As I said, I changed my team at the very last time. I initially had Evenepoel as my most expensive pick (a rider I've picked every year since he turned pro) but I was a bit scared another crash or health issue might ruin half of his season. In the end the trade looked something like:
Evenepoel + Abner Gonzalez + CF Hagen for
Pidcock + Superman + Bettiol
Which seems reasonable for now, we'll see at the end of the season.
The rest of the team is made of a dozen very obvious and popular picks and a ton of young riders who get me excited every time they get on their bike. I have 2 very rare picks over 500 points which is a total novelty for me (and I love it). Also, this year's team looks a lot more Italian than usual, which I guess makes sense since I went heart over head almost all the time.
PIDCOCK Thomas (708) – don’t like his calendar with the Giro, don’t like him riding a lot of CX and MTB, but man his debut season in the classics was just insane. Ton of upside too. Wasn't expecting to find him so high in the popularity table.
ARANBURU DEBA Alexander (581) – total gamble, but he was super consistent last year and the new environment looks perfect for a step up (yes, I'm looking at you Ibarguen). Only me and
@Koronin picking him tells me this is going to be a disaster
LOPEZ MORENO Miguel Angel (563) – I wanted no part of the Superman – Landismo combo (both at 500ish points) but in the end I gotta admit I’m a sucker for the drama. And Lopez provides plenty of it.
COVI Alessandro (520) – think Diego Ulissi with a little more bike handling and better stamina. He’s quick, very good on hills and can climb on his day. He doesn’t mind rough terrain either. He was very promising at the end of 2020 and delivered big time last year after his first part of the season was ruined by a knee injury. Yes, the team is loaded with great riders and finding opportunities won't be easy but talent always finds a way to emerge and I think this kid is a monster. The moment he starts winning he won’t be easily stopped.
EWAN Caleb (482) – tried to win a stage in every GT last year and didn’t end well. Will hopefully forget about this goal and focus on Sanremo + Tour + whatever else gets him to 10+ wins in 2022. Best deal among elite sprinters for me.
GIRMAY HAILU Biniam (431) – scored over 400 points in just 37 race days last year and became a point machine after joining Wanty in August. I think he has 1000+ points in store with the right calendar from February.
CICCONE Giulio (343) – total heart pick since we’ve been waiting for his breakthrough since forever but he always finds a way to sabotage himself. I love his attacking style though. And the Giro route is tailor made for him.
BAGIOLI Andrea (314) – I’m skeptical about his stamina and recovery, but he is super fast and scored 300+ points while missing half of last year with an injury.
RODRIGUEZ CANO Carlos (312) – great climber, great TTer, super consistent as a teenager. Ineos should know what to do of him.
DUMOULIN Tom (307) – I’m not even sure whether he should be deemed as a safe pick at this point, but the ceiling remains very high, especially if he starts riding for GCs again.
STEWART Jake (264) – high risk pick since he basically scored all of his points last year between February and March and then went to sleep. He said he had problems recovering (both mentally and physically) from his crash with Bouhanni. I wanna trust him. And I love riders who can sprint at the end of a tough race.
BETTIOL Alberto (257) – I tried avoiding him at all costs because the health issue scares me, but then I thought about his win in the Giro and his ride at the Olympics and it’s just too much talent to pass. I’m not sure there’s anybody in the current peloton who makes me feel like he does when he’s on a good day (which happens rarely, I know).
KOOIJ Olav (249) - with Groenewegen leaving some big opportunities will open up for the young sprinters at Jumbo. I picked two of them, hoping at least one will deliver.
KRON Andreas Lorentz (242) – I don’t even know what the rationale behind this pick is. I love him but please someone convince me this was a total waste of over 200 points.
GEOGHEGAN HART Tao (210) – there are reasons to believe his Giro win was a fluke, but I’m on his bandwagon since day one. Bright young man too, I always enjoy cheering for him.
TULETT Ben (207) – another piece in my collection of Ineos youngsters. Finished AGR, Lombardia and FW inside the top21 + a good GC showing in Pologne. I already had him in the Emerging riders game last year and loved his style.
PINOT Thibaut (207) – I was ready to dump him when I read his interview last week but then told myself this is not the year for sensible decisions. Break my heart once again, Thibaut.
BUCHMANN Emanuel (190) – possibly the least exciting of my picks, but he looked like unfinished business from last year. Would love to see him finish a race once in a while.
AYUSO PESQUERA Juan (178) – Pogacar vibes. Was the first rider to make my longlist and never left.
HINDLEY Jai (137) – there are reasons to believe his Giro podium was a fluke, and I kind of agree. Still a great climbing talent that might score well with the right schedule.
VAN WILDER Ilan (137) – out of DSM, now with QS, big Belgian talent. You don't need anything else to pick him, I think.
TIBERI Antonio (111) – likely a year away from being a good pick, but showed flashes of brilliance as a neo pro, especially in the time trials.
DEKKER David (109) – see KOOIJ, Olav and way cheaper.
PLAPP Lucas (97) – monster engine, won the Australian National TT at just 20, good track background too. I know nothing of the races he’ll ride but Ineos signed him for 4 years so I trust them.
KÄMNA Lennard (53) – rolling the dice again on Big Lenny. Expecting anything from 0 to 800 points for his comeback.
ROSA Diego (52) – what better year to finally pick my favorite rider in the world after telling everybody here I never wanted to pick him? Eolo is the ideal team for him: great calendar, nobody to work for, attack whenever he feels like. I want to keep my expectations in check but I know he's bound for a super year. Dare I say it? He’s better than Fausto Masnada.
PICCOLO Andrea (49) – the fact he didn’t stay with Astana is a bit concerning, but Gazprom provides a better environment to grow and many more chances to ride for himself. Huge talent. Probably Italy’s biggest hope for GTs in the future.
JUNGELS Bob (42) – I know, nobody truly gets back to the old level after his health issue, but I like him a lot (and feel for his mental struggles).
NYS Thibau (37) – mandatory spot for CX teenagers that gets me excited with a couple of road cycling results. Likely a year away from being a year away from being a valuable pick.
DE PLUS Laurens (34) – roller coaster of a career (and he’ still only 26!) and a total gamble for this game. I'm not even sure he's recovered from his health issue. Some Intxausti / König vibes here.
VERNON Ethan (26) – ticks all the boxes for a breakout year: from Great Britain, track experience, riding for the Steppers. I couldn’t miss out.
MILAN Jonathan (25) – will focus on road racing a little more after the Olympic year. Showed his incredible power on the track in 2021, winning medals pretty much every time he competed. Great TTer but can win sprints too. Hopefully Bahrain sprays some magic on him.
MODOLO Sacha (25) – proved at the end of last year he can still win if healthy. Bardiani should give him plenty of chances. And I know from direct sources he's still hungry.
Riders I really wanted but couldn't fit in: Remco, Abner Gonzalez, Alejandro Osorio, Narvaez.
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