Tour Startlist (under construction)

2

Comments

  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    Pross wrote:
    Froome was starting to show a bit of climbing form so I'm also surprised he isn't there.

    Agree. Also decent TT at the TdS so would have been useful for the TTT.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Pross wrote:
    Froome was starting to show a bit of climbing form so I'm also surprised he isn't there.

    I agree. The fact that they've gone for EBH and Swift suggests to me that they're hedging their bets more towards stage wins than getting Wiggins on the podium.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Milton50 wrote:

    I agree. The fact that they've gone for EBH and Swift suggests to me that they're hedging their bets more towards stage wins than getting Wiggins on the podium.

    If they were doing that, I'd suggest they'd have guys like Henderson there. There is fairly good climbing support in there, including Biggles-Holden if he puts his chubby little Nordic face on the front on a mountan.

    It looks like a slightly above average Grand Tour squad to me.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Yep, don't get me wrong it's a solid squad with good climbing support. Just seems like given that EBH was on the podium twice in his first Tour that their sprinting ambitions would be covered and they could afford to have another climbing domestique in there.

    Maybe they're thinking of giving EBH a few rest days before he's needed on the climbs?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    I think Milton50 is right, especially because they went for Swift instead of Henderson. This TdF has very few flat finishes, and those will be prime target for Cav, and if not him Farrar, Greipel, etc. and only an outside chance for Henderson. On the other hand, there are plenty of hilly stages or flat ones with an uphill finish, and both EBH and Swift can do the hills reasonably well and stand a good chance there.
    Wiggins got the mountain support he needs for his GC potential
  • StefanP
    StefanP Posts: 429
    Here is Lottos team:

    http://www.omegapharma-lotto.be/

    Gilbert will be riding. I did immediatly think that stages 1,4,6 and possibly 8 would have been good for him.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    They could have cropped the shot for Wggins' modesty
    Getty
    9e988283ffa34f3115820eb9bc28069b-getty-117122692.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    ^^^The sight of Bradley's belly sticking out isn't encouraging.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    StefanP wrote:
    Here is Lottos team:

    http://www.omegapharma-lotto.be/

    Gilbert will be riding. I did immediatly think that stages 1,4,6 and possibly 8 would have been good for him.

    He wants to wear yellow and think there is a very good chance he will.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,599
    He wants to wear yellow and think there is a very good chance he will.

    Hushivd Stage 1, Cav 2 and 3, Gilbert 4
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    They could have cropped the shot for Wggins' modesty
    Getty
    9e988283ffa34f3115820eb9bc28069b-getty-117122692.jpg

    When a job description includes the the requirement to be able to get your wing-wang out and have a pee from a moving bike, "modesty" is probably a luxury you can do without.

    Mind you, who thought this was a good look?:

    jmp_skyteam_rainforest_10_600.jpg

    It keeps reminding me of
    fat-cyclist-in-lycra.jpg
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    "Team Sky are styled by Matt Lucas"
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    Astana:

    Alexandre Vinokourov, Dmitriy Fofonov, Andriy Grivko, Maxim Iglinskiy, Paolo Tiralongo, Tomas Vaitkus, Andrey Zeit, Remy Di Gregorio, Roman Kreuziger
    cartoon.jpg
  • josame
    josame Posts: 1,141
    iainf72 wrote:
    [including Biggles-Holden if he puts his chubby little Nordic face on the front on a mountan.

    :lol:
    'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'
  • josame
    josame Posts: 1,141
    Any news on skinny leotard
    'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    josame wrote:
    Any news on skinny leotard

    Nothing official, but Monfort told the press that it was the Tour de Suisse team +1.

    So: Fabian Cancellara, Andy and Fränk Schleck, Jakob Fuglsang, Linus Gerdemann, Maxime Monfort, Stuart O'Grady and Jens Voigt. (+1, best guess seems to be Posthuma)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Leaky Gas:

    Ivan Basso, Daniel Oss, Alessandro Vanotti, Paolo Longo Borghini, Fabio Sabatini, Sylvester Szmyd, Maciej Bodnar, Maciej Paterski and Kristijan Koren


    In other news, EBH has managed to get shingles and is a doubt for the Tour.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    He doesn't have much luck does he - shame as he is looking in excellent form.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Thats a shame about EBH, he's never really had the chance to prove himself in the last couple of years.

    Wonder who Sky will bring in instead?
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • lucybears
    lucybears Posts: 366
    A spokesman from Team Sky “As a precautionary measure, Edvald has withdrawn from the national road race this weekend due to illness. We are monitoring the situation with him, at this stage though there is no change to the Tour de France team.”
    interview.cyclingfever.com
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    you can cross Boasson Hagen off the list as he has Shingles...
    cartoon.jpg
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Doobz wrote:
    you can cross Boasson Hagen off the list as he has Shingles...

    Yup.
    Biggles-Holden probably out of the Tour.
    http://www.vg.no/sport/sykkel/artikkel. ... d=10096000
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    For someone who's touted as a tough classics guy (not by me), he certainly seems to be a delicate flower.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    I'd love to see them put Peter Kennaugh in if EBH is out, though having ridden the Giro might not be wise
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    I reckon they'll lash froomey in..
    cartoon.jpg
  • lucybears
    lucybears Posts: 366
    Cogidubnus, Doobz try google translate....

    As late as Thursday were Kurt Asle Arvesen told that he is not taken out of the Sky Team squad for the Tour de France. Now the summer's peak bicycle slip for compatriot Boasson Hagen.
    interview.cyclingfever.com
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    LangerDan wrote:
    Mind you, who thought this was a good look?:

    jmp_skyteam_rainforest_10_600.jpg

    mik_1649_600.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    lucybears wrote:
    As late as Thursday were Kurt Asle Arvesen told that he is not taken out of the Sky Team squad for the Tour de France. Now the summer's peak bicycle slip for compatriot Boasson Hagen.

    Well that clears everything up.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Cogidubnus wrote:
    I'd love to see them put Peter Kennaugh in if EBH is out, though having ridden the Giro might not be wise

    Giro then Tour not a good idea at his age and stage. They dont use drugs these days to keep them going. He rode the Giro hard enough too.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    LangerDan wrote:
    Mind you, who thought this was a good look?:

    jmp_skyteam_rainforest_10_600.jpg

    mik_1649_600.jpg

    That second photo looks like a civil partnership ceremony.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'