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Targets of grand tour riders in 2020

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What purpose does the rule about riding the TT AND RR serve? It’s especially confusing considering the TT is after the RR, so more likely to lead to TT contenders soft-pedaling the RR, or even abandoning early. At least if the TT was first, the TT riders would then be free to give it their all for a team leader in the RR.

I've never understood it. And I seem to recall Dumoulin (and a few others) abandoning the RR in Rio after about an hour, in order to save themselves for the TT
 
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Do the TT riders have to do the Road Race or is it a logistics issue? GB will presumably have 2 of Froome, Dowsett and Thomas as their two TTers I'm not sure they'd want Dowsett in the road race though if Froome isn't fully fit?

Dowsett may need to find a team for next year to be considered for the Olympics...don't think there's been any news on that yet...
 
I've never understood it. And I seem to recall Dumoulin (and a few others) abandoning the RR in Rio after about an hour, in order to save themselves for the TT
Dumoulin abandoned the RR due to the broken arm that forced him to abandon also the Tour.

The problem usually is riders that don't even start the ITT due to crashes in the RR or fatigue. Swapping the dates could surely help but in the Worlds with the ITT first we see every year some riders renouncing to prioritize the RR so there isn't a way to be sure of the best field possible in both keeping the two races so close. Maybe putting a week of time in between (also at the Worlds) could avoid riders wanting to save themselves.
 
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I don't really remember the exact details about the rules regarding the number of national spots in the Olympics but one year the German track sprinter with gigantic thighs, Robert Förstemann, was on the start list (of course not start line) of the mountainbike event for some reason.
 
There's also the fact that Pinot is really hoping to actually get to Paris next year - as highly placed as possible - and he might not feel there's enough time between the end of the Tour and the Olympics.

"One for your"? Did you mean "one for Tour"? It doesn't work like that; for the Tour - which Bardet isn't riding any - they're on different teams.
Ya reading it back I worded it pretty stupidly. I just meant that if Bardet is the main man for France then Pinot should go all in for the tour
 
Ya reading it back I worded it pretty stupidly. I just meant that if Bardet is the main man for France then Pinot should go all in for the tour

Ah, that makes sense. The other option would be, interesting, though.

"I'll make absolutely no difference for you in the Tour, then you'll help me at the Olympics. Deal?" If either of those were able to sell that to the other I'd be… impressed.
 
Ya but the difference this year is you have to prety much give up the TdF for the olympics which wasnt the case for the worlds.

Pinot could do both I suppose same as doig San Sebastian after TdF
I don’t necessarily see it that way. Yeah, Pinot going deeper and deeper in week 3 of the Tour could make him more tired, especially after a subsequent long flight to Japan, but as you say it’s not far removed from riding SanSeb a week after Paris and we’ve seen plenty of gc contenders double up there.

Also, it’s the Olympics. I’d expect most cyclists to be enthusiastic about trying to help their country if there’s a half chance of a medal. So I would only expect Pinot to skip it if it was felt that Bardet and/or Alaphilippe would be better supported by a fresh Gaudu or Cosnefroy than a tired Tibo.

Similarly, Ireland have 3 spots in the RR, so I’d expect Roche or Dunbar (maybe Mullen if he thinks the TT course is flat enough) to be all-in to help Martin, no matter what they’ve all been up to during July. (Maybe Martin helping Dunbar, let’s see how results go in 2020).
 
I don’t necessarily see it that way. Yeah, Pinot going deeper and deeper in week 3 of the Tour could make him more tired, especially after a subsequent long flight to Japan, but as you say it’s not far removed from riding SanSeb a week after Paris and we’ve seen plenty of gc contenders double up there.

Also, it’s the Olympics. I’d expect most cyclists to be enthusiastic about trying to help their country if there’s a half chance of a medal. So I would only expect Pinot to skip it if it was felt that Bardet and/or Alaphilippe would be better supported by a fresh Gaudu or Cosnefroy than a tired Tibo.

