Tim Wellens thread

[Pentacycle]

This guy is one of the few who still race the Ardennes with a positive attitude. I've become more and more of a fan since he became pro (also partly because he did so well for me on the CQ game last year ) and I couldn't find any thread about him. I wonder what do you think about this Belgian talent?

 

[hrotha]

He didn't race Amstel with a positive attitude, mind. But yeah, I like him.

 

[Jagartrott]

He looks very stylish on a bike and seems to have good bike-handling skills (I heard he has a mountainbike background). I hope he continues to ride positively, and the results will surely follow.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

He didn't race Amstel with a positive attitude, mind. But yeah, I like him.

He was very angered about that, a rider belgium really needs.

 

[Flamin]

Wellens has amazing style and souplesse. But I'm worried that Lotto will turn him into a boring placement rider when he's a few years older/stronger.

 

[gunara]

Re:

Wellens has amazing style and souplesse. But I'm worried that Lotto will turn him into a boring placement rider when he's a few years older/stronger.

I wonder why they think they still have to. Their older 'GC placement' climbers hardly got what the team needed from them (placement points in GT or something), when Wellens and his style have won them at least a week-long WT stage race. Why can't Lotto just forget GT placement business altogether? They still have a lot to offer in a season and in a GT other than Jvdb kind of stuff. I can't understand why every team think they need to have something to do with GT GC,.

 

[nayr497]

Yup, planning your whole team around a GT win is a bad idea. Lotto has the gunners to win races all year long.

 

[Gigs_98]

great rider. I am a fan since last years eneco tour and what he did on Wednesday was really impressive

 

[lemon cheese cake]

great rider. I am a fan since last years eneco tour and what he did on Wednesday was really impressive

Yep. Thats how I mainly got to support him. The Eneco Tour. He also wrote a diary in a monthly magazine. Although most of the people who write in it, I feel I have to support them.

 

[Gigs_98]

great rider. I am a fan since last years eneco tour and what he did on Wednesday was really impressive

Yep. Thats how I mainly got to support him. The Eneco Tour. He also wrote a diary in a monthly magazine. Although most of the people who write in it, I feel I have to support them.

sarcasm?

 

[lemon cheese cake]

great rider. I am a fan since last years eneco tour and what he did on Wednesday was really impressive

Yep. Thats how I mainly got to support him. The Eneco Tour. He also wrote a diary in a monthly magazine. Although most of the people who write in it, I feel I have to support them.

sarcasm?

No! He's a proactive rider, not a reactive one or a wheelsucker. If he's turned into a GC man, then these classics will lack something. The reason they'll lack something, is that the teams won't have somebody to chase down whereas currently they're using up men that they haven't done in the past. that makes the races more open, as riders that don't have a strong team and have, lets say one rider with them for the last 50k, will be on a more level playing field than when those stronger teams weren't using theirs.

 

[SafeBet]

Disappointing performance today. I understand he had a mechanical when he first dropped but then showed he had no legs at all. Maybe sick?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Too early maybe for 250km. Not everyone is like Alaphilippe

 

[Jagartrott]

He did well last year in Lombardia, IIRC, so I'm guessing it's not really the distance that was the problem, but perhaps the puncture came at a very bad time and he lost a lot of energy there.

 

[Flamin]

He indeed had the mechanical when the race blew apart. That cost him a lot of energy to chase back on and he said the pace never slowed down so there was no opportunity to recover.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lombardia is not Liege though @jagartrott.

many out of form top riders or not present

 

[Pentacycle]

Re:

Lombardia is not Liege though @jagartrott.

many out of form top riders or not present

The same riders that were on form there, were also present at the front today... You could even argue that it was better with Martin and Gilbert. It was a day of bad luck for Wellens, and I've never seen him ride well in rainy conditions.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Re: Re:

Lombardia is not Liege though @jagartrott.

many out of form top riders or not present

The same riders that were on form there, were also present at the front today... You could even argue that it was better with Martin and Gilbert. It was a day of bad luck for Wellens, and I've never seen him ride well in rainy conditions.

La redoute win at the Eneco Tour?

 

[SafeBet]

I honestly think Lombardia is harder than Liege, some real climbs there. You never see a Gerrans winning Lombardia.
And distance really shouldn't be a problem for him. All in all an underwhelming Ardennes campaign.

 

[BigMac]

Wonderful win. This guy is not afraid to go on the attack.
Chapeau, expecting big things.

 

[Jagartrott]

Wellens' favourite song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esEdC0c3YI4

 

[BigMac]

 

[SafeBet]

I'd love to see him soloing from Civiglio and winning Lombardia. Great rider.

 

[Andre.J]

Re:

I'd love to see him soloing from Civiglio and winning Lombardia. Great rider.

I second that

 

[Flamin]

Re:

I'd love to see him soloing from Civiglio and winning Lombardia. Great rider.

To have a realistic shot, I think he should consider attacking on Colma di Sormano and hope some decent riders join him. Although it would be understandable if he thinks he can go head to head against the big boys (many of them are likely less fresh than him) in this kind of shape.