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Teams & Riders Team Movistar-thread

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No opinions on how Soler has looked at the Giro? He doesn’t have the kick to follow the Top 4 and had a disappointing TT result, but has looked quite strong otherwise. I think Top 5 is possible, would be very pleased with a Top 7, and happy with a Top 10.

Not everyone develops at 21-22 years old and Soler is still young enough to show that he can compete in GTs for the next 5-6 years.
 
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No opinions on how Soler has looked at the Giro? He doesn’t have the kick to follow the Top 4 and had a disappointing TT result, but has looked quite strong otherwise. I think Top 5 is possible, would be very pleased with a Top 7, and happy with a Top 10.

Not everyone develops at 21-22 years old and Soler is still young enough to show that he can compete in GTs for the next 5-6 years.

Many do take longer to develop and there are different reasons for it. US riders take a bit longer to develop, although some of that is simply because of the racing in the US vs in Europe. I've also seen/read where Spanish riders many times take a little longer to develop than even many other European riders do.

I think Soler is doing fine so far. The big question is how bad of a bad day is he going to have. He's typically been a very inconsistent rider, so can he find the consistency to get a top 10 or even a top 5 in GC.
 
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I just love the honesty of this documentary. I have to admit that I had forgotten the ridicilously sticky bottle that they gave Héctor Carretero in the Giro stage 12 but of course they make a scene out of that and show how the people in the other car were mortified watching it live :tearsofjoy:

They also didn't hide how Soler had sticky bottled himself through stage 9 of the Tour.

The documentary also shows the incapabilties on tactical level, especially with Garcia-Acosta (con dos cojonones as only teamorder) and in lesser extent Arrieta. The more structured teams like Ineos or Jumbo must be laughing their balls off with the teamorders of Movistar. Lastras and Vila are the only ones who can make decent tactical decisions during the race.
 
The documentary also shows the incapabilties on tactical level, especially with Garcia-Acosta (con dos cojonones as only teamorder) and in lesser extent Arrieta. The more structured teams like Ineos or Jumbo must be laughing their balls off with the teamorders of Movistar. Lastras and Vila are the only ones who can make decent tactical decisions during the race.
Sciandri did a good job with Carapaz and Landa at the 2019 Giro, you'd think that they'd give him a more prominent role on the team.
 
To be fair, Txente is, as hrotha once described him, a glorified driver. Much as beloved and respected as he was as a rider, he never had to do the thinking, he was a pure flat stage workhorse who would annually get in the break in either de Ronde or Roubaix. Lastras was an ATV and a pretty effective stagehunter who could influence races over a variety of terrains and so it's not surprising that he might turn out to be the better tactical mind of them. It's like asking who you think would be the better guy to come up with tactics in the car, Bert Grabsch or Jens Voigt? Not to disparage Bert, but you've got to look at Jens' record and the different ways he's been able to win or help orchestrate team wins (whereas Grabsch's role in that respect was usually to hold the break at 3 minutes before Stapleton wound them in and set up the sprint).
 
Sciandri did a good job with Carapaz and Landa at the 2019 Giro, you'd think that they'd give him a more prominent role on the team.

Yes i agree. As an outsider it's very difficult to break in their tight teamstructure. Don't forget they (Unzue and Echavarri) started out as friends who wanted to set up a (regional) cycling team. Unzue also has several familymembers working within the structure. Their vision has always been a bit limited in that way. Till today you can see that with Unzue. For a new DS they will search for someone in their own ranks first, hence Garcia Acosta, Laguia, Arrieta etc..

It's only since recently that they have broaden their horizon, with the signing of someone like Sciandri, but also someone like Roelandts and all the youngsters. Now they're also having trainings camps together, for some years ago they would never do that.
 
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