picking riders for Silence

[Andre.J]

With Evans gone, VDB will need someone else to help him in the mountain stages and the TTT for the 2010 TDF. Any suggestions as to who Silence may go after? I'm guessing they're going to need at least 3 strong riders. Gilbert will not be participating in the tour.

Andre

 

[blaxland]

They still have lloyd and wegellius,and recently signed moreni....But silence need some strong ttt guys as they have already lost one of there best tt in cadel evans...

 

[ak-zaaf]

Is it just me or is there no TTT next tour?

 

[blaxland]

Is it just me or is there no TTT next tour?

your right my bad.....to many glasses of red last night..........im confusing the giro with the tour.........apologies ak-zaaf

 

[Andre.J]

you could be right, well that would solve one problem.

Andre

 

[Andre.J]

I'm not too convinced with lloyd and wegellius.

 

[karlboss]

should now be some money free for someone else...I'd be looking for someone for Jurgen to support not the other way around

 

[issoisso]

should now be some money free for someone else...

You're missing the problem. There's no one of above average quality available at this point.

I'd be looking for someone for Jurgen to support not the other way around

That's not their plan, so it's not what they'll be doing.

 

[Moondance]

If I were Lotto I would abandon the GC mentality and focus on the classics. With guys like Gilbert, Hoste, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Bakelants, Vanendert, De Haes and a few more, there is a very powerful, all-purpose classics team in the making there. And while guys like Van den Broeck and Francis de Greef have some serious GC skillz you can nurture those without making it the central focus of your team.

 

[karlboss]

You're missing the problem. There's no one of above average quality available at this point.



That's not their plan, so it's not what they'll be doing.

Above average qulity riders out there, I agree.


I saw this post as Omega still want someone for GC in 2010 that they will fully support. My point was VdB isn't good enough yet.

i think the plan will be chase stages and give minimal support to VdB ala Mcewen Evans, and see.

 

[Cobber]

No matter what their plan is, I am sure they'll find some way to f$%& it up!

 

[lagartija]

No matter what their plan is, I am sure they'll find some way to f$%& it up!

man i couldnt agree more , redant cant direct a grand tour , i have been saying this for years , personally its the same as walter godefroot , he should have left directing the tour to pevenage........and please keep clinical opinions in the clinic......strictly tactics here........

 

[kickingfred]

+1. in many other top flight team sports, Redant would have got the chop last year. He presented as a grinning dismissive fool in the TdF who attributed 95% of the blame for an unsatisfactory showing to Evan's mental state. That was highly unprofessional.

The bottom line is that it has proven very, very difficult (perhaps CSC-Saxo excluded)for a team to have spring and TdF ambitions. These ambitions were the means of Silence Lotto. Now those sponsors would demand performances in the spring.....and Silence-Lotto management would have to prioritise their strategy around this. That is understandable. But they haven't even been able to pull that off in the last few years, AND they have failed to get their man to the top of the podium at the TdF when they had the best chance they will probably ever have to do so. I think Redant should be accountable to this.
Apart from Gilberts recent outstanding form, for how many years now has Silence-lotto's season been propped up by largely unsupported solo performances?

 

[53 x 11]

Even lloyd is a better GC rider than that over hyped Van den Broeck. They are gonna suck big time unless Gilbert saves their season again.

 

[Galic Ho]

If I were Lotto I would abandon the GC mentality and focus on the classics. With guys like Gilbert, Hoste, Van Avermaet, Roelandts, Bakelants, Vanendert, De Haes and a few more, there is a very powerful, all-purpose classics team in the making there. And while guys like Van den Broeck and Francis de Greef have some serious GC skillz you can nurture those without making it the central focus of your team.

Firstly some people forgot that the Tour has no TTT and now you're posting names of riders no longer on the team. Van Avermaet left for Quickstep.

The bottom line is that it has proven very, very difficult (perhaps CSC-Saxo excluded)for a team to have spring and TdF ambitions. These ambitions were the means of Silence Lotto. Now those sponsors would demand performances in the spring.....and Silence-Lotto management would have to prioritise their strategy around this. That is understandable. But they haven't even been able to pull that off in the last few years, AND they have failed to get their man to the top of the podium at the TdF when they had the best chance they will probably ever have to do so. I think Redant should be accountable to this. Apart from Gilberts recent outstanding form, for how many years now has Silence-lotto's season been propped up by largely unsupported solo performances?

Fair enough about not capitalising on their objectives. But if your guy doesn't pedal hard enough, you don't win. Cadel and Silence take the blame jointly for not winning in 2008, if you wish to place blame. Second place is a very good achievement.

Classics, well they have stuffed them up but not replacing McEwen has that effect. Gilbert is their saving grace. But they are not the only team who have meagre representation. Take Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden out and Astana suck big time. All this shows is that some teams have different means of measuring success. Some go for the mass stage wins like Columbia, others go for the overall, others for some jersey competition. OPL should stick to the classics. Jurgen couldn't even put up a fight in the final km's of stage 14 in the Tour, where Astarloza surged ahead. He let him go. Jurgen will struggle next year unless the new doctor can help.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Silence will become like most teams ranked 8-20 in the world rankings. Grand Tours will become the grounds for stage hunting. get into breakaways really. Guys like van avermaet could maybe get into breakaways on flat stages to grab some green jersey points, and then in bunch finishes he usually can finish inside the top 10.

