Your Team Sky Tour de France team
Assuming they get an invite, which 9 riders would you select to ride the 2010 Tour de France? Mine would be:
1) Lovkvist - Nominal GC rider, but with no pressure. If he's 3 minutes down after the first mountain stage, knock it back and target a breakaway.
2) Boasson Hagen - Skip the Giro, go straight to the Tour. Stage hunter, see how he goes in the mountains.
3) Gerrans - Stage hunter.
4) Arvesen - Domestique deluxe.
5) Barry - See above.
6) Calzati - He's French.
7) Thomas - British. Could do a Wiggo.
8 ) Pauwels - Pretty impressive in the Giro last year. Could do OK in a mountain / lumpy breakaway.
9) Flecha - Stage hunter / domestique. Popular with fans.
Basically a strong team of rouleurs. Could all change if they get Wiggo, though. Then I'd drop Flecha.
1) Lovkvist - Nominal GC rider, but with no pressure. If he's 3 minutes down after the first mountain stage, knock it back and target a breakaway.
2) Boasson Hagen - Skip the Giro, go straight to the Tour. Stage hunter, see how he goes in the mountains.
3) Gerrans - Stage hunter.
4) Arvesen - Domestique deluxe.
5) Barry - See above.
6) Calzati - He's French.
7) Thomas - British. Could do a Wiggo.
8 ) Pauwels - Pretty impressive in the Giro last year. Could do OK in a mountain / lumpy breakaway.
9) Flecha - Stage hunter / domestique. Popular with fans.
Basically a strong team of rouleurs. Could all change if they get Wiggo, though. Then I'd drop Flecha.
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Comments
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If that lot want a Tour invite, they'd better change their name to Sky BBox. :oops:
Is it Friday, yet? :P"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I think Froome will be in there as a second ''British'' rider. I'd have him ahead of Calzati.
A rather underwhelming line-up though it has to be said.0 -
Good summary from the Comic, complete with the riders current rankings
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... m-sky.htmlFckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
going to be difficult for EBH..
the sprinters control the race so muxh more aggressively in the tour that opportunities are limited...
gerrans and serge are good for soft breaks in the mountains
loviquist follows as best he can covered by anyone with the legs... lose someone for froome
maybe drop EBH!"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
iainf72 wrote:Good summary from the Comic, complete with the riders current rankings
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... m-sky.html
portal as a domestique ain't that bad an idea..."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
John-Lee Augustyn showed some form in the mountains two years ago so may be worth a look.0
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+1iainf72 wrote:Good summary from the Comic, complete with the riders current rankings
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... m-sky.html
The bit about said riders winning 32 times in 2009 very interesting, frankly I would settle for that.It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.0 -
stagehopper wrote:John-Lee Augustyn showed some form in the mountains two years ago so may be worth a look.
I thought about him, but he hasn't really done anything since falling off the side of the Col de la Bonette last year.0 -
If Lovkvist and EBH both skip the Giro then what will Sky's Giro team look like?
Not great I would imagine.0 -
Quite Frankly wrote:If Lovkvist and EBH both skip the Giro then what will Sky's Giro team look like?
Not great I would imagine.
thats my thinking and all.. one for each?
I suppose someone could double up but they wouldn't really be riding at the front of the race to much at the giro?"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
There is a lot of criticism of the Sky team. But i don't know what we we expecting year 1. I think it isn't a bad team considering it is built from scratch. Yes as yet there is no real GC contender but how many of them are there out there wo were also available now. They are clearly trying to get Wiggo still and he seems the only one they are willing to buy out of a contract which is fair enough. If he goes to Sky then the team does have a different look. But this is not the Shack where success has to be acheived this year and maybe next if Lance keepes going. This is a longer term project and i think stage wins is the realistic target for this first year without wiggo. And this look a pretty good stage winning squad.0
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1. Lockqvist - GC man, give it a god for first week/10 days and if in contention has team backing if not, stage wins
2. EBH - would be stupid not to send him
3. Barry/4.Arvesen - Workhorses
5. Thomas - If he keeps improving he could get a respectable gc position for a brit
6. froome - same as thomas, also on hunt for stage wins
7. gerrans - stage wins, or help to lockqvist if needed
8. hendserson - lead out for EBH
9. Portal/calzati - the frenchie
now if you take out say henderson for wiggo, it takes on a whole different complexion0 -
BdeB wrote:There is a lot of criticism of the Sky team. But i don't know what we we expecting year 1. I think it isn't a bad team considering it is built from scratch. Yes as yet there is no real GC contender but how many of them are there out there wo were also available now. They are clearly trying to get Wiggo still and he seems the only one they are willing to buy out of a contract which is fair enough. If he goes to Sky then the team does have a different look. But this is not the Shack where success has to be acheived this year and maybe next if Lance keepes going. This is a longer term project and i think stage wins is the realistic target for this first year without wiggo. And this look a pretty good stage winning squad.
good post
I think its a good team... they are going to win races with those guys..."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
I think part of the problem is people believed the hype regarding the budget despite the many denials. Not helped of course by the media's dizzy speculation.
