• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Bahrain

Page 20 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Well I called that wrong. Three riders in the top 7 on the stage and 3 of the top 15 on GC, all without their leader. Clearly they spent most of their week riding within themselves ot service Landa, and have now been cut loose. Caruso strolling home from around 67kms out having apparently peaked at the Giro almost 4 months ago.

Do we know what Bahrain's budget is in comparison to some of the bigger teams? Are guys like Mader and Haig on big money?
 
Well I called that wrong. Three riders in the top 7 on the stage and 3 of the top 15 on GC, all without their leader. Clearly they spent most of their week riding within themselves ot service Landa, and have now been cut loose. Caruso strolling home from around 67kms out having apparently peaked at the Giro almost 4 months ago.

Do we know what Bahrain's budget is in comparison to some of the bigger teams? Are guys like Mader and Haig on big money?

I think Caruso just came in undercooked, he was trying to hold on but got dropped early and Haig was improving after injury. I think their performance today will look ordinary compared to what they will doing in the second half of the race.
 
It's hilarious how they had their "GC leader" bonk right at the beginning of a 15km climb and they could afford to have two other guys going for GC on their own finishing in the top 7 on the stage with Padun solo pacing Landa up the whole climb all while their breakaway guy soloes away for the win from 70km out.
I somewhat wonder about Landa and whether he is actually fairly undoped or just cannot get proper training/nutrition/tactics down. He is an enigma no matter which way I look at it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHAD0W93
Could Haig better O'connor and finish on the podium is fascinating for me, mate. If he does that i will walk down to the servo with a busted plugger and later go to stubbies n singlets Party with a jim beam ...mate and later have a oporto's, mate.
 
I'm not sure what the plan was for him this Vuelta; he was used quite early on Pícon Blanco (but was still 17th on the stage) and obviously came to the Vuelta in at least decent form, but he was very poor on stage 6 and especially 7. Did he let go after clearly not having the legs to be a co-captain, did he suffer from the heat, something else physically or chemically?

In any case he was already far better on Velefique, so I think at this point that he is just saving himself and taking it as easy as possible, only to strike a few times in the last week.
 
I'm not sure what the plan was for him this Vuelta; he was used quite early on Pícon Blanco (but was still 17th on the stage) and obviously came to the Vuelta in at least decent form, but he was very poor on stage 6 and especially 7. Did he let go after clearly not having the legs to be a co-captain, did he suffer from the heat, something else physically or chemically?

In any case he was already far better on Velefique, so I think at this point that he is just saving himself and taking it as easy as possible, only to strike a few times in the last week.
Santi Padun will strike hard in the 3rd week.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Krzysztof_O
Padun has been this rider his whole career. An absolute beast on occasional days and then a complete nobody for most of the season. He has taken it to a different level this year, but I wasn't sure it would translate to being a GT rider or anything. And it clearly doesn't.

I agree with you on Mader, a huge leap in performance from his Qhubeka days. Haig has been a solid climber for some time now. He has certainly improved at Bahrain but I kinda expected more before the Vuelta (from the whole team actually).
 
Padun has been this rider his whole career. An absolute beast on occasional days and then a complete nobody for most of the season. He has taken it to a different level this year, but I wasn't sure it would translate to being a GT rider or anything. And it clearly doesn't.

I agree with you on Mader, a huge leap in performance from his Qhubeka days. Haig has been a solid climber for some time now. He has certainly improved at Bahrain but I kinda expected more before the Vuelta (from the whole team actually).
A team that starts with Landa, Caruso, Poels, Padun, Tratnik, Mader, Haig, Arashiro is one of the strongest I've ever seen. Think we all expected more from Mikel, Mark and Damiano
 

TRENDING THREADS