Teams & Riders Team Visma - Lease a Bike

[Krzysztof_O]

Jeez, how will they schedule Dumoulin, Roglic and Kruijswijk? I think they will play with two leaders at the Tour (probably Dumoulin and Roglic) giving Kruijswijk leadership at the Giro (and possibly domestique role at the Tour). Not sure about Vuelta (maybe Kruijsvijk provided that no Tour for him and maybe one of the other two in case of TdF fiasco).

 

[bajbar]

I am increasingly baffled about what they plan to do with Groenewegen. It seems increasingly like a Cav at Sky situation. Big star, from the right country, suddenly doesn’t seem like a good fit with team’s strategic priorities. Teams that are deadly serious about winning GTs are not well placed to maximize the results of a sprinter, even more so a sprinter who is quite train reliant. It’s not as if Groenewegen is a McEwen type sprinter, happy to surf wheels by himself.

Plus he is JUST a sprinter. They have Van Aert and Teunissen who won sprint stages, but are much more allround riders and can be used as helpers. Groenewegen is a win machine, but is useless outside the last 200 meters. If he manages to get there in the first place. In a GT oriented squad he is basically a minus 1. And taking him to the Tour would only be justified if he won like 4 or 5 stages (Kittel, Cav, Greipel in their prime). But he is left behind on the smallest of speedbumps, in crosswinds, everywhere. Don't get me wrong. I like Dylan. But if you want to win the Tour... he probably isn't the rider to take.

 

[Red Rick]

Giro > Kruijswijk + Groenewegen

Tour > Roglic + Dumoulin (Kruijswijk may domestique or not)

Vuelta > Groenewegen + whichever of their best riders is still breathing.

 

[Noddy97]

For me it should be Roglic and kruisjvick to the giro. Roglic and Dumoulin to the tour. They want a Dutch winner in the tour so they will put all the eggs in dumoulin.

 

[kiszol]

They won the Vuelta.
A possible Giro win is of relevance but the big prize is definitely the TdF. Thus I think they should go to the Tour with a peak Dumoulin, peak Roglic pairing, with no Groenewegen at all.

Giro: Kruijswijk, Bennett, Groenewegen
Tour: Dumoulin, Roglic, Kruijswijk, De Plus, Kuss, Gesink, Van Aert, Tony Martin
Vuelta: Dumoulin and/or Roglic + Bennett

 

[Cinemaniak]

They won the Vuelta.
A possible Giro win is of relevance but the big prize is definitely the TdF. Thus I think they should go to the Tour with a peak Dumoulin, peak Roglic pairing, with no Groenewegen at all.

Giro: Kruijswijk, Bennett, Groenewegen
Tour: Dumoulin, Roglic, Kruijswijk, De Plus, Kuss, Gesink, Van Aert, Tony Martin
Vuelta: Dumoulin and/or Roglic + Bennett

Not so sure about Kuss & Gesink for the Tour. Kuss might have his own ambitions for the smaller races or Giro/Vuelta and I think Vingegaard, Foss and Tolhoek are all better climbers next year than Gesink.

 

[kiszol]

Not so sure about Kuss & Gesink for the Tour. Kuss might have his own ambitions for the smaller races or Giro/Vuelta and I think Vingegaard, Foss and Tolhoek are all better climbers next year than Gesink.

Kuss is not in a position yet where he can go after his own ambitions. As for Gesink, perhaps some of the younger lads will be a bit better, but experience is often key in a GT, so I would select him instead of another young prodigy 10 out of 10 times.

 

[johnymax]

They won the Vuelta.
A possible Giro win is of relevance but the big prize is definitely the TdF. Thus I think they should go to the Tour with a peak Dumoulin, peak Roglic pairing, with no Groenewegen at all.

Giro: Kruijswijk, Bennett, Groenewegen
Tour: Dumoulin, Roglic, Kruijswijk, De Plus, Kuss, Gesink, Van Aert, Tony Martin
Vuelta: Dumoulin and/or Roglic + Bennett

This I agree with.

 

[topt]

Went from a laughing stock in 14-15 to the best team in cycling. Chapeau whoever managed this.

they also had a bit of luck with roglic

 

[gregrowlerson]

Given the rumours of only about 20 kms of ITT at the Tour (with almost half of that steep climbing), whereas the Giro might have three ITT's exceeding 60 kms, will Jumbo consider scrapping the Tour and sending Roglic and Dumoulin to the Giro? Would that also give them a better chance in the Olympic road race?

 

[Leinster]

Given the rumours of only about 20 kms of ITT at the Tour (with almost half of that steep climbing), whereas the Giro might have three ITT's exceeding 60 kms, will Jumbo consider scrapping the Tour and sending Roglic and Dumoulin to the Giro? Would that also give them a better chance in the Olympic road race?

