Radioshack in top team position

[David Suro]

Compared to stage wins or leaders jerseys it is almost a consolation prize, but it's still a classification in the TdF. There is a lot of racing to go, of course, but I find it kind of cool that the "retirement" guys are doing well as a whole.

 

[Cobblestones]

Leipheimer, Kloden and Horner holding up the flag in recent stages. Paulinho too with his victory.

Congratulation, well done.

 

[flicker]

sorry epic fail by retirement shack.

 

[hrotha]

I think specifically targeting the team classification is the lamest thing you can possibly do at a GT. Especially if it affects your tactics. It's one thing to defend it with two days left until Paris, but three quarters of the Tour with that objective in mind is sad.

RadioShack should be trying to get into breakaways just because, not chasing Caisse riders.

 

[sometriguy]

I'm so happy for them, this tour could have been a complete disaster if everyone on the team fell off the back while lance soloed to victory.

Cheers to the kings of the peloton

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Pathetic.

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[Parrot23]

Not trying to discount this, but what does this really "mean"? These averaged out performances by every member of the team maybe obscure more than they show the strength of the team.

Can one really say Shack is stronger than Saxo and Astana at this Tour? Guess it's because you see all the formers' domestiques at the front defending/towing their leaders, and nary a Shack rider in sight.

So maybe averages here are misleading?? Maybe what counts is performance in support of a team leader on the key stages when the GC is made and won.

That requires a team leader who is a protagonist for the podium. Shack doesn't have that this year. Levi is largely by himself: no team driving at the front for him, so it's hard to "see" team strength animating a stage.

No firm opinions here. Just throwing this out for discussion.

 

[Big GMaC]

Lol at Armstrong dropping 3'30 today. Not really contributing to the Team GC is he...

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

While the team classification winners try to put on a brave face at the end of a GT and salvage something for their sponsors by claiming they are happy to win the teams, I'm sure they know it's essentially a booby prize if they couldn't bring home anything more significant like a jersey or stage win(s).

Shack should be bowing down to Paulinho right now for keeping them from looking like total fools so far.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Honestly, I'm happy for Kloden, Horner, Jani, and some of the other riders.

I find Leipheimer completely uninspiring, but I can appreciate the careful and calculated way he rides.

As far as Lance...well, Big Tex packed it in today and dropped another 3:30 to Contador. He's really helping out the team classification. Solid work there.

Say, on how many stages that really counted did Lance contribute to the team GC?

 

[Cyc81325]

Lol at Armstrong dropping 3'30 today. Not really contributing to the Team GC is he...

Screw lance armstrong, I was a fan up until last week. When he quit after his 3rd "crash" of the day and just set up for the rest of the stage I saw a quitter. When he came back the next day and appeared to fight hard in the mountains I thought maybe he just needed to regroup but then he did nothing on the flat. Then these past two days he has been utterly pathetic, sitting up at the end of each day. And then today he pulls this $hit and 1) sits up half way up the climb, then to top it off, he gets to the finish line and not 5m past does a 180 and heads straight to the team hotel.

I hoped he would not drop out of the tour after he lost 12 minutes last week, now I wish he would drop out, because it is embarrassing, frustrating, pathetic, and disgusting to watch him quit on his team and on himself everyday. What a shame, he should have at least fought.

 

[erader]

]I'm so happy for them, this tour could have been a complete disaster if everyone on the team fell off the back while lance soloed to victory. [/color]
Cheers to the kings of the peloton

erader

 

[mastersracer]

how the mighty have fallen - used to win both team and individual GC...

 

[Roadrage]

Like it or not you American bashers, the team standing is a part of the Tour. It's as least as legitimate as the polka dot jersey.
To all the Lance bashers....the man has won 7 Tours. After taking off for 3, he comes back and gets a podium. Anyone else come close to that?
After flying over the bars and landing on his back, he's doing ok by anyone's measure. Most riders would have probably dropped out.
He's probably been tested for dope more in his career than the entire peleton combined this year. He's NEVER tested positive so if any of you have proof he's ever doped, speak now, or shut the f@#k up!
I'm nobobody's fanboy, just an admirer of an incredible athlete who has overcome near terminal cancer and who contributes millions to cancer research through the Livestrong Foundation.
You don't have to like him, obviously, but show some respect for a guy who beat the best cyclists in the world for 7 consecutive years.
Rant over, you bigoted, redneck kids.

