Lesser known races 2023 edition

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Squire

Squire

Dec 28, 2010
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yaco said:
It was an impressive sprint by DeLie - Gotta get him to do it in a WT stage race - I remember he was nowhere near it at PN.
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Just the right person reading the thread for the post I was about to make!

What's going on with Luke Plapp? Last place 10 minutes down. Been absolutely horrible all spring/summer. Some long-lasting illness or other issues?

Edit: Oh, didn't notice that @DNP-Old had posed the same question.
 
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yaco

Jun 20, 2015
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Squire said:
Just the right person reading the thread for the post I was about to make!

What's going on with Luke Plapp? Last place 10 minutes down. Been absolutely horrible all spring/summer. Some long-lasting illness or other issues?

Edit: Oh, didn't notice that @DNP-Old had posed the same question.
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I've posted before that Ineos gives Plapp a strange calendar - He does no one day races to check out his potential in this style of racing - Plapp has not been horrible it's just that Ineos is using him as a domestic. My guess is Jayco Alula will throw the kitchen sink at him in 2025.
 
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DNP-Old

DNP-Old

Aug 6, 2014
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yaco said:
I've posted before that Ineos gives Plapp a strange calendar - He does no one day races to check out his potential in this style of racing - Plapp has not been horrible it's just that Ineos is using him as a domestic. My guess is Jayco Alula will throw the kitchen sink at him in 2025.
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Sure, there's also the factor of having contracted covid which caused him to miss Catalunya and the concussion he suffered in Hungary giving him some leeway. Still, his level is not even subpar currently, it is bad. In this maybe not so ideal role he showed flashes of brilliance last year, when he decimated the peloton in Catalunya, setting up for the Carapaz, Higuita express. This time around, there is nothing.

For someone who wishes to shine in Paris, it is about go-time right now, with Glasgow on the horizon. However, it would seem he is not selected for the time trial nor the track endurance team.
 
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yaco

Jun 20, 2015
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DNP-Old said:
Sure, there's also the factor of having contracted covid which caused him to miss Catalunya and the concussion he suffered in Hungary giving him some leeway. Still, his level is not even subpar currently, it is bad. In this maybe not so ideal role he showed flashes of brilliance last year, when he decimated the peloton in Catalunya, setting up for the Carapaz, Higuita express. This time around, there is nothing.

For someone who wishes to shine in Paris, it is about go-time right now, with Glasgow on the horizon. However, it would seem he is not selected for the time trial nor the track endurance team.
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Plapp has never produced his junior or Under 23 ITT form in Europe, hence no surprise he was overlooked for the ITT - He will be a vital cog in the RR for Bling as he is one who can do a job.

I don't know what is happening with the track endurance squad - He was the number five rider at the Tokyo Olympics so was expected to go up to at least number one or number two rider. His partner Georgia Baker is in the women's track endurance squad, although her road form has been below par.

Lets see how Plapp goes for the rest of the 2023 BUT hopefully he is better utilised by Ineos.
 
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
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Tbf, Plapp rode at the front of the bunch together with Rowe (and De Lie's brother) all day long yesterday.
I think that concussion in Hungary was way worse than people thought it was. He has been on domestique duty ever since, probably cause he lost all his form.
 
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Squire

Squire

Dec 28, 2010
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Samamba said:
Tbf, Plapp rode at the front of the bunch together with Rowe (and De Lie's brother) all day long yesterday.
I think that concussion in Hungary was way worse than people thought it was. He has been on domestique duty every since, probably cause he lost all his form.
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Okay, that's at least a tiny bit reassuring. But if he had any sort of form, this race with the long TT would have been almost a guaranteed good result for him if he just kept up with the bunch in the road stages.
 
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Earns1985

Apr 26, 2019
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Squire said:
Okay, that's at least a tiny bit reassuring. But if he had any sort of form, this race with the long TT would have been almost a guaranteed good result for him if he just kept up with the bunch in the road stages.
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Yes, but the better bet for Ineos GC is still Ganna here...
 
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
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DNP-Old said:
Regarding De Lie, I do not understand why Lotto won’t send him to La Vuelta. He could sleepwalk to a few stage wins. You don’t have to keep him ij the race for the entire three weeks. They are already all to familiar with a sprinter forfeiting halfway through the race anyway.
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Doesn't want to race a GT as long as he isn't ready to finish it, or atleast that's what he's been saying. And this Vuelta is pretty heavy on the pure sprinters.
Also might be (co-)leader at the European Championships and wanted to race Quebec (he thinks he has a chance there if he's in superform).

I do agree that it might have been a good idea, definitely if they want to send him to the Tour next year. Due to his crash he missed Suisse, his WT stage race experience is incredibly limited. The times he's done an actual mountain in a race can be counted on a few fingers.
 
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Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
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Bagioli looks to be on his way to the win. In the wheel of a moto. Nothing compared to how a whole group (with De Lie and Ballerini) was brought back behind 2 cars after a crash earlier tho.

EDIT: nvm, that advantage was gone real fast.
 
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Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
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Kielich (still insane that he's a devo rider) wins. Smart work from Alpecin, they let Lotto destroy themselves on Bagioli while they were sitting at the back with 5 riders left still. De Lie was on a gap and couldn't close it afterwards.
 
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yaco

Jun 20, 2015
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Squire said:
Okay, that's at least a tiny bit reassuring. But if he had any sort of form, this race with the long TT would have been almost a guaranteed good result for him if he just kept up with the bunch in the road stages.
Click to expand...

I'll also add that he spent nearly five months in Australia during the off season from the beginning of October and the end of February - This may be reassessed at the completion of the year.
 
Didinho

Didinho

Jan 10, 2019
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Last corner decisive, his leadout going slower through with the rest in his wheel. Strong sprint though for his first pro win I think, holding off Senechal.
 
DNP-Old

DNP-Old

Aug 6, 2014
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Ku9aYZq.png

87Qc5ED.png


Woah, greatest echelon riders of all time?
 
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