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

[ingsve]

If you truly believe you have earned a free role in the Tour after *checking notes*, winning the Tour de l'Ain, you are beyond delusional.

I rather think that he wanted a free role in another GT, which is still a stretch, but in case too many of their GC guys would be injured, you could make a case for that.

Well, since when are riders really that non-delusional when it comes to the Tour?

To play devils advocate, he did finish 8th in the Vuelta and was 5th in the Giro when he had to abandon last year, so perhaps he feels that this is at least his level now that he seems to be past his injury issues.

 

[AmRacer]

Ok so we have only four big teams and the rest sucks. And all riders outside of the four big teams should not have ambition to become GT leaders.

Well if that is your view I am not going to waste my time explaining why I think certain riders are allowed to have decent ambitions.

If you hvae ambitions, it's easier to reach you goals on a bigger team. In any sports.

 

[MLKarlos]

I can't find the quote, but didn't someone at BORA say he was an overrated talent, or something to that effect?

I can remember some Kind of „false apple“ quote

 

[AlfaLum]

If you hvae ambitions, it's easier to reach you goals on a bigger team. In any sports.

Depends on what the ambitions are. It is easier to win a GT in one of the big teams yes for sure.

But for Uijtdebroeks, where he is at now it might be easier to go for a top5/top-10 two times a season in a GT at a team like Movistar compared to Visma.

Is he going to make those top5/top10 places at Movistar? No clue, he has strenghts and weaknesses in that regard.

But in my opinion he has a better chance of achieving it as a captain at Movistar then as a domestique at Visma.

And with Vingegaard taking up two GT captaincy roles a season and Jorgenson, Yates, Van Aert and Brennan all having more claim to leadership roles as well the chances of Cian getting an important role at Visma are just quite small.

 

[Rob5091]

I wish him well, but I hope he talked to Jorgenson before he made his decision.

 

[Peyroteo94]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1733589385210183740

This aged like wine.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Looks like a good decision for all parties imo. Lets see what he can do at Movistar.

 

[veganrob]

What, Movistar couldn't sign Ayuso so they took Cian? Ouch. That won't last either.

 

[Red Rick]

The most funny part is Bora got Roglic and Visma got Cian and some belgian fans said this was a fair and equal trade. Mind blowing!

I didn't read anyone saying that. And it makes no sense either because Roglic moved for a much higher buy out and wage than Blobloblo did.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

He should’ve gone to QuickStep

 

[ingsve]

If you hvae ambitions, it's easier to reach you goals on a bigger team. In any sports.

I guess it depends on what type of rider you are as well. Say you are good enough for top 10 but not good enough to be a leader in a big team then if you are on the big team you might still get top 10 as a domestique but it requires that you are the type that is suited for the domestique role, meaning that you can handle an acceleration or two without getting dropped.

If you are the type of rider who really needs to hold your own pace or the pace of the group and when accelerations happen you often get dropped and continue your own pace and hope to get back up, then it might be better to be in a smaller team where you can get your own pacing help rather than having to be the one who chases attackers down or sets a high pace for a leader only to drop down when you are finished.

 

[Berniece]

He should’ve gone to QuickStep

Budget was probably spend already

 

[AmRacer]

I guess it depends on what type of rider you are as well. Say you are good enough for top 10 but not good enough to be a leader in a big team then if you are on the big team you might still get top 10 as a domestique but it requires that you are the type that is suited for the domestique role, meaning that you can handle an acceleration or two without getting dropped.

If you are the type of rider who really needs to hold your own pace or the pace of the group and when accelerations happen you often get dropped and continue your own pace and hope to get back up, then it might be better to be in a smaller team where you can get your own pacing help rather than having to be the one who chases attackers down or sets a high pace for a leader only to drop down when you are finished.

If you have ambitions but aren't good enough to make them come true....

 

[Samamba]

Budget was probably spend already

And no spots left (big mistake imo with how the market is going right now), they already demoted Desal.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He should’ve gone to QuickStep

The steppers needs to get their classic team in highest gear before taking on a questionable GC rider who might need tons of support.

