• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

The Owain Doull thread

May 31, 2016
12
0
0
Visit site
Perhaps a little premature but what does everyone feel about Doull's future on the road? Wiggins compared him to Geraint Thomas after the Team Pursuit but is that fair?
 
No, Doull sprints, Thomas doesn't. Doull cannot (and unless another G transformation takes place) will never climb with the best or do long YRs with the best. He will however feature in races like Amstel and maybe Ronde if he can handle the distance and the cobbles - last year's Tour of Britain suggests the distance isn't a problem, so maybe Milan San Remo is another target. He is a similar road rider to Coqaurd, who also graduated on the track. Or maybe a less good Gaviria.
 
Re:

Brullnux said:
No, Doull sprints, Thomas doesn't. Doull cannot (and unless another G transformation takes place) will never climb with the best or do long YRs with the best. He will however feature in races like Amstel and maybe Ronde if he can handle the distance and the cobbles - last year's Tour of Britain suggests the distance isn't a problem, so maybe Milan San Remo is another target. He is a similar road rider to Coqaurd, who also graduated on the track. Or maybe a less good Gaviria.

I agree about Doull, but not Thomas. How can the winner of the 2013 Tour Down Under sprints jersey not sprint? Terrible slander.
 
Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
Brullnux said:
No, Doull sprints, Thomas doesn't. Doull cannot (and unless another G transformation takes place) will never climb with the best or do long YRs with the best. He will however feature in races like Amstel and maybe Ronde if he can handle the distance and the cobbles - last year's Tour of Britain suggests the distance isn't a problem, so maybe Milan San Remo is another target. He is a similar road rider to Coqaurd, who also graduated on the track. Or maybe a less good Gaviria.

I agree about Doull, but not Thomas. How can the winner of the 2013 Tour Down Under sprints jersey not sprint? Terrible slander.

He was still track heavy, why he lost the GC.
 
Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
Brullnux said:
No, Doull sprints, Thomas doesn't. Doull cannot (and unless another G transformation takes place) will never climb with the best or do long YRs with the best. He will however feature in races like Amstel and maybe Ronde if he can handle the distance and the cobbles - last year's Tour of Britain suggests the distance isn't a problem, so maybe Milan San Remo is another target. He is a similar road rider to Coqaurd, who also graduated on the track. Or maybe a less good Gaviria.

I agree about Doull, but not Thomas. How can the winner of the 2013 Tour Down Under sprints jersey not sprint? Terrible slander.

He won one sprint ahead of Hermans and Javier Moreno, came 4th in an uphill sprint ahead of Visconti (only real 'sprinter' of note); his only flat sprint was 6th, which is very impressive, but by sprint I meant challenge for the win on flat roads, something Thomas doesn't do, and hasn't really done in the past.

Edit: he once had an impressive Omloop sprint, but that's the only one I can remember. He once lost a sprint to Sagan and Oss at E3, and lost out to Sagan and Terpstra in 2014, but he beat the mighty Vanderbergh.