Cuddly Bob interview (of sorts)
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
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He seems pretty switched on.
My main issue with HTC-Columbia is they're so one-dimensional. Chase, lead out & win the sprint. Successful, sure - they win a lot of races - but entertaining? Not really.
The fact that EBH, Lovqvist, Burghardt and Kirchen all got fed up riding for Greipel/Cav and wanted to leave speaks volumes. Surely it's only a matter of time before Tony Martin gets equally frustrated and seeks a team, who can offer him a chance as a GC rider.0 -
pedro118118 wrote:He seems pretty switched on.
My main issue with HTC-Columbia is they're so one-dimensional. Chase, lead out & win the sprint. Successful, sure - they win a lot of races - but entertaining? Not really.
The fact that EBH, Lovqvist, Burghardt and Kirchen all got fed up riding for Greipel/Cav and wanted to leave speaks volumes. Surely it's only a matter of time before Tony Martin gets equally frustrated and seeks a team, who can offer him a chance as a GC rider.
Take it you didn't watch Gent-Wevelgem or various stages of the Giro?
!!Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
I keep wondering if having a huge budget is a poison chalice for a cycling team? T-Mobile had a huge budget and were cronic under achievers, Katusha are the same.
If there's big money do the riders slack off and get fat?Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
teagar wrote:pedro118118 wrote:He seems pretty switched on.
My main issue with HTC-Columbia is they're so one-dimensional. Chase, lead out & win the sprint. Successful, sure - they win a lot of races - but entertaining? Not really.
The fact that EBH, Lovqvist, Burghardt and Kirchen all got fed up riding for Greipel/Cav and wanted to leave speaks volumes. Surely it's only a matter of time before Tony Martin gets equally frustrated and seeks a team, who can offer him a chance as a GC rider.
Take it you didn't watch Gent-Wevelgem or various stages of the Giro?
!!
Isolated performances from riders, who've left? Yes, I also saw Lovqvist win Eroica and Kirchen win Fleche. There's always exceptions..............opportunist wins, focused on riders, rather than team focus.0 -
pedro118118 wrote:
Isolated performances from riders, who've left? Yes, I also saw Lovqvist win Eroica and Kirchen win Fleche. There's always exceptions..............opportunist wins, focused on riders, rather than team focus.
I take it you prefer to see a team win a big race like the TDF by working together and closing it down a la Postal/discovery? I cant think of anything more likely to subdue a race. At least the sprints is all laid out and you can see it work (or not) in a short space of time. Theres always the will he wont he with escapees as well to add more excitement.
This year Cavendish might not have it all his own way anyway,. Sprinters seem to wax and wane over a couple or three seasons. Then its green jersey time! one of the best competitiions in the tour and certainley a team effort that keeps the race alive whilst the yellow jersey procession heads towards Paris in the last week.
Last years final stage was textbook and totally enabled by the team. bring it on!0 -
Exactly, the entertaining riders have gone. Columbia still have a broad squad but are obviously playing the Cav card as much as they can.teagar wrote:Take it you didn't watch Gent-Wevelgem or various stages of the Giro?
What is it, 80% of bike races come down to a sprint finish? It's dull but it pays the bills.0 -
Kléber wrote:Exactly, the entertaining riders have gone. Columbia still have a broad squad but are obviously playing the Cav card as much as they can.
But they've got guys like Guldhamer and that new American fellow on board too who are guys for the future. I can't believe I'm defending HTC.
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
You're not alone. :shock:
Has all this turbo training done something to your senses? 0 -
pedro118118 wrote:He seems pretty switched on.
My main issue with HTC-Columbia is they're so one-dimensional. Chase, lead out & win the sprint. Successful, sure - they win a lot of races - but entertaining? Not really.
The fact that EBH, Lovqvist, Burghardt and Kirchen all got fed up riding for Greipel/Cav and wanted to leave speaks volumes. Surely it's only a matter of time before Tony Martin gets equally frustrated and seeks a team, who can offer him a chance as a GC rider.
I thought that was the point of riding in a race! You don't get a medal for entertaining the crowd whilst coming in 123rd, otherwise i might give pro racing a crack!Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
If I was running the team, I'd be very happy with all the sprint wins.
But I'm not, I'm a bike racing fan and I find HTC-Columbia's focus/tectics tedious and boring. The only time they animate a race is in the last 1km, with either Cav or Greipel doing a job in the last 150m.
Two races into the new season, I'm already bored and eager to see anyone (and I mean anyone, even RadioShack) win, rather than HTC.0 -
pottssteve wrote:pedro118118 wrote:He seems pretty switched on.
My main issue with HTC-Columbia is they're so one-dimensional. Chase, lead out & win the sprint. Successful, sure - they win a lot of races - but entertaining? Not really.
The fact that EBH, Lovqvist, Burghardt and Kirchen all got fed up riding for Greipel/Cav and wanted to leave speaks volumes. Surely it's only a matter of time before Tony Martin gets equally frustrated and seeks a team, who can offer him a chance as a GC rider.
I thought that was the point of riding in a race! You don't get a medal for entertaining the crowd whilst coming in 123rd, otherwise i might give pro racing a crack!
Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
pottssteve wrote:I thought that was the point of riding in a race! You don't get a medal for entertaining the crowd whilst coming in 123rd, otherwise i might give pro racing a crack!
Tell that to the French wild card teams this July
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Also begs the question, does the most combabative rider actually win anything at the tour or do they just get the natty red number?0
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ShinyHelmut wrote:Also begs the question, does the most combabative rider actually win anything at the tour or do they just get the natty red number?
€20,000 for the most aggressive overall. Doesn't say if there's a daily prize, but I would imagine there is.
http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/LIVE/us/reglements.html0 -
Cheers afx0
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pedro - I don't think it is fair to say Columbia only come alive in the last 1km of a race - quite often they are left to chase down breakaways as the other teams know that they've got the best train - so they have to do all the work there AND at the end. Obv, they are very succesful, but it is up to the other teams to try and work out a way to beat them (and not lose to other teams!)http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
Possibly - it's horses for courses - the HTC way just isn't my cup of tea.
There will come a time (we saw it last year), where the other teams will rely on getting riders into breaks and simply won't ride in the bunch. Then, HTC will have to chase every break, every day to set up a sprint for Cav/Griepel.
Surely HTC will, at some stage, have to develop a Plan B (and C)?!0
