@ cunego - I think it's pretty realistic, as he pretty much sucked in the Ardennes this year, while he climbed on top level again. Nerz is riding for An Post - Sean Kelly.
@ baia - That's why I moved him. Looking forward to see them competing against each other.
OmegaPharma - Quickstep
The other Belgian team then, OPQS. Main leader is of course the scarily strong Philippe Gilbert, who's currently probably the most allround rider in the cycling history. Hills, cobbles, sprints and even mountains are his terrains now. With his stats, he can win pretty much any race in the world, except the Grand Tours of course.
One step behind Gilbert is the other two leaders in the team, Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer and surprising Ronde winner Sylvain Chavanel. While the latter enjoyed one of his more successful seasons last year, the American wasn't at the top of his game after crashing just in early June, ruining his whole second half of the season. Still, they'll both be back in 2012, stronger and more motivated than ever.
For the sprints, they've also got an incredibly strong force in the duo Tom Boonen and Gert Steegmans. Both has the speed to win a flat mass sprint against Cavendish & Co. and does also have the ability to survive some hills during the way. That'll make them a dangerous duo both in the sprints, lower hilly stages and cobbles.
In addition to their many big names, they've also got an armada of strong helpers. Best of the rest there are the worlds second best timetriallist, Tony Martin, possibly the worlds number one in the same discipline, Michal Kwiatkowski, and also an improved puncher in Kristof Vandewalle. Also deserving a mention does Tom Boonen, even though his career is going the wrong way. He might be decreasing, but he's still an important part of the squad.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Project Radioshack - Nissan
Gone is Tour's third place, Andreas Klöden. Gone is AMGEN winner Leipheimer. Gone is Janez Brajkovic. But I doubt Bruyneel and his management cares, because they've replaced them with even better riders. Andy Schleck will, as main GC captain, try to finish last year's unfinished business - the Tour crown, and now they've also got a man for the Giro in the shape of the returning Franco Pellizotti.
Backing them up in the Grand Tours will Maxime Monfort, Chris Horner and Jens Voigt be doing, also helped by newcomers like Thomas De Gendt, Jan Bakelants and Dries Devenyns. Another big improvement in the squad is the lowering of last year's way too high average age. That is thanks to their new youngsters like one of ContiTour's best riders last year, Tony Gallopin, Britain's big hope Peter Kennaugh and one of the worlds biggest climbing talents, Jordi Ezquerro.
Big star and British hero Bradley Wiggins has left, but he's been well replaced. Andreas Klöden will now be their captain in the Tour, and I'd say it's an improvement from Wiggins. And Klöden is the strongest replacement, not the only one. Sergio Henao and are also joining as contemplated stage race leaders, and possibly also for the Giro and / or the Vuelta.
The rest of the team is pretty much the same as last year. Sure, Mark Cavendish has caught on, together with a few of his helpers, but the big entirety is quite similar to last year. However, with Cavendish in the squad, they will be the new team controlling the flat stages setting him up in the end. Not sure that Davide Appollonio, Chris Sutton, Ben Swift and the other sprinters are that happy with Cav's arrival though.
As with a few earlier presented teams, Sky has a strong, widespread team with many strengths. Not even the loss of cobbled classics leader Geraint Thomas and rising super star Edvald Boasson Hagen has touched the strength that much, as they've replaced them all very well and wisely. And most importantly, they've brought in the world's best climber from HTC - Danny Pate.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
Vacansoleil - DCM
With Vuelta second place Wouter Poels at the front, Vacansoleil takes on the new year with an improved squad. Peter Velits, Robert Kiserlovski and Kevin Seeldraeyers gives them even more options for the more mountainous races, while Karsten Kroon and Theo Bos adds new strength to the cobbles and sprints respectively.
They have the materiel to get results in the three Grand Tours, smaller stage races, hilly classics, cobbled classics and sprints. I know it sounds like a repeat from earlier teams, but it's a good way to sum up a team like Vacansoleil. Solid squad with strong riders, in other words: a good team.
Anyway, to the squad. Defending Tour champion Robert Gesink is still around, looking to defend his title. So too are the other improving young climbers Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk, who will probably focus on the Giro and the Vuelta this year, rather than helping Gesink in the Tour.
