Thomas de Gendt Discussion Thread

[maxmartin]

First time racing for GC very impressive, had a very good chance to make top 6

Already very decent at long TT, how much can he improve on climbing ability? Can we expect a future GT winner from Belgium?

 

[CasperVg]

He's good, but apparently dislikes riding in a peleton. Never learned how to do that succesfully during his junior/espoir days apparently. So, he'll probably crash out of most GTs he'll be riding in his carreer.

 

[maxmartin]

But he never race for GC before, this is the first time he is racing for GC and kinda missed his attacks

He's good, but apparently dislikes riding in a peleton. Never learned how to do that succesfully during his junior/espoir days apparently. So, he'll probably crash out of most GTs he'll be riding in his carreer.

 

[Lexman]

Notice he didn't come to race for GC in il Giro he just watned to take it day by day, he prepares for La Vuelta.

I think he's very lucky the climbers don't attack too early, if there are some Andy S. or Alberto C. who attack from way earlier than the others he'll lose more time.

I'm curious for his ITT chances after going deep for GC, his ITT in the TDF at the end but he didn't go as deep before...

hope he hangs on tomorrow

a future GC winner : not really or he must improve BIG in ITT and climbs...

 

[maxmartin]

Prepare for vuelta?? Nobody uses giro to prepare for vuelta that just doesn't make any sense and there are too many climbs in this year vuelta.

Before the Giro starts, in several interviews he said very clearly he is here racing for GC for the first time in grand tour.

Notice he didn't come to race for GC in il Giro he just watned to take it day by day, he prepares for La Vuelta.

I think he's very lucky the climbers don't attack too early, if there are some Andy S. or Alberto C. who attack from way earlier than the others he'll lose more time.

I'm curious for his ITT chances after going deep for GC, his ITT in the TDF at the end but he didn't go as deep before...

hope he hangs on tomorrow

a future GC winner : not really or he must improve BIG in ITT and climbs...

 

[hrotha]

Prepare for vuelta?? Nobody uses giro to prepare for vuelta that just doesn't make any sense and there are too many climbs in this year vuelta.

Before the Giro starts, in several interviews he said very clearly he is here racing for GC for the first time in grand tour.

He's not riding the Giro to prepare for the Vuelta, but he's using it to gauge his GC potential. He planned to prepare specificially for the Vuelta GC if the Giro test was satisfactory.

 

[theyoungest]

The Tour should actually be the perfect GT for him (good TT, good on power climbs, not great on steep climbs). So maybe he'll contend for the Tour win

I think he has more natural talent than Jurgen VDB, that's for sure.

 

[maxmartin]

Agree, i think if he really wants to target GC, the rout like this year TOF is good for him, this year vuelta is booked for pure climbers. Maybe he really wants to test and improve his climbing ability.

The Tour should actually be the perfect GT for him (good TT, good on power climbs, not great on steep climbs). So maybe he'll contend for the Tour win

I think he has more natural talent than Jurgen VDB, that's for sure.

 

[theyoungest]

The main (only) reason he's riding Giro and Vuelta, and not the Tour, is that he's getting married on the day of the prologue in Liege. Not because he wanted to improve his climbing or something.

 

[maxmartin]

thanks for the info, did not know that.

The main (only) reason he's riding Giro and Vuelta, and not the Tour, is that he's getting married on the day of the prologue in Liege. Not because he wanted to improve his climbing or something.

 

[FujiAnton]

I'm impressed with him, very regular so far. I think he can improve a lot his climbing if he loses around 4 kg, he seems to have big engine.

 

[Sylvester]

Definitely a lot of GC potential, that's for sure. I didn't expect this at all, to be honest.

 

[cineteq]

Is it true he's a better rider because he stopped eating sausages?

 

[maxmartin]

lol i heard the same thing that he eats a lot and never really pay attention to his weight

Is it true he's a better rider because he stopped eating sausages?

 

[maxmartin]

Hope Thomas can do a very good job on stelvio, he is very familiar with it because he use stelvio as altitude training

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The thing is he didn't really prepare for a GC in the Giro. He is pushing 60 race days, did not do an altitude training before the Giro, did not focus on climbing etc. The Vuelta was his goal, the Giro was to test the waters and go for stage wins. Things turned out differently and now he is looking at a possible top 10 or better. Like the Youngest said, the only reason he wasn't doing the TDF was because he's getting married.

I agree he has more talent than JVDB. He has also more talent than a lot of other so called GT contenders. I'm sure you can all think of a few. He is 25, never focused on GT GC or climbing, did not adequately prepare for this and yet here he is. And the ITT has yet to come. Can he improve? Sure, a lot even. Just getting his weight down would be good for starters, but apparently he feels he deserves fries and icecreams whenever he wins a race or delivered a good performance.

