Do other teams focus on the Tour?

(Jeff Potter) said:

It's known that USPS focuses on the Tour even though they have a go at
the Classics, etc.

Do other teams use this approach as well?

No.

Quoted message said:

Is USPS richer than all the other teams?

Yes. Or close. Or at least has a primary sponsor that'll trade routine exposure
in a large number of races for a big splash in one big one. As I've previously
ranted, USPS is not in this for the usual business promotion reasons so their
priorities are different. CSC, T-Mobile and the rest actually want to sell stuff
to the people watching all those other races. USPS has nothing to sell them, so
they want visibility on the one race that their potential customers are going to
see.

Quoted message said:

How about known preparation? Is USPS known to take preparation and
team discipline more seriously than most/all other teams? --Or is this
just part of their Tour focus?

Did you see the TTT? Not too many other teams had apparently spent that kind of
time preparing for that specialized event. The USPS guys had a chance to work at
that while the others were out pounding the Giro and the classics or recovering.
Everyone ignores recovery time, you can't. Those are tremendous efforts that tax
every part of a cyclists body.

Quoted message said:

I see lots of writing about this aspect of Lance's Machine. But I
don't see it for the other teams.

You likely won't, the logistics aren't there. It isn't that the other teams
don't prepare or aren't talented and well disciplined, they just can't afford to
be off the road to do it the way USPS does. That focus goes from the sponsors
all the way to the guys hauling water.

Ron

Quoted message said:

Did you see the TTT? Not too many other teams had apparently spent that kind
of
time preparing for that specialized event. The USPS guys had a chance to work
at
that while the others were out pounding the Giro and the classics or
recovering.

Valid general point, but bad example.

Lance said on OLN that USPS only practiced team time trialing about four times
all season. CSC and Phonak probably put more work into it, but had weaker
riders and much worse luck. The fact that Phonak finished second despite
losing four guys along the way speaks very well indeed about their preparation.

"Jeff Potter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's known that USPS focuses on the Tour even though they have a go at
the Classics, etc.

Do other teams use this approach as well?

Am I experiencing deja vu or do you trot this post out every damn year? The
answer is still "yes, but not exactly".

Quoted message said:

Is USPS richer than all the other teams?

No.

Quoted message said:

How about known preparation? Is USPS known to take preparation and
team discipline more seriously than most/all other teams? --Or is this
just part of their Tour focus?

No, but Lance and USPS probably have access to the best available data about
what really works (via Dr. Ferrari). Also, an incumbent always knows that
whatever focus is put in to that race will most likely be rewarded whereas
all others probably hold back a bit to allow for getting a consolation win.

Quoted message said:

I see lots of writing about this aspect of Lance's Machine. But I
don't see it for the other teams.

--JP

That is because Lance is an American and hyping him and his brand are done
to the extent that only Americans seem capable of. Then again, I wonder what
would happen if Beckman started to train for the Tour...

(Mapei81) said:

Quoted message said:

Did you see the TTT? Not too many other teams had apparently spent that kind
of
time preparing for that specialized event. The USPS guys had a chance to work
at
that while the others were out pounding the Giro and the classics or
recovering.

Valid general point, but bad example.

Lance said on OLN that USPS only practiced team time trialing about four times
all season. CSC and Phonak probably put more work into it, but had weaker
riders and much worse luck. The fact that Phonak finished second despite
losing four guys along the way speaks very well indeed about their preparation.

Oh, Phonak kicked ass all things considered. Hamilton's ride that day was damn
near heroic. I gotta wonder though, if they really practiced it then how did
they fail to get the equipment sorted out. That's what looked like poor
preparation to me - as if those bikes had never been tested under those
conditions before.

Ron