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Future GT Winner (Edition 2021)

Page 8 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Who will win a Grand Tour?


  • Total voters
    125
  • Poll closed .
Because Almeidas best climbing performance this year was better than Mas, because he's a far better ITTer and because he's a lot younger?

Mas is a much better climber over 3 weeks than Almeida, at least at this point in time. And ITT'S (as I often point out) aren't that prevalent these days.

I don't think that Almeida is overrated in this context, but I think that Mas is underrated (probably because his style comes across as a little boring).

Mas could very well be another Sastre (in terms of overall GT top 10's and podiums, not in terms of being likely to specifically win the Tour).
 
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Mas is a much better climber over 3 weeks than Almeida, at least at this point in time. And ITT'S (as I often point out) aren't that prevalent these days.

I don't think that Almeida is overrated in this context, but I think that Mas is underrated (probably because his style comes across as a little boring).

Mas could very well be another Sastre (in terms of overall GT top 10's and podiums, not in terms of being likely to specifically win the Tour).
Being another Sastre doesn't mean he's likely to win a GT though.
Sastre was a very consistent rider, but he was never particularly close to win a GT except for the Tour he won (when team strength and circumstances played a role).

If the poll was about riders who are most likely to ammass podiums and top5, then sure, Mas would be my first choice. But the poll is about future GT winners and there are riders with a higher ceiling in that list.
 
Being another Sastre doesn't mean he's likely to win a GT though.
Sastre was a very consistent rider, but he was never particularly close to win a GT except for the Tour he won (when team strength and circumstances played a role).

If the poll was about riders who are most likely to ammass podiums and top5, then sure, Mas would be my first choice. But the poll is about future GT winners and there are riders with a higher ceiling in that list.
Yes. And I think it's easier to fix a lack of consistency than it is to fix a lack of top performances.
 
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Like when he attacked at the bottom of the Alpe d'Huez and took two minutes on everybody? Doesn't seem particularly circumstantial to me.
Cooperation behind Sastra was bad and Evans wasn't really riding until it was too late cause he was looking at Fränk Schleck too much. Evans' team was absolutely dire that Tour.

On the other hand, Sastre had wanted to attack on Bonnette the day before and he hadn't been allowed to do so IIRC.
 
Like when he attacked at the bottom of the Alpe d'Huez and took two minutes on everybody? Doesn't seem particularly circumstantial to me.
That was a huge attack by Sastre. But it was set up by his strong team which meant all eyes were on the Shlecks and Carlos was relatively fresh to launch that attack. The other circumstance was Evans’s crash on stage 9 and some poor options by him as mentioned upthread by 42x16.
 
The 2006-2012 era is sketchy in terms of consistent GC talent, for xyz reasons.

But those 'reasons' & ensuing impact on the pro-peloton aren't currently replicated, so the likelihood of seeing some of the less fancied riders becoming GC winners (like Sastre in the Tour) is smaller.
 
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Cooperation behind Sastra was bad and Evans wasn't really riding until it was too late cause he was looking at Fränk Schleck too much. Evans' team was absolutely dire that Tour.

On the other hand, Sastre had wanted to attack on Bonnette the day before and he hadn't been allowed to do so IIRC.
Yep. Riis wanted Frank Schleck to go for it on Bonette as well - but he didn't have it in him. For some reason Riis hadn't figured out that Frank Schleck wasn't a winner

Or he just wanted to keep his more talented brother happy, who the * * * * knows.

But they were basically domming for Evans at that point in the race. It was sad to see.
 
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I just realized that if Rog, Pog and Bernal all goes to TdF next year the best chances of a new rider winning a GT is much closer than I previously thought. If Rog, Pog and Bernal all does TdF, the giro 2022 should be an open field.

But most of the guys on this list are probably going to TdF? No?

The only ones I really expect to be at the giro barred they're not injured is Almeida and Evenepoel. And Lopez probably/hopefully? Haig?

Martinez could easily be sent as a domestique for Bernal to TdF instead of given his own chances at the giro. (Ineos might instead send for example Rodriguez to the giro?) And I would expect Ben O` Connor , Vlasov, Mas and Vingegaard all to go to TdF?

Or will the absence of Rog, Pog and Bernal make everyone wanting to be at the giro 2022 instead of TdF?!

It's an interesting prospect!
 

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