Richard Carapaz discussion thread

[Red Rick]

Carapaz was the strongest on a single MTF in a Vuelta with a questionable field. The strongest team in the Tour is utterly wasted on him.

 

[BlueRoads]

Carapaz was the strongest on a single MTF in a Vuelta with a questionable field. The strongest team in the Tour is utterly wasted on him.

I disagree. He's one of Ineos' best bets. Who else can they send? Hart, yes. Well, who knows what to make of Hart's Giro win, which came against the likes of Hindley and Kelderman and profited massively from Dennis?
Carapaz is not an über-performer-but then Roglic isn't, either. He's not great at time-trialing, but neither is Bernal. Right now I see Ineos having an incredible strength but not the strongest rider, whichever one they choose from their roster. Unless Thomas is back to his best, one might just as well argue for Carapaz. But actually I suppose Ineos would be well off taking a multiple leader approach this time, because they should have plenty of guys who are able to stay within touch and put other teams under pressure. The way it looks right now they have to play their cards right, though.

About Spongebob - did you read that somewhere, toby, or does it show in his language...?

 

[tobydawq]

About Spongebob - did you read that somewhere, toby, or does it show in his language...?

Unfortunately, I am culturally lacking having never watched a minute of it, so I wouldn't have been able to make that assessment.

From a family farm to the world’s richest cycling team: Educating Richard Carapaz

Including using Spongebob Squarepants as a language tutor, here's how Richard Carapaz is learning from unlikely stories

www.cyclingweekly.com

“I know some of the episodes off by heart and from memory so I repeat them in English and learn from it. There are many good episodes to learn from.”

 

[Red Rick]

I disagree. He's one of Ineos' best bets. Who else can they send? Hart, yes. Well, who knows what to make of Hart's Giro win, which came against the likes of Hindley and Kelderman and profited massively from Dennis?
Carapaz is not an über-performer-but then Roglic isn't, either. He's not great at time-trialing, but neither is Bernal. Right now I see Ineos having an incredible strength but not the strongest rider, whichever one they choose from their roster. Unless Thomas is back to his best, one might just as well argue for Carapaz. But actually I suppose Ineos would be well off taking a multiple leader approach this time, because they should have plenty of guys who are able to stay within touch and put other teams under pressure. The way it looks right now they have to play their cards right, though.

About Spongebob - did you read that somewhere, toby, or does it show in his language...?

I'd take Thomas and Bernal with every day of the week and twice on Sunday

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Thomas? He's a 34 year old with 2 total GT top 10's in his entire career.

 

[saganftw]

and Bernal has a 34 year old back apparently, i just dont think carapaz has the highest ceiling of them Ineos guys but he sure is the most consistent, so in the end you probably go with Thomas,Bernal and Carapaz and see who has it because there is higher chance that something happens to Thomas than him having a smooth GT and who can realisticaly judge back pain - its one of those things that nobody knows why its happening

but then you end up with Carapaz against Pogacar so there is now always the possibility of him going absolutely mental and i doubt carapaz has that extra gear

 

[tobydawq]

Thomas? He's a 34 year old with 2 total GT top 10's in his entire career.

Lol.

 

[WKA311]

Thomas? He's a 34 year old with 2 total GT top 10's in his entire career.

He was, after all, still designated leader over Tao. Which to me implies that he probably had clearly better numbers than Tao as well. And he has the ITT in his favour. I don't see a reason how Ineos would pick Vuelta '20 Carapaz over an in-form Thomas. If Thomas hasn't regressed next year that is.

 

[Bolder]

Sure, if you take Thomas at his top level and Bernal at his, they are probably better than Carapaz. But Thomas will be 3 years off his peak next summer and Bernal's back, by his own admission, is a big question mark.

 

[Eclipse]

Super ride today. Always delivers for action.

 

[Tim Cahill]

His animation will be needed if they want to beat Pogacar/Roglic, if they put this boy on the front of a train they deserve everything they get.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So today's posts were first in this thread since...last autumn! Lol. Richie is looking very strong, Ineos has to start the Tour with at least 2 leaders (Carapaz, Thomas) but maybe even with 3 (Porte). Tao and the weakest from initial leaders will be super-domestiques.

 

[Pinot's goat]

So today's posts were first in this thread since...last autumn! Lol. Richie is looking very strong, Ineos has to start the Tour with at least 2 leaders (Carapaz, Thomas) but maybe even with 3 (Porte). Tao and the weakest from initial leaders will be super-domestiques.

