The most hyped rider in the off season only to not perform for season 2012 is ?

[Panda Claws]

I predict the sucking of both Renshaw and Kittel

 

[taiwan]

I agree that Renshaw's overrated, but I think if Rabobank make him #1 sprinter we'll still see a lot of him, and he'll be in a similar position to Bennati.

Kittel I don't expect to suck - he just showed too much for his season to have been a fluke. He already has a GT stage for instance. And his team will be stronger next year, and his schedule more ambitious.

I'm worried that Guardini will suck.

 

[theyoungest]

I agree that Renshaw's overrated, but I think if Rabobank make him #1 sprinter we'll still see a lot of him, and he'll be in a similar position to Bennati.

With a leadout by Theo Bos?

Kittel is too good to be mentioned in this topic, I think. How can he be overrated, he won a gazillion races in his first season. And most of them against pretty decent competition.

 

[taiwan]

With a leadout by Theo Bos?

Kittel is too good to be mentioned in this topic, I think. How can he be overrated, he won a gazillion races in his first season. And most of them against pretty decent competition.

It will be interesting to see how that Bos-Renshaw partnership plays out particularly with Bos cominig off a good season. It seems smart to have them swap around at least rather than have Renshaw as sole leader.

 

[ultimobici]

If there is any justice, Valverde will fail miserably and underline for all to see that CONI were right all along.

As for Gilbert, he's not hyped at all.

Definition of hype

Noun:
Extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion.
A hypodermic needle or injection.
Verb:
Promote or publicize (a product or idea) intensively, often exaggerating its importance or benefits.
Stimulate or excite (someone): "I was hyped up because I wanted to do well".

His reputation is based on actual achievement not exaggeration at all. he may well fail to surpass or even equal this season. As long as he doesn't pull a Cancellara and blame others for his failure he'll be fine.

 

[taiwan]

Froome, Vanendert.

 

[theyoungest]

It will be interesting to see how that Bos-Renshaw partnership plays out particularly with Bos cominig off a good season. It seems smart to have them swap around at least rather than have Renshaw as sole leader.

Bos is currently recovering from surgery on a leg artery, so he'll have a quiet spring (i.e. a nonexistent one). In the Giro we'll see how the Bos-Renshaw combo works out.

 

[greenedge]

I predict the sucking of both Renshaw and Kittel

Kittel is not being hyped up so much though, i hope Guarrdini does not as well.

 

[Ryaguas]

Sagan... Yeah... I'll take the shot...
Sagan wont have a good year... He will win but nothing big nor important...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It will be interesting to see how that Bos-Renshaw partnership plays out particularly with Bos cominig off a good season. It seems smart to have them swap around at least rather than have Renshaw as sole leader.

bos more then renshaw would benefit from an organized train imo.
Bos is very very quick, he just lacks so many other things that make a good sprinter

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

If there is any justice, Valverde will fail miserably and underline for all to see that CONI were right all along.

And here I thought "justice" had already been served.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I'm worried that Guardini will suck.

I disagree. I think Guardini is at least as fast as Kittel but obviously has some problems getting over hills og even bumps in the road.

Looking at Guardinis most impressive victory this season, he at least beat a more impressive field:

Tour of Turkey stage 7:

1. Guardini
2. Van Hummel
3. Farrar
4. Greipel
5. Petacchi

 

[El Pistolero]

I disagree. I think Guardini is at least as fast as Kittel but obviously has some problems getting over hills og even bumps in the road.

Looking at Guardinis most impressive victory this season, he at least beat a more impressive field:

Tour of Turkey stage 7:

1. Guardini
2. Van Hummel
3. Farrar
4. Greipel
5. Petacchi

I doubt anyone was peaking for the Tour of Turkey though. Van Hummel getting second says it all.

 

[taiwan]

I disagree. I think Guardini is at least as fast as Kittel but obviously has some problems getting over hills og even bumps in the road.

Looking at Guardinis most impressive victory this season, he at least beat a more impressive field:

Tour of Turkey stage 7:

1. Guardini
2. Van Hummel
3. Farrar
4. Greipel
5. Petacchi

Yeah It's just that Kittel had more results to consider, and results in more significant races. One plus for Guardini though is that he'll have Pozzato on the team, and I believe Pippo's presence has been of bemefit to young sprinters before, on Katusha.

