Godefroot Back to Three Leaders for Tour

[musette]

Per Eurosport, Godefroot plans to start the Tour with three leaders. That has a strange sense of deja vu .... and being doomed to failure. I'm surprised Vino would tolerate that.

"Astana sporting director Walter Godefroot has revealed his team will start the Tour de France with three team leaders for the general classification. The former T-Mobile boss said Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloeden and Andrey Kashechkin would all go for a general classification win in the Tour. Speaking to German magazine Kicker, Godefroot insisted Kloeden was not brought in as merely a helper to Vinkourov. He said: "We don't hire someone who has finished second or third in the Tour de France to be a helper to Vinokourov. We have other riders for that." The 63-year-old admitted he relished the prospect of the three-pronged attack, insisting: "It will be very, very difficult to adjust to for our rivals.""

Errr.... I'm sorry to say, but doesn't that depend on who your rivals are/were? For example, it wasn't particularly difficult for LA.

And I doubt Basso and JU, assuming they ride, would be on teams that would have any problems with that. If Basso rides for CSC, he has Sastre and Schleck. If somebody rides for DC, they have Leipheimer, Popo, Chechu. But those people would be riding for Basso or JU, as the case may be, and not in a competing role of co-leader, I assume.

Unfortunately, Astana has become saddled with one of the main problems of TM --> Godefroot and his misguided "strategies".

 

[limerickman]

If Astana can accomplish even 50% of what Goodefroot accomplished at TM : then Astana will be a superb team.

 

[cyclingheroes]

They might even have four leaders at next years Tour.. I know what Walter said about Jan but... with Godefroot you'll never know. Walter says a lot he can't remember the next days and all he does is smiling if you remind him of that....

Per Eurosport, Godefroot plans to start the Tour with three leaders. That has a strange sense of deja vu .... and being doomed to failure. I'm surprised Vino would tolerate that.

"Astana sporting director Walter Godefroot has revealed his team will start the Tour de France with three team leaders for the general classification. The former T-Mobile boss said Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloeden and Andrey Kashechkin would all go for a general classification win in the Tour. Speaking to German magazine Kicker, Godefroot insisted Kloeden was not brought in as merely a helper to Vinkourov. He said: "We don't hire someone who has finished second or third in the Tour de France to be a helper to Vinokourov. We have other riders for that." The 63-year-old admitted he relished the prospect of the three-pronged attack, insisting: "It will be very, very difficult to adjust to for our rivals.""

Errr.... I'm sorry to say, but doesn't that depend on who your rivals are/were? For example, it wasn't particularly difficult for LA.

And I doubt Basso and JU, assuming they ride, would be on teams that would have any problems with that. If Basso rides for CSC, he has Sastre and Schleck. If somebody rides for DC, they have Leipheimer, Popo, Chechu. But those people would be riding for Basso or JU, as the case may be, and not in a competing role of co-leader, I assume.

Unfortunately, Astana has become saddled with one of the main problems of TM --> Godefroot and his misguided "strategies".

 

[Powerful Pete]

Well the Armstrong era is over with.

We do not yet know who will be racing the TdF next year.

Maybe it is not such a bad idea...

 

[Capt.Injury]

Per Eurosport, Godefroot plans to start the Tour with three leaders. That has a strange sense of deja vu .... and being doomed to failure. I'm surprised Vino would tolerate that.

"Astana sporting director Walter Godefroot has revealed his team will start the Tour de France with three team leaders for the general classification. The former T-Mobile boss said Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloeden and Andrey Kashechkin would all go for a general classification win in the Tour. Speaking to German magazine Kicker, Godefroot insisted Kloeden was not brought in as merely a helper to Vinkourov. He said: "We don't hire someone who has finished second or third in the Tour de France to be a helper to Vinokourov. We have other riders for that." The 63-year-old admitted he relished the prospect of the three-pronged attack, insisting: "It will be very, very difficult to adjust to for our rivals.""

Errr.... I'm sorry to say, but doesn't that depend on who your rivals are/were? For example, it wasn't particularly difficult for LA.

And I doubt Basso and JU, assuming they ride, would be on teams that would have any problems with that. If Basso rides for CSC, he has Sastre and Schleck. If somebody rides for DC, they have Leipheimer, Popo, Chechu. But those people would be riding for Basso or JU, as the case may be, and not in a competing role of co-leader, I assume.

Unfortunately, Astana has become saddled with one of the main problems of TM --> Godefroot and his misguided "strategies".

Astana in all basics had a dual leadership in the Vuelta with Vino and Kash. and it worked out pretty well there. Three may be a little much, but if all 3 guys are strong, its possible

 

[wicklow200]

I really doubt that JU would ride with Vino again - last time out Vino basically attacked him in the tour. Kloden had to pick up the pieces.

In fact Im surprised Kloden is riding with Vino again too.

 

[Capt.Injury]

I really doubt that JU would ride with Vino again - last time out Vino basically attacked him in the tour. Kloden had to pick up the pieces.

In fact Im surprised Kloden is riding with Vino again too.

Actually I am more surprised that Kloden would ride with Vino, because eh was more outspoken than Jan about 2005, plus i recall Jan spending a month or so in 2004 in Kazakhstan hunting wild boar with Vino. Maybe JHuskey can shine more on this with his connections.

 

[musette]

When Klodie was recruited, he was willing to ride FOR Vino in the Tour 07. That is why it is surprising that Godefroot is now raising the "three leaders" nightmare scenario again.

Separately, I believe that Kash. would be willing to ride for Vino too. He's so much younger, and wants to help a fellow countryman win the Tour.

 

[Jacob24]

or maybe he wants to leave who the one real leader will be as a mystery until partway through the tour. Just because that is what he's saying doesn't mean thats what he is going to try to do

 

[patch70]

When Klodie was recruited, he was willing to ride FOR Vino in the Tour 07. That is why it is surprising that Godefroot is now raising the "three leaders" nightmare scenario again.

Separately, I believe that Kash. would be willing to ride for Vino too. He's so much younger, and wants to help a fellow countryman win the Tour.

I think the problem is you believing everything you read.

All DS's, including your beloved Johan, speak a lot of **** at times to try to throw some doubt on their real intentions.