Steegmans plays second fiddle at the Shack!

[MADRAZO]

Bruyneel's recruitment policy baffles me.

He's by far the DS that has his teams riding the most controlled style with no random attacking and no working for sprinters or anything other than GC.

So why did he sign Steemans and Machado?

One's a sprinter. Sure he offers something in the cobbles, but he's a pure sprinter. He's not going to be able to do much work for GC riders at all.
The other is the most kamikaze attacker in the pro peloton, will attack given a quarter of a chance and not only has never fetched a water bottle for anyone, he also won't like the idea of having to do it at all.

Bruyneel baffled me this year.

Are you mistaking Tiago Machado with Juan Miguel Mercado?

I must admit I dont know if Machado attacks a lot since I mostly know him from his results, that indicates all other than a kamikaze-riding style. But as a hugely talented young solid stageracer with a great time trial and very good climbingability I think Machado is a very obvious choise for Bruynell to sign. However I also hope he will not be used too much as a pure helper but more like the similarly skilled Brajkovic as captain in some of the smaller races, and perhaps as one of the leaders in the Vuelta. It would be a shame to turn a talent like him into a pure helper. And propably the Vuelta is also not to unlikely since he will propably be judged to young to ride as one of the TDF-helpers anyways.

 

[thehog]

Bruyneel's recruitment policy baffles me.

He's by far the DS that has his teams riding the most controlled style with no random attacking and no working for sprinters or anything other than GC.


Bruyneel baffled me this year.

Thank-you for writing this. I keep hearing this "what will Contador do if Bruyneel sends Kloden and Levi up the road?” Ya kiddin me. I’ve never seen Bruyneel send anyone up the road. They circle Lance and that’s it. They slowed the Tour last year. Nobody attacked for days.

 

[Cerberus]

Thank-you for writing this. I keep hearing this "what will Contador do if Bruyneel sends Kloden and Levi up the road?” Ya kiddin me. I’ve never seen Bruyneel send anyone up the road. They circle Lance and that’s it. They slowed the Tour last year. Nobody attacked for days.

Klöden actually lunched an attack early on a mountain stage in last years Tour. He went with a large group, but Andy Schleck went with him and it got neutralized.

 

[issoisso]

Are you mistaking Tiago Machado with Juan Miguel Mercado?

I must admit I dont know if Machado attacks a lot since I mostly know him from his results, that indicates all other than a kamikaze-riding style.

You have no idea. 2004 Danny Pate has nothing on this guy.

 

[md2020]

Steegmans isn't that bad in the mountains though, he's no mountain goat, but he could do some work for the team on that front

Who knows, maybe Steegmans is Bruyneel's next Hincapie? All he needs is to drop a few kilos and go gluten-free, right?

 

[Publicus]

Klöden actually lunched an attack early on a mountain stage in last years Tour. He went with a large group, but Andy Schleck went with him and it got neutralized.

Which stage was this? Stage 16?

 

[Cerberus]

Which stage was this? Stage 16?

I don't recall. I looked before posting to see if I could find a mention, but a casual search didn't show anything. Probably because the move never gained a lot of time and was ultimately insignificant. Sorry.

ETA: I looked a bit futher and I think it was stage 8. Cyclingnews mention an early attack by Andy Schleck and I think that's it, but Klöden was there first.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-france-gt/stage-8/results

 

[auscyclefan94]

Thank-you for writing this. I keep hearing this "what will Contador do if Bruyneel sends Kloden and Levi up the road?” Ya kiddin me. I’ve never seen Bruyneel send anyone up the road. They circle Lance and that’s it. They slowed the Tour last year. Nobody attacked for days.

That happened from 1999 to 2005 because lance was the best climber and could just accelerate away on the climbs. He can't do that now with Contador. Surely Bruyneel realises this hough he does think a lot of LA's ability.

 

[issoisso]

That happened from 1999 to 2005 because lance was the best climber and could just accelerate away on the climbs. He can't do that now with Contador. Surely Bruyneel realises this hough he does think a lot of LA's ability.

It was also Bruyneel's tactic with Savoldelli who couldn't hang with the climbers at all.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It was also Bruyneel's tactic with Savoldelli who couldn't hang with the climbers at all.

So he just caught with them on the descents went past them.

 

[issoisso]

So he just caught with them on the descents went past them.

Whether or not that's the case doesn't really have anything to do with it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Whether or not that's the case doesn't really have anything to do with it.

Your refering to the giro right? If so, how did savoldeli win the giro against the climbers if he could climb with them? Whatever the answer is, should LA use the same tatic as that?

i've totally confused myself

 

[issoisso]

I can tell

 

[TRDean]

Why can't you nutt jobs stay on topic!!

 

[UpTheRoad]

Second fiddle? Try fourth or fifth fiddle.

 

[Bala Verde]

The thread is about Steegmans, let's keep it that way.