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Rider schedules and targets for 2023 (also rumours and opinions allowed)

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It will really get interesting, how many climber-type riders will go to the giro this year. They are certainly important for the race.
During the last couple of years we often saw pure climbers preferring the giro instead of the tour. This year for example we had a big gap behind Pogacar and Vingegaard even in the mountain stages to all the others. This will perhaps change at least a bit this year. I remember well that Carapaz in 2021 during the third week could follow the other two during the last mountain stages. This year nobody was even close to this. Perhaps this was also the approach of the tour organisators, that they also want to attract the pure climbers to come back to the tour.
 
It will really get interesting, how many climber-type riders will go to the giro this year. They are certainly important for the race.
During the last couple of years we often saw pure climbers preferring the giro instead of the tour. This year for example we had a big gap behind Pogacar and Vingegaard even in the mountain stages to all the others. This will perhaps change at least a bit this year. I remember well that Carapaz in 2021 during the third week could follow the other two during the last mountain stages. This year nobody was even close to this. Perhaps this was also the approach of the tour organisators, that they also want to attract the pure climbers to come back to the tour.
I think this year we also had the brutal first week with spring classics style racing (and the cobbles) who beat up most of the pure climbers badly and was able to wear them down.
 
I think this year we also had the brutal first week with spring classics style racing (and the cobbles) who beat up most of the pure climbers badly and was able to wear them down.
It´s also a reason, but there really also haven´t been a lot of second tier 2 GC riders really targeting the tour. That Vlasov with one week COVID before the tour and half of the race injured still managed to finish with a fifth place overall says it all.
 
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It´s also a reason, but there really also haven´t been a lot of second tier 2 GC riders really targeting the tour. That Vlasov with one week COVID before the tour and half of the race injured still managed to finish with a fifth place overall says it all.

Vlasov didn't have covid (not that it was likely to have mattered much). He abandoned Tour de Suisse while wearing the leader's jersey to prevent himself from getting it.
 
Vlasov didn't have covid (not that it was likely to have mattered much). He abandoned Tour de Suisse while wearing the leader's jersey to prevent himself from getting it.
Are you sure about that?


What I read he was positive, but didn´t have a lot of symptoms..
 
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Are there any of the potential top pure climbers that are targeting the Giro? Type Hindley, Bernal, Yates, Carapaz, Mas, etc? Or are they all going to the Tour to fight a podium spot 10 mins behind Pog and Vingegaard?
I would expect Mas to target the TdF/Vuelta combo. Performing in the Giro comes in 3rd out of the GTs when it comes to the sponsors and Spanish public, and right now, Movistar don’t have a 2nd GC rider expected to contend for a win. My guess is that Guerrero will get his shot to lead the team at the Giro, with Sosa or maybe Rubio/Gonzalez or some other rider that had shown a bit of promise with freedom to go ride for stages. Jorgensen has said he doesn’t see himself as a GC leader in 3 week races and wants to focus on 1 week races so he will probably head to the TDF with Mas to help, though I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let him ride the Giro to target a Top 10 and see how he responds.

Mas will then lead for the TdF and Vuelta where if he continues his trajectory we saw the 2nd half of last season he should have a realistic shot to podium either race or win La Vuelta.

I’m just as curious about his plans before the Tour. The Mas we saw in September is a real threat to win a classic. To be honest, he looked stronger than Bala at Flèche and LBL last year but did a lot of the pacing near the end (which with Valverde on solid form was the right call regardless). He showed last year that he can win Lombardía if he comes out of the Vuelta on good form, so will that be a goal in 2023?

I look forward to finding out.
 
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UAE will send Yates to UAE and allow Pogacar to not have to be on form from Feb.
He wasn't in top shape in february, and not even in tirreno adriatico. He said that in march. I like him, but people should stop make insinuations that he lost the tour because the preparation wasn't good. He was in a better or at least same shape of tour 2021 and tour 2020. Unfortunately he lost to a rider that did some of the best performances of the century. Vingegaard was the better man, and pogacar was in top shape. There were no problem with is calendar. He wasn't in top shape in the beggining of the season. And if he were in top shape, there will be no problem to july. Pogacar will have almost the same calendar next year.
 
