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Teams & Riders General topic for riders who don't deserve their own thread (yet)

Page 4 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Does anyone know what Serge Pauwels is doing now?

His last appearance was Haut-Var back in February. I can't see him scheduled for any race to happen until the end of season. It's weird, because he is an experienced rider in a relatively weak team, so he could potentially deliver something, somewhere (even if his recent results were not impressive, to say the least). No official explanation of his absence was provided so far.

Injury or illness? Release out of contract (without making it official) and earlier retirement? Have no clue.
 
He was set to be patricipating at Ain and Dauphine but had to skip the races because of illness.

 
How is his recovery? I feel like he's been very inconsistent the past few years.
He was inconsistent as an u23, but that's not uncommon. But the past few years he had issues with his health and injuries. This year is finaly the first year we're seeing him in good health at the pros. So it's hard to tell. He was decent in Ruta del Sol and Tour de L'ain this year, but really it's anyone's guess.
 
His time trial is not so great, is it? So maybe go for stages instead of GC? But then, in this year's field, maybe GC and stages are both possible.
Not a great TTer. He spoke of possibly making te Youth Jersey a goal, but both Almeida and Mcnulty are much better TTers. On the other hand, he already leapfrogged Mcnulty yesterday. If he remains consistent he could still make up for the 5-10 minutes he loses in the time trials.

Lotto said they want to go for stagewins, but won't dismiss the option for him to ride a GC or Youth classification just yet. But it's still a long way to go. They'll asess the situation in a few days.
 
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I have a bit of a weird question regarding the guy who was 9th in stage 17 of the Giro; what is his full name?

According to Wikipedia it's Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Egerzeigzaarhka.
According to CyclingQuotiens it's Amanuel Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier.
Please don't tell me his full name is actually Amanuel Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier Egerzeigzaarhka, because that's mouthful. (But would definitely put him up there as the biggest name in this year's Giro.)
 
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I have a bit of a weird question regarding the guy who was 9th in stage 17 of the Giro; what is his full name?

According to Wikipedia it's Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Egerzeigzaarhka.
According to CyclingQuotiens it's Amanuel Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier.
Please don't tell me his full name is actually Amanuel Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier Egerzeigzaarhka, because that's mouthful. (But would definitely put him up there as the biggest name in this year's Giro.)
NTT's webpage and PCS say it's Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier.
Other sources i found say Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul

Who knows. It's possible they are all correct. I also have multiple names in my first name, but i don't present myself that way, and they are not even on many official documents.
 
NTT's webpage and PCS say it's Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier.
Other sources i found say Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul

Who knows. It's possible they are all correct. I also have multiple names in my first name, but i don't present myself that way, and they are not even on many official documents.

True, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul is another version I've seen around. I've actually been wondering about this for a while; seems all Eritreans have a "secondary surname" (except Berhane, apparently...), so I was just wondering if there had been a bit of false information in some sources.
As for the NTT homepage simply calling him Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier; I suppose it would make sense to use the name the rider mostly uses, and PCS seems to mostly use names from official team sources. Another example is Valgren, who is simply listed as, well, Michael Valgren, rather than Michael Valgren Hundahl, or - as some sites still call him - Michael Valgren Andersen.
 
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True, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul is another version I've seen around. I've actually been wondering about this for a while; seems all Eritreans have a "secondary surname" (except Berhane, apparently...), so I was just wondering if there had been a bit of false information in some sources.
As for the NTT homepage simply calling him Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier; I suppose it would make sense to use the name the rider mostly uses, and PCS seems to mostly use names from official team sources. Another example is Valgren, who is simply listed as, well, Michael Valgren, rather than Michael Valgren Hundahl, or - as some sites still call him - Michael Valgren Andersen.

As far as I know, Eritreans (and also Ethiophians) don't use family names. It's common - but not mandatory - to have father's given name as some kind of middle name, and grandfather's given name as the last name. And their own given name can be constituted of more than one word, so sometimes they have really big names.
I might be wrong, that's just what I understood from an Eritrean friend several years ago, and naming convention can change with time.
 
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People have been amazed with guys like Almeida, Bagioli etc, but for me, a "wondrous emergence" of a "lesser-than-worldclass talent" in the Vuelta is that of Clément Champoussin. Last year in Tour de l'Avenir, couldn't get on the podium, despite half the top contenders not being present or having crashed out, and being one of the older contenders in the race as well. Now, he's shown on multiple stages in the Vuelta, that he can climb with the best. Quite remarkable. In the ITT, he also climbed faster than Mas, Carapaz, Soler, G Martin... and basically on the same level of Vlasov & Gaudu.

