TdF Line-Ups

Per Cyclingnews, Phonak's line-up for the Tour
Procycling on Gerolsteiner:

"Gerolsteiner’s team will be led by Levi Leiphiemer and Georg Totschnig, and also includes Robert Förster, Sebastian Lang, Michael Rich, Ronny Scholz, Fabian Wegmann, René Haselbacher, Peter Wrolich, and Beat and Markus Zberg. Rabobank’s leaders are Denis Menchov and Oscar Freire, with Michael Boogerd, Erik Dekker, Pedro Horrillo, Karsten Kroon, Gerben Löwik, Joost Posthuma, Michael Rasmussen, Marc Wauters and Pieter Weening completing the 11. Freire is still doubtful after his recent hip injury, while compatriot Horrillo is also uncertain after crashing and injuring his knee at the Dauphiné Libéré."

Nothing particularly surprising about Gerolsteiner's team. Not surprising given his performance, but still noteworthy, is that Michael Rasmussen is no longer co-leader of the Rabobank TdF squad, the way he had been at one time with Levi Leipheimer. Menchov and Freire.

From cyclingnews.com
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Quoted post said:

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Freire out of TdS and TdF

Dutch team Rabobank will have to do without World Champion Oscar Freire at the upcoming Tour de France. The Spaniard is still suffering from a chronic infection in the saddle area and will not be able to participate at the three-week stage race in July, his team announced. Freire is also dropping out of the ongoing Tour de Suisse because of his injury and will not take the start tomorrow at stage six from Bürglen to Arosa.

The 13 riders who have made T-Mobile’s Tour "long list" squad are:

GC contenders
Jan Ullrich (?)
Andreas Klöden (form uneven)
Alexandre Vinokourov (excellent climber)

Climbers
Giuseppe Guerini (excellent climber)
Paco Lara (good climber)
Oscar Sevilla (form uneven)

Probably In As Well (three out of four in)
Rolf Aldag (can't climb -- at least not meaningfully)
Matthias Kessler (can't climb)
Daniele Nardello (can't climb)
Sergei Ivanov

Probably Out
Bram Schmitz (guy is a Classics specialist)
Stefan Schreck
Tobias Steinhauser (his credentials are ... JU's friend and training partner?!)

OK. Then compare the above team to DC:

GC Contender (singular)
LA (excellent climber/excellent TTTist/excellent ITTist)

Climbers
Ace (excellent climber/very good TTTist)
Beltran (good climber/reasonable TTTist)
Chechu (excellent climber/fairly good TTTist)
Popo (very good climber/very good TTTist)

Quasiclimbers/flats
Hincapie (above-average climber/excellent TTTist)
Paolo (good climber/excellent descender/very good TTTist)
Noval (fairly good climber/good TTTist)
Padrnos likely (can't climb; good TTTist)

Interestingly, Stijn Devolder's website indicates (roughly translated): "Except for two people, according to Dirk Demol, the Tour team is filled in. Armstrong will be supported by Popovych, Savoldelli, Hincapie, Azevedo and Rubiera. [Interesting Beltran is not on that list.] Beltran, Noval, Joachim and Devolder are still in the running." If only two people are to be chosen from the last four, there is one rider missing (likely Padrnos, whom Stijn forgot to mention). I stil think Padrnos, Noval and Beltran are in. Stijn, Joachim and Hoste (who had been included in thepaceline's "final 11"😉 are out.

Geez there is more 'intpretation' here than a WMD dossier !

What a ridiculous post ! You say Ace (nickname I assume?) is an excellent climber and very good TTT but then say Sevilla’s form is ‘uneven’ ? and what are you basing ‘Ace’’s form on ? Give me some evidence and results ? The same goes for Beltran and Chehu……….. I will tell you now based on what I have seen of the T-Mobile team they will easily beat DC in the TTT even if Lance wins the Tour….. stop wasting the forum's time with this PR [censored].....

musette said:

The 13 riders who have made T-Mobile’s Tour "long list" squad are:

GC contenders
Jan Ullrich (?)
Andreas Klöden (form uneven)
Alexandre Vinokourov (excellent climber)

Climbers
Giuseppe Guerini (excellent climber)
Paco Lara (good climber)
Oscar Sevilla (form uneven)

Probably In As Well (three out of four in)
Rolf Aldag (can't climb -- at least not meaningfully)
Matthias Kessler (can't climb)
Daniele Nardello (can't climb)
Sergei Ivanov

Probably Out
Bram Schmitz (guy is a Classics specialist)
Stefan Schreck
Tobias Steinhauser (his credentials are ... JU's friend and training partner?!)

OK. Then compare the above team to DC:

GC Contender (singular)
LA (excellent climber/excellent TTTist/excellent ITTist)

Climbers
Ace (excellent climber/very good TTTist)
Beltran (good climber/reasonable TTTist)
Chechu (excellent climber/fairly good TTTist)
Popo (very good climber/very good TTTist)

Quasiclimbers/flats
Hincapie (above-average climber/excellent TTTist)
Paolo (good climber/excellent descender/very good TTTist)
Noval (fairly good climber/good TTTist)
Padrnos likely (can't climb; good TTTist)

Interestingly, Stijn Devolder's website indicates (roughly translated): "Except for two people, according to Dirk Demol, the Tour team is filled in. Armstrong will be supported by Popovych, Savoldelli, Hincapie, Azevedo and Rubiera. [Interesting Beltran is not on that list.] Beltran, Noval, Joachim and Devolder are still in the running." If only two people are to be chosen from the last four, there is one rider missing (likely Padrnos, whom Stijn forgot to mention). I stil think Padrnos, Noval and Beltran are in. Stijn, Joachim and Hoste (who had been included in thepaceline's "final 11"😉 are out.

Didnt you hear? Kessler crawled to victory in GP Miguel Indurain, twice!

whiteboytrash said:

Geez there is more 'intpretation' here than a WMD dossier !

What a ridiculous post ! You say Ace (nickname I assume?) is an excellent climber and very good TTT but then say Sevilla’s form is ‘uneven’ ? and what are you basing ‘Ace’’s form on ? Give me some evidence and results ? The same goes for Beltran and Chehu……….. I will tell you now based on what I have seen of the T-Mobile team they will easily beat DC in the TTT even if Lance wins the Tour….. stop wasting the forum's time with this PR [censored].....

[font=Times New Roman][font=Verdana]...and Beltran batted a .258 .....oh wrong Beltran..... the other one has been very indiscreet ! but he did place 23rd in the Ruta del Sol time trial (in 2003!)….. give me a break !
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I think some of you forgot who won the team classification at last years tour..... was it USPS.... ? No it was T-Mobile....... PM me so I can send you my home address so you know where to send your personal apology to... 😄

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Bjørn P.Dal said:

Didnt you hear? Kessler crawled to victory in GP Miguel Indurain, twice!