- May 9, 2014
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If Carthy wants to secure his life financially, he'll go to Sky. If he really wants to fulfil his potential, he'll go to somewhere like Lampre or Dimension, where he'll get opportunities
- Mar 13, 2009
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What a talent. Never heard of him before, so I must admit my ignorance. But he's shown he's capable of great things on world tour level. Only a matter of time before a WT team will pick him up. But with Caja Rujal he can ride a lot of these spanish races and even WT races. So a really smart move. With a lower conti british team he'd often be stuck riding flatter races and not being able to show his climbing skills.
- Sep 28, 2014
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Re:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...talent-at-esteemed-british-junior-team-216288
Hugh did come from this british amateur team.
It wouldn't surprise me if he goes to a team like Lampre, if you look at an article like this:PremierAndrew said:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...talent-at-esteemed-british-junior-team-216288
Hugh did come from this british amateur team.
- Jul 27, 2009
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Re: Re:
Good racing program with the Giro and the Italian fall classics, decent support team with the likes of Polanc. Decent equipment from Merida. Decent check for a rookie. Mr. Goodlife in Italy.
Should be a move to consider!
Lampre really really needs a leader for the Giro 2017 since Modolo ain't no superior sprinter as well.lemon cheese cake said:
Good racing program with the Giro and the Italian fall classics, decent support team with the likes of Polanc. Decent equipment from Merida. Decent check for a rookie. Mr. Goodlife in Italy.
Should be a move to consider!
- Mar 14, 2016
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Re: Re:
Great idea. Thrust a 22-year-old who's never even raced in a WT team into a leadership role at a Grand Tour. No risk of burning him at all.staubsauger said:
- Feb 20, 2010
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The big question would be, who does he learn from at Lampre? Even at Caja Rural, you've got somebody like David Arroyo with a wealth of experience in top teams and at least at a reasonable GT level (the 2010 podium aside, he's still made Giro top 10s on multiple occasions) as a pure climber with little in the way of TT capability (I nearly said no rouleur skills, but he used to do 'cross and that skill came in very handy in Montalcino, plus of course he's an amazing bike handler, you have to be to descend like that). Lampre have Rui Costa who's not really the same kind of rider as Hugh, and Niemiec who may or may not still be there.
Plus, Louis Meintjes is probably Lampre's climber for the future and even if he, like most "expansion region" stage racers is going to want to target the Tour, I wouldn't be surprised if Lampre would want an Italian leader for the home race.
He doesn't need leadership roles any time soon - but he needs maybe a bit of a free hand. Places like Sky and Movistar he'll be hamstrung by the strength of those teams in depth and maybe not get the freedom, Sky could roadblock his development due to sheer numbers of big names, and Unzué may well slow his pace of development owing to his traditional caution (plus, Rubén Fernández and Marc Soler would probably be ahead of him in the queue there). Most of the WT level teams where he'd have the freedom he'd not have any support - Giant, Lotto and so on. Orica might be a better bet, and I never thought I'd be saying that three years ago. But they've got their youth phenom already in Robert Power. Maybe even the French teams would be best - somewhere like Cofidis or Ag2r - but then like Lampre there's not as much in the way of GC experienced older riders to learn from (except Pozzovivo I guess). And then, the question would be, will he really be better off riding the hilly and rolling French one-day races than he is riding the Spanish short stage race calendar with Caja Rural?
It'll be interesting to see what move he makes next. I certainly won't be surprised if Caja Rural are very keen to lock him in for another year or two, then at 24, if all goes well, he'll be an established prospect ready for a good contract with one of the biggest teams, and Caja Rural will have got some useful exposure out of the racing he's done for them then. But if he continues to race like this, they might not be able to afford to keep him on on their budget. I mean, they had to let Omar Fraile go this year, and for a team based in Navarra having a very talented young Basque rider is kind of their thing.
Plus, Louis Meintjes is probably Lampre's climber for the future and even if he, like most "expansion region" stage racers is going to want to target the Tour, I wouldn't be surprised if Lampre would want an Italian leader for the home race.
He doesn't need leadership roles any time soon - but he needs maybe a bit of a free hand. Places like Sky and Movistar he'll be hamstrung by the strength of those teams in depth and maybe not get the freedom, Sky could roadblock his development due to sheer numbers of big names, and Unzué may well slow his pace of development owing to his traditional caution (plus, Rubén Fernández and Marc Soler would probably be ahead of him in the queue there). Most of the WT level teams where he'd have the freedom he'd not have any support - Giant, Lotto and so on. Orica might be a better bet, and I never thought I'd be saying that three years ago. But they've got their youth phenom already in Robert Power. Maybe even the French teams would be best - somewhere like Cofidis or Ag2r - but then like Lampre there's not as much in the way of GC experienced older riders to learn from (except Pozzovivo I guess). And then, the question would be, will he really be better off riding the hilly and rolling French one-day races than he is riding the Spanish short stage race calendar with Caja Rural?
