Future fanboy/girl material

[RedheadDane]

Re: 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?

Tim's secret brother?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

After Fabian retired, I've had the same empty feeling watching the Classics. Stuyven is one of the few riders I really like and same for Sagan (maybe because his powerful style reminds me of Fabian if you take away the elegance or because he's often finding himself in the same race situations as Fabian was).

In stage racing there's obviously Fuglsang. I like to cheer for him, because when cheering for a rider, who almost never wins, every victory or top result feels special. I track all his results and can spend hours diggin through PCS statistics or searching for old youtube clips showcasing his (slow) evolution. None of the young up-and-coming GC riders have caught my interest yet like Basso, Contador or Valverde, I must admit. But I'm actually quite desperate for it to happen soon.

 

[carton]

I really have never had a favorite rider quite at that level. I mean, Indurain and Ulrich were my guys before I really started watching, and then Soler and Schleck as I started watching more and therefore valuing that attacking courage, but after that brief spell...I don't know.

Among the current crop, I was rooting for Rigo over Nairo in 2014 because of his personality. But Nairo has grown on me, for his humanitarian work and because he's so much than he's ever given credit for. Frankly without this forum I probably wouldn't root for him quite as much. Among the other guys I cheer for Pinot, who has honestly not been good enough to make races really interesting, and Dombrowski, who hasn't been good enough to even make the final cut. And Major Tom is too defensive, and defensively so.

I think the problem is the attacking riders don't win much and the riders who do don't attack much. But that has really pretty much always been the case. That's why I'm really cautious about the hype place on Bernal. IMHO, the only GT rider who pretty much guarantees an exciting race if he's on form is Quintana. Maybe Simon Yates will hit that level, and he is also witty in a blunt sort of way.

Outside the Grand Tours definitely Sagan, who always makes things interesting and has the personality to back it up. But one day races don't quite build the same connection with the riders as a Tour, where you can see them go through their ups and downs day-by-day.

 

[Breh]

Re: 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?

Tim's secret brother?

 

[Jspear]

I love watching Bernal race. He ain’t giving me the vibes that Contador did, but that’s okay. He’s definitely one of my favorite riders now. I will say Yates has been a pleasure to watch. If he races like this all the time I will be a huge fan of his.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: 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?

Tim's secret brother?

I just assumed we were talking road racers. Not 39-year-old cross riders...

(I didn't know about him before looking him up after your reply.)

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: 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?

Tim's secret brother?

I just assumed we were talking road racers. Not 39-year-old cross riders...

(I didn't know about him before looking him up after your reply.)

You've got me there. I meant Orson Wellens.

 

[Koronin]

I understand the feeling. The classics haven't been the same since Cancellara retired (my 2nd favorite rider). I haven't found anyone yet who can fill that void. Obviously Valverde is still racing, but for how much longer? Even he doesn't have an answer for that right now. There's just no one there to take their place. Granted no one will ever take Valverde's place but it would be nice to find a young rider who I can really pull for and I haven't fully found him yet. There are guys I like and who have potential. I like Landa and with all the crazy stuff that surrounds him he's entertaining. I'm liking Soler and there's potential there that I hope fully develops. Currently with Valverde (and before with Cancellara) I would hunt for races/stages to watch. With the lack of coverage in the US, when Valverde retires, I can't see myself going out of my way to look for races/stages to watch. There's no one else out there that I care enough about to go hunting for races. Don't know if I'll ever find another rider who will become enough of a favorite for me to go out of my way to hunt for races/stages just because he's racing.

 

[Sestriere]

Brandon McNulty's ride to Hatta Dam this year impressed me. He seems to have a lot of panache which he showed in California last week again. Has a good TT as well and go up a hill. He is still very young so you cannot know where he will go but I'm following his development with a lot of interest since I will need a successor for Nibali as well.

 

[42x16ss]

I'm getting a big soft spot for Jack Haig. The kid's a beast, rides his guts out for the team every day, and does it with a smile. He's a good laugh on the team videos too.

 

[Pantani Attacks]

MAL, Mas and LaTour. Bernal will be hard to like if he stays at that hell hole, but if they offload some of the gutter and replace it with good likeable riders then I'll root for him.

 

[gunara]

Honestly, a GT and any other climbers' race still feels too different since I realized Alberto would not be in any of them, that sense of anticipation of how the season will turn out so far still absent for me. I still watch cycling as much as I can, however other than Roubaix and De Ronde this year I haven't been too excited about anything. Sagan maybe, but I don't cheer for a classic rider for three weeks, rooting for a GC contender in a GT is unlike anything else in sports.

Oh, and Mohoric....I doubt he will ever win anything big, but I just fall for him at first sight, I've waited long enough and I'm willing to wait for more...

 

[RedheadDane]

^ Two GT stages doesn't count as "big"?

 

[Carols]

I'm in the same dilemma. Contador retired, Nibali moves up to #1 and Bala to #2. But they are both aging out. So far no young rider has captured me. One can't force these things. Sooner or later someone will show up and steal my heart like others have since the late 1950s. I just hope he shows up sooner rather than later . Bernal might be the one if he gets off of Sky....but one just has to let it happen.

 

[skippo12]

I have high hopes that Schachmann will develop into a contender for LBL or even contend for a GT one day.
His first GT looks promising although he cracked in the mountains this weekend...he mentioned an infect on twitter - might be the reason for this.

 

[gunara]

Re:

^ Two GT stages doesn't count as "big"?

The GTs were big, the stages....well I consider some GT stages victories as big, but just a select few...
I was thinking more of big one-day races actually,

 

[perico]

It took almost 20 years for a rider who completely filled the shoes of my boyhood idol. And Contador turned out to be a much bigger talent than Delgado.

Hopefully young Enric will be as good as advertised.