Junior racing - The stars of the future

[DNP-Old]

As seems to be the norm now, am sort of assuming Herzog already has some sort of agreement with a WT team?

Yes, just like most of the rest of Auto Eder. Herzog is the outlier though, and will first go to Axeon, then join BORA. Remains to be seen when. Could be in 2023, could be the year after, but he has a pre-contract nonetheless. Axeon signed two of the hottest prospects in Herzog and Morgado in just a few days, already having the also much talented Artem Shmidt under contract.

The reason he is the outlier is because BORA intensified their relationships with Kern-Haus and Tirol last week. They are planning to sign their best talents to pre-contracts and then send them to whichever team best suits a rider. Kockelmann and Pajur are the first batch to do so, and will go to Kern Haus in 2023. Schrettl and Hajek will go to Tirol.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Not a fan of having 2 of the biggest junior stage races at the same time...

 

[groogster]

Not a fan of having 2 of the biggest junior stage races at the same time...

Very true! Getting very hyped with Morgado, been follow him since last years Junior WC and he has a huge, huge engine! We never know how they develop but i think that he has a greater threshold than Almeida (was following Almeida since he was at Axeon) in terms of potential and I'm kind of building expectations towards what kind of rider he will be in the future. He has all the skillsets needed for almost every type of rider he choses to build upon, Classic rider, GC rider...

 

[lemon cheese cake]

So a split stage with two road stages at Rueebliland seems weird to me. I may be wrong but in the past it's been a road stage and a fairly short TT? While I understand it's a way of packing in more racing into a small amount of days, the only other junior race I can think of with a split stage and two bunch stages is the Tour of Wales in the UK, which even that is a crit stage followed by a point to point.

 

[DNP-Old]

Already over 10 wins this season.

Morgado is on the verge of cracking 50 wins over the past two years, despite covid ruling out some races and catching covid himself just before the European championships in his own backyard.

Very funny kid, the flying moustache. In the Iberian Peninsula he is as unbeatable as Remco was overall in the junior ranks. The Spanish scene is non-existent in his reign. In Besaya, the biggest stage race in Spain, he crashed ~ 10 kilometers before the finish and had to switch bikes. No problem, as he rode himself back all the way to the front and then proceeded to sprint so hard only Sente Sentjens and Pau Marti could finish in the same time. The rest was gapped so hard they were all placed on 5 seconds. However, as soon as he has to go abroad he just can't seem to catch a win despite always being one of, if not the strongest. There's always someone who is just a little quicker (Herzog, Huising e.g.). He rides his time trials with a QuickStep helmet. So either Almeida had one to spare, or Lefevere has done a madness.

Another interesting statistic is Romet Pajur. I believe he has a 95% win percentage on contested sprints this year. Doesn't always lead to wins due to some escapees narrowly surviving, but if he manages to survive in Wollongong it's a death sentence for everyone else. He has quite a decent team, too.

 

[Ricco']

So either Almeida had one to spare, or Lefevere has done a madness.

Morgado is from the same town as Almeida.

Curious that the two biggest prospects of the country come from the same city, who has 30.000 inhabitants.

 

[DNP-Old]

Another interesting statistic is Romet Pajur. I believe he has a 95% win percentage on contested sprints this year. Doesn't always lead to wins due to some escapees narrowly surviving, but if he manages to survive in Wollongong it's a death sentence for everyone else. He has quite a decent team, too.

The same day I type this he gets beaten by De Schuyteneer. Pajur's first actual loss this season. The other came in the Peace Race, which was an uphill sprint, when Pajur's chain dropped. De Schuyteneer didn't win, by the way. Enter the celebrating too early/late thread.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The same day I type this he gets beaten by De Schuyteneer. Pajur's first actual loss this season. The other came in the Peace Race, which was an uphill sprint, when Pajur's chain dropped. De Schuyteneer didn't win, by the way. Enter the celebrating too early/late thread.

Weird race. After winning yesterday with Herzog, both Pajur and Kockelmann won for Auto Eder today, but Tobias Svarre got into both groups to take the GC lead from Herzog.

 

[MnR]

Morgado is from the same town as Almeida.

Curious that the two biggest prospects of the country come from the same city, who has 30.000 inhabitants.

And he is following the same steps, since he already sign with Axeon for 2023.

 

[Ricco']

And he is following the same steps, since he already sign with Axeon for 2023.

Same agent too, Corso Sports and João Correia.

The agency represents Emil Herzog too, who followed the same path.

 

[DNP-Old]

Took him 44 wins, but Morgado has finally won a race that isn't in Spain or Portugal. Of course, he somehow managed to walk away with 0 stages, finishing 2nd almost every day to Paul Magnier. Magnier is another very talented kid, climber with good, quick punch. Also multi disciplined like so many others, as he too was on the podium in the mountainbike world championships last week. He's a bit undercooked on the road, but even last year has was able to compete with Martin Svrcek and Michael Leonard (remember that name, too).

 

[RedheadDane]

Weird race. After winning yesterday with Herzog, both Pajur and Kockelmann won for Auto Eder today, but Tobias Svarre got into both groups to take the GC lead from Herzog.

But in the end, Svarre exploded and Herzog won the GC ahead of Nordhagen and Storm.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Took him 44 wins, but Morgado has finally won a race that isn't in Spain or Portugal. Of course, he somehow managed to walk away with 0 stages, finishing 2nd almost every day to Paul Magnier. Magnier is another very talented kid, climber with good, quick punch. Also multi disciplined like so many others, as he too was on the podium in the mountainbike world championships last week. He's a bit undercooked on the road, but even last year has was able to compete with Martin Svrcek and Michael Leonard (remember that name, too).

I was looking up Morgado's results this day and the kid already has 59 days of racing at this point of the season, that's a ton of racing for an 18 year old kid.