It'll be interesting to see what move he makes next. I certainly won't be surprised if Caja Rural are very keen to lock him in for another year or two, then at 24, if all goes well, he'll be an established prospect ready for a good contract with one of the biggest teams, and Caja Rural will have got some useful exposure out of the racing he's done for them then. But if he continues to race like this, they might not be able to afford to keep him on on their budget. I mean, they had to let Omar Fraile go this year, and for a team based in Navarra having a very talented young Basque rider is kind of their thing.
Great to see this thread. I remember last year in Trentino when Hugh finished a tough MTF stage in the top ten, just ahead of Hesjedal. But the Italian announcer called out "McCarthy" when he crossed the line. Now the opposite is happening in Catalunya with announcers predicting him for a high finish. He will be interviewed again on cyclinghub.tv soon, so it will be interesting to see what he says about his future. I hope he stays at Caja Rural for a few more years as he seems to get along so well there.
- Jun 30, 2014
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- Feb 20, 2010
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DD not so bad, but Giant I think is not a good fit, he'll get freedom but no help. At this point he's still raw, chances AND potential development room need to be factored in. Not convinced Giant is good place to go for a climber type for development, they're vastly improved on what they were but still very much a rouleur/sprinter team, and not convinced I want to see Carthy sacrificed to dragging Dumoulin's carcass around like Héctor Guerra in a couple of years' time or turned into a placements rider because the team has to take a balanced squad with a sprinter and their leadout and he'll get isolated too easily. It's a balancing act because many of the teams that can offer the best chances to show himself in the bigger races also don't have the same ability to develop riders of the type Carthy is; but in the teams with the best record for that, he'd have a lot less freedom and be condemned to domestiquing for a while yet.
It all depends on what happens over the rest of the year, but in terms of experienced climbers who can impart knowledge they're much of a muchness with what he has now as older riders (Ten Dam, Antón, Arroyo). For the moment, a ProConti team with less expectation is right for him, more freedom and fewer high profile race days. The one thing DD or Giant could help him with that Caja Rural can't to the same extent is time trialling. If he breaks out, then yes, the WT should come calling, but if this is his current level, there's still room to grow and pick up opportunities at WT races and at least one GT within Caja Rural, who are not a weak ProConti team by any stretch either, and that is also something he'll have to weigh up come the end of the season. He's only in his second WT race though, and seems to have a sensible head on his shoulders, but he's going to have some decisions to make.
It all depends on what happens over the rest of the year, but in terms of experienced climbers who can impart knowledge they're much of a muchness with what he has now as older riders (Ten Dam, Antón, Arroyo). For the moment, a ProConti team with less expectation is right for him, more freedom and fewer high profile race days. The one thing DD or Giant could help him with that Caja Rural can't to the same extent is time trialling. If he breaks out, then yes, the WT should come calling, but if this is his current level, there's still room to grow and pick up opportunities at WT races and at least one GT within Caja Rural, who are not a weak ProConti team by any stretch either, and that is also something he'll have to weigh up come the end of the season. He's only in his second WT race though, and seems to have a sensible head on his shoulders, but he's going to have some decisions to make.
- Aug 18, 2010
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I think Libertine is correct that in the short term he doesn't need to be a main team leader, but he does need a team where he will often get a free role. Caja Rural is actually a good place for him in terms of calendar and will certainly give him plenty of opportunities to ride for himself, but to be very blunt about it, if he puts in a few more performances of this sort of calibre they won't be able to afford to keep him. They just can't pay anybody the kind of wages that a lot of teams would pay a prospect who seems as good as this even if he would be well down the team pecking order.
- Mar 13, 2015
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Looks like a fairly long interview or article about/with Hugh...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ce81vtgWAAE3lvb.jpg:large
...if only I spoke Spanish.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ce81vtgWAAE3lvb.jpg:large
...if only I spoke Spanish.
- Sep 9, 2009
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Google translate a picture?
Anyway, 8th today, comfortably 1st of anyone not in the break (and ahead of a few who were). I wonder if he'll get shuffled in to their Vasco team now, or if it's time to celebrate
Anyway, 8th today, comfortably 1st of anyone not in the break (and ahead of a few who were). I wonder if he'll get shuffled in to their Vasco team now, or if it's time to celebrate
- Apr 7, 2016
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- Mar 13, 2015
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Here is 11 mins of highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr20JovvTWg
He has a pretty ugly riding style.
He has a pretty ugly riding style.
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