Pre Tour de France-thread

[Jspear]

Re:

(click on the picture to see the bigger version)

They’ve got a fun team for stage wins on many different terrains. I’d be happy if they didn’t obsess too much over a top 10 GC spot.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

(click on the picture to see the bigger version)

They’ve got a fun team for stage wins on many different terrains. I’d be happy if they didn’t obsess too much over a top 10 GC spot.

You are right

If they forget about GC entirely, once they hit the mountains (before then it makes sense to ride the GC, as they could be in yellow the first 9 days)..... they could potentially attack every single stage of the tour.

Or, Alaphilippe could go after the polka dots, Gaviria after the green and Jungels after the white.

 

[Sciatic]

I know it's nothing like a real Roubaix, but still, that QS team could really do some damage on the pave' stage, with Jungels a beneficiary.

We could hope for wind and echelons before they hit the pave' to really mix it up

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I know it's nothing like a real Roubaix, but still, that QS team could really do some damage on the pave' stage, with Jungels a beneficiary.

We could hope for wind and echelons before they hit the pave' to really mix it up

I read somewhere, that the entry point for the first pavé, is a wide and fast main road sloping down, with a 90 degree turn onto the pavé, that is only only wide enough for 4 riders.

Chaos will ensue

 

[Laplaz]

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

 

[Escarabajo]

QS and Jungels complement each other with their plans perfectly.

They don't have the problem that Sky or Movistar have. Jungels do not have real aspirations to win the race or to even podium. And he can work for the train to win stages and benefit in some stages for a top 10 GC without sacrificing anything. He just need to follow wheels in the mountains and hang on for dear life for as long as he can. He is not the one to beat so he is always going to be surrounded with other riders that will do the work for him. He can rely on the TT, TTT, flat stages and Pave for a high placing. Everything else is on him really.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

Yes, he wants to ride the Vuelta as the team leader and go for top 5 on the gc.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

(click on the picture to see the bigger version)

They’ve got a fun team for stage wins on many different terrains. I’d be happy if they didn’t obsess too much over a top 10 GC spot.

You are right

If they forget about GC entirely, once they hit the mountains (before then it makes sense to ride the GC, as they could be in yellow the first 9 days)..... they could potentially attack every single stage of the tour.

Or, Alaphilippe could go after the polka dots, Gaviria after the green and Jungels after the white.

This is a perfect team to go stage hunting with and I think that is what they'll be doing. They should do very well in the TTT. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this team can do on the cobbled stage. They should break that stage wide open.

 

[Laplaz]

Re: Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

Yes, he wants to ride the Vuelta as the team leader and go for top 5 on the gc.

Ah ok good then... altough i'm not sure the climbs in Spain suits him...

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

I’m surprised by this. It’s a very “big lump” oriented team, with little in the way of back up for Majka. They do have Muhlberger going, who can both climb and function as a rouleur, but Poljanski seems to be about it as far as further climbing support is concerned. It’s all about Sagan (although Majka will benefit from Sagan’s support riders in the TTT and on the cobbles).

Hopefully this means that Bachmann is to lead at the Vuelta.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

Yes, he wants to ride the Vuelta as the team leader and go for top 5 on the gc.

Glad to hear it.

I’m also glad to see Postlberger in the team. I was getting worried that he was having form problems or had fallen out with the team when he wasn’t in their main classics squad or at the Giro.

 

[Beobachter]

Re: Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

I’m surprised by this. It’s a very “big lump” oriented team, with little in the way of back up for Majka. They do have Muhlberger going, who can both climb and function as a rouleur, but Poljanski seems to be about it as far as further climbing support is concerned. It’s all about Sagan (although Majka will benefit from Sagan’s support riders in the TTT and on the cobbles).

Hopefully this means that Bachmann is to lead at the Vuelta.

Buchmann having to work for Majka would have been a big joke: Buchmann rightly deserves to get some responsabilities and to be the team leader for a GT, not to work for someone as good (or even less good) than he is. Buchmann and Bora did the right choice here imo.

