Tour de France Team Selections

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  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,984
    edited June 2022

    andyp said:

    At any race, having two sprinters is a problem, because the other riders aren't sure who to ride for. At the Tour, where there is far less margin for error, because everyone has brought their A team, it would be insanity.

    It's true that you can't have two riders both on Morkov's wheel through the last km.

    In theory, they could choose which one to ride for each day, like DSM were trying to do at the Giro. Be easier if they weren't suited to the same finishes.
    That was what I was thinking, look at the stages, see which ones might suit each riders specific talents, they then target those and are fully supported by the team, and on other days, they can spin home in the grupetto for example, and save their legs for their next targeted stage.

    That would also give them the opportunity potentially to even try and get one of them in a breakaway if there was a period with a lack of out and out sprint stages.

    Stages 2-6 seem to be the out and out sprint stages, one of the riders could have targeted 2, 4, 6, the other 3 & 5.

    Then if they can last through the mountains, then 13, 14 & 15 have potential, as well as 19 and of course 21.

    I don't see one rider managing all 10 of those victories, or even 8, but between the two of them you could see 6-8 as a viable tally.
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  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Intermarchy Wanty are not taking Quintin Herman despite his decent results this year. He was so sure of his place he’d booked his plane ticket.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    That's not the biggest surprise, but looks like a kick in the teeth for him. I'm sure he's off to Alpecin-Deceuninck (as they will be known from 1st July)
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    That's the boy who outsprinted WvA for the 2nd spot at LBL isn't it?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    Given that Jakobsen is yet to experience the crazy level of risk taking that goes on during the first week Tour sprints and given what happened to him in Poland, I would say that Leferve has put all his eggs into one potentially flimsy basket, when he had two available.
    When Alaphilippe failed to recover, to me, replacing him with Bagoli makes little sense for a team all about winning stages. He has done virtually nothing, this season.
    The idea that Cav couldn't perform a team roll in the sprints, given he is the most experienced and successful Tour sprinter ever, seems ludicrous.
    To me, Cav or Bagioli is a no brainer.

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  • That's the boy who outsprinted WvA for the 2nd spot at LBL isn't it?

    It is yes. Had a decent Tour of Belgium too
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    RichN95. said:

    I agree with QS not picking Cavendish. Jakobsen has 9 wins this season - he's their top sprinter. There's only five or six sprints, which doesn't merit two sprinters. If you want publicity then taking a punt on Alaphilippe or Evenepoel would do the job.

    This plus if Cav really wanted to go to the Tour he could have looked to move to a team where he would be first choice sprinter. Ultimately he wouldn't have got last year's chances if it weren't for QS as teams didn't seem to be queuing up to sign him back then (and I say this as someone who would love to see him get the record).
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,124
    Pross said:


    This plus if Cav really wanted to go to the Tour he could have looked to move to a team where he would be first choice sprinter. Ultimately he wouldn't have got last year's chances if it weren't for QS as teams didn't seem to be queuing up to sign him back then (and I say this as someone who would love to see him get the record).

    they didn't seem to be queuing up this year either

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  • bianchi_dave
    bianchi_dave Posts: 933
    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Cavendish and Senechal were named as the reserves. What would the point be of taking two sprinters if you don't have a rider to control the breakaways and keep them close enough so you can set up a sprint?

    My guess is that they'll take Senechal, and use Honore or Lampert in the Declerq role.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,572

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Here's hoping!
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    andyp said:

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Cavendish and Senechal were named as the reserves. What would the point be of taking two sprinters if you don't have a rider to control the breakaways and keep them close enough so you can set up a sprint?

    My guess is that they'll take Senechal, and use Honore or Lampert in the Declerq role.
    You'd be correct. Confirmed on QS's twitter feed
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    So was Senechal
  • bianchi_dave
    bianchi_dave Posts: 933
    JimD666 said:

    andyp said:

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Cavendish and Senechal were named as the reserves. What would the point be of taking two sprinters if you don't have a rider to control the breakaways and keep them close enough so you can set up a sprint?

    My guess is that they'll take Senechal, and use Honore or Lampert in the Declerq role.
    You'd be correct. Confirmed on QS's twitter feed
    Early days, still only Tuesday! We can but hope
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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    Every team with a sprinter will massively miss Declercq. Great news for the breakaway specialists.
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293

    JimD666 said:

    andyp said:

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Cavendish and Senechal were named as the reserves. What would the point be of taking two sprinters if you don't have a rider to control the breakaways and keep them close enough so you can set up a sprint?

    My guess is that they'll take Senechal, and use Honore or Lampert in the Declerq role.
    You'd be correct. Confirmed on QS's twitter feed
    Early days, still only Tuesday! We can but hope
    I'd be over the moon if Cav went, but unless Jakobsen is pulled out I can't see it happening. If Jakobsen does test positive for COVID can you imagine the conspiracy theories that will be abound afterwards!
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    Meh, carpet is much better than that clicky cr*p.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,698
    edited June 2022
    *That's a bad, mean thought raver and you must think it... 😶)*

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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    I have had my eyes opened.
    Europe is awash with Covid once again.
    The Tractor is just the first to breakdown.
    Going to be a case of last man standing with the highest placed Lantern Rouge for many, many years.

    Another reason to take a back up stage winner like Cav.
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    andyp said:

    andyp said:

    Tim Declerq is out of QuickStep's Tour team, due to a positive test for Covid.

    Cav was named as first reserve...... :)
    Cavendish and Senechal were named as the reserves. What would the point be of taking two sprinters if you don't have a rider to control the breakaways and keep them close enough so you can set up a sprint?

    My guess is that they'll take Senechal, and use Honore or Lampert in the Declerq role.
    Cav is a breakaway specialist these days.
  • josame
    josame Posts: 1,162
    'Cav is a breakaway specialist' - he's a Morkov specialist at best, lets move on
    'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438
    josame said:

    'Cav is a breakaway specialist' - he's a Morkov specialist at best, lets move on

    I didn't notice Morkov at the Nationals on Sunday, maybe he was in disguise
  • josame
    josame Posts: 1,162
    edited June 2022
    r0bh said:

    josame said:

    'Cav is a breakaway specialist' - he's a Morkov specialist at best, lets move on

    I didn't notice Morkov at the Nationals on Sunday, maybe he was in disguise
    Yes - a race confined to Brits, this is not helping the case against :)
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Pinot has abandonned
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  • josame
    josame Posts: 1,162
    RichN95. said:

    Pinot has abandonned

    ffs
    'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'
  • neonriver
    neonriver Posts: 228
    RichN95. said:

    Pinot has abandonned

    RichN95. said:

    Pinot has abandonned

    Only thing I can see is a tweet from a look a like FDJ Twitter account but on closer inspection is just trolling.
  • 50x11
    50x11 Posts: 408
    That Ineos team has 0 stage wins and 18th place written all over it. What caused their fall from grace? Does the new owner not care so much about the Tour? Very much a mid tier stage race team now.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    josame said:

    r0bh said:

    josame said:

    'Cav is a breakaway specialist' - he's a Morkov specialist at best, lets move on

    I didn't notice Morkov at the Nationals on Sunday, maybe he was in disguise
    Yes - a race confined to Brits, this is not helping the case against :)
    I take it you don't do jokes?