like it

1st. I think that you are being too hard with Sylvain Didier D) I'd give him a 4... He did very good in the classics last year and with the 2 wins and the yellow jersey in 2010 plus a lot of minor results over the year...

2nd. Kwiatkowski and Chicchi will take several minor TT and sprints over the year, Also Terpstra must receive a 3 at least cuz He is crazy and He always entertaints us in the classics with his craziness

I don't pretend to an absolute truth and won't argue over these little +/- which is inevitably a personal view. My initial purpose was a closer look at the new Lotto team (and a bit of comparison to Quick Step). If I wanted to make a little QS overview, I would have written about great prospects of Van Keirsbulck or Kwiatkowski, De Weert GT top-10 chances, Devenyns and hilly classics, brainless of Terpstra or why do I like Trentin… but it wasn't my aim