Provisional TDF Teams

[Cobblestoned]

I was going to say that earlier reports said Bennati was down to the tour. However, looking at this link it seems that this was misreporting and he is just doing the giro and vuelta rather than all 3 GTs.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7...ing-to-return-to-his-fast-finishing-ways.aspx

I don't need him to win le Tour.
Its just boring during flatstages without a real sprinter .

 

[uphillstruggle]

I would have Wegmann and Monfort for Bennati and Feillu.

Definitely Monfort for Bennati. Not saying this will be the case but assuming the number one objective is to win yellow Monfort is a good TTer and climber so is ideal help for this years parcours.

 

[search]

I don't need him to win le Tour.
Its just boring during flatstages without a real sprinter .

what about Weylandt?

 

[Cobblestoned]

what about Weylandt?

I want fun on each sprinterstage. No time to wait for Wouter having a good day.

 

[Christian]

LEOPARD TREK

Strong, very strong.

Schleck, Andy
Schleck, Frank
Cancellara, Fabian
Gerdemann, Linus
Voigt, Jens
Fuglsang, Jakob
O'Grady, Stuart
Bennati, Daniele
Feillu, Brice

I think Bennati is fairly certain not to ride the tour, although he'd certainly be a good help. He will go for stage wins at Giro and Vuelta as far as I know, and he said he was unlikely to ride all three GT's.

Monfort is, according to Andy, 95% sure to ride the Tour. It makes sense - he can climb pretty well but will also be a great help in the TTT and when it comes to pulling on the flat. I could see him taking over from Cancellara at the bottom of a climb.

Another possible candidate is Joost Posthuma. His season has not been great so far, but if he is in good shape he might be a serious competition for O'Grady, and mainly for Voigt. Everyone wants Voigt to be there (well, maybe not anymore since the radio debate), but if he's not the strongest, they might have to leave him at home. Also Posthuma will have raced almost the same program as Cancellara - if the two click, Cancellara might request him being in the TdF line-up as well.

Feillu will also have to prove himself, which he'll be able to do at the Giro. It's only his third season as a pro, and he only rode one GT so far, where he didn't do domestique work - Oliver Zaugg with his 7 GT's (granted, he never rode the Tour de France) might be a safer bet. He also proved himself as a domestique for Nibali last year. Feillu might have the better chances, just for being French, and for being famously abnoxious when missing out on the TdF. They will both be up against Linus Gerdemann, who has ridden the most TdF's, but rarely as a domestique, and with unconsistent performances. My personal preference goes to Zaugg for being, IMO, the best domestique and best team player

So my conclusion is:

Absolutely certain: A. Schleck, F. Schleck, Cancellara, Fuglsang, Monfort
Pretty certain: O'Grady
Depending on form: Voigt/Posthuma, Feillu/Zaugg/Gerdemann

Wegmann and Gerdemann might not have the best chances so far, but I hope they will get their chance at the Giro. Wegmann might be a possible wildcard, as well as Dominic Klemme - not this year, but if he can deliver again at Flanders and Roubaix this year, I could see him in a Breschel-esque role in the future.

 

[search]

Saur - Sojasun:

Casper
Coppel
Turpin
Levarlet
Jeandesboz
Mangel
Simon
Engoulvent
Coyot

 

[Christian]

what about Weylandt?

Chances slim to none I'd say. He might also get to ride the Giro and Vuelta though, where he would be a good candidate for the tougher sprints out of smaller groups. Also a good asset for Bennati in the train.

Other than that I think they will take him to mostly smaller stage races I think

 

[nvpacchi]

Euskaltel Euskadi:

Samuel Sánchez
Egoi Martínez
Mikel Nieve
Rubén Pérez
Amets Txurruka
Iñaki Isasi
Gorka Verdugo
Alan Pérez
Iván Velasco

Similar to last year's line-up, with Igor Antón going FTW at the Vuelta, having come off the Giro and Romain Sicard making his GT debut at the Vuelta. I could see Pierre Cazaux come in as the token French man. You can also expect Rubén Pérez and Txurruka to be in 55 breakaways each in the Tour.

Nieve is doing both the Giro and Vuelta with Anton for sure. Cazaux would be good for the final slot, or maybe Jorge Azanza

 

[Johnalex13]

LEOPARD TREK

Strong, very strong.

Schleck, Andy
Schleck, Frank
Cancellara, Fabian
Gerdemann, Linus
Voigt, Jens
Fuglsang, Jakob
O'Grady, Stuart
Bennati, Daniele
Feillu, Brice

No Thomas Rohregger?

 

[Cobblestoned]

No Thomas Rohregger?

post your lineup and i'll ask for a rider

These are luxury-problems. You could nearly form 2 strong TdF lineups with this team, if you would separate the brothers.

 

[JRanton]

I think Bennati is fairly certain not to ride the tour, although he'd certainly be a good help. He will go for stage wins at Giro and Vuelta as far as I know, and he said he was unlikely to ride all three GT's.

Monfort is, according to Andy, 95% sure to ride the Tour. It makes sense - he can climb pretty well but will also be a great help in the TTT and when it comes to pulling on the flat. I could see him taking over from Cancellara at the bottom of a climb.

Another possible candidate is Joost Posthuma. His season has not been great so far, but if he is in good shape he might be a serious competition for O'Grady, and mainly for Voigt. Everyone wants Voigt to be there (well, maybe not anymore since the radio debate), but if he's not the strongest, they might have to leave him at home. Also Posthuma will have raced almost the same program as Cancellara - if the two click, Cancellara might request him being in the TdF line-up as well.

