De Gendt is an amazing rider. I'm curious to see what he'll achive in the TT, and the rest of his career. Only 25, what a guy.
EDIT: especially the balls on him. Not many would dare a thing like that when they're already in a good GC place.
Edited by Ian Butler on 26-05-2012 20:55
Name one time he tried to solo for more than just a few short kms.
Not trying doesn't mean mean that he can't. I remember him being third in Mendrisio after spending several laps in a late break. Not solo but a long effort nonetheless. I refuse to believe a guy can do that but can't attack from 3km out instead of waiting for the last 700m. I'm not asking him to attack from 50 km out.
I don't know if it's been mentioned but Thomas De Gendt won't be riding The Tour this year. He's getting married on the 30th June, which is the start date of The Tour. He booked the wedding 2 years ago as being before the start but the organisers changed the start date to accommodate the Olympics.
So he's focusing on The Giro and The Vuelta. However, he said in Cycle Sport, 'I'm not going to win Paris-Nice or the Dauphine Libere, or other races at that level, but I think a top 10 is possible. The Grand Tours are too hard for me. I will just try to win stages and not race for the GC. It's 21 days, but after 8 days, I am already saying it's enough.'
I wonder if he was bluffing, or if he is now re-evaluating his attitude towards Grand Tours.
He wasn't bluffing, I think.
De Gendt is a rider who doesn't know his own potential yet, no one knows that. He just keeps getting stronger and he keeps surprising us, and himself.
Guido Mukk wrote:
what is Basso and Liquigas future. he will come back every year weaker and weaker as Simoni Androni years?
Liquigas' future will no doubt be interesting. Nibali gone next year and Basso decreasing. That leaves them without any rider with capacity to win a Grand Tour.
I can see them turning into more of a classics / sprints team. They've got some talented youngsters who could develop into top riders in those fields.
Poor old Guardini all that suffering only to be disqualified for holding on to the team car on the last stage...
With regard to Purito I think he knows his strengths well and sticks with the favourites with a little left for an acceleration in the last km. I still would have loved for him to try a little further out to take more time as such a devestating late acceleration makes you wonder how much further he might be able to sustain it for. However, as mentioned above, I suspect he would only have lost time if he started attacking from 5km out as much as I would've loved to have seen what happened if he had tried it.
It is good to see the one man who did go early having a shot at the podium as a result.
Edited by ianrussell on 27-05-2012 00:08
Porte said he wants to lead the team next year here so I doubt Uran will be coming next year. Henao might, but isn't sure of that either. Tour climbs suit him much better as a climber so I wouldn't rule out a place for him at the Tour next year, as well as it promises to be more mountainous than usual
Why anybody should give a s*** about what Porte wants? Oh, I almost forgot. He finished 7th in 2010 Giro because of that big breakaway in stage to L'Aquila. No but seriously if Henao/Uran and Porte both go to same GT then I would choose one of first two as a leader rather than Richie.
Well he did finish 7th no matter how you look at it. And that was 2 years ago. You have to imagine that he could now do better. The three could potentially ride a GT each with a top 10 result.
Guido Mukk wrote:
what is Basso and Liquigas future. he will come back every year weaker and weaker as Simoni Androni years?
Liquigas' future will no doubt be interesting. Nibali gone next year and Basso decreasing. That leaves them without any rider with capacity to win a Grand Tour.
I can see them turning into more of a classics / sprints team. They've got some talented youngsters who could develop into top riders in those fields.
I think next 2-3 years will be a transition period for Liquigas. There are very promising pieces. I think Caruso could emerge as a GT rider with Agnoli and Capecchi as main helpers. But there are also some riders that they could sign, which would fit their program, like Betancour, Masciarelli or Pozzovivo.
I was so disappointed when A&S didn't get an invite. And not because of Garzelli.... but because of Betancourt. Since his breakthrough win in Emilia he has been nothing short of impressive, also in the 2012 season.
He is build like a classics rider but does well in high mountains as well. Very explosive and a rider who can light up a race. Would have fitted much better than Net.App...
Also rather would have seen Coldeportes instead of Rabobank or FDJ
ruben wrote:
I was so disappointed when A&S didn't get an invite. And not because of Garzelli.... but because of Betancourt. Since his breakthrough win in Emilia he has been nothing short of impressive, also in the 2012 season.
He is build like a classics rider but does well in high mountains as well. Very explosive and a rider who can light up a race. Would have fitted much better than Net.App... Also rather would have seen Coldeportes instead of Rabobank or FDJ
siwi wrote:
Think Saxo Bank should be there as the race started in Denmark. Otherwise that would be a massive fail for the race.
Aqua e Sapone is Italian, yet they aren't here either. I don't think the country where the race starts should matter, especially when the race starts in a foreign country.
Well i dont think it would keep fans away from the race as there a lot of other italian teams. Now the whole thing moved to Denmark i think RCS would like to se a lot of fans out there, and they did, but mainly because of Team Saxo Bank imo.
Besides they did really good in first week of the race when you think of how bad there team is. But since then i will agree they kinda sucked.
Edited by siwi on 27-05-2012 01:33
Ian Butler wrote:
De Gendt is an amazing rider. I'm curious to see what he'll achive in the TT, and the rest of his career. Only 25, what a guy.
EDIT: especially the balls on him. Not many would dare a thing like that when they're already in a good GC place.
Cunego won the Giro at age 22. I'm not saying he won't improve but there are riders who simply don't.
As for his courage, he actually had none. He "attacked" to keep a good positions as still has to learn how to do so and things just happened. Having said that, I really liked the fact he won the stage and would be pleased if he wins the Giro.
What an amazing win for De Gendt, wouldn't it be amazing if he somehow won the Giro?
I thought it was almost like no one wanted to win, Pozzovivo went to the front, then just fell off the back, Scarponi tried, all that effort to get 2 seconds to Hesjedal.
Also, Basso is past his prime I think, I kind of felt sorry for him watching him going backwards.
Guido Mukk wrote:
what is Basso and Liquigas future. he will come back every year weaker and weaker as Simoni Androni years?
Liquigas' future will no doubt be interesting. Nibali gone next year and Basso decreasing. That leaves them without any rider with capacity to win a Grand Tour.
I can see them turning into more of a classics / sprints team. They've got some talented youngsters who could develop into top riders in those fields.
I agree and hope for it ,because it would be very stupid to do not support "you know who" in developing into the on of the best riders ever.
And apart from that, they have great young sprinters as you also pointed and talented italian climbers+market could be ful of young clinbing talents.
About Sky,Alakagom are you serious, drunk,or being paid by Sky for marketing?
Now Porte is going to win the Tour or what? And what about Wiggo? But one thing is true and visible,Sky is too good and it is never good for the team to so many great riders,who could compete for the overall+ their usual at least five men supporting Cav (they rather use all eight, which is killing Sky in my eyes,Cav will cause some serious captaincy problem there).
