Discovery's Vuelta Team!

Interestingly enough Jose Azevedo, Michael Barry, Manuel Beltran, Tom
Danielson, Stijn Devolder, Leif Hoste, Benoit Joachim, Benjamin Noval,
and Max van Heeswisjk will be the Discovery team riding the Vuelta.

Jose Azevedo in particular is capable of putting in performances that
could keep him on the very top. Hopefully Jose could win this race. How
long has it been since a single team has won all of the Grand Tours?

I was wondering about that as well. I would definitely be a "Grand"
season if Discovery won all three of the major tours. I wonder if
Azevedo, Joachim, Noval & Beltran will have any strength in their
bodies after a grueling Tour.

Should be a very colorful Vuelta.

Claude

C.H. Luu wrote:
I was wondering about that as well. I would definitely be a "Grand"
season if Discovery won all three of the major tours. I wonder if
Azevedo, Joachim, Noval & Beltran will have any strength in their
bodies after a grueling Tour.

Should be a very colorful Vuelta.

Claude

It does sound like it will a good one! Too bad OLN is only going to do
ONE FREAKIN' HOUR of coverage...

Sorry for shouting. :-)

On 23 Aug 2005 12:46:48 -0700, "C.H. Luu"
wrote:

I was wondering about that as well. I would definitely be a "Grand"
season if Discovery won all three of the major tours.

They'd better be really really motivated to do that.

JT

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On 08/23/2005 10:38 AM, in article
, "Tom Kunich"
wrote:


Jose Azevedo in particular is capable of putting in performances that
could keep him on the very top. Hopefully Jose could win this race. How
long has it been since a single team has won all of the Grand Tours?


Never.



--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
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ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
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Steven L. Sheffield wrote:
On 08/23/2005 10:38 AM, in article
, "Tom Kunich"
wrote:



Jose Azevedo in particular is capable of putting in performances that
could keep him on the very top. Hopefully Jose could win this race. How
long has it been since a single team has won all of the Grand Tours?



Never.

This is a climber's Vuelta, with plenty of steep mountains and
comparatively little time-trialing. That doesn't play well to Azevedo's
strengths... it is really more to Danielson's liking, on paper at least.

"sonarrat" wrote in message
...
Steven L. Sheffield wrote:
On 08/23/2005 10:38 AM, in article
, "Tom Kunich"
wrote:

Jose Azevedo in particular is capable of putting in performances that
could keep him on the very top. Hopefully Jose could win this race. How
long has it been since a single team has won all of the Grand Tours?

This is a climber's Vuelta, with plenty of steep mountains and
comparatively little time-trialing. That doesn't play well to Azevedo's
strengths... it is really more to Danielson's liking, on paper at least.

The problem is that Tom has never won a major European race and to start
with a Grand Tour would be rather unusual.

You'r correct that Jose is more of an all-rounder and doesn't have the speed
up the really steep climbs, but then those who do, such as Mayo and Heras
don't have anywhere near Jose's speed up lesser climbs.

Tom Kunich wrote:
"sonarrat" wrote in message
...

Steven L. Sheffield wrote:

On 08/23/2005 10:38 AM, in article
s.com, "Tom Kunich"
wrote:

Jose Azevedo in particular is capable of putting in performances that
could keep him on the very top. Hopefully Jose could win this race. How
long has it been since a single team has won all of the Grand Tours?

This is a climber's Vuelta, with plenty of steep mountains and
comparatively little time-trialing. That doesn't play well to Azevedo's
strengths... it is really more to Danielson's liking, on paper at least.

The problem is that Tom has never won a major European race and to start
with a Grand Tour would be rather unusual.

This is certainly true. If he won it would probably cause a riot in
Durango...

You'r correct that Jose is more of an all-rounder and doesn't have the speed
up the really steep climbs, but then those who do, such as Mayo and Heras
don't have anywhere near Jose's speed up lesser climbs.

True, true. Mayo in particular.. I think I'm starting to notice the
pattern:

- A rider wins a bunch of time from a spectacular breakaway, then hangs
on to enough time to finish in the top-10 by the end of the GT
- He gets hailed as the "next big thing"
- Next year, he has no freedom to break away, and he gets worn out and
discouraged trying to do so repeatedly without success
- The strongest teams work together to steamroll the poor sap into the
ground and he loses 35 minutes in one day due to his inability to ride
strongly in a group

See: David Plaza, Unai Etxebarria, Santiago Botero, Iban Mayo..

You seem to have nailed the problem. That's why it was so surprising
that they let Tyler go up the road in 2004.