Magnus Cort: The Man With the Bluest Moustache in the Peloton

[Robert5091]

Re:

Met him before Dauphine, he is extremely thin.

Gone on the Sky/Ineos diet to become a climbing dom?

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Magnus "Maggie" Cort

Although Magnus is really fast he has never been a sprinter and clearly his heart is not in that. As an under 23 he won type five km uphill finishes with competition like Muhlberger and Konrad. It was just that the knucklehead Orica directors wanted him to do strictly sprinting.

Well, I think the ‘problem’ is that he has the explosivity and power but not the heart and mentality of a sprinter as you say, he always struggled with positioning in bunch sprints. I’m surprised by how well he was climbing in Dauphine but I guess he is able to realize his potential as an all-rounder, which he showed as espoirs, now that he is allowed to focus less on his sprinting.

His talents are clearly better suited to being aggressive and riding with freedom rather than sitting in the bunch waiting for the last 200 metres.

Or... just go in the break, even if he's been told not to, and then win. Just take his Paris-Nice stage this year; he basically did the thing everyone was expecting the two des to do.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

His performances have been interesting - Left Mitchelton Scott because he felt his talents weren't being fully developed as a classics rider, yet his classic form has not improved and maybe has regressed a touch - His sprinting level is about the same but his climbing form has gone through the roof - Can remember the 2016/2017 Vuelta - Once he reached a cat 2 climb that was the end.

IIRC he was in the breaks on some fairly difficult mountain stages in La Vuelta 2016, doing good work for Chaves or Yates. I think it's fair to say he was a relatively good climber for a supposed sprinter back then, also.

Getting in a break and leading the yellow jersey holder up cat 1 climbs is completely different - You may remember the stage that Keukeliere won at the 2016 Vuelta which featured two Cat 2 climbs in the last 30kms - Cort finished 19 minutes behind, yet won 2 sprint stages later in the Vuelta.

You need to have some climbing level to go in breaks on pyrenees stages and actually be helpful to the team's grand strategy. Also, it was Cort's first Grand Tour and the team had a GC focus in that Vuelta. He was probably ordered to save himself on some stages, like the one Keukeleire won, which makes it hard to evaluate his climbing solely on the basis of a result.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

His performances have been interesting - Left Mitchelton Scott because he felt his talents weren't being fully developed as a classics rider, yet his classic form has not improved and maybe has regressed a touch - His sprinting level is about the same but his climbing form has gone through the roof - Can remember the 2016/2017 Vuelta - Once he reached a cat 2 climb that was the end.

IIRC he was in the breaks on some fairly difficult mountain stages in La Vuelta 2016, doing good work for Chaves or Yates. I think it's fair to say he was a relatively good climber for a supposed sprinter back then, also.

Getting in a break and leading the yellow jersey holder up cat 1 climbs is completely different - You may remember the stage that Keukeliere won at the 2016 Vuelta which featured two Cat 2 climbs in the last 30kms - Cort finished 19 minutes behind, yet won 2 sprint stages later in the Vuelta.

You need to have some climbing level to go in breaks on pyrenees stages and actually be helpful to the team's grand strategy. Also, it was Cort's first Grand Tour and the team had a GC focus in that Vuelta. He was probably ordered to save himself on some stages, like the one Keukeleire won, which makes it hard to evaluate his climbing solely on the basis of a result.

Cort wrote the 2016 and 2017 Vuelta and struggled in the mountains - of course one can improve but he's taken a big jump in the last 18 months - And he left Mitchelton Scott because he thought Astana would better develop his classic potential.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

Right, I regret the "Maggie" bit in the title.
Any ideas?

As long as he is sporting that beard, "viking" is the only logical nickname

Otherwise "KongCort"

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Magnus "Maggie" Cort

Although Magnus is really fast he has never been a sprinter and clearly his heart is not in that. As an under 23 he won type five km uphill finishes with competition like Muhlberger and Konrad. It was just that the knucklehead Orica directors wanted him to do strictly sprinting.

Well, I think the ‘problem’ is that he has the explosivity and power but not the heart and mentality of a sprinter as you say, he always struggled with positioning in bunch sprints. I’m surprised by how well he was climbing in Dauphine but I guess he is able to realize his potential as an all-rounder, which he showed as espoirs, now that he is allowed to focus less on his sprinting.

His talents are clearly better suited to being aggressive and riding with freedom rather than sitting in the bunch waiting for the last 200 metres.

If I was the Astana DS, I'd tell Cort to copy Alaphilippes racing program next year.

He now climbs as well and has more or less the same punch.

