Columbia Tour Squad

by TheFigurehead on Jun 25, 2009 12:27 PM EDT Comment 39 comments

Thomas Lövkvist is out, according to Swedish Eurosport. That means:

Mark Cavendish

George Hincapie

Kim Kirchen

Tony Martin

Michael Rogers

Maxime Monfort

Markus Burghardt

Bernhard Eisel

Mark Renshaw

But my 75 words are coming out wrong and I

I reveal my heart to you and

Hope that you believe it's true cause

Words, don't come easy to me

How can I find a way to make you see I love You

Words don't come easy

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Would you add a source link?

I just checked their official website and there’s nothing official released yet that I can see.

by ZoeRochelle on Jun 25, 2009 12:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I added a link to the article on Swedish Eurosport

It says nothing about the Tour squad, but the other day Columbia announced 10 riders and apparently Lövkvist is the one who will be left out.

Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl.

by TheFigurehead on Jun 25, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

definite

will be announced on Monday…..

by lucybears on Jun 25, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

although

wielerupdate.nl claims to know already
http://www.wielerupdate.nl/nieuws/2009/06/25/thomas-lovkvist-valt-af-bij-columbia_11720/

by lucybears on Jun 26, 2009 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch for Lovkvist.

He says he’s out because he wouldn’t be any help to Cavendish—since there was room for both last year, I’m guessing they really are going all out for the green.

I can't understand why people cheat--Mark Cavendish

by majope on Jun 25, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It would be really impressive

Winning the green jersey with eight guys totally at your service …
I thought Columbia was a team where everyone got their chances, not just the one guy.

by El-Ve on Jun 25, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everybody does get their chances

Just take a look at their results in the Giro and Tour de Suisse. I can’t imagine that Kirchen or Rogers will be messing around in sprint finishes, they’re probably on their own to shoot for GC top 10. But if you have the fastest guy on the planet, little chance of winning GC, and have already proven to the rest of the team that everybody will get their day in the sun, why not make a concerted effort for green and have an unbelievably successful season?

Jens Voigt doesn’t know where you live, but he knows exactly where you will die.

by OnTheRivet on Jun 25, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Montfort is also riding for the GC isn't he? That's 5 riders left..

If they want some fresh rider that’s 3 left for the chase

Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Frining "It's what he thinks.. But he always do.. I eat my shoe if he ride top 15 in le Tour" about Devolder

by Frinking on Jun 25, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kirchen was messing around in sprint finishes last year.

He got 2nd on Stage 2 of the Tour, behind Thor. But I don’t think it’s Rogers’ cup o’ tea

by brunopitton on Jun 25, 2009 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, Rogers has won a bunch sprint before

For second in the Cauberg stage in the 2006 Tour.

Unusual circumstances, of course. It was uphill, and the Telekom boys were in a rich vein of form that year.
Kessler won that stage, you might recall.

by Drongo on Jun 26, 2009 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

what are words for

when no one listens any more?

(pointless 80s pop philosophy courtesy of Aimee Mann . . . or was that Terri Bozzio?)

by R Mc on Jun 25, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Missing Persons, Yo

That would be Ms Bozzio.

Video

"I get paid to hurt other people. How good is that? How good is that?
I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, that's good." Jens!

by jsallee00 on Jun 25, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool--but then there's her brother:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M782Ax4b4_0

17 years old. yikes.

by R Mc on Jun 25, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No Barry and No Hansen.

I so wish Barry would make it to the circus. :-(

I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!

by nikki on Jun 25, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Adam had been Injured, BUT

He had been back and ready to go..

He broke his Collarbone back in april, and sick the other day, but was ready to ride the Tour.. and Disappointed he isn’t going.

Next year Adam..

"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"

Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009

by CycleGirl on Jun 26, 2009 3:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1 on Barry the Bard.

Mon coeur appartient à les forçats de la route.

by Josenka on Jun 25, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wonder what it would take for Barry to make the team… every year is “almost there” but he always get cut at the last minute

by MathieuG on Jun 25, 2009 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it bites. I so wanted him to make the team.

