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Super teams for the classics next year

May 27, 2010
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I see BMC, Katusha and Garmin being super strong for the classics next year because of the new signings Garmin and Bmc have secured. If Cancellara goes to BMC their team would be superb for the cobbled as well as the hilly classics.
 
Apr 26, 2010
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It all depends on Cancellara. If he were to go with the Schlecklets, their Luxembourg team could be a real contender.
Otherwise, it's Garmin, Rabobank, BMC, Quickstep and perhaps Sky (definitely if Cancellara would go there). And what about Vacansoleil? We'll have to wait for Devolder's form, but if he's good, Vacansoleil could well win a major classic.
 
Jul 20, 2010
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If they change their tactics they can win for sure... get some riders attacking!! ( sometimes they just like to sit and wait and see the race develop in front of them... and then its too late )
 
Jul 5, 2010
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Depends on which classics you mean. If you mean the 5 monuments, it is hard to point out a team who has the strongest riders for all of those. Rabobank has Freire and Gesink for 3 out of 5, but their cobbles-team is lacking I think. While Garmin has a great team for the cobbles, but is in my opinion lacking for the hill classics. BMC doesn't have a top sprinter, neither does Katusha. Quickstep has neither a topsprinter nor a real contender for the hill classics.

So probably Garmin I think.
 
Dutchsmurf said:
Depends on which classics you mean. If you mean the 5 monuments, it is hard to point out a team who has the strongest riders for all of those. Rabobank has Freire and Gesink for 3 out of 5, but their cobbles-team is lacking I think. While Garmin has a great team for the cobbles, but is in my opinion lacking for the hill classics. BMC doesn't have a top sprinter, neither does Katusha. Quickstep has neither a topsprinter nor a real contender for the hill classics.

So probably Garmin I think.
The interesting thing about Rabobank is that they have several second-tier cobble specialists, all of whom could conceivably step up next season to become one of the top favourites. They have the talent, even if they're still relatively unexperienced.
 
Dutchsmurf said:
Depends on which classics you mean. If you mean the 5 monuments, it is hard to point out a team who has the strongest riders for all of those. Rabobank has Freire and Gesink for 3 out of 5, but their cobbles-team is lacking I think. While Garmin has a great team for the cobbles, but is in my opinion lacking for the hill classics. BMC doesn't have a top sprinter, neither does Katusha. Quickstep has neither a topsprinter nor a real contender for the hill classics.

So probably Garmin I think.

I find it hard to take Garmin that seriously, for all their depth, as they don't have a single rider who will be favourite heading in to a monument.
 
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Waterloo Sunrise said:
I find it hard to take Garmin that seriously, for all their depth, as they don't have a single rider who will be favourite heading in to a monument.


Well, maybe no uber-favorites (and there is only one), but Garmin will line up Van Summeren, Maskaant, Klier, Hammond, Hushovd, Farrar.... and Haussler who, if he can get to where he was in 2009, will be the 2nd most dangerous rider at any of the Northern Classics.

With that team I expect they will do serious damage.
 
Scott SoCal said:
Well, maybe no uber-favorites (and there is only one), but Garmin will line up Van Summeren, Maskaant, Klier, Hammond, Hushovd, Farrar.... and Haussler who, if he can get to where he was in 2009, will be the 2nd most dangerous rider at any of the Northern Classics.

With that team I expect they will do serious damage.

Perhaps, but personally, unless Cancellara & Boonen both break legs, I don't expect Garmin to take any top wins, and when it comes down to it, looking back 10 years, the great teams are those which rack up wins, rather than an impressive selection of podiums.
 
Waterloo Sunrise said:
I find it hard to take Garmin that seriously, for all their depth, as they don't have a single rider who will be favourite heading in to a monument.
Really? Haussler, Hushovd or even Farrar can all be top favourites for M-SR, depending on their form. Also, Haussler will surely be amongst the top favourites in RVV, while Hushovd will be amongst the favourites in P-R.
 
List of hills & cobbled guys in next year's teams. Probably missed some out (updated a few now). Garmin looks like too many cooks to me..

Saxo Bank-Sunguard
Nick Nuyens
Alberto Contador?

Garmin-Cervelo
Thor Hushovd
Heinrich Haussler
Tyler Farrar
Martijn Maaskant
Andreas Klier
Roger Hammond
Johan Van Summeren
Ryder Hesjedal

Quick Step
Tom Boonen
Sylvain Chavanel
Nicki Terpstra

Omega Pharma-Lotto
Philippe Gilbert
Greg Van Avermaet
Mario Aerts

BMC
Alessandro Ballan
Marcus Burghardt
George Hincapie
Cadel Evans
Karsten Kroon

Rabobank
Matti Breschel
Oscar Freire
Robert Gesink
Lars Boom

Team Sky
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Juan Antonio Flecha
Geraint Thomas?

Katusha
Filippo Pozzato
Joaquim Rodriguez
Alexandr Kolobnev
Leif Hoste
Sergei Ivanov
Vladimir Gusev

Luxembourg Team
Andy Schleck
Frank Schleck

Vacansoleil
Stijn Devolder
Bjorn Leukemans
Bobbie Traksel
Johnny Hoogerland
Riccardo Riccò
Marco Marcato

Astana
Alexandre Vinokourov
Roman Kreuziger
Maxim Iglinskiy
Enrico Gasparotto

Lampre-ISD
Damiano Cunego


Fabian Cancellara??
 
Apr 26, 2010
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Zoncolan said:
Interesting that nobody is rating Ricco?!
The guy has a good chance in the Ardennes/Lombardy.

Definitely, I would love to see Ricco perform well with his Vacansoleil team and win Amstel Gold for example. That would be a great victory. I also hope that Vacansoleil will get an invitation for the Giro, so Ricco can show something there. It will be exciting for sure.
 
Apr 1, 2009
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hrotha said:
The interesting thing about Rabobank is that they have several second-tier cobble specialists, all of whom could conceivably step up next season to become one of the top favourites. They have the talent, even if they're still relatively unexperienced.

More interesting might be Rabobanks ability to take a great many one day riders with potential and watch them do nothing. Its telling that the only successful Raborider is Freire in the classics, a rider who specializes on doing things of his own back. For euro spent is there a worst team than Rabobank in the classics?
 
Aug 18, 2009
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luckyboy said:
List of hills & cobbled guys in next year's teams.

Hoste is going to Katusha. So is Aleksandr Kuchynski, if you're interested.

I think Vacansoleil will be prominent next year. Leukemans looked one of the strongest riders this spring. They had a good season, and will be even stronger with Devolder and Ricco (unless internal politics come into play).
 
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luckyboy said:
List of hills & cobbled guys in next year's teams. Probably missed some out. Garmin looks like too many cooks to me..

That is a risk but it looks like they are shaping up more like the powerhouse Mapei teams that would have 3 or 4 guys in the finale of RvV and P-R.

Boonen can't win either of those by himself. Only Cancellara can. So, imo, Garmin will be very tough to deal with.
 
taiwan said:
...I think Vacansoleil will be prominent next year. Leukemans looked one of the strongest riders this spring. They had a good season, and will be even stronger with Devolder and Ricco (unless internal politics come into play).

Don't forget about Marcato. Next year could be a breakthrough year for him
 
Updated the list with some Katusha guys, Hoste, Marcato, Ricco..

Looks a pretty even spread, especially for the Ardennes. Should be an interesting Spring.

Really wish there was a site that had a list of all the confirmed transfers and what the squads would look like for next year. Gets very confusing tracking down everyone.
 

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