Ion Izagirre

[The Chicken]

Re:

Heh, interesting comment from 2 years back:

Come on, he just won a stage Wonder if it's possible for him to still improve his climbing and have a serious go for GC at the Vuelta someday, where the TT should often suit him. It's difficult in a team with Valverde and Quintana I know, but I still see him as one of riders who's already had too few chances in big races, he deserve some, he's not worse a GC potential than - say - Dumoulin. Right, I might sound like Movistar need to have another boring GC guy

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Wauw, I had completely missed the fact that this is his debut Vuelta. In his ninth professional season. As a Spaniard.

Why not just start by winning it?

He hadn't been to the Vuelta before? Wow, that is surprising. Maybe the saddest part is that he was scheduled to go to the Vuelta last year and due to his Tour injury couldn't.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Ion has only targeted the GC twice beforehand this Vuelta. Once, in the Giro d' Italia 2015, and then in the Tour 2017. He disappointed in the Giro, but he was rather green at that point and really wasn't the rider he has been 16-18. I don't think Movistar particularly believed in him and when it was clear he couldn't get a top-10, he stage hunted and helped Amador. But overall he was quite weak in that Giro.

Last year in the Tour he obviously crashed in the opening TT and couldn't do anything. A shame as that probably was the most weakest and whack Tour de France I have ever witnessed - the parcours was extremely badly designed and Urán and Bardet finished just behind Froome. Enough said. Im pretty sure Izaigirre could have top-10 in that race as it suited him quite much.

So here we are. Really hoping for a top-5 or even a podium, but it will be hard. I heard in the cycling podcast that the brothers were very unthappy with their TT bikes, but it should have been upgraded significantly. That means only Kelderman will do better, maybe Valverde as well. I believe the basque, more unspectacular LLS, but better climber finally can deliver something big in a GT (aside from his stage win in 2016, Morzine).

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Ion has only targeted the GC twice beforehand this Vuelta. Once, in the Giro d' Italia 2015, and then in the Tour 2017. He disappointed in the Giro, but he was rather green at that point and really wasn't the rider he has been 16-18. I don't think Movistar particularly believed in him and when it was clear he couldn't get a top-10, he stage hunted and helped Amador. But overall he was quite weak in that Giro.

Last year in the Tour he obviously crashed in the opening TT and couldn't do anything. A shame as that probably was the most weakest and whack Tour de France I have ever witnessed - the parcours was extremely badly designed and Urán and Bardet finished just behind Froome. Enough said. Im pretty sure Izaigirre could have top-10 in that race as it suited him quite much.

So here we are. Really hoping for a top-5 or even a podium, but it will be hard. I heard in the cycling podcast that the brothers were very unthappy with their TT bikes, but it should have been upgraded significantly. That means only Kelderman will do better, maybe Valverde as well. I believe the basque, more unspectacular LLS, but better climber finally can deliver something big in a GT (aside from his stage win in 2016, Morzine).

Well that does explain his TT issues this year. Although I wouldn't be shocked if there's still a bit of a mental issue there just like Valverde has with the TT due to the Tour crash. Another interesting question is does the Spanish National team have Ion do both the ITT and the RR at the Worlds or just the RR, assuming their TT bikes have been upgraded. I agree that IF the bikes have been upgraded better to their liking only Kelderman and maybe Valverde will be better on the ITT from the GC side of things.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Ion has only targeted the GC twice beforehand this Vuelta. Once, in the Giro d' Italia 2015, and then in the Tour 2017. He disappointed in the Giro, but he was rather green at that point and really wasn't the rider he has been 16-18. I don't think Movistar particularly believed in him and when it was clear he couldn't get a top-10, he stage hunted and helped Amador. But overall he was quite weak in that Giro.

Last year in the Tour he obviously crashed in the opening TT and couldn't do anything. A shame as that probably was the most weakest and whack Tour de France I have ever witnessed - the parcours was extremely badly designed and Urán and Bardet finished just behind Froome. Enough said. Im pretty sure Izaigirre could have top-10 in that race as it suited him quite much.

So here we are. Really hoping for a top-5 or even a podium, but it will be hard. I heard in the cycling podcast that the brothers were very unthappy with their TT bikes, but it should have been upgraded significantly. That means only Kelderman will do better, maybe Valverde as well. I believe the basque, more unspectacular LLS, but better climber finally can deliver something big in a GT (aside from his stage win in 2016, Morzine).

He also a won a Giro stage way back in 2012 when Euskaltel was still a thing.

But the TT bike dissatisfaction seems plausible and I have hypothesized before that tge Merida bikes were respinsible for his drop in TT level from 2017.

On the first stage of this race, he rode fine.

 

[Rollthedice]

They got new TT bikes for Tour de France.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I completely forgot that, the stage win in 12. That was in a period where I didnt follow cycling that much, so Im obviously excused.

They got new TT bikes for Tour de France.

Yes. The brothers are kinda proud because they feel its their work, but I don't know if its as good as Movistar's Canyon and Sky's.

 

[Popchu]

Although he has his first top 10 in a Grand Tour GC, I think this Vuelta made clear he's not a contender for an overall victory (or even an podium) in a Grand Tour (like some people believed before this Vuelta). A fantastic rider for one week races and a stage hunter in GT's, nevertheless.

 

[tobydawq]

I didn't know which rider thread to put this in but Ion was the one with the best moves, so I figured he deserved it the most.

The best moves? Regarding what?

Oh, just this song and dance performance he did a few days ago with his brother, Pello Bilbao and Joseba Beloki.

It even seems like Gorka has stolen the hat Ion won by winning Itzulia last year.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1342944061913751559

View: https://twitter.com/faustocoppi60/status/1342944061913751559

Full video here:

Euskal txirrindularien ''tropela'' izan dugu Gabon Kantatzera Gatoz saioan

Bideoa: Joseba Beloki, Gorka Izagirre, Ion Izagirre eta Pello Bilbao 'Euskal Txirrindulariak' kanta abestu dute Gabon Kantatzera Gatoz saioan.

www.eitb.eus

 

[Stilletto]

Love it !!!

 

[Zams]

That is a cool song.

 

[tobydawq]

Compared to how many results the guy actually produces, his thread is very silent.

Congrats Ion! 11 years since his first Grand Tour stage, yet still going strong. Very impressive performance today.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Compared to how many results the guy actually produces, his thread is very silent.

Congrats Ion! 11 years since his first Grand Tour stage, yet still going strong. Very impressive performance today.

He was very strong today. He even had to close a gap by himself at the beginning of the final climb after there had been a split in the chase group and he had ended up together with Stuyven. G. Martin also did a rgeat job to set him up and patrol things behind.