Choosing a team to support

[themosquitoking]

I hate my phone that double posts.

 

[smutchin]

A timely and pertinent blog post:
http://www.irishpeloton.com/2013/07/cyclings-new-conundrum/

 

[SWSteve]

I'm in the same position as you @themosquitoking - unsure which team I should support, should I support a team at all, and why do I care about 200 people larking about on their bikes.

The decsions I have since made are:
Cavenish is a bit of a t**t, this is good. I like it when people I can look at aren't perfect.
Sagan reminds me of a MotoGP rider, hooning is what we all want to see.
Wiggle's kit is one of the best.
I want the Team Sky Wiggo Jersey.
Oh, and the chainring stain on my Maglia Rosa looks great

 

[themosquitoking]

I worked out that Quintana is my new favourite, i would probably have Cav's babies if he asked me, riding a mountain stage in the TDF would scare the bejesus out of me for many reasons, i want one of those team buses and a team chef. I hope they do it all again next year.

 

[themosquitoking]

Oh and if you're going to have some sort of fight you want Richie Porte on your side.

 

[smutchin]

If you support a team in cycling, do you implicitly support all its riders? Conversely, if you support an individual rider, does that mean you necessarily approve of their whole team?

See, I have a problem with teams like Movistar, Astana and Saxo for their continued association with some of the sport's less savoury characters, and yet those teams also have some of my favourite individual riders.

And it gets more complicated because I can't shake my grudging admiration for some of those characters.

If you look at Movistar in particular, I think they can take a lot of credit as a team for making this year's Tour the exciting race it was. But this is the same team* that sent Cobo to the Vuelta in 2011 - a rider whom I gave the benefit of the doubt at the time, though I now feel my faith was very probably misplaced. (*Same team in all but name, which is another element to the conundrum.)

Meanwhile, plucky little Euskaltel, who we all love, were mostly pretty anonymous and gave us very little reason to cheer them at this year's Tour, apart from a few brief flurries by Nieve.

Then there's AG2R, whose team boss I have great respect for, though it turns out he couldn't run a piss-up in a brewery. But they do have some very exciting young riders on their books.

FdJ and Garmin I like. In the second tier, there are loveable plucky underdogs like Coldeportes and MTN-Qhebeka. (I can't really warm to Europcar though I understand their reasons for approaching races the way they do.)

But I can't imagine ever pinning my allegiance to one team like a football fan, or for taking against an individual rider just because of the team they're on.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

If you support a team in cycling, do you implicitly support all its riders? Conversely, if you support an individual rider, does that mean you necessarily approve of their whole team?

See, I have a problem with teams like Movistar, Astana and Saxo for their continued association with some of the sport's less savoury characters, and yet those teams also have some of my favourite individual riders.

And it gets more complicated because I can't shake my grudging admiration for some of those characters.

If you look at Movistar in particular, I think they can take a lot of credit as a team for making this year's Tour the exciting race it was. But this is the same team* that sent Cobo to the Vuelta in 2011 - a rider whom I gave the benefit of the doubt at the time, though I now feel my faith was very probably misplaced. (*Same team in all but name, which is another element to the conundrum.)

Meanwhile, plucky little Euskaltel, who we all love, were mostly pretty anonymous and gave us very little reason to cheer them at this year's Tour, apart from a few brief flurries by Nieve.

Then there's AG2R, whose team boss I have great respect for, though it turns out he couldn't run a ****-up in a brewery. But they do have some very exciting young riders on their books.

FdJ and Garmin I like. In the second tier, there are loveable plucky underdogs like Coldeportes and MTN-Qhebeka. (I can't really warm to Europcar though I understand their reasons for approaching races the way they do.)

But I can't imagine ever pinning my allegiance to one team like a football fan, or for taking against an individual rider just because of the team they're on.

When Rigoberto heads to OPQS I will quite like him.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

I'm in the same position as you @themosquitoking - unsure which team I should support, should I support a team at all, and why do I care about 200 people larking about on their bikes.

The decsions I have since made are:
Cavenish is a bit of a t**t, this is good. I like it when people I can look at aren't perfect.
Sagan reminds me of a MotoGP rider, hooning is what we all want to see.
Wiggle's kit is one of the best.
I want the Team Sky Wiggo Jersey.
Oh, and the chainring stain on my Maglia Rosa looks great

Wiggle jersey might look good, but I would bet that they never have it in your size or in stock when marked as a sale item.

 

[SWSteve]

Wiggle jersey might look good, but I would bet that they never have it in your size or in stock when marked as a sale item.

I hadn't even thought of that. The RadioShack jerseys are available for 35 but I have no reason to buy one of those. Might by some OPQS shorts so when I get Cav's national jersey they match.

 

[smutchin]

If ASC Dukla Praha had an away kit, I would support them.

 

[laurence]

If ASC Dukla Praha had an away kit, I would support them.

i'll get you one for xmas

 

[jowwy]

I'm a SKY fan boy - can't help it, just like the way they control things with the train and ride at a consistant pace, while riders find it hard to keep up and fall out the back of the peleton.....

i hated seeing cav leave for OPQS, but i can see why he did....but for me richie porte, wiggins, henao, uran....and the BIG BOSS MAN - EDVALD

For me, there is no better train than the SKY TRAIN......stay aboard or out the back you'll be popping

 

[SWSteve]

@jowwy I've looked at sky kit, and as much as I like it bum worried ill get fingered for being a glory hunter, when this isn't the case.

 

[jowwy]

@jowwy I've looked at sky kit, and as much as I like it bum worried ill get fingered for being a glory hunter, when this isn't the case.

I pretty thick skinned and as sky have only been around for a few years, you cant really be classed as a glory hunter really.

Buy it and enjoy it - like me.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Wiggle jersey might look good, but I would bet that they never have it in your size or in stock when marked as a sale item.

Got one for nothing in a Wiggle box with a delivery beats the heck out of Haribo