Michal Kwiatkowski Thread

[Waterloo Sunrise]

For the life of me I can't see why QS are in the market for a GC rider. Cav and Kwiatkowski will keep them more than busy without adding a b lister like Uran.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

What happened?

He had best results of his career with Liquigas

 

[Netserk]

2nd in the sprint today 3rd on the stage. Hes like the new Valverde only he can tt

And ride on cobbles too

 

[Bushman]

Really impressive today challenging sagan on a finish like this. He was also there at the front right after the descent. Excited to see how he Will climb in the big mountains.

 

[Afrank]

Good result today, there is nothing this can't do! Hope to see more of him this Tour.

 

[Duke_S]

Awesome sprint, is there anything he cant do? Probably the most all rounded cyclist - even more so than Sagan.

 

[boringboy]

He has really impressed me this year, looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

 

[gunara]

Is there a trend of more all rounded riders like he is in the past several years? I know there are several from the 2000s generation, but not many of high enough calibres (top guys like Valverde, Hushovd, or Freire had much more limitation), today we have Sagan and Kwiatkowski, just yesterday we had EBH, and there are others who are probably not as phenomenal but also exciting. Or are they just young - but not so young - and haven't really developed into specialists? I haven't followed cycling as intensively as this era though, I might be very wrong.

 

[cineteq]

Kwiatkowski is looking good to wear yellow today!

 

[Warhawk]

Is there a trend of more all rounded riders like he is in the past several years? I know there are several from the 2000s generation, but not many of high enough calibres (top guys like Valverde, Hushovd, or Freire had much more limitation), today we have Sagan and Kwiatkowski, just yesterday we had EBH, and there are others who are probably not as phenomenal but also exciting. Or are they just young - but not so young - and haven't really developed into specialists? I haven't followed cycling as intensively as this era though, I might be very wrong.

Heh, maybe this generation is just more stubborn and wouldn't let their coaches pidgeon-hole them.

Rider: "But I wanna be good at everything!"

Coach: "NEIN! You must excel at one DISCIPLINE!!!"

Rider (thinking): *Why did I hire an angry German guy as my coach?*

 

[sucotash]

Another great place today. Kwiato is the most complete rider in the peleton. This season he was great in all kind of races. From montain top finishes to cobbles, TT, and flat sprints

Yellow tomorrow ?

I can't wait to see how Michal rides in the mountains.

For now we had only let's say hills but Kwiato looked very strong uphill, riding almost all the time in the front rows of the group.

Fingers crossed for Omega tomorrow.

 

[gustienordic]

Is there a trend of more all rounded riders like he is in the past several years? I know there are several from the 2000s generation, but not many of high enough calibres (top guys like Valverde, Hushovd, or Freire had much more limitation), today we have Sagan and Kwiatkowski, just yesterday we had EBH, and there are others who are probably not as phenomenal but also exciting. Or are they just young - but not so young - and haven't really developed into specialists? I haven't followed cycling as intensively as this era though, I might be very wrong.

Theres a few other potential all-rounders as well depending on how they develop: Thomas, Kelderman (if he can get over the rabo curse), and perhaps Moser (though I think he should really stay as a puncheur but people want him to do GT)

 

[gunara]

Theres a few other potential all-rounders as well depending on how they develop: Thomas, Kelderman (if he can get over the rabo curse), and perhaps Moser (though I think he should really stay as a puncheur but people want him to do GT)

Exactly, I also thought about these three when I said it. And I'd also love to see Moser stay as a puncheur, without much aspiration for high mountains. As for Kwiat...I can't make up my mind, I want to see him climbing, sprinting, fighting like mad in Roubaix, wearing these jerseys, those jerseys, everything

But as much as people like him now, sometimes I think that if there is any aggresiveness left in him now, it will be less and less as his reputation goes up as he can hang on to everything and is very confident about his final kick, then sooner or later people will complain and call him the biggest wheelsucker of his generation (even if he is not, people see him on every terrain)...

 

[Bushman]

Exactly, I also thought about these three when I said it. And I'd also love to see Moser stay as a puncheur, without much aspiration for high mountains. As for Kwiat...I can't make up my mind, I want to see him climbing, sprinting, fighting like mad in Roubaix, wearing these jerseys, those jerseys, everything

But as much as people like him now, sometimes I think that if there is any aggresiveness left in him now, it will be less and less as his reputation goes up as he can hang on to everything and is very confident about his final kick, then sooner or later people will complain and call him the biggest wheelsucker of his generation (even if he is not, people see him on every terrain)...

It's not impossible at all to rely on your sprint and still ride really agressively. Look at Sagan for instance.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Velits doesn't look too good. So i think Kwiatkowski will be supported by him an Tony.
I could see him in the Top5 in Paris, no doubt.
He'll be in yellow tonight.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Top 5? That would be huge. Top 15 would be great .

 

[Bavarianrider]

Top 5? That would be huge. Top 15 would be great .

Sure, but he really looks great and had a promising season. So why not?
With Velits and Tony he'll have good support, too.

 

[gunara]

It's not impossible at all to rely on your sprint and still ride really agressively. Look at Sagan for instance.

I know, but that's Sagan, he's that extravagant, and I think he will never change. But with Kwiatkowski as time goes...let's just see...

 

[Liquigas]

Sure, but he really looks great and had a promising season. So why not?
With Velits and Tony he'll have good support, too.

3rd week will be too much for him, it's his first grand tour.

 

[Netserk]

3rd week will be too much for him, it's his first grand tour.

He rode the Giro last year.

 

[Liquigas]

He rode the Giro last year.

Missed that completely

 

[puffin]

Very unlucky to not take yellow today, I hope he has another opportunity.

It would have been easy with a fully fit Tony Martin.

 

[Duke_S]

Will be interested to see how Kwiatkowski does tomorrow. The high mountains seem to be his only weakness so most likely he'd lose white.

 

[sucotash]

Will be interested to see how Kwiatkowski does tomorrow. The high mountains seem to be his only weakness so most likely he'd lose white.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=24107


I would not say that this is Kwiato weakness.

His goal for the second part of the season was to win the Tur de Pologne, with two high mountains stages in Italy it is impossible to do it, without beeing a at least good climber.

Only once in his carrer a in form Kwiato fought on a mountain top finish with the top riders. He was only seconds behind Froome and Nibali beating Contador. And it was a major race.

I am so curious how he will ride tomorrow. If he fights with the best, which is not impossible, he is a monster, great in every "part" of cycling.

Kwiato was asked a lot by polish journalists, if he is already ready to fight in the mountains in the Tour. He never gave a 100% answer yes or no. I think that he is himself not sure about his limits.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow. War Kwiato, show what are you made of. It would be a great story from T-A mountains in march, Flandres and Ardenes in April to sprinting and fighting in the mountains in the Tour. And do not forgot about his TT abilities.

If talking about his weaknesses, I think that the only one is that he never showed that he is able to race 3 weeks on a high level. Everything alse, he has done this year, on at least very good level.

 

[Duke_S]

Would be good to see him put up a performance similar to Prati di Tivo, but he did lose a lot of time in the mountains at the Dauphiné.