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People have been amazed with guys like Almeida, Bagioli etc, but for me, a "wondrous emergence" of a "lesser-than-worldclass talent" in the Vuelta is that of Clément Champoussin. Last year in Tour de l'Avenir, couldn't get on the podium, despite half the top contenders not being present or having crashed out, and being one of the older contenders in the race as well. Now, he's shown on multiple stages in the Vuelta, that he can climb with the best. Quite remarkable. In the ITT, he also climbed faster than Mas, Carapaz, Soler, G Martin... and basically on the same level of Vlasov & Gaudu.

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He was very clearly a world class talent even when not the most consistent. Just look at his results. He was always touted as a more punchy guy, just like Bagioli, and not a pure climber. I wasn't expecting this ITT by him but I'm also not super surprised by his overall level. The talent was always there even if he doesn't scream wonderkid. And being a year older or younger really doesn't say that much anymore these days. It's interesting to look at but I feel like there are so many guys developing so fast at a really young age and at the same time there are guys who are taking longer to develop (just look at Buchmann, or, to stay with U23 guys, Jordi Meeus) that we just can't say a lot based on age. And last years l'Avenir field is really hard to judge I think. He lost 2,5min on that wet medium mountain day btw. Not in the high mountains.
 
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He was very clearly a world class talent even when not the most consistent. Just look at his results. He was always touted as a more punchy guy, just like Bagioli, and not a pure climber. I wasn't expecting this ITT by him but I'm also not super surprised by his overall level. The talent was always there even if he doesn't scream wonderkid. And being a year older or younger really doesn't say that much anymore these days. It's interesting to look at but I feel like there are so many guys developing so fast at a really young age and at the same time there are guys who are taking longer to develop (just look at Buchmann, or, to stay with U23 guys, Jordi Meeus) that we just can't say a lot based on age. And last years l'Avenir field is really hard to judge I think. He lost 2,5min on that wet medium mountain day btw. Not in the high mountains.
Many guys with better results in the u23 i wouldn't consider world class. Talented, of course, but not world class. But what i find remarkable is the progression he made within 1 year.
 
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Many guys with better results in the u23 i wouldn't consider world class. Talented, of course, but not world class. But what i find remarkable is the progression he made within 1 year.
Yeah, he definitely further improved this year. Looking at Zimmermann, they both were at a nearly identical level at l'Avenir last year and are both riding quite well at the Vuelta this year. Steady progress instead of big jumps for both. Bodes well for their development to continue the next years.
 
Continuing to look at young riders at the Vuelta: Great race by Thymen Arensman. The ITT was immense and today he showed that his climbing is also developing. Mark Donovan was also riding really good after a mostly anonymous year so far. Sunweb is doing an amazing job with their young guys and how they tackled the GTs and their perparations for them.

Ide Schelling is another one who was having a fantastic GT debut. Last year there were people questioning Bora for picking him up, he wasn't a standout U23 at all, but he showed that there is a lot of potential still to uncover and it's not only early bloomers that should be looked at. Can basically do anything other than high mountain domestique (at this point at least) or last man in sprint train.

Edit: I even missed Mäder. He needed this strong race after a mostly anonymous Neo campaign so far. Hopefully he gets a new contract somewhere. He is a very attacking and fun rider to watch when on form.
 
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I was planning on mentioning this guy before, but kinda forgot. He was really impressive in stage 3 of Burgos this year. Worked all day in the break, and then went solo for a long time, only to be caught on the Picon Blanco, and only lost a minute and a half in the end. Did anybody know Adrià Roger before this? Still only22, this guy seems to have an engine. It was the stage Evenepoel won, but this guy might have delivered the real effort of the day.
 
Interview with Fausto Masnada, on QuickStep, Evenepoel, Almeida, personal ambitions... Google translated



Fausto Masnada: "Evenepoel will be the protagonist again. In 2021 I will help the team"


The Deceuninck rider intervenes in our live Instagram

Live Instagram full of ideas the one with Fausto Masnada . The Deceuninck Quick Step rider from Bergamo has come a long way in the last season and certainly doesn't want to stop there.

Watch the full live on our Instagram IGTV channel : https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIRNwrLoZUy/

“At both CCC and Deceuninck I worked with the highest quality materials and with extreme attention to detail to improve performance. In Deceuninck I felt more at home because I found Cattaneo, Ballerini and the sporting director Bramati whom I already knew. But also at the CCC I had an excellent eight months, at a high level, and it was a positive experience. Both are impeccable World Tour teams ”.

“With Almeida at the Giro we also thought about the final victory, of course. The youth policy - such as Almeida and especially Evenepoel - bears fruit even in the great stage races, where Cattaneo and I have made a good contribution. Deceuninck's philosophy is linear: a young, ambitious and talented team, with young people in the foreground and close-knit with everyone ”.

“Almeida at the Giro was growing day by day, proving that he was able to keep the pink jersey and deserved it from every point of view. Until the Stelvio it had never shown signs of abating and we believed it, because Milan was getting closer and closer. Joao was going strong and it showed in every stage, he had more energy than everyone else: we were happy to support him, hoping for the final victory until the 19th stage. For sure Almeida will continue to improve, becoming a great rider for great laps ”.

