Should EBH leave SKY?

[maxmartin]

The guy is immensely talented, but I think he is wasting his time by staying in SKY. In sprint, he will have to work for Cav, in stage race he will have to work for W maybe F later. He just don't have many chances for himself unless Cav does not feel well on that day.

In any other teams he will be indisputable team leader to fight for the win. If he has any personal ambition, he should seriously consider leaving SKY. I watched a few interviews, he seems a very nice person but lack of some edge, often seems a little too nice to me. Last year, he won 2 stages after W crash, and this year he won nothing so far.

One possible reason to stay with SKY is that he might have a chance to become a GT even Tour winner, thanks to SKY unique and innovative training methods. He did climb exceptionally well in this Tour.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Flecha is leaving Sky next year so I think EBH should stay because he will be the leader in the classics with a very good support crew.

In saying that, he won't get much of a chance in races like the Tour.

 

[roborovski007]

yeah, with that many talented guys in SKY already, sooner or later it probably gonna be the Real Madrid of cycling.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Don't think Eddy is on the same level as Cav or Greipel on a flat sprint so switching teams to try and compete with them would be wrong. A very good all-rounder though and can be strong in the classics so should stay with Sky.

I'd think out of Cav and Eddy it would be Cav that went first from Sky anyway.

 

[dlwssonic]

Last year when wiggins crashed out, EBH was able to get two stages.
I see him more of a stage hunter than a classics guy. he has not impressed me in the classics after being hyped as the next big thing for the classics.

 

[the asian]

Last year when wiggins crashed out, EBH was able to get two stages.
I see him more of a stage hunter than a classics guy. he has not impressed me in the classics after being hyped as the next big thing for the classics.

Agree. I posted this in the other EBH thread too. He seems best suited to one week stage races and stage hunting in GTs. I think the length of the classics are a problem for him. He hasn't shown anything to suggest he will become a top classics rider. Sagan made progress this year, but not EBH.

 

[mscaviy2601]

For all these posts about whether so and so should leave Sky (EBH, Porte, Froome, Cav), one thing should be borne in mind - it's quite possible that these riders like being at Sky because it makes them better riders. Doesn't work for everyone (Lokvist) but Sky seem to know how to do coaching as the recent successes and the Sydney Olympics suggest.

 

[CasperVg]

He's strong enough to be a contender in pretty much every race he enters (except high mountains), yet in Sky there's always someone who is better than him (Cav in sprinting, Wiggins ITT, Flecha/Thomas in cobble, etc.) and because of that he's quite often pushed into a luxury domestique role which I feel is wasting his talent.

So the problem might be that he has great skills in every domain of road cycling, yet he doesn't excell in any of them, espessially not in a team filled with specialists like Sky.

There are a few teams where he might be leader in any race he enters, like Cofidis, AG2R, FDJ, Lotto-Belisol (except for sprinting: Greipel), but granted, these teams may be a bit "under" his level.

So IMO he should to choose one or two domains to specifically train on (classics?) and switch teams. That way leadership opportunities wouldn't be an issue anymore.

 

[ruswilks]

According to Flecha's manager, Flecha will be working for EBH and Thomas at the classics next year if he stays, so sounds like he has classics leadership. I'm sure he'll also keep leadership at the 2nd half of the season races he does well at (Eneco, Vatenfall etc)

All of the 'should XXX leave Sky?' threads are getting a bit over-excited. With the form Wiggins has this year, the parcours and the lack of Contador, going all out for yellow was a logical decision, especially with Cav also targetting the Olympics. There's no way Sky will go with a team 100% focussed on GC next season and try the same tactics against Schleck and Contador. I'd be amazed if Cav didn't get an extra man or two for leadout and EBH will get more freedom I'd imagine.

 

[theyoungest]

I think EBH was already pretty much their classics leader this year, he just wasn't good enough. The 260 k classics still don't seem to suit him. Maybe now that he's also switched coaches to Kerrison he'll improve miraculously next year and dominate the classics

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Nah Cav should leave.

Eddy was given a fair crack on 3 stages this year, which in the broader context is a decent return.

He's leader in any classic he rides, despite his refusal to learn how to eat.

And once (hopefully) Cav leaves, he'll get a go at GT sprints again, if that is genuinely what he wants.

 

[ruswilks]

Sky also lost Suitsou in the first week, if they hadn't he would have been working in the mountains and EBH might have had more freedom to go in breaks. I'm just speculating of course, but Sky would have had to change tactics a little once Suitsou pulled out.

 

[William H]

Remember that Gilbert had issues with the length of the longer classics when he was young. I wouldn't assume EBH won't crack them soon.

He was pretty competitive in Flanders this year, even if he didn't end up with much of a placing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Remember that Gilbert had issues with the length of the longer classics when he was young. I wouldn't assume EBH won't crack them soon.

He was pretty competitive in Flanders this year, even if he didn't end up with much of a placing.

Notice how he came sixth at Milan-San Remo at age 22 and 8th at a hard WC at age 25(plus a podium at MSR).

 

[trevim]

Remember that Gilbert had issues with the length of the longer classics when he was young. I wouldn't assume EBH won't crack them soon.

He was pretty competitive in Flanders this year, even if he didn't end up with much of a placing.

