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Teams & Riders The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

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I think going to the Vuelta is the clearly better idea. Being the co leader of the strongest team in the biggest race at age 21 might be too much. Not only physically but also mentally.
Still, let's not get carried away. You know how old Andy Scheck was when he got 2nd in the giro? 21, just like Bernal now, and we all know how that turned out. That said, Bernal doesn't have obvious weaknesses like Schleck (TT'ing, descending), but climbs as well as him so if Bernal ever reaches the climbing shape Schleck had around 2010 that might already be enough to become a multiple tdf winner.
 
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This kid is the biggest talent I've seen in cycling since Andy Schleck came around.
I couldn't really believe his time in the MTT at first, it didn't really make sense.
Hopefully Sky will manage him well in the next few years. Cycling needs a rider like him for as long as possible.
 
Gigs_98 said:
I think going to the Vuelta is the clearly better idea. Being the co leader of the strongest team in the biggest race at age 21 might be too much. Not only physically but also mentally.
Still, let's not get carried away. You know how old Andy Scheck was when he got 2nd in the giro? 21, just like Bernal now, and we all know how that turned out. That said, Bernal doesn't have obvious weaknesses like Schleck (TT'ing, descending), but climbs as well as him so if Bernal ever reaches the climbing shape Schleck had around 2010 that might already be enough to become a multiple tdf winner.
Exactly, Schleck had some OBVIOUS weaknesses which really hampered him. Bernal doesn't really seem to have that. On top of that the mental aspect wasn't on top as well, he was kinda fragile.
 
Valv.Piti said:
Gigs_98 said:
I think going to the Vuelta is the clearly better idea. Being the co leader of the strongest team in the biggest race at age 21 might be too much. Not only physically but also mentally.
Still, let's not get carried away. You know how old Andy Scheck was when he got 2nd in the giro? 21, just like Bernal now, and we all know how that turned out. That said, Bernal doesn't have obvious weaknesses like Schleck (TT'ing, descending), but climbs as well as him so if Bernal ever reaches the climbing shape Schleck had around 2010 that might already be enough to become a multiple tdf winner.
Exactly, Schleck had some OBVIOUS weaknesses which really hampered him. Bernal doesn't really seem to have that. On top of that the mental aspect wasn't on top as well, he was kinda fragile.
But we don't really know how Bernal handles the mental pressure to perform every day for three weeks in a Grand Tour as a team leader, do we? Not even mentioning the recovery factor. i mean, how should we know by bow? He's never done a GT. If he podiums la Vuelta he could be considered equally talented to Andy, but even that wouldn't make him the next world beater as we very much know by the Luxembourger's case. All by it's time.
 
He doesn't seem to have that.

Obviously, we don't know how he tackles the mental pressure, how he by the first hard and stressfull week, how well he recovers etc., but everything points toward him being incredibly complete considering he is 21 years old and has the build of a pure climber. Time will tell, but what fun is a forum without hyping and sometimes overhyping prospects? And I don't really think we are doing the latter - what he has shown this year is next level stuff I have never seen before.
 
Yeah, this is all getting a bit out of hand. We're talking about a 21 y/o kid who is barely in his 3rd year of actual proper, organised road cycling. Let him have fun, let him enjoy this whole thing and let him figure himself out. Not even Egan himself knows where his limits might be. I'm glad that he has that mindset right now. It's all about learning, getting better and not about results.
 
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Dekker_Tifosi said:
I don't know, how will bernal do in a 40km flat ITT? This was an MTT after all
He was very, very mediocre in flat ITT's with Androni, but Sky have already adjusted his TT-position massively (I've posted a pic somewhere in this thread). Since, he's become Colombian national champion on a course that was as flat as they come and thus heavily in favour of the big engines like Omar Mendoza and Walter Vargas. Walter Vargas finished at 0:31 and he put Omar Mendoza on a minute.

Funny thing about that time trial in the national championships is; Egan thought he was awful and he kept looking behind to see if he was about to be overtaken.
 
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DNP-Old said:
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Gigs_98 said:
I think going to the Vuelta is the clearly better idea. Being the co leader of the strongest team in the biggest race at age 21 might be too much. Not only physically but also mentally.
Still, let's not get carried away. You know how old Andy Scheck was when he got 2nd in the giro? 21, just like Bernal now, and we all know how that turned out. That said, Bernal doesn't have obvious weaknesses like Schleck (TT'ing, descending), but climbs as well as him so if Bernal ever reaches the climbing shape Schleck had around 2010 that might already be enough to become a multiple tdf winner.

Using the template that Discovery used with Contador in 2007, they brought him along as "option X", with the dynamic and exciting Levi Leipheimer as the gc leader. There was no pressure on Contador at the time. He was there just to see what he could do, I believe with the intention of yanking him should he tire but of course, we know that didn't happen until the final mountain stage, fortunately not in spectacular fashion.

Although it would be interesting and quite entertaining, I really doubt that Sky would take the chance of adding to the drama of this season, by bringing Bernal along, potentially creating a situation where their current embattled champion is challenged by the young upstart, who is obviously being groomed as his successor.
 
Sestriere said:
Valv.Piti said:
Gigs_98 said:
I think going to the Vuelta is the clearly better idea. Being the co leader of the strongest team in the biggest race at age 21 might be too much. Not only physically but also mentally.
Still, let's not get carried away. You know how old Andy Scheck was when he got 2nd in the giro? 21, just like Bernal now, and we all know how that turned out. That said, Bernal doesn't have obvious weaknesses like Schleck (TT'ing, descending), but climbs as well as him so if Bernal ever reaches the climbing shape Schleck had around 2010 that might already be enough to become a multiple tdf winner.
Exactly, Schleck had some OBVIOUS weaknesses which really hampered him. Bernal doesn't really seem to have that. On top of that the mental aspect wasn't on top as well, he was kinda fragile.
But we don't really know how Bernal handles the mental pressure to perform every day for three weeks in a Grand Tour as a team leader, do we? Not even mentioning the recovery factor. i mean, how should we know by bow? He's never done a GT. If he podiums la Vuelta he could be considered equally talented to Andy, but even that wouldn't make him the next world beater as we very much know by the Luxembourger's case. All by it's time.
We love to hype riders in this forum. But honestly you are right. There are still several unknowns for this kid that we need to find out.
 

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