“For what he did at the start of the season and also immediately after the lockdown, I think Evenepoel would have won the Giro d'Italia. In the one-week stage races it was much higher and I'm sure it would have held even in the three weeks. Then maybe he wouldn't have won, who knows, but surely he would have gone on the podium of the Giro. A talent like Remco is a phenomenon, born once every 5-6 years: we have seen in the race how he manages to make a difference. I had a personal experience against him at the 2019 Jonica Race : I was on the run, he left the group alone, he took me back and then he detached me on the flat. I couldn't keep up with him! From there I realized it was a phenomenon! ”.

Remco has the head and the will to win. He has already planned 2021. He is supported by a great physicist. He will come back determined and bad, forgetting what happened at the Giro di Lombardia ”.

“I knew that descent, which descends from the Sormano Wall . It is dangerous, with ugly curves. When I saw the video of the fall, we knew it was serious. For the dynamics and the place, the bridge, Remco was lucky ”.

“In 2021 I hope to compete in the Giro d'Italia plus another great tour, Tour or Vuelta . It will depend on the calendar, whether it will be changed or not ”. “From August onwards it was frustrating to undergo endless tampons. Frustrating for fear of being positive, because those who caught the virus were forced to close the season early. Matthews and Gaviria were asymptomatic, they felt fine, but were forced to abandon the race. Right, of course. But frustrating ".

“The shortened stage of the Giro? There was misunderstanding and mismanagement on the part of everyone. We had been coming for 4-5 very busy days, the protest was not shared by the whole group and there was general chaos. It won't happen again. It was a lesson for all of us runners and also for those who design the route: better to avoid the longest stage - albeit flat - in the midst of the most demanding stages ”.

“We are aware that cycling is our job, for which we get paid. So we don't have to discuss the path. But, paradoxically, I say that if the stage had been long and demanding, decisive for the classification, with 6 thousand meters in altitude, there would have been no protest ”.

“I 5th of the Italian riders at Fantacycling ? Good. I hope to be a regular in the national team at the next World Cup ”. The 2020 of the Italians was good. We lack a top man, an idol especially in one-day races. It is hoped that in a few years a new talent will arrive ”.

Nibali should not be criticized. At 36 he was still in the Top 10 at the Giro, confirming the continuity of a true champion. He cannot be reproached for anything, he is always a high-level athlete despite his age. In addition to class, he still has the determination of a young man ”.

Ganna will get stronger and stronger in the time trial, and maybe she will win gold at the next Tokyo Olympics . That is his specialty, who knows for how many years. In Roubaix and in the other classics he will be able to try: he has the qualities, even without being as dominant as a time trial ”.

“In 2021 I will join the captain, Evenepoel think , to win a great lap. So I will give up some personal ambition, but when I have the chance to make a good impression on my own, I promise to bring a lot of points to those who take me at Fantacycling. At the fantasy market I would choose Evenepoel or Alaphilippe first . I am biased, but very convinced that their 2021 will be huge. Among the surprises instead I would take Kuss and Ciccone ”.

“Ciccone is impatient, he wants to leave again. If next season is straightforward, we will certainly see him ahead ”.
 
Quite old "news", but I think it's a rather cool detail that for Demare's 14 wins this season, Guarnieri was present for 13 of those. No prize for guessing which one he wasn't present for!

The top 10 domestiques of 2020 | Cyclingnews

Since joining Groupama-FDJ back in 2017, Guarnieri has established himself as a reliable sprint partner to Arnaud Démare, and one of the most dependable lead-out men in the peloton.

In 2020, that proved to be the case once again as Démare enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career to date. The Frenchman took 14 wins during the season and was accompanied by Guarnieri for 13 of those, and for 46 of his 49 race days.

Four wins and the points jersey at the Giro d'Italia were the high point, while Guarnieri also helped Démare to wins at Milano-Torino, the overalls at the Tour de Wallonie and Tour de Luxembourg, as well as multiple stages at both races.

The value of a top-tier lead out is inestimable in modern cycling – just look at Deceuninck-QuickStep as an example (more on them next) – and Guarnieri has proven himself a top lead-out man along with engines Miles Scotson and Ignatas Konovalovas, who also played key roles for Démare this year.

Though it does beg the question; how many French riders does it take to replace one Guarnieri?
 
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Quite old "news", but I think it's a rather cool detail that for Demare's 14 wins this season, Guarnieri was present for 13 of those. No prize for guessing which one he wasn't present for!

The top 10 domestiques of 2020 | Cyclingnews



Though it does beg the question; how many French riders does it take to replace one Guarnieri?

THE FRENCH NATS!!!! Please give me a prize :(
 
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