So what you are saying is that the biggest bully doesn't always win this race?After bullying the rest for the whole race this is how JV powerhouses looked at the end. Moment of the decade so far.
The one and only.Hang on, Lefevre leaves at home the French champion, the world champion and most popular rider in France, and the guy who can be the most successful stage winner of all time. But he cares about bringing the Danes because he wants a 'good image'? Ok...
Sénéchal is not just part of the sprint train, though, he can survive some hills that will throw out Jakobsen. I don't like the guy much and for my cq team at least Bagioli, if successful, would be a good thing. But don't you think it's a bit weird to not have the French champion who's in really good form at the Tour?Have you guys seen the route for this race? To me it makes absolute sense that QuickStep bring some guys for the tough terrain like Honoré and Bagioli and don't go all-in on a sprint train. French jersey or not. I don't buy that it's a question of nationality.
Imagine the strength of a team from riders not selected by Lefevre:Hang on, Lefevre leaves at home the French champion, the world champion and most popular rider in France, and the guy who can be the most successful stage winner of all time. But he cares about bringing the Danes because he wants a 'good image'? Ok...
That's a beautiful picture.View: https://twitter.com/AlpecinDCK/status/1541469709622820864
no sprint train, you say?!
Krieger seems to turn into some kind of GT specialist. Third one in the row, not much else in between
On the other hand, thinking about it, don't Andersen's fairy tales usually end badly for the protagonists?That's a beautiful picture.
Well Quintana looked nowhere near a GC contender at Occitanie, despite the best efforts of Edet and Ries. And there's three stages in Arkea's home region of Brittany. Looks like they've gone for a team focussed on those and the Danish stages. I'll be cheering for them if they rip the race apart.No Gesbert, Edet, Dayer, Bouhanni, Ries, Vauquelin, Anacona, Delaplace, Ledanois (other than in a team car) or Guernalec?
No... Kay and Gerda - from the Snow Queen - makes it back home, and grow up (unless of course you consider growing up a bad ending).On the other hand, thinking about it, don't Andersen's fairy tales usually end badly for the protagonists?
It’s certainly not great for team unity and morale to be implying that some of his colleagues were picked ahead of him for non-sporting reasons.He shouldn't be saying this anyway!
I'd give Senechal a better chance of winning a stage than Honore tbh, and even if you'd lean Honore on that, it's not by enough that Senechal riding around in the national champions jersey doesn't overcome it. He's guaranteed coverage on every stage of the race in that jersey.Have you guys seen the route for this race? To me it makes absolute sense that QuickStep bring some guys for the tough terrain like Honoré and Bagioli and don't go all-in on a sprint train. French jersey or not. I don't buy that it's a question of nationality.
If those 4 are in form, they likely stick with Vlasov up most of a mountain until the top guys start attacking unless there's a ridiculous pace set by Jumbo or Ineos.They go all in with Vlasov while keeping flexibility for chasing breaks and stage wins.
Bora's line-up only lacks an elite mountain domestique, but Kämna, Grossschartner, Konrad and Schachmann should be enough to at least guarantee a couple of riders staying with Aleks in each stage when the peloton is heavily reduced.
In a team sense, yes. JV pretty much dominated that race like Sky used to do and it wasn't funny (even in that TT before Pog). But they got KO-ed at the end.So what you are saying is that the biggest bully doesn't always win this race?
Its only about being there in a high-mountain stage (but realistically - of how much help is a domestique there on the final climb?). Other than that, they will be fine. Konrad and Großschartner already finished two GTs in the top 10. Konrad's form a bit more questionable with a bad Covid infection in winter and a concussion in preperation. But I would say both have the potential to be a top 20 climber here. That should really be good enough. Kämna also usually shows up good to the TdFHe is a solid rider and he has been good over three weeks in the two past editions of the Vuelta, and like you said... he seems to be in great shape.
Still at lets say TDF 2021. That was likely even worse? Looking from such perspective.In a team sense, yes. JV pretty much dominated that race like Sky used to do and it wasn't funny. But they got KO-ed at the end.
Someone usually dies, but it's most often not the protaganists.On the other hand, thinking about it, don't Andersen's fairy tales usually end badly for the protagonists?
First week of the TdF 2021 was great. After the Alps it was basically over so zero GC excitement. In terms of suspense it was way worse than 2020 but at least there was no one-team dominance (which I really don't like in cycling and which makes mountain stages less open and less mano-a-mano).Still at lets say TDF 2021. That was likely even worse? Looking from such perspective.
Instead of the "fair-play" merchant for example...Its a weird thing to say nevertheless. Could probably found a spot for Senechal
Wow, that poster beats that of Alpecin by a fair margin!