Future fanboy/girl material

[Vino attacks everyone]

I've finally reached that age where I've managed to go through pretty much two generations of cyclists that I've cheered for. First I had Vino, Kash and a few others. These days I pretty much only got Nibbles left and a general affinity towards Astana due to obvious reasons. I do however find it unlikely that Nibali will be much of a GT contender for much longer and I just don't have "that feeling" for any of the younger riders any more. Anyone else in like a slump of "meh" ness about gt prospects?

 

[Red Rick]

This thread makes me realise like nothing else this is the post Contador era on CN.

Honestly, Dumoulin is pretty cool, but he doesn't have the appeal of Nibali or Contador for me. Classics still have Sagan for me, though there's not really very young classics riders I'm in love with right now.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I'd say Bernal is the most obvious one for now. He also speaks a bit of English which really makes him bot office, he will improve.

Landa is a pretty weird and funny rider also, he is not like everyone else and has special ability when he is in top shape. Both of those riders are pretty mainstream on CN, but that shouldn't mean anything.

I have never given a crap about sprinters before, but I like Gaviria. On his best days he can be absolutely amazing, but so far crashes and such has robbed us for seeing him perform well in harder races. I think it will come.

Bardet is a obvious Tour-centric rider who always performs well there who also is relatively easy to root for.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Re:

This thread makes me realise like nothing else this is the post Contador era on CN.

Honestly, Dumoulin is pretty cool, but he doesn't have the appeal of Nibali or Contador for me. Classics still have Sagan for me, though there's not really very young classics riders I'm in love with right now.

I've always just enjoyed watching classics not really caring too much who won. Ronde and Roubaix are just cool no matter what

Yea, when Nibali stops being competitive I'm honestly not sure if I'll be watching many gts in the years to come. Then again, I'm sure many have had a few years "off" from cycling

 

[brownbobby]

Agreed on Dumoulin; he's an extremely likeable and funny character...but his riding style, just seeking to hang on/limit his losses in the mountains rather than going on the attack doesn't really make for exciting racing. Tense yes, but not exciting. Can't really blame him for this, he makes the most of his physical attributes.

Bernal definetely seems to tick all the boxes so far as far as future GC contenders go.

 

[staubsauger]

Bardet looks like the lead-singer of an Indie rock band. He strikes me as a pretty charming, intelligent young man and always has this shyly sweet smile. He's always nicely dressed up as well, with this flamboyant, a bit feminine French fashion style. A soft guy that still impresses with fighting spirit. Actually I'm a bit surprised LaFlorecita hasn't fallen in love with him, because if I was a girl I certainly would've!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Agreed on Dumoulin; he's an extremely likeable and funny character...but his riding style, just seeking to hang on/limit his losses in the mountains rather than going on the attack doesn't really make for exciting racing. Tense yes, but not exciting. Can't really blame him for this, he makes the most of his physical attributes.

Bernal definetely seems to tick all the boxes so far as far as future GC contenders go.

Actually, the near presence of Dumoulin makes the other force to race exciting (like Yates).

Imagine this years Giro without Dumoulin.

Would Yates feel the urge to attack at every possibly opportunity then? I think not.

 

[DNP-Old]

Remco Evenepoel.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Bardet looks like the lead-singer of an Indie rock band. He strikes me as a pretty charming, intelligent young man and always has this shyly sweet smile. He's always nicely dressed up as well, with this flamboyant, a bit feminine French fashion style. A soft guy that still impresses with fighting spirit. Actually I'm a bit surprised LaFlorecita hasn't fallen in love with him, because if I was a girl I certainly would've!

He doesn't really appeal to me, I much prefer Tibopino

 

[Gigs_98]

I really like Dumoulin. Obviously he doesn't have the most exciting style of racing, although he can be quite aggressive if he has the legs for being so, but then again as he is a TT specialist I don't mind it. And as many gc contenders nowadays aren't very aggressive I'd rather root for the guy who wins that way than the one who loses that way (looking at you Monsieur Romain "I made the race" Bardet)
I also really have a soft spot for Landa and Lopez. I mostly like Landa because of all the funny drama that's basically constantly surrounding him and has made him a CN forums favorite, a little bit like Betancur. Lopez, well, we still have to wait, but the way how he rode in last years Vuelta really appealed to me and almost reminded me on a young Contador. Then again I thought exactly the same about Aru in 2014 and although I still like him he didn't quite live up to the expectations.
And then of course there is the man in my profile pic, Enric Mas. I jumped on his hype train quite early so I'll probably support him for his whole career, but to be fair, the likelihood that he actually becomes a gt winner isn't big likely. I can still hope though.