Honestly, with only 8 riders per team nowadays, Majka could not have expected more than what he gets here as support. And tbh, he's already lucky enough to just get a spot for this TDF (it wouldn't have been a shame to see Buchmann as the man for the GC and Majka sent to another GT....).

In a team that has to support Sagan and to fulfil big ambitions with him, it makes perfectly sense to have a list such as the one they picked up.
And tbh, it would be painful to see Majka not helping once Sagan during this TDF (the Quimper stage coming to my mind for example), priorities should be clear: Sagan first (and deservedly so), the rest then as bonus.

 

[Beobachter]

Re: Re:

Do you know why Buchmann is not selected for the Tour? Was it planned?

Yes, he wants to ride the Vuelta as the team leader and go for top 5 on the gc.

Glad to hear it.

I’m also glad to see Postlberger in the team. I was getting worried that he was having form problems or had fallen out with the team when he wasn’t in their main classics squad or at the Giro.

He did have form problems.
He was first sick and completely out of form for the classics, so the team and him decided him to fully skip the classics campaign to focus on his recovery for the Giro. But Pöstlberger, so eager to be ready for the Giro, was too optimistic and went back to racing too early, he had to abandon in Trentino. And it was clear he would never be able to compete in the Giro.
So, two huge disappointments for him. It is worth to notice that all these decisions have been taken in a common agreement between Pösti and the team. So, no worries, he had fallen out with the team: both were as sorry of the situation

Pösti went back to racing again at the Dauphiné. This time, his form was very satisfying (cf the last stage especially) and all the health issues seem now to have been left behind. Which made him a very, very serious candidate for a Tour-spot!

Eventually, his problems earlier in the year have led him to be part of this TDF. If he had raced the Giro, he wouldn't have in the Tour.
Sending to the biggest race of the calendar a guy that originally wasn't supposed to be part of the squad for the race is a pretty good indication of how valued Pöstlberger is considered in the team

(from a personal note, I expect all the Austrians to stay in the team in the future. I hope the selection of both Mühlberger and Pösti for the Tour is a sign in this way!)

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

(click on the picture to see the bigger version)

They’ve got a fun team for stage wins on many different terrains. I’d be happy if they didn’t obsess too much over a top 10 GC spot.

You are right

If they forget about GC entirely, once they hit the mountains (before then it makes sense to ride the GC, as they could be in yellow the first 9 days)..... they could potentially attack every single stage of the tour.

Or, Alaphilippe could go after the polka dots, Gaviria after the green and Jungels after the white.

This is a perfect team to go stage hunting with and I think that is what they'll be doing. They should do very well in the TTT. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this team can do on the cobbled stage. They should break that stage wide open.

I think that will be their plan to get Jungels into White, and with Yates no longer eligible I’m not sure who can take it off him unless Soler somehow is allowed to ride for himself.

 

[Sasquatch]

Jungels isn't elligible for the white. Born in 92

 

[Robert5091]

Weather wise, next week is forecast some rain, but the first couple of stages should be dry and not much wind.

 

[tobydawq]

Bahrain's squad:

Nibali, Pozzovivo, Izagirre, Izagirre, Pellizotti, Colbrelli, Haussler, Koren.

Absolutely terrifying.

 

[tobydawq]

Katusha's squad:

Zakarin, Kittel, Zabel, Martin, Politt, Boswell, Kiserlovski, Kochetkov.

Absolutely lame.

 

[MADRAZO]

Re:

Katusha's squad:

Zakarin, Kittel, Zabel, Martin, Politt, Boswell, Kiserlovski, Kochetkov.

Absolutely lame.

Poor help for both Kittel and Zakarin indeed. Also quite a waste of team-spots with 3 very mediocre climber helpers for Zakarin that wont matter in the mountains and where at least 2 of them could have been used to give Kittel a better chance. Also I dont understand not picking Machado who would have been overall one of the best helper for the team both pulling for breakaways in the flat stages, for the TTT and also in the mountains.

