Season in Review. Your thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Biggest Surprise = How bad a short TTT from S/L ruined Cadel's chance for another podium in the TDF

Biggest dissappointment = Cadel losing 1:30 in the Vuelta fuq-up/wheel drama and subsequent loss of the Vuelta by that amount

Favourite Victory = It has to be Cadel in the WC road race. Strength, smarts and opportunism all rolled into the final lap

Looking forward, 2010 = Cadel winning a GT in rainbow, hopefully the Giro and then another podium finish in the Tour (I'm being realistic)

Sorry for the Cadel bias, but we tend to focus on our favourite riders throughout the season...

A more serious, non-biased response:

Surprise - Heinrich Hausslers breakthrough season

Dissappointment - Another positive test in a GT podium

Victory - Menchov in the Giro, I really liked that one

Looking forward - all the up and coming talent in the GTs with Gesink, Nibali, Kreuziger, Andy S, and the formation of a few more even balanced teams to mix things up in combined with many talented riders moving teams for more opportunities

 

[il_fiammingo]

As all the big races are coming to an end i thought i would start a thread reviewing the season.

Who was the big surprise?

Who was the big dissapointment?

Dissapointing and Best team?

Favourite victory for the year?

What are you looking forward to during 2010?

Suprise: Haussler (ridiculously strong in the spring classics), Farrar (new top sprinter with the ability to do well in the northern classics), Hagen (didn't expect his break-through this soon)

Disapointment: Devolder (his season was over after the RvV); Italian cycling (Di Luca & Rebellin caught for doping, no classic win, no GT win, no WC); Steegmans (what a pancake!)

Best team: Loved the Quickstep tactics in the northern classics, impressed by the accuracy of Team Culumbia in the GT sprint stages, pleased by the image conversion of Silence-Lotto from losers to winners during autumn)

Disappoiting team: the Rabo classics team (Langeveld: too soon in shape, Nuyens: never in shape, Flecha: keeps on racing like a fool, Freire: injured & nowhere)

Favourite victory: Gilbert @ Lombardia, the cancellara time trials

Looking forward to: the end of the ProTour, the Greipel not in the same team as Cavendish, spring classics (the death of Boonen the sprinter & the birth of Boonen the attacker; the 2006 Steegmans; RvV & PR with all the specialists at their best: Cancellara, Ballan, Pozzato, Boonen, Devolder, Steegmans, Haussler, Nuyens, Langeveld, Maskant, Hagen, Flecha, Gilbert, Burghardt, Hincapie, Van Avermaet, Hoste, Breschel), Contador demolishing the outher Tour contenders.

 

[ingsve]

A 9th in the Vuelta and a 17th in the Tour isn't bad, sure, but we're talking about the BEST teams in the world. Those results doesn't measure up to those of eg. Saxo...During the spring campaign CTT was among the very best and they had a good Giro. Since then, Hushovd's one-man-show in the Tour was the "team's" best performance. HH also got a stage, but then what...9th and a stage in the Vuelta? OK, but not great....

I'm not claiming that Cervélo was the best team in 2009. I'm just pointing out that I think it's erroneous to say that a 9th place in a GT equals not performing.

As for comparing with Saxo, if we look at only the GTs then Cervelo performed well in all three and Saxo did very well in one and ok in another.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I forgot an obvious one: Langeveld was a major disappointment

Have to seriously disagree with you there as his webmaster and close follower.
He was unlucky in Omloop het Volk, and didn't have the best of form in Flanders/Roubaix

But aside from that, he had a great season, especially since July. Sachsen Tour 2 stage wins and 2nd in GC, ENECO Tour suprising 2nd in the time trial and 3th in general classification, then another win in the GP Jef Scherens and 2nd in Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen.

There aren't much races for his type after april, and no big ones, but he performed in nearly all of them. He actually had a way better season than last year.

Oh and also, he is the 3rd best Dutch rider on the CQ ranking, just minimally scoring less points than Johnny H.

