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The Patrick Lefevere Depreciation Thread

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Ooh, interesting move... who will win, Patrick Lefevere... Magnus Carlsen...?
I don't know who will win but it's looking kind of obvious who is losing. Cyclingnews saying @40+ riders wo a contract and big title sponsors as always not plentiful. The move to ditch one for the other is shortsighted in my opinion..I know that Alpecin is a good fit , but I think that the sudden shift to woman's parity could have sponsors underwhelmed when they see the actual participation and interest in women's racing on scale..
Lefevere is old, and he looks to be thinking outside the box..I have scale questions about women's Tour dFrance..old school kermesse logic says you have a race of a secondary group using the standing resources. So in both sexes TDF..the barriers,podium,cameras, helicopters already at the ready for the mens race in July..is there money and fan support,advertising appetite for a completely separate set up for women? Before or after the July men's competition? I am curious to see what a stand alone women's TDF will look like
I don't see how premier stage race events can exist separately for men and women..the teams? If it looks like women's raw now..6-8 Dutch women,everyone else..where does Lefevere or anyone else get 6-8 teams a depth of female racers that can contest classics and stage races? I would love to see it sure, but I don't know that the product is available.
I am wondering if his visions of the future may actually dilute the talent pool further.I am sure he knows a hell of a lot more about getting and keeping a pro team funded and viable and w women's racing nobody is going to know until it's tried..but it looks like a super long shot to me. I wish him luck..
I hope more sponsors come soon,I don't care the reason.
I know for sure if they are looking for a deep female talent pool in the United States, look elsewhere. We have great,fast female racers just not many of them..
 
I don't follow cycling for old men saying moronic things in the press and wouldn't think the sport was boring without it.

If I would, I would probably not follow the sport in the first place.

I like that there are different characters in a sport. Even characters I do not like. It makes it more interesting for me to follow the sport.

Lefevre is a guy who I don’t like personally, but who has made the sport more interesting over the past decades. So in that regard I am happy there we have a Lefevre in cycling.
 
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I like that there are different characters in a sport. Even characters I do not like. It makes it more interesting for me to follow the sport.

Lefevre is a guy who I don’t like personally, but who has made the sport more interesting over the past decades. So in that regard I am happy there we have a Lefevre in cycling.
Agreed, there are already plenty of Lefevere's in football.
 
By moonlight we ride
Ten thousand side by side
Sound the charge
Into glory ride
Over the top of their vanquished pride
275811681_1012297073018251_479830294570503454_n.png
 
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Maybe he thinks more team building. Afterall Vuelta teams are often b-teams, or c-teams. TdF no room for those teams, even UAE needs to think things very carefully. Top leaded JV is so high reference for any team atm.

If Remco gets through Vuelta alive and kicking it's a super boost for his overall endurance. Add quality training season and Giro + Vuelta next year, it's a killer deal to enter TdF 2024. :cool:
 
Apparently, Lefevere doesn't want Remco to do the Tour next year because reasons.
He's said this a few times, but he's also repeatedly said that this isn't set in stone and just his personal preference. They will discuss this with Evenepoel, with the trainers and the other managers. He would like him to go from Vuelta to Giro to Tour as main objectives.

Maybe he does want to improve the team first before tackling the TDF. Though i don't think they'd need to be the strongest team, making the race. But if they want to take a sprinter + leadout to the Tour, then the support cast of Evenepoel does indeed have to be better. Not only is it the Tour, but also you lose 2 or 3 dedicated domestiques by taking Jakobsen instead. So the overall level of climbing domestiques would need to be better.
 
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He's said this a few times, but he's also repeatedly said that this isn't set in stone and just his personal preference. They will discuss this with Evenepoel, with the trainers and the other managers. He would like him to go from Vuelta to Giro to Tour as main objectives.

Maybe he does want to improve the team first before tackling the TDF. Though i don't think they'd need to be the strongest team, making the race. But if they want to take a sprinter + leadout to the Tour, then the support cast of Evenepoel does indeed have to be better. Not only is it the Tour, but also you lose 2 or 3 dedicated domestiques by taking Jakobsen instead. So the overall level of climbing domestiques would need to be better.

Do you reckon Jan Hirt is an astute signing?
 
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If you take a sprinter to TdF in the first place, don't bring Evenepoel. That wouldn't really be a serious strategy when you have Alaphlippe on top of that.

I'd personally tell Fabio Jacobsen to get used to race in Italy, while Merlier can try to improve of his Vuelta next year and bring a dedicated team + Alaphilippe stage hunting to support Remco.

But it will depend on the routes, of course. How many sprints? How much time trialing?
 

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