Junior racing - The stars of the future

[Armchair Cyclist]

Apologies if it is thought that I am plugging it too widely, but those of you who are frequent contributors to this thread really ought to be those best able to make a team for the Emerging Riders Game but very few of you are among the entrants.

Pick 18 guys who will flourish over the next three years, but each of them have fewer than 200 CQ points so far. So that probably means they may have been out of the juniors for a year or two, but not got any big results yet, or maybe they are still (or more likely just finished as) juniors and will make a big impact before too long. If you read and write in this thread frequently, you should kill it.

Give it a go.

 

[DNP-Old]

Nordhagen and Storm though. The two of them will win a lot of races next year. Real shame that Denmark won't send a team to Wollongong, just as Storm was coming into his own and started to confirm the unbeatable status he had with the cadets. He was 2nd last week in Tel Aviv, losing by only a few millimeters to reigning world champion Carson Mattern in the individual pursuit. Nordhagen otoh has scary potential, knowing he's into skiing first.

I probably know more about performing open heart surgery than I know about skiing, but certain people in the know of the latter tell me Nordhagen has done an absolute madness today on the good old ski's in the Norwegian national championships. I find it hard to contextualise the performance and information myself, but see it as further confirmation that this kid has insanely scary potential.

 

[Bubba]

I probably know more about performing open heart surgery than I know about skiing, but certain people in the know of the latter tell me Nordhagen has done an absolute madness today on the good old ski's in the Norwegian national championships. I find it hard to contextualise the performance and information myself, but see it as further confirmation that this kid has insanely scary potential.

Been following skiing for close to 4 decades, but can't recall any male athlete performing at this level the week after turning 18. I mean, sprints, sure, Klæbo and Northug were killing it just a couple of years older, but that isn't really comparable.
Awesome that he is doing roadcycling as well. Just hope he sticks with it as too many from the norwegian endurance talent pool choose skiing.

 

[Ricco']

Been following skiing for close to 4 decades, but can't recall any male athlete performing at this level the week after turning 18. I mean, sprints, sure, Klæbo and Northug were killing it just a couple of years older, but that isn't really comparable.
Awesome that he is doing roadcycling as well. Just hope he sticks with it as too many from the norwegian endurance talent pool choose skiing.

He said that this year is 50-50 between skiing and cycling, as it's a good preparation for cycling, but the next years he will be fully focused on cycling.

But in 2027 he will revaluate to see the way forward.

 

[DNP-Old]

Been following skiing for close to 4 decades, but can't recall any male athlete performing at this level the week after turning 18. I mean, sprints, sure, Klæbo and Northug were killing it just a couple of years older, but that isn't really comparable.
Awesome that he is doing roadcycling as well. Just hope he sticks with it as too many from the norwegian endurance talent pool choose skiing.

Thanks for further contextualising his performance! Things are looked good for him to stay, given he's signed with Jumbo for so long. Between all these Norwegian (semi-)climbers, I view Nordhagen as the chosen one. He can deliver big, big things.

Norway has a crazy 2005/06 generation, and they'll bring the very impressive Marius Innhaug Dahl in the junior ranks this upcoming season. Felix Orn-Kristoff, the little brother of Alexander (same mother, different father), is also very good.

 

[DNP-Old]

The ever so exciting Valley of the Sun is currently ongoing in Phoenix, Arizona, always a moment where the brighter talents in North-America come to shine. They usually start with a time trial, but have switched locations from Rainbow Valley Road to Buckeye, so any outright comparison between years is unfortunately no longer possible. AJ August looks very much ready to have a great sophomore year, I'm expecting a lot from him. He won the time trial, as he should. However, performance of the day was the ultramythical Ashlin Barry, who has been noticed in this thread before. Still only 15 years old, finished just 3 seconds off of AJ. This is genuinely one of the scariest riders I have ever seen in my life. As mentioned earlier he is under the wings of Vaughters at EF. My eyes are also on David Thompson, who should be a very good first year junior, Jack Ray (2007) and Enzo Hincapie (2008!). Later today stage 2 will be ridden on a circuit around South Casagrande Road, with some climbing involved. Tomorrow is a criterium in downtown Phoenix.

 

[DNP-Old]

AJ August, David Thompson, Luke Fetzer. Those could have been names you see on the palmares of a random stage race in Europe in the month of June, but they are the winners of the three stages in the Valley of the Sun. David Thompson takes GC from a break in stage two. That's that old school Hot Tubes domination. Very talented kid though, was one of the best first years in the good old cyclocross this winter.

Ashlin Barry this week: 2nd, 6th (1st of the peloton), 2nd. Wonder what he'll ride this season, wonder if he is even allowed per UCI regulations, given he doesn't turn 16 until September. Canada does participate in its fair share of Nations Cup races though. Would be amazing to see him against elite competition in Saarland or Pays de Vaud.

 

[DNP-Old]

Team list for KBK is out and I cannot look past Steffen de Schuyteneer and Sente Sentjens. De Schuyteneer was the only one last year to beat Pajur in a sprint, he could very well be the most winningest rider this season. AG2R is freaking stacked though, could just as much work against him. Sente has a chance to become the only rider to win twice I believe. Has a deal with Alpecin for 2024, btw.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Team list for KBK is out and I cannot look past Steffen de Schuyteneer and Sente Sentjens. De Schuyteneer was the only one last year to beat Pajur in a sprint, he could very well be the most winningest rider this season. AG2R is freaking stacked though, could just as much work against him. Sente has a chance to become the only rider to win twice I believe. Has a deal with Alpecin for 2024, btw.

