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Success of new teams

Jul 20, 2009
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So, what's up with Sky, Bmc and RS?

Three new teams with a lot of high profile riders, and they've got....what?...a big win by Horner and one by Evans? No BIG wins by Sky imo (Het Nieuwsblad)

Last year I was really impressed with Cervelo Test Team, but seeing how this years new teams are faltering, CTT last year seems even more impressive in retrospect. Especially considering that they only had signed two stars (Sastre, Hushovd).
They where a powerful force on the cobbles, top 10 in all ardennes classics, 4 stage wins + 3rd overall at the giro and 2 stages and green jersey at the Tour. By this time last year, CTT had been way more successful than Sky, Bmc and RS have been this year.
 
Nov 24, 2009
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Could it simply be a question of timing? CTT did reap the benefits of a few teams such as Credit Agricole and Gerolsteiner giving up the ghost, so it was cheaper for them to sign the talent. For example, CTT did not have to fill a sack of bills to give to Garmin just so they could have both the pleasure and privilege to plump Wiggins on a Pinarello.

Plus, it was also easier for them to bring on quality talent due to the signing of the at the time current Tour De France champion Sastre. You have to remember to that both Sastre and I think Hushovd as well had a say in the construction of the team, so they knew who would be good compliments to their abilities.

Not sure if Sky or BMC had the same set of conditions as CTT.

As for the Shack, they're primarily designed for three weeks in July and that's it. Any success by Horner, Machado or Rosseler so far is just icing on the cake. Besides, they're a bunch of old ****ers so they're largely performing as they should.
 
Mar 12, 2009
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sadfitty said:
So, what's up with Sky, Bmc and RS?

Three new teams with a lot of high profile riders, and they've got....what?...a big win by Horner and one by Evans? No BIG wins by Sky imo (Het Nieuwsblad)

Last year I was really impressed with Cervelo Test Team, but seeing how this years new teams are faltering, CTT last year seems even more impressive in retrospect. Especially considering that they only had signed two stars (Sastre, Hushovd).
They where a powerful force on the cobbles, top 10 in all ardennes classics, 4 stage wins + 3rd overall at the giro and 2 stages and green jersey at the Tour. By this time last year, CTT had been way more successful than Sky, Bmc and RS have been this year.



sky have had a decent season, better than cervelo this year-het niewsblad, stages in both paris-nice and tirreno adriatico and podium in paris roubaix, plus 5 other stage wins. not great by any means, but not bad either.
 
Apr 26, 2010
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Generally new teams simply do not do well in their first year.
Cervelo was an exception.
If you look at the new teams this year (although BMC is not a new team, it is racing all Pro Tour races and with their new signings have just as much power as say Sky), they have not achieved much while Caisse, Astana and Saxo have been dominating. Even the french teams have scored more wins than Sky, the Shack and BMC.
You could argue that Bobo and Cofidis and Francaise have only won stages of lesser races, but it is (I believe) better to have many victories in races which interest your sponsors than a single victory in a ProTour race like BMC.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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stefrees said:
sky have had a decent season, better than cervelo this year-het niewsblad, stages in both paris-nice and tirreno adriatico and podium in paris roubaix, plus 5 other stage wins. not great by any means, but not bad either.

Cervelo isn't a pt team.
 

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