Emanuel Buchmann thread

[geisterhome]

The guy doesnt really seem to catch a break anymore. Suboptimal preperation for the Giro, no start at the Vuelta cos of a UTI, probably still feeling the impact of it at the Deutschland Tour as he cant keep up with the best. In between that results that are okish but still way below what we have seen from him in the past.

After apparently reaching his peak with 26/27 could it be that he just has physically declined now that he is 29?
Maybe he burned out, in 2018 and 2019 he was one of the riders who would be in peak shape from February to October, being ultra skinny and riding e.g. the TdF 2020 clearly injured maybe didn't help it either.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

The guy doesnt really seem to catch a break anymore. Suboptimal preperation for the Giro, no start at the Vuelta cos of a UTI, probably still feeling the impact of it at the Deutschland Tour as he cant keep up with the best. In between that results that are okish but still way below what we have seen from him in the past.

After apparently reaching his peak with 26/27 could it be that he just has physically declined now that he is 29?
Maybe he burned out, in 2018 and 2019 he was one of the riders who would be in peak shape from February to October, being ultra skinny and riding e.g. the TdF 2020 clearly injured maybe didn't help it either.

He‘s height and weight like Klöden, and also success and contract talks and contracts are the same:

Klöden had a great 2000, then got a very good contract, big income, just to have bad seasons from 2001 to 2003. Then, when talks about a new contract were near, he had a great 2004. He stayed, and developed into a solid domestique. Late in his career, he even won Itzulia again, 11 years after his first time.

Buchmann could develop similarly…

 

[geisterhome]

They are of similar stature but I believe Buchmann is even a bit skinnier. Also Klöden was definitely the more talented rider. Much better TT, punchier. On very long climbs (/stages with several HC level ascents) I would favor 2019/2020 Buchmann though.

But yea, Buchmann signed some kind of long term deal at Bora not too long ago didnt he? I guess he can consider himself lucky at least in that regard.

 

[Filippo_3467]

Buchmann looked fine on stage 2 and 4. The courses just don't suit him at all. But stage 3 was a shocker especially because the whole team was really bad and bedides Yates the level should be doable for Buchmann.

It's a strange season for the whole team. The had great results, but they really catastrophic in a lot of important races. Some guys performed really well others were bouncing back after a hard start to the season, but all-in-all only the transfers showed really good results throughout the season.

Even with the Giro win the team has to be really questioning their approach and conditioning of riders like Buchmann should be a real concern. He isn't the only one Schachmann can't seem to get two good races after another, they probably destroyed Kämna's season with him riding the tour and it seems they totally bottled the approach to the Vuelta. After winning big last weekend they had an absolut horrific week. It's really strange.

 

[geisterhome]

Buchmann looked fine on stage 2 and 4. The courses just don't suit him at all. But stage 3 was a shocker especially because the whole team was really bad and bedides Yates the level should be doable for Buchmann.

It's a strange season for the whole team. The had great results, but they really catastrophic in a lot of important races. Some guys performed really well others were bouncing back after a hard start to the season, but all-in-all only the transfers showed really good results throughout the season.

Even with the Giro win the team has to be really questioning their approach and conditioning of riders like Buchmann should be a real concern. He isn't the only one Schachmann can't seem to get two good races after another, they probably destroyed Kämna's season with him riding the tour and it seems they totally bottled the approach to the Vuelta. After winning big last weekend they had an absolut horrific week. It's really strange.

Yea exactly what I was thinking, a wild mix of good results and pretty disappointing ones. Also nearly all noteworthy results came from the guys who joined the team before the season. There seem to be serious issues with developing their own riders. Buchmann, Schachmann, Politt, Großschartner, Konrad, Pöstlberger, Fabbro, Ackermann (until last year) all seem to have regressed. Nothing you would expect considering their age. Even Kämna didn't really turn into what many have expected. Zwiehoff and Palzer are still pretty much on last year's level, which was their first season in road cycling.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yea exactly what I was thinking, a wild mix of good results and pretty disappointing ones. Also nearly all noteworthy results came from the guys who joined the team before the season. There seem to be serious issues with developing their own riders. Buchmann, Schachmann, Politt, Großschartner, Konrad, Pöstlberger, Fabbro, Ackermann (until last year) all seem to have regressed. Nothing you would expect considering their age. Even Kämna didn't really turn into what many have expected. Zwiehoff and Palzer are still pretty much on last year's level, which was their first season in road cycling.

I don't know how much of it is Bora's fault and how much of it is the classic German developmental system style of having Juniors train like the pros.
With Buchmann I don't think that it's that, he made it on his own and isn't so much a product of the German system, but otherwise that is a bit of a problem. I disagree about Politt, this year Covid ruined his spring shape, but otherwise he was fine.

I also have certain reservations about many of the Auto Eder guys, they are pretty much already pros during the junior ranks, so I don't know how much they'll improve in the pro ranks. Cian seems to be different and only rode for them for a short amount of time, but I fear that a guy like Brenner (who has worked towards becoming a pro since being 11 years old) who came up through the system will probably not live up to the hype. The fact that his coaches in the junoir ranks also called him "better than Ullrich at the same age" also doesn't help, we've seen what happened to Herklotz...

 

[Filippo_3467]

I think it's too early for a final call on Brenner. I think expectations on the juniors are now very high with the young phenomens like Pogacar, Ayuso, Evenepoel and so on winning a lot of the biggest races early in their career. But not everyone is the same from a devo perspective. Brenner just turned 20 and has 12th in GC in Pologne, 24th at Fleche and an 8th place in mountain top finish in Norway which had one of the best wattage tornados this year under his belt. 10 years ago that "palmares" as a teenager in the pro races would have been considered a success. I think he just needs time.

