Future GT Winner (Edition 2024)

[nightowl]

Most overrated climber ever. And poll should have a "no one" option

In fairness to Ayuso, he hasn’t exactly been in a winnable GT position yet in his career. Vuelta 3rd at 20, then went up against Roglic and Vingegaard in the Vuelta at 21, then went as secondary leader to Pogacar this year. So not exactly surprising he hasn’t won a GT yet.

He’s shown the ability to perform for 3 weeks, the ability to do high-level TTs, and flashes of truly elite climbing level - and he’s only just turned 22. He’s kind of the obvious choice in this poll, it just looks worse because he was the obvious choice the last 2 years as well.

 

[Potomac]

In fairness to Ayuso, he hasn’t exactly been in a winnable GT position yet in his career. Vuelta 3rd at 20, then went up against Roglic and Vingegaard in the Vuelta

Kuss beat Roglic and Vingegaard in the Vuelta.
He should get some pointers from him.

 

[Peyroteo94]

In fairness to Ayuso, he hasn’t exactly been in a winnable GT position yet in his career. Vuelta 3rd at 20, then went up against Roglic and Vingegaard in the Vuelta at 21, then went as secondary leader to Pogacar this year. So not exactly surprising he hasn’t won a GT yet.

He’s shown the ability to perform for 3 weeks, the ability to do high-level TTs, and flashes of truly elite climbing level - and he’s only just turned 22. He’s kind of the obvious choice in this poll, it just looks worse because he was the obvious choice the last 2 years as well.

I'm yet to see where he is challenging 2nd tier climbers in the mountains (Remco, Kuss, Yates, etc)

 

[Pantani_lives]

Do you have any specific criteria for who to put in the poll? I'm guessing the bookies would give lower odds for winning a GT at some point in their career for some big talents who are earlier in their development, like Nordhagen, Del Toro or Widar, than for Skjelmose or Gaudu, for example. But I can also see how there's not enough space to have all the promising U23 climbers in the poll.

There are no strict criteria, but I mostly look at those who were in the top 7 of a GT this year. I can also include someone who has won an important one-week race, like Ayuso this year or Skjelmose last year. Sometimes I leave out riders who are already in their thirties, because they're unlikely to improve. Very young riders like Del Toro etc. can be included next year if they show further development. It's always hard to choose.

 

[Netserk]

I think the best criterion for including someone in the poll is how likely they are to be the next first time winner. So while young riders have many more years to land a victory, they are not necessarily the most likely to do so within a year or two. And so, if their most likely years for success is a couple of years down the road, they can be included in a later poll.

I don't think Adam Yates need to improve, he just needs to ride the Giro next year in a similar form to what he achieved for the Tour the past two years to have a better opportunity than some of the poll options will ever have (again).

So if it was just up to me (also somewhat weighting which options others would likely find plausible):

1. Adam Yates
2. João Almeida
3. Carlos Rodríguez
4. Enric Mas
5. Juan Ayuso
6. Antonio Tiberi
7. Matteo Jorgenson
8. Derek Gee
9. Cian Uijtdebroeks
10. Felix Gall

 

[Tonton]

2015 Mikel Landa
2016 Esteban Chaves
2017 Mikel Landa
2018 Egan Bernal (won Tour 2019)
2019 Tadej Pogačar (won Tour 2020)
2020 Remco Evenepoel (won Vuelta 2022)
2021 Jonas Vingegaard (won Tour 2022)
2022 Juan Ayuso
2023 Juan Ayuso
2024 ???

Landa or Ayuso then? I'm surprised that Mas never got the top vote.

Castrillo, I hope. He was riding like he didn't give a crap, Having fun on a bike. The kind of rider that I like. Tiberi for Italy...

Joao can be a superdom for Pog on one GT and have one shot per year. Can he make the best of it?

I was a couple of hours late for the poll, but that's my view,. No French revival at this time, Sorry....

 

[nightowl]

Kuss beat Roglic and Vingegaard in the Vuelta.
He should get some pointers from him.

Should’ve gotten in the break at the Tour and got twitter to force Pogacar to gift it to him

 

[Netserk]

Derek Gee is the most underrated bet to win the Giro next year.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1869058658136686902

View: https://x.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1869058658136686902

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

Apparently I voted Almeida and Ayuso in a rare moment of benevolence.

I really enjoy Almeida, so that was more a vote from the heart, would like nothing better than a GT win for him. Hopefully he can stay healthy throughout the season.

Ayuso has had a couple of seasons hampered by injury and illness, where he nonetheless managed some really good results. I'm sure the 2023 and 2024 seasons were nothing like he and the team imagined them to be, but he's still really young. I have no idea if he has hit his ceiling as a climber and/ or GT rider, but hopefully he too can stay healthy from now on and maybe he'll show us all in 2025!

 

[Potomac]

So Ayuso has won this poll three years in a row.
At the start of his next GT I can see all the microphones thrust in his face and he is asked if he feeling the pressure from the PCS Cycling News forum poll.
Anyone would wither under this forum's pressure.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

So Ayuso has won this poll three years in a row.
At the start of his next GT I can see all the microphones thrust in his face and he is asked if he feeling the pressure from the PCS forum poll.
Anyone would wither under this forum's pressure.

PCS?

 

[Cookster15]

I didn't get my vote in before it closed - couldn't make up my mind.

But hopefully João Almeida can deliver. I like him, a dogged diesel in the mountains, a strong time trialist and a selfless team player for his team leader who is the greatest rider we've seen since Merckx.

Juan Ayuso is amazing for such a young rider but too selfish. He might be more talented climber than Almeida but he doesn't deserve my respect or even team support at UAE. Hopefully this attitude is simply immaturity and he can grow up and swing opinions on him and that of his teammates who he will need support from to win a GT.

 

[Potomac]

PCS?

doh! where are my meds?

 

[42x16ss]

None of the above. I do expect most to get podiums/top 5 though, and those to have done it before to do it again at least once

 

[Netserk]

The Giro startlist is taking shape. With Vingegaard (and likely also Pogi) doing Tour-Vuelta, it will be the best chance for a first time winner.

GT winners:

• Rogla
• Hindley
• Carapaz
• Yates, S.
• Quintana
• (Bernal?)
• (Geoghegan Hart?)

Potential first time GT winners:

• Yates, A.
• Ayuso
• Gee
• Tiberi
• Gaudu
• Landa
• Martínez, D.
• Bardet
• Del Toro
• (Rodríguez?)

Potential first time GT winners who likely won't go (and are therefore unlikely to win a GT this year):

• O'Connor
• Mas
• Lipowitz
• Almeida
• Skjelmose
• Blobloblo
• Gall
• Jorgenson
• Martinez, L.