Mark Renshaw joins the core of sprinters, and will be the main one together with a familiar name, Marcel Kittel. Other than that, it's a pretty weak squad. Focus lies on the youth, and in a few years time they might be one of WorldTour's strongest with big talents like Wilco Kelderman, Tom Dumoulin and Tom Jelte Slagter. They're not there yet though, and currently the team is not top-top class.
Pellizotti's rating: 3/5
I've also decided to include one CT team, as they look set to dominate there and promote to WT for next season with ease.
UniCredit - Bianchi Cycling Team
As result of a merger between two of the biggest Italian Conti teams, Acqua & Sapone and Colnago, comes a new Italian superforce, UniCredit. With three of Italy's best stage racers and climbers in Vincenzo Nibali, Domenico Pozzovivo, and lastly the very controversial Riccardo Riccò, they will definitely be a force to be reckoned with during the Giro this year.
Apart from the three big climbing guns, the team also includes world champion Marco Marcato, former Giro champions Stefano Garzelli and Danilo Di Luca, and many young talents like Stefano Pirazzi, Gianluca Brambilla and Marcello Pavarin. Focus is clearly on the climbing, but that doesn't mean they lack sprinters and classics riders.
In Sacha Modolo, Claudio Corioni, Tiziano Dall'Antonia and Francesco Chicchi, the squad holds a couple of Italy's fastest guys. Not even for the cobbled classics they are out of options. Manuel Quinziato might not be Fabian Cancellara, but he has the capacity to finish in the Top 10 even in the biggest races like De Ronde and Roubaix. The only question is, how long will it take for them to secure promotion? Two months? Three? Half a season at most. This team is shaped for WorldTour.
Updated the post with the two missing teams, Vacansoleil and Vodafone (Rabobank). Don't know how they disappeared from my Photobucket album. Well, well, they're there now.
Next up will be our squad presentation!
Possibly later today, or most likely, tomorrow afternoon / evening.
Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear you like the teams, as it did, just like you said, take quite some time to make all the transfers.
Had a terrible headache the whole afternoon, but after some rest and sleeping, I feel better. So now, finally! It's time for the presentation of the new and improved Skil team! Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm applause to Project 1T4i!
Team leaders
Absolute main leader is of course the last addition to the squad, Belgium's only real top class climber and GC captain, Jurgen Van den Broeck. He went to the Tour last year as the leader of his OmegaPharma squad, but could only manage a disappointing 13th place, way under his expectations.
However, we've managed to turn his frustration over the missed Tour opportunity into a big motivation source. His main aim this year will be the Giro d'Italia, where he'll be looking for a podium spot in the general classification. No doubt he has the talent, it's just a question of whether he mentally feels he can do it.
Second GC captain in the squad is Jakob Fuglsang. After spending a year as luxury domestique for the Schleck brothers, the young Dane now feels he's ready to lead a team on his own, and we have full confidence in him. First big goal of the season will be Tirreno-Adriatico, then the Ardennes before finally taking on the Vuelta as 1T4i's man for the overall.
For the hills, our main hope, together with Fuglsang, is Paul Martens. After coming in from Rabobank, he takes a leaders role immediately, and with his combination of strong hill, decent TT, and a nice sprint, Martens is both able to perform in one-day races and easier stage races with a time trial. Ardennes Classics plus other prestigious one-day races are his aims for 2012.
As replacement for Marcel Kittel, Borut Bozic joins as new main sprinter in the team, and will, together with Van Hummel and Kluge, look for stage wins in various races, and also go for either the Giro or the Vuelta. Quantity is preferred over quality, so we hope for many wins rather than big ones from him.
New leader for the cobbled classics will be Lars Boom. With the help from Roy Curvers and Tom Veelers, the main goal will be a Top 5 /10 in either the Ronde or Roubaix. Also some other races will be targeted by the Dutchman, especially races like the Eneco Tour, flat with a time trial.
Last but not least comes yet another climber, Sergey Lagutin. The Uzbekian champion who podiumed at last year's Giro di Lombardia will this year mainly focus on the Giro d'Italia. The goal there, together with helping Van den Broeck to an overall result, will be the King of the Mountains jersey, which should be achievable.