Strade Bianche
Tirreno
Milan - San Remo
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
- Should be races he target next year, which means he should drop the cobbled classics.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

His performances have been interesting - Left Mitchelton Scott because he felt his talents weren't being fully developed as a classics rider, yet his classic form has not improved and maybe has regressed a touch - His sprinting level is about the same but his climbing form has gone through the roof - Can remember the 2016/2017 Vuelta - Once he reached a cat 2 climb that was the end.

IIRC he was in the breaks on some fairly difficult mountain stages in La Vuelta 2016, doing good work for Chaves or Yates. I think it's fair to say he was a relatively good climber for a supposed sprinter back then, also.

Getting in a break and leading the yellow jersey holder up cat 1 climbs is completely different - You may remember the stage that Keukeliere won at the 2016 Vuelta which featured two Cat 2 climbs in the last 30kms - Cort finished 19 minutes behind, yet won 2 sprint stages later in the Vuelta.

You need to have some climbing level to go in breaks on pyrenees stages and actually be helpful to the team's grand strategy. Also, it was Cort's first Grand Tour and the team had a GC focus in that Vuelta. He was probably ordered to save himself on some stages, like the one Keukeleire won, which makes it hard to evaluate his climbing solely on the basis of a result.

Cort wrote the 2016 and 2017 Vuelta and struggled in the mountains - of course one can improve but he's taken a big jump in the last 18 months - And he left Mitchelton Scott because he thought Astana would better develop his classic potential.

The last thing is true. Magically, it seems like his positioning skills have just gone awry since that Vuelta (and perhaps his early season at Astana in 2018 where he could still manage to contest and win bunch sprints).

But really, he has NEVER been one of those sprinters who could not climb. The guy grew up on Bornholm, a place with climbs similar to what you find in Amstel Gold Race, which makes it quite natural why he was more of a pure puncheur in the beginning of his career. This is also evident by one of his two breakthrough wins, where he beat the likes of Colbrelli, Leukemans, Canola and Coquard on a 1km climb with 6% avg gradient in Tour of Denmark.

Ofcourse I do not disagree that his level on longer climbs has taken a step up since he moved to Astana. We saw this already in Paris-Nice last year.

 

[Bushman]

Re: Magnus "Maggie" Cort

Although Magnus is really fast he has never been a sprinter and clearly his heart is not in that. As an under 23 he won type five km uphill finishes with competition like Muhlberger and Konrad. It was just that the knucklehead Orica directors wanted him to do strictly sprinting.

Well, I think the ‘problem’ is that he has the explosivity and power but not the heart and mentality of a sprinter as you say, he always struggled with positioning in bunch sprints. I’m surprised by how well he was climbing in Dauphine but I guess he is able to realize his potential as an all-rounder, which he showed as espoirs, now that he is allowed to focus less on his sprinting.

His talents are clearly better suited to being aggressive and riding with freedom rather than sitting in the bunch waiting for the last 200 metres.

If I was the Astana DS, I'd tell Cort to copy Alaphilippes racing program next year.

He now climbs as well and has more or less the same punch.

Strade Bianche
Tirreno
Milan - San Remo
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
- Should be races he target next year, which means he should drop the cobbled classics.

Really? That’s just silly. He might be climbing better as of right now but he has never demonstrated the same kind of level as Alaphillippe did in the Tour last year.

Also, Alaphillippe in top shape has shown himself to be the best in the world at these short, steep climbs. Let’s not pretend that Cort is anything like that currently

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Magnus "Maggie" Cort

Although Magnus is really fast he has never been a sprinter and clearly his heart is not in that. As an under 23 he won type five km uphill finishes with competition like Muhlberger and Konrad. It was just that the knucklehead Orica directors wanted him to do strictly sprinting.

Well, I think the ‘problem’ is that he has the explosivity and power but not the heart and mentality of a sprinter as you say, he always struggled with positioning in bunch sprints. I’m surprised by how well he was climbing in Dauphine but I guess he is able to realize his potential as an all-rounder, which he showed as espoirs, now that he is allowed to focus less on his sprinting.

His talents are clearly better suited to being aggressive and riding with freedom rather than sitting in the bunch waiting for the last 200 metres.

If I was the Astana DS, I'd tell Cort to copy Alaphilippes racing program next year.

He now climbs as well and has more or less the same punch.

Strade Bianche
Tirreno
Milan - San Remo
Amstel
Fleche
Liege
- Should be races he target next year, which means he should drop the cobbled classics.

Really? That’s just silly. He might be climbing better as of right now but he has never demonstrated the same kind of level as Alaphillippe did in the Tour last year.

