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Date Posted: 10:08:27 08/27/04 Fri
Author: Mark
Subject: Re: Anyone Else Want An American Team?
In reply to: NSF 's message, "Anyone Else Want An American Team?" on 08:09:27 08/27/04 Fri

I understand your feelings, but I think that the idea of a (succesful) team consisting of riders from one nation is very unlikely. And even more so with the current situation of American riders in the peloton: a relatively small amount of riders, but with quite a few top (or subtop) dogs.

Getting a lot of good GT riders (or sprinters, but there's not really a top American in that) to band up in the same team is virtually impossible, maybe even more so because of the fact that they would all be fighting for the status of 'best rider' of their nation as well.

Just look at most of the other top teams: An Aussie leading a french and Belgian team (FDJ.com and Lotto), an American leading a Swiss team (Phonak) an Italian leading a Belgian team (Quickstep), a Spaniard leading a Dutch team(Rabo), an Italian leading a Danish team (CSC), and the list goes on. With the commercializing of cyclism, national boundaries seem to be fading ever more.

To refer to V's example of La Boulangère: the only way you will keep an all-French or -American team in line is if it has riders that are all more or less equal in ability; good riders, but not super. Likewise, La Boulangère have a good team, but not a real big rider. (and let's not forget their Tour leader was in fact Beloki, a Spaniard)

Erhm, this post is way too long, hehe. In short then: I think it has become impossible, certainly with so many good American riders in such a 'small' pool, if we're talking specifically about the US. :)

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