Tour de France

[freeheelwilly]

Discovery Channel Team for the 2006 Tour de France

* George Hincapie, Leader
* Yaroslav Popovych
* Paolo Savoldelli
* Jose Azevedo
* Egoi Martinez (in place of Manual Beltran)
* Pavel Padrnos
* Viatcheslav Ekimov (in place of Lance Armstrong)
* Benjamin Noval
* Jose Luis Rubiera

Reserves
* Vladimir Gusev
* Michael Barry

NOT a bad squad...no Team Time Trial though this year. It will be interesting to see how the Team will get George on to the Podium. I look forward to it...

Hincapie is not, and never will be, a GC threat. He wins a mountain stage last year and everybody forgets the past. Big George (who is awesome btw) started as a Classics specialist. He's a one day race guy. He can steal stages but he'll NEVER win a Grand Tour. I'd love to be proven wrong but I don't see it happening. Azevedo was their GC guy and the top rider for GC. Ekimov defines class. And watch out for Popo. That kid will be on the podium before he's done - maybe in Yellow.