Worst team

Happiness1982

As the guys were rolling slowly toward Paris yesterday I realised I think I went the whole tour without seeing a guy from Radioshack or Katusha. So, one of those 2.

pat1cp

surista wrote:

I really have to wonder about Radioshack's management. I mean, other than having LA for one year - and they had to know it would probably only be one year, two at most - what was their long-term plan? Kloden? Levi? I mean, they're solid riders, and could probably support a strong GC candidate, but they're also rather close to 40....I don't think anyone outside Team Radioshack would mistake them for legitimate GC contenders.

At the start of the tour this year I thought the team looked a bit lost with no clear goals. They need to regroup next year and figure out what they want to do. Radioshack isn't going to continue sinking money into the project if it doesn't give them any visibility.

Janez Brajkovic was Radioshacks team leader at the start of the race, he crashed out in the first week.

inkyfingers

surista wrote:

I really have to wonder about Radioshack's management. I mean, other than having LA for one year - and they had to know it would probably only be one year, two at most - what was their long-term plan? Kloden? Levi? I mean, they're solid riders, and could probably support a strong GC candidate, but they're also rather close to 40....I don't think anyone outside Team Radioshack would mistake them for legitimate GC contenders.

At the start of the tour this year I thought the team looked a bit lost with no clear goals. They need to regroup next year and figure out what they want to do. Radioshack isn't going to continue sinking money into the project if it doesn't give them any visibility.

I'm not a big fan of Radioshack and most of the riders on their books, but feel the need to correct you. With the exception of the TdF they have had a pretty good season with overall wins at The Tour of the Basque Country, Tour of California, Tour of Switzerland, De Panne, Three Days of West Flander plus a few stage wins and national champions mixed in. They are currently 5th on CQ team ranking. Their goals were probably California which was a big success for them (even if it was scarcely believable viewing) and the Tour in which they were frankly unlucky. Sky lost one leader, whereas radioshack lost 3 plus even though Leipheimer finished the race, his crash cost him any chance of a high GC finish.

No idea whether the sponsors are getting a return on their investment but I believe they have recently renewed so one would assume they are happy.

mroli

They were coming in with 4 leaders - Brajkovic, Kloden, Horner and Leipheimer.

Kloden was doing an excellent job of flying under the radar and was 5th (I think) when he ended up crashing and then finally abandoning. I think he'd have podiumed if he'd stayed fit.

Katusha for me.

spezial

+1 for Katusha

I did think the all Russian team thing would backfire, but then again, who else have they really got? J-Rod was used up in the Giro and no-one wants to see Di Luca anywhere near the Tour. They've got some good young riders coming through, but probably too early.

I think they sealed this year's poor Tour performance last year, by somehow not signing Menchov. Oleg Tinkoff has been pretty critical of the management for not getting him on board.

Unfair to overly criticise Radioshack in my opinion, all of their main riders were crocked apart from Leipheimer. I'm not a fan of the team at all, but Kloden and Horner would probably have been contenders for the top 10.

Same with Rabobank, Gesink was looking good this year up until the Tour, and might have been looking at a top 10 as well. At least they got a stage win.

greeny12

Taking budget into account it has to be Katusha, doesn't it?

The likes of Saur are working to a fraction of that...

Shack just unlucky, but as soemone else said they've had a pretty good year up to this point.

Liquigas have got to be a bit disappointed - maybe that's why they're rumoured to be in for Cav?

Kléber

RichN95 wrote:

Katusha. The only notable thing they did was fail a drug test.

Exactly.

Egor Silin showed in a couple of mountain stages. Ignatiev had a go. Big Denny Gali-something tried in a couple of sprints. But they were less visible than Saur despite their big budget.

