Saur-Sojasun at Le Tour

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

We all love underdogs. We all love Saur-Sojasun. Their greatest achievement this July is already fulfilled: keeping awful Geox out of the race.

This is to discuss their line-up for France. With some stage win celebrations to follow.

Those seven riders seem to be already fixed:

Jérôme Coppel
Arnaud Coyot
Jonathan Hivert
Jimmy Engoulvent
Fabrice Jeandesboz
Laurent Mangel
Yannick Talabardon


Two places left. Who are the candidates?

- Jimmy Casper

Their most experienced rider (seven TdF participations) and the only one knowing how it is to win a TdF stage. Comes from a winning streak in smaller French races over the last weeks.

- Anthony Delaplace

The least probable name. Good season, but without any GT experience. No sprinter, no climber, no TT'ist. Would probably be a good helper for Coppel.

- Jérémie Galland

The first week favors his racing style very much. Always on the attack when it's a bit hilly. Great results over the last weeks in Brittany and Luxembourg.

- Sébastien Joly

Two weeks ago he would never had appeared on this list. But after an impressive Route du Sud (two top 5 finishes on stages, 6th overall) he seems to be back in the game. Could be helpful for Coppel in the mountains.

- Cyril Lemoine

His speciality (short TTs) is not quite the thing this TdF is full of. A puncheur in every terrain; but with Engoulvent they have a similar rider already fixed.

- Jean-Marc Marino

Also shone at the Route du Sud (9th overall). Has little GT experience (two Vueltas).

- Julien Simon

Top 40 at Dauphiné is fair enough. Another good helper without any own ambitions.


My prediction: Casper and Joly will make it. Would love to see Marino and Galland, too (instead of Coyot and Talabardon).

 

[dlwssonic]

It must be jimmy casper. He is a winning rider.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

casper for sure.

Jérôme Coppel for best placed frenchman

 

[LukeSchmid]

We all love underdogs.

Speak for yourself

We all love Saur-Sojasun.

Speak for yourself

Their greatest achievement this July is already fulfilled:

They have not achieved anything in July, it is not even July yet

keeping awful Geox out of the race.

Geox are not awful.
After such a stupid start to the post I could not be bothered with the rest.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Casper + Galland/Joly

 

[jens_attacks]

no love for saur.but casper can win a stage from a small breakaway group and coppel can finish in the top20.

 

[greenedge]

Coppel should move to a bigger team next year, so we can hype up his talent a bit more. CP already has otherwise Saur would not have got in. It's so biased towards the French that all 4 wildcard teams are French whilst better teams are excluded.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

It's so biased towards the French that all 4 wildcard teams are French whilst better teams are excluded.

Current cq team ranking:

1. Rabobank PRT 10305
2. Team Garmin - Cervélo PRT 10226
3. HTC - Highroad PRT 10015
4. Vacansoleil - DCM PRT 8423
5. Leopard - Trek PRT 8382
6. Team RadioShack PRT 8282
7. Lampre - ISD PRT 8144
8. Sky Professional Cycling Team PRT 8080
9. Katusha Team PRT 7457
10. OmegaPharma - Lotto PRT 7176
11. Liquigas - Cannondale PRT 7162
12. SaxoBank - Sungard PRT 7059
13. Movistar Team PRT 6806
14. FDJ PROF 6149
15. Ag2r - La Mondiale PRT 5889
16. BMC Racing Team PRT 5823
17. Astana PRT 5739
18. Quick Step Cycling Team PRT 5304
19. Euskaltel - Euskadi PRT 5184
20. Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne PROF 4557
21. Europcar PROF 4111
22. Saur - Sojasun PROF 3852
23. Androni Giocattoli - C.I.P.I PROF 3839
24. Skil - Shimano PROF 3623
25. Geox - TMC PROF 3289
26. Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli PROF 2824
27. Landbouwkrediet PROF 2248
28. Colnago - CSF Inox PROF 2216
29. Verandas Willems - Accent PROF 1968
30. CCC Polsat - Polkowice PROF 1679

And exactly the best 22 teams are riding Le Tour. What's wrong with that? It's the most balanced team selection for years.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Coppel should move to a bigger team next year, so we can hype up his talent a bit more. CP already has otherwise Saur would not have got in. It's so biased towards the French that all 4 wildcard teams are French whilst better teams are excluded.

lol almost all races choose to invite teams from thier own nation.
Blame the game, not the player.

Anyways 'Best teams' don't always make a good selection.
I mean Geox were soooo entertaining at the giro. If Saur weren't a decent team they wouldn't have got an invitation. The fact all 4 french teams are capable of doing a good show at the tour justifies the selection.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Current cq team ranking:

1. Rabobank PRT 10305
2. Team Garmin - Cervélo PRT 10226
3. HTC - Highroad PRT 10015
4. Vacansoleil - DCM PRT 8423
5. Leopard - Trek PRT 8382
6. Team RadioShack PRT 8282
7. Lampre - ISD PRT 8144
8. Sky Professional Cycling Team PRT 8080
9. Katusha Team PRT 7457
10. OmegaPharma - Lotto PRT 7176
11. Liquigas - Cannondale PRT 7162
12. SaxoBank - Sungard PRT 7059
13. Movistar Team PRT 6806
14. FDJ PROF 6149
15. Ag2r - La Mondiale PRT 5889
16. BMC Racing Team PRT 5823
17. Astana PRT 5739
18. Quick Step Cycling Team PRT 5304
19. Euskaltel - Euskadi PRT 5184
20. Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne PROF 4557
21. Europcar PROF 4111
22. Saur - Sojasun PROF 3852
23. Androni Giocattoli - C.I.P.I PROF 3839
24. Skil - Shimano PROF 3623
25. Geox - TMC PROF 3289
26. Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli PROF 2824
27. Landbouwkrediet PROF 2248
28. Colnago - CSF Inox PROF 2216
29. Verandas Willems - Accent PROF 1968
30. CCC Polsat - Polkowice PROF 1679

And exactly the best 22 teams are riding Le Tour. What's wrong with that? It's the most balanced team selection for years.

