Teams & Riders The Bora - Hansgrohe team thread

[AlfaLum]

Looking very likely that they get someone on the podium at this point. But we'll know more after stage 9.

There are only three podium spots and with Carapaz, Yates, Landa, Bardet, Almeida, Kelderman, Buchmann, Hindley, Bilbao there are at least 3 times the number of contenders that could get a podium.

Even if we discount guys like Carthy, Ciccone, Valverde, Arensman, Sosa, Buitrago, Porte, Hamilton already. So likely is a bit too optimistic for me, especially since the preparation for all three Bora contenders has been rather thin, which could also cause them to run empty in the final week.

Still, they are looking very good for the moment, but they are definitely not the only impressive team with numbers to play with at this point in the race. The finish yesterday was very hard to gauge who looked well and who didn't from that front GC group. Blockhaus will provide us with much more information.

 

[Mayomaniac]

With Buchmann it's always a bit of a gamble in the Giro because he's that much better when the weather is nice (see the Montalcino stage last year, vs for example the Sestola stage).

 

[Filippo_3467]

So at least one thing seems clear: Kämna has the mountain jersey on his minds. Collecting a couple of easy points. It will be decided in the last week, but based on that the points tomorrow or on sunday should be a goal for him if he wants to keep the jersey.

Not sure what to think about his hunt for the bonus second. If he wants to win on the weekend and collect points for the mountain jersey, he should ship some time. Maybe they think they can get rid of Lopez over the weekend and place Kämna into the pink jersey. As already said I wouldn't bet on it, but quite odd why he did go for the sprint and other people don't .

 

[gregrowlerson]

Kamna couldn't quite hold on; no surprises. Not sure what happened to Kelderman.

Now it's up to Hindley and Buchmann. Two cards left to play when most teams only have one.

 

[Bonimenier]

I can't believe they didn't let Hindley wait for Kelderman.

 

[Filippo_3467]

Is there any news what happened to Kelderman? Of course he had the Bike Change but that didn't cost that much. Did they let him chase back on alone or did he make it back and the he got dropped because he head no legs. Would have been the safest bet for me ton finish in the Top 5. Of course two guys in the running isn't bad but in my eyes there are at least 4 riders stronger atm.

Kämna dipped but not much. i think he will try everything to get into the break next sunday. I think Trek won't mark him again. Clearly other GC riders are way stronger and while Lopez is still in the maglia rosa. Ineos and UAE are basically in the virtual lead. I think for Bora it's now a waiting game for the third week. Just stay up there with Buchmann and Hindley. Maybe Kämna can go for a second stage win. Overall they could mount a good mountain train if kelderman just had a bad day but is generally fine.

Another side effect: they could win the teams classification if they want to focus on it.I think Movistar isn't strong enough. So in my eyes it is between bahrain, Bora and breakaway-havy approach from Wanty.

 

[Remy55]

After the first bike change Aleotti and Zwiehof brought Kelderman back, but than he had a second mechanical right before the climb started.

Really bad luck for him.

 

[Faserr]

Yes. Zwiehoff said that Kelderman had to chase hard on two unfortunate moments and after that he couldn't follow the other favorites anymore. He can still go for stages.
Bora looks good. Normaly Buchmann won't get slower im a Grand Tour. His big plus is his regeneration in grand tours. Hindley looks great, too. Kelderman and Kämna can still go for stages or help the remaining leaders.

 

[Remy55]

Kämna: “Denke, dass Emu noch einen Tick besser wird“ | radsport-news.com

www.radsport-news.com

Kämna wants to try to go for GC in the coming years and he says that he was surprised how good Buchmann climbed on Blockhaus because he should become stronger in the third week.

 

[Fergoose]

I've not really looked at Bora as a genuine GC focussed team before (possibly due to Sagan?). The sport needs as many sides as possible to throw in a genuine title effort, so I'm happy to see this and hope they can combine a podium with stage wins and maybe the KotM. That would all be some achievement.

 

[Faserr]

They signed Hindley, Vlasov and Higuita all for three years. I don't know if Denk was a bit lucky, but at the moment it looks like that this was a really really good move, especially because they are all in their prime years and are on for three years. A lot of people where saying that they should sign one Carapaz or Almeida, because the three can not get on a podium in a GT, but now they have at least 4 riders who can podium in the next three years for the same money.

 

[AlfaLum]

They signed Hindley, Vlasov and Higuita all for three years. I don't know if Denk was a bit lucky, but at the moment it looks like that this was a really really good move, especially because they are all in their prime years and are on for three years. A lot of people where saying that they should sign one Carapaz or Almeida, because the three can not get on a podium in a GT, but now they have at least 4 riders who can podium in the next three years for the same money.

Carapaz would obviously been a signing of a higher class still. However criticism on Bora was very strange to begin with.

They signed three of the potential best GC riders on the market and all of them seemed to have room for improvement due to weaker previous teams and/or a short time of being WT pro.

Also for me Bora is one of the teams that is almost continually proving that they are capable of getting their riders to a higher level. Even from before they were Bora. So I never really understood the skepticism around signing Vlasov, Higuita and Hindley.

Nonetheless, the three combined are performing better than could have been expected at the moment. With GC victories in Catalunya, Romandie and now a serious challenger for the overall GC in the Giro.

 

[skippo12]

Turns out that Hindley over Carapaz was the right call. Absolutely nailed the replacement for Sagan´s budget.