Feillu will also have to prove himself, which he'll be able to do at the Giro. It's only his third season as a pro, and he only rode one GT so far, where he didn't do domestique work - Oliver Zaugg with his 7 GT's (granted, he never rode the Tour de France) might be a safer bet. He also proved himself as a domestique for Nibali last year. Feillu might have the better chances, just for being French, and for being famously abnoxious when missing out on the TdF. They will both be up against Linus Gerdemann, who has ridden the most TdF's, but rarely as a domestique, and with unconsistent performances. My personal preference goes to Zaugg for being, IMO, the best domestique and best team player

So my conclusion is:

Absolutely certain: A. Schleck, F. Schleck, Cancellara, Fuglsang, Monfort
Pretty certain: O'Grady
Depending on form: Voigt/Posthuma, Feillu/Zaugg/Gerdemann

Wegmann and Gerdemann might not have the best chances so far, but I hope they will get their chance at the Giro. Wegmann might be a possible wildcard, as well as Dominic Klemme - not this year, but if he can deliver again at Flanders and Roubaix this year, I could see him in a Breschel-esque role in the future.

You're only planning to take 8 riders?

O'Grady is a nailed on pick. I'd take Gerdemann, Wegmann and Voigt along with the other six.

 

[analo69]

I think Anders Lund has improved a lot as well and might get a chance at the tour. But to be honest, I might be Denmark-biased.

He has ridden very well at the GT's in which he has participated. But he might target the worlds this year and in that context ride the vuelta instead. He has 5 years of experience with CSC/Saxo and has improved every year and was one of the best u-23 riders some years ago.

Leopard has a wicked team!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Euskaltel Euskadi:

Samuel Sánchez
Egoi Martínez
Mikel Nieve
Rubén Pérez
Amets Txurruka
Iñaki Isasi
Gorka Verdugo
Alan Pérez
Iván Velasco

Similar to last year's line-up, with Igor Antón going FTW at the Vuelta, having come off the Giro and Romain Sicard making his GT debut at the Vuelta. I could see Pierre Cazaux come in as the token French man. You can also expect Rubén Pérez and Txurruka to be in 55 breakaways each in the Tour.

You forgot to mention that Egoi Martínez will lead a doomed charge to be the King of the Mountains.

I also argue that though Rubén Pérez is actually underrated as a breakaway man as he gets into a lot of them, Txurruka shares his breakaway glory with nobody and will go in a 56th to make sure he's #1.

 

[therealtimshady]

movistar will bring pellizotti as leader when he is rightfully cleared

 

[Nastyy]

Saur - Sojasun:

Casper
Coppel
Turpin
Levarlet
Jeandesboz
Mangel
Simon
Engoulvent
Coyot

I'd pick Poux and Hivert over Turpin and Coyot.

 

[Christian]

You're only planning to take 8 riders?

O'Grady is a nailed on pick. I'd take Gerdemann, Wegmann and Voigt along with the other six.

Oh yes you're right I have one too few. In that case I think my team would be:

A. Schleck
F. Schleck
Fuglsang
Cancellara
Monfort
O'Grady
Posthuma/Voigt
Zaugg
Feillu

Taking both Zaugg and Feillu might be a bit of a risk, but if one of the Schlecks ever gets caught in a bad break on the flat they'd still have Cancellara, Monfort, O'Grady and P/V to pull them back. Or Cancellara will just ask the peloton to slow down again

Posthuma might have the edge on Voigt for the TTT.

As for Gerdemann and Wegmann it's not that I have anything against them, I just value Zaugg more as a domestique than Gerdemann for example. Wegmann would be a valuable help but he doesn't have Zaugg's climbing. I personally think Gerdemann and Wegmann could have a good Giro and/or Vuelta if they focused solely on one of those. It'd be interesting to see how Gerdemann would do with a stronger team. He got 16th at Giro '10 with Milram, so I think a Top-10 would be realistic with a good team

 

[search]

I'd pick Poux and Hivert over Turpin and Coyot.

It's a possibilty, of course, but I doubt they will take neither Coyot nor Turpin as they do not have so many riders with grand tour experience

 

[Libertine Seguros]

movistar will bring pellizotti as leader when he is rightfully cleared

According to DAOTEC they will also bring Contador, Valverde, Henao, Rujano and Eusebio Unzué... that should be a fun team.

 

[jaylew]

Movistar

Soler
Plaza
Rojas
Guitterez
Kiriyenka
Ventoso
Benat
Pardilla
Konolovas

Pretty sure Tondo is supposed to be at the Tour this year.

 

[Anonymous]

RadioShack, podium sweep?

Kloeden
Leipheimer
Horner
Pauhlino
Zubeldia
Rast
Hunter
Brajkovic

I'm leaving it at eight. They are so strong they don't need nine. Just one less guy to split the winning purse with.










Seriously?

 

[The Hitch]

Pretty sure Tondo is supposed to be at the Tour this year.

I dont know how i didnt include him. He was the first name in my mind as i figured as leader they would send him to the Tour.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Rabobank:

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

I think I won't be too far off

I bolded what I agree with
However, If - BIG IF - Matti get's fit I can't imagine him not being in the squad. I suspect Tjallingi or Niermann would make way...

Some epic support for gesink right there.

LLS, Boom, Tjallingi, Niermann should prove pretty useful in the TT also

 

[theyoungest]

LLS, Boom, Tjallingi, Niermann should prove pretty useful in the TT also

Barredo as well, he's an underrated time trialist.

 

[craig1985]

Isn't Niermann good friends with Gesink? If so, he'll be in IMO.

 

[search]

isn't he in there every year?!