• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Rigoberto Uran discussion thread.

Page 11 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Apr 15, 2013
483
0
0
Visit site
Afrank said:
I expect Uran will be very p*ssed if Lefevere makes him do Giro-Vuelta. And rightly so, the whole point of him signing with OPQS was so he could be GC leader for the Tour.

I don't think he'll be happy but he's still better off than if he stayed at Sky. It makes far more sense for the team to have Uran doing Giro-Vuelta with Cav and Kwiatkowski (who offers far more on flat stages) doing the Tour. Uran might win a GT that way and can then demand the tour the following year.
 
Mar 31, 2010
18,136
4
0
Visit site
JRanton said:
Just like I said then. And no Ryo, he won't leave the team because he has a very lucrative contract that he has to adhere to. He went to OPQS for the $$$.

he went to quickstep for riding the tour. not the money. he already made more than a million at sky.
 
Mar 31, 2010
18,136
4
0
Visit site
CycloAndy said:
I don't think he'll be happy but he's still better off than if he stayed at Sky. It makes far more sense for the team to have Uran doing Giro-Vuelta with Cav and Kwiatkowski (who offers far more on flat stages) doing the Tour. Uran might win a GT that way and can then demand the tour the following year.

how is kwiatkowski going to do anything in next years tour? the mountains are too long and hard for him and only 1 itt at the end.
 
CycloAndy said:
I don't think he'll be happy but he's still better off than if he stayed at Sky. It makes far more sense for the team to have Uran doing Giro-Vuelta with Cav and Kwiatkowski (who offers far more on flat stages) doing the Tour. Uran might win a GT that way and can then demand the tour the following year.
He is in Omega to be the leader of a team in the Tour. He like hot weather, and Italy is a problem. Of course he has a problem with Cavendish, and maybe with other riders but Evans won the tour almost without team.

He has a good team por the cobblestone stage, a team that could try to support both Cavendish and Urán that day. The last ITT is Too much for him, he is not a bad time trialist, but not a very good one.. but he can do a good Tour, of course. He need to be in a good shape like in the Giro and be lucky as he was in the Giro, bur with better weather and without work for anybody and some riders supporting him.
 
trevim said:
If Velits can afford to have Velits go for GC at times, they can also let Uran have a go. It's not like he'll be expecting full backing from the team anyway.
+1.
Uran does not or require full backing. They know he is not the big favorite. They can have a team backing Cavendish and still have Uran for the GC. I don't see a problem. Or do we expect a big train from OPQS in the mountains to back Uran? LOL.
 
Escarabajo said:
+1.
Uran does not or require full backing. They know he is not the big favorite. They can have a team backing Cavendish and still have Uran for the GC. I don't see a problem. Or do we expect a big train from OPQS in the mountains to back Uran? LOL.

Surely they are not that stupid. They must believe he can win the Giro which he probably can without Nibali, Froome, Contador, Betancur, and others.
 
movingtarget said:
Surely they are not that stupid. They must believe he can win the Giro which he probably can without Nibali, Froome, Contador, Betancur, and others.

He could, but they must also know that if Uran signed with an ambition to do well in the Tour he'll expect the chance to do this and to not give him this might ruin an otherwise strong signing for OPQS. Also they want Argos to take more responsibility on the sprints stages since Kittel has proven himself to be a real test for Cav and as such OPQS have to make his team step up or they will be at a disadvantage in every sprint and that won't produce enough wins so satisfy that big a team.

I think Uran should be put to the task in the Tour, he probably can't win it(in 2014) but he could do well. He have to show something leading up to the Tour(and he'll know this) unless he want's to be left utterly alone in the mountains of the last week, this should be a brilliant motivating factor and could lead to some good wins in the spring.
 
Apr 15, 2013
483
0
0
Visit site
Peter von said:
He could, but they must also know that if Uran signed with an ambition to do well in the Tour he'll expect the chance to do this and to not give him this might ruin an otherwise strong signing for OPQS. Also they want Argos to take more responsibility on the sprints stages since Kittel has proven himself to be a real test for Cav and as such OPQS have to make his team step up or they will be at a disadvantage in every sprint and that won't produce enough wins so satisfy that big a team.

I think Uran should be put to the task in the Tour, he probably can't win it(in 2014) but he could do well. He have to show something leading up to the Tour(and he'll know this) unless he want's to be left utterly alone in the mountains of the last week, this should be a brilliant motivating factor and could lead to some good wins in the spring.

I know his aim was to get a shot at tour leadership but if it was me I would be more than happy to be given a very realistic shot at the giro rather than being given an unrealistic shot at the tour. Go on Mick, get it on your palmares early then you can spend the rest of your career going for the tour!
 
Mar 31, 2010
18,136
4
0
Visit site
Peter von said:
But not as team leader in le Tour or Giro.

He could possibly have made less and have more domestiques on a smaller team(AG2R or something). But can't really blame him, i think it's more believe in his own ability combined with ambition than his greed that made this decision.

that's my point
 
It's obvious that Lefevere signed Uran for a different role than Uran himself had in mind. OPQS need a presence in the mountains of the Giro and the Vuelta, last year they signed Brambilla for that but it didn't quite work out.

Argos showed that a 100% focus on the sprint train pays off, with lesser riders on paper than OPQS. You don't sacrifice that for a chance of a top-10 with Uran.
 
Doing the Giro-Vuelta would be the best for both Uran and OPQS. Uran can challenge for the podium and even the overall victory in both these races but not in the Tour. And OPQS need some results in the Giro and Vuelta.

Making sure Cav succeeds in the Tour should be top priority for OPQS especially since they visit Britain.
 
Peter von said:
But not as team leader in le Tour or Giro.

He could possibly have made less and have more domestiques on a smaller team(AG2R or something). But can't really blame him, i think it's more believe in his own ability combined with ambition than his greed that made this decision.
Uran think he can win the Tour to Nibali or Froome, and I think that as well. I think that since he started pro cycling. Maybe that is difficult, but he could be on the podium. Just to be a main character in one way or another is very important in the Tour. You need lucky. OPQS is not the best team, but not the worse, there are not a lot of teams without a leader, even Horner or Ponzi have problems to get into a team.

They have De Gendt for the Giro.
 
Taxus4a said:
Uran think he can win the Tour to Nibali or Froome, and I think that as well. I think that since he started pro cycling. Maybe that is difficult, but he could be on the podium. Just to be a main character in one way or another is very important in the Tour. You need lucky. OPQS is not the best team, but not the worse, there are not a lot of teams without a leader, even Horner or Ponzi have problems to get into a team.

They have De Gendt for the Giro.

De Gendt has no chance. He was lucky to find a team. I put him in the same category as Andy. Always talking, never producing. Not since 2012 Giro anyway. I can understand Uran wanting to ride the Tour but he has a much better chance of winning the Giro. He is getting paid to get results.
 
Taxus4a said:
Uran think he can win the Tour to Nibali or Froome, and I think that as well. I think that since he started pro cycling. Maybe that is difficult, but he could be on the podium. Just to be a main character in one way or another is very important in the Tour. You need lucky. OPQS is not the best team, but not the worse, there are not a lot of teams without a leader, even Horner or Ponzi have problems to get into a team.

They have De Gendt for the Giro.
More than that i think he wants to find out what he can do in the GTs. A top 5 is good for any team leader.
 

TRENDING THREADS