Squad stats
A huge improvement from last year's squad. Especially climbing and timetrialling has been strengthened thanks to all incoming riders. We've also made sure to keep the squad young, by bringing in youngsters like Wampach and Therkildsen. Also many riders from last year is still around, but this season it will be mostly domestique work for them. Even with all the new riders, I think we've kept it realistic, and I hope you agree to that. Now, let's start the season!
Sponsors
Once again quite hard goals, especially the overall victory in Tour Down Under and a podium in MSR. On the other hand, we know from last year that it's far from impossible to achieve, as Geschke proved with his fifth place in MSR. Top 5 in Paris-Nice and Tirreno shouldn't be a big deal, however, the Amstel Top 5 might be hard.
Great job. But I disagree. I dont think it is hard to do the transfers. It takes a lot of time, but I really enjoy doing it, so Pelli (probably) did as well. But it does take time, so good work, in that part!
Really nice team presentation! I'm really looking forward to the TDU, and it was good of you to write this, even though you weren't feeling 100%
I really like this (new) team! Nice presentation, looking forward to this season. I think it's a good idea, to aim for the Giro (with VdB) and hopefully he will do better there than in last year's TdF
Skil-Shimano is becoming loaded!
I think this season will be really successful for the team if you can get wins Fuglsang, Van Den Broeck etc...
Keep it up!
Great work with all the transfers aand re-building your team. The roster is great now and with your skill, you should be able to dominate the World Tour, especially VdB and Boom are great transfers. Good luck in the new season
@ valverde - My feeling too. It's a lot of work, but not very hard at all.
@ cunego - I admit, you've got a point there. Still, he'll mostly be domestique this year.
@ 27incher - Glad to see you here! New readers are always nice.
After solving a weird problem with the career, we're now off to Australia, but to to the Tour Down Under as I said before, but of course to the Australian Nationals. It's easy to forget, but we do actually have an Aussie in Mitch Docker.
08.01.2012: Mars Cycling Road Championships
The 160 kilometer course features eleven laps including the quite hard Mount Buninyong climb, which is likely to decide the race's outcome in the final few laps. A puncher or punchy sprinter is favoured on the not super hard track.
Heinrich Haussler (TT1) attacked halfway up the main climb on the final lap, pulling clear together with Michael Rogers (Sky) and Simon Gerrans (GreenEDGE). The latter then outgunned his two companions to the line, giving his new Australian team a perfect start. Mitch Docker tried to follow Haussler's move, but due to lack of form, he cracked and barely held off the closing peloton for fourth place.
1
Simon Gerrans
GreenEDGE Cycling Project
4h24'19
2
Michael Rogers
Sky Pro Cycling
s.t.
3
Heinrich Haussler
Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis
s.t.
4
Mitchell Docker
Project 1T4i
+ 1'00
5
Peter McDonald
Joker Merida
s.t.
6
Hilton Clarke
UnitedHealthcare Racing Team
s.t.
7
Simon Clarke
GreenEDGE Cycling Project
s.t.
8
Rory Sutherland
UnitedHealthcare Racing Team
s.t.
9
Nathan Haas
Garmin - Barracuda
s.t.
10
David Tanner
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
08.01.2012: Mars Cycling Time Trial Championships
Unlike the road race, the time trial is pan flat. A course for the pure specialists.
The time trial developed into a very close battle between Sky team mates Michael Rogers and Richie Porte. The former world time trial champion Rogers seized command of the lead after the first time check, less than a second faster than Porte, and the advantage then stayed that way also after the check, moving Rogers into green-yellow in this seasons time trials.
I also figured this would be a good time to present our new jersey, with Docker happily acting as model. In my opinion, it's really nice, and I like the colour combination with light green, black and white. Hopefully it's also motivates our riders just as much as the old Skil one did, making this season one to remember. 2012 is on!
Rogers seems to be in an very good early form. So is Gerrans. Two good bets for the Down Under. Especially if you play the 2011 mountain top finish version.
Bad luck that Docker was only in the 2nd group. 4th is a good result as solo rider.
One thing already Ãs for sure: I really like the new colours. Edited by roturn on 26-01-2012 18:33
