2016 'PRO' cycling discussion.

[nathanong87]

all that article means is that JD's agent is stirring the pot so that JD can get the most moneys from giant and resign . happens in football all the time eh? 'so and so is 'in talks' with so and so'. =D

[ultyguy]

I read a small interview from him on the Kittel one which sounded a bit more like a bad marriage but if he loses Degenkolb too, questions would have to be asked. Cancellara rode on plenty of winning/contending teams without issue so otherwise might just be cash.
http://cyclingtips.com/2015/10/without- ... ambitions/

My beef is that they took such a wait and see approach on a finger injury with a massive talent like Degenkolb. He freaking won MSR and Roubaix in the same year.


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[Sacke]

LeDuke- yeah, total gestapo tactics, really horrid

More Giant-Alpecin idiocy....waiting to see if Degenkolb will be ok before offering him a contract. Who ever is in charge there is about to lose 2 of the best young prospects in 2 years due to horrid management and timing. Should be fired.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/trek-se ... -hesitate/

I think they will build the team around Dumoulin. If Kruijswijk can win the Giro, then Dumoulin can go for the Tour in the next years (after what he showed at the Vuelta 2015)

I would like to read a long interview with Spekenbrink

Since last year, I have been waiting for Kruijswijk to get the chance to really show what he is good for. Last years display agains Aru and Contador, when Kruijswijk probably surprised himself with how well he was able to ride against the best in the world, was very promising. This year we see what proper preparation can do.

The French commentators on Bein sport wondered why Kruijswijk hadn't been given proper domestiques for the Giro. I suppose the choice is to leave Kruijswijk with a second tier team around him, and give Gesink the best riders for the Tour.

Seen the competition at the Tour, I can't help but to wonder if that is the smart choice. It's not like Gesink has shown himself to really be able to battle it out against the very best in the world, unless we speak of "Our team got a great top 10 finish".

Yes, Gesink finished 4th in 2010 and 6th in 2015, but that was almost 11 minutes behind Froome. Finishing constantly in the top 20 will give you that kind of result.

Seeing how quickly Kruijswijk was stripped of all team mates today, if that turns out to be his downfall, it might have been smarter to reconsider priorities between the Giro and the Tour.

... of course there is possibility that the leadership of the team never believed that Kruijswijk would really be able to compete against the Nibalis, Valverdes and Zakarins of this season.

[KWalker]

Sagan rumored to go to Astana so he can still ride Speci but avoid having to ride the ViAS.

[KarlC]

Sagan in talks with Astana for 2017

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sagan-i ... -for-2017/

[Calnago]

Whether he rides the Vias or not is independent of the team he's with. Specialized wants him on their bikes, for sure, and is willing to anti up and cover some big dollars of his salary to make sure that happens. I would suspect Sagan, due to his stature, gets the final say but Specialized will definitely trying to "persuade" him to use the tool they want him to be seen on, whatever that is. Maybe they'll "fix" the Vias by next year, or just say... "hey, we made a mistake, the Tarmac's a great bike, aero isn't everything, let's just be glad we have him riding the Big S". Ha. Maybe they'll tell him it's easier to do wheelies with disc brakes as well.

[Rondje]

Since last year, I have been waiting for Kruijswijk to get the chance to really show what he is good for. Last years display agains Aru and Contador, when Kruijswijk probably surprised himself with how well he was able to ride against the best in the world, was very promising. This year we see what proper preparation can do.

The French commentators on Bein sport wondered why Kruijswijk hadn't been given proper domestiques for the Giro. I suppose the choice is to leave Kruijswijk with a second tier team around him, and give Gesink the best riders for the Tour.

Seen the competition at the Tour, I can't help but to wonder if that is the smart choice. It's not like Gesink has shown himself to really be able to battle it out against the very best in the world, unless we speak of "Our team got a great top 10 finish".

Yes, Gesink finished 4th in 2010 and 6th in 2015, but that was almost 11 minutes behind Froome. Finishing constantly in the top 20 will give you that kind of result.

Seeing how quickly Kruijswijk was stripped of all team mates today, if that turns out to be his downfall, it might have been smarter to reconsider priorities between the Giro and the Tour.

... of course there is possibility that the leadership of the team never believed that Kruijswijk would really be able to compete against the Nibalis, Valverdes and Zakarins of this season.

I think the team is pretty fair compared to what LottoNL Jumbo has as riders. They have a strong classics team and some average climbers to support the 3 top climbers (Kelderman, Gesink, Kruijswijk). He has Bataglin and Roglic and in lesser Castelijns and Tankink in support. But Kelderman (who is the leader in the TDF this year) won't have much more. Gesink as Domestique (wants to go for stages as Olympics test) and then Lindeman, maybe Bennet and then some Dutch young talents. Not much different from the Giro team I think. And for Kruijswijk they (and Kruijswijk himself) probably set a top 5 as goal and not expecting to get in Pink. Even if he had some more climbers, I think they won't be able to compete with the bigger teams as they don't have the money to get heavy hitters as support riders.