Will he ever win a GT? Who knows, the same could be asked about a lot of other talented riders. Some will, some won't. I don't think he really needs to improve in his ITT, if he improves his climbing accordingly. Many (much) lesser TT'ers have won GT's. But he is willing to invest in a carreer as GC rider. If the Giro/Vuelta are a succes, he would get a place in spain to train on his climbing.

http://translate.google.com/transla...rs/137425/een-belg-in-de-giro-thomas-de-gendt

 

[El Pistolero]

Haha, he's having a dig at Cavendish in that interview.

And LOL at that interviewer who's trying to get him to take dope(Aicar).

 

[maxmartin]

Thanks for the link
he use this to describe this year Paris-Nice win

"I sometimes read about tantric sex - that delaying your orgasm sex actually better."

LMAF

The thing is he didn't really prepare for a GC in the Giro. He is pushing 60 race days, did not do an altitude training before the Giro, did not focus on climbing etc. The Vuelta was his goal, the Giro was to test the waters and go for stage wins. Things turned out differently and now he is looking at a possible top 10 or better. Like the Youngest said, the only reason he wasn't doing the TDF was because he's getting married.

I agree he has more talent than JVDB. He has also more talent than a lot of other so called GT contenders. I'm sure you can all think of a few. He is 25, never focused on GT GC or climbing, did not adequately prepare for this and yet here he is. And the ITT has yet to come. Can he improve? Sure, a lot even. Just getting his weight down would be good for starters, but apparently he feels he deserves fries and icecreams whenever he wins a race or delivered a good performance.

Will he ever win a GT? Who knows, the same could be asked about a lot of other talented riders. Some will, some won't. I don't think he really needs to improve in his ITT, if he improves his climbing accordingly. Many (much) lesser TT'ers have won GT's. But he is willing to invest in a carreer as GC rider. If the Giro/Vuelta are a succes, he would get a place in spain to train on his climbing.

http://translate.google.com/transla...rs/137425/een-belg-in-de-giro-thomas-de-gendt

 

[Michele]

Ive been following De Gendt since his nice escapes he did for example at Paris Nice and so on.
I didnt know about his troubles with staying in the peloton and sort of remind Voeckler cause of it (at the front on an escape or either at the back of the peloton).

Does anyone know if he ever mentioned to prefer cold or hot weather?
Cause till now he rode very well in both conditions, but I cant remember any good performance from him during summer.

 

[El Pistolero]

6th on Alpe Dhuez(where he didn't even know he was at the front of the race and thought all the big names around him were having bad days. ) and fourth on the final time trial not good enough for you?

 

[classicomano]

The thing is he didn't really prepare for a GC in the Giro. He is pushing 60 race days, did not do an altitude training before the Giro, did not focus on climbing etc. The Vuelta was his goal, the Giro was to test the waters and go for stage wins. Things turned out differently and now he is looking at a possible top 10 or better. Like the Youngest said, the only reason he wasn't doing the TDF was because he's getting married.

I agree he has more talent than JVDB. He has also more talent than a lot of other so called GT contenders. I'm sure you can all think of a few. He is 25, never focused on GT GC or climbing, did not adequately prepare for this and yet here he is. And the ITT has yet to come. Can he improve? Sure, a lot even. Just getting his weight down would be good for starters, but apparently he feels he deserves fries and icecreams whenever he wins a race or delivered a good performance.

Will he ever win a GT? Who knows, the same could be asked about a lot of other talented riders. Some will, some won't. I don't think he really needs to improve in his ITT, if he improves his climbing accordingly. Many (much) lesser TT'ers have won GT's. But he is willing to invest in a carreer as GC rider. If the Giro/Vuelta are a succes, he would get a place in spain to train on his climbing.

http://translate.google.com/transla...rs/137425/een-belg-in-de-giro-thomas-de-gendt

What a great interview really rooting for this guy.

 

[Mogwai_]

He was born in my hometown.

Anyway never thought he would do it so good in the giro. He never talked about the GC before the Giro. He rides the Giro to see how far he can go in a Grand Tour and well he's preparing for the Vuelta. If he can ride top 10 in the Giro i'm pretty sure he can do the same in the Vuelta.

As a Belgian it's nice to see we finally have some riders for a Grand Tour.

 

[maxmartin]

I open this thread for today!!!!

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

There is a thread like this already. Don't forget he did some amazing things in the past too!

 

[EddyW.]

I open this thread for today!!!!

While he has already done some awesome stuff in Paris-Nice, Tour de Suisse and the Tour last year.