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a bunch of domestiques wearing themselves out and finishing miles behind the leader because they have worked hard to get their leader to a top gc position, they will be low on the team competition because of it.

The team competition in the tour is basically a prize for the team with the crappest gc contender.

 

[franciep10]

Like it or not you American bashers, the team standing is a part of the Tour. It's as least as legitimate as the polka dot jersey.
To all the Lance bashers....the man has won 7 Tours. After taking off for 3, he comes back and gets a podium. Anyone else come close to that?
After flying over the bars and landing on his back, he's doing ok by anyone's measure. Most riders would have probably dropped out.
He's probably been tested for dope more in his career than the entire peleton combined this year. He's NEVER tested positive so if any of you have proof he's ever doped, speak now, or shut the f@#k up!
I'm nobobody's fanboy, just an admirer of an incredible athlete who has overcome near terminal cancer and who contributes millions to cancer research through the Livestrong Foundation.
You don't have to like him, obviously, but show some respect for a guy who beat the best cyclists in the world for 7 consecutive years.
Rant over, you bigoted, redneck kids.

 

[Roadrage]

Point taken, franciep10.
And I like the cat!

 

[reubenr]

Like it or not you American bashers, the team standing is a part of the Tour. It's as least as legitimate as the polka dot jersey.
To all the Lance bashers....the man has won 7 Tours. After taking off for 3, he comes back and gets a podium. Anyone else come close to that?
After flying over the bars and landing on his back, he's doing ok by anyone's measure. Most riders would have probably dropped out.
He's probably been tested for dope more in his career than the entire peleton combined this year. He's NEVER tested positive so if any of you have proof he's ever doped, speak now, or shut the f@#k up!
I'm nobobody's fanboy, just an admirer of an incredible athlete who has overcome near terminal cancer and who contributes millions to cancer research through the Livestrong Foundation.
You don't have to like him, obviously, but show some respect for a guy who beat the best cyclists in the world for 7 consecutive years.
Rant over, you bigoted, redneck kids.

This is the problem in essence. I am an American, North American, in fact, and no matter how hard I would like to believe that Mr. Armstrong never took even a little bit of sweet water, my logical side says it really isn't possible and that it seems probable and likely that he has utilized a little inside strategy that made things work for him, but this year he didn't dare to try. I remember the incident last year when he delayed a test on his rest day. And I remember when he took down his published results because some one was showing how his hippocrits (does any one know how to spell this) didn't seem to jive with everyone else's on the day after. So what are we to think? a) The man cheated for 7 years or more? b) He is just about the worst person on the earth? c) He is ripping off the cancer universe for his own wealth? d) He is a good guy? Personally, I would go with all of the above except for d.

 

[riobonito92]

It's perfectly respectable and logical for Leipheimer to race for 3rd; and given the type of rider he is, there is not much he should be doing differently.

 

[Jux1893]

The Team classification is worth a stage presence in Champs Elysee for the whole team. I would say it's worth something.

Everyone (almost) shows a lot of hate for RadiaShack, but thats not even the question. It is a minor classement for sure, but it gives another colourful to the race. With Radio and Caisse fighting for it no one can say they're the best teams, but they're probably the more balanced ones

It's nice to see the colocation of riders in the escapes, and the fights between them.

 

[Mambo95]

how the mighty have fallen - used to win both team and individual GC...

They never won the team classification when Armstrong won. They did when Contador won in 2007.

The Armstrong years:

1999 Banesto
2000 Kelme
2001 Kelme
2002 ONCE
2003 Team CSC
2004 T-Mobile Team
2005 T-Mobile Team

 

[JFDavis]

Best response possible-thank you

 

[reubenr]

The Team classification is worth a stage presence in Champs Elysee for the whole team. I would say it's worth something.

Everyone (almost) shows a lot of hate for RadiaShack, but thats not even the question. It is a minor classement for sure, but it gives another colourful to the race. With Radio and Caisse fighting for it no one can say they're the best teams, but they're probably the more balanced ones

It's nice to see the colocation of riders in the escapes, and the fights between them.

Two losers. One losing more slowly than the other.

 

[Ferminal]

Congratulations if they manage to win it, maybe it will see them secure invites to two GTs next year.

 

[SpartacusRox]

If you have a bunch of domestiques wearing themselves out and finishing miles behind the leader because they have worked hard to get their leader to a top gc position, they will be low on the team competition because of it.

The team competition in the tour is basically a prize for the team with the crappest gc contender.

TeamSky will be right up there for that award then.

I bet Hendo is laughing.