Teams & Riders Cian Uijtdebroeks - From the wetlands to the top of cycling

[Unchained]

Donkey duty for whom and for what? Pulling for Benoot who is leaving the team anyway to get dropped by 10 guys? Just let them all do their thing and let the race decide. Benoot, Valter, Uijtdebroeks, Nordhagen... letting them all race to their own abilities will be more interesting for Visma than going all in for one leader who is never going to win from such a strategy of having the entire team work for him.
Their best bet is actually to TRY and put as many guys as possible in the final of the race and hope they can play it tactically. It's not like they have the race favorite here.

If Cian is part of a season finale, maybe he fits into a Vuelta blitz but it's strange that he can't put together a physical and mental problem free months.. Vingegaard likely to need some support, personally I don't see Cian as part of that team

 

[CyclistAbi]

Lets hope for a decent performance.

 

[Earns1985]

He is also scheduled for the Tour de L'Ain next week. Then Czech Tour could be the next option..

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's after the Tour de France and before the Vuelta a Espana.

There won't be a single Visma rider prepared to be in contention at San Sebastian. Their budget isn't endless.

Not after they've paid fees to buy riders who are under contract out of contract, before their CEO starts whining about how the sport doesn't give enough money to teams to let them buy riders they want, who are already under contract, out of their contracts.

 

[Berniece]

Great race on a course that’s not suited for him. A shame they don’t send him to the Vuelta

 

[Netserk]

Great race on a course that’s not suited for him. A shame they don’t send him to the Vuelta

What could he possibly gain from that? They are rightly far more careful now after last year, and if he finishes this season fresh and healthy he can build a proper base for next season.

 

[Berniece]

What could he possibly gain from that? They are rightly far more careful now after last year, and if he finishes this season fresh and healthy he can build a proper base for next season.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his base, he kept training throughout winter and the season. If he would collapse like Evenepoel then sure no reason to ride Vuelta. But if he’s in good form he can ride top 10 again. Might be good for his mental health

 

[Netserk]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his base, he kept training throughout winter and the season. If he would collapse like Evenepoel then sure no reason to ride Vuelta. But if he’s in good form he can ride top 10 again. Might be good for his mental health

He'd not even be among the three best climbers on Visma's team, so he won't get to ride for GC.

 

[Berniece]

He'd not even be among the three best climbers on Visma's team, so he won't get to ride for GC.

If he rides like in 2023, and the rest of Visma rides like they did at the TDF. He’s 2nd or 3rd best

 

[Netserk]

If he rides like in 2023, and the rest of Visma rides like they did at the TDF. He’s 2nd or 3rd best

Why would you assume that?

 

[Berniece]

Why would you assume that?

Which one of the three assumptions?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He'd not even be among the three best climbers on Visma's team, so he won't get to ride for GC.

Depends on whether he is completely recovered and in form, surely. He could be 2nd best, he could be 8th best.

But after the previous two times when they "knew" what was wrong with him and "fixed" the issue, i'm not exactly confident this time will be any better. If they had some way of knowing they eliminated the problem with absolute certainty, i would also send him to the Vuelta, as he did have a normal season build up. But if they are still grasping at straws, i would not send him and prep him for next year as you suggested.

 

[theyoungest]

Great race on a course that’s not suited for him. A shame they don’t send him to the Vuelta

Yes, he's done one race where he's not completely cr.p. Let's immediately destroy him and send him to a grand tour.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yes, he's done one race where he's not completely cr.p. Let's immediately destroy him and send him to a grand tour.

Not completely crap? I would never have thought he would finish top 10. But it appears that is merely "not completely crap". I assume outside top 10 would be completely crap?

If they are completely certain they solved the issue, there is no reason not to send him. But after their previous wifs with Uijtdebroeks, i believe they are no longer as confident in their own analysis as they were in the past. In which case he shouldn't go. It would be highly hilarious if they send him to the Giro again next year, to find out they fixed nothing.

 

[AlfaLum]

There is a reason not to send him. The goal this year was to learn to win in the pro peloton. He is not going to do that in the Vuelta with this build-up not even when they have full confidence they fixed the issue.

So better for him to go to races like Ain, Czech, Slovaquie and then the italian autumn races to go into the buildup for 2026.

 

[Red Rick]

"Learning to win" is silly thing, there's nothing to be gained from beating up club riders using the most basic tactic of "lol just be much stronger than everyone else".

That's not that I disagree with not going to the Vuelta. He should take it slow. If you're gonna go to top level races, go to the big Italian fall classics at the end of the year, and if you're still fresh, throw Guanxhi in there.

 

[Berniece]

Yes, he's done one race where he's not completely cr.p. Let's immediately destroy him and send him to a grand tour.

Yeah that’s true, he can just ride some smaller stage races with enough climbs. Like tour de l’ain this week

 

[AlfaLum]

"Learning to win" is silly thing, there's nothing to be gained from beating up club riders using the most basic tactic of "lol just be much stronger than everyone else".

That's not that I disagree with not going to the Vuelta. He should take it slow. If you're gonna go to top level races, go to the big Italian fall classics at the end of the year, and if you're still fresh, throw Guanxhi in there.

I think of you come from a situation where Cian has been for these past 1,5 years it will help your confidence a lot even if you win on a lower level.

 

[theyoungest]

Not completely crap? I would never have thought he would finish top 10. But it appears that is merely "not completely crap". I assume outside top 10 would be completely crap?

With "not completely crap" I mean: when the going gets tough he manages to hang on rather than immediately drop like a stone. Today he had the level you could sort of expect from him. But he hasn't had that for very long, so I assume they're going to be very careful to keep it that way.

 

[Rackham]

His problem isn't hanging with the best (or being in the vicinity) on one day in a hilly or mountain stage. It's being consistently good over a number of successive days.

Send him to Burgos to see where he's at. It'll say way more than today's race regarding his level.