 

[MADRAZO]

Re:

Bahrain's squad:

Nibali, Pozzovivo, Izagirre, Izagirre, Pellizotti, Colbrelli, Haussler, Koren.

Absolutely terrifying.

Solid team. I had expected Gasparotto to get Korens spot, as he was a very good helper for Nibali in the Giro last year. But Koren is a solid allrounder for sure and with Navardauslas not in form it had to be him getting the last spot. Most interresting will be to see what Pozzovivo can do as a helper. Last time he did the Giro-Tour double he was completely awful in the Tour and one could fear that would happen again, but I suppose he was just generally awful that whole year and that he could be strong now and in that case Nibali will have a very solid team.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Katusha's squad:

Zakarin, Kittel, Zabel, Martin, Politt, Boswell, Kiserlovski, Kochetkov.

Absolutely lame.

Hahah, Katusha is just such a mess.

 

[Roku]

Re: Re:

Katusha's squad:

Zakarin, Kittel, Zabel, Martin, Politt, Boswell, Kiserlovski, Kochetkov.

Absolutely lame.

Poor help for both Kittel and Zakarin indeed. Also quite a waste of team-spots with 3 very mediocre climber helpers for Zakarin that wont matter in the mountains and where at least 2 of them could have been used to give Kittel a better chance. Also I dont understand not picking Machado who would have been overall one of the best helper for the team both pulling for breakaways in the flat stages, for the TTT and also in the mountains.

Surely 2011 Machado would be the best domestique for Zakarin, but 2018 won't climb better than any of Zakarin helpers. It is probably the best team Katusha could assemble. Maybe they could have taken Hollenstein instead of Kochetkov/Boswell. They have such a week squad filled with mediocre young and inexperienced riders.

The other decent riders have done the Giro (Gonçalves) or are useless for both Kittel and Zakarin (Haas)

 

[Valv.Piti]

Bevin, Caruso, van Garderen, Gerrans, Küng, Porte, Schär, Van Avermaet

Decent team, but no Dennis for the TTT. I fear for Porte TJ and Caruso wont cut it in the mountains, but thats probably not his biggest problem. Funny that Gerro got selected, but he is Australian and experienced, that probably helps.

 

[MADRAZO]

Re: Re:

Katusha's squad:

Zakarin, Kittel, Zabel, Martin, Politt, Boswell, Kiserlovski, Kochetkov.

Absolutely lame.

Poor help for both Kittel and Zakarin indeed. Also quite a waste of team-spots with 3 very mediocre climber helpers for Zakarin that wont matter in the mountains and where at least 2 of them could have been used to give Kittel a better chance. Also I dont understand not picking Machado who would have been overall one of the best helper for the team both pulling for breakaways in the flat stages, for the TTT and also in the mountains.

Surely 2011 Machado would be the best domestique for Zakarin, but 2018 won't climb better than any of Zakarin helpers. It is probably the best team Katusha could assemble. Maybe they could have taken Hollenstein instead of Kochetkov/Boswell. They have such a week squad filled with mediocre young and inexperienced riders.

The other decent riders have done the Giro (Gonçalves) or are useless for both Kittel and Zakarin (Haas)

I agree 2018 Machado wont climb better than Boswell/Kochetkov, probably he is a bit worse, but he could still be close to those 2 and also be so much more useful pulling in the peloton on the flat stages for Kittel and in the TTT. I would for sure have picked him and also Hollenstein instead of Boswell/Kochetkov and then only have had Kiserlovski as a pure climbing-helper. If Kittel is good Boswell and Kochetkov will now end up doing a lot of work on the flat where the others would have been much better and then they will be even more useless in the mountains. Since I dont think Boswell and Kochetkov will matter much as helpers for Zakarin in the mountains, picking Haas as a free rider for chasing stagewins, that might also help in leadouts, would also have made more sence to me.

 

[yaco]

Haas will be disappointed - One of the main reasons he went to Katusha was to ride the TDF - He'll be hoping he goes to the Vuelta.