But I take it you didn't really follow last months Belgian/Dutch races cuz they are, apart from ENECO, not PT or HC

 

[ak-zaaf]

Flecha: keeps on racing like a fool.

Until his fall in PR he was actually riding a smart race for the first time. Didn't do any work, not stupid attacks.
He might not have beaten Boonen that day, but I'm sure he was at least equal to Hushovd and Pozzato.

 

[pmcg76]

As all the big races are coming to an end i thought i would start a thread reviewing the season.

Who was the big surprise?

Who was the big dissapointment?

Dissapointing and Best team?

Favourite victory for the year?

What are you looking forward to during 2010?

Was thinking of starting something like this last night but it was past my bedtime.

Biggest surprise: Wiggins at the Tour, Hoogerland, no idea who he was before this season

Biggest dissapointment: Having to put up with the Lance BS all year, TDF was quite boring. Tour of Ireland being cut to 3 days. More big names getting busted.

Best Team: Columbia but kudos to Cervelo for an impressive debut season.

Worst team: Milram were poor and Fuji-Servetto were invisible but not totally their fault due to race exclusions etc.

Favourite victory: Philip Deignan taking a Vuelta stage

I will add two more categories:
Best breakthrough riders: Tyler Farrar and Hoogerland again.

Best golden oldie: Not Lance but Malcolm Elliott, close to 50 but still competing with the big guys at Tours of Ireland, Britain. Lance, Voigt and Nico Eckhout also deserve a mention.

Looking forward to 2010: The Classics as always, not British but looking forward to seeing what Sky can do and seeing the Irish guys continue to progress.

 

[Cogombre]

Who was the big surprise? Hoogerland and Wiggins shocked me hard this year. The WC win of Evans was also unexpected for me. Oh, and Rui Costa seems like a future superstar to me.

Who was the big dissapointment? Kim Kirchen sure.A season ruined by an injure for him.

Dissapointing and Best team? Dissapoinitng-> AG2R, I expected much more of the best french team. Best->Columbia, I can't even remember how many victories they have.

Favourite victory for the year? Stijn Devolder in the RvV and Philippe Gilbert in Lombardia.

What are you looking forward to during 2010? Pretty much what Alpe D'Huez said, plus the development of some young guns like Boom or Rui Costa.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Anyway my list

Biggest Suprises

Johnny Hoogerland: Considering earlier results I DID expect his good Tour of Flanders and win the 3-days West Flanders and such. But, what the hell happened in september and october? Magic candy? How in the world did he end 12th in the Vuelta or 5th in Lombardy + many crazy kamikaze attacks... I'm completely suprised, and I don't think that's any good... if even I am suprised of a dutch riders performance, then it stinks

Heinrich Haussler: Last year I'd given up on Haussler and thought he will never break through and become the next Forster... Amazing Flanders season. He might have peaked wrong and wasn't tactically strong, but boy was he physically strong in those races. Class act and great new addition to Flanders classics for the coming years

Philippe Gilbert: Yes I list him as a suprise. Just check the results he had at Francaise des Jeux in hilly classics and compare them to this year at Silence Lotto. Where at FDjeux he never came close to the top riders, he now IS a top rider in these classics, perhaps even the best if in shape. Somehow transformed to the new Bettini this year. Would have been World Cup winner if that classification still excisted, 'nuff said.

Jakob Fuglsang: First year, neo pro, came from mountainbiking and immediately a great climber and good in hilly classics. Seems to have endless energy in attacking. Great revelation to me. Although it seems he does lack some recuperation for stage races, always seems to get less after a few days. Ah well

Bradley Wiggins: Can't be overlooked. Just like with Hoogerland I'm kinda flabbergasted by this. How anyone can transform in a total non-climber into almost-podium-tour contender is beyond me. But it sure as hell was fantastic to see Wiggins answering, or at least trying to, attacks from Schleck, Contador and co. Wonder if he can confirm next year

Vincenzo Nibali: Yes, another name I'd like to put down as a suprise. Although still young, in previous years I always kinda thought he came up short in high mountains. This year he evolved a lot in that department, top 10 Tour as result. On the downside, his long tt's seem to have gotten way worse, for example, head-to-head against Gesink, he loses all long tt's. Not good!

