Leaders for the GTs of 2017

[SafeBet]

I think his bike handling skills will never be enough for those crazy Giro stages with rain and twisty descents.

 

[sQiD]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chaves-not-certain-to-ride-2017-giro-ditalia-news-shorts/

he wants to do it but not his team, as i thought...

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I think his bike handling skills will never be enough for those crazy Giro stages with rain and twisty descents.

Yes, the fact that the guy who won the sterrato stage in the 2012 Baby Giro (he also became the leader of the gc, but then he lost the race because of a meltdown on the Gavia stage) is kinda funny.

 

[Akuryo]

I am excited to see how De la Cruz and Jungels will perform after their breakout seasons in 2016. Now they will be watched and that makes it a lot more difficult. And Quickstep is not known to have the best supporters for climbers although they got some talent in that category this offseason with Cavagna, Mas and Schwachmann from their farmteam. Also got Capecchi in addition to that. Seems interesting but I won't expect more than another top 10 of all their leaders in 2017.

 

[qwerty16]

Re:

I am excited to see how De la Cruz and Jungels will perform after their breakout seasons in 2016. Now they will be watched and that makes it a lot more difficult. And Quickstep is not known to have the best supporters for climbers although they got some talent in that category this offseason with Cavagna, Mas and Schwachmann from their farmteam. Also got Capecchi in addition to that. Seems interesting but I won't expect more than another top 10 of all their leaders in 2017.

De La Cruz profited from being in early escapes to end up 7th while Jungels didn't (he was even used to lead sprints). So I don't really think De La Cruz can do much more (or even the same) next year, Jungels on the other hand did not really profit from being an unknown quantity as said. What speaks against him is that he was dead after the Giro and did nothing for the rest of the season and his climbing in the Giro has been a one off so far in his career. What speaks for him is that he did not really fade away during the Giro and he even 'improved' in the final week of the 2015 Tour de France. Brambilla is a decent help by the way.

 

[Ricco']

Re: Re:

I am excited to see how De la Cruz and Jungels will perform after their breakout seasons in 2016. Now they will be watched and that makes it a lot more difficult. And Quickstep is not known to have the best supporters for climbers although they got some talent in that category this offseason with Cavagna, Mas and Schwachmann from their farmteam. Also got Capecchi in addition to that. Seems interesting but I won't expect more than another top 10 of all their leaders in 2017.

De La Cruz profited from being in early escapes to end up 7th while Jungels didn't (he was even used to lead sprints). So I don't really think De La Cruz can do much more (or even the same) next year, Jungels on the other hand did not really profit from being an unknown quantity as said. What speaks against him is that he was dead after the Giro and did nothing for the rest of the season and his climbing in the Giro has been a one off so far in his career. What speaks for him is that he did not really fade away during the Giro and he even 'improved' in the final week of the 2015 Tour de France. Brambilla is a decent help by the way.

Regarding Jungels, he changed his focus on the 2nd half of the season to prepare for the Doha World Championships. That and one of the weirder race programs I've seen (Pologne - where he DNFed after a crash on the decisive stage when he was in the break - Tour de l'Ain - showed himself on the last stage in the break - UEC ITT Championships - mediocre performance after more than a month without racing - and Eneco Tour - strong performance in the last stage setting up Terpstra for the overall win) contributed to the poorer results.

 

[Eshnar]

Zakarin said he'll race Giro and Vuelta next season.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Zakarin said he'll race Giro and Vuelta next season.

Smart, but pretty expected. He has unfinished business in Italy!
Anyone know if theres anything new on the French regarding the Giro?

 

[Eshnar]

Van Garderen to surprisingly skip California and race the Giro
https://cyclingtips.com/2016/11/van-garderen-will-focus-on-giro-ditalia-in-2017/

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

 

[Escarabajo]

Is the stage after a rest day?

 

[hazaran]

That is stage 16 and it is indeed after a rest day. Also, S8.

 

[BalearicBeats]

Wouldn't they use Hermans as a co-leader or an Atapuma-like role in the Giro? He seems to have more potential for stage racing than TJ in the last few years.

 

[yaco]

Logical for TVG to ride the Giro, especially seeing he is suited by the 76kms of TT - Holds it together and he can do a decent Giro.

 

[qwerty16]

Re:

Logical for TVG to ride the Giro, especially seeing he is suited by the 76kms of TT - Holds it together and he can do a decent Giro.

It isn't.

Yes, there is quite a lot of tt'ing. But the Giro has been the Grand Tour that was the most unkind to riders with his characteristics in recent years. Add to the fact that Van Garderen can't handle cold weather at all. He should focus solely on La Vuelta regarding GT's if he won't be a leader in France.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Yet TJVG won a stage in the tour de suisse in terrible weather.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Yet TJVG won a stage in the tour de suisse in terrible weather.

Yes, but the thing is that he used to be really good in bad weather, but since his weight loss that has changed a bit, he seems to have become more fragile.
Still, it's a nice bonus for the Giro, but Talansky riding the Giro (with Formolo as a co-leader) would be even better (that would imply that Uran could race a Rui Costa like schedule, more one day races an short stage races and stagehunting at the Tour, I think that would be the better option for both Talansky and Uran).

 

[mjreck]

I can't remember where or when, but I think I read Valverde is returning to a more "traditional" calendar next year, so probably ardennes in spring, Tdf as superdom, then a joint leadership at Vuelta? Anyone else see something like that anywhere?

 

[May0maniac]

According to Slongo Ion will be the team leader in the Vuelta or the Tour, if it's the Tour they'll probably go stagehunting and Purito would be allowed to go stagehunting at the Tour.

 

[Velolover2]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rodriguez-in-my-head-the-idea-is-to-return-in-2017/

Purito should become a stage hunter in the Tour and finish his career as the leader of the Vuelta. Hopefully Ion will lead the Tour team.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chaves-not-certain-to-ride-2017-giro-ditalia-news-shorts/

he wants to do it but not his team, as i thought...

Anyone heard an update on this? I really thought that Chaves would do the TDF next year, given the route.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I am considering going to the Giro and to this stage. Maybe I'll be right on the spot for Teejay's moment on the Umbrailpass

 

[Escarabajo]

Nothing fits TJ these days!

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re:

TJVG to abandon before that on the 1st rest day.

 

[mikii4567]

Majka is riding Giro as leader of Bora and TDF for stage victories (+ also Tour de Pologne)
http://m.onet.pl/sport/kolarstwo/tour-de-pologne,n89zke