2018 PRO thread

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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Rondje
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Rondje

Niki Terpstra to join Direct Energie next year. A really surprising move, not sure if he will get any success there without a strong team playing the perfect protect role behind him.

by Weenie


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Rondje
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Rondje

davidalone wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 5:10 am
I could see them putting together a tour GC team to challlenge Sky. of course then that means no support for Groenewegen, but I hink if they go all in for GC they may have a shot.

Leader: Roglic
Super Domestiques: Krujiswick,Gesink
Climbers: Kuss, Bennet
TT engines: Martin, Van Emden, Lars Boom/Stef Clement
Yet to see if they are willing to bet it all on a good GC. Groenewegen's 2 stages really helped the team to get into the good/winning mood during the TDF. I don't see them using Bennet Kruijswijk and Roglic together in the same GT, as all 3 are capable of riding top 10 / top 5 in one. The team they had now with Gesink and Tolhoek as strong climbers seemed strong enough to do the work in the 3rd week. I think no team will ever beat Sky at their own terrain (the train) so rather get riders who can possibly destroy that train a bit before the final starts. A bit like Kruijswijk did in his Alpe D'huez stage and Gesink got 2 sky riders dropped at his effort on the last mountain stage.

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tymon_tm
Posts: 3651
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:35 pm

by tymon_tm

...or they can do what they did this year, except riding a stronger TTT maybe and assuring their GC guys (because it seems there will more than one again) get safe get safe over first week, perhaps even gain some time on jinxies (like Dumo this year). I agree there's no chance to beat SKY at their own game, but Roglic has proven he's got both legs and cojones, so he can just sit there let them do all the work and wait for a right moment.
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Monkeyfudger
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:26 pm

by Monkeyfudger

^This. You can’t out Sky Sky so why bother, it frustrates the hell out of me seeing Movistar etc trying to set up a train which only ends up giving the Sky Super Doms a break. Call their bluff, smash the breakaways have some balls and forget about 10th like Contador would!

Rondje
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Rondje

Mathieu van der Poel... what a punch. Get's boxed in, rides out of it and still distances everyone with ease. I'd like to see him at Huy next year against Allaphilipe and Valverde, but probably won't be there.

bilwit
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Seattle, WA

by bilwit

Antoine wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:29 am
davidalone wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 5:10 am

I could see them putting together a tour GC team to challlenge Sky.

Leader: Roglic
Super Domestiques: Krujiswick,Gesink
Climbers: Kuss, Bennet
TT engines: Martin, Van Emden, Lars Boom/Stef Clement
Not sure Kruijswijk wants to work for Roglic.
This exactly. He didn't work for Roglic at any point in the race and sometimes rode to his detriment.

djcharlou
Posts: 367
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:59 pm

by djcharlou

Rondje wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 4:29 pm
Mathieu van der Poel... what a punch. Get's boxed in, rides out of it and still distances everyone with ease. I'd like to see him at Huy next year against Allaphilipe and Valverde, but probably won't be there.
Insane how he make opposition look weak ! And when you look so good on a bike it's perfect


Rondje
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Rondje

Willier wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 5:18 pm
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/niki-te ... t-energie/

Did not see that one coming...
Interview on Sporza, Lefevre didn't have the budget for it so couldn't make Terpstra any offer at all.
Interview (in Dutch) https://sporza.be/nl/2018/08/16/lefever ... e-kwestie/

Daniel1975
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:46 pm

by Daniel1975

Did not have or says he doesn't have....? ;-)

beswiss
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:02 pm

by beswiss

It seems to me Lefevere is pretty ruthless in negotiations with his top guys, especially when they're ageing. (except Boonen maybe but his value in Belgium for sponsors was huge, even at the end of his career.)
He clearly doesn't want to give Terpstra what he can get somewhere else (especially at age 34, and his marketing value in the Netherlands must be down with all the Dutch GC guys now.)
This has happened many times at QS. Martin, Kittel, Cav ...
Gilbert got a lowish Base salary when he came but with huge bonuses for wins.
C'dale SuperSix Evo Sram Red, Cube Agree GTC Race SL, Granville MTB XT

CrankAddictsRich
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Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:39 pm
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by CrankAddictsRich

Daniel1975 wrote:
Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:38 pm
Did not have or says he doesn't have....? ;-)
Well, he is supposedly looking for money too... so maybe the money wasn't there or maybe Terpstra saw the writing on the wall.

Rondje
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:46 pm
Location: Netherlands

by Rondje

After Geschke, Sunweb also loses Ten Dam to BMC CCC. Not the strongest climber anymore, but it seems like Sunweb loses all their experienced riders and only bringing young talent in.
I'm surprised by Ten Dam's move, would have expected him to stay with Sunweb till the end of his career.

Wookski
Posts: 1416
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:51 am

by Wookski

Rondje wrote:
Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:18 am
After Geschke, Sunweb also loses Ten Dam to BMC CCC. Not the strongest climber anymore, but it seems like Sunweb loses all their experienced riders and only bringing young talent in.
I'm surprised by Ten Dam's move, would have expected him to stay with Sunweb till the end of his career.
CCC are flush! Buying the right dudes to convince a GC contender they’re serious

by Weenie


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jorryt
Posts: 124
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:37 am

by jorryt

Next news from ccc will be that they are signing Dumoulin ;)

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