Strongest teams 2011

[ingsve]

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.

The important thing in that comparison is that Cav, Boonen, Cancellara, other GT guys etc are not all on the same team so it's kind of an unfair comparison when talking about the strongest team. For example can a team be the strongest team by simply having the very best GT rider and nothing else? Of course not. I don't think you necesarily have to have the highest peak in anything to be the overall strongest team.

 

[royalpig180]

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.

First of all I wasn't arguing that Garmin was about to win or even podium a GT, they won't. Point is they're better than say FdJ, Quick step, etc. in GT GC.

As for sprinting, keep in mind that Farrar has been fairly close to Cav all year, and unless Cav regains his 2009 form again, Farrar's only getting better. Remember Farrar just broke out as a sprinter last year (2009). Cav's been on the scene a little longer even though he's younger (i think). On the cobbles, anything can happen and having multiple threats certainly doesn't hurt your chances.

 

[royalpig180]

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.

I wasn't suggesting they'll win or even podium a GT. Point is there better for the GT's GC than say FdJ, AG2R, Quick Step, Sky, etc.

As for Farrar, he's been close to Cav all season, and remember that he's still improving as a sprinter. He's only been focused as a pure sprinter for 2 seasos now while Cav has been on the seen logner. Unless Cav regains his miraculous 2009 dominance, I'd say Farrar's only getting more competitive.

The cobbles are far too unpredictable to say that Boonen and Cancellara will dominate all of them. Having so many threats for the cobbles sure doesn't hurt either and they could do some nice counterattacking as well as burning men covering Cancellaras crazy attacks to demoralize him a bit.

 

[theyoungest]

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?

Strange arguing you use... basically Liquigas get your vote just for their two GT guys, and everyone else is swept off the table for their lack of depth? Liquigas have Nibali, who with any decent competition at the Giro will not win it, and Basso, same story but at the Tour.

And your comment about Garmin's classics squad... Hushovd, Haussler, hellooo? Maaskant will be a domestique next year.

 

[Matthijs]

Strange arguing you use... basically Liquigas get your vote just for their two GT guys, and everyone else is swept off the table for their lack of depth? Liquigas have Nibali, who with any decent competition at the Giro will not win it, and Basso, same story but at the Tour.

And your comment about Garmin's classics squad... Hushovd, Haussler, hellooo? Maaskant will be a domestique next year.

True, I admit. The difference is Liquigas contains winners and they have proven to be the best this year.
And I forgot about the Cervelo-melting into Garmin. Well, I think they're strong in the northern classics but I can't see them beating Boonen and Cancellara. Rabo (Breschel, Freire and Boom, Langeveld as good domestiques) is at least the same level in theory in these races and they usually do not deliver either. But maybe Garmin-Cervelo can work it out.

 

[Bumeington]

I wasn't suggesting they'll win or even podium a GT. Point is there better for the GT's GC than say FdJ, AG2R, Quick Step, Sky, etc.

As for Farrar, he's been close to Cav all season, and remember that he's still improving as a sprinter. He's only been focused as a pure sprinter for 2 seasos now while Cav has been on the seen logner. Unless Cav regains his miraculous 2009 dominance, I'd say Farrar's only getting more competitive.

The cobbles are far too unpredictable to say that Boonen and Cancellara will dominate all of them. Having so many threats for the cobbles sure doesn't hurt either and they could do some nice counterattacking as well as burning men covering Cancellaras crazy attacks to demoralize him a bit.

Cancellara is targeting LBL next year and won't ride flanders and roubaix

 

[The Hitch]

Cancellara is targeting LBL next year and won't ride flanders and roubaix

Has he said this concretely? i know he said he wanted to try all 5 monuments, but people say a lot of things, and many dont think he can do it or will even try.

 

[El Pistolero]

Has he said this concretely? i know he said he wanted to try all 5 monuments, but people say a lot of things, and many dont think he can do it or will even try.

