Professional Cycling - Most disappointing team in the Tour?

Who's the most disappointing team in the Tour?

T-Mobile still deserves a nomination, even though they appear poised to win the team competiton. They've seemed disorganized, they've chased down their own attacks (as even Phil & Paul pointed out), and they could be shut out of a podium finish unless Jan ITT's past Rasmussen.

Liberty Seguros was probably the front-runner, IMO - although the stage win today softens that a bit. Still - a very disappointing ride by Heras, and they have only one rider in the top 20. Certainly, more was expected of them.

Any others?

Euskaltel, no question about it.

Euskaltel, no question about it.

I second that Devil. Everyone thought that Mayo was trying to lay low and unleash his form on the Tour. The whole team vanished in the Mountain stages too, where everyone thought they would be huge animators.

At least Euskaltel has a rider in the top 15, Zubeldia, while FDJ highest ranked rider is 30th and even with Gilbert, Casar, McGee and Cooke, they haven't won a stage. Baden Cooke is only 12th in the points race, and he wore the Green Jersey a few years ago. At least they got some press out of Mengin's ride. But overall, their tour has been a catastrophic failure.

Domina Vacanza is even worse off, but on paper, their team is perhaps the weakest team in the Tour. Ag2R is also pathetic as is Bouyques Telecom.

At least Euskaltel has a rider in the top 15, Zubeldia

:eek:

Wow. I must have fallen asleep somewhere. How the heck did this guy into the top 15? Every time they've shown him on TV seems like he's been popping of the back!

Looking back now, I see that he finished well in stage 14 (10th) and 15 (15th), those stages put some good time into folks. Other than that he had two 21'st places and the rest in the 50th to 90th range. Shows what two good days in the mountains can do for you on the GC. My apologies for overlooking him.

Euskaltel also has the Lantern Rouge locked up (last place on GC) by like 6 minutes i think...

hey, they say there is no such thing as bad press....

Tie between FDJ.com and Domina Vacanze.

Euskaltel, no question about it.

juice anyone?

Most disappointing team for me... I would say Liquigas-Bianchi. I was not expecting to much from them but I was hoping they would be in the top ten in the team standings and that Pellizotti could have gotten at least one stage. I thought he had a good chance yesterday until I saw him hit that brick wall ;)

I have not been following the racing much this year so I was not sure what they were going to do.

:beer:

Euskaltel, no question about it.

But man, I love those orange Orcas!

At least Euskaltel has a rider in the top 15, Zubeldia, while FDJ highest ranked rider is 30th and even with Gilbert, Casar, McGee and Cooke, they haven't won a stage. Baden Cooke is only 12th in the points race, and he wore the Green Jersey a few years ago. At least they got some press out of Mengin's ride. But overall, their tour has been a catastrophic failure.

Domina Vacanza is even worse off, but on paper, their team is perhaps the weakest team in the Tour. Ag2R is also pathetic as is Bouyques Telecom.

These weak teams were weak teams, even on paper. So there were no expectations - which, to me, doesn't make them disappointing (unless they had higher expectations themselves).

Euskatel and FDJ, OTOH, given the makeup of their teams have ben disappointing - Euskatel's done nothing in the mountains, and FDJ has done nothing in the sprints.

I don't think T-Mobile was most disappointing. What happened to the Spanish climbers of Euskatel-Euskadi?

When it comes to potential vs results, T-Mobile has to win hands down.... Having the firepower that they do and to drop the ball like thay have is just sad.

Outside of Flecha's early aggressiveness, Fassa has had little to speak of. Domina has had some encouraging moments from Iglinski and Grivko at least.

I don't think T-Mobile was most disappointing. What happened to the Spanish climbers of Euskatel-Euskadi?

Iban Mayo, one of the better Euskatel Spanish climbers, crashed and quit earlier in the TDF.
I was sorry to see him go. :(
Last year he provided much excitement in the mountain stages.
Oh well ... Y2006 ..

Most overrated

Discovery.

all this talk of the 'greatest team ever' and Lance is isolated on every stage that matters.

Disappointing

The Basque boys in orange. they might as well be on tricycles.

When it comes to potential vs results, T-Mobile has to win hands down.... Having the firepower that they do and to drop the ball like thay have is just sad.

Well I have kind of come around a little on the T-Mob boys. I like you have thought thier tour was severly disorganized and a complete bust. But then youu look at how things are going to finish up and they have. Vino in 8th place currently, I am really not sure how good of a TT he is but he is only 22" behind Cadel Evans in 7th. Then you have Jan who will probably finish on the podium behind Basso, but has an outside chance of even catching him for 2nd place. They have 2 stage wins. Lead in the overall team category. If Kloden doesnt break his wrist then he probably finishes top 15 or so.

I really want to smash these guys for a poor tactical race but thier results arent really all that bad.

Well I have kind of come around a little on the T-Mob boys. I like you have thought thier tour was severly disorganized and a complete bust. But then youu look at how things are going to finish up and they have. Vino in 8th place currently, I am really not sure how good of a TT he is but he is only 22" behind Cadel Evans in 7th. Then you have Jan who will probably finish on the podium behind Basso, but has an outside chance of even catching him for 2nd place. They have 2 stage wins. Lead in the overall team category. If Kloden doesnt break his wrist then he probably finishes top 15 or so.

