Tour de France 2014 Start List

[Anderis]

Orica:

Jens Keukeleire
Luke Durbridge
Mathew Hayman
Michael Albasini
Michael Matthews
Simon Clarke
Simon Gerrans
Simon Yates
Svein Tuft

You wonder how many Simons can one team have. Pity Goss isn't there, in place of Keukeleire, Durbridge or Tuft, because they would have a roster of 2xMatthew, 2xMichael and 3xSimon. They could add Michael Hepburn then and come short of one Matthew to have each first name tripled in their roster. But maybe they can count Matthews as a third Matthew.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

John MacLeary ‏@JohnMacLeary · 23m
Astana & Orica-GreenEdge have now named their Tour de France teams. Here's the full list of chaps to start in Leeds - http://fw.to/QgCZFES

 

[cineteq]

22 teams
http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=72811

 

[MatParker117]

How ****ed is Sagan right now? Bling could seriously damage his green jersey chances.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

How ****ed is Sagan right now? Bling could seriously damage his green jersey chances.

No he can't.

Sagan is much more consistent in flat sprints. And Sagan can survive every stage Matthews can.

 

[bassplayer88]

22 teams
http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=72811

Pretty awful UK will only have 3 (4 if you count the DAWG) riders at the Leeds grand depart.

Cav
Penguin
Yates

(DAWG)

exactly the same number started at the London Prologue in 2007

Cav
Wiggo
Penguin
Wegulius

Nice one DB and Sky really developing British Cycling! NOT

 

[MatParker117]

Pretty awful UK will only have 3 (4 if you count the DAWG) riders at the Leeds grand depart.

Cav
Penguin
Yates

(DAWG)

exactly the same number started at the London Prologue in 2007

Cav
Wiggo
Penguin
Wegulius

Nice one DB and Sky really developing British Cycling! NOT

Stannard would of started bar the crash as would Kennaugh if it weren't for illness.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Pretty awful UK will only have 3 (4 if you count the DAWG) riders at the Leeds grand depart.

Cav
Penguin
Yates

(DAWG)

exactly the same number started at the London Prologue in 2007

Cav
Wiggo
Penguin
Wegulius

Nice one DB and Sky really developing British Cycling! NOT

I suppose this is a different argument but i guess you've not watched the last 2 Olympic games have you? GB may have won a medal or two there

Sky will also say they've achieved their goal of a Tour win by a British rider as they've now had 2 in a row.

The non selection of Wiggins was a shocker as was Miller missing out. Stannard would have been nailed on for a start but unfortunately got injured. Dowsett apparently is still suffering from illness whilst Kennaugh has had a very disruptive prep but hopefully can now have a great Vuelta. Adam Yates has had a phenomenal start to his first season in the WT and will surely be a tour regular in years to come, at least Simon can fly the family flag.

 

[bassplayer88]

I suppose this is a different argument but i guess you've not watched the last 2 Olympic games have you? GB may have won a medal or two there

Sky will also say they've achieved their goal of a Tour win by a British rider as they've now had 2 in a row.

The non selection of Wiggins was a shocker as was Miller missing out. Stannard would have been nailed on for a start but unfortunately got injured. Dowsett apparently is still suffering from illness whilst Kennaugh has had a very disruptive prep but hopefully can now have a great Vuelta. Adam Yates has had a phenomenal start to his first season in the WT and will surely be a tour regular in years to come, at least Simon can fly the family flag.

Very true, I was being a bit sensationalist TBH. Injury, illness and lack of form all aside; I still find it unbelievable.

Really upsetting for Miller and Wiggins.

 

[nevada]

Pretty awful UK will only have 3 (4 if you count the DAWG) riders at the Leeds grand depart.

Cav
Penguin
Yates

(DAWG)

exactly the same number started at the London Prologue in 2007

Cav
Wiggo
Penguin
Wegulius

Nice one DB and Sky really developing British Cycling! NOT

Wegulius was born in Finland
Wiggo in Belgium

 

[Pricey_sky]

Wegulius was born in Finland
Wiggo in Belgium

And? Isn't Wiggins Mum English?, he has lived here since he was 2.

