The Caleb Ewan vs. Fernando Gaviria Thread

[dirkprovin]

Re: Re:

What a great day - The peleton was split in the neutral zone - Think a few riders could have gone with the move but waited thinking the race would come back together again - I expect the sprint stage to be a more sedate affair - Orica should win many points with Ewan, Edmondson and Kluge and even Docker could win points.

They very well could as it seems they've picked a squad well suited; however I see a number of teams who weren't really at today's party being far more involved let alone QST & Postal giving them licence to have it their own way.

Come on, Ewan is one of the 2/3 best crit racers in the world. He's going to be in the thick of things.

I completely agree that crits are Ewan's optimal racing discipline. As to where he may rate on an international scale is purely subjective due to crits not being a major part of international racing PLUS the bulk of said crit wins come from racing domestically in AUS when he's arguably at his peak.

Fully expect Orica (today's line-up Ewan, Kluge, Edmondson, Docker & Hepburn) to be peak players in today's racing but neither am I expecting the likes of Quick-Step, UK Postal & maybe a few other teams to just roll-over and let Orica boss the show. Orica will be needing to get Ewan into clear air at the points sprints because if it gets mano on mano biff n barge, he's majorly disadvantaged.

 

[Gigs_98]

Todays race showed once again that people shouldn't claim Gaviria is lightyears ahead of Ewan too early. He was by far the strongest sprinter today and if he had won this, Ewan would have been in a whole new league palmares wise. People can't stop writing about how talented Gaviria is, how he is the next big thing in classics and as strong as sagan, but in fact the only way he has won races so far is winning bunch sprints
Tbh I also think Gaviria is the more talented cyclist but so far this thread is not like the Sagan vs. EBH thread yet which seems ridiculous nowadays. Just the fact that Ewan has basically been bashed in this forum for two years now makes me root for him.

 

[yaco]

Think Ewan is riding Panne next Wednesday - He needs to learn to ride on cobbles to give him more opportunities - As an example if he could ride on cobbles he could have featured in KBK, because he climbs better than Groenewegen - Anyway he'll get his chance to win a stage in the TDF, especially one's that have a kick in the end.

 

[tobydawq]

I think he is way too small to be good on cobbles. It has been looking quite pathetic when he has ridden on them previously.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

I think he is way too small to be good on cobbles. It has been looking quite pathetic when he has ridden on them previously.

Yeah, his size makes it pretty difficult for him to ever be successful in cobbles classics. He'd either need to drastically gain weight (and I don't know if a rider as small as him can gain enough weight to be competitive on cobbles without losing power as a sprinter) or a very very easy edition of KBK.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

I think he is way too small to be good on cobbles. It has been looking quite pathetic when he has ridden on them previously.

Yeah, his size makes it pretty difficult for him to ever be successful in cobbles classics. He'd either need to drastically gain weight (and I don't know if a rider as small as him can gain enough weight to be competitive on cobbles without losing power as a sprinter) or a very very easy edition of KBK.

He could win the Scheldeprijs, but tbh those aren’t truly cobbles.

 

[The Hegelian]

Todays race showed once again that people shouldn't claim Gaviria is lightyears ahead of Ewan too early. He was by far the strongest sprinter today and if he had won this, Ewan would have been in a whole new league palmares wise. People can't stop writing about how talented Gaviria is, how he is the next big thing in classics and as strong as sagan, but in fact the only way he has won races so far is winning bunch sprints
Tbh I also think Gaviria is the more talented cyclist but so far this thread is not like the Sagan vs. EBH thread yet which seems ridiculous nowadays. Just the fact that Ewan has basically been bashed in this forum for two years now makes me root for him.

Gaviria won Paris-Tours with a late attack....which kind of made everyone (me included) think: woah - this guy is the next superstar!

But on the whole I agree - Ewan has been progressing pretty nicely. To sprint that well against the very best at the end of MSR speaks for itself.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Re: Re:

I think he is way too small to be good on cobbles. It has been looking quite pathetic when he has ridden on them previously.