Riccardo Archetti didn't race this weekend, butt he's also one to watch. The kid is turning 17 in November and in the Collegno-Sestriere one day race he dropped both Thomas Sivok (3rd on the gc in Lunigiana) and Pavel Novak (8th on the gc in Rüebiland with a 2nd place on stage 2b, winner of the Eroica Juniors and 6th on the gc in the Course de la Paix Jr) on the final climb (Sestriere from the western side) and put 46sec into those 2.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Dude looks older than me and i'm past 40.

 

[WKA311]

Morgado is on the verge of cracking 50 wins over the past two years, despite covid ruling out some races and catching covid himself just before the European championships in his own backyard.

Very funny kid, the flying moustache. In the Iberian Peninsula he is as unbeatable as Remco was overall in the junior ranks. The Spanish scene is non-existent in his reign. In Besaya, the biggest stage race in Spain, he crashed ~ 10 kilometers before the finish and had to switch bikes. No problem, as he rode himself back all the way to the front and then proceeded to sprint so hard only Sente Sentjens and Pau Marti could finish in the same time. The rest was gapped so hard they were all placed on 5 seconds. However, as soon as he has to go abroad he just can't seem to catch a win despite always being one of, if not the strongest. There's always someone who is just a little quicker (Herzog, Huising e.g.). He rides his time trials with a QuickStep helmet. So either Almeida had one to spare, or Lefevere has done a madness.

Another interesting statistic is Romet Pajur. I believe he has a 95% win percentage on contested sprints this year. Doesn't always lead to wins due to some escapees narrowly surviving, but if he manages to survive in Wollongong it's a death sentence for everyone else. He has quite a decent team, too.

The whole Bairrada team got the gift of those helmets. It's not only Morgado riding with them but Tavares and the others as well.

Most rumours have Morgado joining UAE due to the Almeida/Corso/Correia connection after his Axeon stint.

 

[groogster]

The whole Bairrada team got the gift of those helmets. It's not only Morgado riding with them but Tavares and the others as well.

Most rumours have Morgado joining UAE due to the Almeida/Corso/Correia connection after his Axeon stint.

Don't want that to happen. He should sign with a not so crowded top tier GC riders team if you ask me.

 

[rm2021]

Antonio Morgado. Joao almeida is good, but morgado is a different animal.

 

[LosBrolin]

Jørgen Nordhagen and Theodor Storm will be sharing wins next year, both having a great debut year in the junior ranks.

 

[ExperienPT]

Dude looks older than me and i'm past 40.

So you look like a teenager? Not bad!

 

[DNP-Old]

Jørgen Nordhagen and Theodor Storm will be sharing wins next year, both having a great debut year in the junior ranks.

Absolutely. I am also hoping Andrew 'AJ' August can find a big team in Europe for next year. Hot Tubes has been delivering big talents year after year, but with Artem Shmidt leaving for Axeon and LUX getting shut down, we need another Yank in the biggest races. August doesn't turn 17 until December, but he has impressed a lot this year. Secretly, in the shadow of America, Canada is oozing in talent as well. There have been rumblings of Michael Leonard turning pro with INEOS next year.

 

[DNP-Old]

Do you guys remember Michael Barry, the mediocre Canadian rider who had stints with US Postal, HTC and Sky? Well, it would appear the Barry name is in good hands, as his son, Ashlin Barry, is quite something. He is 14 years old, yet is able to compete with the Canadian and American juniors. So much so, that he won the GC in the Green Mountain Race this weekend. He won the final stage in a sprint finish.

It gets more interesting. In the opening prologue he finished 2nd, with a time of 14:03. Once upon a time a 16 year old Magnus Sheffield did that same course, and finished in 14:17. Due to different conditions hard to tell what exactly it means, but it's an interesting fact regardless. It gets better though. In April he won the Hell of the North, a one day race in Canada against Luke Valenti (who you might see in Wollongong) and riders from L39I0N, who were invited to the Maryland Classic this past weekend. He also holds the national record in the individual pursuit.

This is a name to remember. We've seen cadets pummel juniors in the past, but I don't think I've ever seen someone from the newcomer class do things like this. On the other hand, Evan Boyle, the American kid who beat him in the prologue, also seems like an interesting project. He was 8 seconds faster, and thus 22 quicker than Sheffield, despite only starting racing this year.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

There's a young American I have my eye on:

Artem Shmidt

Artem Shmidt (born 2004-01-30) is a professional road racing cyclist from United States, currently riding for Hagens Berman - Jayco. His best results are winning a stage in Istarsko ProljeÄe - Istrian Spring Trophy and 3rd place in Coppa della Pace - Trofeo F.lli Anelli.

www.procyclingstats.com

I hear he's the son of 2 Russian spies immigrants.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Made a post about the most interesting talents from 2006 (so guys who will turn juniors in 2023), if anyone is interested:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602388912290566144

View: https://twitter.com/CyclingUptodate/status/1602388912290566144?s=20&t=2SvVNFnl_CUHQwTrGTpGow


And apparantly something went wrong and not all went into replies on that tweet, so it continues here:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1604440288847618050

View: https://twitter.com/CyclingUptodate/status/1604440288847618050?s=20&t=2SvVNFnl_CUHQwTrGTpGow

 

[RedheadDane]

So, in a couple of years, we could see Moncoutie and Freire go up against each other?
Way to make me feel old! Those are riders - the older ones - that I clearly remember riding! And now their kids are riding...

BTW, the Danish race you mentioned a couple of time, it's "Himmelfart" without the last 'h'.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Yes quiet a few sons/ little brothers that were performing well in U17 in 2022, always fun.

Heaven fart just sounds wrong , i think i stick with the extra h