Anyway, right now I'm still rooting for Nibali and don't really need anyone else I can be a massive fanboy of. I'll see in a few years who I'll be rooting for but it's not like that's an active decision I'm making now. Time will tell.

 

[Tonton]

Contador is gone, Froome, Nibali, even Valverde will soon be gone, it's the end of an era. But in cycling there's always someone to cheer for, someone new, someone special...and not just one. In this Giro, I'm discovering Ciccone: he's fun to watch.

I hope that the Bernal-Gaudu rivalry materializes, but in the present, besides Pinot, I really enjoy Alaf, Bardet, Sagan, and even Dumoulin. True that his Indurain or rather Anquetil skill set is not the most entertainng, but I find something to like about it. And he's outspoken, which is refreshing in this age of PR-controlled interviews. Sprinters? Meh.

Nibali, yes. What a rider.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I've got many favorites but no one in the current peloton interests me as much as Berto did, maybe someone will come along, maybe not, but it isn't really necessary I think.

 

[SafeBet]

Re:

I've got many favorites but no one in the current peloton interests me as much as Berto did, maybe someone will come along, maybe not, but it isn't really necessary I think.

Yeah I kinda feel the same way.
I've grown to like Nibali a lot, especially after his wins in the Classics, but sure he'll be gone in a few years.

There are a few youngsters I could fall in love with in case they become Gt contenders (Latour, Oomen, Mas, Ciccone). Right now I like them, but they obviously lack something to make me scream in front of the tv.

 

[fantomas]

Re:

I've got many favorites but no one in the current peloton interests me as much as Berto did, maybe someone will come along, maybe not, but it isn't really necessary I think.

No Mas?

Contador retiring has also left me with no one to really cheer for. I have a hard time ooting for any Team Sky rider, but I do really want to root fo Bernal. Others I could root for in GTs: Mas, Lopez, Niklas Eg (for obvious reasons), Landa, Bardet, Pinot, Ciccone. And probably others. Pretty mainstream, and none of them unknown.

 

[Akuryo]

I really like Dumoulin. Obviously he doesn't have the most exciting style of racing, although he can be quite aggressive if he has the legs for being so, but then again as he is a TT specialist I don't mind it. And as many gc contenders nowadays aren't very aggressive I'd rather root for the guy who wins that way than the one who loses that way (looking at you Monsieur Romain "I made the race" Bardet)
I also really have a soft spot for Landa and Lopez. I mostly like Landa because of all the funny drama that's basically constantly surrounding him and has made him a CN forums favorite, a little bit like Betancur. Lopez, well, we still have to wait, but the way how he rode in last years Vuelta really appealed to me and almost reminded me on a young Contador. Then again I thought exactly the same about Aru in 2014 and although I still like him he didn't quite live up to the expectations.
And then of course there is the man in my profile pic, Enric Mas. I jumped on his hype train quite early so I'll probably support him for his whole career, but to be fair, the likelihood that he actually becomes a gt winner isn't big likely. I can still hope though.

Anyway, right now I'm still rooting for Nibali and don't really need anyone else I can be a massive fanboy of. I'll see in a few years who I'll be rooting for but it's not like that's an active decision I'm making now. Time will tell.

Makes two of us. Mas, the future superstar! #believe

 

[Netserk]

Nibali, Landa, López, & Dumoulin for the GTs. We'll see how Bernal will race in them. Roglič as well when he goes for the gc. I think there's plenty to cheer for.

 

[Red Rick]

And then of course there is the man in my profile pic, Enric Mas. I jumped on his hype train quite early so I'll probably support him for his whole career, but to be fair, the likelihood that he actually becomes a gt winner isn't big likely. I can still hope though.

I can't stand the long shorts

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

There's a certain type of climber who is absolute world class in his peak but very inconsistent and very aggressive, which for some reason I've always liked. Always hoping they show up in their good form and blow the race apart. Think López and Landa. (Maybe even Betancur).

Besides that, I like Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski, Nibali, Roglic, Dumoulin.

