Strongest teams 2011

[Arnout]

I'm 120% convinced he could beat both Basso and Nibali... didn't he already beat Basso at virtually every climb in the Vuelta last year? And he nearly always did better than Nibali in virtually every possible uphill stage the last 2 years, even as 21 year old he was already better uphill. And Nibali is no monster TT specialist himself.

Btw, Nibali did beat Mosquera by what margin? Now go and look up the Vuelta 09 before Gesink lost 4 minutes on the last mt stage, tell me how much Gesink was in front of Mosquera. Right, Mosq. wasn't even close to him. And Nibali had all trouble in the world with the same guy

2009 was Basso's first year back and it was obvious that he didn't reach the same level as this year. In the form he had in the Giro he won this year Gesink won't come close.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I really doubt that. Considering the compeititon Basso had. Sick Evans, and if Scarponi and your own teammate is the best you come up with after that...well... sorry, no.
The competition in the TDF was once again sooo much thougher

 

[theyoungest]

2009 was Basso's first year back and it was obvious that he didn't reach the same level as this year. In the form he had in the Giro he won this year Gesink won't come close.

Just as badly argued as the opposite point. I guess we'll see next year, when they both arrive at the Tour in top form. And when both of them will get their a$$es kicked by Andy (and Contador, if he's allowed to ride). So yeah, neither of them will win a GT next year, and Nibali could win two, with a bit of luck

 

[blaxland]

Without knowing all the team tranfers yet i would say Liquigas have the strongest Grand Tour Team and Garmin/cervelo have the strongest classics/one day races team....But im really looking forward to seeing how Bmc and Sbs go this season.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I will eat my shorts and post it on cn if nibble rides the giro/vuelta double again. (hoping he hasn't confirmed this already )

@dimtik
Bmc won't win a gt, only Evans is capable and he will ride the tour and fail. And possibly the vuelta, if he fails early in France maybe he will soft pedal and do the vuelta. Well see.

I also agree with dt that gesink would have beaten nibbles at the vuelta. Basso at the giro maybe not.

@hitch
Although I agree that Porte is overrated I disagree with the duarte comment. Bold statement considering he is unproven in Europe. I notice a big expectation on the forum with the columbians. People are expecting to comet Europe and own but IMO a lot of people are going to be disappointed. Not saying they won't do well, but racing the America circuit is a little different to Europe and pt. We'll see

---

Anyway my opinion is that team lux, Rabo, liquigas, garmin and htc will be the best teams for different reasons.

Lux will be good at the tour and Ardennes. They have some real potential in sprints. Gerdemann and monfort (he's riding for them right?) can do well in short stage raced and if they get spartacus they will be a threat in the cobbles.

Liquigas will be great in the hrs and Sagan will be interesting. But maybe they are struggling in the sprint and cobble areas now.

Rabo are probably the most balanced team, with a lot of depth in most areas. Have lots of riders who can shine in the classics. 3 or 4 riders whom can compete in a short stage race.
Maybe with the gt they only have gesink as a serious contender. Nilotic could maybe top ten, but I think he will waste his time as a domestique at the tour. A shame IMO.
They also maybe lack a real big sprinter, but should pack up the occasional win. Let's see what they can do with bos.
And yeah they got dome real good youth coming through.

Htc will pick up lots if stages and wins I'm sure, while gamin should do the same and be a real treat on the cobbles. Maybe a couple top tens in a gt also. They seem to have great spirit at garmin.

Apologies in advance for spelling errors etc, on my mobile.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Nilotic = mollema stupid iPhone auto correct.

 

[PCutter]

Liquigas for mine. They have the best GT double act of any squad with Basso/Nibali. I dont think any other squad's 'second' GT rider could pull off a win at a GT where Nibali (obviously) can. They are the squad best suited to controlling a GT when it really matters with lots of strong dom's and climbing doms as well. Sagan will knock up some wins, and while they may not have a pure sprinter - pfff - sprinters!

 

[Ferminal]

No mention of Euskatel and Moviestar?

Moviestar always find a way to insert themselves into the mix.

Arroyo, Tondo, Bruzhegin, Soler, Rubén Plaza. All 2nd tier gt contenders. But together, they could do big things.

Intxaustis not bad. Potential there. Ruben Plaza looks to be on the way back.

Thats 6 gc potential top 10ers in 1 team. A team ready to take advantage of any more potential Laquillas.

According to Libertine Seguroz, Madrazo has a good future.


Euskatel is mainly Samu and Anton. But both would be favourites for any non Tour Gt they may enter. With some luck, might have a shot at the TOur too.

And Geox. Menchov, Sastre AND Duarte, along with all the others. Man that is a team.

I think Lampre-ISD are better than all three of those, at least in terms of all round strength.

Scarponi
Cunego
Petacchi
Visconti
Gavazzi
Bole
Spilak
Kashechkin
Hondo
Sinkewitz?

