Team Ratings & Team of the Tour
Comments
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To TailWindHome – how true! I’m glad I only have a couple of sponsored jerseys, both bought at car boot sales after their sell-buy date - Seat (which is now so old it actually looks nicely Retro) and Mapei (which looks very dated but at least it's colourful).TailWindHome wrote:
It all a bit hair today, gone tomorrow.RichN95 wrote:I've just had a thought. Over the winter Alpecin dumped Giant/Sunweb in favour of Katusha. Anyone know how that's working out for them?
As for RichN95’s question (I don't know if you mean only in sporting terms or also in business terms) ….
With Kristoff supposedly leaving Katusha-Alpecin, it’s rumoured they hope to entice Kittel back, back in the sense that he was previously with Alpecin when it was Giant-Alpecin (when Kittel quipped something like “Never a bad hair day from now on”).
Katusha-Alpecin are aiming at a podium place for Zacharin in the Vuelta, after his 5th place in the Giro. He’s riding the Tour of Poland next week, which might give an idea of his form.
I suppose whether Alpecin continue to sponsor a team after next summer, which is when their initial sponsoring runs out, might depend on the above two hopes. Because, other than the odd possible infrequent win (T. Martin, Spilak), they only have a couple of names to appear in break groups.
I don’t think Alpecin will stay as long in cycling as some companies have done (like QuickStep); they agreed on 4 years minimum sponsoring, but their known business strategy plan was to try for a 5-year rapid expansion before an inevitable slowdown. They might add on a 5th year if they get Kittel, and Zacharin soon achieves, but probably not more without new major signings.
Their sponsoring is (like that of many sponsors) part of a strategy to become a globally-known name – they are especially aiming at the Chinese market (they’ve opened a main office in Singapore, and smaller ones in Thailand and Malaysia to cover the Chinese and SE Asia markets).
Their sponsoring all seems to be working because in 2016 their Worldwide turnover increased by 20+ %, and in Germany by 10+ % (they do not just shampoo, but also toothpaste and moisturizing/anti-aging creams).
Obviously few financial 2017 figures are yet around since they swopped from Giant/Sunweb to Katusha (although I can imagine there may be some misgivings on doing that. Alpecin apparently left because Degenkolb said he was moving on elsewhere and they didn’t want to support a team without a big German name, and so ignored the potential of Barguil, Matthews and Dumoulin, also ignored Arndt and Geshke).
Their additional business aim is to increase online sales, which in 2016 only accounted for 2% of turnover. Their advertising may need to change to promote that (and I hope it does after that irritating amateurish advert in the team bus).0 -
RichN95 wrote:I've just had a thought. Over the winter Alpecin dumped Giant/Sunweb in favour of Katusha. Anyone know how that's working out for them?
From Giant's viewpoint it's odd too, they even became 'German' to get a deal with Alpecin.
I believe the bigger plan now is to get Kittel at Katusha.0 -
knedlicky, that was a far too detailed answer. I did read it though. (Personally I have little need for hair products these days)
I was just amused that they dumped what has became one of the teams of the season, maybe the team, for one that has barely a notable result to its nameTwitter: @RichN950 -
Team of the Tour:
Stage thread starter: Blazing Saddles
EBH style attacker for starting stage threads unexpectedly early and embarrassing everyone else: ATC
Analyst 1: Rick
Analyst 2: Rich
Road captain subtly directing other's efforts: No tA Dr
Not a bad team, I reckon.0 -
Far too modest.
Missing the Domestique who drives everyone along and finds themselves in the autobus & destined for the
Lanterne Rouge?0 -
RonB wrote:Far too modest.
Missing the Domestique who drives everyone along and finds themselves in the autobus & destined for the
Lanterne Rouge?
Naah. I'm just a joker hoping nobody realises that I don't know anything.
Put me down as the DS of Cofidis.0 -
the obvious 3 are Sky, Sunweb and ag2r.
ag2r really did show up and try and win. damn well nearly did it in the massif. not sure what would have happened if Landa wasn't in that front group or fell back too early. in hindsight, Badet should have gone all in solo if needs be and take the other GC leaders with him before Froome got back on. risky leaving those team mates behind given the distance but nothing ventured nothing gained. but that's in hindsight.
got to give sky credit for managing the whole thing. they brought all their resources to bear on and off the bike. Porte was beaten in the Dauphin never mind in Dusseldorf. Lrp's weakness is mental strength and Sky trashed talked him out the race! When post-Dusseldorf Froome kept saying "looking at the route where are you going to get back that time" he was spot on. Got the rise out of BMC on the way to the plank. where BMC achieved nothing. porte had already demonstrated his inability to take the pressure and play overly safe. how does everyone think he will handle stage racing after that off on the chat? he always carries the previous race in his head.
if porte is going to win a 3 weeker he needs a big dose of luck and some mental strengthing, coaching? BMC just seemed clueless, i mean what was their plan to leap frog froome and put time into him?
having said that...
