Most impressive tour debut 2015

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

What about Luke Rowe, did lot of great work as a domestique

Very solid first Tour. Hadmy doubts about him when picked but he proved me wrong.

A guy who put a lot into the first 60% of the season but unlike Kennaugh was able to back it up through the Tour.

Can give Kennaugh a little slack given he was in the team for the mountains and got sick before they reached the Pyrenees.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Re: Re:

Barguil had the most impressive debut

I'm also going with Barguil cos he's awesome. His two Vuelta stage wins a couple of years ago were very telling.

I third that motion. What most impressed me was that he never made up chunks of time by getting in breaks (unlike a lot of the guys near the top 10: Talansky, Bardet, etc.). Instead he spent his entire first Tour trying to stay with the big GC guys as long as possible. He cracked up in the last couple of Alpine stages, but didn't really slip all that far back.

 

[fungusbear]

I am looking forward to seeing what Jungels can do in San Sebastian. He already did well 2 years ago, when Gallopin won, but obviously he hadn't ridden the Tour de France then

Yeah me too. Is there a provisional start list for San Sebastian?

It looks that way: http://www.trekfactoryracing.com/calendar-results/clasica-ciclista-san-sebastian

ah sweet. I hope the Yates twins go too. Adam was great last year until he crashed

 

[Oliver]

Jungels has surprised me the most.

 

[Bushman]

Re:

Adam Yates had some moments (Simon started last year), Barguil was decent, Sepulveda looked good for a while, Teklehaimanot and Anacona finally got a belated chance to shine, Buchmann showed well a couple of times too. I was disappointed that Kudus and Bennett couldn't do much, but it's just a matter of time before they start contending more, especially Kudus at 21. Matthews and his injuries was almost depressing, but there's always next year - at least he made it to the start this time!

A shame that Berhane didn't get to make his debut. I feel he could have done as well as any of the debutants.

I think Kudus did quite well, actually. He is only 21 years old but he showed that he has the engine to cope with three weeks of consecutive racing as he was at his best in the third week. He did go in the break twice I think and finished 26th on the very tough stage to La Toussuire.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re: Re:

What else do you think he should be going after?

I don't really care what Jungels wants to focus on and his climbing in the Alps really surprised me, although as you say later in this thread he has some good results in mountainous races as an U23 as well. But the thing is, if he focuses on stage racing he will become a boring rider, just doing decent TT's and trying not to lose time in the mountains. But he is a very versatile rider and he's got a great engine, he can do much more with his career than become a 2nd rate GC rider!

But yeah, I was surprised to see him climb so well towards the end of a GT. He could do very well in San Sebastian and I hope he will do Eneco Tour, where he can show us he can do more than climbing. It would be good to see him in the Canadian races as well.

 

[Gigs_98]

Jungles became better and better at the end. He was impressive and for me even more surprising so he is my pick.

 

[djpbaltimore]

Without a doubt, Jungels impressed me the most. With all the young up and coming GC guys being TT-averse, there is a niche open for someone who can take time in TT. I would like to see if he can develop in that direction. Didn't believe that possible before the tour, but his performance made me think. Plus, he salvaged a very anonymous TDF for Trek after the Cance DNS.

 

[greenedge]

In my view Jungels, Yates, Buchmann were the 3 most impressive and in that order.

Oh and no one has mentioned Teklahainomot, he's another rider who rode his heart out and featured in a breakaway quite late in the race too.

 

[53x11 in DC]

I'm going to go with Les Lacets de Montvernier....

 

[gunara]

Re:

I'm going to go with Les Lacets de Montvernier....

True, while most debutants in this Tour are much too GT-familiar and no one did anything exceptional anyway.

 

[gustienordic]

Jungels was very impressive, but I've never really considered him to be a GC type rider, more of a Tony Martin type. Great powerhouse and can climb occasionally.