Svein Tuft

[Ryo Hazuki]

What is with him?? He can't handle the level in Europe? I was very hopeful for him when he came here...

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

What were you expecting?

He has had a few crashes that have set him back. Other than that he has shown himself in some TTs and has been fulfilling his role as a team player. If you had watched the Vuelta last year or Giro this year you would see him on the front a lot in the early parts of stages to control early breaks for Tyler Farrar. Its normal that it would take him a few seasons to adapt to racing consistently at the higher level of the ProTour.

So GRM have been using him as a workhorse. They don't want him in breaks, they want him to ride Tempo on the front for 80-100k. He's quite good at that.

I think all the tempo riding leaves him a bit flat for TTs a few days into stage races where you would expect to see him riding well.

He has had a big break recently, he is back home in Canada. I predict he will have another good race at Worlds. He will show up recovered, prepared, and motivated - like 2008.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I hope so but his itt has also been quite bad in last 2 years. I just wondered what happened. I think he said about last year that he was a little disapointed but wanted to improve this year only I haven't seen it, he may've been even worse than last year?

 

[Tim_sleepless]

Too much fancy hotel living instead of roughing it?

 

[TRDean]

I hope so but his itt has also been quite bad in last 2 years. I just wondered what happened. I think he said about last year that he was a little disapointed but wanted to improve this year only I haven't seen it, he may've been even worse than last year?

He did say that and I agree with you he is not riding up to his standards. His tt has been poor at best. It appears that his worlds result a couple years ago was a one off event. I love Svein, and want him to show better...but it does appear that isn't going to happen...prove me wrong Svein!

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

He did say that and I agree with you he is not riding up to his standards. His tt has been poor at best. It appears that his worlds result a couple years ago was a one off event. I love Svein, and want him to show better...but it does appear that isn't going to happen...prove me wrong Svein!

Define poor at best.

In the past two seasons was 7th in the TT at Depanne (2.hc), 2nd at Tour of Austria TT and 7th overall (2.hc), 10th in the ToC prologue (2.hc), 2nd in the Sun Tour TT and 2nd overall (2.1), 14th at the Worlds.

These results seem consistent, or even a small improvement , on his results when he was riding on the Continental circuits.

He has suffered some significant (but not serious) injuries, and GRM puts him to work day in day out. Remember too he has a big reputation of being clean, so I am sure he is tired from riding the front when he hits a TT 7-10 days into a bigger Tour.

Remember in 2008 he had a 'perfect' lead in to the Olympics and Worlds... he wasn't going in flat from a heavy racing schedule, and he hadn't had any injuries.

He's home right now, he's rested up, he's focused on the World's TT. Lets see what happens this year. I think it will be a good one.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Though it's 2.1, 2nd at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour is not a big achievement for a ProTour rider these days. A few years ago quite a few major teams rode, but last year's had the following entry list:

Praties
Australia National Team
Drapac-Porsche
Letua (MAS)
Bissell (USA)
Jelly Belly (USA)
Jayco-AIS
Savings & Loans Team
Budget Forklifts
Rapha Condor-Sharp (GBR)
Fly V Australia
Garmin-Slipstream (USA)
Aisan (JPN)
Prime Estate
Rock Racing (USA)

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

Though it's 2.1, 2nd at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour is not a big achievement for a ProTour rider these days. A few years ago quite a few major teams rode, but last year's had the following entry list:

I wasn't suggesting it is. I was saying it is consistent with the calibre of results Tuft has had in the past. Which have been good performances in 2.2 and 2.1 races on the America Tour with rosters similar to the Sun Tour.

I've simply been asking the other posters what they expected of Tuft? I've not suggested 2nd in the Suntour is the same as 2nd in a TT at the Giro or Tour de France.

He's had a few results that show a slight improvement - like Depanne and Austria. Other than that his TT results seem consistent to what he did in the past. So he's not gotten better, but remained the same.

But he's stepped up a level. He didn't step into a leadership role, he went in as an unknown commodity and has to pay his dues just like any other neo-pro, albeit he was a 30yr old neo pro. He is being put to work in a domestique by his team, and this leaves him fatigued by the time he rides a TT later in a stage race. He's suffered some injuries.

Again, my question back to Ryo and TRDean was simply : What did you expect of him?

I'm not trying to be confrontational, really I'm curious. I really like the guy too, but I expected that he would need a couple of seasons to adapt and I expected he wouldn't be a team leader and would have to pay his dues like any other neo pro.

What did you guys expect?

 

[Oldman]

He did say that and I agree with you he is not riding up to his standards. His tt has been poor at best. It appears that his worlds result a couple years ago was a one off event. I love Svein, and want him to show better...but it does appear that isn't going to happen...prove me wrong Svein!

+1. A tough guy that deserves his moment.

 

[131313]

So GRM have been using him as a workhorse. They don't want him in breaks, they want him to ride Tempo on the front for 80-100k. He's quite good at that.

Maybe he needs to "accidentally" end up in the break more often, all Ryder-style!

"dude, I was just covering and ended up there! I didn't even roll through for the first 40k's..."

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

Maybe he needs to "accidentally" end up in the break more often, all Ryder-style!

"dude, I was just covering and ended up there! I didn't even roll through for the first 40k's..."

Not a bad idea