Who do you think will be the Liquigas "captain"?

[GoGarmin]

Liquigas will come to the Tour with three contenders:

Basso

Kreuziger

Nibali (oops)

Basso, of course, both worked really hard in the Giro. Kreuziger has been quiet this year since his nice third place at Paris-Nice. Along with Saxo and the Shack, I think Liquigas has the most cards to play. I'm wondering who the forum thinks has the best chance at a high overall placing this year.

 

[metaCYCLE]

no Tour for Nibali afaik.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nibali isn't going. Which leaves Basso and Kreuziger. Kreuziger is fresh, but Basso is Italian. Advantage: Basso.

 

[Yshore]

Without Nibali I see it being firmly advantage Basso, but like the Italian has been saying since spraying the champane in Italy it will be up to who is more capable on the day(s). I have Kreuziger as my number one faviourite for the polka dot jersey though. I think it will come down to a flip of the coin to see who crashes on stage three.

 

[The Hitch]

what about franco. Isnt he allowed to race again? Doesnt he have an outside shot?

Hopefully Roman though. Would like to see more from him. Hasnt done much all year other than decent showing in paris nice, which could suggest that hes focusing solely on the tour this year.

Basso - well everyone knows the problems with doing the tour after the giro in any year. But this year basso and his entire team had to kill themselves through all the worst mountains italy has, to slowly bit by bit chase down that 8 minute gap arroyo had from stage 12. Cant see him doing much.

 

[hrotha]

Basso will be tired after the Giro but somehow I don't see him as the typical Italian GT rider who's glad with ending 38th and going for a stage win at the Tour. I expect a solid standing by him.

I'd love to see Kreuziger take that final step but I'm not sure he's ready just yet. Finishing around 5th or 6th is about all I expect for now.

 

[this_is_edie]

Basso. He's been wanting it for too long to come in not as the main guy. Kreuzinger in reserve if Basso falters

 

[Night Rider]

Basso. Clearly the best on the team.

 

[The Hitch]

Peter Sagan obviously.

 

[scribe]

Is it practical for a gc guy or particularly support riders to be a solid candidate for polka jersey?

 

[Thee_chisa]

basso will be captain, and could well do nothing but kreuzinger could/should end up team leader by the start of the last week

 

[Ferminal]

Basso is the one who could win it, so he deserves to be captain.

 

[Escarabajo]

The first one who gets to the top of the mountain is the captain.

 

[hfer07]

Basso is the leader. Kreuziger will do enough to confirm & seal his departure from liquigas to either lotto or Astana (as being rumored)

 

[blaxland]

basso will be captain, and could well do nothing but kreuzinger could/should end up team leader by the start of the last week

+1 agree Thee_chisa....Basso will not have any petrol left in the third week and Kreuziger will inherit the leadership.I think he can podium with a bit of luck..Liquigas is one of the strongest GT teams riding this TDF.

 

[ttrider]

Basso for sure
Kreuzinger is so bad and serially over rated 9th last year and never in the mix in any stage, mountain or tt

 

[joy118118]

Has Kreuzinger improved his long tt and climbing?

Last year he was not good enough.

 

[Climbing]

Lots of talk without reason.
Basso.
If he falters and Pelizzotti isn't there... then maybe Kreuziger.
Bad luck Nibali done the Giro, he will be missed alot. (but good for him he will be captain in the Vuelta!).

 

[dancing on pedals]

So the team will probably be - Basso, Kreuziger, Daniel Oss, Sylvester Szmyd, Brian Vandborg, Manuel Quinziato, Francesco Bellotti and Aleksandr Kuschynski.
Much as I love "the shark" i agree its good for him to lead Vuelta and the team has better balance with out him. It is the true work horse of the team, Szmyd, who i worry that this may be a GC too soon.
Love Liquigas not so keen on Basso so I hope it turns out in Kreuzigers favour.
Very solid support in Oss, Vandborg and the excellent Quinziato , Bellotti is a great climber and Kuschynski is also very solid.
The team to its credit held its nerve during the excellent Giro 2010 and I expect it to do the same in the TdF. Basso and Kreuziger both top ten , and I would expect Kreuziger to finish ahead of Basso with no team fall outs (they have already dominated the most important race of the season).
Thanks

 

[ferryman]

Has Kreuzinger improved his long tt and climbing?

Last year he was not good enough.

I think he was ill last year but still managed top 10.

Anyway, Basso on paper but I believe this one will be decided on the road.

 

[zapata]

Basso really wants to try the giro-tour double, and I think the team is behind him. However, they'll soon find out if he's up to it, and if he's not (which is probable), I don't think he'll have any problem relinquishing leadership and riding for Kreuziger. (Pellizotti, to me, has never been a GC-contender).

 

[ferryman]

Basso really wants to try the giro-tour double, and I think the team is behind him. However, they'll soon find out if he's up to it, and if he's not (which is probable), I don't think he'll have any problem relinquishing leadership and riding for Kreuziger. (Pellizotti, to me, has never been a GC-contender).

I sort of know what you mean about Pelli. I think he is a good addition to the list of 'introverted and fragile pure clmbers' who on their day are brilliant but just don't have the oomph for the GC in the Tour (eg Millar, Theunise, Clavy (RIP)

 

[ingsve]

Kreuziger for sure. Basso has no chance but will probably have a free role.

 

[Wallace]

Before winning this year's Giro Basso was much more democratic in his stated views on team leadership. There was also considerable doubt as to whether a now-clean (or a "no longer preparing to dope") Basso could win a GT after his time off. Now that he has a post-ban GT win under his belt, Basso has been much more confident in his abilities and quite clear in his statements that he wants to try to win the Tour, and is the captain of his team.

The question is what will happen if Pellizotti is cleared to start--he was, before the passport thing, very clear that he deserved a chance at a GT was the undisputed captain. He seemed to be opposed to the whole co-leader-let-the-road-decide-it thing.

Basso's victory has totally changed the Liquigas dynamics. He is, after all, still the only guy on the team who has actually won a GT. Nibali, Pellizotti and Kreuzinger are all very strong, but at this point it's all potential. Like it or not, they're going to have to defer to the guy who wins.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I suspect Basso will have a Tour like Menchov last year. Kreuziger on the other hand I think is going to be in better shape - thought he was probably a bit overcooked this time last year

So is there any indication whether Pellizotti will ride ? Really hope so