They always talked about this being a learning year. To me it looks a sensible squad with a lot of seasoned pros and a number of younger riders for whom this will be the opportunity to show they have the class to get big results.
In terms of GC contenders, apart from the Shack/Astana schism I can only think of Evans who has moved. Sky will be in a stronger position next year when various contracts have run out.0 -
What do you mean that "opportunities are limited?" If you have watched cycling lately, you would know that EBH can win bunchsprints, breakaways, cobbled stages and even timetrials (ok, not with cancellara present). If he should go for it, I am pretty certain that he will be one of the best sprinters next year, and he will, in contrary to sprinters like Mark Cavendish, be able to hang on in easy mountain stages. He is also completely unbeatable in sprints in a small group if he should be in a successful breakaway.mididoctors wrote:going to be difficult for EBH..
the sprinters control the race so muxh more aggressively in the tour that opportunities are limited...
gerrans and serge are good for soft breaks in the mountains
loviquist follows as best he can covered by anyone with the legs... lose someone for froome
maybe drop EBH!0 -
Have to agree with Midi. You can forget the flat stages, since the big sprinters will rinse him. Same goes for the big mountain stages and time trials. Do you think the peleton will let someone like EBH get into a break in the Tour? I'd let him smash a few more people in Italy, and make sure that he gets a bit more of the strength that come with age in time for 2011.maltiv wrote:
What do you mean that "opportunities are limited?" If you have watched cycling lately, you would know that EBH can win bunchsprints, breakaways, cobbled stages and even timetrials (ok, not with cancellara present). If he should go for it, I am pretty certain that he will be one of the best sprinters next year, and he will, in contrary to sprinters like Mark Cavendish, be able to hang on in easy mountain stages. He is also completely unbeatable in sprints in a small group if he should be in a successful breakaway.mididoctors wrote:going to be difficult for EBH..
the sprinters control the race so muxh more aggressively in the tour that opportunities are limited...
gerrans and serge are good for soft breaks in the mountains
loviquist follows as best he can covered by anyone with the legs... lose someone for froome
maybe drop EBH!
He's a jack of all trades, ace at none at the moment.
The same goes for Boonen. He's a big enough name that he'll never be allowed into a break, but can't compete in bunch sprints anymore. He's only put in the Tour because he's such a gigantic name and the sponsers need that exposure. That and he's so tall his head sticks out of the peleton, meaning you can spot him anywhereNote: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
teagar wrote:
Have to agree with Midi. You can forget the flat stages, since the big sprinters will rinse him. Same goes for the big mountain stages and time trials. Do you think the peloton will let someone like EBH get into a break in the Tour? I'd let him smash a few more people in Italy, and make sure that he gets a bit more of the strength that come with age in time for 2011.maltiv wrote:
What do you mean that "opportunities are limited?" If you have watched cycling lately, you would know that EBH can win bunchsprints, breakaways, cobbled stages and even timetrials (ok, not with cancellara present). If he should go for it, I am pretty certain that he will be one of the best sprinters next year, and he will, in contrary to sprinters like Mark Cavendish, be able to hang on in easy mountain stages. He is also completely unbeatable in sprints in a small group if he should be in a successful breakaway.mididoctors wrote:going to be difficult for EBH..
the sprinters control the race so muxh more aggressively in the tour that opportunities are limited...
gerrans and serge are good for soft breaks in the mountains
loviquist follows as best he can covered by anyone with the legs... lose someone for froome
maybe drop EBH!
He's a jack of all trades, ace at none at the moment.
The same goes for Boonen. He's a big enough name that he'll never be allowed into a break, but can't compete in bunch sprints anymore. He's only put in the Tour because he's such a gigantic name and the sponsers need that exposure. That and he's so tall his head sticks out of the peloton, meaning you can spot him anywhere
on the same page.... though there may be certain profiles so i reserve the right to insert a caveat... it would be kinda of cool if monstered a flat stage like the big C...unlikley
the likes of Boonen and EBH could get in a soft in the back half of the tour depending on stuff like team gc and who is wearing the Disney jersey etc etc"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