 

[Ripper]

Is Schleck hyped? I mean, we always hear about him, but he wins very, very little

 

[greenedge]

I wonder if next year RF shall improve his positioning with Van Hummel ( maybe leading him out ). Bozic used to but now can't as he is at Astana and De Gendt could be like Eisel/ Goss for Roman.

 

[Swede1]

I think Valverde will do pretty well for a first season back, but I doubt he will be winning big classics. He will hopefully win some hilly/mountain stages in maybe Paris-Nice or Basque country, but I wouldn't count on a liege win. I really wan't him to surprise and kick ***. I've read he has been training hard the entire time so you never know...

 

[greenedge]

I think with Costa and Visconti he can be considered a favourite at most of the Ardennes races. However he would need to get up to speed quickly which i don't know whether he can do. I expect to see him do well at the TDF ( maybe winning a stage ) and then being good in the latter part of the year. I would love to see him and Sagan compete against each other.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think with Costa and Visconti he can be considered a favourite at most of the Ardennes races. However he would need to get up to speed quickly which i don't know whether he can do. I expect to see him do well at the TDF ( maybe winning a stage ) and then being good in the latter part of the year. I would love to see him and Sagan compete against each other.

Costa has yet to prove anything at the Ardennes and Visconti sucks at them.

 

[Old School]

Evans and Andy

 

[just some guy]

I think with Costa and Visconti he can be considered a favourite at most of the Ardennes races. However he would need to get up to speed quickly which i don't know whether he can do. I expect to see him do well at the TDF ( maybe winning a stage ) and then being good in the latter part of the year. I would love to see him and Sagan compete against each other.

Do you mean they will help Valverde so therefore more chance of success or they will have success as riders themselves

1st idea - maybe but ardennes are like sprint stages ( except L-B-L ) but more relent on the individual AND 2nd idea - Nope although Costa could do ok - well I would like him too but I think he will get schooled net year

 

[La Pandera]

Is Schleck hyped? I mean, we always hear about him, but he wins very, very little

Without a doubt. Of course he's talented but if look at the ratio of articles on him to the number of wins that he has, you will see that he's being slammed down our throats. CN seems to have at least one or 2 articles a week on him or him and his brother. The latest interview included the comical quote in reference to the Tour: "If in the end I finish second in the gc, then I will have lost." OOOkay, thanks for clearing that up for us Andy!

 

[La Pandera]

I think Valverde will do pretty well for a first season back, but I doubt he will be winning big classics. He will hopefully win some hilly/mountain stages in maybe Paris-Nice or Basque country, but I wouldn't count on a liege win. I really wan't him to surprise and kick ***. I've read he has been training hard the entire time so you never know...

I hope he does well also but all the training in the world won't simulate the actual race scenario. I think it'll take him to at least the Tour or the latter part of the season to get fully reacclimated into the peloton.

 

[Parrulo]

Costa has yet to prove anything at the Ardennes and Visconti sucks at them.

one thing is for sure, he is very confident regarding his chances in the future, and i agree with you he is yet to really prove something on a monument so far but his performance in montreal showed a good rider that can win even when he isn't the strongest by being smart so i think he may be able to get a nice placing around the top 10 if he is in good form and the races goes well for him (as in no need to kill himself for valverde 50k away from the finish)

btw i still don't see how he is hyped. . . people say he may do well in the ardennes in the future and he has a stage in in a hilly stage of the tour and a win on a hilly one day race(can we call the canadian one day races semi classics?) and he just turned 25 so i don't see how that is hyping him.

imo hyping some1 is what people did to richie porte

 

[theyoungest]

one thing is for sure, he is very confident regarding his chances in the future, and i agree with you he is yet to really prove something on a monument so far but his performance in montreal showed a good rider that can win even when he isn't the strongest by being smart so i think he may be able to get a nice placing around the top 10 if he is in good form and the races goes well for him (as in no need to kill himself for valverde 50k away from the finish)

He took that win by not working in the break, a break that was simply allowed up the road in the first place, and outsprinting his breakaway companions, the Ardennes cracks Fedrigo and Denifl, ahead of a group of about 50 riders, in a 200 km race. How that should translate to an immediate good performance in the Ardennes is beyond me. Just ask the great Ardennes rider Gesink.