Can a team ride for 2 GT contenders?

SportiveRater

Is there any precedent on a team riding for 2 GT riders? I am thinking here of next years TdF and Froome and Wiggins.
From the rumours about 2013 tour being the 100th edition will take in a lot of iconic climbs and may not be as suited to Wiggins as this year and some would argue that Froome is a better bet for a mountainous parcour.
If they both go (Wiggins to defend his yellow jersey and Froome as a strong GT hope) can the team ride for both of them? From what I have seen all teams tend to be blown apart when it gets down to the business end of a stage with just a few of the GT riders slogging it out at the end of a climb, and unlike last years Vuelta both riders could be given the licence to ride for themselves once the stage got to this point. At some point in the 3 weeks if one was way ahead of the other then they would relinquish the team leader duty.
Given that it looks likely Cav is off, Sky wont have to worry about him and can effectively have 2 more riders (as they wont need Eisel to support Cav in the gruppeto) so therefore should have a stronger team to protect 2 riders.
Is this possible or would focussing on one rider mean splitting efforts on the road and internally?

greasedscotsman

Don't you mean 3, with JTL as well?

Paulie W

Well I dont see why not. Never caused any problems in the past. Oh wait...

rebs

I don't think Froome will come close to winning anything untill he learns to manage his efforts. I o think he rides way too much on impulse.

I've said it before when he rides for Wiggins he has a diciplined mentality anytime his ridden at team leader or GC hope he blows up trying to do too much.

esafosfina

Yes. Hope this helps...

afx237vi

Rabobank have Gesink, Kruijswik, Mollema and Ten Dam. Let's see how many GTs they win in the next few years.

Turfle

At some point a situation will arise, like in Vuelta 2011 and Tour 2012, where someone has to ride for the other one. Someone will need to be pulled back.

esafosfina

All sarcasm aside... It can be done, but it's not ideal. See Lemond/Hinault circa 85/86...

skylla

afx237vi wrote:

Rabobank have Gesink, Kruijswik, Mollema and Ten Dam. Let's see how many GTs they win in the next few years.

ha!

Also comes to mind Ullrich and Riis in the tmobile heydays - but with another outcome

TheBigBean

The best example of it being done with any degree of success is the Schlecks, but then that is a bit different.

andyp

Surely Sky are a good example of a team doing it with a degree of success, having placed the same two riders onto the podium twice in GTs?

rebs

To be fair Rabobank don't really have an our right contender who is going to win a GT. so no harm in sending so many on the road to jsut see how well they hang onto the rest of the main GT riders :P

Richmond Racer

Sky in particular would never go in for this kind of strategy especially for the Tour, in particular. Their way is to create the plan and stick to it (see this year's Tour, and last year's Vuelta up until the Angliru afer which they did rider for both Froome and Wiggo). To change to a strategy of 'deciding it on the road' - no, its just not their way. I'm sure they'll to have a similar build up next year by approaching each of those big stage races - P-N,Romandie, Dauphine - with the same core team that they'll have for the Tour, and they wont want to flip flop between Wiggo and Froome as leaders for those races.

Then there's the added complication of the Giro. I've got a feeling that Sky will plan a serious campaign to try to win it next year. From Froome and Porte at the Vuelta, they'll know now that they cant have the same guys as leaders or key domestiques in back to back GTs - so we may just see Froome and Wiggo at one each of the Giro and the Tour amd no doubling-up.

avoidingmyphd

afx237vi wrote:

Rabobank have Gesink, Kruijswik, Mollema and Ten Dam. Let's see how many GTs they win in the next few years.

Did you miss the word "contenders" in the question?

rick_chasey

Telekom.

Riis generally likes to have two GC contenders if he can in his team.

Presumably relating to his telekom experiences .

FJS

Rick Chasey wrote:

Telekom.

Riis generally likes to have two GC contenders if he can in his team.

Presumably relating to his telekom experiences .

CSC in 2008 with Sastre and Frank Schleck

SportiveRater

Richmond Racer wrote:

Sky in particular would never go in for this kind of strategy especially for the Tour, in particular. Their way is to create the plan and stick to it (see this year's Tour, and last year's Vuelta up until the Angliru afer which they did rider for both Froome and Wiggo). To change to a strategy of 'deciding it on the road' - no, its just not their way. I'm sure they'll to have a similar build up next year by approaching each of those big stage races - P-N,Romandie, Dauphine - with the same core team that they'll have for the Tour, and they wont want to flip flop between Wiggo and Froome as leaders for those races.

Then there's the added complication of the Giro. I've got a feeling that Sky will plan a serious campaign to try to win it next year. From Froome and Porte at the Vuelta, they'll know now that they cant have the same guys as leaders or key domestiques in back to back GTs - so we may just see Froome and Wiggo at one each of the Giro and the Tour amd no doubling-up.

However they also have Heneo and Uran who looked good in the Giro and might want a crack themselves.

cal_stewart

I think you can be strong in the Giro and the Vuelta because of the Gap. I'd like to see Heneo, Uran and Froome and maybe JTL ride them both next year

rebs

I really dont think JTL will ride a GT next year. He'll do the pro tour week stages but think sky will build him up for the year after