I really want to smash these guys for a poor tactical race but thier results arent really all that bad.

very good points. Any other team would be sipping bubbly already with those kinds of results.

Most overrated

Discovery.

all this talk of the 'greatest team ever' and Lance is isolated on every stage that matters.

Disappointing

The Basque boys in orange. they might as well be on tricycles.

Discovery only failed to protect Lance on two stages - and he held off all attacks, anyway. Hard to see how that makes them "over-rated", given they have, besides the MJ: the White jersey, 2nd in team competition, 2 stage wins (1st two ever by Lance's team, not Lance), the TTT, and 3 in the top 20 GC.

Most overrated

Discovery.

all this talk of the 'greatest team ever' and Lance is isolated on every stage that matters.


Other than stage 8 when was Lance 'isolated'(on a cat 4 4% grade :rolleyes: ) with anyone other than the big GC guns who were equally isolated, maybe once or twice Jan had Kloden. Discovery pushed the pace to disenegrate the field. They did it to perfection. The blue train drove the peleton on most every day. They also drove it to a record pace. This will be the fastest tour ever. Maybe they arent the greatest team ever but they are the fastest TT team ever in the history of the TdF. They did make this probably one of the easiest victories for Lance against some of the best competition. They did get 2 stage wins. They are going to win the White Jersey with Popovych. They are going to get thier GC rider to the line first in Paris. They will probably finish second in the overall team category which is very good considering thier job is to protect the yellow jersey. When you look at this team top to bottom tell me thier weakness? Greatest ever, who knows. One of the top teams of all time, for sure!!

Euskatel and FDJ, OTOH, given the makeup of their teams have ben disappointing - Euskatel's done nothing in the mountans, and FDJ has done nothing in the sprints.


FDJ came to the TDF with much higher expectations than just competing in the sprints. Brad McGee was expected to contend for a top ten GC spot, and Casar and Gilbert were expected to contend for breakaway stage victories. Casar has managed a few 2nd places, but they haven't been able to push it over the top.

any nominations for the oln brodcast team(I do like paul and phil though) technicaly they are in the tour

Most overrated

Discovery.

all this talk of the 'greatest team ever' and Lance is isolated on every stage that matters.



We must be watching different races, becuase Discovery is one of the few teams with cohesion in this tour.

Iban Mayo, one of the better Euskatel Spanish climbers, crashed and quit earlier in the TDF.
I was sorry to see him go. :(
Last year he provided much excitement in the mountain stages.
Oh well ... Y2006 ..

What Stage did Mayo crash and quit on?

Iban Mayo, one of the better Euskatel Spanish climbers, crashed and quit earlier in the TDF.
I was sorry to see him go. :(
Last year he provided much excitement in the mountain stages.
Oh well ... Y2006 ..

Yeah I think you've got your years mixed up; not only did he not crash out this year but he also didn't do much of anything in the Tour last year, in the mountains or otherwise. He did abandon last year somewhere around stage 15, I think.

Edit: He's in 58th after today, a mere 1hr 58mins behind the leader. Ah yes, overhyped GC hopefuls...

Re: the thread subject, I don't think Domina or Ag2r can be considered disappointing, as I don't see any basis to have had significant expectations for them. Euskaltel have been garbage, as have Cofidis- France's biggest team, right? In 19th of 21 teams? Hah. And Lampre, albeit without Cunego & Simoni, haven't exactly shaken the Earth. I agree with whoever said that Liberty are just a shell of what ONCE had been.

Euskatel. no doubt...

Iban Mayo, one of the better Euskatel Spanish climbers, crashed and quit earlier in the TDF.
I was sorry to see him go. :(
Last year he provided much excitement in the mountain stages.
Oh well ... Y2006 ..

You must be watching last year's race (he crashed early and pulled out at the start of stage 20). Mayo is still in the race....albeit not anywhere near the form he was in in '03.

i barely hear anything said about fassa...so yeah.

Liquigas-Bianchi.

As a 6'2", 240-lb. Bianchi rider, I wanted to see Magnus and the gang do well. :rolleyes:

Oh well....


Good riding,
desmobob

There's always one team that self-destructs and has all kind of injuries, in every grand tour, and maybe two get to the finish. At the giro it was euskatel also- that poor guy who crashed (Martinez?) and a few others, i think maybe three of them made it. A couple of years ago in the tour it was Gerolsteiner, in their first tour. This year there seems to be some kind of curse on the spanish riders- galdeano is gone,heras and mayo are nowhere.Euskatel has not had a good season at the grand tours- here's hoping the vuelta is better for them. At least t-mobile has had a stage win, vino is in good form- the basques are just suffering! Even in the pyrenees.

There's always one team that self-destructs and has all kind of injuries, in every grand tour, and maybe two get to the finish.

I think Saunier-Duval is down to just 5 men or so, but they're kept afloat and visible by Piepoli and Horner. Quickstep also lost 4 guys.

Tie between FDJ.com and Domina Vacanze.
Tiebreaker: DV has a cooler kit then FDJ.com

Euskatel without a doubt.
60 I. Mayo EUS + 02:07:48
very sad.