That much is true. Not everyone is a natural on longer distances like Boonen. But he still hasn't impressed me much in the semi classics either. I know he has won GW but well he can still improve.

Anyway, I feel sorry everytime I watch him pulling the peloton for 150km at a time. That's a waste of talent. Go to Saxo ;D

 

[thegrimpeur]

I didn't really know where to put this, but Eddy said that he could contend for the Tour in the future.

http://www.tv2.no/sport/sykkel/tdf/...an-kjempe-om-tour-de-franceseier-3838969.html

For the few that don't understand norwegian, I can say that he admits that he view GC aspirations as a possibility, and that he with no problem could contend higher on the list. He mentions Wiggins, and says that he could see himself have a somewhat similar kind of transformation... Thoughts?

Personally I think he should focus on being a great one for the big on-day races. He is one of the very few who could compete in both Paris-Roubaix and Liege, and that should have been the main focus since he won Wevelgem.

 

[will10]

Hagen climbed very well this Tour and has never shown the endurance needed to win the big classics. Roll on the Wiggins like transformation and the Tour win.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I remember his stage wins in the Giro at young age as well. And last year escape-stage wins.
And he climbs very well for a guy his size. But is he GC material? Hmm.

He seems to be better in stage-races than classics anyway. If he goes to another team he could focus on his sprint again maybe. And then try to be like Hushovd. Sprinting in top 10 and taking the full points in breakaways

 

[taiwan]

At another team he could get full support for any race he wants. He's like a less punchy Sagan with a better TT. He could win week long stage races, and stages of GTs.

At Sky the classics team itself is pretty crowded anyway, and he could still take a while to develop in those.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Sky also lost Suitsou in the first week, if they hadn't he would have been working in the mountains and EBH might have had more freedom to go in breaks. I'm just speculating of course, but Sky would have had to change tactics a little once Suitsou pulled out.

Thats the key.

Eddie had to fill a gap in the team plan, otherwise I am sure he would have been in a few breaks

 

[Tei6chai]

I think EBH was already pretty much their classics leader this year, he just wasn't good enough.

+1

The 260 k classics still don't seem to suit him. Maybe now that he's also switched coaches to Kerrison he'll improve miraculously next year and dominate the classics

I'm guessing that this year's (non-)performance in the classics is the primary explanation for the coaching change.

EBH's problem is that he is seemingly capable of competing in most specialisms, but incapable of dominating in a single one.

Thus far he's been most successful at stage hunting, but that's always a bit of a lottery. Classics riding is the most likely area in which training and conditioning would enable him to deliberately improve his odds.

He needs to stay with Sky to facilitate that sort of career strategy.

 

[jrolaf]

+1



I'm guessing that this year's (non-)performance in the classics is the primary explanation for the coaching change.

EBH's problem is that he is seemingly capable of competing in most specialisms, but incapable of dominating in a single one.

Thus far he's been most successful at stage hunting, but that's always a bit of a lottery. Classics riding is the most likely area in which training and conditioning would enable him to deliberately improve his odds.

He needs to stay with Sky to facilitate that sort of career strategy.

I think he should give the classics one more year. If the eating/stomach problem he has persists, it may be a wise strategy to take focus away from the 260K races and try to go for the GC. But that is not an easy transformation to make.
Getting into the top 20 is one thing, but why sacrifice possible wins in possibly all the monuments, worlds etc only to be 10-20th i a Grand Tour?

If he cannot be a real contender for the yellow/pink/gold etc, it's not really worth it, IMO.

Difficult call to make. As for which team he should be in, that's dependant on what sort of rider he want's to be...

 

[vladimir]

I think he should give the classics one more year. If the eating/stomach problem he has persists, it may be a wise strategy to take focus away from the 260K races and try to go for the GC. But that is not an easy transformation to make.
Getting into the top 20 is one thing, but why sacrifice possible wins in possibly all the monuments, worlds etc only to be 10-20th i a Grand Tour?

If he cannot be a real contender for the yellow/pink/gold etc, it's not really worth it, IMO.

Difficult call to make. As for which team he should be in, that's dependant on what sort of rider he want's to be...

I agree, apart from Paris-Roubaix (which I don't really think suits him anyway) he wasn't far off in the other classics. If Sky hadn't waited for Cav in MSR EBH might have had enough help to get into a better position on the Poggio and made the final selection there. He wasn't far away in Flanders either so if he can find the form he had in July this year next spring he might be in with a fair chance of winning one of those classics.
I hope he will go to Saxo/Tinkoff but I am pretty sure he will choose to stay with Sky for at least one more year.

 

[Knutsen]

As said he just did'nt have in this years classics.

When Geraint Thomas is back I'm just afraid Sky will go for him as their classics captain in an all british captain setup; Wiggins, Cav, Thomas. And EBH is made a super-domestic for British Cycling.

But EBH has had a lot of trust at Sky. Not many young riders have had this kind of trust. He has just partly made the trust justice. Some due to injuries.

It could be the the time to move on to a more dedicated classics/stage-hunter team. Specially in the tdf he will be in a tight spot. I think Sky just have to dedicate more riders to cav. And with Wiggins, Froome and Henao they will go all out for gc in all the tours. Me thinks.