Any relation to Roy?

 

[DNP-Old]

Any relation to Roy?

Roy is his father, and Jelle Vanendert is his godfather. If he ain't making it to the top, nobody will.

 

[steffr222]

https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_132941.htm

Spanish U19 champion Yago Aguirre joins German Team Saris Rouvy Sauerland. Apparently he wants to finish his study in Groningen, Netherlands, one of the main factors for the Basque rider to join the German Team despite interest of WT teams.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm assuming these guys are a sort-of feeder team for Bahrain Victorious

Cannibal-Victorious U19 Development Team 2023 (procyclingstats.com)

And also quite possibly have the coolest team name out there.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I'm assuming these guys are a sort-of feeder team for Bahrain Victorious

Cannibal-Victorious U19 Development Team 2023 (procyclingstats.com)

And also quite possibly have the coolest team name out there.

Yeah, the Cannibal team, led by Vlad Van Mechelen's ex-DJ father, Francis, has become the official junior team of Bahran this season, just like the Friuli team is now their U23 team.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah, the Cannibal team, led by Vlad Van Mechelen's ex-DJ father, Francis, has become the official junior team of Bahran this season, just like the Friuli team is now their U23 team.

So, a team called "Cannibal-Victorious" is led by an ex-DJ. Are they trying to win the prize for coolest team ever?

 

[Ricco']

Is KBK 15th place Erazem Valjavec related to that Tadej guy from Slovenia?

 

[DNP-Old]

Is KBK 15th place Erazem Valjavec related to that Tadej guy from Slovenia?

Son.

 

[RedheadDane]

Is KBK 15th place Erazem Valjavec related to that Tadej guy from Slovenia?

I saw your mistaken post over in the lesser known races thread, and then I was desperately looking at every damn race to figure out which one your were talking about.

Anyway, I don't think everyone is Slovenia is related.

 

[Bonimenier]

I saw your mistaken post over in the lesser known races thread, and then I was desperately looking at every damn race to figure out which one your were talking about.

Anyway, I don't think everyone is Slovenia is related.

He really is the son of ex-rider Tadej Valjavec.

 

[RedheadDane]

He really is the son of ex-rider Tadej Valjavec.

Too many Tadejs!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Too many Tadejs!

Wow, you must really hate numbers, if two Tadejs are too many for you to handle!

No reason to ask who Jed Smithson's father is, and I don't think Elliot Rowe is related to Luke and Matthew. There were other riders in the KBK junior race who are related to current or former pros though.

 

[RedheadDane]

Wow, you must really hate numbers, if two Tadejs are too many for you to handle!

I just always think of the current rider(s) first. So "Tadej" is obviously going to mean Pogacar to me, not some guy who retired 10 years ago.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I just always think of the current rider(s) first. So "Tadej" is obviously going to mean Pogacar to me, not some guy who retired 10 years ago.

I could only have been fooled if the right guy's surname hadn't been mentioned. Tadej Valjavec wasn't exactly a no name.

 

[Ricco']

I just always think of the current rider(s) first. So "Tadej" is obviously going to mean Pogacar to me, not some guy who retired 10 years ago.

I was trying to make a pun with the current Tadej, as for me Valjavec is the 'original' slovenian rider that I remember from my first days in cycling (together with Uros Murn), either in the Grand Tours (the only thing I watched in 2003/2004) or in Pro Cycling Manager and after with the then glorious blue, white and yellow Ag2r team that put him and Vladimir Efimkin in the Tour de France top-10.

 

[DNP-Old]

Wow, you must really hate numbers, if two Tadejs are too many for you to handle!

No reason to ask who Jed Smithson's father is, and I don't think Elliot Rowe is related to Luke and Matthew. There were other riders in the KBK junior race who are related to current or former pros though.

Felix Kristoff is, however, in fact the little brother of Alexander!

 

[DNP-Old]

I am just shamelessly going to copy + paste my post from the KBK thread and say that I'm not exactly in mutant form like Jumbo, but that I did have a good winter.

KBK for juniors is also tomorrow. As mentioned in the junior thread, all my money is on either Steffen de Schuyteneer (AG2R) and Sente Sentjens (Tormans, Alpecin in 2024). AG2R is stacked to the brim, you could genuinely name them all. Looking at Oscar Chamberlain in particular, but Antoine L'Hote and Matys Grisel are also very good, as are the first years Baptiste Gregoire (little brother of Romain) and Xander Scheldeman. Tormans has the very promising first years Senna Remijn and Jasper Schoofs in their ranks, as well as Liam Van Bylen. Few more Belgians to look at are Jarno Widar, Lars Vanden Heede and Cedric Keppens. The latter is a threat to win imo despite just being a first year.

Great Britain, through a multitude of teams, have some really good riders present. Fenshaw have Jacob Bush, Matthew Brennan, Ben Wiggins (son of) and Jed Smithson. Smithson is a funny rider. First of all he is really, really fast and looks like he could be the son of Marcel Kittel, but has godawful eye sight and rides around with genuine jam pots. Elliot Rowe and Sam Fisher are two incredibly talented first years with Anexo. There is also a certain Finlay Tarling, the little brother of Josh, with WWV. Finlay crushed the 10 mile TT set by Josh last year, oof. Few Dutchies in the mix too, like Mees Vlot or Thom van der Werff. Erazem Valjavec (son of) is also debuting here, but he is a climber type and has the much better Zak Erzen to work for. There's another son of in Diego Charteau, but you can just forget him most likely. Should be a good race.