 

[Anderis]

I defended BORA's transfer policy from the day 1 but even I didn't expect it to turn out THAT well. I believed in Higuita and Vlasov but I've never thought that Hindley would win a GT and certainly not as soon as 2022.

Having won Catalunya, Romandie and (probably) the Giro with 3 different riders, could they be called the team of the season so far?

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

If Hindley wins the Giro, Bora have won Roubaix and the Giro… Soon, they will be the greatest German team, ever, then - even greater than Telekom/T-Mobile…

 

[Pistolas]

I'm starting to think Vlasov will show up at the Tour at the Slovene level and will dispute the race. Bora as been the most impressive team this season on big stage races.

 

[Salvarani]

Wondering what is going on in the mind of Schachmann right now. Nowhere this season while the rest of the team is going great.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with Kämna after this season too, with his contract expiring.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Buchmann was below his best at the Giro.
On a few stages he did higher wattages on the penultimate climb than on the final, where he blew up. Looks like his endurance was not what it usually is. He's also someone who suffers a lot in cold and rainy weather (he is super skinny), so the Giro is always a bit of a gamble for him.

 

[Netserk]

I'm starting to think Vlasov will show up at the Tour at the Slovene level and will dispute the race. Bora as been the most impressive team this season on big stage races.

I doubt that. A strong contender for 3rd, but even this spring he hasn't looked as sharp uphill as the Slovenes.

 

[Earns1985]

Wondering what is going on in the mind of Schachmann right now. Nowhere this season while the rest of the team is going great.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with Kämna after this season too, with his contract expiring.

I think we will see a different Schachmann then in the spring already at the tour de suisse..

 

[Filippo_3467]

I think we will see a different Schachmann then in the spring already at the tour de suisse..

He just got unlucky with the start of the season, but I think for him the new leaders at Bora are not that much of a problem as he is right now not concerned wit GT leadership. Of course Vlasov and Higuita can do good results in races Schachmann targets as well, but it's not a bad idea to have 2-3 leaders for the Ardennes for example. Schachmann benefitted in 2019 from Formolo for the 3rd place in LBL. The rest of the season is I think pretty straight forward for him: stage hunting at TdS, Tour de France and I think winning the Deutschland Tour as well. Afterwards he could be focusing on the worlds and maybe Lombardia. The situation is way worse for Buchmann who could even think. about leavin if he isn't able to get a GT leader role at Bora anymore. For Kämna it shouldn't be a close call - he should stay. Bora is for sure motivated to give him a good salary and all other big teams would chain him into a pure support rider. I could only see Quick Step as quite logical but Bora has for sure the deeper pockets.

The Bora Team for Suisse is really loaded if Procycling is correct: Vlasov, Higuita, Großschartner, Schachmann. Will be an interesting race against Remco and a strong Ineos squad.

I also suspect (and expect) a change of plans for the Vuelta for Bora. The should try to bring a second leader besides Higuita and give them a decent supporting cast that can limit the gaps in the TTT and brings some real mountain support. The Vuelta was more of a development race in the last years, but I don't know if you can defend that choice when you look at the results from the GC Guys. They also can't staff all strong guys into the TdF and why only let the strong GT riders only ride one GT per year?

I would say Higuita+ Hindley (as leader), Buchmann or Kelderman (as BackUp leader/mountain domestiques) with a couple out of Mullen, Haller, Pöstlberger or Gamper (depending on Tour choices). and then some additional climby boys like Zwiehoff, Fabbro,Kämna, Konrad, Großschartner. I mean what races should all those guys go to in the autumn? The can't end their season mid August and Bora can't send everyone to the Deutschland Tour, Pologne and the Italian classics. Just go for the next GT even if the field is stronger then. That leaves no place for Wandahl, Palzer, Meuus or Walls in the squad but it's not like their results warrant a GT spot. The same could be very well true for Pösti and Fabbro if thea don't show any form until august.

 

[Earns1985]

The situation is way worse for Buchmann who could even think. about leavin if he isn't able to get a GT leader role at Bora anymore.

He had the freedom to go for his own result at the giro without having to work a lot for Hindley. It´s a german team, so it will all depend on his form and his level in the future, if he can ride on his own in future GC´s. I don´t think that he will switch the team, but it´s my personal view on that...

For the Vuelta line-up it will depend a lot first on the tour line-up. Denk said a few days ago, that Kämna will perhaps also go stage hunting at the tour in the same role like in the giro. Then he wouldn't be an option for the vuelta anymore. Konrad and Großsschartner are also likely for the tour. I think Palzer will ride the vuelta.

 

[Sciatic]

They have become a powerhouse in any races were the road tilts upward.

 

[Faserr]

Short and good documentary about the win.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpMAyxv9zZ0

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Sam Bennett will have to be fast and go full-gas within the next few weeks, to earn his spot in Bora‘s Tour line-up…

In Giro, it was all about 100% for the final GC for the team. In the Tour, it‘s four man team for Vlasov, four man team for Bennett. In the Vuelta, it‘s half team for Higuita, half team for breakaway or sprint stage wins.

If Bennett doesn‘t improve, I could imagine that Ralph does what he did to Ackermann last year, and exclude Bennett from the Tour squad. Then it could be half team for Vlasov, half team consisting of breakaway specialists like Kämna, Politt, Schachmann, Konrad or Pöstlberger.