Not much talk about the Discovery team

[scooter01]

OLN certainly does not say much about the Disco team.
Are they just kinda hanging back for the first week? Even all of the TV coveage I never seam to see them anywhere around the front.
Am I missing something?

[67-59]

My hunch is that they're waiting to hitch their wagon to whichever American rider seems to have the best chance to win as the race proceeds. This could, of course, turn out to be George. But it might also be Floyd or Levi. And if it does turn out to be one of the other two, I'm betting they'll focus more on Phonak or Gerolsteiner than Disco.

Of the three, they seem to be talking most about Floyd. Perhaps an early indication that they perceive him to have the best chance of the three?

[atmo]

OLN certainly does not say much about the Disco team.
Are they just kinda hanging back for the first week? Even all of the TV coveage I never seam to see them anywhere around the front.
Am I missing something?


they are no longer america's team atmo.
José Azevedo (Por)
Viatsjeslav Ekimov (Rus)
George Hincapie (USA)
Egoi Martinez (Spa)
Benjamin Noval (Spa)
Pavel Padrnos (Cze)
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
José Luis Rubiera (Spa)
Paolo Savoldelli (Ita)

[flydhest]

they are no longer america's team atmo.
José Azevedo (Por)
Viatsjeslav Ekimov (Rus)
George Hincapie (USA)
Egoi Martinez (Spa)
Benjamin Noval (Spa)
Pavel Padrnos (Cze)
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
José Luis Rubiera (Spa)
Paolo Savoldelli (Ita)

Oh yes they are:
Joe Azevedo
Vic Ekimove
George
Ed Martinez
Ben Noval
Pa . . . uh, Pat Padrnos,
Y . . . oh rats, I give up.

Foreigners. They're everywhere, here in America and even over there in Europe.

[stevep]

they still have a team?
hmmm
one of 'em should go to the front on a stage or 2 and show the jersey.

[Big Dan]

There is some one lurking here that is going to make you guys pay........ :no:
He's just waiting for GH to drop the hammer in the TT...... :eek:

[victoryfactory]

OLN certainly does not say much about the Disco team.
Are they just kinda hanging back for the first week? Even all of the TV coveage I never seam to see them anywhere around the front.
Am I missing something?

A team that is a GC contender performs exactly like Discovery has so far.
The opening week is for the sprinters and their teams, they won't be in
yellow in Paris. Tomorrow's ITT is the big one because teams like
Discovery will "Discover" who their real GC man will be. For instance, If George
has a great TT, That will give the team more reason to support him in the
mountains, which makes a big difference, If George has a bad day, and say
Salvodelli wins the TT, George might end up carrying His water bottles
next week.

Teams classification as of 7-7-2006

1 Discovery Channel Team 88.04.46
2 Team CSC 0.01
3 T-Mobile Team 0.02
4 Caisse D’Epargne-Illes Balears 0.07
5 Gerolsteiner 0.18
6 Phonak Hearing Systems 0.26
7 Lampre-Fondital 0.37
8 Saunier Duval - Prodir 0.42
9 Rabobank
10 Credit Agricole 0.43
11 AG2R Prevoyance 0.44
12 Francaise Des Jeux 1.03
13 Bouygues Telecom 1.10
14 Davitamon - Lotto 1.12
15 Quick Step - Innergetic 1.15
16 Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.27
17 Team Milram 1.28
18 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 1.40
19 Liquigas 1.56
20 Agritubel 1.59

[swoop]

maybe i'm watching a different tour than y'all but george has been on floyd's shoulder in the top 30 guys the whole race. both floyd and george have been surrounded by their team mates. i would say that discovery is still the gatekeeper deciding what teams can be up front.
there has been no reason for either team to work unless they are bringing back their leaders from a nature break or from a flat.

that being said.. the tour gc starts at this first tt this weekend. but there is no reason for disco or phonak to be in the wind up front.. why would they burn any real candles when the gc isn't even in order yet?

next time the lead moto has a camera on the front of the field.. you can see phonak about ten riders back at 11 o'clock and george is right there on floyd's wheel.

i wish zabel would have done something today.. but at 36 it looks like he can get himself in the right position but just doesn't have the top end. these have been great sprints to watch... a total education on what a good leadout does, what a bad leadout does, and what happens when you get boxed in and have to lose and regain momentum. winning a sprint is all about timing and position as much as speed. friere's jump yesterday was perfectly timed.... it was gorgeous. boonen today got ruined by fdj.. and robbie yeasterday got put into tthe wind too far out. i love those sprints... you see that lead out from 3k today.... whew.

ok.. where will millar be after the tt (he trained for the tt and not the prologue)? how much time will simoni lose in the gc after the tt? who is faster, floyd or george? there is so much going on right now... will zabriskie put himself in the jersey or his he already empty? will julich roll himself into a ditch?

