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Teams & Riders Jakob Fuglsang discussion thread

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Re:

RedheadDane said:
BTW, isn't gonna do the Vuelta, will have his (small) comeback in a race in Aalborg.
Yeah, thats a little bit disappointing IMO, but I live in Aalborg so thats kinda cool. If he really wanted he could def ride the the Vuelta, but I think he will target WC and Canadian/Italian classics and such. If he has any shape at all.
 
Jakob Fuglsang thread

Think it's about time he gets a thread, being the sole Astana leader for the tour, and arguably an outside podium candidate ;)

You guys could start, by guessing how he will finish at the TdF - and possibly what team Astana will send to back him up?

My guess:

3rd overall

Team:

Fuglsang
Kangert
Cataldo
Valgren
Sanchez
Cort
Fraile

- and then either Hansen - or your token kazak rider, depending on whether politics or results, are most important to the team ;)
 
Re: Jakob Fuglsang thread

Broccolidwarf said:
Think it's about time he gets a thread, being the sole Astana leader for the tour, and arguably an outside podium candidate ;)

You guys could start, by guessing how he will finish at the TdF - and possibly what team Astana will send to back him up?

My guess:

3rd overall

Team:

Fuglsang
Kangert
Cataldo
Valgren
Sanchez
Cort
Fraile

- and then either Hansen - or your token kazak rider, depending on whether politics or results, are most important to the team ;)

I agree with your guess, but If we danes are honest a solid Kazak helper like Gruzdev or Lutsenko would probably also be better for results than Jesper Hansen who has been really dissapointing for a long time and who will also be a big handicap in the already problematic TTT. I think when it was originally thought that Hansen would go to the Tour, that it was not the plan that L.L. Sanchez or Kangert would ride the tour, what now seems likely and with those two there I dont see room for J. Hansen. Anyways helping Lopez in the the Vuelta instead will likely also suit him better.
 
Re: Jakob Fuglsang thread

MADRAZO said:
Broccolidwarf said:
Think it's about time he gets a thread, being the sole Astana leader for the tour, and arguably an outside podium candidate ;)

You guys could start, by guessing how he will finish at the TdF - and possibly what team Astana will send to back him up?

My guess:

3rd overall

Team:

Fuglsang
Kangert
Cataldo
Valgren
Sanchez
Cort
Fraile

- and then either Hansen - or your token kazak rider, depending on whether politics or results, are most important to the team ;)

I agree with your guess, but If we danes are honest a solid Kazak helper like Gruzdev or Lutsenko would probably also be better for results than Jesper Hansen who has been really dissapointing for a long time and who will also be a big handicap in the already problematic TTT. I think when it was originally thought that Hansen would go to the Tour, that it was not the plan that L.L. Sanchez or Kangert would ride the tour, what now seems likely and with those two there I dont see room for J. Hansen. Anyways helping Lopez in the the Vuelta instead will likely also suit him better.

He is better on climbs than any of the kazaks, and Kangert/Sanchez fix the TT problem (with the addition of Valgren from the dauphine team).

Their final 4 on the TTT will be:

Fuglsang
Sanchez
Valgren
Kangert

With Cataldo and Cort as a back ups, if someone has a defect.

Fraile and Hansen are useless on the TTT, I agree, but needed in the mountains the last 2 weeks - and especially in the last week, Sanchez can be expected to burn out, after a full Giro, so they need the extra climber there.

But, as said, politics may need them to bring a kazak, though none of them (incl. Lutsenko), have done anything of note all spring.
 
Threads should be merged now.

Hi will probably lose 1.30 to BMC/Sky in the TTT and his TT is very mediocre, but lets wait and see tomorrow. Good on the cobbles and has improved his climbing significantly. Needs incredible luck to podium.

I go for a 6th simply because there are lots of riders on paper who should be better than him. And who probably are.
 
Re:

RedheadDane said:
Looking at it from the bright side; they'd be hard pressed to do a worse TTT than at TdS.

