Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[limak_]

It's ironic how they had had an absolutely abysmal classics campaign this year but then a classic-like stage during the Giro and they were the strongest team.

Once again a question arises what Bettiol could've achieved in this spring if he had been able to reach this kind of form a month or two earlier.

Maybe Guerreiro should ride classics more often. This year he' rode 0 one day races.

A classic-like stage on Giro is definitely not the same level as real classic in terms of competition and general difficulty.

 

[Anderis]

True but I don't think that invalidates anything I wrote.

 

[Sciatic]

It was amazing; when was the last time we’ve see 3 EF riders in the final group of 8-9 on a mountain/hilly stage or in a classic?

 

[Anderis]

I remember a few occasions during which EF had more riders than anyone else in a selection but 3 out of 9 riders is a very specific scenario that might have actually never happened before (at least in big races).

It was amazing; when was the last time we’ve see 3 EF riders in the final group of 8-9 on a mountain/hilly stage or in a classic?

EDIT: I've just remembered- final stage of Tour Colombia 2.1 2020 - Martinez 1st, Higuita 2nd, Caicedo 5th.

 

[yaco]

It's ironic how they had had an absolutely abysmal classics campaign this year but then a classic-like stage during the Giro and they were the strongest team.

Once again a question arises what Bettiol could've achieved in this spring if he had been able to reach this kind of form a month or two earlier.

Maybe Guerreiro should ride classics more often. This year he' rode 0 one day races.

EF has hamstrung the performance of their team by nearly only riding WT events - So many of their riders are under-utilized in a racing sense.

 

[jmdirt]

EF has hamstrung the performance of their team by nearly only riding WT events - So many of their riders are under-utilized in a racing sense.

They have to save some energy for those all important gravel rides across South Dakota.

 

[Anderis]

So Bettiol has extended with EF recently and he is the third important rider to do so in about a month, after Carthy and Cort. EF have now all of their most important riders secured for 2022, apart from Higuita.

Hopefully those early and numerous contract extensions are a sign of the team being past its financial problems from last year and that we're going to see some good signings in the summer because the loss of quality compared to the previous two years has been apparent in 2021.

 

[Bolder]

They have to save some energy for those all important gravel rides across South Dakota.

They get more positive exposure in the U.S from gravel/adventure than from almost any WT result. Just look at Vélonews on any given day and you'll find features on riders like Howes and Morton, who are nowhere near the quality of Carthy, Cort or Bettiol. Very clever.

 

[Pinot's goat]

So Bettiol has extended with EF recently and he is the third important rider to do so in about a month, after Carthy and Cort. EF have now all of their most important riders secured for 2022, apart from Higuita.

Hopefully those early and numerous contract extensions are a sign of the team being past its financial problems from last year and that we're going to see some good signings in the summer because the loss of quality compared to the previous two years has been apparent in 2021.

They looked strong in the Giro though despite the poor classics campaign.

 

[Anderis]

They looked strong in the Giro though despite the poor classics campaign.

Despite the good Giro, they're only sitting 20th in PCS team ranking for 2021 and I think they were even lower than that a few days ago, before Carthy's GC from the Giro added up. That's pretty poor to put it mildly. Only 3 wins by June is not something to be proud of either. In the last 2 years they already had 3 wins by early February and were performing consistently across the races, being around 10th place in team rankings. Now they're even behind teams like Cofidis, Arkea or Qhubeka.

On a plus side, the Giro was their 5th consecutive GT with a stage win. That's their 2nd best streak ever after wins in 6 consecutive GTs from Vuelta 2010 to TdF 2012.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

They get more positive exposure in the U.S from gravel/adventure than from almost any WT result. Just look at Vélonews on any given day and you'll find features on riders like Howes and Morton, who are nowhere near the quality of Carthy, Cort or Bettiol. Very clever.

