Rider under most pressure to succeed

[Mellow Velo]

He retired again, last week.

 

[Francois the Postman]

imo best answer so far has been wiggins, because of the contract and hype he has been given, and because his chances of success are small. He can win prologues if cancellara isnt ther and I guess if the right people miss out on this years tt wc he has a chance at that, but what else can he win.

oh and ebh being called the next big thing a lot. Surely theres pressure for him to prove he isnt totaly overhyped.

On the other hand, that contract Wiggins has is in the bag, and it's pretty clear within Sky that if they had him down as a genuine GC contender (I doubt that btw), they will now have seriously alter course for Bradley, and start to feed the press with lower expectations and measures for success than he faced this year. Realistic ones that are far easier for him to meet. From Bradley's point of view, with the ink on the contract firmly dry and the hair cut in place, it's a few PR bruises at best I'd say. Quids in until you're 34? I'll take that pressure.

If he was the UK's only hope for glory he might be in a press spot that is a bit tighter at home, like Boonen faces in Belgium. What we lack in audience numbers will be made up by the viciousness of our gutter press, until they get bored writing the same story. Wiggo is no Princess Di. But with Cavendish on the road too, some of that patriotic pressure is off, and all-that-Sky-money-and-few-results story will grow stale quickly too. They are writing for an audience that doesn't really care about cycling to start with.

However if you were the guy who said that the money involved with the Wiggins transfer and contract was so worth it, and your own annual appraisal was came up.....maybe you'd have a real reason to sweat...

EBH has more of a career still ahead of him with plenty of contract changes on the way. With the expectations he has to manage, that probably means a tad more real pressure than Wiggins faces, as his stock can plummet as quickly as it can rise, and it will be result driven.

 

[Francois the Postman]

I wouldn't say "most", but if Menchov does move away from Rabo this year, Gesink will be a bit more in the spotlight than is ideal for his age and ability, I think. Menchov's shadow is a great spot to mature in, without having to carry all the weight of expectations and hopes, at a time when you aren't quite ready yet, and when its not 100% clear yet, what your reasonable upper limit for expectations actually is.

Personally I think that Contador could be under the most pressure next year. Only one place to go from where he sits. Not too sure he dealt with that well this year, on the one event that really mattered on his calendar. For him and Rabo I hope that the Russian feels happy enough to stay. With him they have an almost ideal transition. Without him, there might well be a bit of a gap to bridge, for a year or two.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Heinrich Haussler?

Agreed but he is now officially an ausie.

probably wiggo, with all the money sky has invested around him.

A few team skys guys (Wiggins, Gerrans, boassen Hagen) come to mind.

Wiggo and sky in general. Some of their lesser riders such as downing, sutton and hendo have done well this season. IF Sky can finally get their leadout's right for EBH and hendo, flecha can win a bigger classic than Het Volk and Wiggo + Lovkist can get some stage race results throughout the year then they would be a top team.

Cavendish? Guy will probably be considered a failure if he walks away with three TdF stage wins next year.

Every time Cav doesn't win it is a failure in many peoples eyes.


I would actually like to put the pressure on BMC's cobbled classics team. Their only results in any of the cobbled races was a 5th in RVV. Nothing in any of the other races. cadel actually got 3rd in a cobbled race to arewnberg so that was quite a special performance.

 

[Francois the Postman]

re: Haussler

Agreed but he is now officially an ausie.

OK, I change my vote. Given the way you follow Ozzies, Haussler is now officially the one most under pressure to perform. Pressure from having a lot of large fonts dumped on his back for starters.

(What we'll never know did you break Cadel this year in the end?)

 

[blaxland]

I would have to say J.Van Den Broek and R.Gesink would be getting a lot of pressure in the near future.What these two young GT riders have shown at this years tour and last years means they will be watched and marked.Adding huge amounts of pressure hoping to replicate the same performance or better next year....Also being From Belgium and Holland means extra pressure from their sportsmad public.....

 

[auscyclefan94]

re: Haussler



OK, I change my vote. Given the way you follow Ozzies, Haussler is now officially the one most under pressure to perform. Pressure from having a lot of large fonts dumped on his back for starters.

(What we'll never know did you break Cadel this year in the end?)

I was actually being serious as I read the other day that it had now become official.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/07/31/196321_cycling.html

 

[Francois the Postman]

I was actually being serious as I read the other day that it had now become official.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/07/31/196321_cycling.html

I got that you were. I wasn't.

It also wasn't response to the pressure Haussler may or may not be under, or that you were making a serious point about the pressure on Haussler for being fielded in an Ozzie jersey.