Similarly, Ireland have 3 spots in the RR, so I’d expect Roche or Dunbar (maybe Mullen if he thinks the TT course is flat enough) to be all-in to help Martin, no matter what they’ve all been up to during July. (Maybe Martin helping Dunbar, let’s see how results go in 2020).
I imagine Martin ,Roche and Dunbar is our only option. Not really alot of Irish climbers pushing them for a place. But ya decide tactics after we know form
 
Cancellara did abandon the 2016 RR after an hour or two for the ITT. However, that was fairly well known he was going to do that as the RR was not for him and the ITT was.

Interestly enough today Valverde said his goals for 2020 are the classics (referring to the Ardennes), the Tour, the Olympics, the Worlds and that la Vuelta is sacred on the calendar. So it appears that at 40 he has a very ambitious set of goals.
 
Cancellara did abandon the 2016 RR after an hour or two for the ITT. However, that was fairly well known he was going to do that as the RR was not for him and the ITT was.

Interestly enough today Valverde said his goals for 2020 are the classics (referring to the Ardennes), the Tour, the Olympics, the Worlds and that la Vuelta is sacred on the calendar. So it appears that at 40 he has a very ambitious set of goals.

Cancellara finished the road race. You are probably thinking of someone else.
 
I don't really remember the exact details about the rules regarding the number of national spots in the Olympics but one year the German track sprinter with gigantic thighs, Robert Förstemann, was on the start list (of course not start line) of the mountainbike event for some reason.

Australia did the same thing at the 2016 Olympics when they got a mountain bike rider for the RR who stepped off after 20 kms.
 
Enric to the TdF. Don’t know if Soler’s goes as well to continue the 3 headed monster of Movistar.

From attempting to read between the lines it sounds like Mas will be the race leader for Movistar at the Tour while Valverde will have a free role. My guess hope is Soler to the Giro. Then they send all 3 to la Vuelta with Valverde as the race leader. Although I think if they send all 3 to the Tour or Vuelta it will be a much more amicable "3 headed monster".
 
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From attempting to read between the lines it sounds like Mas will be the race leader for Movistar at the Tour while Valverde will have a free role. My guess hope is Soler to the Giro. Then they send all 3 to la Vuelta with Valverde as the race leader. Although I think if they send all 3 to the Tour or Vuelta it will be a much more amicable "3 headed monster".
There won't be problems between these three. Soler and Mas both appreciate Valverde very much, they see him as a some kind of a mentor to them, and Bala also likes them, according to his earlier statements, and likes to work with young riders. Both Soler and Mas doesn't have a huge ego, contrary to previous two GT prospects from Movistar.
 
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Seriously Froome and S.Yates have shown no capacity to participate in one day races - You need to take riders who have proven form in this field.
S. Yates has won one-day races in the past. Those were not big races but he's also had top10 in San Sebastian and top20 in Lombardia. It's not like UK have loads of riders who can do better than him on this route. Probably his brother is the only British rider to have better palmares in one-day hilly races than him ATM. Thomas only ever had results on cobbles and not in hilly classics.
 
There won't be problems between these three. Soler and Mas both appreciate Valverde very much, they see him as a some kind of a mentor to them, and Bala also likes them, according to his earlier statements, and likes to work with young riders. Both Soler and Mas doesn't have a huge ego, contrary to previous two GT prospects from Movistar.

I agree. I think we'll see this group of 3 mesh together and work together much better. Valverde seems to be very excited about having a young team to work with for next season. It almost feels like this rebuild of the team and it being a much younger team has almost rejuvenated Valverde along with having him very excited about the team. It also seems that Valverde is looking forward to embracing a new role as a "player" coach on the team.
 
I could be wrong on this but I think there was an Olympics where Gregory Bauge a huge track sprinter did the road race to open an extra slot in the track team and pulled off after only about 100 metres.

It’s farcical that in such a team sport like cycling, where there is only a 5 man squad allowed, that this flexibility is going to be further limited by having to choose between TT guys who might have a chance to medal and lesser guys in the TT who can put a strong ride to better their teams chance of Gold in the road race.
 

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