Disgruntledgoat
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In what circumstance would you expect a 22 year old climber to overcome the best classics riders in the world on a classics course?
Cycling thread
- Thread starter Bruce Wayne
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In what circumstance would you expect a 22 year old climber to overcome the best classics riders in the world on a classics course?
Incidentally, I've always found it tough to stay up for the World's, and to an extent Lombardy as well. It's a very long season and even the Vuelta can often feel like an afterthought or a chance to salvage a bad season.
so you make bold statements about them turning up, but then you only expect ineos riders to turn up when it absolutely suits them? keep moving those goalposts.
2018 wasn't so far from suiting froome and thomas though, excuses excuses
Short punchy climbs seem to suit them well. Dunno, maybe Adam is more that kind of rider than Simon these days.
sbbefc
Player Valuation: £30m
I love the World's, less so Lombardy. It's nice to see them in slightly less garish national kit if anything.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I get around this by skipping the Vuelta
Did a bit of research and Thomas has done 53 days of racing this season, which given that's his season probably over now is pretty poor. I wonder if he's on the Wiggins path now of winning it once, being usurped by a younger rider and will mess around for a few years before retirement?
Saying that though, Bernal has only done 57 days racing. I vaguely recall the 'norm' tending to be 80-90 days racing per season, so quite a bit down on that for both of them.
Saying that though, Bernal has only done 57 days racing. I vaguely recall the 'norm' tending to be 80-90 days racing per season, so quite a bit down on that for both of them.
sbbefc
Player Valuation: £30m
Finishing second in the tour is no mean feat, but yeah I see what you mean. It's disappointing as a fan of his. I'm hoping they give him the Giro and he makes a good fist of it.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
Had some time out injured in there as well.
sbbefc
Player Valuation: £30m
*bad idea
True. Still seems a shift from the Froome method of using the Vuelta as good post-Tour prep for the following season. Both Bernal and Thomas have pretty much finished after the Tour. Bernal I can forgive a bit more because he did well in some 1 week races as well, but Thomas could surely have got himself in shape for a home Worlds.
Think it's been a below par year for Ineos in general. Only Kwia did anything in the classics, with 18th and 21st in Flanders and Roubaix, before 10th in Liege. Well off the pace in the Giro and utterly awful in the Vuelta. Only the Tour has really saved their season.
Compare that to Quickstep, who won MSR and PR, were 2nd in Flanders, did incredibly well in the Tour, and won 5 stages of the Vuelta (with 8 GT stages overall). Even Movistar won the Giro, 2nd in the Vuelta and had I think 6th in the Tour. Jumbo podiumed in all three GTs, with 1st in the Vuelta. All have had better seasons imo than Ineos.
Indeed, of the big riders on the team (in terms of UCI points), only Bernal has improved on last year. Froome's has obviously been nowhere near because of his injury, but Thomas, Kwia and Moscon are all about 50% down on last year. Moscon is a whopping 78% down.
Interestingly, for most of their existence they've averaged around 40 wins per season on the World Tour. This year they've mustered 8 thus far!
Indeed, of the big riders on the team (in terms of UCI points), only Bernal has improved on last year. Froome's has obviously been nowhere near because of his injury, but Thomas, Kwia and Moscon are all about 50% down on last year. Moscon is a whopping 78% down.
Interestingly, for most of their existence they've averaged around 40 wins per season on the World Tour. This year they've mustered 8 thus far!
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Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I think they're really in transition at the moment... a lot of guys aren't what they were, a lot of talent is still developing and a lot are leaving too.
But then a 1-2 in the Tour papers over a lot of cracks.