Yeah, his size makes it pretty difficult for him to ever be successful in cobbles classics. He'd either need to drastically gain weight (and I don't know if a rider as small as him can gain enough weight to be competitive on cobbles without losing power as a sprinter) or a very very easy edition of KBK.

He could win the Scheldeprijs, but tbh those aren’t truly cobbles.

Don't think GreenEdge have ever done that race so will be interesting to see if they do it this year

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

I think he is way too small to be good on cobbles. It has been looking quite pathetic when he has ridden on them previously.

Yeah, cobbles require both bike handling skills and a certain physical mass to ride them with the very best. No matter how good he gets at the handling part, he’s still going to get bounced around on serious cobbles.

 

[jaylew]

Todays race showed once again that people shouldn't claim Gaviria is lightyears ahead of Ewan too early. He was by far the strongest sprinter today and if he had won this, Ewan would have been in a whole new league palmares wise. People can't stop writing about how talented Gaviria is, how he is the next big thing in classics and as strong as sagan, but in fact the only way he has won races so far is winning bunch sprints
Tbh I also think Gaviria is the more talented cyclist but so far this thread is not like the Sagan vs. EBH thread yet which seems ridiculous nowadays. Just the fact that Ewan has basically been bashed in this forum for two years now makes me root for him.

This. While I'm glad Nibali stayed away, a Ewan win would have been worth it to see dirkprovin's negative posts about Ewan even more disproved. Anyway, props to him. He blew away the rest of the field in the sprint.

 

[yaco]

Ewan is out of contract at the end of 2018 - The common view in the cycling fraternity and from CYCLING advisers is he will sign for a new team - My understanding is at this stage he will stay at MS - Even though the team may attract Asian sponsorship, they are still mindful to have an Aussie key rider - Anyway Ewan must win a stage at this years TDF, seeing the team will be built around him.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

So for all the rubbish that some people have posted about Ewan, he has 2 GT stages and has finished 2nd at a monument by the age of 23. Awful, how does he have a world tour contract :lol:

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

Ewan is out of contract at the end of 2018 - The common view in the cycling fraternity and from CYCLING advisers is he will sign for a new team - My understanding is at this stage he will stay at MS - Even though the team may attract Asian sponsorship, they are still mindful to have an Aussie key rider - Anyway Ewan must win a stage at this years TDF, seeing the team will be built around him.

You do realize he's half Korean, right?

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Ewan is out of contract at the end of 2018 - The common view in the cycling fraternity and from CYCLING advisers is he will sign for a new team - My understanding is at this stage he will stay at MS - Even though the team may attract Asian sponsorship, they are still mindful to have an Aussie key rider - Anyway Ewan must win a stage at this years TDF, seeing the team will be built around him.

You do realize he's half Korean, right?

Of course I realise Ewan has a Korean parent, yet he has an Australian passport and racing licence - MS is searching for sponsors as Gerry Ryan can't bankroll the team forever - Besides Ewan being ready to ride the TDF, it's the shop-front race on the UCI calendar, so attracts plenty of interest and having an Australian team leader winning a stage may be attractive for sponsors.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

So for all the rubbish that some people have posted about Ewan, he has 2 GT stages and has finished 2nd at a monument by the age of 23. Awful, how does he have a world tour contract :lol:

Yeah it's funny when some fans write a rider off before his career has barely started. To me he has a lot of improvement left in him. See how he's going in three years or so.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Todays race showed once again that people shouldn't claim Gaviria is lightyears ahead of Ewan too early. He was by far the strongest sprinter today and if he had won this, Ewan would have been in a whole new league palmares wise. People can't stop writing about how talented Gaviria is, how he is the next big thing in classics and as strong as sagan, but in fact the only way he has won races so far is winning bunch sprints
Tbh I also think Gaviria is the more talented cyclist but so far this thread is not like the Sagan vs. EBH thread yet which seems ridiculous nowadays. Just the fact that Ewan has basically been bashed in this forum for two years now makes me root for him.

