Rafal Majka discussion thread

[DBotero]

Could be a good year for Majka,he showed decent yesterday.If Contador will fade in TDF as i expect,it will be Majka's time to shine.

 

[Netserk]

I doubt he will be a back-up. I think he'll lose plenty in the first week. All in for Contador is the best plan. A green jersey and stage wins is a better back-up than a 6th place in GC.

 

[damian13ster]

Don't think so. No need to save himself in first week. He won't have Giro in his legs and won't be riding himself into shape. Plus I doubt that Majka will be the one working for Contador on flat stages or the cobbled one.
Will be an interesting situation, that's for sure, and he is not trying to undermine anybody, etc (said it himself that he will be main domestique) but he is not going to lose time on purpose in first week.

I am just really happy about how comfortable he looked today and unbothered by the pace at all. Loved that and being an eternal optimist when it comes to results of my country-men I am getting excited Now if he rides good TT tommorow then I will be exstatic

Anyway, everything will work itself out in July.
Now just going to focus on Giro.

 

[DBotero]

Re:

I doubt he will be a back-up. I think he'll lose plenty in the first week. All in for Contador is the best plan. A green jersey and stage wins is a better back-up than a 6th place in GC.

Well Contador might get a 5th place in GC if we consider his past Giro-Tour experience.

 

[damian13ster]

Phenomenal ITT. He is back!

 

[rm7]

He's gonna be right up there with Contador as his last dom in the Tour. He also would've been in 2014.

Just think if Kreuziger didn't have his case! Contador/Majka/Kreuziger !

Majka needs to limit his losses in the first week, and i think he will get one rider to protect him in the cobble's stage. Could very well see Tinkoff Saxo use Majka in the mountains, especially with no long flat TT. If he's withing 1-1:30 mins to the Yellow jersey after the ITT, he's gonna be a very important card for Contador. Could do a long range attack to blow up Team Sky.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

He's gonna be right up there with Contador as his last dom in the Tour. He also would've been in 2014.

Just think if Kreuziger didn't have his case! Contador/Majka/Kreuziger !

Majka needs to limit his losses in the first week, and i think he will get one rider to protect him in the cobble's stage. Could very well see Tinkoff Saxo use Majka in the mountains, especially with no long flat TT. If he's withing 1-1:30 mins to the Yellow jersey after the ITT, he's gonna be a very important card for Contador. Could do a long range attack to blow up Team Sky.

Wont just be sky chasing though will it? If Nibali puts another epic cobbled performance and gains time Astana will be first to chase. I doubt Movistar would give Majka too much leash either.

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

He's gonna be right up there with Contador as his last dom in the Tour. He also would've been in 2014.

Just think if Kreuziger didn't have his case! Contador/Majka/Kreuziger !

Majka needs to limit his losses in the first week, and i think he will get one rider to protect him in the cobble's stage. Could very well see Tinkoff Saxo use Majka in the mountains, especially with no long flat TT. If he's withing 1-1:30 mins to the Yellow jersey after the ITT, he's gonna be a very important card for Contador. Could do a long range attack to blow up Team Sky.

Wont just be sky chasing though will it? If Nibali puts another epic cobbled performance and gains time Astana will be first to chase. I doubt Movistar would give Majka too much leash either.

Hmm, well my guess would be that Moviestar and Astana both would send a man with Majka. Sky cant really adapt their tactics as much, and i think they would chase i down really quick, but use a lot of energy. Astana are attackers, but maybe Moviestar would help Sky. Cant see Tinkoff or Astana let Valverde go with Majka, and then let Majka work. But it could be possible to let Sky and Froome chase, because Majka will be stronger than Valverde and Fuglsang i think

 

[KubaWinter]

Here's an interview I did with Rafał after the prologue in Rotkreuz. Most of you will need to use some kind of translator the get the message

http://rowery.org/2015/06/15/rafal-majka-pokaze-na-co-mnie-stac/

 

[Miburo]

or you can be a nice guy to translate it for us, it would grant you enternal gratitude on here.

 

[Netserk]

Well, you can understand it pretty well with google translate. I thought it was a very nice interview.

 

[damian13ster]

Not going to translate it word for word but here are the notes:
-He feels really good, enjoys the warm weather, has a really good base after altitude camp and his form is increasing now
- last year finally got him a break-through victory, started doubting himself a bit prior to that (well, exact wording is 'I really needed that win to get through a mental blockade and show what I am truly capable of').
- Expects to be among the best in the mountains in the Tour even if he is told to work for Contador
- The plan from the very beginning was to work for Sagan in Suisse
- Feels dissapointed he won't have a free role at the Tour but knows that if he gets to the front, almost noone will be left
- Doesn't know if he will ride the Vuelta
- Does not plan to compete in Classics in near future, doesn't peak for that part of the season

 

[SeriousSam]

He should try something in week long stage races at some point. He's not going to win a GT (>50% confidence)

 

[Netserk]

Why not? After 3 of the big four have declined (Piti and Purito as well) the Vuelta should be pretty open for some years.

 

[Anderis]

If he's not going to win a GT, then he will not dominate one-week races either. He's not that type of rider. 6th overall in Giro and 2 TdF stage wins with KOM jersey are his highlights of career so far, why would he focus on one-week races instead?

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

Why not? After 3 of the big four have declined (Piti and Purito as well) the Vuelta should be pretty open for some years.

Perhaps I am underrating him. It depends on how many clean shots he's going to get in his career, and what his chance is to win each of the GTs. If I give him like a 12% to win the Vuelta per attempt , he needs 6 attempts at those odds to win at least once with greater than 50% probability.

