Steven Kruijswijk

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Kruijswijk was behind the pile up. Came back with Van Emden, but then they were at the back end of the peloton. Logically they couldn't move up in time to prevent the 2nd split in the end.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Kruijswijk was behind the pile up. Came back with Van Emden, but then they were at the back end of the peloton. Logically they couldn't move up in time to prevent the 2nd split in the end.

Problem for Kruijswijk is not the loss of 13 seconds but that he is hurt from his crash in Yorkshire

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Kruijswijk was behind the pile up. Came back with Van Emden, but then they were at the back end of the peloton. Logically they couldn't move up in time to prevent the 2nd split in the end.

Problem for Kruijswijk is not the loss of 13 seconds but that he is hurt from his crash in Yorkshire

Is he? I havent read anything saying he's still hurting.

Problem for Steven right now is that he's a bit scared of these bunchsprint run ins as he admitted after the stage.

If I recall correctly the team kept him at the front of the race last year also in the first week when we all didnt know he was in absolute topshape yet. I didnt see much yesterday, but what I've seen and read was that lottonl never kept Kruissie at the front row like they did last year. Tbh it's a lot harder this year with this wide top field. More teams want to be at the front.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Kruijswijk was behind the pile up. Came back with Van Emden, but then they were at the back end of the peloton. Logically they couldn't move up in time to prevent the 2nd split in the end.

Problem for Kruijswijk is not the loss of 13 seconds but that he is hurt from his crash in Yorkshire

Is he? I havent read anything saying he's still hurting.

Problem for Steven right now is that he's a bit scared of these bunchsprint run ins as he admitted after the stage.

If I recall correctly the team kept him at the front of the race last year also in the first week when we all didnt know he was in absolute topshape yet. I didnt see much yesterday, but what I've seen and read was that lottonl never kept Kruissie at the front row like they did last year. Tbh it's a lot harder this year with this wide top field. More teams want to be at the front.

Sounds like he is fine just some bruising to the ribs. According to him it is not hampering him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Kruijswijk said today he's glad he didn't lose time but also said he doesn't feel physically super. Especially because of the 2 crashes his had. Not that he is hurt, but it just took some energy and as I feared it means he will not reach the same form as last year. So tbh I think he's going to lose a significant amount of time on Blockhaus and not do much more this Giro then maybe top 10.

 

[Cookster15]

Kruijswijk said today he's glad he didn't lose time but also said he doesn't feel physically super. Especially because of the 2 crashes his had. Not that he is hurt, but it just took some energy and as I feared it means he will not reach the same form as last year. So tbh I think he's going to lose a significant amount of time on Blockhaus and not do much more this Giro then maybe top 10.

If Kruijswijk isn't physically hurt he will recover. You are right he needs to stay in touch on Blockhaus if he can he will still be in contention as his condition should improve as the days pass. Hopefully his head is right the team may need to work on that.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Overreacting. He seemed very optimistic in the latest interview I read

 

[portugal11]

Anyone (bar me) thinks SK hasn't a chance of winning il giro?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No, everybody thinks that since quintana is entering. Without Quintana and without his falls in yorkshire and early this Giro, he would have had a good shot

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

No, everybody thinks that since quintana is entering. Without Quintana and without his falls in yorkshire and early this Giro, he would have had a good shot

As usual Quintana is talking his chances down. He must have been watching old Contador interviews ! The next MTF will tell all as someone will have to take the initiative. Quintana usually improves in the third week but I think the TTs could have more impact than many are expecting so I think SK if he is on form could still be dangerous. Really the race has been too uneventful on GC so far to indicate an advantage to anyone but I think that will change on the next MTF. First TT as well.

 

[Tonton]

Kruijswijk is a contender, no doubt. Sitting where he is, fine: the best is yet to come. Quintana? Blah, blah, blah. Pinot (@Valv.piti)? We all waited for his Tibogiro, we'll see. I hope that you will eat your beard when he wins the whole thing . Myths...good on the descent today, wasn't he?

SK is very dangerous in his '16 form. He should have won the Giro: went for his food and fell. The stories about Nibali putting pressure on him are rubbish.

I'm too busy rooting against Sky anyway . And I believe in Karma: destiny owes him one. Kruijswijk will be a factor, what will the outcome be? I wish him the (second ) best.

 

[AlexNYC]

By taking it easy in the first half, some GC riders are playing right into the hands of SK and Quintana, who, if everything goes according to their plan, will be peaking in the third week. Pinot and Thomas especially have seemed in good form from the beginning. If so, they've already wasted some chances.

 

[Kwibus]

Kruijswijk is a contender, no doubt. Sitting where he is, fine: the best is yet to come. Quintana? Blah, blah, blah. Pinot (@Valv.piti)? We all waited for his Tibogiro, we'll see. I hope that you will eat your beard when he wins the whole thing . Myths...good on the descent today, wasn't he?

