On 28 Dec 2004 07:31:40 -0800, "gds" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>Yes! Whjile clearly a good support team for Lance finishing second as
>teamis not the same as winning 3 championships in a row. So, I would ay
>the USP was a great supporting team but not a great Team in terms of
>winning as a team.
That makes it sound as if T-Mobile wouln't have given up about ten
places in the team standings to have Kloden or Ullrich on the top step
of the podium in Paris. The team in first place in the team standings
has won a consolation prize, nice nowadays to put somewhere on the web
site.
Sometimes the reason(s) they win the team competition is/ are why they
didn't take the individual honors - things like supporting too many
efforts, not picking a single team leader, all finishing in a group
together on a decisive stage, three or four minutes down on the
leader. A strong squad with a DS determined to wait for destiny to
make his decisions for him, rather than his team making the race, can
win the team title year after year, if all the leaders don't decide to
quit first.
A great team needs to be racing as a team for something worthwhile.
First in the Tour is such a prize. First team in the Tour isn't...
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...