Credit Agricole Team Thread (Page 2)

bonjour teamies

apologies for being so quiet thus far. i've been captaining white lightening team skinny team also. right: today i promise to do the blog table thingie with everybodies names in and visit all your blogs to say hello.

oh and i'll explain the vertes emmentals! the guardian newspaper (a national daily here) had a tour team by team blurb last year, which included a description of how each team was like a cheese!

Name means

Would it come as a shock to discover this lot are in banking?

Tour heritage

In 1986 the oldest sponsor in the sport, Peugeot - with a history dating back to the 1913 Tour - pulled out and kids' clothes magnates Z took over. Z must do a roaring trade in Mothercare, because in 1990 they offered cycling's first $1m salary, to Greg LeMond. They were GAN for a bit, with Chris Boardman. Credit Ag, as those in the know them, have been there since 1998 and the team has won six Tour stages.

Past controversies

The team manager, Roger Legeay, was among the earliest movers against doping and the team have been trouble-free since 1996. That is a major achievement, of which he can be proud.

In the coffers

An average £4.75m: masterful management of the purse strings.

The boss

Legeay is a wily, if a tad oleaginous, pro from the 70s, known then for smoking the odd cigarette while riding (well, after he got off his bike). He is now a pillar of the French cycling establishment.

Team leader

The Norwegian Thor Hushovd is one of the best sprinters in cycling; the entire team is built around him. He hit the jackpot in 2005 by winning the green jersey and last year landed the prologue time-trial and the prestigious final-day finish. Initially a skier, he's hulking, blond and fearless - a cycling god according to his website, which refers to hammers, thunder and just about everything else Nordic (except cured fish, death metal, overpriced vodka and manic depression).

Wild man of the saddle

The team will be selected solely to back up Hushovd, although Pietro Caucchioli of Italy will have his head in the mountains.

They'll be happy with ...

Stage wins for Hushovd and another green jersey.

Fans will paint on the road

"Hammer them, Thor"; "We asked for LeMond and you gave us the world"

William Fotheringham predicts

Hushovd is a good bet for the green jersey if he stays out of trouble, while Caucchioli can scrape into the top 10, without actually being seen to do anything along the way.

If they were cheese... Emmental

Classic good looks and a popularity that rocketed after investment in the US market. Picks up prizes and the devoted following loves that bubbly approach. Critics are harsh if they point out a few holes in the operation: this one's all about quality.

Based St Pierre du Perray, France

Bike Look frame, Shimano wheels

Jerseys Nalini

Team leader Thor Hushovd (Nor, 29). 6 Tours, 4 stage wins. Best green jersey, 2005)

Climbers Pietro Caucchioli (It, 31), Alexandr Botcharov (Rus, 32), Patrice Halgand (Fr, 33)

Sprinters Julian Dean (NZ, 32), William Bonnet (Fr, 24)

Time-triallists Anthony Charteau (Fr, 33), Sébastien Hinault (Fr, 33), Christophe Le Mével (Fr, 26)

Puncheurs None

Team manager Roger Legeay

Team founded 1998

Tours de France entered 8

Points wins 1 (Hushovd, 2005)

Stage wins 6

King of Mountains 0

2006 best 16th, Caucchioli

2006 stage wins 2 (Hushovd)

ProTour ranking 13th

Website www.au-veloclubdeparis.fr

That's too funny!  I'm sure I got my shirt from you, right?

bonjour toutes les vertes emmentals.

Les Vertes Emmentals

sorry the text in the main box is dark - no idea how to change it! just copy and paste the code into your blogs for blog links to all the other green cheeses out there. oh and the title takes us to the first page of this thread, and therefore the spreadsheet.  feel free to update yours as and when, which i know some of you have but pm me if you are struggling and i'll keep an eye out anyhow ok?

j xx 

Well I got stage 2 in this morning, but I think that's the last one for a few days.  Back to work tomorrow, and I have a house full of company -- they probably wouldn't appreciate it if I snuck a bike ride in after work.  But they are leaving on Wednesday, so hopefully then... keep your fingers crossed for me!

Wouldn't it be great to ride every day that the tour rides?  I know, in your dreams...

D001 - 2008-07-06 1:30 PM And if you want an "action picture" in the team links table, here's one: If you have trouble copying it into your logs, hit the QUOTE button, then copy the code and paste it into your log. (But leave out the QUOTE marks!)

Les Vertes Emmentals   Sappho96 wieczynski Nats crea0029 Sledge Runnerg1rl7 maverick_zh ChicagoMan65 Blagels

Thanks for your help Dee! 

Stage 2 done...  27.27 km today.  Looks like this challenge will turn into 12 stages for me.

no but you can put it in your blog. go to control panel, then goals and paste the code into that section. if it doesn't work first time round just go back and apply again.

a cool sig would be ALLEZ LES VERTES EMMENTALS!!!

Blagels - 2008-07-06 3:10 PM Testing signature... Edit: Put this together to use as a signature, but I guess you can't put images in your signature.

Wow.... nice job Blake!

that is amazing...*saph goes and hides at her feeble attempts at team links*

teamies - you'll be pleased to hear that i am doing my first stage tomorrow. i bike commute five days a week so don't panic that i've done f.a. so far!

Noooo... no need to hide.  I can't even attempt doing something like you, Dee or Blake did...

if it's cool with my teamies - how do you all fancy adding this as your avatar? would be bit of a giggle imho. caused much amusement, and confusion last year! 

I'll do it... would be something funny to laugh about all month! 

I am in the process of adding it but for some reason it won't stick and I'm not getting any warnings saying that pic has to be max 80 x 80 pixels once I load it...

Arrrrgh!!!! I've done that too and it just won't stick.  I'll try later.