Tao rode as a domestique in the Dauphine and still finished just behind the GC guys so I would not rule him out.

 

[Bonimenier]

Tao rode as a domestique in the Dauphine and still finished just behind the GC guys so I would not rule him out.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Tao will not be just a domestique. Probably the worse of the 4 uphill, and likely even in the TT. With a 30 km TT so early in the race, he'll likely be the first of the 4 to do work uphill if it's needed since he will stand the furthest in GC.

 

[Escarabajo]

So today's posts were first in this thread since...last autumn! Lol. Richie is looking very strong, Ineos has to start the Tour with at least 2 leaders (Carapaz, Thomas) but maybe even with 3 (Porte). Tao and the weakest from initial leaders will be super-domestiques.

Not many Ecuadorians in this forum. LOL. This rider deserves more. It just proves that the sport is very nationalistic. I like Richie a lot and his attacking spirit. His attacks sometimes are un-expected. Maybe that's what we need at the Tour.

 

[HelloDolly]

Carapaz and Porte strongest Ineos riders and we havent even included Adam Yates for awhile


How are they going to play it if Thomas is the leader and Tao th e 2nd in command

 

[Eclipse]

Carapaz and Porte strongest Ineos riders and we havent even included Adam Yates for awhile


How are they going to play it if Thomas is the leader and Tao th e 2nd in command

Imo you put Carapaz up the road whenever possible early and force the other teams to work, that way you can try save having to make an early choice on putting Thomas / Porte to work for one another and instead have them sitting on the Jumbo train. Use Tao to do the hard yards on some gap closing if needed in the early going.

If Poglic take off themselves after Carapaz you can chase them from behind as a unit (but if both don't go one team will try chase the other this year for you) and Richie can mess around with them up the road playing stop start or trying to counter and force inefficient efforts. Meanwhile if they do let him ride off, then it's possible he can win the race given enough freedom.

Yates is all in on the Vuelta I'm pretty sure.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Enjoyed that stage, congrats to Carapaz. Will be fascinating to see how the TDF pans out, he somehow doesn't seem like part of the Ineos train like their 'other leaders' going and I really hope he is given the freedom to try a few things.

 

[Blanco]

Imo you put Carapaz up the road whenever possible early and force the other teams to work, that way you can try save having to make an early choice on putting Thomas / Porte to work for one another and instead have them sitting on the Jumbo train. Use Tao to do the hard yards on some gap closing if needed in the early going.

If Poglic take off themselves after Carapaz you can chase them from behind as a unit (but if both don't go one team will try chase the other this year for you) and Richie can mess around with them up the road playing stop start or trying to counter and force inefficient efforts. Meanwhile if they do let him ride off, then it's possible he can win the race given enough freedom.

Yates is all in on the Vuelta I'm pretty sure.

It's the best way to burn your strongest rider!
And then Thomas will gloriously out climb the two Slovenians...

 

[BigCoward]

It's the best way to burn your strongest rider!
And then Thomas will gloriously out climb the two Slovenians...

No, he just has to follow them and beat them in the time trials.

 

[BigCoward]

Just seen he is available for 20/1, that seems very long odds for someone in his current form.

 

[Eclipse]

It's the best way to burn your strongest rider!
And then Thomas will gloriously out climb the two Slovenians...

Love Richie, but I see no real reason to think he is going to actually be stronger than Thomas or Porte across the race as a whole.

Ineos cannot win a heads up vs Poglic so they have to either:

1. Hope they suffer a mechanical or racing incident
2. Exploit echelons or weather and force a big time loss somewhere with team strength.
3. Pull off a big ambush that basically wins the race in 1 move
4. Create multiple routes to victory so they have options to work with as the race evolves.

The latter is the most sensible plan of attack for the race as a whole, and the only person they have that can change the paradigm be being really aggressive and taking it to other teams is Richie.

 

[Blanco]

Love Richie, but I see no real reason to think he is going to actually be stronger than Thomas or Porte across the race as a whole.

Well I do.
To me it's enough to look at Giro 2019 and Vuelta 2020 to know that Carapaz is the strongest of them.

 

[Escarabajo]

It's the best way to burn your strongest rider!
And then Thomas will gloriously out climb the two Slovenians...

LOL. My thoughts exactly. Carapaz will attack, but with the thought to make it stick.

 

[topt]

No, he just has to follow them and beat them in the time trials.

optimism never dies , didnt Thomas try to follow at Tirreno...., as a Rogla fan only guy I am scared off is Carapaz in the third week