Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Weird.......they forgot to put TGR on the list!
For those who are not fans of proffessional cycling this post may be a bit dry. but then again pro cycling is why i started the blog in the first place. today was the announcement of 2012 pro tour roster.
UCI WorldTour Teams for 2012
AG2R La Mondiale (nothing to expect other then a few smaller victories and constant breakaway attempts)
Astana Pro Team (slowly lost all their power. 1st all the armstrong empire guys, then albeefo clenbutador, and now vinny. is there anyone left to make magic) *since starting this i did read vinokurov is coming out of retirement so there is hope yet for this team. hope he can show the world his strength.
BMC Racing Team (now we're talking powersquad. kangaroo fresh off his tdf win and captain america likely in his last season should make for some big moves. hopefully a rise of the powerful bookwalter and phinney to show us what the future will be like. but then youve got the confusing one. Thor. i'm at a complete loss at what his role is going to be here. How can a breakaway artist who had so much success in last years tdf, sit back and support cuddles all the way to paris?
Euskaltel-Euskadi (same as Ag2r)
FDJ (who?)
Garmin-Cervélo this team is a laundry list of power names...danielson, farrar, hausler,
martin, hunter, millar, hesjedal, zabriske, vandevelde. but i guess i have a hard time seeing how they will bring it all together. if you look at the 2008 astana team you can see that it doesnt always matter how many superstars you have you have to be able to mesh and work towards a common goal.
GreenEdge the "exciting" aussie team that every one is looking forward too. will this be the future team of cadel? will it be all hype and have a fizzle season such as early team sky?
Katusha Team (breakaway attempts?)
Lampre - ISD (and after a long day at the front the breakaway is caught)
Liquigas - Cannondale (a few basso let downs and sagan stage wins?)
Lotto Belisol Team
Movistar Team you know i thought movistar really had a hott start last year. they seemed to be represented in every move. hopefully this year they can have more success because they definatly were aggressive
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team another power team. (side note they revealed their new kits yesterday and i think they look horrible. not even worthy of a century kit) i think this team will be the escape artists (my favorite type of riders) a few kms from the finish they will have someone take off from the front to have a sprintless victory. i hope to see more of that this year.
Rabobank ohhh rabo......i really hope they can get some SOLID results in some big races. they have a solid team this year and i feel they may become more of a sprinters team. i am a little let down by them because they havent changed their kits hardly at all.
Vacansoleil-DCM before the last tdf id have said "who?" BUT (as versus would say) "someone decided to take a pass at crying uncle" last year when hoogerland got hit by a car, flew into a barbwire fence and untangled his shredded body to climb back on a bike and retain the climbers jersey and most courageous jersey in one of the most emotional podium moments ive ever seen
then there was three. (bmc should probably be down here too.)
RadioShack-Nissan- i know i already mentoined 2008 astana but this is text book 2008 astana (including many of the same members) the old legends joining forces with the new superstarts. will it be an unbeatable supersquad whos experience and vitality smash all who wish to challenge them or will it be a raging ego fire that eventually burns down the entire house?
Sky Procycling theyve got the fastest man in the world.....BUT!!!!!!! do they have the fastest lead out train in the world? that we will have to wait and see.
Team Saxo Bank ahhh the team of albeefo clenbutador. if you want to call them a team. i think they displayed loud and clear in july that they were not riding for alberto. after vino will there be anyone who will ride on his behalf? Dude needs to build some bridges is my guess.
everyone is asking if the supersquad team mergers are ruining the peloten? I think we will have to wait and see but my feelings are no. The fear is that because the teams are so strong that the little teams will have no chance to shine thus making the sport less interesting. Anybody remember that little team Europcar. That pro continental team that held the maillot jaune from stage ten to stage 19 including every pyrenees and alps stages?!?! At the end of the day this game is not about big budgeted teams and celebrity names, nor has it ever been. it's about who wants it so bad they will peel themselves from barbwire to finish a stage, that they will turn themselves inside out to do whatever it takes to keep their unknown leader in the maillot jaune, its about pushing the breakaway until you are swallowed up by the peloten and never handing them your own defeat but instead making them pry if from your tires, its about heart,(again to quote versus)"sometimes passion has a funny way of trumping logic".
