Future cobbles challengers.

[Libertine Seguros]

Styby on the road seems to prefer more gradual cobbled climbs though, which is a bit weird. Stages like the Mont Cassel one in Dunkerque that he won were good fun.

I guess the thinking with Roubaix is because 'crossers have the experience of dealing with poor conditions under-wheel, and maybe because Nys always wanted to compete there. At the same time I distinctly recall Niels Albert being a climber on the road, winning a stage at the Grand Ballon in the Tour d'Alsace and an intermediate stage with a puncheur finish at the Monastério de Santo Toribio de Liébana in the Circuito Montáñes. Gadret is of course a 'crosser as well, although fellow French 'crossers tend to be quite good at the cobbled races and not good in the mountains - e.g. Francis Mourey and Steve Chainel.

 

[Flamin]

Styby on the road seems to prefer more gradual cobbled climbs though, which is a bit weird. Stages like the Mont Cassel one in Dunkerque that he won were good fun.

I guess the thinking with Roubaix is because 'crossers have the experience of dealing with poor conditions under-wheel, and maybe because Nys always wanted to compete there. At the same time I distinctly recall Niels Albert being a climber on the road, winning a stage at the Grand Ballon in the Tour d'Alsace and an intermediate stage with a puncheur finish at the Monastério de Santo Toribio de Liébana in the Circuito Montáñes. Gadret is of course a 'crosser as well, although fellow French 'crossers tend to be quite good at the cobbled races and not good in the mountains - e.g. Francis Mourey and Steve Chainel.

Mourey was 20th in the Giro last year.

Vantornout is a climbers type too; Walsleben rides well in Alsace in the off-season. Meeusen even won a flat bunch sprint a few years ago.

 

[trevim]

Petr Vakoc and Julien Alaphilippe.

Vakoc definitely is a good flat power-house/rouleur but I'm not sure of his cobbles technique. Also I doubt he can even make the team for a cobbled classic at Quickstep.
Regarding Alaphilippe, he's probably a hilly rider. Things like Amstel should suit him to the bone but I guess Flanders may not be out of reach either, specially in the current route.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

I see vakoc more as a gc contender for one week races, he is good in the flat but i dont know anything about him in the cobbles.

 

[gunara]

Vakoc definitely is a good flat power-house/rouleur but I'm not sure of his cobbles technique. Also I doubt he can even make the team for a cobbled classic at Quickstep.
Regarding Alaphilippe, he's probably a hilly rider. Things like Amstel should suit him to the bone but I guess Flanders may not be out of reach either, specially in the current route.

Alaphilippe has a good sprint, too, doesn't he?
I remember having the impression that Stuyven stood out this year among riders of his experience, whether he'll have the class to be great, I'm looking forward to see.

 

[trevim]

Alaphilippe has a good sprint, too, doesn't he?
I remember having the impression that Stuyven stood out this year among riders of his experience, whether he'll have the class to be great, I'm looking forward to see.

Yep Alaphilippe is quite fast indeed

 

[Amsterdam]

Last year Cancellara and Vamarcke were by far the strongest. I can't wait to see if the other riders can close the gap with those two. Will Boonen be back at his best? What is Sagan capable of? Improve Stybar, Degenkolb, Kristoff and Van Avermaet even more?

 

[Brullnux]

Bump.

I'm gonna go for the obvious ones: Moscon, Benoot, Lampaert, Küng and Ganna.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Bump.

I'm gonna go for the obvious ones: Moscon, Benoot, Lampaert, Küng and Ganna.

Definitely Stuyven.

 

[TMP402]

Thwaites.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Bump.

I'm gonna go for the obvious ones: Moscon, Benoot, Lampaert, Küng and Ganna.

Definitely Stuyven.

Stuyven is basically established IMO.

 

[robin440]

zabel

 

[Netserk]

Re:

No mention of Hayman? He's the sole leader of Orica, doesn't have to overtrain at Tenerife this year, now has DS's that understand classics, an ok (but not great) team and won't be expected to take charge.

I think a top 5 is very possible for him. Now Flecha's retired the only riders you would say are definitely better are Boonen, Cancellara and possibly Stybar.

Props!

 

[RedheadDane]

That's some serious foreshadowing right there.

So... who's gonna win in 2019?

 

[Thepirateisgood]

Owain Doull (Roubaix), Moscon (Flandres).

Holst Enger, Mads Pedersen, and so on.

Benoot will probably do all monuments that year plus TdF.

 

[BalearicBeats]

I think Groenewegen will be able to compete Flanders one day, just like he did in the U23.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

I think Groenewegen will be able to compete Flanders one day, just like he did in the U23.

Maybe he will, but the toughness of the U23 race is really not much like the real thing. For instance Visconti won the U23 version, but has only even started RVV twice, DNFing both times.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

No mention of Hayman? He's the sole leader of Orica, doesn't have to overtrain at Tenerife this year, now has DS's that understand classics, an ok (but not great) team and won't be expected to take charge.

I think a top 5 is very possible for him. Now Flecha's retired the only riders you would say are definitely better are Boonen, Cancellara and possibly Stybar.

Props!

Holy cr@p! I forgot I even made this post, it was so long ago

It only took 2 1/2 years :lol:

 

[toolittle]

Re:

Flanders

***** Sagan

**** Moser

*** Vanmarke,

** Bol

Roubaix

***** Degenklob

**** Phinney

*** Sagan

** Thomas, Stannard, Vanmarke

Good prediction.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Based on this year's PR I'm hopeful of a good result from Durbridge.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Démare will realise his massspurt time is over and will become a great classics rider (I'm hoping atleast)

 

[Scarponi]

Does any one here think Florian Senechal could ever develop into a contender? Decent results so far.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Does any one here think Florian Senechal could ever develop into a contender? Decent results so far.

He's still very young and obviously a big talent, but he doesn't really seem like he has developed much the last three seasons.

 

[Brullnux]

Does any one here think Florian Senechal could ever develop into a contender? Decent results so far.

Yes but it seems like his improvement is stalling slightly, last year he came 17th at Paris Roubaix at 21, and a year on he hasn't really done much to add to that. a couple of very good performances here and there at lower level races like tro-bro leon and le samyn, as well as one recently behind terpstra in belgium, but we'll see next year. He was excellent in Wallonie

 

[Scarponi]

A few top twenties in the cobbles this year, I can see him getting it right in one