This. While I'm glad Nibali stayed away, a Ewan win would have been worth it to see dirkprovin's negative posts about Ewan even more disproved. Anyway, props to him. He blew away the rest of the field in the sprint.

To be fair, Mr Provan has always said that if they soft-pedalled the Poggio like a no-drop group ride, that Caleb could be thereabouts

 

[jaylew]

Todays race showed once again that people shouldn't claim Gaviria is lightyears ahead of Ewan too early. He was by far the strongest sprinter today and if he had won this, Ewan would have been in a whole new league palmares wise. People can't stop writing about how talented Gaviria is, how he is the next big thing in classics and as strong as sagan, but in fact the only way he has won races so far is winning bunch sprints
Tbh I also think Gaviria is the more talented cyclist but so far this thread is not like the Sagan vs. EBH thread yet which seems ridiculous nowadays. Just the fact that Ewan has basically been bashed in this forum for two years now makes me root for him.

This. While I'm glad Nibali stayed away, a Ewan win would have been worth it to see dirkprovin's negative posts about Ewan even more disproved. Anyway, props to him. He blew away the rest of the field in the sprint.

To be fair, Mr Provan has always said that if they soft-pedalled the Poggio like a no-drop group ride, that Caleb could be thereabouts

Well, they didn't. And only 19 finished on the same time, only 37 finished within 30" and half the field finished 10 minutes back so he's certainly more than a crit rider.

 

[yaco]

And the 2017 edition climb over the Poggio and Cipressa were in the top 3 fastest time ever recorded in MSR, while this year it was more sedate.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

So for all the rubbish that some people have posted about Ewan, he has 2 GT stages and has finished 2nd at a monument by the age of 23. Awful, how does he have a world tour contract :lol:

Yeah it's funny when some fans write a rider off before his career has barely started. To me he has a lot of improvement left in him. See how he's going in three years or so.

Agreed. The daylight he put between himself and the other sprinters at MSR was impressive. He will only improve.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I too was extremely impressed by Ewan, so much that despite the excitement about Nibali achieving the impossible, I couldn't help but feel bad for Ewan. However with what he showed on Saturday I'm sure he'll get many more opportunities to win this race.

 

[liamito]

Re:

Think Ewan is riding Panne next Wednesday - He needs to learn to ride on cobbles to give him more opportunities - As an example if he could ride on cobbles he could have featured in KBK, because he climbs better than Groenewegen - Anyway he'll get his chance to win a stage in the TDF, especially one's that have a kick in the end.

He is not in the team for Panne. :Neutral: So now a break until California? That's a looooong time off.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Think Ewan is riding Panne next Wednesday - He needs to learn to ride on cobbles to give him more opportunities - As an example if he could ride on cobbles he could have featured in KBK, because he climbs better than Groenewegen - Anyway he'll get his chance to win a stage in the TDF, especially one's that have a kick in the end.

He is not in the team for Panne. :Neutral: So now a break until California? That's a looooong time off.

There has been some illness in the team and therefore re-juggling of schedules - The plan is for Ewan to practice riding on cobbles to prepare for the cobbled stage at the TDF and to have Hayman as his guardian - Unfortunately Hayman is sick. Have no idea when Ewan will next race.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Why in the world would you prepare yourself for the cobbles in the TdF as a sprinter without any chance of winning it? That really makes no sense to me.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Why in the world would you prepare yourself for the cobbles in the TdF as a sprinter without any chance of winning it? That really makes no sense to me.

Because he needs to improve on cobbles to give him more options as a racer - And there is no harm in practising and hope he gets to the final in the cobbled stage - Ewan's job is to win a stage at the TDF and do a role in the TTT.

 

[Scarponi]

To me and I know a lot will
Disagree but People hate on Ewan because he Australian vs the almost sickening love for riders from Colombia and Portugal
On here. Zero reason why a 23 year cops the crap he does on here and the love for the exact same rider from Colombia is over earned