Roglic and Dumoulin are perfectly good climbers and general road racers. Having 60km+ of TT in there would help them no doubt, but ditching the Tour just because the route isn’t made for the is just soft.

Froome won the 2015 Tour with just a 14km stage 1 TT.

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic and Dumoulin are perfectly good climbers and general road racers. Having 60km+ of TT in there would help them no doubt, but ditching the Tour just because the route isn’t made for the is just soft.

Froome won the 2015 Tour with just a 14km stage 1 TT.

And then Froome got 1'30 the next day in the echelons.

There was also a mid length TTT.

 

[tobydawq]

And then Froome got 1'30 the next day in the echelons.

There was also a mid length TTT.

There were also mountains where he was the best.

 

[Red Rick]

There were also mountains where he was the best.

Net loser to Quintana IIRC. Small margin but it's there.

But yeah. Dumoulin shouldn't really expect to win the Tour by outclimbing everyone. That 2015 route was ridiculous.

 

[yaco]

Roglic and Dumoulin are the GC leaders - No way you can have Roglic riding as a dom at the TDF and then ride GC at the Vuelta.

 

[Lequack]

Roglic and Dumoulin are the GC leaders - No way you can have Roglic riding as a dom at the TDF and then ride GC at the Vuelta.

Yeah it makes no sense to have either Dumoulin or Roglic be a superdom, if either of them lose a chunk of time it's better to use them for stage wins or just pull them out.

 

[Red Rick]

Roglic and Dumoulin are the GC leaders - No way you can have Roglic riding as a dom at the TDF and then ride GC at the Vuelta.

I literally see nobody actually suggesting it.

In fact if the ASO is gonna ASO I'd give Roglic a much bigger chance to win than Dumoulin.

 

[yaco]

I literally see nobody actually suggesting it.

In fact if the ASO is gonna ASO I'd give Roglic a much bigger chance to win than Dumoulin.

I am referring to Kizsol's post.

 

[Breezy1985]

Roglic and Dumoulin are the GC leaders - No way you can have Roglic riding as a dom at the TDF and then ride GC at the Vuelta.

Why not. Last thing we want is for another TDF where Ineos main opposition spend the race screwing up worrying about tactics. Pick 1 GC man and get behind him

 

[yaco]

Why not. Last thing we want is for another TDF where Ineos main opposition spend the race screwing up worrying about tactics. Pick 1 GC man and get behind him

Jumbo Visma have enough good domestics to support Dumoulin in the TDF instead of wasting Roglic.

 

[JRanton]

Jumbo's season reminds me a bit of Sky in 2011 before they smashed everyone at the Tour for the first time the following year.

 

[Breezy1985]

Jumbo Visma have enough good domestics to support Dumoulin in the TDF instead of wasting Roglic.

The team that have won almost every TDF since 2012 have had a team of top riders as domestiques so if you want to compete you have to match them and leaving top riders at home is not the way to do it. Roglic could easily target Giro and still dom for Tom.
#domfortom

 

[Blanco]

The team that have won almost every TDF since 2012 have had a team of top riders as domestiques so if you want to compete you have to match them and leaving top riders at home is not the way to do it. Roglic could easily target Giro and still dom for Tom.
#domfortom

So could Dumoulin. Roglic is the #1 rider in the World, he's the better prospect right now.

 

[Bolder]

Jumbo Visma have enough good domestics to support Dumoulin in the TDF instead of wasting Roglic.

Or vice versa, at this point. But given that neither of the 2-3 finishers at the TdF in 2018 even made it to the starting line in 2019, Jumbo would be foolish NOT to have Dumoulin and Roglic as co-leaders to hedge their bets, rather than having Roglic as a superdom. Ineos have been able to crack the co-leader puzzle so it can be done.

I wonder if Kruijswijk thinks signing Dumoulin will be better or worse for his own prospects. I suspect better as he'll most likely be the clear No. 1 for the Giro. I like the idea of having SK as Giro captain then supporting whoever is No. 1 at the Vuelta -- which could very well be Kruijswijk himself...

 

[tobydawq]

Or vice versa, at this point. But given that neither of the 2-3 finishers at the TdF in 2018 even made it to the starting line in 2019, Jumbo would be foolish NOT to have Dumoulin and Roglic as co-leaders to hedge their bets, rather than having Roglic as a superdom. Ineos have been able to crack the co-leader puzzle so it can be done.

I wonder if Kruijswijk thinks signing Dumoulin will be better or worse for his own prospects. I suspect better as he'll most likely be the clear No. 1 for the Giro. I like the idea of having SK as Giro captain then supporting whoever is No. 1 at the Vuelta -- which could very well be Kruijswijk himself...

So now Kruijswijk will be captain in two Grand Tours on a team with Roglic and Dumoulin?