Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[Anderis]

The number of consecutive WT races from the beginning of the season without a top10 overall grows to 10. If I'm not mistaken, this has to be an all time low, even during their worst years the situation wasn't that dire.

 

[triley36]

They are now at a point where Cort and Bissegger are the only two members of the team you can realistically hope for winning something notable. Bettiol maybe later in the year, but his health has set him back once again. Powless has fallen off this year, so while he won San Sebastián last year, to expect a similar result this year is a stretch. Carthy, maybe a WT stage at some point, but it seems just as likely that he will be doomed to making ill fated attacks two hills out that come to nothing. Such a shame. The roster needs a complete makeover, and those in charge of development and performance need to be scrutinized as well.

 

[Sciatic]

It’s been a really awful classics campaign. They are nowhere to be found when the race action has heated up.

 

[KenFiamingo]

It’s been a really awful classics campaign. They are nowhere to be found when the race action has heated up.

You can add Bora (what happened to Politt??), Bikeexchange and ISN to the list as well. Makes one wonder why they take the start at all.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

They have some good climbers but in the classics they are useless. And I'm quite happy with that, because Jonatan Vaughter is not a good guy

 

[StryderHells]

You can add Bora (what happened to Politt??), Bikeexchange and ISN to the list as well. Makes one wonder why they take the start at all.

To be fair Bikeexchange came within a whisker of winning De Panne, finished 4th at San Remo and Mezgec was good at G-W.

 

[yaco]

To be fair Bikeexchange came within a whisker of winning De Panne, finished 4th at San Remo and Mezgec was good at G-W.

That's true but they have neglected their classics team for four or five years.

 

[Anderis]

The team led by Jonathan Vaughters is the worst performing WorldTeam so far this season by UCI points and their margin of safety from the relegation zone has shrunk from 2652 points at the start of the year to 1587 now.

source

So they've lost 40% of their buffer in 2 months, they really need to pick up their point scoring rate if they want to be a part of WT in 2023.

 

[WKA311]

You can add Bora (what happened to Politt??), Bikeexchange and ISN to the list as well. Makes one wonder why they take the start at all.

Politts been sick twice in recent weeks leading up to the classics. Bora as a whole were really unlucky with illness, Covid and crashes.

 

[Ricco']

A guy from whom I expected more this season was Jonas Rutsch.

After the 11th in Roubaix I was hoping for a more consistent spring but so far very average.

 

[Anderis]

I think Rutsch has had some health issues recently?

 

[AlfaLum]

I think Rutsch has had some health issues recently?

Yeah I think he got COVID after the Haut Var.

 

[Potomac]

Are you guys related to Jonas Rutsch or something? Countrymen? Where is this love/disappointment coming from? Other than an name ending -tsch I don't see any upside.

 

[Ricco']

Are you guys related to Jonas Rutsch or something? Countrymen? Where is this love/disappointment coming from? Other than an name ending -tsch I don't see any upside.

11th in his first Roubaix. Very big engine who showed a lot of promise in his U23 days and who is now with a couple of years racing at the top level and in a age where he should start to show his true potential.

 

[triley36]

11th in his first Roubaix. Very big engine who showed a lot of promise in his U23 days and who is now with a couple of years racing at the top level and in a age where he should start to show his true potential.

this- plus his insane (for his weight) climbing at the tour

 

[Anderis]

Hallelujah, we have a first WT top10 overall this year. 5 minutes down in GC but still counts.

The season still looks awful to be honest, probably the worst spring in the team's history and wasn't I saying the same last year?

 

[triley36]

Hallelujah, we have a first WT top10 overall this year. 5 minutes down in GC but still counts.

The season still looks awful to be honest, probably the worst spring in the team's history and wasn't I saying the same last year?

Total agreement here. I could not have imagined a spring worse than last years, but somehow they’ve managed. Any feelings of satisfaction that the team management may feel about finally scoring a top ten should be balanced against the stark reminder that they chose to keep Hugh Carthy instead of Dani Martinez two years ago.

 

[Salvarani]

Hallelujah, we have a first WT top10 overall this year. 5 minutes down in GC but still counts.

The season still looks awful to be honest, probably the worst spring in the team's history and wasn't I saying the same last year?

Decent from Uran in his first couple of races.

He could still get a top 10 at the Tour I reckon.

 

[Netserk]

Unfortunately, they still have a good gap down to Israel. We have to hope that both Cofidis and Lotto will overtake them.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Still rather DSM or Astana be demoted than EF but then again neither of those three really have any exciting talent other than Astana and MAL.

 

[Potomac]

Their performance at FW today is what we used to expect from EF.

 

[triley36]

Jonathan Vaughters was on the Bobby and Jens podcast ahead of Roubaix lamenting the health of his team. I hope that illness is the true reason for such a horrible cobbled season and that they can get back on track. Vaughters also said that getting yellow in the first TT at the Tour is the team's big goal for the summer. That would be great for the spopnsors, but I hope they can show themselves in the other big races of the spring and summer. As a fun, freewheeling, scrappy underdog team, they are easy to root for. Unfortunately, so far this year they can only be classified as an "also-ran".

 

[Pinot's goat]

Vaughters also said that getting yellow in the first TT at the Tour is the team's big goal for the summer.

Not really a team goal, that's all about one rider.

 

[triley36]

Not really a team goal, that's all about one rider.

I would argue there is a lot more that goes into winning a big time TT than one person pushing pedals. In any case, it is a team goal in the sense that the entire team reaps the benefits of defending the yellow jersey and all that comes with that.

 

[Anderis]

Not really a team goal, that's all about one rider.

Everything but TTTs and team classifications is about the achievements of a single rider, what's your point.

Jonathan Vaughters was on the Bobby and Jens podcast ahead of Roubaix lamenting the health of his team. I hope that illness is the true reason for such a horrible cobbled season and that they can get back on track.

They are already looking pretty good in Tour of the Alps and La Fleche Wallonne so fingers crossed that things are heading in the right direction.