Best and the Worst Teams at Developing Riders?

[gustienordic]

What teams are the best and worst for a rider to go to for developing? I suppose it also depends on the type of rider:

OPQS I would think would be pretty good at developing classics riders,
Blanco-Belkin is fantastic at creating young stars who peak when they are 24,
Cannondale has done something right with their young Italians (Sagan is just a freak, so he doesn't count)

Lutsenko can't finish races for Astana,
Boswell & Dombrowski haven't done anything either...

 

[maltiv]

BMC are the worst by far at least. Their idea of "developing talents" is not to support them in any way in terms of training/nutrition and throw them into whatever race they find fit with a 1 day warning.

Sky is the best at developing non-talents

 

[Miburo]

Vini and sky are the best.

 

[Netserk]

OPQS is the kiss of death for any climber.

 

[theyoungest]

BMC are the worst by far at least. Their idea of "developing talents" is not to support them in any way in terms of training/nutrition and throw them into whatever race they find fit with a 1 day warning.

Unless they're American. Van Garderen and Phinney are doing very well.

They're the only ones though. They probably have good personal trainers.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Boswell & Dombrowski haven't done anything either...

To be fair this is their first year at the WT level.

Sky (and no doubt other teams) plan on 12 months or so simply to get them up to the required fitness to be useful for the WT.

 

[Netserk]

I'd say Movistar is a good place.

 

[Parrulo]

I'd say Movistar is a good place.

Unzue's approach may be a bit conservative but it certainly is effective.

 

[Pippo_San]

Unzue's approach may be a bit conservative but it certainly is effective.

One should ask Juanjo about it

 

[The Hitch]

Rabobank.

Or so I would have said pre this giro.

also euskaltel aka abarca sports feeder team, ain't bad.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

What teams are the best and worst for a rider to go to for developing? I suppose it also depends on the type of rider:

OPQS I would think would be pretty good at developing classics riders,
Blanco-Belkin is fantastic at creating young stars who peak when they are 24,
Cannondale has done something right with their young Italians (Sagan is just a freak, so he doesn't count)

Lutsenko can't finish races for Astana,
Boswell & Dombrowski haven't done anything either...

Lutsenko has ben sick and injured earlier this year. Today he was good though. Sitting infront of Fuglsang without any problems and finishin 16th

 

[Gloin22]

To be fair this is their first year at the WT level.

Sky (and no doubt other teams) plan on 12 months or so simply to get them up to the required fitness to be useful for the WT.

Exactly. It's funny how many people can't understand such simple logic..

Although gotta be said, Sky didn't develop any great talents from early age yet. Dombro and Boswell will be the first imo, Puccio possibly, however he lacks something imo.

 

[raddone]

Best by far in the last 2 decades Mapei.

 

[maltiv]

Exactly. It's funny how many people can't understand such simple logic..

Although gotta be said, Sky didn't develop any great talents from early age yet. Dombro and Boswell will be the first imo, Puccio possibly, however he lacks something imo.

Dombrowski was climbing with the top pros already last year, this year we haven't seen anything like that. He probably trained a bit harder than he can handle in Mallorca, where he was producing great numbers (only Henao was better in the climbs).

Hopefully they know what they're doing though and when Dombro eventually gets accustomed to the extreme training regime, he'll have the energy to climb with the best again.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Movistar gets my vote (best), but its really just a hunch.

Also I do like some of the things FDJ does.

Worst? Hard to say, some teams are fairly young etc. Is BMC any worse than say Saxo? Dunno.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Exactly. It's funny how many people can't understand such simple logic..

Although gotta be said, Sky didn't develop any great talents from early age yet. Dombro and Boswell will be the first imo, Puccio possibly, however he lacks something imo.

Puccio is lacking a little I agree, but lets see how the latter part of the season develops.

Kennaugh would be a good bet, but his track focus for 2012 gives us no recent data. The step from 2010 to 2011 was certainly in the right direction.

Rowe is trending in the right direction, and Swift has been a little disappointing all told.


Taking riders who were a little older, Thomas and Uran certainly have kept their initial promise moving upwards. (though again Thomas and track focus for 2012).
Thomas had a good run in the White jersey at le Tour in 2010 and 2011 (the latter only losing it waiting on the injured Wiggo).
Uran also white Jersey in 2011, the Young rider at the Giro in 2012, and obviously a fantastic result this year.


I'm on the fence about Henao, until I see him as the designated leader for the team at a race. Has he advanced the way he is supposed to, and has been burning his energy as a domestique too much.

<edit>

And of course Dowsett came along well at Sky, but to really develop further he needed a bit more of a free role and moved on. No way would he have had the freedom to ride the Giro ITT for the win had he been there with Sky.

 

[staubsauger]

Europcar
Androni
FDJ
Garmin
Sky

BMC and Lampre are by far the worst.

 

[Afrank]

Best-Europcar, Cannondale, Movistar, Garmin, FDJ, OPQS (for cobbles)

worst a little harder since most teams seam to have at least a couple guys they have done well with. But I'd say Lampre, Katusha. Although the talented young guys they do have probably need a little more time. Maybe Blanco as well, but they do have Kelderman, Slagter, and Vanmarcke who haven't done too bad this season. Will have to wait and see what else they do in the future.

Can't place BMC or Sky in either category. BMC have done well with Phinney and Tejay. And need to give the youngsters at Sky like Dombro and Boswell a little more time.

 

[Christian]

Sky (and no doubt other teams) plan on 12 months or so simply to get them up to the required fitness to be useful for the WT.

I also think this is the case... next year will be a whole different story (IMO)

 

[IndianCyclist]

OPQS is the kiss of death for any climber.

Unless they are true mountain goats like the Colombians

I place Garmin (GT Stage Racers) & the now defunct HTC(Sprinters) at the top for developing talents. Top 10 at GTs and a number of top sprinters.

 

[Moviefan1203]

BMC are the worst by far at least. Their idea of "developing talents" is not to support them in any way in terms of training/nutrition and throw them into whatever race they find fit with a 1 day warning.

Sky is the best at developing non-talents

Van Garderen and Phinney have been developed very nicely.

 

[asdfgh101]

Lampre have two very bright talents in Malori and Ulissi.

 

[42x16ss]

Unless they are true mountain goats like the Colombians

I place Garmin (GT Stage Racers) & the now defunct HTC(Sprinters) at the top for developing talents. Top 10 at GTs and a number of top sprinters.

It's only early days but I'm not sure about Orica as a place for developing riders. Neil Stephens does have experience but the team structure doesn't seem too organised overall. Bobridge and Goss stagnated, Meyer is inconsistent and Howard seemed to have more promise when he was at HTC.

Will wait and see how the likes of Matthews, Hepburn, Keukeleire and Teklehaimanot go before passing judgement.

Agree that Movistar and Garmin seem solid at developing talent as was HTC. The old Credit Agricole setup seemed ok as well.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

Worst? Hard to say, some teams are fairly young etc. Is BMC any worse than say Saxo? Dunno.

I can't help but think we're being a little bit facetious...

Saxo doesn't take in that many youngsters, and despite an occasional bias towards limited homeland talent they are way up there amoung the best at developing them through the pro ranks. A little reasearch and you would have spoted the relatively high retention rates of young riders despite limited budgets, with GT champions and multiple WC medalists and future stars amoung them.

 

[karlboss]

Saxo? i don't know, the Schlecks, Cancellara, Sastre, Basso, Julich,

It's not a bad list