I could be born in Timbuktoo, if either of my parents are English/British and I choose to live in that country for 90% of my life then that's good enough for me. My brother was born 2 months early on the evening we arrived back from a holiday in France, if he had arrived a few hours earlier whilst we were still over there would he then be French?

 

[blackcat]

Read an article last week hinting Chaves is pencilled in for the Vuelta.

Apart from the obvious issue of running him into the ground; three issues mitigate against Tuft backing up. Firstly no TTT in this Tour. Secondly only 1 ITT. Thirdly, the team aims are more targeting individual stages and therefore little likelihood of taking yellow and having to do the pace setting for the peleton. Think they'll allow him some "recharge batteries" time.

I see 2 key questions impacting selection decisions. Firstly how much support will they delegate towards supporting Matthews. Whilst he may not win the flat sprints, I still think he may target the green jersey and will therefore be competing for points. I can see Impey assisting and they may pick another (Lancaster/Docker or maybe Keukeleire who may also be given some leeway for the pave stage).

Secondly, just how many "stage hunters" will they take ?. We can take Gerrans and Albasini as certainties. Meyer only had a short tour and had a win at TdS, also a big engine for grunt work if required. Clarke is possible but they may also consider Weening who only went a bit over half distance at the Giro.

dont see anything i disagree with. And Tuft also wants Commonwealth chrono, and has given the heads up on the World Champs Team Timetrial.

I dont think White will give MAtthews any encouragement for green when he would need to go head to head with Sagan for those uphill sprints on rolling stages to take points from the big german from Shimano. And White got burnt once on Goss going for green when Goss had already ridden a few Tours. so i dont think that is a go.

I would reckon you are right with Chaves.

the media has prolly releasedthe team already. I dont think there is any chance Leigh Howard getting a gig tho, someone had posited this before. So no Tuft, edit my initial reckoning.

Impey might be given a degree of freedom for finishes, tho i dont know how he could get a result, unless a finish was wet, and there was no clean team leading out the big boys. I like Impey tho. He will be a good rider for the TTT at Worlds

 

[blackcat]

Secondly, just how many "stage hunters" will they take ?. We can take Gerrans and Albasini as certainties. Meyer only had a short tour and had a win at TdS, also a big engine for grunt work if required. Clarke is possible but they may also consider Weening who only went a bit over half distance at the Giro.

good point. "just how many stage hunters can you take?" cos there are only a few of those rolling stages which are appropriate for breakaways to stay away.

Clarke was promised a major role this year, in terms of Gerro2IC. heha to support Gerro thru classics, but his role was gonna be a Gerro iteration II. So he will have the other spot, behind Gerro and Albasini. Did Meyer ride the Giro? Cos he will be very important for the TTT at Worlds, that White and GreenEdge are targeting

 

[blackcat]

Pretty awful UK will only have 3 (4 if you count the DAWG) riders at the Leeds grand depart.

Cav
Penguin
Yates

(DAWG)

exactly the same number started at the London Prologue in 2007

Cav
Wiggo
Penguin
Wegulius

Nice one DB and Sky really developing British Cycling! NOT

never knew G's nickname was penguin

 

[blackcat]

Gerro will get a stage. there is not better stage hunter in the peloton.

But i will second Escarabajo with Chaves.

And Svein Tuft must be more than a chance for doubling up. I dont know what deal he has made with Matty White, he may have told him, next yeat if you want a swansong at the Tour, we wanna blood some young bucks.

But no Goss this year, this will be the hard decision already made, Matt Keenan hinted at it already,

so Matthews, Gerrans, Clarke, Albasini, Hayman, Impey, Chaves, Durbridge, Tuft.

Meyer and Keukeleire on the bubble. If Tuft is not it, Cam Meyer is in.