Rein Taaramae: Had a great season, although he tends to blow himself up from time to time, I kinda like him. Another young prospect, and an Estonion who can actually climb! (although, to be fair, Mandri can too)

Biggest dissapointments

Davide Rebellin, Danilo di Luca, Thomas Dekker, Igor Astarloa, Francisco de Bonis, Mikel Astarloza, Pietro Caucchioli, you name them, a.k.a the dopers.

The return of Alexandre Vinokourov, major dissapointment. This guy never showed remorse neither did he ever admit to using doping, unlike Basso/Millar etc. Please go back to Kazachstan now will you? And take the Astana thrash with you.

Kim Kirchen: Ilness, and never really got back after that. Off-year

Alessandro Ballan: What a quiet year from the world champion. Early season ilness also cost him

Daniele Bennati: Another early-season injured rider, and also he never got back to his old level.

Menchov/Sastre/Evans in the Tour: Hmm, what was going on here? Menchov/Sastre using too much energy in Giro and Evans blowing himself up in Dauphine? Too bad.

Linus Gerdemann: Seems to become the German Thomas Dekker. Ex-Cecchini protoge, some results in the past, not being able to confirm, looks shaky, rumours about strange blood values and in general an arrogant git. Think we won't see much from him in the future

Greg van Avermaet: Voted Flandrien (best Belgian rider) of the year 2008. Where was he now? Very dissapointing. But he is still young

Jurgen Roelandts: Belgian champion last year, like Van Avermaet, could never confirm his status anywhere. Also still young


Dissapointing and Best team?

Best team: Columbia High Road, no discussion there
Dissapointing team: Fuji Servetto, AG2R

Favourite victory for the year?

Gesink in Emilia, finally a well deserved one after being so close a couple of times, every time finish 2nd or 3rd behind escapes on mountain stages in both Dauphine and Vuelta

Lars Boom in Vuelta, that was simply awesome to watch.

What are you looking forward to during 2010?

Great racing!

 

[Cerberus]

I'm not claiming that Cervélo was the best team in 2009. I'm just pointing out that I think it's erroneous to say that a 9th place in a GT equals not performing.

As for comparing with Saxo, if we look at only the GTs then Cervelo performed well in all three and Saxo did very well in one and ok in another.

Come on, GT results aren't even close 2nd and 5th place in the Tour>> 4th in the Giro, 17th! in the tour and 9th in the Vuelta.

As for stage results Saxo bank has 3 in the Tour and 2 in the Vuelta. Cervelo has (I think) 2 in the Giro, 2 in the Tour and 1 in the Vuelta. If I call that around even.

As for other GT results Saxo Bank had the leaders jersey on Cancellara in both the Vuelta and the Tour + Andy won the white jersey in the Tour. Cervelo has the green jersey for Hushovd. Anything else? You could perhaps give that one to Cervelo if you felt generous, but it's iffy and doesn't remotely make up up for the GC placements.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Rein Taaramae: Had a great season, although he tends to blow himself up from time to time, I kinda like him. Another young prospect, and an Estonion who can actually climb! (although, to be fair, Mandri can too)

agreed. What a great season. Impressed a heck of a lot at the vuelta.

also hats off to fdj's tour. Le mevel was outstanding, as was casar.

 

[aarnold517]

One of the biggest disappointments for me this year was katusha. Liked Pfannberger (mostly because of the sweet austrian NC kit) and had looked for him to perform for years in the ardennes. Also, Colom being right up there in every stage race in the spring, even beating AC a few times (of course we now know why) before testing positive. Throw in the problems with Steegmans and Karpets never quite living up to expectations (plus the fact that he cut off those hilarious mutton chops) and it was a disappointing season for katusha (excluding pozzato and ivanov of course).