 

[Ferminal]

2009 was Basso's first year back and it was obvious that he didn't reach the same level as this year. In the form he had in the Giro he won this year Gesink won't come close.

The Giro and the Tour were completely different in 2010.

Guys like Contador and Schleck put so much effort into "peaking" for the Tour, whereas the Giro didn't have the same sort of build up. Contador and Schleck in Tour form would have put 5minutes into Basso over 3-weeks in the Giro.

Gesink isn't that far behind Contador and Schleck... He's at least on par with Basso.

 

[ansimi]

I think the talent could be more evenly distributed next year among teams and some of the teams have done a lot to improve their internal balance.

I voted Liquigas because they should have such a great team for stage races and they seem really solid as a team.

I'm really looking forward to the new lineup at Rabo and by the Garmin-Cervelo team. If the Lux team gets Cancellara and has their sponsorship in order then they should have a great team.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I will eat my shorts and post it on cn if nibble rides the giro/vuelta double again. (hoping he hasn't confirmed this already )

@dimtik
Bmc won't win a gt, only Evans is capable and he will ride the tour and fail. And possibly the vuelta, if he fails early in France maybe he will soft pedal and do the vuelta. Well see.

.

Evans should skip the tour and do the giro and vuelta. The course won't suit him that well at the giro but competition is less. He should then go for la vuelta which he will also have a good chance at. But I get the feeling that he will do a similar program to the years prior to 2009. The lack of tt km's hurts his chances. If he times his form better than past year at the tour then he should he might have a chance but this is a pure climbers course.

Paris nice
pais vasco
classics
dauphine
tour
vuelta
italian classics

 

[theyoungest]

I will eat my shorts and post it on cn if nibble rides the giro/vuelta double again. (hoping he hasn't confirmed this already )

It's what I understand from Nibali's and Basso's latest comments, yes. Nibali to do the Giro and Vuelta, Basso to do the Tour. Maybe after seeing that Tour stage to Pinerolo, Nibali has changed his mind, because that stage has his name written all over it... and it's in his home country.

Evans should skip the tour and do the giro and vuelta. The course won't suit him that well at the giro but competition is less. He should then go for la vuelta which he will also have a good chance at. But I get the feeling that he will do a similar program to the years prior to 2009. The lack of tt km's hurts his chances. If he times his form better than past year at the tour then he should he might have a chance but this is a pure climbers course.

Once again, Evans will practically be forced to ride the Tour, I think. Who else do they have who could make any sort of impression at the Tour? Morabito?

 

[Kwibus]

I voted for team Lux as I expect Cancellara to join them. They will have absolute topcontenders with A Schleck and Cancellara.

Rabo have a really great team, but they lack the absolute topgun that actually wins a lot. Don't get me wrong... LLS, Breschel, Gesink etc win plenty races, but I talk about being topfavourite for a monument or GT. They are not the topfavourites. They are just behind them.

Garmin is also very very strong on every aspect except the GT's. Unless VDV doesn't injure himself next season, but I don't expect him to get into a top 5 in a GT though.

Liquigas ofcourse is very strong with Nibali and Basso for the GT's. Also some guys capable of winning one day races.

And indeed Lotto should've been in the poll.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Once again, Evans will practically be forced to ride the Tour, I think. Who else do they have who could make any sort of impression at the Tour? Morabito?

Which is annoying... They may think that if Evans is not aiming for a high overall at the tour then why have BMC. Next year they have some other good riders who could get a stage but will that entice them to invite them. Rihs' top priority is to see the team at the biggest annual sporting event in the world, the tour de france.

 

[Climbing]

Hard to say yet, but maybe it's Liquigas.
Basso, Nibali and Pellizotti for GT and Sagan/Oss for classics, plus very strong domestiques.
If Cancellare goes Lux is very strong too (especially if Contador doesn't race next year).

 

[The Hitch]

I think Lampre-ISD are better than all three of those, at least in terms of all round strength.

Scarponi
Cunego
Petacchi
Visconti
Gavazzi
Bole
Spilak
Kashechkin
Hondo
Sinkewitz?

OH YES. Lampre merged with ISD, i forgot.

Great point. You are right. They have potential for the best team. Here are the guys who can be leaders.

They have Visconti now. The most underated rider. Can win classics no doubt.

Scarponi has as good a chance at the Giro as anyone if hes on last years form ( probably wont lose the 1 minute 30 in the time trial with this team) No Basso. I think he can take Nibali in those mountains but well see what Ricco, Sella, Di Luca do and whether Samu, Cuddles, Anton etc ride the Giro but Scarponis definately a prospect.

Pettachi - if hes still riding, maybe Milan San Remo, probably stages in GTs

Kashechkin - helper for Scarponi. 2nd GC guy?

