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He is not. But the argument with 2 GT top 10s should at least mention that it was a 1 and 2 at the TdF.
It's very cool to diss GT. But the haters will still never reach the coolness of his sunglasses.
The big surprise for me is no Dennis in the lineup. Top form and motivated Dennis would be of much value. But OK as we don't have an insight. We have to trust they made the right decision. Rogla likely to be exposed again in bunch sprint stages.
P.S. Maybe Dennis to undergo Vuelta this year and to prove his value over there. Rogla will use Tour as preparation for Vuleta anyway. Considering he is in a decline. Like a fading candle. A candle in an abandoned and windy warehouse packed with explosives.
P.S. Maybe Dennis to undergo Vuelta this year and to prove his value over there. Rogla will use Tour as preparation for Vuleta anyway. Considering he is in a decline. Like a fading candle. A candle in an abandoned and windy warehouse packed with explosives.
Looking at Dennis IG. He confirmed he got Covid and has some symptoms. But nothing too serious. Still this likely was a factor in the decision.
Not at all, at least I expected him to be in the line-up.
He has been a lock as a key support member for Van Aert throughout the entire season and it was expected and announced he would be given more dedicated domestiques. Plus, his job will also be valuable for the GC captains of the team.
In regards to dedicated domestique(s) i would say that van Aert got Laporte. This was in my opinion expected. The rest of the team is more or less GC oriented. Hooydonck to step in Dennis shoes. As someone capable of pulling and controlling the peloton on those long and endless (straight) sections. Likely to finish his job a tad sooner then Dennis would when hitting some slopes. Not necessarily to be there anymore at the end of the stage. But still indeed this could account as benefiting van Aert too. If and when needed. A bit of an unknown is the form of Kuss. If he is in good form then JV is ready to take on anybody. Considering the form Roglič, Vingegaard and Kruijswijk are in. And i expect for Benoot to fine tune his form just in time for the Tour to start.
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I guess they want the green jersey for Wout more than the yellow. Because Dennis would more than likely be a mountain domestique for Rogla and Vingegaard. Quite a complex set of objectives and leaders in Jumbo to mix together. Going to be difficult to pull off I think.
Meanwhile UAE is simple, it's all in for Pogacar, he has 7 helpers dedicated just to him.
I think no Dennis probably now tips the opening 13km ITT a bit more towards Ineos and Gaana able to take yellow into the most-unpredictable cross-wind and cobbles, so a slight advantage there being in yellow and first team car. Saying that, if RogPog come into the race like Armstrong used to the Jumbo train will no doubt keep the race more collective for Wout and sprints, so will be interesting. The first week excites me more than Alps this year for GC anyway.
Dani Martinez (the "h" is silent and invisible)
The whole Wout for Green stuff still sounds nuts to me. Having him ride for himself on a few stages is fine, but actually targetting Green while having 2 top class GT riders on the team is brave, to say the least...
What's next, you also put Dumoulin on the team and allow him to ride for himself?
Its Belgium having almost football like media about cycling. And Roglic being buddy buddy with Van Aert.
They know Pogacar will probably be stronger than both Roglic and Vingegaard regardless and the rest of the field will probably be weaker. They also know Van Aert will not stay long-term without giving him the opportunities that pretty much any other team would give the second-best rider in the world. Think it's less bravery and more something that's either pragmatism or indecisiveness, depending on how you look at it.
According to Ellingworth & Thomas, it's Martinez and Yates as leaders, Thomas basically approaching it more like 2018 to 'see what happens'. Thomas probably at his best just there without pressure to win/attack and just grind away being consistently high placed.
I guess it's about certainties. Sponsors & investors like betting on certain wins & WvA brings that.
It's up to Roglic to bend that team to serve his own interests & the only way he can do that is match Pogacar on the first real mountain summit finishes. If he's close to yellow (or in yellow), then just like 2020 when Dumoulin started serving him (aka Dumoulin who was named as one of the leaders before the TdF), the same should happen in 2022. Imagine Roglic winning the Alpe D'Huez? At least 6 of his teammates would then go to work for him (including Jonas).
I'm not saying there isn't a huge amount of danger here (there is, especially in the first week when the team will be split between helping WvA & protecting two GC riders), but this is the compromise Roglic has to make in his career (& hence why he's still at TJV): ride for a super strong team even though they're not 100% behind him at the start of the TdF.
He could go to a team like EF (as Carapaz is doing), but then he wouldn't have that one moment when WvA does a monster pull which might make the difference. I also think that's why he says nothing when Wout van Aert announces his personal targets, i.e. because he wants to be "on his side" & receive a Paris-Nice like favor when it really, really matters.
Dennis would make the team if he was fit. But he had to leave altitude camp early due to chronic stomach/intestinal issues, was absolute garbage in Suisse and then got Covid on top of that. So he is out of form. And in-form Van Hooydonck is more useful than the out of form Dennis.
And Nathan proved his worth both in the classics for WvA and last year in the Vuelta where he succesfuly sheparded Roglič through all the risky situations. So I expect Laporte to be reserved for WvA, but Nathan and Benoot will be there to look after Rogla/Jonas and do the "Tony Martin" work.
Considering Kuss, he seems to be in awesome form, based solely on his riding in Suisse before withdrawal. Plus Kruiswijk and Benoot were both good climbing-wise in the Dauphine. So that part should not be an issue. As long as they don't have off days
No Dennis is a surprise. Is it illness or behind the scenes issues?
Strobng all-round team with several riders able to support the GC efforts in controlling if they have the Yellow Jersey and also back up Wout for Green.
Indeed Van Hooydonck will have a kind of Tim Declerq task during the TdF for JV and will be important for echelons and cobbles in first week.
The JV team is 7 potential stage winners plus Hooydonck. I think there's going to be some friction there if Roglic isn't very close to Pogacar after SPDBF...honestly I think they can win if and only if Roglic is on the form of a lifetime and Vingegaard has a bad day early. I don't see how having them on equal footing going into the mountains helps unless Pogacar is weaker than I think he'll be. But hell, I could be totally wrong.
Van Aert's going to find winning green to be not so easy unless the team's GC hopes evaporate early.
I wouldn't take Dennis even if he were healthy and in form. His motivation is suspect in my book.
Van Aert's going to find winning green to be not so easy unless the team's GC hopes evaporate early.
I wouldn't take Dennis even if he were healthy and in form. His motivation is suspect in my book.
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