I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!

by nikki on Jun 26, 2009 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure he loves riding for Columbia...

but man, I don’t get this, he is the perfect GT rider for a team with a GC threat – sit at the front all day long… Well I guess that’s the point, no GC threat. You’ve got to think that if Kirchen spends any time in yellow, he’ll be sorry Barry’s not there.

by plinytheelder on Jun 26, 2009 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

TTT

Correct me if I am wrong but this team doesn’t look that strong to win the TTT. Maybe that is not a concern. Seems Garmin and Astana are the two clear favorites for TTT then.

by ncmussell on Jun 25, 2009 1:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't dismiss Saxo just yet

"I get paid to hurt other people. How good is that? How good is that?
I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, that's good." Jens!

by jsallee00 on Jun 25, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

or Liquigas

by ursula on Jun 25, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here is how they likely stack up

I understand that simply having numbers in a TTT doesn’t equal success but this is 39k TT so you need some big engines who are good TT’ers

Astana – Bert, LA, LL, Kloden, Popo
Garmin – Wiggins, Zabriskie, VdV, Millar, Ryder,
Saxo – Cance, Voigt, Larsson
Liquigas – Kreuziger, Pellizotti (not sure who else is a decent TT guy on this squad)

Sleeper team could be Rabobank. I am sure Columbia will go top 5 simply having Big George, and Rogers.

by ncmussell on Jun 25, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rogers+Kirchen+Monfort-Lovkvist

I would say these guys will mostly be hoping to be overlooked by the big teams in the mountains, thus looking to latch onto a train; hope for a top 10 placing at best.

Kirchen will look to use his superior speed to close out stages that Cav can’t.

Lovkvist? He’s just been looking more tired as the season as dragged on. Maybe a good rest then the Vuelta is his ticket.

by ursula on Jun 25, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you are one funny guy ;)

by plinytheelder on Jun 25, 2009 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sad not to see Lovkvist at the Tour, but maybe a break will do him the power of good...

Adrenalina Italiana!

by Albertina on Jun 26, 2009 6:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yes. He has done a lot this early season.

by ZoeRochelle on Jun 26, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lövkvist not very happy

http://www.expressen.se/sport/1.1619260/lovkvist-petas-fran-tour-de-france

by Bruce Suomi on Jun 26, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Using Google translate (not the best we know)

the last paragraph says:

Are you so disappointed that you’re thinking about switching teams?
- It is obviously much emotion right now, but it’s something I might have to get remote access to. They do of course what they think is best for the house.
Thomas Lövkvist will try to move on – and instead aim for a medal in the autumn’s World Cup.
- World Cup may well be the major target now.

Original text:

Är du så besviken att du funderar på att byta stall?
– Det är självklart mycket känslor nu, men det är något jag kanske måste få distans till. De gör ju vad de tycker är bäst för stallet.
Thomas Lövkvist ska försöka att gå vidare – och i stället sikta på en medalj i höstens VM.
– VM får väl bli det stora målet nu.

Can you tell what, “it’s something I might have to get remote access to” means? Is there a better translation? Is he so unhappy that he’s thinking of changing teams?

by ZoeRochelle on Jun 26, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"it is something that I need to get some distance from"

Do you say this in english ? I’m unsure.
It means he needs to let some time pass and think it through rationally before he considers something like that.

As for changing teams he gives no such indication, that’s more in the tone of the interviewer. He says he knows the decision is made with the good of the team (focus on helping Cav) in mind.

by Jens on Jun 26, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep, fairly close

In English, we would probably just say I need to let some time pass and put things in perspective. But get some distance from conveys the idea just fine.

by gavia on Jun 26, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, it was bugging me

sometimes you just get stumped by idioms.

by Jens on Jun 27, 2009 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of course, when Gav says "In English, we"

just remember that, as a Cali nude beach expert and surfer chica, she suffers from ESL as bad as we do.

by tedvdw on Jun 27, 2009 6:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Might be regional, too.

Where I’m from, “I need to get some distance from that” would be a very common way to put it, at least as much if not more so than “I need to let some time pass.”

I can't understand why people cheat--Mark Cavendish

by majope on Jun 27, 2009 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

rumours abound,

& Burghardt says he DNS – “Ich bin enttäuscht, akzeptiere aber. Es waren sporttaktische Gründe entscheidend”,

by lucybears on Jun 29, 2009 7:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

So Burgie is not doing the Tour? Oh, bummer. Who have you heard was in?

I absolutely loved all the face time Markus got at the Tour last year, on the front of the peloton, in the wind. Cav wrote in Boy Racer that besides Sastre, it was Burghardt’s face (and his Columbia jersey) that got the most TV time in the ’08 tour.

by Ruthann on Jun 29, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs