Tour de France 16h 2015

[Liquigas-CND]

Good evening,

May be too early to start the TDF topic but I think is time to analyse the teams and managers competing in the afternoon.

Because Team Liquigas-CND enjoys the competition, we really hope some teams with real chances to win the GC will join TDF and at least 15 teams will start the competition....hoping 10 to be active and online every day otherwise we'll easily win Le Tour as we won Giro where only Donkey was a real threat.

You'all know how Team Liquigas-CND(best RSF Team in 2015) rides a Grand Tour and you also know that for winning the GC against us you need to do more than to suck Ulises wheel as Black Star and Escartinos did- without success-during the Giro.
BTW - we, Liquigas-CND made Team Escartionos to stop competing.

That's all for this night, you are all invited to join the 15H TDF.
We shall revert during this weekend with more details about our team and preliminary lineup.

Best regards,
Best RSF Team in 2015 =Team Liquigas-CND=

[luques]

Uhm, 15h? Where did you get that?

From the Month Preview I see Tour at 10h and 16h. Even if probably putting 14/15 and 18 would be not bad.

[Liquigas-CND]

We need 14-15 instead of 16.

Thx

[Quick]

We need 14-15 instead of 16.

Thx

Actually, You need.

[flockmastoR]

We need 14-15 instead of 16.

Thx

Actually, You need.

no he insists

[Liquigas-CND]

I won't insist.

I will ride in the morning against belloz and/or TuttiFruti and probably one more team.

...

[Robyklebt]

16h, donkey will start, hoping for a big enough group so that it doesn't have to be cancelled!

Team:

1 T. Stratigopoulou
2 S. Cayetano
3 L. Gaouaoui
4 Z. Grabkowsky
5 S. Saddler
6 C. Squarcialupi
7 J. Topal
8 T. Umesao
9 M. Vargas

Missing:
P. Dahlerup: Not really much for him it seems.. so not needed. And except for his stages, he's actually pretty useless.
V. Dourado: Would still be more than good enough to start here, better leader than Taxi still. But no no, Dourado Giro Leader, Taxi Tour leader, was clear from the start. So no change.
C. Matuska: He's pretty much useless too.... ok, would be a guy who can stay with Taxi a bit longer than Grabkowsky and Vargas.
O. Generalic: Not riding much lately, at 35 he still could do an ok TdF, good for TTT, but not needed really.

So Stratigopolou only leader, Vargas and Grabkowsky his last helpers in the mountains...
Squarcialupi, Umesao and Grabkowsky the TTT stars.
Cayetano and Gaouaoui 60-80 or similar with reg, so usable a bit everywhere
Topal for sprint placements.

Goal the GC win, if not hope to win a stage somewhere.. not sure with whom. Saddler-Umesao not really good enough for the pavé stage I fear, sprint missing,

Anyway, not a very strong team, cheap, basically like last year I mostly just start to be there, don't really expect riding as enlightened as last year by my opponents, so doubt I'll really play a big role in the GC.

[Liquigas-CND]

"Goal the GC win"
This must be a joke ))) you should be happy if Taxi ends the tour 5th-8th
Bring Dourado if you want to have a little chance or you cannot afford ?

[team fl]

Hmm... hmm... hmm... Sibiu no option, Austria no option. Wallonie also possible with the Tour, rest is not very interesting anyway.

So, the unlikely might become likely, Team FL attending the TdF 2015. And, although contrary to the Giro, The TDF has been a morning tour for Team FL mostly, the afternoon would be the time of choice. Only thing so far:

No idea about the line-up though. Okay, Betancourt seems to be a save bet, Lightning too for the pavé part, E. Lichtenstein for the flat stages. But then who? Fran 35, Elvis 34. Valentin expensive, I. Lichtenstein maybe too much. Some helper would handy as well, like Robertlandy, Barton, Carlos, Martin or Otto. So this might be the line-up:

x1 Paul Betancourt
x2 Elvis Bogdanic
x3 Valentin Bratoev
x4 Eric Liechtenstein
x5 Royston Lighning
x6 Martin Hrast
x7 Robertlandy Simon
x8 Carlos Tejeda
x9 Barton Zwiebach

Possible Substitutes:

- Fran Peterlin for Martin Hrast
- Ignatz Lichtenstein for Martin Hrast
- Otto Ospelt for anybody
- Elwyn Oxley for who knows who


Goal of course the GC-Win!

[Alkworld]

Hmm... hmm... hmm... Sibiu no option, Austria no option. Wallonie also possible with the Tour, rest is not very interesting anyway.

Only if you're thinking about Wallonie 2016 . That will be possible in combination with Le Tour 2015. Wallonie 2015 overlaps with Le Tour 2015.

[team fl]

It seems to me that I missed a "not"...

[Eagle]

Maybe here, maybe in the morning or in the evening, we will see.

If i ride here, then the only goal is to win the tour and some stages would be nice too ^^

[Robyklebt]

"Goal the GC win"
This must be a joke ))) you should be happy if Taxi ends the tour 5th-8th
Bring Dourado if you want to have a little chance or you cannot afford ?