I agree with this. From an exposure point of view, this is a very clever way to maximise column inches per dollar Spent

 

[Anderis]

I wonder what their TdF roster will be. Really not many good riders to choose from this year, especially if we discount those who rode the Giro and Uran who is not going to ride according to one poster from this forum. Craddock should definetely be in based on his Dauphine form and then Higuita, Valgren and Cort should be more or less certain but after that it's becoming difficult to find a rider who could be of any use for a race as big as Tour de France.

So my guess purely for fun would be: Higuita, Cort, Valgren, Craddock, Powless, Bissegger and then between El Fares/Nakane/Van Garderen/Scully unless someone like Guerreiro or Bettiol recovers from the Giro and gets thrown in.

 

[Pinot's goat]

I wonder what their TdF roster will be. Really not many good riders to choose from this year, especially if we discount those who rode the Giro and Uran who is not going to ride according to one poster from this forum. Craddock should definetely be in based on his Dauphine form and then Higuita, Valgren and Cort should be more or less certain but after that it's becoming difficult to find a rider who could be of any use for a race as big as Tour de France.

So my guess purely for fun would be: Higuita, Cort, Valgren, Craddock, Powless, Bissegger and then between El Fares/Nakane/Van Garderen/Scully unless someone like Guerreiro or Bettiol recovers from the Giro and gets thrown in.

Uran is riding the Tour.

 

[Escarabajo]

Uran is probably riding the Tour. He is in the Swiss list. So most likely warming up for the Tour. They don't have many choices anyway.
If covid didn't affect Uran too much he will be fit. He is very good on training on his own. Now if covid had a bad effect on him we will see in Switzerland.

 

[tobydawq]

Remember the golden days when you actually had to look at a map sometimes when you wanted to go to places you were unfamiliar with? And the problems that could arise if there was a bridge or a tunnel which was impossible to predict from the map?

The EF riders know too.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1401963429607448576

View: https://twitter.com/EFprocycling/status/1401963429607448576

 

[RedheadDane]

"I think we're supposed to be on the bridge... not under it."

 

[Sciatic]

I remember reading somewhere that the early version of the 7-11 Team with riders like Hampsten, Rolle, etc. had a “never turn back” motto so that regardless of encountering a road closure, closed pass, or whatever, they kept to the planned route and sometimes got back muddied and hours late.

 

[Leinster]

Ever since their sponsorship terminated, Garmin have been looking for ways to get back at them.

 

[Escarabajo]

They are peaking at the right time!
Maybe they will win the Tour de France after all!!
Uran is due a Tour de France!

 

[Anderis]

Any news about Moreno Hofland?

Only 12 race days in the last 2 years. 0 races ridden since February 2021 and 0 races finished since February 2020.

 

[Sciatic]

Uran is probably riding the Tour. He is in the Swiss list. So most likely warming up for the Tour. They don't have many choices anyway.
If covid didn't affect Uran too much he will be fit. He is very good on training on his own. Now if covid had a bad effect on him we will see in Switzerland.

I guess it didn’t effect him too much!

 

[yaco]

Any news about Moreno Hofland?

Only 12 race days in the last 2 years. 0 races ridden since February 2021 and 0 races finished since February 2020.

EF are riding a strange calendar - There are about 7 or 8 riders who have less than 15 race days.

 

[Anderis]

Much better fortunes for the team recently. They've doubled their 2021 win tally in just a few days and finally got a biggish overall result with Uran in Tour de Suisse. They look much better than in the spring. With plenty of riders in good form they might be able to show something interesting in the Tour, which I wasn't very positive about a few months ago. Uran, Valgren, Cort, Craddock, Powless and Bissegger have all shown some form in June.
Also positive news off the road with re-signing of several important riders for 2022. I hope the team can stay on that trajectory for a while without experiencing more setbacks like 2020 sponsorship trouble and bad transfer period and lack of form in early 2021.

 

[Potomac]

The TDF startlist on PCS still only shows 6 riders. Will Craddock make the list? He's never looked better but the recent article about him just mentions the olympics in his future.

 

[Escarabajo]

Several teams are still sorting out the final selections. Not only EF Education.