SK is very dangerous in his '16 form. He should have won the Giro: went for his food and fell. The stories about Nibali putting pressure on him are rubbish.

I'm too busy rooting against Sky anyway . And I believe in Karma: destiny owes him one. Kruijswijk will be a factor, what will the outcome be? I wish him the (second ) best.

Karma.. I wish karma existed, but the world is full of evidence that karma is bs

 

[DFA123]

Is Kruijswijk actually any good at flat and rolling TTs, like the ones in this Giro? Just been looking through his results and he's never done anything special - in fact, they are no better than Quintana's results, especially in GTs. Where's the expectation coming from that 70km of flat/rolling TTs are a good thing for him? I can clearly see why they suit Dumoulin and Pinot, maybe even Thomas. But I don't get the Kruijswijk TT hype. He doesn't have the most aero bone structure after all!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Is Kruijswijk actually any good at flat and rolling TTs, like the ones in this Giro? Just been looking through his results and he's never done anything special - in fact, they are no better than Quintana's results, especially in GTs. Where's the expectation coming from that 70km of flat/rolling TTs are a good thing for him? I can clearly see why they suit Dumoulin and Pinot, maybe even Thomas. But I don't get the Kruijswijk TT hype. He doesn't have the most aero bone structure after all!

I don't really know either, but his Valdobbiane time trial was impressive, so thats probably why. However, that was at the start of the 3rd week where Kruisjwijk really got into his own that Giro and it was significantly longer which theoretically should suit him more (pretty much as hilly, probably a bit less).

So there's that. I think his level is about Quintana's, maybe slightly better (?) lets see, but he is by no means a specialist.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Is Kruijswijk actually any good at flat and rolling TTs, like the ones in this Giro? Just been looking through his results and he's never done anything special - in fact, they are no better than Quintana's results, especially in GTs. Where's the expectation coming from that 70km of flat/rolling TTs are a good thing for him? I can clearly see why they suit Dumoulin and Pinot, maybe even Thomas. But I don't get the Kruijswijk TT hype. He doesn't have the most aero bone structure after all!

I don't really know either, but his Valdobbiane time trial was impressive, so thats probably why. However, that was at the start of the 3rd week where Kruisjwijk really got into his own that Giro and it was significantly longer which theoretically should suit him more (pretty much as hilly, probably a bit less).

So there's that. I think his level is about Quintana's, maybe slightly better (?) lets see, but he is by no means a specialist.

Yeah, that's about where I would put him based on his results. Somewhere around the same level as Quintana and Nibali. Competent, and can hold his own against most riders, but is certainly not going to gain significant time there.

Valdobbiadene certainly looks his best ever flat/rolling TT result; but even then he finished nearly a minute behind Contador. So it wasn't exactly a spectacular performance. I think this makes it very complicated for Kruijswjk to win the race, because he basically has to get his advantage in the mountains, up against Quintana - arguably the best climber of his generation and also Nibali, Yates, Landa who have shown a very high level in the recent past.

If I was him, and with the strong rouleur strength of his team, I'd be looking at some tactics to gain unexpected time on one of the medium mountain stages somewhere in the second week.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The crashes in Yorkshire and early this Giro was already an omen. Not the same form (partly due to the crashes I reckon). Sigh. He will think back his entire career of that one year he had the form to win the Giro. Never again.

 

[SeriousSam]

Confirmed one hit wonder

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Confirmed one hit wonder

Well that's also a bit harsch, considering good giro in 2011 and 2015 already.
Think he will still finish well inside the top 10 with a good 3rd week. But something like last year only happens once (like with Hesjedal)

 

[Arredondo]

Had an unique chance. Didn't take it. Will regret that his entire life.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Confirmed one hit wonder

Very true when he hit the ice wall.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Had an unique chance. Didn't take it. Will regret that his entire life.

He was in the form of his life and not to take advantage of it will probably haunt him.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

Had an unique chance. Didn't take it. Will regret that his entire life.

He was in the form of his life and not to take advantage of it will probably haunt him.

I think (hope) these comments are premature. People forget at the time of his crash in last year's Giro he was absolutely demolishing Nibali - look at the MTT result!
Form of your life isn't an accident it can be replicated with the right prep and some good luck. One hit wonders are for bands not bike racers. Not sure what went wrong today but he can find out why and come back to avenge Giro 2016.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Looks like Dekker Tifosi was right.

He can still pull a top-5 off easily, but thats not really a huge deal. The stage to Bormio or Piancavallo should be his goal, he really needs a stage win in this race. So bittersweet that he didn't even get one last year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Looks like Dekker Tifosi was right.

He can still pull a top-5 off easily, but thats not really a huge deal. The stage to Bormio or Piancavallo should be his goal, he really needs a stage win in this race. So bittersweet that he didn't even get one last year.

You could see it in the earlier stages, just less sharp and less easy as last year. That Yorkshire crash is the main culprit.