Janez Brajkovic as a future GT Contender

[hfer07]

I'm really impressed by Janez Brajkovic-he's not only a proven great TTist but today has unveiled his ability to climb along with the best. Will he get the chance to develop his skills to get to the next level & seek higher aspirations? will the Hog open his eyes and start looking at the future in the legs of this young rider?
please opine

 

[Jamsque]

Hype traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain

 

[hrotha]

3-4 years ago most everybody would have agreed.
He still has a lot to prove.

 

[Delicato]

He was just the same, or maybe even better in the first part of the Vuelta 4 years ago. Was better than even Valverde and Sastre, held golden jersey for some (2, IIRC) days. Ended in what, 50th place? After that he has never really shown anything spectacular in the GTs.

He will be a good one-week stage racer and a good domestique, but nothing more, I think.

It is his 4th year with Bruyneel, and still he hasn't had that magic transformation into a GT rider.

 

[xmoonx]

I kinda agree he'll be a good 1 week stage racer. The Dauphine will be his biggest win; but he's only 25:

2004
1st , World U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2nd European U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2005
3rd European U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2006
5th Overall Tour de Suisse
5th Overall Volta a Catalunya
2007
1st Overall, Tour de Georgia
1st , Youth classification
5th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
2008
2nd Giro di Lombardia
3rd Overall Deutschland Tour
7th Overall Volta a Catalunya
2009
1st Slovenia National Time Trial Champion
2nd Overall Giro del Trentino

 

[pedaling squares]

I don't want to take anything away from Jani's excellent performance this week, but there are many who look great in June but can't hold up to the competition in July. And there are many who look great in a one week race but can't hold up to the continuous pounding of a three week GT. But no doubt this guy has some serious talent.

 

[nowhereman]

3-4 years ago most everybody would have agreed.
He still has a lot to prove.

As I said in the "most underrated thread", Look out for Janez. He hasn't had but one or possibly two chances, until this week, to prove himself while under Bruyneel. I think that with the right support, and strategies, he could really become a contending rider. Could this have broadened the "leaders" of Radio Shack? Stay tuned for future development. The clock doesn't stop ticking for the old timers.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I think anyone who weighs about 60kg yet can smoke a high quality field in a windy 50km TT is a potential GT contender

 

[RdBiker]

3-4 years ago most everybody would have agreed.
He still has a lot to prove.

True. I think Popo was supposed to be the next top Tour contender for Bruyneel after Armstrong. and Brajkovic was supposed to come after him.
I thought he would be a serious Tour contender when he got a bit older (25ish) but maybe I overestimated how fast he could develop. He has made good progress so he might still have potential for future gains.

 

[Polish]

Jani's performance in the Dauphine has thrown a spanner in the works for Team RadioShack. Grrrr.

The original plan, the "Bluff of 2010", was to have Alberto and the rest of the Tour DangerMen presume LANCE was the RadioShack Team Leader.

Jani was to get into a "harmless" breakaway early in the Tour, and put 6-10 minutes into the other teams as they were "asleep at the wheel". Like the Giro.

Voila....Lance/Levi/Klodi/Popo/Redneck become SUPER Domestiques and nurse Jani to Victory. Team Victory too. All for One. One for All. Genius Bruyneel. Genius.

However, now it appears that Astana will not fall for the ruse
And certainly not the much smarter Liquigas Team.

And Plan B is kind of iffy......the Humble Tiago Bluff.

Oh well. may have to use Plan C.....Lance as leader.

Tough thoughtful decisions ahead for the Maestro Bruyneel

 

[Michele]

Hype traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain

Wherever someone win there's this hype going around..

3-4 years ago most everybody would have agreed.
He still has a lot to prove.

Agree, but for sure he has the form of his life these days.

 

[Claudiu]

In my opinion what he needs, along a little personal improvement, is a transfer to a team that does not have such a clear leader...since he leaved the homeground slovenian CT teams, he faced only the role of team mate for the big ones, and if he will remain like this, he can improve as much as it is possible, he will still be a team mate for the big bosses. Of course, for now, when he still did not reached his maximum potential, is ok to hang around in teams that are 100% dedicated to the absolute leader, but in the near future he needs a team that work for him, not the reverse, and this will never happen at Shack, or other big teams...Footon-Servetto could be a good choice, for example, although the bad part in this is that being in such a team you can't really count on team mates to help you in a GT...

 

[Barrus]

Jani's performance in the Dauphine has thrown a spanner in the works for Team RadioShack. Grrrr.

The original plan, the "Bluff of 2010", was to have Alberto and the rest of the Tour DangerMen presume LANCE was the RadioShack Team Leader.

Jani was to get into a "harmless" breakaway early in the Tour, and put 6-10 minutes into the other teams as they were "asleep at the wheel". Like the Giro.

Voila....Lance/Levi/Klodi/Popo/Redneck become SUPER Domestiques and nurse Jani to Victory. Team Victory too. All for One. One for All. Genius Bruyneel. Genius.

However, now it appears that Astana will not fall for the ruse
And certainly not the much smarter Liquigas Team.

And Plan B is kind of iffy......the Humble Tiago Bluff.

Oh well. may have to use Plan C.....Lance as leader.

Tough thoughtful decisions ahead for the Maestro Bruyneel

You are not serious, are you? I don't know anymore on this board. I hope you are not serious.


Anyway, good ride sofar for Yanis. However I do not know if he could keep this up in a three week race. If what has been said is true and he peaked toward this Dauphiné I think it would be quite difficult for him to be a real GC contender for a grand tour, at least in the upcoming few years

 

[ttrider]

yeh i think hes always been very promising and will make the transition but the 3 GTs radio shack race are
France
California
Gila

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

I've enjoyed Brajkovic's performance a lot, I think it's too soon to see him as a GC contender, it's different winning a week long tour from a 3 week one.

