Quick Step-Innergetic 2007.... Best Classic Team Ever???

I think that you will find that Bettini and Boonen find a way to live with one another. They are earning enoughy money and sharing the spoils already, and have demonstrated the maturity to deal with the 'other' guy in the classics in 2006.

After all, Boonen took him an RVV with the World Champion's jersey this year, while Bettini was able to take the World Championships and Lombardia in the same year. Not bad...

I do not foresee many problems. But I would just love to see a Boonen/Bettini break for the last 30 or so km at the Ronde this year... 😎

Powerful Pete said:

I think that you will find that Bettini and Boonen find a way to live with one another. They are earning enoughy money and sharing the spoils already, and have demonstrated the maturity to deal with the 'other' guy in the classics in 2006.

After all, Boonen took him an RVV with the World Champion's jersey this year, while Bettini was able to take the World Championships and Lombardia in the same year. Not bad...

I do not foresee many problems. But I would just love to see a Boonen/Bettini break for the last 30 or so km at the Ronde this year... 😎

Boonen/Bettini off the front....But so is Zabel/Petacchi. QS and Milram also have another rider in the break for a lead out man..... There are several others from competing teams. The break stays together until the 1000 meter sign...... The sprinters reach down and tighten their toestraps*.
Who takes the line?

**** I know they do not use toestraps anymore, but they should have to.

wolfix said:

Specialized bikes is running an advertisment
[ specialized.comquickstep.htmlOpen ↗ ]
where Tom Boonen states QS has one of the best Classic team of all time........ And on paper he might be right with Paulo Bettini in the rainbow stripes and Tom Boonen as a sidekick. The team also has
Peter Van Petegem and Gert Steegmans among others.

The QS team is very similar to the Ti-Raleigh team of Peter Post when there was always a few world champions on the team. Jan Raas, Joop Zoetemelk, Gerrie Knetemann, and Hennie Kuiper. Peter Post backed them up with Ludo Peters, Henk Lubberding, and of course Dietrich Thurau. An dominant team made up of the best cycling had to offer at the time for the Classics.

Then we have the pre-QS team of Mapei. Johan Museeuw lit up the roads backed up by Michele Bartoli, Abraham Olano, Andrea Tafi, Oscar Camenzind, Franco Ballerini. Plenty of World Championship jerseys there.... Unbeatable.

Will we look back at the 2007 QS-Innergetic team with a historical view as a dominant team? The question that has to be asked is if Tom B and PB will be able to ride as a team.. PB has taken the title of World Champion seriously.
The other teams will have to mark both riders as the races progress.... both riders have different abilities in which to win with. Both riders have different races marked as races they both want to win, but there has been some conflict as to who will ride for who in a few races...... PB will have a hard time convincing TB, {a Belgium national } to ride for him in the Northern Classics. The crowd expects a Belgium win.
But no matter what, the peleton will have a hard time pulling out a victory from QS this year........

Interesting question, Wolf.

TI-Raleigh team of the late 70's/early 80's were pretty much unstoppable and I think that they're the benchmark.
As impressive as Mapei were in the 1990's, I don't think that Mapei were as strong a team as Raleigh.
As you say, Raleigh had world champions galore - and a manager who was legendary in his ability to motivate his rider (PP).

Quick Step this year will be interesting to watch. Will Van Petegem ride support for Bettini or Boonen?
Boonen and Bettini worked well in 2006 : throwing PVP in the mix might just complicate things a bit for Lefevere.
The opposition this year will be even greater though - George Hincapie will be looking to finally get a Classic Monument, Pozzato will have Liquigas backing of DiLuca and Poalini as possible support riders.
For me, I strongly back CSC - with Voigt, Scleck and my nomination for 2007
Classic rider Cancellara.

limerickman said:

For me, I strongly back CSC - with Voigt, Scleck and my nomination for 2007
Classic rider Cancellara.

Lim, do you really think Cancellara can do it again? He was always a strong rider, but I must admit I was a bit surprised with his 2006 results. I wonder if he just was a bit fortunate in terms of form and being at the right place at the right time...

Powerful Pete said:

Lim, do you really think Cancellara can do it again? He was always a strong rider, but I must admit I was a bit surprised with his 2006 results. I wonder if he just was a bit fortunate in terms of form and being at the right place at the right time...

PP, yeah I can see your point.

Cycle Sport 2006 carried an excellent article on CSC's preparation for P-R.
Voigt, Cancellara and co, were out on the course, reconning each and every bump on the route - that article really brought home the preparation that CSC were making for P-R.

I always rated Cancellara - because his palmares shows him to finish top 10 in a lot of the protour one day races (8th in P-R in 2005, 4th in Wevelgem in 2005, 4th in the Hew Classics in 2005, 4th in P-R in 2004)

Having said all of that I think the Italian challenge in the one day races will be as strong as ever.
Bettini, Paolini, Pozzato, DiLuca will all feature, I think.

Powerful Pete said:

Lim, do you really think Cancellara can do it again? He was always a strong rider, but I must admit I was a bit surprised with his 2006 results. I wonder if he just was a bit fortunate in terms of form and being at the right place at the right time...

Absolutely he can do it again, he was incredibly strong at Roubaix, I dare say he could challenge even an on-form boonen at Flanders if Fabian can judge his peak for that race again.

RHW said:

Absolutely he can do it again, he was incredibly strong at Roubaix, I dare say he could challenge even an on-form boonen at Flanders if Fabian can judge his peak for that race again.

Definitely he can do it again. He hasn't gotten any slower.

But Quick-Step will be out for blood this year.

Doa! Bad word choice.

"The riders take drugs on parties, they don't have to be afraid to be caught, because with an anti doping check, people get bribed," he said.

According to the anonymous narrator, there are three types of cyclists. "You have the riders who only have to ride a small 100 kilometres, these don't take anything. Then, you have the riders who have to perform a little longer, these get something extra from time to time. Finally, you have the toppers and these are the riders who get the big stuff."

- What they get bribed ???? Ain't this gettin a little far fetched ?

whiteboytrash said:

"The riders take drugs on parties, they don't have to be afraid to be caught, because with an anti doping check, people get bribed," he said.

According to the anonymous narrator, there are three types of cyclists. "You have the riders who only have to ride a small 100 kilometres, these don't take anything. Then, you have the riders who have to perform a little longer, these get something extra from time to time. Finally, you have the toppers and these are the riders who get the big stuff."

- What they get bribed ???? Ain't this gettin a little far fetched ?

Mmmm why not. I do remember a lot of folks (including myself) raising their eyebrows when LA donated $$$ for some anti-doping. So maybe other teams donated $$$ for the same thing, and now it's being called a bribe.