Early season confusion

No_Ta_Doctor

As I've not seen any of the TDU or other winter training races, and will probably not jump back into watching until OHN, what will confuse the hell out of me watching the first races?

Which teams am I likely to confuse in their new kits, especially when glimpsing a quick helicopter shot through the trees of a 10 man break?
Which teams will I think don't have anyone in the break or front group and are inexplicably absent from all action, because they've completely changed team kit colour?
Which riders will I think are on a different team as I haven't been paying attention to transfers?
Which riders will I be tipping to do something in a race, only to realise far later they aren't there because they've retired or dropped a level (it's Terpstra, isn't it?)?

I always takes me ages to get to grips with. Help a guy out here.

Vino'sGhost

Haha it usually takes me to msr to know who’s gone where and what bikes and kit everyone’s on.

Things you will notice
Trek and Specialized teams heavily into discs
Ef have the best kit the promotions seen for years
The specialised aero road bike finally looks like something I’d ride.

RichN95.

Sunweb have changed to a red kit and look more like last year's Trek than this year's Trek do

ridgerider

There is a whole bunch of cyclo-cross riders doing road this year, and they are all called van de something...

No_Ta_Doctor

Ridgerider wrote:

There is a whole bunch of cyclo-cross riders doing road this year, and they are all called van de something...

The various vans have always confused me. If only someone could just put them all on the same team.

Vino'sGhost wrote:

Haha it usually takes me to msr to know who’s gone where and what bikes and kit everyone’s on.

Things you will notice
Trek and Specialized teams heavily into discs
Ef have the best kit the promotions seen for years
The specialised aero road bike finally looks like something I’d ride.

The EFEF kit looks quite good. I've only just got accustomed to Lampre being someone else and not pink though.

I'm unlikely to notice anything much about the bikes, tbh. I can just about get it together to know that Sky ride Pinarello and Trek ride... Trek. Bikes are just the bits under the riders with things that go round and round to me.

No_Ta_Doctor

RichN95 wrote:

Sunweb have changed to a red kit and look more like last year's Trek than this year's Trek do

I thought Sunweb went orange? So they look like BMC, who aren't BMC anymore, but CCC, and are also orange. Richie Porte stays in red though, because he went to Trek. So I'm going to think that BMC still exist and ride in red.

blazing_saddles

No tA Doctor wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Sunweb have changed to a red kit and look more like last year's Trek than this year's Trek do

I thought Sunweb went orange? So they look like BMC, who aren't BMC anymore, but CCC, and are also orange. Richie Porte stays in red though, because he went to Trek. So I'm going to think that BMC still exist and ride in red.

In a lot of the promo photos, it does look a bit orange, but in reality, it is exactly how Rich describes it.

Team Sunweb:



Trek Segafredo

ajkerr73

Ridgerider wrote:

There is a whole bunch of cyclo-cross riders doing road this year, and they are all called van de something...

I once picked a TDF dream team which only had riders with "Double" surnames.

Predictably enough, one GVA and TJVG had their early stage successes, it sucked the big one!

ocdupalais

Ajkerr73 wrote:

Ridgerider wrote:

There is a whole bunch of cyclo-cross riders doing road this year, and they are all called van de something...

I once picked a TDF dream team which only had riders with "Double" surnames.

Predictably enough, one GVA and TJVG had their early stage successes, it sucked the big one!

You dropped a bo11ock, there: could have Alberto Contador Velasco, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte, Nairo Quintana Rojas, Luis Leon Sanchez.... etc.

argyllflyer

And Dimension Data now ride BMC bikes, on discs. So cue lots of "are disc brakes bad and are they why Cav doesn't win?" chat.

Vino'sGhost

argyllflyer wrote:

And Dimension Data now ride BMC bikes, on discs. So cue lots of "are disc brakes bad and are they why Cav doesn't win?" chat.

Cav doesnt win because he falls off a lot and because he's not a good as he was.

(he falls off because he wasnt on disk brakes last year)

Wayne Plunger

And from a personal point of view Cofidis (not at all races I know due to not being WT) have changed from a kit that stood out to a bland one that will just blend in with the rest.