Tour Rider Selection and Roles

[El Pistolero]

We call him so in eastern europe, you do it otherwise?

We call him Alexander the Great.

 

[MADRAZO]

why should Steegmans leadout Ciolek? Steegmans won on the Champs Elysees...

Obviously because that was 4 years ago and he hasent shown anything like that since. Ciolek most likely wont win any masssprints, but he will for sure do better than Steegmans.

 

[karlboss]

If was OPQS I'm not sure I'd bother with anyone for mass sprints. Hence leave the sprinters at home and take Grabsch, Levi, Velits, Martin, Chavanel, De Weert, Devenyns, Pineau, Vandenberg. I'd like to take Cataldo but i think the tank will be empty.

 

[MADRAZO]

If was OPQS I'm not sure I'd bother with anyone for mass sprints. Hence leave the sprinters at home and take Grabsch, Levi, Velits, Martin, Chavanel, De Weert, Devenyns, Pineau, Vandenberg. I'd like to take Cataldo but i think the tank will be empty.

What would be the point of taking Grabsch, hope he can get a very doubtful top 5 in the long Time Trials? I don't really see much need for OPQS to pull the peloton much where a rider like him could be usefull. Ciolek should be able to show the teamcolours in the sprints and, and a couple of the sprintstages are a bit harder, so that he might have a chance for some good placements.

 

[karlboss]

What would be the point of taking Grabsch, hope he can get a very doubtful top 5 in the long Time Trials? I don't really see much need for OPQS to pull the peloton much where a rider like him could be usefull. Ciolek should be able to show the teamcolours in the sprints and, and a couple of the sprintstages are a bit harder, so that he might have a chance for some good placements.

Because I think Grabsch can do at least as well in the ITTs as Ciolek in the sprints, anonomously into the top 10, and then he's more useful as a domestique other wise. Pulling the peloton just so it doesn't go to hell and get dangerous, getting the GC favourites up front and out of danger, heaven forbid chasing a split or dangerous break that the OPQS captains don't make.

I don't rate the OPQS sprinters as winners, except Boonen.

 

[Eric8-A]

Bert Grabsch is one weird rider. He can either do well in a time trial, or do really bad in them.

 

[greenedge]

I think they can easily sacrifice Rojas this Tour. He can neither win the stage nor fight for maillot wert and is suited to any kind of team work very very bad. Alex, Juanjo, Arroyo, Costa, Kiry, Guti, Karpets, Plaza and Erviti.

I would take him as he rode well last year/ could win a stage this year. I would take out either Erviti or Plaza ( who might not have recovered to be the rider he once was ).

 

[WillemS]

Who's going to replace Andy S. at the tour?

 

[Froome19]

Who's going to replace Andy S. at the tour?

Well there are 2 scenarios
1) This was only the provisional list so it is now done to 13 riders or so and therefore the team will be chosen from this list still.
2) Horner wasnt picked due to politics and will get called up on the pretense of replacing Schleck and therefore will get picked for the tour it would look very bad on the RSNT management though.

and..
3) Schleck will still be racing the tour

 

[roundabout]

4) They didn't pick Horner for the last 14 because they suspected that Andy won't be racing and Klöden would be the leader.

 

[DominicDecoco]

4) They didn't pick Horner for the last 14 because they suspected that Andy won't be racing and Klöden would be the leader.

Is Andy that much better than Frank uphill that only Andy would be leader in front of Klodi?.. I think not. Frank is obviously the one to ride for in July.

 

[roundabout]

Frank is usually worse than Andy in time trials (especially long ones). Second argument is that Klöden seems to be given a free reign to prepare for the Tour: not asked to do the Giro, going slower than he can in the TdS.

 

[TheArt]

AG2R have revealed 4 riders who are certain: Roche, Peraud, Dupont and Cherel.

 

[Ferminal]

Frank's only chance for a high overall result was if he managed to tag along with Andy on a couple of attacks. Whatever Andy would have lost against the clock, add another minute or two for Frank.

If Bruyneel thinks he's up to it, Klöden makes much more sense as leader.

 

[DominicDecoco]

What could ever justify Klöden as anything near captain after this season..? Not buying the 'free reign to prepare for the Tour'. I think, he's simply has topped it. Frank has already showed great form in Suisse. Klöden might be twice the TT'er but Frank is twice the climber as well.

 

[element]

What could ever justify Klöden as anything near captain after this season..? Not buying the 'free reign to prepare for the Tour'. I think, he's simply has topped it. Frank has already showed great form in Suisse. Klöden might be twice the TT'er but Frank is twice the climber as well.

Maybe Bruyneel could swap Frank and Andreas' race numbers before the TT?

 

[ansimi]

AG2R have revealed 4 riders who are certain: Roche, Peraud, Dupont and Cherel.

I'll have my fingers crossed for a Cherel stage win. He's been riding aggressively and missing out on the leader's jersey in Catalunya was terrible luck. Dupont was getting better during the Giro so maybe he'll be good? Peraud hasn't showed much lately but I know he's had a strange schedule with mountain biking.

I would expect Kadri and Bouet to make the selection?

 

[roundabout]

Will they take a sprinter? Sure, none of them can win, but Mondory/Ravard/Hinault would give them at least some presence in the sprints.

 

[MADRAZO]

I'll have my fingers crossed for a Cherel stage win. He's been riding aggressively and missing out on the leader's jersey in Catalunya was terrible luck. Dupont was getting better during the Giro so maybe he'll be good? Peraud hasn't showed much lately but I know he's had a strange schedule with mountain biking.

I would expect Kadri and Bouet to make the selection?

Agree with those two and then Nocentini should be certain I would have supposed. And also Riblon I would think despite him being bad in Dauphine. And finally I would guess Hinault for the 9. place then.

 

[jsem94]

JC Peraud FTW.

 

[Escarabajo]

Frank Schleck as a leader makes better sense to me than Kloden. I just think that Kloden's time has passed already. Great domestique.

In fact Kloden feels comfortable in that domestique role. You can even trick him telling him he is a domestique and in case Frank has a bad day in the Tour Kloden might end up as the forced leader (2004 Tour).

 

[cineteq]

Frank Schleck as a leader makes better sense to me than Kloden. I just think that Kloden's time has passed already. Great domestique.

Either way it doesn't matter, they're 2nd tier riders at this point. They have no chance to win or podium.

 

[Fetisoff]

Either way it doesn't matter, they're 2nd tier riders at this point. They have no chance to win or podium.

Because neither one of them two has ever podiumed in the Tour before, right?

 

[cineteq]

Because neither one of them two has ever podiumed in the Tour before, right?

You seem to be focus in the past. Your Menchov comments corroborates it. What it matters is what have they done lately and which teams they're riding for.

 

[jobiwan]

I guess now I'd go with...

F. Schleck
J. Fuglsang
A. Kloden
M. Monfort
L. Gerdemann
J. Voigt
H. Zubeldia
F. Cancellara
T. Gallopin

Someone in another thread said Fuglsang deserves co-leadership, and I agree, but I just can't see him climbing with the top 10. Kloden should be the back-up plan.

Zubeldia should be free to go for his own chances, perhaps KOM? Voigt should be allowed to stage hunt every so often. I believe Gallopin should get to be on the team now as well.

Maybe swap Popovych for Gerdemann?