2011 Team Photos
As 2011 comes to a close, it might be time for one last minute look back at the ProTour team photos that were on the UCI website.
First, I wish to publically shame Garmin, Katusha, Leopard and RadioShack for refusing to submit a tean photo. SHAME!!!
This year's photos were rather standard fare. Nothing outrageous. The one trend that, mercilessly, seemed to fade away was the extreme overhead shot.
I'll start this years review with Omega Pharma-Lotto and BMC. Both teams were similar with rather formal and symmetrical team lineups in front of a building.
Look at the size difference of some riders on Omega Pharma. In the first standing row, the 3rd man from the left is a tiny little fellow. While the man on the far right looks like a dumpy Cat 4 racer.
Also, most teams tend to show off their national champions. However, Omega Pharma seemed somewhat ashamed of their Finnish champion. I believe they looked at a map of Europe and saw Finland in the far upper right of the map and figured that would a good, out of the way place to stick their man.
I'm not sure what to say about BMC. Maybe it is BMC's Swiss heritage, but they are all so very precise. Like a Swiss watch.
The "stand in front of a wall" photo is a common theme with teams. There is always one or two teams each year with similar photos. For instance, Quick-Step back in 2007
And speaking of Quick Step, they followed BMC's lead by using a little water as a reflective feature. As the season wore on, you would have thought that water in that dried up fountain was as deep as the ocean in the background as Quick Step floundered around, doing very little all season.
While Quick Step had the ocean peeking into view, Ag2r was this year's obligatory oceanside photo. One or two of the French teams can always be counted on to be by the ocean. Yet, it is rarely a nice ocean view. They skies typically look overcast, dark and somewhat ominous. This year's photo is not so bad but there seems to be artificial lighting trying to brighten up the scene. Ag2r probably uses a lot of artificial lighting to try and make their performances look better than they really are. Can't they shoot something on the Cote d'Azur on a bright sunny day?
Three teams chose to do their team photo inside.
The award for the most boring team photo has to go to Astana. "Hey, all you guys in the light blue outfits. Stand in front of plain white wall and make benefit the glorious nation of Kazakhstan"
The second most boring photo goes to Liquigas. It's all perfectly fine, but I expect more from an Italian team than a boring background and some photoshopped stripes to add some flair.
Movistar looks like they are lounging around in their team kits at upscale movie theater with its long red velvet curtains. Rather ridiculous but I can appreciate the classy venue.
The Movistar location is the type of setting that I have come to expect from Liquigas, instead of a white and gray wall. Take the 2009 Liquigas photo, as an example.
Moving back outside, we start with Saxo Bank. While the ocean is not seen in the photo, it is obvious that Saxo is by the ocean. They seem to know what the French teams do not. Even with cloudy skies, the picture still seems brighter and cheerier than Ag2r.
Saxo must have had my old team do the clothing order. I don't know how else to explain not yet having their team kits on time.
Two teams didn't seem to put much thought into their photos. HTC seemed to pick out the nearest open patch of grass and figured that was good enough. Hell, they didn't even bother to rake up all the dead leaves. I wouldn't doubt if Stapleton pulled out a point and shoot digital camera and took the camera himself.
I give them credit for showing off their national champions front and center. They had an even more prominent spot than the team's superstar, Mark Cavendish. I think that is an indication of why they worked so well together and why they were such a good team.
The Euskaltel photographer probably told the team something with an unnatural amount of K's and Z's. Something like "Zikin eskaileretan eseri eta zure argazkia hartuko dut" and this was the result.
A couple teams decided to show off their team cars. Rabobank makes a tradition of including their team car in their photos. You can tell the same photographer, Cor Vos, does their team photos each year. Compare this year to 2009. Other than having the dreaded high altitude camera angle back in '09, the traits are the same.
Lampre managed to squeeze THREE team cars into their picture. Finding the third car is a little like trying to find Waldo. Seriously, can you find all three cars in less that 5 seconds?
It's like the cars are unwanted intruders plowing through the team. I can't help but be reminded of this.
Speaking of Hoogerland, Vancsoleil takes the Most Ridiculous Photoshop Award. Cofidis was the master of using a really cheesy looking fake background but they are no longer part of the ProTour.
How bad was the background that Vacansoleil felt need to use this god awful fake blue that makes the team appear to be floating in mid air. Awful.
Finally we wrap things up with Team Sky, and their fake black background. This photo is equally ridiculous as Vacansoleil. The glow in the dark, Tron-like look is so sublimely ridiculous it is almost, I said almost, cool.