2011 rankings have androni instead of Saur (but saur are skil are both in front of geox), but I agree. I think the teams in deserve to be.

 

[hrotha]

I'm not sure Coppel is going to be in top shape at the Tour. I expected more from him in his last few races. Still, a top 20 should be possible.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

I'm not sure Coppel is going to be in top shape at the Tour. I expected more from him in his last few races. Still, a top 20 should be possible.

Last year he peaked for the Dauphiné as his seasonal goal. This year his peak form was planned four weeks later. We will see... getting best French rider should be enough to call it a good Tour. So maybe around place 8 -15 is where he needs to be. It's going to be tough, but it's not impossible.

 

[roundabout]

To be honest, and we had this discussion before, while good I don't think the 2010 Dauphine is particularly representative of Coppel's ability in the high mountains against the best in the Tour.

But maybe he is peaking for the Tour and can get top 12-15 or so which to me would be a great result.

 

[craig1985]

This is topsport and unless you have topteam then you shouldnt ride.

 

[Midnightfright]

Last year he peaked for the Dauphiné as his seasonal goal. This year his peak form was planned four weeks later. We will see... getting best French rider should be enough to call it a good Tour. So maybe around place 8 -15 is where he needs to be. It's going to be tough, but it's not impossible.

That will he a tough ask. His climbing will have to be at his best as he will get very little support when things get steeper. If he could squeeze into the top 10 he would be delighted. He is in poll position to get best French rider though

 

[Frosty]

Regarding his ability in the big mountains i suppose the best we have to go on was stage 7 of last year's Dauphine?

http://www.letour.fr/2010/CDD/COURSE/us/600/etape_par_etape.html

Finished 24 seconds behind Contador and 16 ahead of VDB. Bearing in mind that stage is probably where he was aiming to peak and that Conty and VDB were still building up then it is good form but not spectacular. The big unknown is probably how he responds to that sort of stage in the final week. Never having done a 3 week race could count against him too. I reckon 14th, something like that. I put him in a similar bracket to Taaramae, although Taaramae is more attacking.

 

[Midnightfright]

Regarding his ability in the big mountains i suppose the best we have to go on was stage 7 of last year's Dauphine?

http://www.letour.fr/2010/CDD/COURSE/us/600/etape_par_etape.html

Finished 24 seconds behind Contador and 16 ahead of VDB. Bearing in mind that stage is probably where he was aiming to peak and that Conty and VDB were still building up then it is good form but not spectacular. The big unknown is probably how he responds to that sort of stage in the final week. Never having done a 3 week race could count against him too. I reckon 14th, something like that. I put him in a similar bracket to Taaramae, although Taaramae is more attacking.

I would say being a conservative rider would be a positive if his goal is too place high in the GC . And personally think he's probably a little further along than taaramae.

 

[Frosty]

I would say being a conservative rider would be a positive if his goal is too place high in the GC . And personally think he's probably a little further along than taaramae.

Maybe. Taarame did finish 4th at Paris Nice and 3rd in the crit international this year and last year beat Coppel by 10 seconds in the Paris-Nice so i think they are fairly similar or Taaramae is slightly better. Doesnt necessarily transfer to three week races though, i think Taaramae may find it difficult to just follow wheels which counts against him unless he gets in a break that makes it to the finish. I think both of them could finish in a similar position but given they are relative unknowns it wouldnt be a complete surprise to me to see either finish 9th or end up fading badly.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Speak for yourself

Speak for yourself

They have not achieved anything in July, it is not even July yet

Geox are not awful.
After such a stupid start to the post I could not be bothered with the rest.

Totally agree. Where did Bye Bye Bicycle get the concept that we love Saur?

 

[Midnightfright]

Maybe. Taarame did finish 4th at Paris Nice and 3rd in the crit international this year and last year beat Coppel by 10 seconds in the Paris-Nice so i think they are fairly similar or Taaramae is slightly better. Doesnt necessarily transfer to three week races though, i think Taaramae may find it difficult to just follow wheels which counts against him unless he gets in a break that makes it to the finish. I think both of them could finish in a similar position but given they are relative unknowns it wouldnt be a complete surprise to me to see either finish 9th or end up fading badly.

My bad poorly worded I was refering to him being further ahead with regards to tactics/race smarts. I think there have shown to be fairly comparative in a ability. Taaramae as probably shown better form and results this year though

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Totally agree. Where did Bye Bye Bicycle get the concept that we love Saur?

Ah sorry, I forgot to mention Evans or any other random Aussie in my opening post. Stupid me.

 

[nvpacchi]

Saur does have the best bikes in the peloton

I'd love to see Coppel work his way into the top 10 too

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

The final two places go to:

Anthony Delaplace
Jérémie Galland

So Jimmy Casper left out. Saur-Sojayoung!

 

[johngoat]

I think Galland could be one of the surprise sprinters this Tour.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Fantastic 10th place for Engoulvent today. Next flat stage is his to win.