All-time UK grand tour squad

stagehopper

You're the Directeur Sportif charged with putting together an all-time GT squad made up of UK riders for a new pro-cycling squad starting 2010.

You've got an unlimited budget and quite handily have been bequeathed a time machine. You can set your own goals about whether to go for stages, jerseys or the overall or any combination thereof.

Which nine riders would you pick and why?

cougie

Boardman for the prologue
Robert Millar for the mountains
Cavendish and Elliott for the sprints.
Wiggins and Dave Millar to lead their train for them.
Yates as super domestique.
Tom Simpson as road captain,
Cummings for breaks.

I'm gonna realise I've missed someone major when I wake up tomorrow arent I ?

GJA

What about Barry Hoban?
TDF stage winner and arguably should be in front of Elliot

meagain

+ 1 for Hoban - an 'ard man!

cougie

I knew I'd forget someone. :oops:

And I've ridden with him too - seemed a nice chap.

Can I have Wayne Randle too - I know he doesnt travel well, but would be great to see him have a go too.

(OK so I have 11 - but I'm allowing for injuries before the big day)

Kléber

What about Brian Robinson? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Robinson_(cyclist)

timoid.

To do similar for an Irish team you pretty much have to name any Irishman who made the grade. Still wouldn't be too shabby.

Between Kelly and Roche they won almost that matters. Except Flanders. Damn.

Kelly
Roche
Elliot
Earley
Kimmage :twisted:
Martin
Roche
Deignan
Scanlon

joedh

i'd say the same as cougie minus elliot. cav can win the sprints by himself. instead of elliot i'd say maybe geraint thomas?

GroupOfOne MkII

How about a team with one aim in mind, the overall victory or a podium finish. Taking the US-Postal/Disco approach (stop sniggering at the back, not in that way!), ie. no sprinter. Oooh controversial, I know.

So here we go.
Robert Millar
Charly Weglius
Graham Jones
Chris Boardman
David Millar
Bradley Wiggins
Barry Hoban
Geraint Thomas
Sean Yates

Of course that's presuming there's a TTT in the race, with that line up I'd have thought a stage victory there would be very much on. Could possibly do with a bit more support in the mountains, so could maybe bring in Simpson for say Thomas. Interesting thread though.

cougie

Dont forget that the '47 year old' Elliott was a bit of a star of the Vuelta sprints a few years back - he won the sprints jersey one year didnt he ?

warrior4life

Andy Ruffel
Chris hoy
Chris eubank
Max sciandri
Kimmage
The british bulldog davey boy smith
geoff capes
Dicky Davis

GroupOfOne MkII

cougie wrote:

Dont forget that the '47 year old' Elliott was a bit of a star of the Vuelta sprints a few years back - he won the sprints jersey one year didnt he ?

Yeah pretty sure he did. Know he picked up a couple of stages too.

I toyed with putting him in my line up (a bit like Telekom did with Zabel in the Ullrich years) as I thought Elliott may function better as a solo sprinter (e.g. little or not leadout) than Cav, but I stuck with a 100% GC team instead.

moray_gub

Timoid. wrote:

To do similar for an Irish team you pretty much have to name any Irishman who made the grade. Still wouldn't be too shabby.

Between Kelly and Roche they won almost that matters. Except Flanders. Damn.

Kelly
Roche
Elliot
Earley
Kimmage :twisted:
Martin
Roche
Deignan
Scanlon

Whatever happened to Mark scanlon sure i read somehere he had retired when he was still relatively young. He was decent with AG2R as well.

MG

greasedscotsman

Not sure the time machine is needed...

Mark Cavendish
Geraint Thomas
Bradley Wiggins
Ben Swift
Roger Hammond
Steve Cummings
Charlie Wegelius
David Millar
Chris Froome

LangerDan

Moray Gub wrote:

Whatever happened to Mark scanlon sure i read somehere he had retired when he was still relatively young. He was decent with AG2R as well.

MG

"Scanners" was a huge talent but never seemed to settle well on the Continent. Mark retired a couple of years ago and currently works for the Irish prison service.

inseine

Tom Simpson and Robert Miller since they are the only two likely to actually win it, then 7 domestiques?
Last thing you need are sprinters, unless you've already given up on the overall.

LangerDan

Moray Gub wrote:

Whatever happened to Mark scanlon sure i read somehere he had retired when he was still relatively young. He was decent with AG2R as well.

MG

"Scanners" was a huge talent but never seemed to settle well on the Continent. Mark retired a couple of years ago and currently works for the Irish prison service.