Stybar...Road or Cross?

[120mmStem]

What do you think? Is Peeters right? http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/stybar-wants-too-much-team-manager-says

If so what should he focus on? He's 26 and still has a lot of years left in him.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Peeters is right. Frankly, 'cross is another feeder system for the Big Road Show.

Styby would have to get himself promoted to team leader for specific events and I don't think that will happen just because he's a 'cross leader. I wonder how much anonymous grunt work that entails for a guy used to being treated like a team leader. Lars Boom was/is in a similar situation. I don't know if Boom gets promoted for Paris-Roubaix or similar events or if he's a first-alternate or something else...

 

[120mmStem]

I agree that he's not going to be a leader right away. Hopefully he understands that he'll have to earn that right. Maybe a couple of years down the road he'll get his shot and he can prove himself as a team leader on the road. But I believe in order to do so he'll have to focus mainly on the road and leave cross riding for training (kinda like Boom).

 

[vcnzone]

I wouldn't do that. The main issue is that CX is an individual sport, road is not and without a good team you're not going to win anything, unless he is a very talented road racer, which I doubt.
Since he is not a champion on the road he is going to ride for a while either in a strong team helping a champion, or in a weak team as a leader. In both cases he is not going to achieve anything and likely would come back to cyclocross after a couple of years being "nobody" on the road

 

[mewmewmew13]

Cross:.....

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Lefevre's teams have always had a clear pecking order. While Stybar is enormously talented and hard-working, he is still on the lower rungs of the QS ladder. He will have to ride for others for at least a couple of years. At that point, he'll be 28. Still young, but no longer a spring chicken.

On the cross circuit, however, he is already a gran campeon.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

i love cross.

but stybar was very good this year on the road, exceeded my expectations actually. I think a lighter schedule for cross, and maybe even a lighter road schedule and he could do both (just selecta few races prior to worlds and use it as build up). Road is probably a too big temptation to resist, especially considering he is young and already achieved a lot in cx. Eventully I expect the road emphasis. Boom has gradually reduced his cx emphasis each passing year.

 

[Echoes]

He can have an Albert Zweifel like career.

Big in cyclocross and some decent results in some great road races.

Which is something he should be proud of.

3rd in Dunkirk is already great for his standard.

 

[kiwirider]

What about throwing another option into the mix ...?

How about pairing up cross with MTB?

I know that it wasn't the topic of the article that spawned this thread and would most likely mean a change of team, but hey ... this is a forum rather than the real world, so any option goes, right?

Anyhow, it'd be less demanding on the body than a road season (especially considering the design of most MTB courses - which are effectively road tracks anyhow) and keeps the dirt skills in there ... If he wants longer events, there are the marathon distances - and perhaps the odd road 2.whatever level race ...

Have to say, I can't understand why - other than tradition/conservatism - more cross riders don't put in more MTB mileage over the summer ...

 

[El Pistolero]

What about throwing another option into the mix ...?

How about pairing up cross with MTB?

I know that it wasn't the topic of the article that spawned this thread and would most likely mean a change of team, but hey ... this is a forum rather than the real world, so any option goes, right?

Anyhow, it'd be less demanding on the body than a road season (especially considering the design of most MTB courses - which are effectively road tracks anyhow) and keeps the dirt skills in there ... If he wants longer events, there are the marathon distances - and perhaps the odd road 2.whatever level race ...

Have to say, I can't understand why - other than tradition/conservatism - more cross riders don't put in more MTB mileage over the summer ...

There's a new consistency classification in Belgium which includes 4 mountain bike races in the Summer and 4 cyclo-cross races in the winter(4 existing cyclo-cross races that weren't part of a consistency classification will now become part of this one, so they're not creating new races).

Kevin Pauwels is the current Belgian mountain-bike champion and Nys also combines cross with mountain-bike. Pauwels will probably earn a spot for the Olympics as a mountain-biker.

The problem is, there's no money involved in mountain-biking in Belgium. Belgians care little for mountain-biking at the moment. Media attention is scarce to say the least. Much more money involved in cyclo-cross.

 

[FF'Wilco]

Road for sure. In CX he already achived almost evrything. What else can he do ? Keep winning world champs every year ? I think in the end he would loose a motivation. On the other hand he means nothing on road which is actually good. For a such an ambitious guy like Styby is its a great oportunity. Become as good road racer as he was on field.

Second of all it's money. I dont know how much top cyclocrossers earn but im pretty sure he can earn more on road (Lefevre gave him 0,5 mil euro i doubt he can earn so much in cx). And if he become a real star on the road he can earn even more.

About a leadership. In 2011 he was a leader or co-leader on every road race he done expect Tour de Suisse. Even in Tour of Belgium he was the Quick Step's GC rider but he failed on first windy stage and finished 25th or something like that. I think he is talented enough to become a Gilbert like type of rider (great on hills, good on cobbles). And QS doesn't have great puncheurs so he can become a leader in short period of time.

 

[120mmStem]

Looks like he has chosen the road, “I won’t turn my back on cyclo-cross,” explained Stybar. “But next year I will take an example from Lars Boom. He makes cross a part of his preparation for the road season. Lars combines it with pleasure, and that's what I also plan. If I should fail on the road, I can always go back fully [to cross], but for now I really do not intend to do so."

I say good luck and look forward to seeing good results on the road for him. I also doubt he'll be able to pull of the worlds this year, Albert seems on fine form now after coming back from his injury.

 

[Echoes]

It was already expected but Stybar will stop racing for the rankings next winter. He will still cross but a handful of them to prepare for the road season.

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=DMF20120202_134


He'll still make it till the end of this season, though but this implies a long break afterwards. Peeters argues he's not even sure to resume at Dunkirk like last year.

So I take this means no classics for Styby this year.

 

[Echoes]

Stybar will only resume cross next December. He does not even think about it at this moment.

Also the Worlds at Louisville is not an objective. He does not think about it and, in any case, the Classics are priorities.