Samuel Sanchez is constantly overrated in my opinion as a GC rider, it's not his thing.

 

[thehog]

Wherever someone win there's this hype going around..



Agree, but for sure he has the form of his life these days.

He wore gold at the Vuelta for about 9 days a few years back. I've always liked the look of him. I think he's on the wrong team to shine. He's had some bad luck the last couple of years.

Some good climbs back in his native Slovenia.

I've climbed them.

Such a beautiful country and the wine... OMG.

 

[bobs nob]

You are not serious, are you? I don't know anymore on this board. I hope you are not serious.


Anyway, good ride sofar for Yanis. However I do not know if he could keep this up in a three week race. If what has been said is true and he peaked toward this Dauphiné I think it would be quite difficult for him to be a real GC contender for a grand tour, at least in the upcoming few years

Plan C is right on schedule, or didn't you see lance holding the brakes all day today at the tds?

 

[peloton]

I think anyone who weighs about 60kg yet can smoke a high quality field in a windy 50km TT is a potential GT contender

58kg to be accurate. Makes sense, no?

 

[richwagmn]

I kinda agree he'll be a good 1 week stage racer. The Dauphine will be his biggest win; but he's only 25:

2004
1st , World U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2nd European U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2005
3rd European U23 Championship Individual Time Trial
2006
5th Overall Tour de Suisse
5th Overall Volta a Catalunya
2007
1st Overall, Tour de Georgia
1st , Youth classification
5th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
2008
2nd Giro di Lombardia
3rd Overall Deutschland Tour
7th Overall Volta a Catalunya
2009
1st Slovenia National Time Trial Champion
2nd Overall Giro del Trentino

Well, the guy's not exactly a slug is he?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Jani's performance in the Dauphine has thrown a spanner in the works for Team RadioShack. Grrrr.

The original plan, the "Bluff of 2010", was to have Alberto and the rest of the Tour DangerMen presume LANCE was the RadioShack Team Leader.

Jani was to get into a "harmless" breakaway early in the Tour, and put 6-10 minutes into the other teams as they were "asleep at the wheel". Like the Giro.

Voila....Lance/Levi/Klodi/Popo/Redneck become SUPER Domestiques and nurse Jani to Victory. Team Victory too. All for One. One for All. Genius Bruyneel. Genius.

However, now it appears that Astana will not fall for the ruse
And certainly not the much smarter Liquigas Team.

And Plan B is kind of iffy......the Humble Tiago Bluff.

Oh well. may have to use Plan C.....Lance as leader.

Tough thoughtful decisions ahead for the Maestro Bruyneel

great theory!

 

[metaCYCLE]

...and another thread got lancefied.

 

[Claudiu]

...and another thread got lancefied.

Yep, and that's because Lance = cycling and cycling = Lance, and since all the threads are about cycling, therefore all the threads will eventually become a tribute to the grandmaster. I'm surprised that this does not stepped any further (for now at least), for example yesterday England - USA 1-1 draw at football WC2010, could it turn into posts like: probably if he was playing, the result could it be totally different, like 6-0 for USA, with two hat tricks from The One, all scored with bicycle kick, and two penalties denied by the same all-around sportive, who played perfect even as a goalkeeper, and 3 red cards for England, given by the same awesome divine creature, cause being perfect and having maximum knowledge in every aspect of a sportive event, invest him with the power of judging fair, so he is more than fit to be also a referee.

 

[movingtarget]

Radio Shack are looking pretty good at the moment. Brajkovic has always showed promise but winning a 7 day race is not the same as winning a 3 week race. He looks in great form at the moment and he is still young enough to develop further. Should make Bruyneel pretty happy re team selections for the Tour.

 

[tretow95]

Jani's performance in the Dauphine has thrown a spanner in the works for Team RadioShack. Grrrr.

The original plan, the "Bluff of 2010", was to have Alberto and the rest of the Tour DangerMen presume LANCE was the RadioShack Team Leader.

Jani was to get into a "harmless" breakaway early in the Tour, and put 6-10 minutes into the other teams as they were "asleep at the wheel". Like the Giro.

Voila....Lance/Levi/Klodi/Popo/Redneck become SUPER Domestiques and nurse Jani to Victory. Team Victory too. All for One. One for All. Genius Bruyneel. Genius.

However, now it appears that Astana will not fall for the ruse
And certainly not the much smarter Liquigas Team.

And Plan B is kind of iffy......the Humble Tiago Bluff.

Oh well. may have to use Plan C.....Lance as leader.

Tough thoughtful decisions ahead for the Maestro Bruyneel

very amusing, but now hopefully the Shack have another card to play

 

[thehog]

Radio Shack are looking pretty good at the moment. He looks in great form at the moment and he is still young enough to develop further. Should make Bruyneel pretty happy re team selections for the Tour.

Looks like Jani is taking a holiday in July. Lance doesn't want these young riders showing him up and he doesn't want them seeing the "broken down bus" trick at the end of mountain stages.
______

Despite suggestions that Brajkovic could be a key helper for team captain Lance Armstrong in the mountains of the Tour, Gallopin warned that the young Slovenian’s busy season so far could go against him.

“Right now, it’s 50-50,” said Gallopin, who will consult with team manager Johan Bruyneel this week after the Tour de Suisse where Armstrong and many other of the team’s top riders are racing.

“We can’t forget that Janez has raced a lot this season and was on peak form for the Dauphiné,” said Gallopin. “Whatever the decision on his Tour de France selection, he needs rest first and foremost, and a decision will only be made after the Tour de Suisse.”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...triumph-brajkovic-isnt-a-lock-for-tour_120934