Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[Pentacycle]

Re:

Of course Joe has the talent of Landa. Both of them faces problems, but he can be one day figthing for Il Giro, as well Landa is going to be.

Joe has talent, and in training he's no doubt destroying his teammates uphill. This year is his chance to prove that he can ride in the pack, compete in a WT peloton, and not appear so fragile. I believe Vaughters personally trained him and Van Baarle since last off-season, and the latter broke through with a top ten in Flanders. So I'm curious what his approach does to Joe.

Still the team has too many pure climbers and to achieve a high level, although it's sad to see Talansky riding like this. When I think of this team there's a certain melancholy somehow.

 

[Erez Lendra]

Re:

joe won't even crack the top 20 imo. i gave up absolutely any hope for him. seems like cycling is for him more like an adventure (like for most young americans) and not do anything what it takes to win. sad. or not.

I get the same impression when it comes to Joe Dombrowski. He seems to love life as a cyclist a little too much. Enjoying the lifestyle, the travelling, the adventure indeed... I think it's a wonderful trait to have as a person, but maybe not ideal in order to become an absolute top rider. He has the talent, but maybe not the ambition.

That being said, I still hope he can compete for podium in GT's one day. He still has time, he might mature into it.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

joe won't even crack the top 20 imo. i gave up absolutely any hope for him. seems like cycling is for him more like an adventure (like for most young americans) and not do anything what it takes to win. sad. or not.

I get the same impression when it comes to Joe Dombrowski. He seems to love life as a cyclist a little too much. Enjoying the lifestyle, the travelling, the adventure indeed... I think it's a wonderful trait to have as a person, but maybe not ideal in order to become an absolute top rider. He has the talent, but maybe not the ambition.

That being said, I still hope he can compete for podium in GT's one day. He still has time, he might mature into it.

You could say the same about Talansky, he only lasted a few moths at Amore & Vita, then he took his ball and went home. In almost every single interview he's talking about his passion for surfing, I've got the impression that he'd rather be a surfer.

 

[Pentacycle]

Re: Re:

joe won't even crack the top 20 imo. i gave up absolutely any hope for him. seems like cycling is for him more like an adventure (like for most young americans) and not do anything what it takes to win. sad. or not.

I get the same impression when it comes to Joe Dombrowski. He seems to love life as a cyclist a little too much. Enjoying the lifestyle, the travelling, the adventure indeed... I think it's a wonderful trait to have as a person, but maybe not ideal in order to become an absolute top rider. He has the talent, but maybe not the ambition.

That being said, I still hope he can compete for podium in GT's one day. He still has time, he might mature into it.

You could say the same about Talansky, he only lasted a few moths at Amore & Vita, then he took his ball and went home. In almost every single interview he's talking about his passion for surfing, I've got the impression that he'd rather be a surfer.

Flecha did too, but he first got the best out of his cycling career.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Lukewarm attack by Rigo today, but at least he tried.

 

[therhodeo]

Reasonably strong showing today with Rolland, Uran, and Formolo all up there.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

Things are looking good. There is a good chance they'll finally score a good haul of WT points here. Definetely more climbing depth than any other team here. And besides Talansky, nobody really underperformed.

Possibly Rolland's best performance in one week WT race since Dauphine 2010.

Also respectable performance from Nathan Brown and Moser was also able to hang onto for quite long which indicates he might be in good form to do something on stages that suit him more during the Giro.

I'm positively surprised. Please keep up the good work on the next mountain stage. If Uran doesn't underperform tomorrow, he is a good bet for top5 overall, maybe even for top3. Would be nice if Formolo or Rolland could make the top10 as well.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Agreed, although it is a little concerning that Zakarin seems a good bit better than Uran with not long until the Giro. Hopefully Rigoberto has timed his peak perfectly for week 2 and 3, while Zakarin has, again, hit his best at Romandie.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Agreed, although it is a little concerning that Zakarin seems a good bit better than Uran with not long until the Giro. Hopefully Rigoberto has timed his peak perfectly for week 2 and 3, while Zakarin has, again, hit his best at Romandie.

