Future cobbles challengers.

[trevim]

I think Gianni Moscon is the best prospect when it cames to cobblestones specially the tough ones from Paris-Roubaix. It remains to be seen if he can make the leap from being a very strong rider into a classics winner: just ask Van Avermaet or Vanmarcke how tough it is to make that jump. I would also say that guys like Lampaert (one of my favourites!), Politt, Bystrom, Wurtz or Korsaeth have great engines and Roubaix will suit them well; let's see if they develop that way

As for the flandrien races, I think Michael Matthews will be a force to be reckoned with once he focus on them since he's a really talented rider regardless of his wheelsucker style. In the same mould, I think Trentin (another of my favourites!!), Cort, Theuns and Stuyven can probably be a good combination of fast riders with a talent for the hellingen. As for riders that will probably need to be slightly more agressive in these races I would highlight Lutsenko, Valgren, Bettiol and also Benoot. As for this one, it's puzzling how he hasn't managed to crack top100 in a monument since that Flanders that starts to look more and more as a fluke.

As a side bet, Davide Martinelli looks to be a great rouleur. I wonder where he'll focus.

 

[Brullnux]

Benoot has been very good in other races, with top 10s in E3, Strade Bianche and Dwars. He's had a lot of DNFs in monuments.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Some very good mentions..

Moscon seems like the most obvious to me. Brilliant rider, big engine, diesel motor, very versatile. Should at least co-lead Sky next year.
Stuyven is a beast on his day, but the hellingen seems to take the kick out of him, his best performances have been in K-B-K and Roubaix. I think he will be a big contender for Roubaix.
Then there's Gaviria, he will probably take Boonen's role while Stybar, Terpstra, Trentino, Gilbert etc. are going up the road. I hoped to see him in Roubaix this year. I really do hope (and believe) he has the talent for these races, but hasn't wowed me so far.
Felline has been awesome, will be a factor for E-3 and Flanders.
I think Søren Kragh has Flanders-winning potential. I liked what I saw from him in G-W, the engine is there..
From the CX-guys (only watched a few races), Poel strikes me as a more talented and more explosive rider. Definite Flanders guy. Van Aert reminds me a bit of GvA.

Edit: And just to throw an odd pick in there, Jasha Sütterlin. Movistar doesn't give a crap about these races, but I think Jasha has potential to top-10 some of these races on a good day and mix it up a little. That in itself will be a victory.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

I think Søren Kragh has Flanders-winning potential. I liked what I saw from him in G-W, the engine is there..

I also rate him. he's shown himself as a domestique and looks very strong on the cobbles. plenty of upside with this rider.

I think Adrien Petit could find himself in the finish of a Paris-Roubaix very soon, he's 26 and in the last two editions he has finished 10th and 9th. He's also had top 10's in the last two Omloop Het Nieuwsblad's.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

From the CX-guys (only watched a few races), Poel strikes me as a more talented and more explosive rider. Definite Flanders guy. Van Aert reminds me a bit of GvA.

Wout will cut his CX calendar in the next season and ride from Omloop until Roubaix.

 

[the asian]

Re: Re:

From the CX-guys (only watched a few races), Poel strikes me as a more talented and more explosive rider. Definite Flanders guy. Van Aert reminds me a bit of GvA.

Wout will cut his CX calendar in the next season and ride from Omloop until Roubaix.

Really?

I thought MVDP will move to the road first.

 

[Ricco']

2017/2018 season will be the last CX full season for VdP. I don't know how soon in 2018 he will switch to road.

 

[Dr. Watson]

Hi everybody I just joined the forum and havent been following cycling for that long but reading posts from couple years back about EBH and hype around him how is it possible that it hasnt happened for him? he seems to have big potential yet no big results...

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Hi everybody I just joined the forum and havent been following cycling for that long but reading posts from couple years back about EBH and hype around him how is it possible that it hasnt happened for him? he seems to have big potential yet no big results...

Welcome to the forum!

That's a great question, EBH has been an enigma for several years but the simple fact is that he's just not as good as some people thought/said he was. He's had plenty of chances to ride for himself with mixed results. This doesn't mean that he can't grab a big win in the future, it just means that there's a lot of riders that are better than him so he'll need to have lots of help and be on the form of his career to win a big classic.

 

[Dr. Watson]

Re: Re:

Thanks, yeah seems like he is up there but just not with the best, I remember he finished ahead of Kristoff in worlds last year and also PR 2016 he was good, but those seem like flukes, never really saw him this year, he is still pretty young though so we´ll see i guess

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

Hi everybody I just joined the forum and havent been following cycling for that long but reading posts from couple years back about EBH and hype around him how is it possible that it hasnt happened for him? he seems to have big potential yet no big results...

Welcome to the forum!

That's a great question, EBH has been an enigma for several years but the simple fact is that he's just not as good as some people thought/said he was. He's had plenty of chances to ride for himself with mixed results. This doesn't mean that he can't grab a big win in the future, it just means that there's a lot of riders that are better than him so he'll need to have lots of help and be on the form of his career to win a big classic.

He had a pretty good chance to win Paris Roubaix last year, so yeah he might win a big race one day. But his problem is that when it comes down to who is the strongest he will probably always get beaten.

 

[the asian]

Stint at Sky ruined EBH.

 

[Kazistuta]

Let Edvald join Riis at his pro team next year and you'll see..... or not.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Thoughts on S.K. Andersen? Seems like a very promising young guy, was already very strong in GW this year. Still only 22 years old.

 

[therhodeo]

Stuyven is still pretty young too.

 

[Squire]

EBH is turning 30 next month, so we probably won't see him develop much further.

He looked like he'd be a force of nature when he broke through in 2008/09. It's quite a mystery how he never pushed on from that, and he has probably never been as good as 2009. He had some stomach problems early in his career, when he couldn't drink normal sports drinks and had to resort to some fish based substitute. Haven't heard much about it since, but I don't think that has changed. Don't know if that's got anything to do with his frequent inability to feature in long, hard races though. I also suspect clinic related reasons might have had a part to play in the explanation why he never lived up to his promise.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Stint at Sky ruined EBH.

I don't know about that, his first 2 seasons at Sky were quite good and even 2012 wasn't that bad, 2013 was when he started to slide and 2014 was a poor year. Only last year with Di Data has he started to look like a solid rider again. I think the thing with EBH is that he's a jack of all trades and master of none, in other words he's good across the board without excelling at any one aspect of the sport.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

EBH is turning 30 next month, so we probably won't see him develop much further.

He looked like he'd be a force of nature when he broke through in 2008/09. It's quite a mystery how he never pushed on from that, and he has probably never been as good as 2009. He had some stomach problems early in his career, when he couldn't drink normal sports drinks and had to resort to some fish based substitute. Haven't heard much about it since, but I don't think that has changed. Don't know if that's got anything to do with his frequent inability to feature in long, hard races though. I also suspect clinic related reasons might have had a part to play in the explanation why he never lived up to his promise.

Or he's just an over-rated cyclist. His best year was definitely 2011 though.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

What about Stefan Kung? Can he develop into a top tier cobbled racer? He is only 23 and I think he did some good domestique work this year and had even had some top 20 results.