Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[yaco]

In terms of race days up until the 23rd, you'll find that EF are in the middle of the pack at 31 race days - Israel Start up Nation would have done 44 days and at the other end Jumbo Visma 20 days - EF so far has a winning program.

 

[Anderis]

Now PCS have added them to the UAE Tour startlist.

 

[RedheadDane]

Now PCS have added them to the UAE Tour startlist.

And... they're gone again.

 

[Bolder]

Lachlan Morton sets "Everesting" record, after missing out for a technicality a few days earlier.

He's an odd rider...he's tallish, Bardet-skinny, and yet can apparently ride for hundreds upon hundreds of KMs in heatwaves, dust, rain, famine, plagues etc. But yet, no real WT results to speak of. Hard to believe he couldn't pick up a mtn stage here or there in a grand tour, at least.

But I suspect he brings more general publicity value for EF than anyone else on the team. I wonder if we'll see more WT teams dedicate a spot or two on their rosters for guys like him? In other words, don't worry about winning, just keep your social media lively and fly the flag at grassroots events.

 

[RedheadDane]

He's an odd rider...he's tallish, Bardet-skinny, and yet can apparently ride for hundreds upon hundreds of KMs in heatwaves, dust, rain, famine, plagues etc. But yet, no real WT results to speak of. Hard to believe he couldn't pick up a mtn stage here or there in a grand tour, at least.

famine, even?

 

[tobydawq]

What about swarms of grasshoppers?

 

[RedheadDane]

Or landslides...

 

[Koronin]

maybe even avalanches?

 

[42x16ss]

Lachlan Morton sets "Everesting" record, after missing out for a technicality a few days earlier.

He's an odd rider...he's tallish, Bardet-skinny, and yet can apparently ride for hundreds upon hundreds of KMs in heatwaves, dust, rain, famine, plagues etc. But yet, no real WT results to speak of. Hard to believe he couldn't pick up a mtn stage here or there in a grand tour, at least.

But I suspect he brings more general publicity value for EF than anyone else on the team. I wonder if we'll see more WT teams dedicate a spot or two on their rosters for guys like him? In other words, don't worry about winning, just keep your social media lively and fly the flag at grassroots events.

You look back at Morton as an U23 and it looks like that of a rider who would go on to a very successful career - 5th at Nationals TT and 7th at Utah at 18 with restricted gearing.

The issue with Morton is that he doesn't really enjoy road racing, he just wants to ride his bike everyday and being a pro is the only way to make that possible.

Morton is probably the most untapped talent in the peloton at the moment, but because of whatever he's got going on he hasn't even started a GT.

 

[Mayomaniac]

You look back at Morton as an U23 and it looks like that of a rider who would go on to a very successful career - 5th at Nationals TT and 7th at Utah at 18 with restricted gearing.

The issue with Morton is that he doesn't really enjoy road racing, he just wants to ride his bike everyday and being a pro is the only way to make that possible.

Morton is probably the most untapped talent in the peloton at the moment, but because of whatever he's got going on he hasn't even started a GT.

Wasn't he training super hard from a young age on, like many Australian riders?
He also seems to be one of those guys who's really bad at fighting for position and hates riding in a nervous bunch on roads that aren't the wide American roads.

 

[yaco]

Wasn't he training super hard from a young age on, like many Australian riders?
He also seems to be one of those guys who's really bad at fighting for position and hates riding in a nervous bunch on roads that aren't the wide American roads.

I've previously posted this - The two Morton brothers were training as full time pro's from the age of 15, so they had less room for improvement in their late teens and early 20's.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I've previously posted this - The two Morton brothers were training as full time pro's from the age of 15, so they had less room for improvement in their late teens and early 20's.

No wonder that they also burned out really fast at some point, sadly that seems to happen pretty often.
I know a girl who used to be a top 3 TTer in the Austrian WJ ranks, but quit cycling afterwards and has only started to enjoy riding on a recreational basis once again last year, a few years later.

 

[Escarabajo]

Where is EF Education?
Did they just miss out in all preparation races?

Am I missing something or they did not realize this was a different year?

 

[Bonimenier]

Where is EF Education?
Did they just miss out in all preparation races?

Am I missing something or they did not realize this was a different year?

It seems like they are only riding WT-races after the corona-break. Not sure why though.

 

[Anderis]

How is the EF company doing financially these days? Don't they take a big hit in revenue due to travel restrictions? Is the future of the team safe?