Uran wasn't that great durning Romandie when he finished 2nd in the Giro, 14th in 2014, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm pretty curious about his tt-form, if he's in 2014 he could aim for a Giro podium.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Talansky well positioned at the halfway point of the ITT, let's see if he can do something today.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Talansky reminds me of Brajkovic. When he peaks for a one week race, he can be very good, but usually he's mediocre.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

There goes my dream about scoring a good haul of WT points in this race...

Times from today from riders who were sitting inside top16 GC before the stage:
1. Pinot
2. Dumoulin + 2
3. Quintana +16
4. Zakarin +17
5. Izagirre +18
6. Van Garderen +25
7. Reichenbach +33
8. Spilak +38
9. Frank +38
10. Rui Costa +45
11. Majka +45
12. Mollema +49
13. Thomas +59
14. Rolland +1:10
15. Uran +1:32
16. Formolo +1:50

How embarassing... I would like to read Vaughters' comment on this. How is this possible they're so much much worse than all other GC guys despite being in decent climbing form? Almost all GC guys are within 45 secs today, and Uran is another 45 secs behind, how is this big gap possible?

Talansky reminds me of Brajkovic. When he peaks for a one week race, he can be very good, but usually he's mediocre.

I disagree. Brajkovic was much more unpredictable, while Talansky was usually good until mid 2014, then consistently bad.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

How embarassing... I would like to read Vaughters' comment on this. How is this possible they're so much much worse than all other GC guys despite being in decent climbing form? Almost all GC guys are within 45 secs today, and Uran is another 45 secs behind, how is this big gap possible?

Remember when this team was one of the best TT squads around?

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

Remember when this team was one of the best TT squads around?

I remember this very well.

And Vaughters said few months ago that 3 ITTs during the Giro is a good thing for Uran. How wrong does it sound now...

 

[May0maniac]

Bad news for Uran, without his 2014 TT form finishing on the Giro podium will be vey hard.

 

[SafeBet]

Most of them looked good or at least decent in the prologue. This performance is truly embarassing.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Most of them looked good or at least decent in the prologue. This performance is truly embarassing.

They need to get their act together soon.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Uran: This is my best chance to win the Giro d'Italia

Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale) is going all out this year for the Giro d’Italia. The Giro has always been good to Uran and after being the bridesmaid twice, he says that this year could be his best chance to win the corsa rosa.

Uran made his breakthrough as a Grand Tour rider at the 2012 Giro when he finished seventh overall. He stepped up the following season when his team leader Bradley Wiggins abandoned and went on to take second place behind Vincenzo Nibali. He was the runner-up in 2014 again, this time behind his compatriot Nairo Quintana.

“I’ve been second twice and this year I want to take victory,” Uran told Cyclingnews. “Every year is special because every year I train to win. Sometimes it’s not possible because that’s cycling. This year it is good. I’m happy with my preparation.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/uran-this-is-my-best-chance-to-win-the-giro-ditalia/

 

[Alexandre B.]

Uran zigzaging in performance this week. His climbing form seems very good for Giro.

 

[Jancouver]

Uran's probability of winning this Giro is about the same as Zubeldia winning the Tour.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

Formolo seems to have some recovery issues.

He was good in the first mountain stage of Catalunya, then faded.

Again the same in Romandie.

And last year in the GIro he won a stage from a very strong breakaway group early in the race, then he was climbing around 20th place for a week or so before his level deteriorated to finishing mountain stages around 50th place.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Rolland: Cannondale opened my eyes to evolution

Frenchman believes he can find extra 10 per cent in performance

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rolland-cannondale-opened-my-eyes-to-evolution/

Also a funny account of Rolland learning English.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

Formolo seems to have some recovery issues.

He was good in the first mountain stage of Catalunya, then faded.

Again the same in Romandie.

And last year in the GIro he won a stage from a very strong breakaway group early in the race, then he was climbing around 20th place for a week or so before his level deteriorated to finishing mountain stages around 50th place.

He's young, he's still got room for improvement.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale Pro Cycling

He's young, he's still got room for improvement.

I've never said he doesn't.

Moreover, in Romandie he was affected by his TT crash so it's understandable why he was so much worse during 2nd mountain stage.