Le Tour... Team Rankings

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 6:18 PM EDT in News

The list-style companion to yesterday's post... To be clear, this isn't a ranking of who's going to win, just which teams are relatively better equipped.

Challenger Teams

CSC -- Frickin loaded, at the captain, lieutenant and foot soldier levels.
Caisse d'Epargne -- Like CSC, only fewer captains... and less experience.
Euskaltel -- Also like CSC, with just as much a crunch at the top, but no history of delivering.
Columbia -- My top candidate to move down this list, if they have the green jersey and no real GC hope. We'll see.
Rabobank -- Showed real mettle last year protecting the Chicken. Everyone was shocked. Didn't end well. The lesson is, never try.
Lampre -- Like Caisse d'Epargne, only completely untested at this level.
Silence -- Might move up, though again this isn't about the quality of the leader. Popovych is the key.
AG2R -- The ideal team is shaped like a pyramid, with a broad base supporting a high peak. AG2R are more like a ziggurat. But hey, Dessel will have help.
Cofidis -- Quality at the top... not much below.
Barloworld -- One man show.

Sprinter Teams

Columbia -- A lot of the sprinters teams have loaded up for other priorities. Columbia could well turn their considerable talent toward the stages, which they've already done often this year. Not sayin' green jersey; just sayin... great team.
Quick Step -- I know, I called them stage hunters. But they'll act like a sprinters' team for a while, and it's a role they are used to.
Gerolsteiner -- Two potential sprinters. Nuthin else going on.
Agritubel -- Same as Gerol; you could swap places here I guess.
CA -- Thor is used to going it alone, though as compared to the next few teams, he'll have help if/when he calls for it.
Rabobank -- Freire can expect Flecha and maybe 1-2 others to help him.
Silence -- Evans has talked about absorbing the whole team, but it wouldn't shock me to see Van Summeren or H\o/ste pitch in, out of habit.
Barloworld -- Don't recall Hunter having much help...Uh, Baden Cooke anyone? Time to reshuffle the rankings.

Stage Hunters

You want me to rank the shmucks [sorry, too much blogging] Ranking the stage hunters? I think I'll leave this blank.

0 recs | Comment 28 comments

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Comments

You know, the time and effort you put into this site never ceases to amaze me.

Great rankings, great analysis. Ooh, is it Saturday yet? This is going to be fun!

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. - George Carlin

by Ruthann on Jul 2, 2008 6:34 PM EDT 0 recs

Actually

I’ve built a robot, the Chris… 3000™, which generates articles based solely on Cycling Quotient statistics.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 6:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ladies and Gentlemen - I give you the Chris 3000

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Jul 3, 2008 9:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

So much better than what I pictured...

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 3, 2008 10:37 AM EDT up 0 recs

Or this one that toots it's own horn to boot... :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 3, 2008 10:43 AM EDT up 0 recs

have a former green jersey winner to help Hunter in Cooke. That’s a better leadout than many will be getting. And no Milram in the sprinters list! Poor Zabel, already consigned to retirement. Also FdJ – Sebastian Chavanel was good – probably as good as Roman Feillu last year, but lacked (and still does) any decent help.

by Rothko on Jul 2, 2008 7:01 PM EDT 0 recs

Ah, OK

I probably should make a change there…

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 9:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

I am so excited for Saturday

This is going to be one spectacular Tour de France.

60% of the time, it works every time.

by bethie on Jul 2, 2008 7:39 PM EDT 0 recs

lesson is, don't try

so funny.

is cookie for sure on leadout for hunter? i hope so, because that could be good.

by gavia on Jul 2, 2008 7:43 PM EDT 0 recs

Cookie

Well at any rate they have two guys in Cookie and Hunter to match the duo of Cav et Ciolek. So I look for them to move up these rankings.

by ursula on Jul 2, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

I don't know

but it makes sense to me. Seems like Cooke has been going down the O’Grady/Eisel path to turn himself into a one day rider rather than a pure bunch sprinter. IIRC Cooke was used as a leadout for Eisel when both were on FdJ and Eisel was the better sprinter (2005?) . . . . though my memories of anything FdJ related are often fuzzy.

by Rothko on Jul 2, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

Agritubel?

Moreau relagated like Zabel to early retirement.

by ursula on Jul 2, 2008 8:10 PM EDT 0 recs

Stage Hunters = shmuks

So disappointed dad.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 2, 2008 9:14 PM EDT 0 recs

Sorry

that was obnoxious. Dunno what happened.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 10:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

I always giggle so I didn't think it was obnoxious.

I think I’m more disappointed you didn’t take a stab at a few to keep an eye out for.
This year feels like there are more teams going for daily attempts which I think is going to be a whole lot to watch! :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 2, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Truth is

I don’t ever want to disrespect guys on Leakygaz or Garmin or what have you. Even Milram deserve better than to be called schmucks.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 2, 2008 11:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

Well with respect of my guys... thank you. :-)

They’ll never be shmucks in my eyes. Might have a doodsmak moment from time to time but certainly never reach shmuckdum. And really, where would the fun be if we didn’t have stage hunters trying to mess with the heads of the GC guys?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 2, 2008 11:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

well you can make it up to us with a polka-dot infested flowchart

by lyne on Jul 2, 2008 11:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

ooooooh - good point lyne!!!

And that reminds me – JIMBO, you still owe us one too! You guys are such slackers sometimes… LOL!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jul 2, 2008 11:20 PM EDT up 0 recs

[head hurts...]

Seriously, thinking about the KOM before the first mountain stage brings my brain to a complete halt.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jul 3, 2008 12:44 AM EDT up 0 recs

Does the Chris.... 3000 give any indication

which overexcited french rider will hold the KOM-jersey early on ( before any ….uuhh…. real mountains) this year?

Matthieu Sprick and Lilian Jegou feel like good strong candidates, don’t ask me why.

by Jens on Jul 3, 2008 3:14 AM EDT up 0 recs

Count on Augé

To do the first attacking, he always does. Like clockwork. Bichot might beat him to it though.

Just remember this: I’d be very, very, very, and I really mean very surprised if either Augé or/and Bichot aren’t in the very first Tour breakaway group. :-)

to be checked after stage 1

You can't lose against Italy, we can only fail to win - Johan Cruijff

by DZI on Jul 3, 2008 8:49 AM EDT up 0 recs

Credit Agricole deserves a bump up the ranking

Showing strength as a sprint team is more than making a decent leadout the last 400 metres. CA are beasts when it comes to hauling in the breakaways and from the looks of this years teams it may be a pretty lonely task.

by Jens on Jul 3, 2008 3:06 AM EDT 0 recs

pardon my ignorance

but what is so good about popo? just wondering

i am master of my fate, i am captain of my soul

by randie on Jul 3, 2008 3:34 AM EDT 0 recs

Funny name?

He (almost literally) won everything in the U23:s and started out brilliantly as a pro with strong rides in the Giro. He looked like a sure thing to become an all-conquering GT rider. At Disco he sort of faded, not sure if it was how they used/trained him or if it was just that he reached a natural plateau. Some riders are like that, peaking early and then their development halts while others are late bloomers.

While he doesn’t live up to the promise today, he is still a massive rider to have at your side in the mountains. On his best days he will ride the legs of you opponents with a relentless pace.

by Jens on Jul 3, 2008 5:57 AM EDT up 0 recs