Of course, having Brad Wiggins on the team negates any possible cool factor.
First, I wish to publically shame Garmin, Katusha, Leopard and RadioShack for refusing to submit a tean photo. SHAME!!!
This year's photos were rather standard fare. Nothing outrageous. The one trend that, mercilessly, seemed to fade away was the extreme overhead shot.
I'll start this years review with Omega Pharma-Lotto and BMC. Both teams were similar with rather formal and symmetrical team lineups in front of a building.
Look at the size difference of some riders on Omega Pharma. In the first standing row, the 3rd man from the left is a tiny little fellow. While the man on the far right looks like a dumpy Cat 4 racer.
Also, most teams tend to show off their national champions. However, Omega Pharma seemed somewhat ashamed of their Finnish champion. I believe they looked at a map of Europe and saw Finland in the far upper right of the map and figured that would a good, out of the way place to stick their man.
I'm not sure what to say about BMC. Maybe it is BMC's Swiss heritage, but they are all so very precise. Like a Swiss watch.
The "stand in front of a wall" photo is a common theme with teams. There is always one or two teams each year with similar photos. For instance, Quick-Step back in 2007
And speaking of Quick Step, they followed BMC's lead by using a little water as a reflective feature. As the season wore on, you would have thought that water in that dried up fountain was as deep as the ocean in the background as Quick Step floundered around, doing very little all season.
While Quick Step had the ocean peeking into view, Ag2r was this year's obligatory oceanside photo. One or two of the French teams can always be counted on to be by the ocean. Yet, it is rarely a nice ocean view. They skies typically look overcast, dark and somewhat ominous. This year's photo is not so bad but there seems to be artificial lighting trying to brighten up the scene. Ag2r probably uses a lot of artificial lighting to try and make their performances look better than they really are. Can't they shoot something on the Cote d'Azur on a bright sunny day?
Three teams chose to do their team photo inside.
The award for the most boring team photo has to go to Astana. "Hey, all you guys in the light blue outfits. Stand in front of plain white wall and make benefit the glorious nation of Kazakhstan"
The second most boring photo goes to Liquigas. It's all perfectly fine, but I expect more from an Italian team than a boring background and some photoshopped stripes to add some flair.
Movistar looks like they are lounging around in their team kits at upscale movie theater with its long red velvet curtains. Rather ridiculous but I can appreciate the classy venue.
The Movistar location is the type of setting that I have come to expect from Liquigas, instead of a white and gray wall. Take the 2009 Liquigas photo, as an example.
Moving back outside, we start with Saxo Bank. While the ocean is not seen in the photo, it is obvious that Saxo is by the ocean. They seem to know what the French teams do not. Even with cloudy skies, the picture still seems brighter and cheerier than Ag2r.
Saxo must have had my old team do the clothing order. I don't know how else to explain not yet having their team kits on time.
Two teams didn't seem to put much thought into their photos. HTC seemed to pick out the nearest open patch of grass and figured that was good enough. Hell, they didn't even bother to rake up all the dead leaves. I wouldn't doubt if Stapleton pulled out a point and shoot digital camera and took the camera himself.
I give them credit for showing off their national champions front and center. They had an even more prominent spot than the team's superstar, Mark Cavendish. I think that is an indication of why they worked so well together and why they were such a good team.
The Euskaltel photographer probably told the team something with an unnatural amount of K's and Z's. Something like "Zikin eskaileretan eseri eta zure argazkia hartuko dut" and this was the result.
A couple teams decided to show off their team cars. Rabobank makes a tradition of including their team car in their photos. You can tell the same photographer, Cor Vos, does their team photos each year. Compare this year to 2009. Other than having the dreaded high altitude camera angle back in '09, the traits are the same.
Lampre managed to squeeze THREE team cars into their picture. Finding the third car is a little like trying to find Waldo. Seriously, can you find all three cars in less that 5 seconds?
It's like the cars are unwanted intruders plowing through the team. I can't help but be reminded of this.
Speaking of Hoogerland, Vancsoleil takes the Most Ridiculous Photoshop Award. Cofidis was the master of using a really cheesy looking fake background but they are no longer part of the ProTour.
How bad was the background that Vacansoleil felt need to use this god awful fake blue that makes the team appear to be floating in mid air. Awful.
Finally we wrap things up with Team Sky, and their fake black background. This photo is equally ridiculous as Vacansoleil. The glow in the dark, Tron-like look is so sublimely ridiculous it is almost, I said almost, cool.
Of course, having Brad Wiggins on the team negates any possible cool factor.
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