NTT in 2020

[armchairclimber]

There seems to be a bit of an uptick in results. Surely the Bjarne effect can't be that swift.

 

[F_Cance]

wrong forum?

 

[Broccolidwarf]

There seems to be a bit of an uptick in results. Surely the Bjarne effect can't be that swift.

Tactically they are riding like his teams always did - aggressively and creatively, with a high degree of coordination.

So I'd say yes

Where he has had very little impact, as of yet, is what riders are in the team, that change will only occur for the 2021 season.

Also, it should be mentioned, that Riis is the overall strategy guy, the "big idea" guy..... Michaelsen is the lead DS who implements it all and worries about the nitty-gritty.

None of what Riis wants would be possible without Michaelsen, so he is at least as responsible, in any changes we see in NTT this year.

 

[42x16ss]

Because of Riis' history people under estimate how much he does know about the sport, just like shudder Bruyneel shudder. On paper NTT has a decent squad that is underperforming, rather than a very weak one and their wins have come from decent riders like Nizzolo and O'Connor who have some handy wins in the past.

If you look back at the peak years of CSC, sure they had an excellent squad (Basso, Sastre, Schlecks, Cancellara, O'Grady, Julich, Voigt etc) but what Riis seemed to excel in was binding it all together into something cohesive. Watch Overcoming and you'll see.

 

[RedheadDane]

What I like best is how the tactic for stage 4 in Etoile has been described. Basically (paraphrased):
"I have this idea. It's kind of crazy, but let's try." And - based on a post in the LKRR thread about it actually being Valgren they were supposed to ride for - it seems to then have become a case of: "Oh, ***! Michael doesn't have it. You go Ben!"

BTW, should this thread be merged with this one?

Team NTT Pro Cycling Thread

No official thread for DiData or MTN Qhubeka that i can find, but thought I’d start one with the new sponsor. Main reason for posting is the news of their young rider Nicholas Dlamini getting an arm broken by park rangers while on a training ride in Cape Town...

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[armchairclimber]

What I like best is how the tactic for stage 4 in Etoile has been described. Basically (paraphrased):
"I have this idea. It's kind of crazy, but let's try." And - based on a post in the LKRR thread about it actually being Valgren they were supposed to ride for - it seems to then have become a case of: "Oh, ***! Michael doesn't have it. You go Ben!"

BTW, should this thread be merged with this one?

Team NTT Pro Cycling Thread

No official thread for DiData or MTN Qhubeka that i can find, but thought I’d start one with the new sponsor. Main reason for posting is the news of their young rider Nicholas Dlamini getting an arm broken by park rangers while on a training ride in Cape Town...

forum.cyclingnews.com

Probably, yes. Mods ?