Team Columbia - anything else they want to win?

hammerite
hammerite Posts: 3,408
edited September 2008 in Pro race
They seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment. Granted they've not got the Vuelta to worry about, but their wins in the Tour of Ireland, Missouri and Britain in the last few weeks is quite impressive. And it's not just Cav.

Bar CSC how many other teams have the strength in depth they do?

Comments

  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    If they rode some of the tougher races, they mightn't have it all their own way. They were the only ProTour (whatever that's worth anymore) at ToI and the competition at ToB and ToM isn't much better. It's like CSC sending Chinny across to monster your local "10".

    The riders deserve to be competing in races other than late season "training camp" events.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    I think Astana and Caise d'Erpagne are stronger to be honest.
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    Colombia are essentially full of sprinters and TTers, so there always going to win lots of races - not too many big ones though.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Columbia have a much, much younger team than CSC, Astana or CdE, which makes them a lot more exciting.

    I also think that guys like Ciolek and Boasson Hagen will turn out to be much more than just sprinters. Ciolek won what was essentially a medium mountain stage in the Tour of Germany, and EBH has the potential to be awesome in the classics.

    They don't have many GC candidates for GT though, but when you're winning 50-60 races per year, that doesn't really matter.
  • Michuel
    Michuel Posts: 269
    afx237vi wrote:
    Columbia have a much, much younger team than CSC, Astana or CdE, which makes them a lot more exciting.

    I also think that guys like Ciolek and Boasson Hagen will turn out to be much more than just sprinters.

    But don't you think Cav will turn out more than a pure sprinter?
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Michuel wrote:
    afx237vi wrote:
    Columbia have a much, much younger team than CSC, Astana or CdE, which makes them a lot more exciting.

    I also think that guys like Ciolek and Boasson Hagen will turn out to be much more than just sprinters.

    But don't you think Cav will turn out more than a pure sprinter?

    Well he's quite good at prologues, so you could already say he's more than just a pure sprinter.

    But he does seem to struggle on even the smallest of hills, unlike Ciolek and EBH. Nothing wrong with just being a pure sprinter, though.
  • off the back
    off the back Posts: 168
    ... I think they want a worlds TT champ
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    LangerDan wrote:
    If they rode some of the tougher races, they mightn't have it all their own way. They were the only ProTour (whatever that's worth anymore) at ToI and the competition at ToB and ToM isn't much better. It's like CSC sending Chinny across to monster your local "10".

    The riders deserve to be competing in races other than late season "training camp" events.


    What tougher races are there to race at the moment than the Vuelta and Tour Of Germany anyway ?

    cheers
    MG
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    I like the camaraderie amongst them. In the Eneco the camera follows the winner afterwards and they were really pleased for each other ** They seem happy to work for each other too. They've got a good mixture of young riders and more experienced ones to 'tutor' them. As they get more experienced I think they'll get really strong on all fronts. **You do see it with CSC and Caisse to (referring to Pereiro's accident in the Tour).
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    RichN95 wrote:
    Colombia are essentially full of sprinters and TTers, so there always going to win lots of races - not too many big ones though.


    If you discount multiple stages in the TDF,Giro winner of Fleche Wallone, Deutchesland overall and the odd one in Romandie etc you may have a point there.

    cheers
    MG
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • stefrees
    stefrees Posts: 137
    didnt they have 1-2 in the tour of germany anyhow? and if in the vuelta, i would imagine cav/ciolek would feature heavily. don't forget 2 of columbia's main gc riders have been injured/ill most of the year
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,259
    Moray Gub wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Colombia are essentially full of sprinters and TTers, so there always going to win lots of races - not too many big ones though.


    If you discount multiple stages in the TDF,Giro winner of Fleche Wallone, Deutchesland overall and the odd one in Romandie etc you may have a point there.

    cheers
    MG

    Sprinters wins. Even their GC man is a bit of sprinter. I'm not knocking them, I'm a fan - I see them as one of the 'Big Three', with Astana and CSC . But there's little in the way of challenges for Monuments or Grand Tours.
    Twitter: @RichN95

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