While I generally enjoy classics a lot more than GTs, for some reason I currently don't find myself systematically cheering for any (cobbled) classics riders. There are plenty of riders I generally like, but who I'm cheering for kind of changes from race to race depending on how people are racing and the broader context of what they've been doing this season. As far as classics are concerned, I'm still waiting for my man Van Der Poel to destroy MTB and then switch to road for fanboyism.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re:

There's a certain type of climber who is absolute world class in his peak but very inconsistent and very aggressive, which for some reason I've always liked. Always hoping they show up in their good form and blow the race apart. Think López and Landa. (Maybe even Betancur).

Besides that, I like Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski, Nibali, Roglic, Dumoulin.

While I generally enjoy classics a lot more than GTs, for some reason I currently don't find myself systematically cheering for any (cobbled) classics riders. There are plenty of riders I generally like, but who I'm cheering for kind of changes from race to race depending on how people are racing and the broader context of what they've been doing this season. As far as classics are concerned, I'm still waiting for my man Van Der Poel to destroy MTB and then switch to road for fanboyism.

Just to be clear, I took it for granted everybody is a Christophe Laporte fanboy/girl/person.

 

[LaFlorecita]

And then of course there is the man in my profile pic, Enric Mas. I jumped on his hype train quite early so I'll probably support him for his whole career, but to be fair, the likelihood that he actually becomes a gt winner isn't big likely. I can still hope though.

I can't stand the long shorts

They were just for the poor weather

 

[brownbobby]

Agreed on Dumoulin; he's an extremely likeable and funny character...but his riding style, just seeking to hang on/limit his losses in the mountains rather than going on the attack doesn't really make for exciting racing. Tense yes, but not exciting. Can't really blame him for this, he makes the most of his physical attributes.

Bernal definetely seems to tick all the boxes so far as far as future GC contenders go.

Actually, the near presence of Dumoulin makes the other force to race exciting (like Yates).

Imagine this years Giro without Dumoulin.

Would Yates feel the urge to attack at every possibly opportunity then? I think not.

Yeah i do kind of agree, but i used the word 'tense' rather than exciting. He definetely adds to the drama, but its a different kind of drama...watching the clock to see how the gaps develop, rather than the raw excitement of watching two or three riders going head to head trying to break each other...'mano a mano' as i think they call it

 

[Pantani_lives]

I'm still looking for the next Pantani: a climber whose attacks can make the difference in the GC. In the past decade only Contador and Nibali have fit that description. Quintana, López and Chaves have their days, but they can also disappoint. I'm grateful that Simon Yates is there, otherwise another Giro would be decided entirely in one time trial. I hope Roglic will become a GT rider as well.

For the classics the next Cancellara isn't there yet. I'm still hoping that Sep Vanmarcke and Bart Wellens will win at least one monument. I've become somewhat of a Sagan supporter, because he's an individual who can split a race open.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Pierre Latour.

 

[Angliru]

Agreed on Dumoulin; he's an extremely likeable and funny character...but his riding style, just seeking to hang on/limit his losses in the mountains rather than going on the attack doesn't really make for exciting racing. Tense yes, but not exciting. Can't really blame him for this, he makes the most of his physical attributes.

Bernal definetely seems to tick all the boxes so far as far as future GC contenders go.

Actually, the near presence of Dumoulin makes the other force to race exciting (like Yates).

Imagine this years Giro without Dumoulin.

Would Yates feel the urge to attack at every possibly opportunity then? I think not.

It seems to me with Yates that if his legs feel good that he gives it a go just to see what happens. Of course putting time into Dumoulin is important but if Dumoulin wasn't there I believe he would attack just the same, but as you said maybe not necessarily with the same frequency, but if he sees his rivals seemingly struggling and he's feeling good, he's going to try to drop them.

 

[Breh]

Re:

I'm still looking for the next Pantani: a climber whose attacks can make the difference in the GC. In the past decade only Contador and Nibali have fit that description. Quintana, López and Chaves have their days, but they can also disappoint. I'm grateful that Simon Yates is there, otherwise another Giro would be decided entirely in one time trial. I hope Roglic will become a GT rider as well.

For the classics the next Cancellara isn't there yet. I'm still hoping that Sep Vanmarcke and Bart Wellens will win at least one monument. I've become somewhat of a Sagan supporter, because he's an individual who can split a race open.

Bart Wellens?