Jurgen van den Breakaway can breakaway in long mountain stages and even target the KOM if he desired to, not saying he could win it tho. I can't see him actually believing in his own abilities to crack a top 10 on GC (unless he got into a 30min breakaway one day) but we never know, Silence were pretty quick to call him the sole-GC-leader for 2010 TDF which is why he says he is "nervous"

As for the classics, Silence havent lost any riders for those ambitions and they will continue as a belgian classics team, and as I said, I think the GTs will be targeting stage wins rather than GC, but as many suggested, they will probably FCK that up too

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think Silence will become like most teams ranked 8-20 in the world rankings. Grand Tours will become the grounds for stage hunting. get into breakaways really. Guys like van avermaet could maybe get into breakaways on flat stages to grab some green jersey points, and then in bunch finishes he usually can finish inside the top 10.

Jurgen van den Breakaway can breakaway in long mountain stages and even target the KOM if he desired to, not saying he could win it tho. I can't see him actually believing in his own abilities to crack a top 10 on GC (unless he got into a 30min breakaway one day) but we never know, Silence were pretty quick to call him the sole-GC-leader for 2010 TDF which is why he says he is "nervous"

As for the classics, Silence havent lost any riders for those ambitions and they will continue as a belgian classics team, and as I said, I think the GTs will be targeting stage wins rather than GC, but as many suggested, they will probably FCK that up too

Silence have a very good cobbled classic riders but they fail to work as a team and screw it all up in the end e.g. Paris Roubaix 2009

 

[blackcat]

Silence have a very good cobbled classic riders but they fail to work as a team and screw it all up in the end e.g. Paris Roubaix 2009

apart from Avermaets and Roelandts, all of their classics riders are impotent if it comes to a decimated field sprint.

Who can taken Boonen to the line in a sprint, or in the final two in Roubaix. Cancellara knew he was done for.

This is why Boonen can change his capacities and focus on his chrono theshold, and improve in the classics. Because he will still be more potent than any rival if he comes to the line to sprint for the win.

This really weakens their options for Lotto.

 

[skidmark]

Silence have a very good cobbled classic riders but they fail to work as a team and screw it all up in the end e.g. Paris Roubaix 2009

I'm not sure what you mean, they had 2 out of the 6 in the final breakaway, and both got taken out by Flecha. Are you suggesting they should have been riding in the front, or attacking, or what? I don't see how any lack of teamwork did them in there...

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'm not sure what you mean, they had 2 out of the 6 in the final breakaway, and both got taken out by Flecha. Are you suggesting they should have been riding in the front, or attacking, or what? I don't see how any lack of teamwork did them in there...

They hadn't attacked up to the final major cobbled section and they had no chance in the sprint. Flecha was a dick though.

 

[il_fiammingo]

Van Avermaet left for Quickstep.

Come again??

Jurgen couldn't even put up a fight in the final km's of stage 14 in the Tour, where Astarloza surged ahead. He let him go. Jurgen will struggle next year unless the new doctor can help.

I really don't understand the Jurgen VDB bashing. Now he's being crucified because a doped Astarloza was lucky to win the tactical game?

Dzjeezes.

Jurgen confirmed that his 6th spot at the 2008 Giro wasn't a fluke, so why won't he be able to better than 15th in next year's tour?

 

[samb01]

Van Avermaet left for Quickstep.

You're confused.

 

[il_fiammingo]

apart from Avermaets and Roelandts, all of their classics riders are impotent if it comes to a decimated field sprint.

Who can taken Boonen to the line in a sprint, or in the final two in Roubaix. Cancellara knew he was done for.

This is why Boonen can change his capacities and focus on his chrono theshold, and improve in the classics. Because he will still be more potent than any rival if he comes to the line to sprint for the win.

This really weakens their options for Lotto.

If you compare to Boonen, every other team's options are weakened when it comes to a decimated sprint.

 

[blackcat]

If you compare to Boonen, every other team's options are weakened when it comes to a decimated sprint.

right. I also think I forgot about Gilbert. A sprint starting at 45kmph, Gilbert can take him with a jump if he has the cards fall. Breschel could from a slow start, Pippo can, Hushovd cant outjump Boonen tho, I would look at the lighter puncier riders. Boasson will be able to take Boonen imo. Farrar if he becomes a classics rider over 260km.

There are riders who can take Boonen. My point should have been clearer. Hoste and Vansummeren need to get away, and be off the front if they are to win.

 

[il_fiammingo]

new names for Silence Lotto?

i would say:

Kreuziger: Liquigas has Basso, Pellizotti & Nibali for the GT's, maybe he's keen on being in a new team with less team leaders? Potential to win a GT. Maybe there is an old link with Flanders dating from his cyclocross days, they might use to get him interested.

or

Gerdemann: sucked big time this year, hasn't lived up to the expectations yet. Seems to lack motivation at Milram. He's not going to win a GT, but he can give the SL directors a fake feeling of having a worthy subsitute for Evans.

or

Farrar: a top sprinter, the one they really miss since McEwen left. If they want to believe in De Haes, well then i believe in santa claus. SL is a far better team for Farrar than Garmin to take the next step of winning classics. He lives in Flanders, crazy about the northern classics, so it won't be that hard to sign him.

Ofcourse i have no idea how their contracts with their current teams looks like. But IMO SL is capable of paying these rider's wages.