Sky had a super strong squad that operated a good strategic plan [keep it close , peak in the third,mug em all in marseille] with excellent improvisational/tactical control and they still struggled to keep it locked down, thats why Ag2r or anyone else needs to be taken very seriously if they get their mind right and actually turn up with a plan. will froome win again?
Sunweb, class. Ok, they got lucky that Sagan wasn't there but they seized that opportunity and still had to pile the pressure on Kittel. What was particularly good was the way they wove their tactics of winning the polka dots with winning the green in a supportive manner. that just came off so well."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 -
Bottom line with Sky is that as the best team they were expected to, and did, win the individual and team classification. Can't do much more than that.
In the final TT, 4 of their remaining 8 were in the top 20 (18 technically) placings. Only Movistar came close if TT'ing is a blunt measure of cycling ability with their 4th placed rider being 30th.
QS 53
Bora - 73
BMC 43
Astana 56
Fortuneo 63
Orica 65
AG2R 52
Trek 77
Sunweb 78
Cannondale 67
Katusha 80
Direct Energie 93
All others 4th placed rider was > 100th place2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)0 -
I'd up AG2R to an A - they were the only team who seemed up for taking the GC fight to Sky most of the time. It was like they had a rider or team connection to somewhere on practically every stage.
Shame their leader TT's like he's towing a parachute...
I'd have you overrating UAE and Cofidis, possibly BMC.0 -
mididoctors wrote:the obvious 3 are Sky, Sunweb and ag2r.
ag2r really did show up and try and win. damn well nearly did it in the massif. not sure what would have happened if Landa wasn't in that front group or fell back too early. in hindsight, Badet should have gone all in solo if needs be and take the other GC leaders with him before Froome got back on. risky leaving those team mates behind given the distance but nothing ventured nothing gained. but that's in hindsight.
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Worse result than last year.
Can't be an A.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:mididoctors wrote:the obvious 3 are Sky, Sunweb and ag2r.
ag2r really did show up and try and win. damn well nearly did it in the massif. not sure what would have happened if Landa wasn't in that front group or fell back too early. in hindsight, Badet should have gone all in solo if needs be and take the other GC leaders with him before Froome got back on. risky leaving those team mates behind given the distance but nothing ventured nothing gained. but that's in hindsight.
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Worse result than last year.
Can't be an A.
who was in the race last year... uran held on till the TT this year , and Ag2r never looked like they had a chance really in 2016 unlike 2017
Even if bardet had come 4th and missed the podium it was a better ride this year because they kept the pressure on for a LOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time. should be a wake up call to other teams
in some sense bardet was the weak point in this years team equation. he just lacks that bit extra. rode a very poor TT blowing himself up on that ramp out the back of the old city. still was a good showing by ag2r. on some days they dictated the race contary to what sky wanted as opposed to just helping out sky [like BMC's moronic contribution]"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 -
Apparently Bardet used a 55/42 and 11/28 combination for the TT. The 42 was clearly too ambitious.mididoctors wrote:in some sense bardet was the weak point in this years team equation .... rode a very poor TT blowing himself up on that ramp out the back of the old city.
(By contrast, Uran had a 56/39 and 11/28 combination)0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:mididoctors wrote:the obvious 3 are Sky, Sunweb and ag2r.
ag2r really did show up and try and win. damn well nearly did it in the massif. not sure what would have happened if Landa wasn't in that front group or fell back too early. in hindsight, Badet should have gone all in solo if needs be and take the other GC leaders with him before Froome got back on. risky leaving those team mates behind given the distance but nothing ventured nothing gained. but that's in hindsight.
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Worse result than last year.
Can't be an A.
If you were their sponsor, which year would you rate better?
The 2nd place through not really doing all that much, or the third place while animating the race and keeping in contention all the way to the end?Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
knedlicky wrote:
Apparently Bardet used a 55/42 and 11/28 combination for the TT. The 42 was clearly too ambitious.mididoctors wrote:in some sense bardet was the weak point in this years team equation .... rode a very poor TT blowing himself up on that ramp out the back of the old city.
(By contrast, Uran had a 56/39 and 11/28 combination)
His issue wasn't his gearing.
His issue is he blew up massively.
He'd have gotten over fine on those gears if he was going a decent pace; but he blew up.0