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think this year we also had the brutal first week with spring classics style racing (and the cobbles) who beat up most of the pure climbers badly and was able to wear them down.
Or the best pure climbers were just absent. I would say that of the perhaps five more pure climbers which are closest to Pog and Vingegaard in potential ability only Mas was present. And he was clearly not in peak shape.
 
He wasn't in top shape in february, and not even in tirreno adriatico. He said that in march. I like him, but people should stop make insinuations that he lost the tour because the preparation wasn't good. He was in a better or at least same shape of tour 2021 and tour 2020. Unfortunately he lost to a rider that did some of the best performances of the century. Vingegaard was the better man, and pogacar was in top shape. There were no problem with is calendar. He wasn't in top shape in the beggining of the season. And if he were in top shape, there will be no problem to july. Pogacar will have almost the same calendar next year.

His best performances were before the Tour.

I didn't say he was in top shape. I said it takes pressure off him being in good shape in Feb and having to carry that through. He can have a more gradual build up to the Tour.
I have al re-read my post and can't see where I insinuated he lost the tour due to prep.
You claim there was no issue with his calender, but you make that claim from the outside, you not the once sitting in meetings.
But again this is a forum and everyone is a insider.
 
With the routes surely Tour-Vuelta makes more sense.

On first glance it does, but Vaughters wants Carapaz to target TDF stage wins, no GC.... he mentioned that a while ago.

That will be difficult if Carapaz shows up in his best form. Obviously a big name ride will make sure he does.

He will then be in GC mode. Won't drop time on purpose ...can't see that happening. He can't just ride away from the GC freaks, either.

No established rider has the Vuelta as his main season goal.

So I'm calling it right now: Giro-Tour.
 
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The Carapaz thing is a tough one. It's hard to believe what Vaughters said- I mean it's the Tour and Carapaz has a podium finish in the race. If the Tour is as important as everyone says, if I sign RC, I want him contending for a second podium at the Tour instead of simply hunting stages. With that said, it's equally unfair to think that just because Carapaz rode with Jonas and Pog in 21, that he can contend in 23. Ving was still human in 21. He became super human for 3 weeks in the 22 Tour. If anyone can beat Jumbo and Ving, it's Pog and UAE figuring out how to also become super human. Carapaz just has too much ground to make up on those two, regardless of how they raced in 21. So from that perspective, I agree that the Giro- Tour double makes sense. Try and out climb Remco in the Giro and then hunt for stages and a possible podium at the Tour while Pog tries to figure out a way to break Ving.

From a sporting perspective, Carapaz going to the Giro is better. Nobody beside Pog is touching Ving unless the defending champion just can't find that super human form again. Carapaz makes the Giro a fun race, Let's see a in his prime climber take on Remco in a proper grand tour course. My money would still be on Remco but I could still see Carapaz breaking him once or twice in the race and having it come down to time trialing.
 
FDJ have set out their objectives for 2023 in a series of Tweets:


-David Gaudu will aim for a Tour de France podium (quelle surprise)
-Valentin Madouas will target the classics and try to win a big one
-Arnaud Demare aims for 100 professional victories in 2023
-Stefano Kung's main goal is to become World ITT champion
-Thibaut Pinot will return to the Giro d'Italia, with a free role to attack in the mountains.

View: https://twitter.com/GroupamaFDJ/status/1601154862196006912?t=FOfhumrBWZtIUlYZOdyfrQ&s=19
 
FDJ have set out their objectives for 2023 in a series of Tweets:


-David Gaudu will aim for a Tour de France podium (quelle surprise)
-Valentin Madouas will target the classics and try to win a big one
-Arnaud Demare aims for 100 professional victories in 2023
-Stefano Kung's main goal is to become World ITT champion
-Thibaut Pinot will return to the Giro d'Italia, with a free role to attack in the mountains.

View: https://twitter.com/GroupamaFDJ/status/1601154862196006912?t=FOfhumrBWZtIUlYZOdyfrQ&s=19

100 wins in one season sounds ambitious ;)
 

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