Dekker to silance-lotto!
jimycooper
Posts: 740
looks like silance-lotto where looking for real support for evans in the tour.
And a future talent. but was it the right move for him though?
And a future talent. but was it the right move for him though?
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it could be a strange team their building up at Silence.
If they put too much hope on Evans moving up to win the tour then the riders like Kohl, Popo and now Dekkar might miss out on getting a jersey or a higher place in the GC for themselves becuse of having to drag Cadel up the mountains and ruin their own chances0 -
That sound suspiciously like the defintion of a domestique doesnt it
. Unfortunately its the year Cadel really doesnt have much of a chance. Still starting to look like a real lly intresting TdF with some teams being stronger than they have in a while and Lancey Boy making his comeback. All in all will be a very intresting 3 weeks. Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.0 -
Or, alternatively, a change of strategy. Popo's gone, but with Evans, Dekker and Kohl, a three-man challenge, CSC-style, instead of all riding in support of Evans.JC.152 wrote:If they put too much hope on Evans moving up to win the tour then the riders like Kohl, Popo and now Dekkar might miss out on getting a jersey or a higher place in the GC for themselves becuse of having to drag Cadel up the mountains and ruin their own chances0 -
Sorry, I thought you meant he was going to shut Lotto up. Doh!0
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I suppoise it could work, with 3 contenders instead of just Evans on his own like this year when there were 8 CSC riders on the front and then just Cadel0
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Evans has no chance in the next Tour but a strong silence lotto team should make the Tour all the more exciting.0
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I've always though Lotto a bit of an odd team in the Tour. For years they've had both a GC contendor in Evans and a green jersey contendor in McEwen, and yet they consistently seem unable to build a team capable of helping either. Not that Robbie needs, or maybe even wants, that much help. So I suppose if they can all get along at least either Evans, Kohl or Dekkar will have some decent support for a few days when the going gets tough - for the first time that I can remember in Evans' case.Take care,
Steve.0 -
That situation is only the last two years, Evans wasn't a real contender for the TdF win until 2007. Before that Lotto has always been a team for the Flemish Classics and sprinting stages in the TdF. Lotto has been a pro-team sponsor since 1992. The change to a team focusing on the classement general of the GTs with only non-Belgian riders is odd though, for a sponsor with a strictly national market.Steve Tcp wrote:I've always though Lotto a bit of an odd team in the Tour. For years they've had both a GC contendor in Evans and a green jersey contendor in McEwen, and yet they consistently seem unable to build a team capable of helping either.0 -
FJS wrote:Steve Tcp wrote:I've always though Lotto a bit of an odd team in the Tour. For years they've had both a GC contendor in Evans and a green jersey contendor in McEwen, and yet they consistently seem unable to build a team capable of helping either.
That situation is only the last two years, Evans wasn't a real contender for the TdF win until 2007.
He's been touted as an outside bet for longer than that, and has been in the top 10 since 2005. Given the lack of support from his team 4 minutes back in 2006 wasn't a bad finish and neither was 8th place 11 minutes back the year before. It's impossible to say how much better he could have finished with even half a team capable of supporting him in the high mountains. Even Lance Armstrong never downplayed the part his teammates played in his wins, although of course it's difficult to quantify in terms of time. Personally I'm not a fan of Cadel (I like an attacker not a follower, but that's another thread), but given that Lotto have viewed him as their main TDF man for the last few years it stands to reason that they would build a team capable of helping him just a bit. That they didn't even build half a team around him beggars belief IMO.Take care,
Steve.0 -
So far Lotto have bought well. Kohl and Dekker are great buys. If they both ride to their potential they should be very good. Silence have also bought a few lesser known riders and they already had some good young riders. Hoste has retired as has Popovych. McEwen has gone to Katusha. It is looking good for next year. Evans has finished within a minute of the winner for the past two years and people are already writing him off for the 09 Tour. I am more worried about Evan's knee. He will always be competitive.0
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Steve, I understand what you're saying. But, another perspective could be that a rider who is serious about winning the Tour de France should not choose a relatively modest team that has always specialized in the Classics and sprints.....
Evans was an outsider for the classement for a long time, since doing well in the mountain stages of the Giro right after coming from mountainbiking, but he has been a real contender for winning the big one relatively recently. A lot of teams have a rider for the top-10 of the general classement, without further reason to build a complete team around him; Evans initially was that sort of rider for Lotto.0 -
Points taken FJS, but given that he has been a real contendor for the last 2 years they still haven't even managed to get 4 or 5 decent riders to back his GT ambitions even in that time. Presumably they are paying him top dollar, and the money that they are now (also presumably) paying for the likes of Kohl would have paid for some better domestiques last year. For me that was Evans' last chance saloon with Le Tour, given the up and coming talent I can only see his GC placing dropping now, and I'm not convinced he was ever quite good enough (and perhaps young enough) to get a team leader place on any of the big teams anyway. So perhaps his choice of Lotto was the best option for him, or perhaps his loyalty prevented him trying to get a ride elsewhere.
Actually I thought that he looked pretty happy with second place in July, so maybe his real problem is lack of the mean streak to do whatever it takes to win.Take care,
Steve.0 -
You are almiost as bad as I am. I read it as 'Dekker to silence Lance'!nathanbloke wrote:Sorry, I thought you meant he was going to shut Lotto up. Doh!0 -
Steve Tcp wrote:I've always though Lotto a bit of an odd team in the Tour. For years they've had both a GC contendor in Evans and a green jersey contendor in McEwen, and yet they consistently seem unable to build a team capable of helping either. Not that Robbie needs, or maybe even wants, that much help. So I suppose if they can all get along at least either Evans, Kohl or Dekkar will have some decent support for a few days when the going gets tough - for the first time that I can remember in Evans' case.
Don't forget the Lantern Rouge, big Wim will be there to defend his title next year I'm sure, and make it three in a row !!!!!0 -
mr_hippo wrote:
It's already three in a row!pat1cp wrote:Don't forget the Lantern Rouge, big Wim will be there to defend his title next year I'm sure, and make it three in a row !!!!!
Sorry, stand corrected http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterne_rouge0 -
Although, it says here he's packing in at the end of this year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Vansevenant0 -
Lotto are Belgian remember. The classics matter an awful lot more to them than any average team! Dekker is a very classy one day rider, very similar to his compatriate Boogarde in my book.
After all, with Quick-step taking on Schumacher and Chavanel. Hoste is getting a bit too long in the tooth.Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
you mean this guy? http://www.icons.com/WB/ ...teagar wrote:Dekker is a very classy one day rider, very similar to his compatriate Boogarde in my book.
well, it did look a bit like it was going to be that kind of career for Tommy for a little while...
:oops: sorry, couldn't resist0 -
FJS wrote:
you mean this guy? http://www.icons.com/WB/ ...teagar wrote:Dekker is a very classy one day rider, very similar to his compatriate Boogarde in my book.
well, it did look a bit like it was going to be that kind of career for Tommy for a little while...
:oops: sorry, couldn't resist
:PNote: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0