Also, Alaphillippe in top shape has shown himself to be the best in the world at these short, steep climbs. Let’s not pretend that Cort is anything like that currently

And yet, nobody finds it strange when GvA or Gilbert race the same programme?

I'm not saying he is going to beat Alaphilippe consistently, or MVP for that matter, but he certainly has the capability for top 10 in the same kinds of races, and with a little luck winning them.

Btw, he is my dark horse for the rainbow, later in the year.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Cort stands no chance in Liege and especially Fleche at all. He has become more of a breakaway specialist and allround domestique which is great, but not a classics rider you can consistently count on. His peak level is simply not high enough for these races in my estimation.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Cort stands no chance in Liege and especially Fleche at all. He has become more of a breakaway specialist and allround domestique which is great, but not a classics rider you can consistently count on. His peak level is simply not high enough for these races in my estimation.

I agree but I don't think it has anything to do with peak level. Those two races are just not races for him because of the intense fight for positions. LBL is too hard for him, because of the amount of climbing per distance. If there was a 400km race with the same amount of climbing as in LBL it would be a lot better for Cort, because it would be more about endurance and this is one area where I see Cort as super strong.

 

[Danskebjerge]

The race in Quebec should really suit Magnus Cort, not least the 4 percent gradient on the finishing straight. Uphill finishes tend to be a little less aggressively ridden than the flat ones, and that's good for Cort who doesn't like the infight among the sprinters. But his last seven months have been rather disappointing, and we hardly see him close to the front in bunch sprints anymore.

It's becoming really difficult to have expectations when it comes to Magnus Cort, and that's sad considering that the world championships are not far away.

 

[primoz]

I think he will be attacking from afar or working for Ballerini/Bilbao. It is not like he was getting lost in position battle lately, he just stopped trying. In Norway was working for Lutsenko in reduced sprint of ~25.

 

[RedheadDane]

The race in Quebec should really suit Magnus Cort, not least the 4 percent gradient on the finishing straight. Uphill finishes tend to be a little less aggressively ridden than the flat ones, and that's good for Cort who doesn't like the infight among the sprinters. But his last seven months have been rather disappointing, and we hardly see him close to the front in bunch sprints anymore.

It's becoming really difficult to have expectations when it comes to Magnus Cort, and that's sad considering that the world championships are not far away.

Because he has become a climber!

 

[Danskebjerge]

Because he has become a climber!

Well, losing some body weight doesn't necessarily make you a climber. He needs to find his own self and win races again. And even better: mobilize some courage for sprinting.

 

[RedheadDane]

Well, losing some body weight doesn't necessarily make you a climber. He needs to find his own self and win races again. And even better: mobilize some courage for sprinting.

I sure like this attacking Cort a lot! Even if it doesn't land him that many wins…
Then again; sure paid out in Paris-Nice. It was basically "Los dos des" (de Gendt and de Marchi) had to attack to get rid of Cort because he was the fastest for the sprint, and then… Cort attacked!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I came he to read the comments after his win yesterday, and nothing?

Congrats to Cort for a stellar Vuelta - no less impressive on the back of overcoming Covid-19, and having it spoil most of the season for him.

Yesterday he survives a cat. 1 climb to win the reduced bunch sprint.
Today he is Carthy's last guy up the last climb, on the race deciding stage.

He is developing into quite the unique rider, insanely fast on the line, and climbing with the top 25 in a GT.

If only he could learn to fight for position in the peloton, he could develop into a Jalabert type rider, who could both contest the climby classics and fight for green at the Tour.

 

[Danskebjerge]

One of his most memorable performances - stage 2 of the Tour of Denmark 2016. Really showing his potential in hilly finishes here. Brilliant stage all in all, by the way.

I've recently added English subtitles (for most of the clip).

View: https://youtu.be/UkvzIhSaukA

 

[tobydawq]

What an astonishing Vuelta he is having! Absolutely phenomenal. Give him better positioning skills and it's like watching Sagan tearing up the Tour in his heyday.

 

[RedheadDane]

Thread needs a better title... someone help me out.

 

[tobydawq]

Thread needs a better title... someone help me out.

Agreed.

For a start, you could capitalise the first letter...

Edit: Maybe Magnus Córdoba is a bit too temporary

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Thread needs a better title... someone help me out.

What about simply "Nielsen"? Everyone will know who it's about.

Joking aside, maybe Magnus the Strong? His name was also Nielsen in Danish. Something with Cort would also do.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Well, Magnus Nielsen was one of the protagonists in one of the most famous murders in the history of Denmark, so I vote for something with Nielsen

 

[tobydawq]

Maybe just drop the "De" in the title.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Danish Peter Sagan. If sagan was 25 again.