The RadioShack-Nissan team has gone from being a one of the strongest GC teams in the Tour to a second tier GC team. Andy Schleck had been in questionable form leading up the Tour but he crashed during the ITT at the Critérium de Dauphiné fracturing his sacrum and will now be out for six weeks, missing the Tour. A duel between himself and Alberto Contador looks likely at the Vuelta in September as both riders going a season without a Grand Tour would be unimaginable and detrimental to their long term form. In Schleck’ place will be the evergreen American Chris Horner who was 9th in 201o but crashed out of last year’s edition. Horner has only finished one Grand Tour since 2007 and at 40 at tilt at the GC will be major test.
Jakob Fuglsang has expressed his disappointment at being left out of the team after being touted as one of Leopard’s GC candidates but he has found his opportunities within the new RadioShack team limited. He looks to be one of the rider’s who has suffered the most from the merger. An overall win at the Tour of Luxembourg looked to be enough for the Dane to make to it to Liege. However the loss of Andy Schleck due to his injury instead opened the door for Horner. Horner hasn’t raced since the Tour of California which makes Fuglsang’s omission all the more remarkable. Fränk Schleck has been less than forthright in coming forward and putting his hand up as the protected GC rider as it appeared he may be fatigued from his Giro d’Italia efforts and will also miss the company of his brother throughout the Tour.
RadioShack will still have a strong team for the Tour but for what purpose it is slightly unclear. Fabian Cancellara will be looking at the three ITT opportunities and will see these stages as a warm up for the Olympics and regaining his World Champion crown he lost to Tony Martin in 2011. Jens Voigt will line up for his 15th appearance and possibly his last as like Horner, he is also 40. Along with F. Schleck and Horner, Yaroslav Popovych will offer another GC option for the team. Having been on the podium twice at the Giro, placed 8th in the 2007 Tour and won the Tour’s Young Riders competition in 2005, Popovych has shown he can compete in Grand Tours.
As well as Fuglsang, the omission of Linus Gerdemann is slightly surprising as the German had proved to be a good mountain domestique in last year’s Tour and as a previous stage winner could offer another avenue to stage wins. Instead RadioShack may find success in the sprinter Tony Gallopin who has made the move over from Cofidis and will compete in his second Tour.
The loss of A. Schleck will be a big disappointment for the team which is still looking for wins in 2012. Cancellara will as always provide an opportunity for stage wins in the ITT as well as some time in yellow. In the mountains F. Schleck, Horner and Popovych should be able to record some decent results. On the flat Gallopin could provide a sneaky stage win but is yet to prove himself up against the world’s top sprinters. A 4th place on Stage 5 in last year’s Tour is a sign of his potential but RadioShack look more likely to chalk up wins through their experienced riders.
As the Tour progresses the GC plan of RadioShack will become clearer and an early stage win may just paper over the cracks that have begun to show with the Tour approaching and no one in top form. RadioShack will still be a major protagonist In the Tour but is unlikely that there will be two riders on the podium this edition. Stage wins and top ten GC positions look as good as it will get.
RadioShack-Nissan 2012 Tour de France Team
Fabian Cancellara
Tony Gallopin
Chris Horner
Andreas Klöden
Maxime Monfort
Yaroslav Popovych
Fränk Schleck
Jens Voigt
Haimar Zubeldia
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