More seriously then:

Maybe it is because I find the WC a bit of an oddball competition (in a good and entertaining way), but I can't see how a rider might be under real pressure for a year, for one race that is a bit of an inconsequential odd-one out for all but the one who actually wins it. Nice (superb even [ see what difference it made to Cadel's year) if you can get it, but you hardly ever hear "such and such failed totally because he didn't win the WC". Even about the hopefuls that have a real shot at it. It always seem to be the competition one can salvage a season with, but not really ruin it at (and no, no dig at Cadel intended if you spot one). Maybe Cancellara before his home crowd during the ITT faced pressure, but then you are talking about the absolute favourite on home turf whose failure would be really unexpected. It rarely is that clear cut, especially in the standard road race.

Yes, Haussler is in a bit of a unique position this year, but there would only be one counterweight continent where it would really matter if he underperformed to local expectations. The rest of the year he would be miles away doing his usual stuff in a different kit for his actual employers and sponsors, who aren't exactly pressing thousands of Haussler rainbow jerseys in advance for this Fall. Or am I missing something?

 

[PCutter]

The guy under the most pressure of unrealistic fan expectations may be Tyler Phinney judging by a lot of comments on these forums. Poor guy will be a 21y.o. neo-pro and American's will be expecting him to win P-R and the tour. And Olympic gold.

Hausler won't be under any fan pressure, cycling is still only followed (outside the tdf) by dedicated fans in Oz, so I think while we would expect an injury free Hausler to clock up some decent rides, no one is going to writing him off or calling him a failure if he doesn't win a monument in the next year or two.

Cav's not under pressure, he's the fastest guy in the peleton, he will get wins in any race he enters.

 

[BroDeal]

Next year Greipal will be under a fair bit of pressure.

 

[tifosa]

I believe young man Taylor Phinney will be looking for big results.

Good luck in that clean peloton you'll be riding in.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Wiggins
.
.
.
.
Boonen
Gerdemann
Ricco
Devolder

 

[dolophonic]

I would have said Wiggans but after this Tour what pressure could he be under?

I think it is Andy Schleck. I mean he is the one who is having his own team custom built and he has yet to win his first G.T. That sounds like pressure.

I really think the guys under the most pressure are the riders hoping to get their contract,n\worrying about how they will pay their bills. Not the guy's cashing large checks.

 

[craig1985]

I think Rujano can deserve a mention considering how much he over rates himself.

 

[Denkoff]

Ricco and Greipel

 

[theyoungest]

I believe young man Taylor Phinney will be looking for big results.

Good luck in that clean peloton you'll be riding in.

Ah, so now we'll know the reason when he doesn't quite make it?

 

[ThorFolerSegSterkIDagDu]

EBH is not under any kind of pressure from Norway. In Norway you are considered a hero if you even finish the tdf. EBH got two 3rd places in sprints this year i think and we were happy with that.

 

[maltiv]

EBH is not under any kind of pressure from Norway. In Norway you are considered a hero if you even finish the tdf. EBH got two 3rd places in sprints this year i think and we were happy with that.

Really? Did you read the newspapers before worlds last year? They were writing like EBH was the clear favourite for both the road race and the time trial...completely insane.

 

[outrage9]

I'd say FLandis has more pressure than any of em. If he doesn't win, he doesn't eat, or have a place to stay, or gas to get home from a race in the middle of nowhere.

 

[ak-zaaf]

I'd say FLandis has more pressure than any of em. If he doesn't win, he doesn't eat, or have a place to stay, or gas to get home from a race in the middle of nowhere.

That's prolly the reality for a lot of Continental riders.

 

[ManInFull]

Ricco and Greipel

Come on. It's got to be Lance Armstrong. He knows that his entire world will implode if anything of substance comes out of this US investigation. He needs to "win" by having the US investigation uncover nothing that implicates him.

 

[ThorFolerSegSterkIDagDu]

Really? Did you read the newspapers before worlds last year? They were writing like EBH was the clear favourite for both the road race and the time trial...completely insane.

No they were not writing like he was the favourite, they were writing his aim in the TT was top 10 - top 5, and that the road race course suited him. I mean of course he is sometimes hyped in Norwegian papers but its not like anyone is putting pressure on him to win anything, if you see my point..?

 

[theyoungest]

No they were not writing like he was the favourite, they were writing his aim in the TT was top 10 - top 5, and that the road race course suited him. I mean of course he is sometimes hyped in Norwegian papers but its not like anyone is putting pressure on him to win anything, if you see my point..?

Hyping is sort of the same as putting pressure on someone... the pressure to live up to the hype.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Really? Did you read the newspapers before worlds last year? They were writing like EBH was the clear favourite for both the road race and the time trial...completely insane.

I won 10 euros the day of the road race thanks to the hyping of Edvalds non-excistant climbing skills

Ask Moondance

 

[SirLes]

Geisink is going to certainly feel a lot more pressure in the next couple of years imo. I think people will feel he's done his apprentiship and if Menchov goes then he will be the main man for GTs The fact that the TdF is returning to Alpe D'Huez and there hasn't been a Dutch win since 88 will add to that.

I think Taylor Phinney may be safe for a couple more years but if the marketing machine that used to work for another American rider gets going....