Good Luck to all the 2012 teams and for the sake of the sport lets please have a CLEAN year.
UCI WorldTour Teams for 2012
AG2R La Mondiale (nothing to expect other then a few smaller victories and constant breakaway attempts)
Astana Pro Team (slowly lost all their power. 1st all the armstrong empire guys, then albeefo clenbutador, and now vinny. is there anyone left to make magic) *since starting this i did read vinokurov is coming out of retirement so there is hope yet for this team. hope he can show the world his strength.
BMC Racing Team (now we're talking powersquad. kangaroo fresh off his tdf win and captain america likely in his last season should make for some big moves. hopefully a rise of the powerful bookwalter and phinney to show us what the future will be like. but then youve got the confusing one. Thor. i'm at a complete loss at what his role is going to be here. How can a breakaway artist who had so much success in last years tdf, sit back and support cuddles all the way to paris?
Euskaltel-Euskadi (same as Ag2r)
FDJ (who?)
Garmin-Cervélo this team is a laundry list of power names...danielson, farrar, hausler,
martin, hunter, millar, hesjedal, zabriske, vandevelde. but i guess i have a hard time seeing how they will bring it all together. if you look at the 2008 astana team you can see that it doesnt always matter how many superstars you have you have to be able to mesh and work towards a common goal.
GreenEdge the "exciting" aussie team that every one is looking forward too. will this be the future team of cadel? will it be all hype and have a fizzle season such as early team sky?
Katusha Team (breakaway attempts?)
Lampre - ISD (and after a long day at the front the breakaway is caught)
Liquigas - Cannondale (a few basso let downs and sagan stage wins?)
Lotto Belisol Team
Movistar Team you know i thought movistar really had a hott start last year. they seemed to be represented in every move. hopefully this year they can have more success because they definatly were aggressive
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team another power team. (side note they revealed their new kits yesterday and i think they look horrible. not even worthy of a century kit) i think this team will be the escape artists (my favorite type of riders) a few kms from the finish they will have someone take off from the front to have a sprintless victory. i hope to see more of that this year.
Rabobank ohhh rabo......i really hope they can get some SOLID results in some big races. they have a solid team this year and i feel they may become more of a sprinters team. i am a little let down by them because they havent changed their kits hardly at all.
Vacansoleil-DCM before the last tdf id have said "who?" BUT (as versus would say) "someone decided to take a pass at crying uncle" last year when hoogerland got hit by a car, flew into a barbwire fence and untangled his shredded body to climb back on a bike and retain the climbers jersey and most courageous jersey in one of the most emotional podium moments ive ever seen
then there was three. (bmc should probably be down here too.)
RadioShack-Nissan- i know i already mentoined 2008 astana but this is text book 2008 astana (including many of the same members) the old legends joining forces with the new superstarts. will it be an unbeatable supersquad whos experience and vitality smash all who wish to challenge them or will it be a raging ego fire that eventually burns down the entire house?
Sky Procycling theyve got the fastest man in the world.....BUT!!!!!!! do they have the fastest lead out train in the world? that we will have to wait and see.
Team Saxo Bank ahhh the team of albeefo clenbutador. if you want to call them a team. i think they displayed loud and clear in july that they were not riding for alberto. after vino will there be anyone who will ride on his behalf? Dude needs to build some bridges is my guess.
everyone is asking if the supersquad team mergers are ruining the peloten? I think we will have to wait and see but my feelings are no. The fear is that because the teams are so strong that the little teams will have no chance to shine thus making the sport less interesting. Anybody remember that little team Europcar. That pro continental team that held the maillot jaune from stage ten to stage 19 including every pyrenees and alps stages?!?! At the end of the day this game is not about big budgeted teams and celebrity names, nor has it ever been. it's about who wants it so bad they will peel themselves from barbwire to finish a stage, that they will turn themselves inside out to do whatever it takes to keep their unknown leader in the maillot jaune, its about pushing the breakaway until you are swallowed up by the peloten and never handing them your own defeat but instead making them pry if from your tires, its about heart,(again to quote versus)"sometimes passion has a funny way of trumping logic".
Good Luck to all the 2012 teams and for the sake of the sport lets please have a CLEAN year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)