Edvald Boasson Hagen - How Good Is He

[Anonymous]

worth discussing...

We first noticed this guy in the Tour of Ireland in 2007, last year in the ToBritain it was fairly obvious to everyone how damn good he had the potential to be... (i love the fact that some in the know, ie conmmentators etc are only just noticing him after two years)

Already this year, one classics win, and a stage win in his first major tour...

As im writing this hes being compared on eurosport to Sean Kelly, something we had already considered, and they are talking about him as a rider of the future... Sod the future, he is the present already.. .

Personally i think the guy is suited perfectly for the classics and i would stick my neck out and say he can win the lot...

World championships? depending on the course, i think hes got the potential to get rainbow next year, possibly even the way hes riding this year...

Is he that good.. or does he still have a long way to go..

(and of course, is he going to sky?)

 

[Leopejo]

Despite losing some seconds at the KOM, impressive show today!

 

[Zoncolan]

He's at it again. He'll bury himself for Rogers.

 

[Merckx]

I wonder if a points jersey in the Giro is possible for him this year?

 

[franciep10]

I think he could play that Jens Voigt role or Bettini and probably better at doing it in the future, I agree with dimspace he certainly could win some world championships, and a lot of classics, he is a special rider.

 

[Zoncolan]

Maybe even some week-long stage races. With his strong climbing here, and his power in the TT's, I can see him winning something like Tour de Romandie or Volta a Catalunya.
As for the classics, I wouldn't put any of them past him, save for Ardennes and maybe Giro di Lombardia, though he might have a chance at Amstel Gold even.

The kid is just super strong. I would like to see him sprint from a bunch, to see how fast he can be.

 

[ingsve]

Maybe even some week-long stage races. With his strong climbing here, and his power in the TT's, I can see him winning something like Tour de Romandie or Volta a Catalunya.
As for the classics, I wouldn't put any of them past him, save for Ardennes and maybe Giro di Lombardia, though he might have a chance at Amstel Gold even.

The kid is just super strong. I would like to see him sprint from a bunch, to see how fast he can be.

Giro de Lombardia? Todays stage was the old Lombardia finish so that was certainly within his reach.

 

[marinoni]

Scary good. Between him and Haussler it could be slim pickins for other riders in the classics the next few years. An insanely hot girlfriend too. See Pro Cycling Jan 09 pg 26. Yow!

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder if a points jersey in the Giro is possible for him this year?

optimistic, depends what di luca does in the remaining hills, but then the boy can time trial reasonably well.. i think we could find that out tommoro if it does come to a sprint.. obviously they will be out to get cavvy the stage, but on previous races EbH has traditionally dropped off fairly early.. if he sticks around trying to pick up points then i think maybe columbia think he can...

the guys good.. but points jersey hadnt even occured to me..

 

[Anonymous]

The kid is just super strong. I would like to see him sprint from a bunch, to see how fast he can be.

over 100-300 metres not as quick as some and the all out sprinters can beat him.. get into 300-1k metre territory and he takes off like a rocket.. ToB last year he was destroying people over a kilometre..

 

[bianchigirl]

His three stages in the Tour de l'Avenir in 2006 were indicative of future greatness and it was great to see him breakthrough with his win at Ghent-Welvegem. He's also the national TT champion so he has the potential to be a Classics plus rider. I hope he doesn't go to the Sky team as I doubt Brailsford's ability to produce results on the road but EBH has all the attributes to be very special.

 

[Cobblestones]

I wonder if a points jersey in the Giro is possible for him this year?

Maybe Columbia has to decide in the end whether he's to lead out the hobbit for stage wins or to let him go for the point competition.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe Columbia has to decide in the end whether he's to lead out the hobbit for stage wins or to let him go for the point competition.

no reason on flat stages why he cant do both.. lead out and drop off a but early and then roll through for top 10.. di luca isnt going to pick up much on the flat stages..

 

[Condorman]

I just realised .....you DO have a shift key on your keyboard!!

 

[bikepure]

Edvald has been beating top line pros since he was 17.
a sheer delight to see his aggressive riding.

not predicting how far he will go, just loving a new generation of clean riders, racing with their souls. mighty stuff

 

[180mmCrank]

Another talented and exciting rider continuing to improve ... along with Haussler, Cavendish, Lovkvist ... these guys are the future

 

[Cobblestones]

no reason on flat stages why he cant do both.. lead out and drop off a but early and then roll through for top 10.. di luca isnt going to pick up much on the flat stages..

Unless Ale Jet is the one to beat.

 

[ingsve]

I just read an article about Rabobank and Quick Step having approached him for possible recruitment already in May 2006 when he was still only 18 years old. It was known very early that he was something out of the ordinary.

 

[craig1985]

I remember a quote by him on his future goals/plans (I'm not to sure on how it went as my memory is a bit hazy), it was to "Stay out of any controversies".

How much is it to join the EBH fan club?

 

[winesnob]

He may be all that, but I thought it was poor form to outsprint his team captain in stage 8 to take valuable time bonus seconds off Rogers. You never know how valuable 6 seconds may be at the end of the Giro.

 

[Leopejo]

He may be all that, but I thought it was poor form to outsprint his team captain in stage 8 to take valuable time bonus seconds off Rogers. You never know how valuable 6 seconds may be at the end of the Giro.

What I thought was that his main concern was not to let Di Luca get those second place 12 seconds. Maybe he didn't believe Rogers could sprint for bonuses. You can see him turning around and checking where Di Luca and/or Rogers were.

But yes, in hindsight, with Pellizzotti and the others behind Rogers, it would have been better to let Rogers and Di Luca take third and second respectively.

 

[samb01]

But yes, in hindsight, with Pellizzotti and the others behind Rogers, it would have been better to let Rogers and Di Luca take third and second respectively.

That's crazy talk, and would be a slap in the face of Lövkvist.

 

[Anonymous]

I just read an article about Rabobank and Quick Step having approached him for possible recruitment already in May 2006 when he was still only 18 years old. It was known very early that he was something out of the ordinary.

i think it was a long time before 18.. hes only 22 now.. the guys been winning pro races since he was 18... i think there where teams trying to sign him when he still had stablisisers.. .

so team sky..? will he leave columbia.. if he carries on the rest of the year like he has started sky will be only ones who could afford to get him from columbia..

 

[ingsve]

He purposely didn't prolong his contract with Columbia last year and also turned down offers from other teams earlier this year as well in order to gamble that he has a good season and will get an even better contract after this year. Who knows where that may be but I'm sure Columbia will pay through their noses to keep him on the team.

Team Sky might not be in as good of a bargaining situation because they need to negitioate contracts with everyone else they need to sign as well while Columbia already has alot of riders under contract so they have less negotiating to do overall.

 

[ingsve]

i think it was a long time before 18.. hes only 22 now.. the guys been winning pro races since he was 18... i think there where teams trying to sign him when he still had stablisisers.. .

so team sky..? will he leave columbia.. if he carries on the rest of the year like he has started sky will be only ones who could afford to get him from columbia..

Well, the artcle I read was from may 15th 2006 but of course he must have done alot of good things before that to spark interest.