Bole - Special. 25 years young. Probably superdomestique but will probably be given a stage race to try.

Spillack- dont know what to expect but 9th in Flanders AND Romandie 2nd/ 1st place at only 24. Maybe a 3rd GC guy

Sinkewitz - Ardennes Classics.

Thats 7 guys who could, at stages during the season lead this team. ANd the best bit is all these guys with the exception of Pettachi and Scarponi can be superdomestiques, whenever asked.

Great team. Great point.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Scarponi is one of the best signings of the year imo.

 

[cobblehead]

everything depends on the terrain, I don't see a team that can rule on all terrains but I see plenty that look like serious powerhouses for a specific type of races...

for the hilly classics I think lampre-ISD have a team to really like with a lot of attackers, bound to be fireworks there!

for the spring classics garmin seems to have a nice overall team (still has to prove everything though) and rabobank also seems a strong squad (yet just as with garmin they still have to prove everything)

for the stagewins (even though he looks like a bit of a brat) you can't ignore the HTC-train and the manx missile and in the same way you don't have to be a pshychic to suppose that garmin (farrar) en omega pharma (greipel) will probably be the big contenders

for the grand tours team schleck looks nice, combining the strength of a potential winners with a big numbers of nice domestiques and liquigas-cannondale looks equally nice as a team..

 

[jaylew]

They have Visconti now. The most underated rider. Can win classics no doubt.


Sinkewitz - Ardennes Classics.

I thought Visconti and Sink were staying with the Pro Conti team.

 

[jaylew]

I'm 120% convinced he could beat both Basso and Nibali...

Shocker

 

[Matthijs]

Liquigas was this year.

It honours be as Dutch to hear Rabo mentioned. I think LLS and Breschel can win a Classic/Monument, LLS a small week-tour and Gesink a podium and MTF-stage at a GT. But they will go for the Tour and that drops his changes. But besides Freire and maybe Boom they lack real winners with the rest. Allround, but not that strong in depth.

Lux focus on the Tour. I can't figure out why anybody want to let them in their race the rest of the year if they both stay on their bike in July (besides ardennes, Swiss and tour of lux itself). Cancellara can improve their changes, but is he enough? But maybe it's just that I don't know their full roster yet.

Garmin nice in TT and sprints, but what else? Maaskant and Vansummeren did not deliver in the Northern Classics. VDV is getting older every year, even Vaugthers does not believe in Danielson any more. Hesjedal is their hope, maybe he can try to win week long races and compete at toplevel at ardenne-like classics

But I have to admit Liquigas seems a bit short on Classic-guys. But with the domination of 2 GT's they get my vote! Do you guys know of other dominations of 2 GT's in one season from one team with two different captains?

 

[Moondance]

But I have to admit Liquigas seems a bit short on Classic-guys. But with the domination of 2 GT's they get my vote! Do you guys know of other dominations of 2 GT's in one season from one team with two different captains?

US Postal/Discovery Channel did it twice: in 2003 (Lance=Tour, Heras=Vuelta) and 2005 (Lance=Tour, Savoldelli=Giro). Off the top of head those are the only I can think of...

Maybe Fignon and Hinault won a separate GT each in the few years they were at Renault together, since they were both owning at the time... But that's a guess.

 

[ingsve]

Garmin nice in TT and sprints, but what else? Maaskant and Vansummeren did not deliver in the Northern Classics. VDV is getting older every year, even Vaugthers does not believe in Danielson any more. Hesjedal is their hope, maybe he can try to win week long races and compete at toplevel at ardenne-like classics

Well it won't be just Maaskant and Van Summeren next year with the arrival of Hushovd, Haussler, Klier and Hammond first of all so their presence in the classics will be completely different. Strangely enough it feels like GTs are their weakest part eventhough they have riders that have gotten six top 10s in GTs the last three years.

 

[royalpig180]

My vote's for Garmin-Cervelo.

The way I see it, with Hushovd, Farrar, and Haussler they know have the best sprint/flattish classics team on the protour (only HTC can even come close with Cav/Goss). They can win hillier classics with Dan Martin and Ryder Hesjedal. The only thing you could argue they are lacking is a stage race/GT threat. They do have Hesjedal coming off his surprise top 10 in the TdF as well as Tommy D off a top 10 in the vuelta. And its always possible that Vande Velde could actually finish a GT that he's riding for GC without crashing. They won't win a GT, but overall they're the strongest team for 2011.

 

[luckyboy]

Thing with Garmin-Cervelo is that they've got some of the best riders in different disciplines, but they haven't got the best riders in those disciplines. Cav > Farrar, Cance & Boonen > cobbles squad, lots of guys > Garmin's GT guys.

The sheer number of guys they have for the cobbles will make it interesting to see how the big two cope though. Personally I don't think they'll get a major classic/be challenging for a GT/the green jersey next year.