2008 was an curious year for team photos on the ProTour website. Many of the same trends from last year were still popular in '08. Aside from the more traditional lineups, a couple teams continue to have their photos taken indoors and the overhead photo remained popular. Water remains a common trend in team photos.

Let's review this year's team photos,

First, a couple teams that had their own unique take on the team photo.

Because HighRoad did not yet have a real title sponsor they did not seem to put much thought into the team photo. They just snapped a couple shots while the riders were on stage at the team presentation. The photographer did not even bother to say "Cheese". Riders are looking down, right, left and all around. I look for some improvement next year.


Cofidis chose to photoshop their team onto a cartoon-like background of grassy fields and puffy white clouds. It all seems so typically French. Why didn't they just include butterflies and cute little puppy dogs, too. Is it any surprise that 5 Belgians are leaving the team for '09. What self-respecting, frite eating, beer swilling, cobble riding, rain and mud covered Belgian wants to be a part of Cartoontown.

Team vehicles

Credit Agricole gets the award for being most proud of their team vehicles. They threw the team sponsors name out there as much as they possibly could by including two team cars and a bus. Despite their best promotional efforts, Credit Agricole said 'Thanks for the memories.' and has left the sport.


Rabobank put one of their team cars in the photo. I'm not sure why. They chose to stand six guys in front so that you can hardly see the car. In fact, the positioning of the car makes it look like a runaway vehicle that ran over the second row of team members.

Motel lobbies

For the second year in a row Liquigas has chosen to pose in the lobby of some fancy-schmancy 5-star hotel lobby. Throwing a couple bikes far off in the background does not do much to lessen the awkwardness of having twenty-nine lycra clad weenies hanging around the Palazzo dello Tranquilo.


Francais de Jeux seems to know that cyclists should not be loitering in the lobby of hoity-toity hotel lobbies. Instead they appear to be using the lounge of a Hampton Inn. You just know there is a continental breakfast buffet barely out of camera view.

Traditional lineups

QuickStep is like a well-oiled machine in Classic one-day races. Their team photos the past two years indicate a similar precision. They once again have tight, clean rows with a focus on their national and world champions. Very classic. However, I cannot help but be distracted by the wood paneling and stone foundation of the wall behind them. It looks like they may have walked outside and stood next to the side of their hotel for the picture.


Silence-Lotto gets good marks for their fine team photo. They use the team bus to good effect by having the sponsors name big and bold behind the riders. Look at the uniformity of the legs on the front row. Perfect unison. Compare the team unity in the photo with how the team was scattered in disarray all over the mountains of France during the Tour. What happened?


Didn't the Astana team listen to their mothers when they were kids. I can hear their mom's screaming "Don't play in the middle of road!" I'll be damned if standing on the yellow line didn't pay off for them this year. In a strange twist of fate, their not-so-pure past got them uninvited to the Tour but allowed them to dodge the figurative doping 18-wheeler that rolled through the Tour de France this year. Astana was left smelling like a rose and smiling smugly at the ASO.

Waterworld

Lampre gathered at the beach on a bright sunny day, symbolic of a solid season of racing. The season was topped off with end of year wins by Ballan's World Championship title and Cunego's 3rd Lombardia title.


Bouyges Telecom, on the other hand, gathered near the sea in northern France on dark, damp and dreary day. Their tough guy, hands on hips and arms crossed poses fooled no one. Their season turned out to be as dark and dreary as their photo. Was there a more futile team in the ProTour? Did they win a race this year?


If it was not for a slightly different jersey, Ag2r could nearly have used their 2007 photo in 2008. I swear they are standing in front of the exact same river. Let's see a little originality. But, please, no cartoon characters.

2007

2008

Euskaltel chose to stand behind the water and in front of... ummm... what exactly is that thing? I would say it is an elevated bridge but where would a ship go? There is a set of steps (and a cycling team) in the way.


CSC posed on a lovely wooden pier surrounded by water and sail boats. For the last half of the year the team found themselves surrounded by doping allegations and suspicions. Yet, somehow, they sailed scott-free. Ironic?

The Look Up

Who are the two guys on Caisse d'Epargne that didn't get the memo and showed up wearing black shoes.


Could Milram's photographer have gotten any higher above the team? The team probably had to go to the chiropractor to work on their sore necks after the photo shoot. Then again, Milram has a lot of practice looking up at their competitors standing on the victory podium.


Saunier Duval took a unique approach to the team photo by standing as far away from each other as possible. My guess is no one wanted to be standing too close to Ricco or Piepoli when they got busted.


In addition to looking up at the photographer, Gerolsteiner looks as if they are crammed into an imaginary elevator. The only explanation for this pose is that if Gerolsteiner had used a traditional team photo, Stefan Schumacher's enormous forehead would not have fit in the picture.

So, there you have it. Until next year...