But there will be other riders emerging, like Landa. There will be Hesjedals, Cobos and Froome, some years he'll not be as good, some years he'll target the Tour where the competition is much stronger...

 

[rm7]

I'd say he is at the same level of Aru.

I still want to see if Landa can climb at that level again, because he was very very good.

Whether Majka wins a GT or not, it really depends. I don't think he'll ever be the strongest GT rider, but he could win a Giro og Vuelta if the circumstanses are right. Don't think he'll ever do more than a podium in the Tour unless he improve his TT very much, and his climbing needs to better too of course.

 

[BigMac]

Majka at the same level of Aru, are you sure? Am I missing something?

 

[Jspear]

Re:

I'd say he is at the same level of Aru.

I still want to see if Landa can climb at that level again, because he was very very good.

Whether Majka wins a GT or not, it really depends. I don't think he'll ever be the strongest GT rider, but he could win a Giro og Vuelta if the circumstanses are right. Don't think he'll ever do more than a podium in the Tour unless he improve his TT very much, and his climbing needs to better too of course.

What makes you think Majka is at the same level as Aru? Based on their palmares and the level of fitness each of them has achieved, Aru is the better rider.

Majka at the same level of Aru, are you sure? Am I missing something?

Nope, you're not missing anything.

 

[damian13ster]

I don't see why people believe he is worse than Aru. He got really sick in last week of Giro so wasn't at his level. I think they are very similar in climbing, and Majka is better in TT. For example in Giro 2015 Majka could have gotten a podium spot imo. Next couple of years will verify that though, if he ever gets leadership role in GT, prefferably in France since that suits him best

 

[rm7]

Re:

Majka at the same level of Aru, are you sure? Am I missing something?

Giro 2014 - Majka was ahead of Aru in the GC until he got sick. I can't say he would've been ahead in the end, but the fact is that he was ahead with over a minute, and they almost came in at same time on the mountain stages until that point. Majka put +1 minute into him at the ITT too.

Majka had a big chance to podium that Giro if he hadn't been sick. That's a fact. Just check the stages from the Giro, and you'll see it too.

Majka was sent to Tour de France, and Aru to Vuelta. 2 stage wins and KoM jersey vs 2 stages and 5th place in GC. Of course Aru's palmares in this case is a little better maybe, but Majka could very well have done around the same in the Vuelta as Aru.

Aru didn't do anything in 2013, where Majka got a 7th at the Giro. Majka won Tour of Polen, I don't think Aru have won anything yet? Tour of Polen, not a big deal, but still a WT stage race win.

I really can't see the big difference between those two, other than Aru is Italian and I guess that people have higher hopes for a young Italian rider than a young rider from polen.

I'm looking forward to hear you arguments

 

[Mr.White]

Well I kind of agree... Aru is younger and have a better GT palmares, but I believe Majka's top level is similar to Aru's, at least... Time will tell

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Majka at the same level of Aru, are you sure? Am I missing something?

Giro 2014 - Majka was ahead of Aru in the GC until he got sick. I can't say he would've been ahead in the end, but the fact is that he was ahead with over a minute, and they almost came in at same time on the mountain stages until that point. Majka put +1 minute into him at the ITT too.

Majka had a big chance to podium that Giro if he hadn't been sick. That's a fact. Just check the stages from the Giro, and you'll see it too.

Majka was sent to Tour de France, and Aru to Vuelta. 2 stage wins and KoM jersey vs 2 stages and 5th place in GC. Of course Aru's palmares in this case is a little better maybe, but Majka could very well have done around the same in the Vuelta as Aru.

Aru didn't do anything in 2013, where Majka got a 7th at the Giro. Majka won Tour of Polen, I don't think Aru have won anything yet? Tour of Polen, not a big deal, but still a WT stage race win.

I really can't see the big difference between those two, other than Aru is Italian and I guess that people have higher hopes for a young Italian rider than a young rider from polen.

I'm looking forward to hear you arguments

You say that Majka was 1minute ahead of Aru during the Giro. Then you say he gained 1+ minute in the TT and discredit what you previously said as we all know that Aru can't TT for sh*t and I think Majka is underrated in time trials. Aru in all likelihood would have beaten Majka even if he hadn't fallen ill as Aru was climbing almost on par with Quintana - Majka isn't as good a climber than him. Also, how ill did he get? If my memory is right then didn't he lose 4 minutes in the Monte Grappa TT then lose only 30 seconds the next day on the Zoncolan. My point is, the illness sounds like an excuse for having bad days, like Aru this year. Idk, I don't really trust cyclists when they have a motive to lie.

Majka is the 3rd or 4th beat in his generation, behind Quintana and Aru and probably on par with Pinot and Landa (who can't TT). Let's see how they develop, but Pinot is developing really fast but Majka less so. Btw this has nothing to do with Polish and Italian. In fact, it should work against Aru. Predestinati often end up nowhere, and anyone who is hyped up by La Gazza also doesn't do well

 

[damian13ster]

According to his roommate from that time (Poljanski) he barely slept for entire weak because of stomach flu. Don't ask for the source though because it was long time age. I am afraid it will take multiple years before we can compare those two directly because of different roles they have in a team (and Majka's dislike of cold weather)

 

[SeriousSam]

Landa seems to have more talent than Aru tbh.

Multiple years? Contador is gone after 2016 and surely Majka will get to lead a GT next year regardless.