No transfers or contract extensions confirmed so far and no rumours about new signings. Kind of 2017-ish vibe when it foreshadowed sponsorship trouble.

This is an important transfer window for the team. Uran, Vanmarcke, Van Garderen, Langeveld and Clarke are all out of contracts. I wonder if they are going to stick to experienced riders or go through some sort of generational transition. These riders would certainly free up a large chunk of salary budget if the team wanted to go for new signings.
Bettiol is out of contract too but he signed with them after weak 2018 season so it's either a big pay-rise for him or they lose him.

Luckily they have some great prospects like Higuita and Martinez under contract so they can afford to not be desperate in contract negotiations with other riders.

 

[janraaskalt]

How is the EF company doing financially these days?

The Spanish cycling website Zikloland reported that EF sold their Chinese+Indonesian activities for 1500 million dollars (way under the estimated value though). It seems a shipload of money and long-term security for the EF company, but I imagine they lose smaller shiploads on a monthly basis as well. The article says EF continues as sponsor and owner of the team.

Balón de oxígeno para Education First: 1.500 millones de dólares - Zikloland

La empresa Education First, dueño y patrocinador principal del equipo EF Pro Cycling, ha conseguido un balón de oxígeno financiero para superar las

www.zikloland.com

 

[Anderis]

Disappointing stage today.
Higuita: crashed
Uran: clearly not in GC form
Carthy: finished 118th- what happened? I didn't see him near Higuita
Van Garderen: I guess you're not surprised at this point but last year he finished 2nd in this race
Martinez: a good result but was hanging at the back a lot of the time- an acceleration at the wrong time and he could've been dropped much earlier
Kangert: not awful but he's shown better in the past
Keukeleire: I think he's doing a good job for a rider of his type as he wasn't dropped yet when Higuita crashed but there's only so much good you can tell about a heavy classics/sprinter type of a guy riding in a mountainous race

as usual- almost everything goes wrong when they shop up to a race with multiple options.

 

[janraaskalt]

Keukeleire: I think he's doing a good job for a rider of his type as he wasn't dropped yet when Higuita crashed but there's only so much good you can tell about a heavy classics/sprinter type of a guy riding in a mountainous race

Also, he was infected/affected by Corona and not completely recovered.

 

[BlueRoads]

Disappointing stage today.
Higuita: crashed
Uran: clearly not in GC form
Carthy: finished 118th- what happened? I didn't see him near Higuita
Van Garderen: I guess you're not surprised at this point but last year he finished 2nd in this race
Martinez: a good result but was hanging at the back a lot of the time- an acceleration at the wrong time and he could've been dropped much earlier
Kangert: not awful but he's shown better in the past
Keukeleire: I think he's doing a good job for a rider of his type as he wasn't dropped yet when Higuita crashed but there's only so much good you can tell about a heavy classics/sprinter type of a guy riding in a mountainous race

as usual- almost everything goes wrong when they shop up to a race with multiple options.

Hey, come on, Martinez was really good today! Same time as Landa and Bernal? Any news on how Higuita is?

 

[jaylew]

I'd have rather seen Uran and Higuita at Lombardia but I get why they're at Dauphiné instead.

 

[yaco]

Also, he was infected/affected by Corona and not completely recovered.

This happened back in March - He wouldn't be racing if he was still affected.

 

[Anderis]

Yeah, the fact that not only is he racing Dauphine but he was even able to outclimb a third of the peloton on such hard stages as a rider of his type does not suggest that he has not completely recovered at all.

 

[Escarabajo]

Martinez was good today IMHO. He is not the best climber in the peloton and yet he managed to be at the front at the end. And this is his first race port-lockdown. That was actually very good.

Pity what happened to Higuita. Uran I think is where he should be after his life threatening accident last year. TVG should not have been dropped so early. He is really out of form.

 

[janraaskalt]

This happened back in March - He wouldn't be racing if he was still affected.

Not affected as in sick, but he had some bad days where he could barely train. No peak form.

You can have longer term effects of Covid-19.

 

[Bolder]

Uran/Higuita/TJV/Carthy on paper is a quite good climbing team -- they've all really shined at one point or another.

On an unrelated point, I can't believe Uran is only 33. Seems like he's been racing at a high level since Lance and Jan were duking it out...(which he actually has, almost)