Goss will have to find his sweetspot in the peloton. Cobbled classics? He has not shown the strength as yet, thos his first few years he showed potential, but not the potential of Boasson Hagen, even with his MSR win. His speed, his terminal velocity, now longer matches the best, and he no longer shows the fight for the bunch kicks. Can he be a stage hunter like OGrady or like Heinrich Haussler for the flattish rolling stages? He certainly demonstrated his ability to be a breakaway rider in the espoirs, and never waited for a sprint. But i dont know if he can do it in the pros

team Jens Keukeleire, Luke Durbridge, Mathew Hayman, Michael Albasini, Michael Matthews, Simon Clarke, Simon Gerrans, Simon Yates, Svein Tuft

 

[ILovecycling]

Kangert, Scarponi, Birdsong > Rogers, Roche, and a tired Majka 8 out of 10 times. If ROgers got a Zoncolan type performance they might be equal.

i dont agree my friend

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

i dont agree my friend

Birdsong and Kangert are top 10 candidates in any gt they show up to, while Scarponi even if he is getting older he can still climb with the best on induvidual stages (TA this year is a fine example). I will give you though that Majka perhaps is a slighlty stronger climber on a good day, than the 3 mentioned, but as I siad earlier, I doubt he will be 100% this tour.

 

[Bushman]

Birdsong and Kangert are top 10 candidates in any gt they show up to, while Scarponi even if he is getting older he can still climb with the best on induvidual stages (TA this year is a fine example). I will give you though that Majka perhaps is a slighlty stronger climber on a good day, than the 3 mentioned, but as I siad earlier, I doubt he will be 100% this tour.

You forgot that Roche has already done a GT this year, which means that instead of having the normal Roche we will have the super Roche

 

[ILovecycling]

Birdsong and Kangert are top 10 candidates in any gt they show up to, while Scarponi even if he is getting older he can still climb with the best on induvidual stages (TA this year is a fine example). I will give you though that Majka perhaps is a slighlty stronger climber on a good day, than the 3 mentioned, but as I siad earlier, I doubt he will be 100% this tour.

Oh please,Kangert top10 in Tour? I just dont trust jakob as a domestique,Scarponi is a question mark for me.
Roche,Majka and esp Rogers will do hell of a good job,and you forgot The climber Jesus

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Oh please,Kangert top10 in Tour? I just dont trust jakob as a domestique,Scarponi is a question mark for me.
Roche,Majka and esp Rogers will do hell of a good job,and you forgot The climber Jesus

Westra >>> Jesus

Kangert last year was immense. This year he has been invisible, but showed some form in Dauphine. He will make Roche look like an amateur

 

[ciranda]

Has Roche ever placed in the first twenty in a TDF mountain stage?

 

[Jspear]

Has Roche ever placed in the first twenty in a TDF mountain stage?

I don't know would have to check, but has Roche ever done the Tour after the Giro? We know he does better in his 2nd gt. He showed at RdS that he is climbing well right now.

 

[Anderis]

Has Roche ever placed in the first twenty in a TDF mountain stage?

I don't know would have to check, but has Roche ever done the Tour after the Giro? We know he does better in his 2nd gt. He showed at RdS that he is climbing well right now.

Well, that's pretty ignorant to think he didn't. He did comfortably multiple of times (check by yourself if you don't believe, it's easy with the Internet). You don't finish inside top15 of the Tour 2 times without finishing in the top20 in a single mountain stage.

 

[ciranda]

Ignorant, okay. If someone finishes 20th-25th every day in the mountains it should be enough for at least 20th overall. For instance in 2010 on mountain stages Roche was 22th, 24th, 19th, 17th, 11th which was enough for 14th overall. He might have been in a long break one day, though. But you're right, he has been in the first twenty on mountain stages a number of times in other years.

 

[karlboss]

Right now I see the Astana team as the strongest, largely because of Fuglsang. I think his role would be to provide a distraction, something for other favourites to keep an eye on. Let's face it the pace in the mountains will be set by Sky and Saxo, following the pace Astana can leave Scarponi and Kangert with Nibali and leave Fuglsang free to distract/attack. If he gets far enough in front great, if not then he's someone to bridge to.
I just see the other 2ICs as having questions over their form, Porte, Majka, etc. In all honesty the big 4 teams are very close to each other, and it should be a cracking race. Especially as Nibali and Contador are gamble to win type riders.