Yeah, but the 4 guys that rode to the end at TdS, are going to the TdF, and then you add Sanchez, Cataldo and Valgren.

Not saying they will ride in the top 5, but they will do far better than this week for sure.... I see them in the top 10.

My guess is, that Jesper Hansen needs to ride the TT of his life today, if he is not to be cut from the TdF squad..... because now Kangert has been added to the team, he can fill the role of Hansen in the mountains, and so Astana might bring a heavier guy for the TTT and cobbles.... Someone like Grivko - og maybe Gidich, if they want to get creative with a youngster.
 
Fuglsang could be one of the under the radar riders in the Tour but he needs a reasonable TTT to have a shot at the top five. His climbing is pretty good. He and Porte crashing out of last year's Tour took some interest out of the race after what they did in the Dauphine last year. One of the riders I would like to see have a good race and a change of luck.
 
I think he's actually the best cobbles rider of the GC riders (along with Nibali), because he's a little bit heavier than most and due to his mtb background. Don't forget, he was towing Nibali most of the time during the infamous cobbles stage in 2014. He also managed nr 25 or something in his maiden and only RVV participation - not that it says too much about his ability on the flat pavés in france.

But obviously, he's very limited in his options, because apart from the cobbles stage, he can only look to gain time on the other outsiders / top 5 contenders in the mountains, and I generally think the level in the mountains is going to be quite even this year, so maybe there won't be that much time to gain there for a man like Fuglsang.

A top 5 should be achievable. It's hard not to think that he can at least improve on his 7th place finish from 2013. The only "luck" he had there was Valverde being caught out on the echelon stage. Other than that his result back in 2013 reflected his strength very well. I think he's a much better rider now (as does most people), and he has a team around him too. On paper he's among the 10 biggest favourites for the tour, probably in the lower part of that top 10, but given the likelyhood that some of the bigger names will either drop out or fail at some point, it's not all that farfetched to think that Jakob can reach a top 5.
 
Re:

Cance > TheRest said:
I think he's actually the best cobbles rider of the GC riders (along with Nibali), because he's a little bit heavier than most and due to his mtb background. Don't forget, he was towing Nibali most of the time during the infamous cobbles stage in 2014. He also managed nr 25 or something in his maiden and only RVV participation - not that it says too much about his ability on the flat pavés in france.

But obviously, he's very limited in his options, because apart from the cobbles stage, he can only look to gain time on the other outsiders / top 5 contenders in the mountains, and I generally think the level in the mountains is going to be quite even this year, so maybe there won't be that much time to gain there for a man like Fuglsang.

A top 5 should be achievable. It's hard not to think that he can at least improve on his 7th place finish from 2013. The only "luck" he had there was Valverde being caught out on the echelon stage. Other than that his result back in 2013 reflected his strength very well. I think he's a much better rider now (as does most people), and he has a team around him too. On paper he's among the 10 biggest favourites for the tour, probably in the lower part of that top 10, but given the likelyhood that some of the bigger names will either drop out or fail at some point, it's not all that farfetched to think that Jakob can reach a top 5.

People tend to forget, that he was in 5th last year, before he crashed out..... and this route suits him better than the one last year: Cobbles & more decent finishes.
 
Re:

Cance > TheRest said:
I think he's actually the best cobbles rider of the GC riders (along with Nibali), because he's a little bit heavier than most and due to his mtb background. Don't forget, he was towing Nibali most of the time during the infamous cobbles stage in 2014. He also managed nr 25 or something in his maiden and only RVV participation - not that it says too much about his ability on the flat pavés in france.

If we count Jungels as a GC rider (and we should after finishing 6th and 8th the last two years in Italy) I beg to differ. He alone, but especially with the help of Quickstep should be the best cobble rider by some margin!
 
Flat cobbles suit a hardman like Fuglsang much better than punchy RVV hills.

Fuglsang is a "lesser" version of Nibali. They share all the same characteristics. High stamina riders who are very tenacious, robust and able to handle all kind of weather and terrain but lacks the explosiveness.
 

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