High Horse Tour line up

iainf72
iainf72 Posts: 15,784
edited June 2008 in Pro race
Kim Kirchen
George Hincapie
Thomas Lövkvist
Kanstantsin Sivtsov
Mark Cavendish
Gerald Ciolek
Adam Hansen
Marcus Burghardt
Bernhard Eisel

Poor the Michael Barry doth not get a ride.

Also, Floyd, if you're reading, could you make up a snidey name for Team Columbia please?
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

Comments

  • thamacdaddy
    thamacdaddy Posts: 590
    How long do you reckon Cav will stick it out considering he needs to prep for the olympics ala wiggins?

    First week hoping of stage win perhaps?

    Really can't wait for it to start after the spring classics, giro and dauphine feels like I haven't seen any cycling for an age and the footy finishes soon :shock:
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    That's a crack line

    up from Columbia? :P
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Um, Cav *and* Ciolek?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    DaveyL wrote:
    Um, Cav *and* Ciolek?

    Why not? He's led out Cavendish successfully a few times. And I can definitely see him winning a lumpier breakaway stage later on in the Tour. Personally I would have put Greipel in there as well instead of Hansen or Sivtsov.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    iainf72 wrote:
    Kanstantsin Sivtsov

    How do you pronounce this guy's surname? I've seen it spelt so many different ways, as Gonchar/Honchar/Gontchar was a few years back.

    I pronounce it something sounding like SootsYou but it's spelt like Sieve-tuh-soff there.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    afx237vi wrote:
    DaveyL wrote:
    Um, Cav *and* Ciolek?

    Why not? He's led out Cavendish successfully a few times. And I can definitely see him winning a lumpier breakaway stage later on in the Tour. Personally I would have put Greipel in there as well instead of Hansen or Sivtsov.

    I think Greipel as well as Eisel, Cav and Ciolek may have been considered a bit sprinter/ego heavy!
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    they're defo going for the sprint stage though eh? And why not, seems a sure bet without Boonen. Does Kirchen have enough backup there? George is getting on now remember..
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    afx237vi wrote:
    DaveyL wrote:
    Um, Cav *and* Ciolek?

    Why not? He's led out Cavendish successfully a few times. And I can definitely see him winning a lumpier breakaway stage later on in the Tour. Personally I would have put Greipel in there as well instead of Hansen or Sivtsov.

    That's fair enough, but I did recall talk of a bit of tension between Cav and Eisel in the first week of last year's Tour - could it be worse with Ciolek thrown into the mix as well? I suppose it will work out OK if they have a gameplan and stick to it, but what if both Cav and Ciolek are feeling super on the same day? "You lead me out." "No, *you* lead *me* out..."
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    DaveyL wrote:
    That's fair enough, but I did recall talk of a bit of tension between Cav and Eisel in the first week of last year's Tour - could it be worse with Ciolek thrown into the mix as well? I suppose it will work out OK if they have a gameplan and stick to it, but what if both Cav and Ciolek are feeling super on the same day? "You lead me out." "No, *you* lead *me* out..."

    Yeah but last year no-one was really sure who the fastest guy was. I don't think anyone has any doubts any more. Cavendish is clearly at the top of the hierarchy, and when he goes home after a week it'll be Ciolek. Does anyone even consider Eisel to be a sprinter any more? He was never that fast when he was number 1 sprinter at T-Mobile. From a small group he's good, but he's got no chance in a TdF full gallop.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    The flat stages should be entertaining - Cavendish, Hushovd, McEwen, Hunter, Freire, Steegmans and Zabel all duking it out, with everyone keeping an eye on Cancellara in the last few km!
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • forearms Van Petegem
    forearms Van Petegem Posts: 151
    afx237vi wrote:
    DaveyL wrote:
    That's fair enough, but I did recall talk of a bit of tension between Cav and Eisel in the first week of last year's Tour - could it be worse with Ciolek thrown into the mix as well? I suppose it will work out OK if they have a gameplan and stick to it, but what if both Cav and Ciolek are feeling super on the same day? "You lead me out." "No, *you* lead *me* out..."

    Yeah but last year no-one was really sure who the fastest guy was. I don't think anyone has any doubts any more. Cavendish is clearly at the top of the hierarchy, and when he goes home after a week it'll be Ciolek. Does anyone even consider Eisel to be a sprinter any more? He was never that fast when he was number 1 sprinter at T-Mobile. From a small group he's good, but he's got no chance in a TdF full gallop.


    I disagree Eisel does not have the speed.

    He definitely has speed. He finished int he top 10, multiple times in TdF bunch kicks. He finished 3rd on the stage Mcewen beat Magnus.

    The problem is, in a straight up kick, he is not as fast as Cav, nor Ciolek. And Ciolek may be, may, stronger. Ciolek finished 5th or 6th as a 20yo in Hamburg for god's sake.

    Eisel is a strong cobbles rider too.

    So, just bad luck for Bernhard. But dont underrate his speed, I think he is still a fast guy, one of the fastest in the peloton if he trained his kick. Thing is, when you are downthhe pecking order, you might as well work on strength, versus your kick. He will have natural speed, but better trying to force selection and win classics.

    He was fast on FDJ. He displaced Cooke as their go to. He was ahead of Chavanel.

    Chavanel will win a stage this year, guaranteed.

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