 

[ak-zaaf]

The return of Alexandre Vinokourov, major dissapointment. This guy never showed remorse neither did he ever admit to using doping, unlike Basso/Millar etc. Please go back to Kazachstan now will you? And take the Astana thrash with you.

I still don't get this. Not that you oppose to Vino, but having a snake like Basso as better example.
He lied, lied some more, cried some more, had a big smile while signing for Bruyneel when his guilt was obvious and finally when there was no denying left he came with a story about how he only intended to dope and that he was oh so sorry. That's about as low as you can go imo.
I prefer a guy who sticks to his original story and doesn't pretend to be the perfect son-in-law during his comeback.

Millar always reminds me of those people who stopped smoking and after that start to loudly complain about everybody who still smokes.

 

[pmcg76]

Come on, GT results aren't even close 2nd and 5th place in the Tour>> 4th in the Giro, 17th! in the tour and 9th in the Vuelta.

As for stage results Saxo bank has 3 in the Tour and 2 in the Vuelta. Cervelo has (I think) 2 in the Giro, 2 in the Tour and 1 in the Vuelta. If I call that around even.

As for other GT results Saxo Bank had the leaders jersey on Cancellara in both the Vuelta and the Tour + Andy won the white jersey in the Tour. Cervelo has the green jersey for Hushovd. Anything else? You could perhaps give that one to Cervelo if you felt generous, but it's iffy and doesn't remotely make up up for the GC placements.

Cervelo had 4 stages at the Giro, 2 at the Tour, green jersey, 2 at Vuelta, the most successful team in the GTs after Columbia. The one dissapointment was Sastre at the Tour. Saxo probably were more successful but Cervelo are a first year team with a weaker squad. Take Novoa, Pujol, Reimer, King, Fleeman, Lloyd, Wyss, Rollin, Roulston, Pauwels, none of these riders came from ProTour teams and most were from continental teams. If you are looking at meeting or exceeding team expectations, I think Cervelo performed better.

 

[Cerberus]

Cervelo had 4 stages at the Giro, 2 at the Tour, green jersey, 2 at Vuelta, the most successful team in the GTs after Columbia. The one dissapointment was Sastre at the Tour. Saxo probably were more successful but Cervelo are a first year team with a weaker squad. Take Novoa, Pujol, Reimer, King, Fleeman, Lloyd, Wyss, Rollin, Roulston, Pauwels, none of these riders came from ProTour teams and most were from continental teams. If you are looking at meeting or exceeding team expectations, I think Cervelo performed better.

You're right I missed 2 stage wins in the Giro. What I took exception to was the implication that Cervelo had been equally or more succesfull in the GTs. You've certainly have a point in saying that CTT has done quite well compared to expectations, but the discussion was best team, not greatest surprise.

 

[MrContador]

Surprises: Wiggins of course. I wouldn't in my wildest dreams expect him to climb so well.

Johnny Hoogerland: Is this man the new Jakcy Durand? He's really been a great addition this season, and I just hope he will continue with his attacks in 2010.

Edvald Boasson Hagen: I knew he was a great rider, but scoring 13 wins and win big races like G-W, Eneco Tour and stages in the Giro is really amazing in the age of 22.

Brice Feillu: I didn't know much about this rider before the Tour, but he had a great ride in the Tour.

Dissapointment: Igor Anton: After a great Vuelta last year, I had hopes he would step it up a notch and make som action in the mountain stages of the Tour, but he was invisible through the whole season.

Gilberto Simoni: One of my favourite riders, but he's way over the top. I had hopes he could be a conteder for a top-ten placing in the Giro, but he didn't stand a chance.

The sprinters: The only sprinters who could compete with Cavendish was Hushovd and Petacchi. Farrar and Ciolek tried, but was far from beating him. Boonen, Bennati and Freire were all big disappointments in the sprints this year.

Dissapointing team: Astana. I thought Armstrong would be a bit more humble and ride for Alberto in the Tour, but no. Armstrong and Bruyneel let Contador down several times, even though Contador was the only reason Armstrong made it to the podium this year.