What I believe to be the main problem is that the team wants to focus on all 3 disciplines with a sprint team for Hofland/Groenewegen, a classic team for Vanmarcke and then climbers to support Gesink/Kelderman/Kruijswijk. Even the richest teams can't compete in all 3 disciplines, so it's not smart for a team with a smaller budget to try it. But they panicked a bit after the bad results (late first and very few wins) last year so they want some easy wins with sprints in lesser races.

I think they should keep the focus on the Classics and the Climbers/GC. Maybe keep 1 sprinter who can ride his own way with out lead out, but no train, and the GC riders with some support but also with the ability to go for stages incase the GC doesn't go as planned. Which is something none of the 3 are good at, and the previous ones (Ten Dam, Mollema) also weren't really good in stages.

Edit: Oh and the TDF is a lot more populair under most of the Dutch people. The Giro is more for the real cycling fans and only gets populair when it's in our own country or when a Dutchy gets a chance to win (same with the Vuelta last year). The national broadcaster only bought broadcasting rights for the start and the weekends and we have to follow it on Eurosport of Sporza (Belgium). So it might be true that there are better riders in the Tour because it gives the team (Sponsors) more air time in the Netherlands.

[petepeterson]

You guys see nibs riding the massive big-big cross gear before he had the mechanical. I noticed it because he was going up 8% or whatever.... but it looked like it contributed to the issue. It looks badass big ringing up 8% for 30 mins but why you doing that nibs. Also isn't there more friction when you cross gear?

[rainerhq]

No discussion about Chaves´ses helmet today?

[pastronef]

No discussion about Chaves´ses helmet today?

same helmet was used in camo paint by Ewan few days ago



the back holes for air flow seem to be closed by something

[Sacke]

The French commentators on Bein sport wondered why Kruijswijk hadn't been given proper domestiques for the Giro. I suppose the choice is to leave Kruijswijk with a second tier team around him, and give Gesink the best riders for the Tour.

Seen the competition at the Tour, I can't help but to wonder if that is the smart choice. It's not like Gesink has shown himself to really be able to battle it out against the very best in the world, unless we speak of "Our team got a great top 10 finish".

I think the team is pretty fair compared to what LottoNL Jumbo has as riders. They have a strong classics team and some average climbers to support the 3 top climbers (Kelderman, Gesink, Kruijswijk). He has Bataglin and Roglic and in lesser Castelijns and Tankink in support. But Kelderman (who is the leader in the TDF this year) won't have much more. Gesink as Domestique (wants to go for stages as Olympics test) and then Lindeman, maybe Bennet and then some Dutch young talents. Not much different from the Giro team I think. And for Kruijswijk they (and Kruijswijk himself) probably set a top 5 as goal and not expecting to get in Pink. Even if he had some more climbers, I think they won't be able to compete with the bigger teams as they don't have the money to get heavy hitters as support riders.

What I believe to be the main problem is that the team wants to focus on all 3 disciplines with a sprint team for Hofland/Groenewegen, a classic team for Vanmarcke and then climbers to support Gesink/Kelderman/Kruijswijk. Even the richest teams can't compete in all 3 disciplines, so it's not smart for a team with a smaller budget to try it. But they panicked a bit after the bad results (late first and very few wins) last year so they want some easy wins with sprints in lesser races.

I think they should keep the focus on the Classics and the Climbers/GC. Maybe keep 1 sprinter who can ride his own way with out lead out, but no train, and the GC riders with some support but also with the ability to go for stages incase the GC doesn't go as planned. Which is something none of the 3 are good at, and the previous ones (Ten Dam, Mollema) also weren't really good in stages.

Edit: Oh and the TDF is a lot more populair under most of the Dutch people. The Giro is more for the real cycling fans and only gets populair when it's in our own country or when a Dutchy gets a chance to win (same with the Vuelta last year). The national broadcaster only bought broadcasting rights for the start and the weekends and we have to follow it on Eurosport of Sporza (Belgium). So it might be true that there are better riders in the Tour because it gives the team (Sponsors) more air time in the Netherlands.

Good points...

When looking at the groups more in detail, he wasn't the only leader that was isolated early.

I really like Kruiswijk. There is a calmness about him that already was visible last year.

The way he pulls back attacks by switching to higher gear and standing up with slow cadence is in such a stark contrast to other spinners.

It might almost be comical to see a simultaneous acceleration from Froome and Kruiswijk... one spinning away at 110-120, while the other just puts the hammer down at 60-70 rpm.

Anyways... on a side note. What were Kruiswijks pre-Giro odds for winning it? I tried to find the information, but found mainly current odds. (Didn't look long or hard)

[ultyguy]

125-1 apparently. Met him at the Tour in 2012 w Rabobank he was just coming back from prefermoral surgery. He was scary skinny in person.


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[Rondje]

I found this on the twitter of ammattipyöräily from 3rd of may

[Tomstr]

Still big ringing it

[prendrefeu]

That doesn't look like his wife... maybe the angle?