[victoryfactory]

Swoop;

I agree the tour is really getting interesting. Isn't it funny that after
all the retirements and DQ's of big names, the race is still exciting?

VF

I'm stoked for the TT

[Fat Robert]

a cheeseburger says that popovych will be disco's gc man, when its all said and done.

[Grant McLean]

a cheeseburger says that popovych will be disco's gc man, when its all said and done.

+1

g

[yeehawfactor]

a cheeseburger says that popovych will be disco's gc man, when its all said and done.
http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/giro2003/img/savoldelli.gif

[Fat Robert]

i hate to take a cheeseburger from a bald guy, but...

you're on, patrick

[The Spider]

sorry if it's already been asked (I searched 'discovery yellow') why are the discovery numbers yellow on their backs?

I haven't seen many riders (except prone on the ground after a fall) but glimpsed the yellow number.

[catulle]

sorry if it's already been asked (I searched 'discovery yellow') why are the discovery numbers yellow on their backs?

I haven't seen many riders (except prone on the ground after a fall) but glimpsed the yellow number.

Because they were team #1 last year, atmo?

[Jason E]

Because they are leading in the team competition.

[The Spider]

cheers, big ears! :)

[ergott]

cheers, big ears! :)

How did you know Jason had big ears??

[Elefantino]

Discovery will be back in the news in the last week of the tour because Lance! has decided to end his snit and come over anyway.

Question: Does OLN then cover the race, or the Disco team car?

[Jason E]

How did you know Jason had big ears??

You know what they say about big ears.....

Are you a complete insomniac yet?

[stevep]

now that they are removed from gc. they can get to contesting stages only.
floyd all the way.

[The Spider]

How did you know Jason had big ears??

I can tell from the way he walks :)

so...looks like T - Mobile going to be swapping their numbers tonight, eh!

(it's 4 o'clock in the morning down here...we're all zombies!)

[yeehawfactor]

now that they are removed from gc. they can get to contesting stages only.
floyd all the way.
they aren't really out of contention yet..........

[stevep]

the last time a contender finished outside the top 10 in a tt was long ago.
i think that they are not there.
my take. no disco guys anywhere near the podium.
quoth the raven..." nevermore.."

[atmo]

the last time a contender finished outside the top 10 in a tt was long ago.
i think that they are not there.
my take. no disco guys anywhere near the podium.
quoth the raven..." nevermore.."
and toeth quoteth the director sportifeth atmoeth:
"It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here, otherwise the Tour would be over,"
Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel told Reuters.

[stevep]

and toeth quoteth the director sportifeth atmoeth:
"It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here, otherwise the Tour would be over,"
Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel told Reuters.

i heard that he kicked the aarses of his mates on a club ride this morning...took every town line and soloed in from 20k to go. an awesome show of strength.

[Jason E]

the last time a contender finished outside the top 10 in a tt was long ago.
i think that they are not there.
my take. no disco guys anywhere near the podium.
quoth the raven..." nevermore.."

True, but also a long time since there was no clear favorite going in.... I still think it will be different in the mountains and no one should be counted out yet.... 'Cept maybe Levi.

So does this mean T-Mobile has more expensive doctors from a different place then Operation Puerto?

[Grant McLean]

the last time a contender finished outside the top 10 in a tt was long ago.
i think that they are not there.
my take. no disco guys anywhere near the podium.
quoth the raven..." nevermore.."

Basso was 22nd in the last 50km TT in the tour that came before the mountains.

That was 2002, so he was young, but it happened.

g

[Grant McLean]

and toeth quoteth the director sportifeth atmoeth:
"It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here, otherwise the Tour would be over,"
Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel told Reuters.

Without Lance, Basso and Ullrich, this Tour is going to be a lot more like
a typical Giro or a Vuelta. Favorites will have good days and bad days.
The fact that no rider at this years tour is a "complete" package will
no doubt break the mold set by the Lance and Indurain eras.

g

[atmo]

Without Lance, Basso and Ullrich, this Tour is going to be a lot more like
a typical Giro or a Vuelta. Favorites will have good days and bad days.
The fact that no rider at this years tour is a "complete" package will
no doubt break the mold set by the Lance and Indurain eras.

g
agreeeth yoeth atmoeth.