Who are the 4 to 7 riders who should beat Taxi? Vargas, Grabkowsky, Cayetano, Gaouaoui, Saddler, Umesao and Squarcialupi??? FL still thinking, and if he stops thinking and starts Betancourt can be beaten... Tulpe still thinking, and if he starts... no clue what he has, but I guess can be beaten. Ok ok, I go and check. Mmh, Saavedra I guess.. pff, beat him in the Giro, no problem
But looks more like no tour at all actually... I'd say less than 5 teams needs to be cancelled without even asking, if it's 5 or more... we can still talk about it, but cancelling a 5 or 6 team tour would be ok too.
So in the end don't really think I'll be riding the Tour, hope to be wrong, but......
Anyway, Taxi is an outstanding leader for the Tour.

[team fl]

Well, it's been too unlikely although it might have been likely. Result: No TdF for Team FL this year.

[Robyklebt]

Pfff.....
But including the cute donkeys so far 7 teams inscribed. So happy Donkey for the moment, let's hope they stay and let's hope some more join.

[Liquigas-CND]

Unfortunately there are many good teams not riding TDF because they are afraid to lose...even they invoke other reasons such as : i dont have time, i have personal issues, my team has better chances in Tour of Austria...who the fakt cares abt Austria, ride TDF!!! even if you have only chances to win 1 stage.

1stage in TDF is more important than GK in Austria!!!

So come on guys!!! join TDF!!!

[Robyklebt]

I don't have time... mmh, heard that before, ah yes, Liquigas not starting at 16h
So afraid of Taxi?

[Liquigas-CND]

For me would have been easier to win the GC at 16:00 because at 10:00 there are better teams like furpach , circle and especially belloz, black star, allstars and mokotow
sorry for writing here but unfortunately i believe nobody is interested to write something in my group..

[flockmastoR]

You are the joke of the year. True

[Robyklebt]

Favorites here the Tulpen guys. Saavedra and Rosi. Next Whisbone, then Taxi. Even if he only had 85, vs 86 by quite a few others. But manager experience and stuff....
Big advantage Tulpe has is... a team. 2 climbers, 87-84, somehow think it's possible he even goes for the 84, it's a Rosi while the other guy isn't. 2 classics 79-76 and 74-80 with loads of reg that one. Possible to get a 4 riders in front with everybody else that counts at 1.... Or if he wants 5, Whisbone will have 3, Donkey 1-3 (depending on form and stuff), Speed Razor 2.... Compared to the rest just a very strong team. Should lose time in the TTT, could lose time to Taxi in pavé, but having the rather stronger flat guys chances to come back are pretty good too.
Looks good for Tulpe, but Taxi is very confident.

[Eagle]

Ok, Taxi is favo and i win the tour, like we said it at the first stage

And with this performance from liquigas in the morning, he would win nothing at 16' tour.

[Robyklebt]

Now the mountains...

Donkey with a stage, good, waiting by Whisbone and neven, while the Donkeys didn't wait. Was close to the stage with Squarcialupi a few days earlier, but a donkey idea, attack with Squarcialupi instead of waiting for the sprint killed that.... grrr. Anyway, stages, have one, now let's talk about the GC

IMO it's between 4 riders now. Saavedra-Qintero-Stratigopoulou-Rosi, in order of mountain skill. Right now Taxi has 12" on Saavedra, 18" on Quintero, 52" on Rosi. Big big favorite obviously Saavedra now. Clearly the best team, 87-84-79-74-70 mountain skill. Compare that with Speed Razor's Qintero 86-73-62 or Big Donkey's 85-68-67... Tulpengeneral really has to do something special not to win this And that's where Rosi gets his chance... Rosi with Saavedra as helper actually still can win this, it's a much much bigger risk than going for Saavedra, which seems pretty straight forward, but with the huge mountain advantage Tulpe has, Rosi can hope to match and beat Taxi and maybe even Qintero in the mountains. And since it's a Rosi I still suspect Tulpe would rather win with him. Or win with Saavedra and get Rosi second.

Out of the GC is Whisbone for me. He did a horrible pavé stage, having helpers everywhere but not with his climber, a bit unlucky at one point that Mosca decided to let Donkey, Tulpe and Razor back, but then restarted tempo before Whisbone was there, but luck that others then rode a lot in his group while he basically did nothing at all for his climber anymore. He doesn't have a superb flat team, but he could, SHOULD have done better than that in the pavéstage. Now he's 2' back, I don't see how he can get this back to Tulpe. Podium of course is possible, but to me looks like stage hunting at this point. Which won't be easy either against Tulpe.

[Robyklebt]

Not much happening in GC "fight". Saavedra yellow for a while already now, Taxi 23" back, the guy who shouldn't have a nationality 30". Time still tight, but Tulpengeneral in complete command so far really. With his team not unlikely it will stay that well, but Taxi said that he'll try.