I think he can do it, just not in one year already... Otherwise I'm going to be convinced he's a doper.

 

[scribe]

Has he said this concretely? i know he said he wanted to try all 5 monuments, but people say a lot of things, and many dont think he can do it or will even try.

He just wants to win them. Not necessarily consecutively.

 

[The Hitch]

He just wants to win them. Not necessarily consecutively.

So he hasnt said as Buemington said that "he will NOT RIDE Paris Roubaix" in 2011 because he is focusing on LBL?
Or has he?

 

[theyoungest]

So he hasnt said as Buemington said that "he will NOT RIDE Paris Roubaix" in 2011 because he is focusing on LBL?
Or has he?

Surely if he signs for Team Lux he'll be kindly asked to focus on the cobbles once again, it's no use for them having all their eggs in one LBL basket.

 

[Greenflame]

I think for 2011 Cancellara will have to ride the cobbled classics if he's going to team Lux. They might let him lead at Lombardia though, give that one a try before doing the Ardennes in 2012.

 

[ingsve]

I'm sure BMC and Pegasus will want him to do Roubaix and RVV as well if he ends up in either of those teams. Teams want results and having arguably the best cobbles rider in the world not do those races would be hard to justify. Then again that might be a factor in chosing teams as well. BMC does have Ballan, Quinziato, Van Avermaet and Hincapie already for the cobbles and mainly just Evans and I guess Kroon for the Ardennes so perhaps they would be willing to let him do the ardennes instead.

 

[Sophistic]

Cancellara is not gonna ride PR and the other cobbled classics???That would be a pretty stupid decision...his chances of winning LBL are not that high and there isnt much to win for afterwards. Outclimbing Boonen and beating Gilbert, Rodriguez, Evans, Anton...at LBL are two very different things.
The Tour de Suisse 2011 is not winnable for him and the only ITT at the Tour de France might be too hilly as well.
So at the end he might end up with his 10000th ITT WC victory and some unimportant ITT wins along the way and thats it.

 

[ingsve]

Cancellara is not gonna ride PR and the other cobbled classics???That would be a pretty stupid decision...his chances of winning LBL are not that high and there isnt much to win for afterwards. Outclimbing Boonen and beating Gilbert, Rodriguez, Evans, Anton...at LBL are two very different things.
The Tour de Suisse 2011 is not winnable for him and the only ITT at the Tour de France might be too hilly as well.
So at the end he might end up with his 10000th ITT WC victory and some unimportant ITT wins along the way and thats it.

Well, when you have won everything already it's not always enough to just win more of the same to stay motivated. Perhaps he simply needs new challenges even if winning will be harder.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Well, when you have won everything already it's not always enough to just win more of the same to stay motivated. Perhaps he simply needs new challenges even if winning will be harder.

Or maybe he just figures he can win Roubaix while getting in shape for LBL.

 

[ingsve]

With the news that seems to confirm that Cancellara is definately going to Team Schlux then they look better in terms of strongest team. Still not sure they are strongest though but they might very well be with Cancellara.

 

[Angliru]

Well, when you have won everything already it's not always enough to just win more of the same to stay motivated. Perhaps he simply needs new challenges even if winning will be harder.

I recall an interview where he says he sets certain significant races/events as goals, pursues them and when he accomplishes one he begins selecting his next challenge. He's won MSR, PR, Flanders, multiple ITT WC's, Olympic ITT so what is left within reasonable plausibility would be LBL, and WC on the road along with Olympic Road championship. I admire his accomplishments and his drive but I think LBL is beyond his reach.

 

[The Hitch]

Looking good for those of us who chose HTC. I was adamant from the start they had the best team.

Paris Nice for Martin, the first monument with Goss, on a lesser level Renshaw winning Quatar and Martin Algarve.

And their best rider is yet to get going.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Rabo and HTC have the most to be happy about at this point.