Fuji - Servetto: How many wins did this team get this season? One or two? I still don't understand why they were a PT team this season.

Best team: Team Columbia by far. Completely superior this season.

Favourite victory for the year: Contador on Verbier. No doubt.

Best moment: On Champs Elysées. Contador on the podium and Rojas placing seventh on the stage. I won a Polar RS800CX thanks to him

What are you looking forward to during 2010: The Giro, and of course Contador paying back for the way Armstrong treated him this year

 

[hfer07]

Who was the big surprise?
-Wiggo riding the Tour
-Johny Hoogerland-good prospect for years to come
-Cadel Evans finally Attacking & winning the WC
Who was the big dissapointment?
*the TDF
*The "undesired comebacks" and the LA/Bruyneel nonsense
*Sastre in the TDF-setting aside his fantastic performance in the Giro
*Roman Kreuziger-perhaps too much expectations around him

Dissapointing team?
*Astana for all the Drama & disrespectful attitude shown throughout the entire year
*Fuji
*Lampre

Best team?
CERVELO: for being a brand new team & making a huge & positive impact in the cycling world

Favourite victory for the year?
Too many to choose from but I'd say Andy Schleck's L-B-L & Heinrich Haussler's Stage Tour win

What are you looking forward to during 2010?
More Cycling and less bvllsh!t
The Classics & the Giro
A "decent" Tour to be worth watching..
The final chapter of the LA/Bruyneel gang & the Collapse of the UCI.....but I guess that's too much to hope for...
__________________

 

[soOpOSMthanks!]

my review, from my whopping 10 month standpoint in following professional cycling and with lots of back research

Biggest surprise:
-Bradley Wiggins
-Johnny Hoogerland, never heard about him until the Vuelta and he totally came out of left field
-Cadel Evans, initially I learned he wasnt much of an attacker, then the Dauphine went down, and then Worlds...I was all
-Cycling has more doping than my newbie *** had ever imagined

Biggest dissapointment:
-Lance Armstrong, I thought he was the all-ameriCAN cyclist and a champion in every aspect. All I needed was to see the TdF to realize he's a sack of douche and that people need to get off his nut.
-Cycling has more doping than my newbie *** had ever imagined
-David Miller's almost theres...actually pretty much all of Garmin's almost theres

Best Team:
-Numbers wise, Columbia. But Cervelo had a fantastic debut season and I think that Garmin has done very well too.

Worst team:
-Fuji-Servetto, I didn't need a few seasons under my belt to see that one

Favourite victory:
-Heinrich Haussler, stage 13 TdF

What are you looking forward to during 2010?
-More Cevelo and Garmin
-Lance getting his *** handed to him again (doesn't matter who does it)
-BMC Racing
-Seeing if Cav's lead out train will still have the punch it did this year
-Being able to hold stronger opinions and knowing my **** better since I now have a season of cycling under my belt

 

[Zoncolan]

Who was the big surprise?
Wiggins (good), Evans, Menchov and Sastre (bad) at the Tour, Haussler's early season and Gilbert's late season form.

Who was the big dissapointment?
Boonen-very good up to Paris-Roubaix, everything after that very poor.

Dissapointing and Best team?
Milram and Katusha dissapointing, Columbia and Diquigiovanni best.

Favourite victory for the year?
Cavendish at Milan-San Remo and Champs-Elysees and A. Schleck at L-B-L.

What are you looking forward to during 2010?
A very exciting Giro.
Ricco coming back.
Boasson-Hagen winning classics and LA getting his *** whooped at the Tour.

 

[Anonymous]

Who was the big surprise?
Brad at the tour, just how seriously cancellara destroyed everyone ever time he got on a bike, and cadel winning a race, and not just a race, the big one...
Who was the big dissapointment?
Valverde winning the vuelta.. completely wrote off the race for me
Cadel winning the worlds..
Boonen pushing alan davis out of the tour
hoogerland not getting busted for PED's
Dissapointing and Best team?
AStana outside of the Tour where very poor. Best, Columbia by a country mile.
Favourite victory for the year?
Cavs Milan San Remo, Moncoutier in the Vuelta
Thomas de GEndts jerseys in the tour of britain.. that guy made that race for me.. brilliant racing..
What are you looking forward to during 2010? If we can figure out how to get from lille to sector 4, then going to see paris roubaix live for the first time..
Someone knocking theo bos off his bike..