Buchmann also needed a lot of time to reach his full potential. I don't think he is already "washed" or something like that. I just think he really needs multiple months of unimpeded form development to be really at a level were he's super competitive in WT races. You could say he was also very consistent this year - very consistent in his 15 to 30th placings in races he would have easily Top 10 before 2020. I think it's possible for him to improve again but it's very likely that he will be in smaller roles and races going forward. E.g. I don't think that he will be a regular in the Tour de France squad and he shouldn't be. Maybe better to go as a protected rider / 2nd GC option behind a leader like Hindley/Vlasov or even Bennett to a Giro or Vuelta. They could also considering peaking for one week racves again like he did before 2018. He was always very good in Itzulia and Dauphine. So he could be then more in a clear domestique role in the GT's. So basically filling Großschartner's role.

I was a fan of his early on and it's sad to see him having such problems in what should be his best years. But he strikes me as someone with a clear perspective so I think he should be ready to take a step back.

 

[geisterhome]

I don't know how much of it is Bora's fault and how much of it is the classic German developmental system style of having Juniors train like the pros.
With Buchmann I don't think that it's that, he made it on his own and isn't so much a product of the German system, but otherwise that is a bit of a problem. I disagree about Politt, this year Covid ruined his spring shape, but otherwise he was fine.

I also have certain reservations about many of the Auto Eder guys, they are pretty much already pros during the junior ranks, so I don't know how much they'll improve in the pro ranks. Cian seems to be different and only rode for them for a short amount of time, but I fear that a guy like Brenner (who has worked towards becoming a pro since being 11 years old) who came up through the system will probably not live up to the hype. The fact that his coaches in the junoir ranks also called him "better than Ullrich at the same age" also doesn't help, we've seen what happened to Herklotz...

Yea Politt is a difficult case, maybe I had too high expectations after he did so well at Paris Roubaix and Flanders 2019. I imagined him to become a major force in those early classics. After that, he had some good results (TDF Stage win, GC Deutschland Tour) but he never really did anything of note on the cobbles.

Yes, Brenner is still extremely young, but on the other hand in his 2nd pro season already. He has progressed somewhat from last year but the step up maybe isn't as big as you would expect from somebody who is a supertalent. The professionalism during his junior years already could have not left as much untapped potential.

 

[Earns1985]

Yes, Brenner is still extremely young, but on the other hand in his 2nd pro season already. He has progressed somewhat from last year but the step up maybe isn't as big as you would expect from somebody who is a supertalent. The professionalism during his junior years already could have not left as much untapped potential.

Come on, this guy really just celebrated his 20th birthday and riding a GT in his age is quite impressive. One could see a positive development, which is the most important thing for the next years. Maybe he will not become a new Pogacar, but he definitly could become an important rider in the peleton. Only the time will tell us...

Look, what kind of results a rider like Vingegaard had in 2017 (same age like Brenner now)...

 

[geisterhome]

Come on, this guy really just celebrated his 20th birthday and riding a GT in his age is quite impressive. One could see a positive development, which is the most important thing for the next years. Maybe he will not become a new Pogacar, but he definitly could become an important rider in the peleton. Only the time will tell us...

Look, what kind of results a rider like Vingegaard had in 2017 (same age like Brenner now)...

In my opinion, age doesn't really matter as much, one rider and be 21 and close to his peak, and others can be 28 with still some untapped potential. 26-year-old Chris Froome was further off his max. ability than 20-year-old Remco, Pogacar at 21 was further in his development than 24-year-old JV, or 34-year-old Chirs Horner (lol).

Brenner is an extreme case, he came into the WT being extremely young even by nowadays standards. But he had solid results already last year, he didn't look overmatched even at 19. Now in his 2nd year, he has probably taken a small step forward. But overall his performance didn't seem to benefit a massive amount from the increased professionalism of a world tour team. That makes me think that he was already taking a very professional approach as a junior which doesn't leave him with as much untapped potential as you would expect from a 19/20-year-old.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Congratulations on winning the National Championships!

 

[Reynard]

Great solo indeed. He should be a great domestique in the mountains for Hindley if the form is improved from the Dauphine where his legs were just ok.

Really great to see him win again he was really unlucky in the last years.

 

[geisterhome]

Poor performance in basque country. His favorite race. He is continuing his decline, dont see much he can contribute with anymore at a professional level. His contract is running out so he could call it a career after this season?

 

[Faserr]

He is still good enough for world tour. I think he will change teams. Denk already said that they probably won't give him a new contract. But he is clearly declining.
He wasn't at an altitute camp yet. He was at home since UAE. I think he will go now before the Giro.

 

[Squire]

Poor performance in basque country. His favorite race. He is continuing his decline, dont see much he can contribute with anymore at a professional level. His contract is running out so he could call it a career after this season?

Of course he can still contribute a lot on the WT. Just not as a leader. He's been consistently between 10th and 30th in basically every race in the last few years. Still a useful domestique for any team, and he can be great as a leader for a conti team if that's the direction he wants to go.

 

[Salvarani]

Of course he can still contribute a lot on the WT. Just not as a leader. He's been consistently between 10th and 30th in basically every race in the last few years. Still a useful domestique for any team, and he can be great as a leader for a conti team if that's the direction he wants to go.

Agreed, he is consistent and can still do a good job for the team.

Just last year he finished 4th on a stage in the Tour and won the NC. Year before that he was 7th in the Giro and had other decent results.

He can still have a couple of years left at WT-level or step down a level, as you mention.

I think his best option is to stay at Bora though (ride as a helper and get a couple of chances during the year, go for a stage in the GTs), but they might want to go more youthful soon since many riders are ageing on the squad. He might be one of the casualties that will not be renewed.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Poor performance in basque country.

How can you say that? Honestly, after he was so close to winning stage 5, as Carlton so excitedly told us.