FJS

Not a direct reflection of how well teams did, but some indication - each team's total prize money for this year's TdF:
1.BMC - 493.990 euro
2.Leopard - 395.310
3.Europcar - 147.130
4.Garmin - 145.940
5.HTC - 104.940
6.Omega Pharma-Lotto - 96.600
7.FdJ - 90.660
8.Euskaltel - 87.780
9.Saxo Bank - 72.290
10.Sky - 67.000
11.Movistar - 46.660
12.AG2R - 45.560
13.Cofidis - 41.740
14.Vacansoleil - 35.650
15.Lampre - 30.100
16.Saur-Sojasun - 26.930
17.Rabobank - 24.290
18.Liquigas - 22.360
19.Quick-Step - 19.940
20.Katjoesja - 12.380
21.Astana - 11.710
22.RadioShack - 10.540

Echo et les Boniments

FJS wrote:

Not a direct reflection of how well teams did, but some indication - each team's total prize money for this year's TdF:
1.BMC - 493.990 euro
2.Leopard - 395.310
3.Europcar - 147.130
4.Garmin - 145.940
5.HTC - 104.940
6.Omega Pharma-Lotto - 96.600
7.FdJ - 90.660
8.Euskaltel - 87.780
9.Saxo Bank - 72.290
10.Sky - 67.000
11.Movistar - 46.660
12.AG2R - 45.560
13.Cofidis - 41.740
14.Vacansoleil - 35.650
15.Lampre - 30.100
16.Saur-Sojasun - 26.930
17.Rabobank - 24.290
18.Liquigas - 22.360
19.Quick-Step - 19.940
20.Katjoesja - 12.380
21.Astana - 11.710
22.RadioShack - 10.540

So the good ol' Madiot boys eventually managed to make a decent living out of those intermediary sprints... Crevards, as we say in French...

mz__jo

FdJ did very well out of Roy. 5000€ for first over the Tourmalet and a few combativité awards must have made a nice contribution to the total.
I saw the list in L'Equipe this morning and I think it is a pretty good indication of value on the Tour. Radioshack might have been unlucky with crashes but you make a lot of your own luck on the Tour and the team never really adjusted its strategy to the circumstances IMHO. I think I noticed Katusha more often on the tele than SAUR but obviously SAUR made the bits that counted.

Pross

Surprising how far down that list Sky finished despite 2 stage wins, a few placings and quite a lot of time in the white jersey. I suspect this shows why so many riders look to place in the top 10 on GC rather than winning stages?

surista

FJS wrote:

Not a direct reflection of how well teams did, but some indication - each team's total prize money for this year's TdF:
1...
.
<SNIP>
.
22. RadioShack - 10.540

I rest my case.

I do grant they had decent results...and if the team's goal is to do well at the Tour of California, that's fine. But my understanding (can't remember where I read this) was that Radioshak hired Brunyell & company with the aim of getting on the podium in France. I don't think the team as set up is really up to that standard - I personally don't think Kloden had a prayer of a podium finish.

Is Janez Brajkovic future GC material? I know he's won a few smaller races and is a good time trailist. Can he climb?

FJS

surista wrote:

Is Janez Brajkovic future GC material? I know he's won a few smaller races and is a good time trailist. Can he climb?

Dauphine isn't exactly a small race... or flat.... . The problem is more with the 'future' though; he's 28 years old and should be in his prime - not just some future prospect

pat1cp

FJS wrote:

surista wrote:

Is Janez Brajkovic future GC material? I know he's won a few smaller races and is a good time trailist. Can he climb?

Dauphine isn't exactly a small race... or flat.... . The problem is more with the 'future' though; he's 28 years old and should be in his prime - not just some future prospect

I recall him wearing the leaders Jersey in the Vuelta a few years back and he was talked as the next big thing then. U23 TT champion too.

surista

FJS wrote:

surista wrote:

Is Janez Brajkovic future GC material? I know he's won a few smaller races and is a good time trailist. Can he climb?

Dauphine isn't exactly a small race... or flat.... . The problem is more with the 'future' though; he's 28 years old and should be in his prime - not just some future prospect

True. But yeah, 28 is a bit old to be considered the future. I guess that's one of my beefs about the Radioshack squad, most of the big names are kinda long in the tooth. Average age is over 29yrs. HTC is 26yrs.

sherer

how about Astana, sure they made a few breaks but once Vino crashed out they didn't achieve much