 

[hrotha]

I hope he's aware no one in his new team is ever going to get his name right

(I mean, that's a joke, but Movistar does have a sketchy record integrating riders from outside the Spanish-speaking world)

 

[Berniece]

And no spots left (big mistake imo with how the market is going right now), they already demoted Desal.

Indeed, with all those teams merging or just quitting a lot of decent riders came on the market. Riders that also could've contributed to their classics approach, and had a bigger future ahead of them than Van Baarle.

 

[danielovichdk2]

I feel sorry for the bloke, because he looked promising stepping into the WT. But there was something off at Bora, and then all the mischief at Visma - alongside pretty much every team member in '24 - has not done him any good. Did you forget how poor Visma was last year ? Everyone was sick. La Porte is still sick. I don't know what happened on that team but something is not right.

But Moviestar is a poor choice IMO, the team is off the rails and has been since ...like forever.

 

[theyoungest]

I feel sorry for the bloke, because he looked promising stepping into the WT. But there was something off at Bora, and then all the mischief at Visma - alongside pretty much every team member in '24 - has not done him any good. Did you forget how poor Visma was last year ? Everyone was sick. La Porte is still sick. I don't know what happened on that team but something is not right.

But Moviestar is a poor choice IMO, the team is off the rails and has been since ...like forever.

Mostly, everyone was injured. Nobody's forgotten how poor Visma were last year, but it seems you've forgotten why. Uijtdebroeks had some kind of physical complaint as well, it seems they never quite figured out what it was but it's not part of some great malaise at Visma... I still think he displays the symptoms of the infamous femoral artery problem that a lot of cyclists have, but it's not been diagnosed as such, AFAIK.

I'm not sure what good switching teams will do, but I don't think Visma will be too sad to see him go... also because they're not exactly the richest team in the world and they seem to be in austerity mode. Uijtdebroeks' manager Alex Carrera has quickly become the Mino Raiola of cycling and he probably saw that there was an opportunity to get another transfer fee.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He should’ve gone to QuickStep

No he shouldn't. He should have gone to lotto. And it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up there at long last.

Anyway, it's clear from Plugge's statement that they had no immediate intention to let him ride the GC races he wants to ride, in the role he wants to ride them in (I assume as either a leader or with a free role) and they both agreed to end it there.

 

[Berniece]

No he shouldn't. He should have gone to lotto. And it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up there at long last.

Anyway, it's clear from Plugge's statement that they had no immediate intention to let him ride the GC races he wants to ride, in the role he wants to ride them in (I assume as either a leader or with a free role) and they both agreed to end it there.

Would be even more difficult. They don't have the budget and have to decide between 60? riders who they want to keep

 

[Cycling111]

I wish him well, but I hope he talked to Jorgenson before he made his decision.

Jorgenson couldn't find a team at first. He tested at several teams, and only Movistar decided to give him a chance.
For that reason, he should have been more considerate when he left the team and not publicly exposed them the way he did.

 

[Samamba]

No he shouldn't. He should have gone to lotto. And it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up there at long last.

Anyway, it's clear from Plugge's statement that they had no immediate intention to let him ride the GC races he wants to ride, in the role he wants to ride them in (I assume as either a leader or with a free role) and they both agreed to end it there.

Pretty obvious Visma didn't really believe in him anymore.

Also he needs like 2 other contract terminations before he ends up at Lotto and by that time Lotto probably doesn't exist anymore lol

 

[pastronef]

well tbf now I'll cheer Cian. Movistar has so many haters in Spain. I want Cian to succeed

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Would be even more difficult. They don't have the budget and have to decide between 60? riders who they want to keep

That wouldn't be an issue for him but for other riders.

Pretty obvious Visma didn't really believe in him anymore.

Also he needs like 2 other contract terminations before he ends up at Lotto and by that time Lotto probably doesn't exist anymore lol

They don't believe in him as a contender in the near future at least, that is clear. Which is what I meant. That in combination with his impatience is enough for a break up.

And yes, lotto won't exist anymore in that form by that time. But for the moment I think they are doing good work with young GC guys and they could send him, Widar, Van Eetvelt... to the same races and let them figure it out on the road.