Re: Re:
Koronin said:
The hope is that he can get better in the longer stages. As he started racing at a bit older age than many, he might be able to improve and be able to be a really good mountain domestique.
Forgot to add the ToC stage (where he was "discovered" by Jumbo Visma), it was a stage of merely 125 km. It's clearly a pattern.
Also, he started road racing in 2015, that's 4 years ago. Before that, he was mountainbiking since he was 17, iirc. So it's not like he was a couchpatato who started cycling before JV signed him. He's been riding a road bike just as long as Wout van Aert, just to name one, (not to mention Evenepoel). I feel he's entering a stage in his carreer (he turns 25 in 2 or 3 months) where you can't keep referring to that as an excuse or explanation for a lack of progress. If it takes him another 4 or 5 years, then why even bother. We should see clear improvements every year. I'm not sure if getting better in longer mountainstages is really in the cards for him, but maybe we'll find out in the Vuelta. It was kind of baffling that he was lower in the pecking order than both Tolhoek and Bouwman in the Giro. Maybe Jumbo Visma have reevaluated his role in the team.
I've been thinking about what type of rider he could be. Maybe a stage hunter in shorter mountain/hilly stages. Or stages with a MTF in an otherwise flat stage. I mean, i feel like making him carry bottles the first 75 km of a stage (mountain or not) is a waste of his talent and is something even a non-climber could do. But on the other hand, you can't rely on him to be there for his leader when *** hits the fan either. I mean, being a stagehunter is a relatively "no-strings-attached" role. No real responsabilities. I think he could definitely be good at it, as he can go for the stages that suit him best, when his legs are up to it. Try again if unsuccessful. Or let him ride lower tier stageraces, like California, Utah, Turkey, Poland...
I see he'll be riding the vuelta. It'll be interesting to see if he can/will improve. Vuelta is usually a little slower, might suit him better.