TeeJay in top ten: which Young rider will survive the Vuelta?

[Oldman]

Garmin's Youngster has to be stoked being in the Top Ten in his first GT with Nicholas Roche also in it. Who will make it to the finish of this hill fest?

 

[roundabout]

TeeJay is riding for HTC. He will be up there for a while (until stage 15 or 16 at least)

 

[Escarabajo]

Don't forget Uran is riding in the Vuelta also. I am expecting him to be higher in the GC also. Just saying.

 

[boardhanger]

I hope Roche will break the top 10 overall and set himself up for a good year next year.

 

[hrotha]

Don't forget Uran is riding in the Vuelta also. I am expecting him to be higher in the GC also. Just saying.

Urán had lots of trouble yesterday in the big climb, where he was dropped. His injury is too recent, although he seems to be improving quickly. He has a few easy days ahead now so maybe by the time the mountains come he'll be closer to 100%, but regardless I fully expect him to be better in the third week and quite possibly to win a stage.

 

[Escarabajo]

I hope Roche will break the top 10 overall and set himself up for a good year next year.

+1.
He looks very promising also.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nicolas Roche is older than Vincenzo Nibali, so if we're talking "which young rider will survive the Vuelta", then Nibali would go above both of them.

 

[boardhanger]

Nicolas Roche is older than Vincenzo Nibali, so if we're talking "which young rider will survive the Vuelta", then Nibali would go above both of them.

.....Point taken. I suppose its how we interpet 'survive'? And I know your a language specialist LibertySeguros !!!

 

[Oldman]

TeeJay is riding for HTC. He will be up there for a while (until stage 15 or 16 at least)

Thanks, I knew that and blew it.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Van Garderen has a good shot at finishing in the top 10. He looked pretty good today. I'll say that he will finish 10th-12th.

 

[Barrus]

Van Garderen has a good shot at finishing in the top 10. He looked pretty good today. I'll say that he will finish 10th-12th.

I doubt it actually, I think he'll get some serious problems keeping up at the end of the second week, or beginning of the third week, the guy is only 22

 

[boardhanger]

I believe there's too much emphasis put on a top 10 or 20 results to the detrement of taking a shot and going for a stage win. With young riders these days. Look at Deignan he got his stage and I think top 15 or 20 overall last years vuelta because of risking his chance. Sometimes its better to ride with the gloves down.

 

[ttrider]

I think like the Giro and to a lesser extent the tour, this vuelta wil turn into a war of attrition its been majorly tough for everyone on lumpy stages and its the first tuesday

 

[kurtinsc]

It will depend on how he can handle the higher mountains and how much he fades in the last week of his first GT.

I think if he's able to hang within 2 minutes of the heads of state in the more mountainous stages, then he'll be there. He was able to do that on the Alpe d'Huez during the Dauphine Libere... so it's possible.

His TT will be closer to Menchov/Nibali then Schleck/Rodriguez... if he can stay relatively close he can make up a minute or two on a lesser TT guy to keep a top 10 spot.

 

[ingsve]

I believe there's too much emphasis put on a top 10 or 20 results to the detrement of taking a shot and going for a stage win. With young riders these days. Look at Deignan he got his stage and I think top 15 or 20 overall last years vuelta because of risking his chance. Sometimes its better to ride with the gloves down.

Deignan was 9th last year so he managed both.

I would say that stage win vs GC depends a lot on what type of rider you are. If you don't have any type of sprint or kick then a stage win is very hard to get so dieseling to a decent GC might be better suited for some riders.

 

[Oldman]

Deignan was 9th last year so he managed both.

I would say that stage win vs GC depends a lot on what type of rider you are. If you don't have any type of sprint or kick then a stage win is very hard to get so dieseling to a decent GC might be better suited for some riders.

Several young guys finished well on a demanding final K. They should all be looking for a break opportunity and a stage win at this point in their career.

 

[53 x 11]

Obviously Tommy D is a new young rider who is going to make a big impact.

 

[flicker]

Obviously Tommy D is a new young rider who is going to make a big impact.

You know it T.D. is fresh and wants to make a great showing!

 

[lucybears]

TvG:
"I want to fight on GC. I just don’t want to give anything away on the flat stages and just see how far I can go. It’s the same as it’s been all year. They’re [team management] not putting any pressure on me. I don’t think they’re going to make me work on the front for 100k for [Mark] Cavendish or anything, but they’ll probably put me the leadout train with 10k to go. That’s good for GC guys anyway, because it keeps them up at the front and out of trouble. It doesn’t take too much energy to just do a couple of k’s [at the front].

Other than that I just want to try to fight in the mountains and in the time trial and just see how far I can go. If I end up with a top fifteen or even a top ten that would be incredible. But if there’s one day that I’m just completely screwed and I just can’t go anymore, then I’m just going to hop in the groupetto. I would then either work for Cav or try to jump in breaks or do whatever [the team wants], but on the start my goal is going to be GC, and just to not give anything away and see how far I can go."


http://click.cyclingfever.com/?jump=3/12053/1279820923-74

 

[theyoungest]

Several young guys finished well on a demanding final K. They should all be looking for a break opportunity and a stage win at this point in their career.

Not if your talent is to be a GC rider than a stage hunter, that requires a different profile. I think Tejay (with one "e", BTW) is more of the former.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think if he's able to hang within 2 minutes of the heads of state in the more mountainous stages, then he'll be there. He was able to do that on the Alpe d'Huez during the Dauphine Libere... so it's possible.

It is possible, but like the discussion in the other thread, recovery will become key because this is his first GT, and there are some seriously tough stages to come; three straight MTFs at the end of week 2 may put paid to him - he is still only 22 and a neo-pro. Yes, Richie Porte top-10ed in the Giro, but Porte is three years older and got a big gain in the L'Aquila stage.

It's feasible that van Garderen can hold on, but let's not destroy him with expectations that could be considered unreasonable.

 

[hrotha]

There's nothing wrong with clinging to the group for as long as you can and go for a top 10 or whatever when a) you've never done it before, and b) you're still trying to find out your limits and your place in the peloton. Van Garderen should keep doing just that for now. It's a different matter when you're 37 and you've been top 10 a gazillion times, and yet you still ride defensively.

edit: Also, he's a good time-trialer, but it's one thing to do a time-trial after five or six days of effort, and a completely different thing to do it towards the end of a GT. He could well be completely spent by then, even if he's still doing OK in the mountains and is still in the top 10 or top 15.

 

[theyoungest]

There's nothing wrong with clinging to the group for as long as you can and go for a top 10 or whatever when a) you've never done it before, and b) you're still trying to find out your limits and your place in the peloton. Van Garderen should keep doing just that for now. It's a different matter when you're 37 and you've been top 10 a gazillion times, and yet you still ride defensively.

Yeah, I don't follow the logic of the people who think that these young guys should freewheel their way through a GT, as a way of avoiding pressure. They'll have to learn to deal with it someday, so why not rightaway.

 

[issoisso]

Yeah, I don't follow the logic of the people who think that these young guys should freewheel their way through a GT, as a way of avoiding pressure. They'll have to learn to deal with it someday, so why not rightaway.

Exactly.

People seem to confuse being spared from pressure by being told not to try to hang on at all (which is ridiculous) with being spared from pressure by being told that they should try to hang on but it's no problem if they fail.

 

[Archieboy]

Anyone know why TeeJay lost 30.30 today, or was it just a stage to many???