Michal Kwiatkowski Thread

[BigMac]

Re:

Amstel suits him best. It's going to be harder for him in Huy and Liege

Yet, as of yesterday, his best result in the Ardennes had been in Flèche and Liège.

 

[Marco Pantani]

i wasn't expecting much from him today, but his performances at Fleche and LBL were somewhat worrying, if not shocking to me. It's crazy he got the Amstel.

 

[damian13ster]

Yeah, he seemed weaker this year. Oh well, at least he finally won Ardennes Clasic even despite not being in a very good shape. Just goes to show how smart he is and his tactical prowess. Kudos also for letting his teammate race once he realizes he isn't in best shape. Very unselfish of him

 

[FCKAC]

Since he is going to move to SKY after the current contract, will he have better result in SKY?

 

[Panda Claws]

Someone is believing every rumor they read...

 

[Akuryo]

Poor Prologue and today over 10 minutes behind. What is the problem?

 

[Happy dude]

Re:

Poor Prologue and today over 10 minutes behind. What is the problem?

I fear that the current WC will be doing nothing more than being the 2011 WC's 5th man in the tour

 

[Flamin]

Possibly tension between him and Lefevre/team management over a new contract?

 

[TMP402]

Posted this in the transfer rumours thread, but anyway:

From the front page recently:

Kwiatkowski has reportedly already signed but even if that were true Brailford would not and could not comment, while Mikel Landa, a returning Rigoberto Uran and even Mark Cavendish have all been speculated as targets.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-skys-tour-de-france-line-up-takes-shape

 

[Taxus4a]

He must play a role in the Tour, for him if he want to win one stage and even wear yellow jersey, but at least for people as Cavendish or Uran if they need. Other way he must allow other people to do that work.

 

[cellardoor]

I must say I'm quite disappointed to hear he may be going to Sky, but prehaps he needs a change as he seems to have stagnated a bit. It's strange as Etixx should be the perfect team for him in the classics, whereas I suspect Sky will not support him in the classics and he'll primarily be expected to peak for the Tour and be part of Froome's climbing train.

 

[classicomano]

This is really dreadful, almost dead last in the stage, swimming somewhere on his own.

 

[shalgo]

He finished two minutes behind Cavendish today. He did have Trentin for company, however.

 

[Billie]

He is riding at a controlled heart rate. If his trainer thinks thats the best way to prepare let him do it.

 

[Akuryo]

Can't be too much race days this year, he had a decent calendar and up to Paris-Nice everything went according to plan. But after Dwars door Vlaanderen he pretty much suffered in every race he entered. He also couldn't follow Gilbert at Amstel but was lucky, that the finish was moved. Fleche and LBL he cracked 10 km from the line and now ... 30 minutes behind, even behind Cavendish.

 

[Flamin]

Lefevre had a talk with him a few days ago in Switzerland. Apparently Kwiatkowski told him 'the door (to a new contract) wasn't closed yet'. I hope he stays.

But his shape is baffling right now. The first week of the Tour was perfect for him to wear yellow a few days.

 

[Jspear]

Look at Etixx's expensive water boy!

 

[Gigs_98]

And I am sure there are still people saying he can finish in the top 5 of this years tour...

 

[ILovecycling]

And I am sure there are still people saying he can finish in the top 5 of this years tour...

yep, those odds on him winning maillot blanc are laughable

 

[Wind in hair]

Michal Kwiatkowski better faster stronger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEnGrj_h44

 

[IndianCyclist]

He is probably unable to maintain form for the classics and the tour. Given a good gap between 2 peaks, he is ok but he is unable to sustain form for long. This year he was undercooked in the classics to prepare for the tour and as a result is not doing good in either
Needs to shift focus or learn Sky technique of sustaining form for long

 

[Kwatsj]

How will his performance be at the TdF? How oft do you expect hij to ride top10 in a stage?

 

[franic]

Re:

He is probably unable to maintain form for the classics and the tour. Given a good gap between 2 peaks, he is ok but he is unable to sustain form for long. This year he was undercooked in the classics to prepare for the tour and as a result is not doing good in either
Needs to shift focus or learn Sky technique of sustaining form for long

He was 1st at Amstel Gold Race in front of Valverde, Matthews, Rui Costa, Van Avermaet etc…
It doesn’t look too bad for me, considering he has the rainbow jersey and people generally don’t perform exactly well in the year after WC. IMHO, he already has done a decent season being a World Champion.

Just to give you an idea, this is what recent WC with characteristics similar (e.g. neither pure sprinters like Cavendish nor GC guys like Evans) to Kwiatkowski won:

2014-Rui Costa: 1st Tour Suisse GC with Stage 9, 3rd Lombardia, 3rd Romandie GC,2nd Paris-Nice GC
2013-Gilbert:9th WC, 1 stage and 1 2nd place at Vuelta Espana, 1st Baloise Belgium Tour GC, 7th Liege, 5th Amstel
2011-Hushovd: one stage Tour of Britain, 4th GP Plouay, 2 stages Tour, 1 stage Tour de Suisse, 8th Paris-Roubaix
2009-Ballan: Tour de Pologne GC and 1 stage, 3rd Giro Sardegna GC, 5th Laigueglia,
2008-Bettini:2 stages at Vuelta, 4th at San Sebastian, stage at Tour de Wallonie, Trofeo Matteotti, Stage Tour of Austria, 2nd in two stages at Giro, 9th Liege
2007-Bettini:World Champion, three 2nd places and 1 stage win at Vuelta, 2nd in four stages and PC at Giro, 4th Liege, 7th Amstel, one stage Tour California
2006-Boonen: 2nd Paris-Bruxelles, stage Tour of Britain, three stages Eneco Tour, two 2nd at Tour, 1 stage Tour de Suisse, two stages Tour of Belgium, 2nd Paris Roubaix, 1st Tour des Flanders, three stages Paris-Nice, stage Ruta del Sol, four stages and GC at Tour of Qatar
2004-Astarloa: 3rd HEW Cyclassics, 4th stage Giro, 6th Milano Sanremo, 4th Tirreno Adriatico GC and 2nd in one stage

Only Bettini and Boonen were able to win a major one day race (WC and Flanders) with the rainbow jersey and to some extent Rui Costa’s Tour de Suisse GC win and Hushovd’s two stages at the Tour de France are comparable with Kwiatkowski’s Amstel win.

By the way, the season is still pretty long. We will see what happens to Kwiatkowski at the Tour de France and in August-September-October.

 

[Taxus4a]

I hope he is ready to help Urán on the mountains. It could be important.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Looks like the Tour will be a disaster as well.
No signs of life.


Poor Alaphilippe