 

[pmcg76]

Who was the big surprise?
Brad at the tour, just how seriously cancellara destroyed everyone ever time he got on a bike, and cadel winning a race, and not just a race, the big one...
Who was the big dissapointment?
Valverde winning the vuelta.. completely wrote off the race for me
Cadel winning the worlds..
Boonen pushing alan davis out of the tour
hoogerland not getting busted for PED's
Dissapointing and Best team?
AStana outside of the Tour where very poor. Best, Columbia by a country mile.
Favourite victory for the year?
Cavs Milan San Remo, Moncoutier in the Vuelta
Thomas de GEndts jerseys in the tour of britain.. that guy made that race for me.. brilliant racing..
What are you looking forward to during 2010? If we can figure out how to get from lille to sector 4, then going to see paris roubaix live for the first time..
Someone knocking theo bos off his bike..

Getting to sector 4, thats carrefour de l'arbe right, just take the motorway, direction Brussels, you can actually see the campervans on sector 4 from the motorway a few days before the race. I lived in Tournai which is just over the border in Belgium and less than 10 miles from the last few sectors. I was able to cycle across to see the race.

 

[Kingsley A]

I think most of my answers are likely to be repeats of ones others have given but here goes anyway:

Who was the big surprise?
Wiggo at the tour.
Jonny Hoogerland.

Who was the big disappointment?
Lance and Levi - petulant little girls.
The Schlecks choosing not to go for it at the Vuelta.
(Slightly OT but) Nicole Cooke suffering the 'curse of the rainbow jersey'.

Favourite victory for the year?
Cav on stage 19 of the Tour - brilliant teamwork!
Lars Boom's solo effort at the Vuelta.
Cadel at the Worlds (in fact the last couple of laps of that race were a particular highlight all round).
To second Dim, Thomas de Gendt attacking day in, day out and gobbling up point to win KOM and Points with stages to spare at the Tour of Britain.

What are you looking forward to during 2010?
Lance fans being disappointed.
A real signal of a changing of the guard from the established hierarchy to the young guns.
Team Sky having a good showing at the spring Classics and hopefully raising the profile of the sport in Britain.
The UCI, WADA or SOMEONE starting to make inroads into doping.
A good season of racing, may the best man, woman, team win!

 

[craig1985]

agreed. What a great season. Impressed a heck of a lot at the vuelta.

also hats off to fdj's tour. Le mevel was outstanding, as was casar.

The impressive thing about Taaramae is that it is not that mountainous in Estonia. At least not what I saw of the place, and I took the bus down from Tallinn down to Latvia.

 

[craig1985]

You're right I missed 2 stage wins in the Giro. What I took exception to was the implication that Cervelo had been equally or more succesfull in the GTs. You've certainly have a point in saying that CTT has done quite well compared to expectations, but the discussion was best team, not greatest surprise.

Make that 4.

 

[Anonymous]

Getting to sector 4, thats carrefour de l'arbe right, just take the motorway, direction Brussels, you can actually see the campervans on sector 4 from the motorway a few days before the race. I lived in Tournai which is just over the border in Belgium and less than 10 miles from the last few sectors. I was able to cycle across to see the race.

without a car... think we are taking eurostar to lille, we dont drive...
so then i think two ruddy great sector 4 signs and a thumb..

 

[Murray]

Who was the big surprise?

Cavendish at MSR - everyone said he couldn't do it.

Who was the big disappointment?

Hincapie not winning PR again.

Favourite victory for the year?

Cadel Evans - WC!!

What are you looking forward to during 2010?

RS doing very well just so the majority here can get their panties in a bunch. It'll be fun.