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Tour de France Tour de France 2020

Page 4 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
It would appear Sunweb once again made a mess out of it. Laat ons zeggen dat dat er anders uitziet dan wat ik verwacht had, ja. Rond de jaarwisseling was er nochtans duidelijk overleg geweest met de ploegleiding. Ik zou focussen op de voorjaarsklassiekers en de Ronde van Frankrijk. Een half jaar later staan noch de Tour, noch de Belgische klassiekers nog op het programma… Ik weet niet precies waarom. Maar ik mag naar de Giro. Als ik dan toch eerlijk moet zijn… De beslissing is best hard aangekomen, ja. Het nieuws is nog pril, dus ik heb het nog niet helemaal verwerkt. Ik moet dit even laten bezinken.

Long story short: Matthews doesn't have a clue what's going on and Sunweb didn't give a damn about his ambitions or wishes. In not so surprising news, he doesn't like it.

Incredible. Thinking about explanations for that behaviour, these come to mind:
  • brain-eating zombies
  • a conspiracy involving 5G, Trump and Spekenbrink
  • something with hostages, blackmail and ransom
  • anti-advertising as the new advertising
Must be one of them.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Oh, make no mistake, they've always been like this. The difference is, this time around there's no Dumoulin taking the attention away. Their way of communication and way of work has always reeked of autism - if I may say so. All these stupid protocols and what not. Their directors even have a protocol how to go onto the podium, and no, I did not just make that up.

Yes I know, but they used to overperform relative to the size of the team, and not just with Dumoulin, but also with Kittel, Degenkolb, Barguil, Matthews himself, and so it made sense for them to keep doing the same thing. Now the approach isn't working anymore, hasn't done so for more than a year, and they've made zero attempt to change anything. Companies going bust due to not innovating doesn't mean they weren't well-run in the past and the same applies to Sunweb.
 
A great example of Sunweb's hysteria is Dries Devenyns, who only rode with them for a season. Like every team, Sunweb has certain training schedules, Devenyns being no different. However, due to maintenance on his training routes he did a ride of 154 kilometers, instead of 150. He immediately got an angry call from the directors asking him what the hell he was doing.

Sunweb isn't a team, it's a cult. Some riders like it, most hate them.

or a cult, okay, forgot about that possibility
 
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Oh, make no mistake, they've always been like this. The difference is, this time around there's no Dumoulin taking the attention away. Their way of communication and way of work has always reeked of autism - if I may say so. All these stupid protocols and what not. Their directors even have a protocol how to go onto the podium, and no, I did not just make that up.

Are you saying autism is a bad thing?
 
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Matthews could have a real good chance of contesting the green jersey with such a route and he is a great asset for the 'spring' classics as well, both of which he will apparently miss.

It almost looks like as if they want to get rid of their best riders.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Seems ironic to me that this time, of all years, the TDF decides to have a route beginning with mountain stages. Because of the lockdowns, riders will come into this Tour less prepared than usual, but will be thrown into the deep end of the pool immediately. Certainly should be a very interesting opening, anyway.

That said, it seems there is no MTF till late in the second week, and only three total, or four counting the ITT. The other mountain stages look ripe for a breakaway.
 
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A great example of Sunweb's hysteria is Dries Devenyns, who only rode with them for a season. Like every team, Sunweb has certain training schedules, Devenyns being no different. However, due to maintenance on his training routes he did a ride of 154 kilometers, instead of 150. He immediately got an angry call from the directors asking him what the hell he was doing.

Sunweb isn't a team, it's a cult. Some riders like it, most hate them.
I think I found a team managment I dislike more than Lefevre
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Sandisfan
Seems to me the Sunweb opted for en colonne rather than en plein.
It's a pity Matthews and Benoot won't tackle the Classics together, but the sponsors have a say too.
The jersey battle for the Giro is getting interesting, while there's very few stages Benoot can't go for at the Tour.
 
I think I found a team managment I dislike more than Lefevre

Lefevere (I spelled him right this time, didn't I? :cool:) is a ** , I hate him as much as most people on a personal level, but I can't deny that I admire how Quickstep gets so many things right and I suppose he's responsible for a lot of that. He is arrogant, he thinks he's the greatest asset the world ever found, he's disrespectful to a lot of people, his behaviour in the Keisse case was *, and so on, but he knows how to run a team. And although he thinks so great of himself, he does not seem to be too controlling, but knows when to keep it tight and when to let loose, when to give certain powers to certain people and let them decide on their own. That is something similar characters often struggle with and what often brings them down /ruins their success.
 
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One of the things the early season races showed was that Benoot and Søren Kragh is a great pairing. Add Hirschi and it looks like it could be an intentional choice to take riders that participate in racing over someone who always rides defensively.

And that would be very much okay. But to not communicate with a rider properly, to not really speak with him about such a choice, a sudden change of goals? To just cut off his main season goals?
(If that really is the way it happened.)
I'm no fan of Matthews but that just seems like a bad way to treat people in general and a stupid one if it concerns a still very good rider.
 
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Sunweb squad:

Søren Kragh Andersen
Nikias Arndt
Tiesj Benoot
Cees Bol
Marc Hirschi
Joris Nieuwenhuis
Jasha Sütterlin
Nicholas Roche

Doesn't make sense to leave out Matthews when you see how many 'reduced bunch sprint' stages there are this year. Wonder if Sunweb' reputation will put new riders off joining - then again they've got some huge young talent on the team, so maybe it's the more experienced riders who have problems with how the team's run.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing what Hirschi can do. Niewenhuis I've never even heard of.
 
A great example of Sunweb's hysteria is Dries Devenyns, who only rode with them for a season. Like every team, Sunweb has certain training schedules, Devenyns being no different. However, due to maintenance on his training routes he did a ride of 154 kilometers, instead of 150. He immediately got an angry call from the directors asking him what the hell he was doing.

Sunweb isn't a team, it's a cult. Some riders like it, most hate them.
Aaaand they just sent a rider home from their training camp for buying some shampoo.
 
  • Haha
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Aaaand they just sent a rider home from their training camp for buying some shampoo.
It seems a bit stupid when you read it. But on the other hand, if there is one thing i can understand a team being a bit "anal" about, it would be corona measures. I assume he could have asked somebody to go get some shampoo, or he could have borrowed some from someone within his bubble.

But i agree, it seems rather harsh. They could have fined him, and put him in a two day quarantine (after doing the "quick test").
 
It seems a bit stupid when you read it. But on the other hand, if there is one thing i can understand a team being a bit "anal" about, it would be corona measures. I assume he could have asked somebody to go get some shampoo, or he could have borrowed some from someone within his bubble.

But i agree, it seems rather harsh. They could have fined him, and put him in a two day quarantine (after doing the "quick test").

I know Covid is serious and you have to be careful but there is really no defending a team that isnt willing to take risks to "fight for its hair"
 
  • Haha
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I know Covid is serious and you have to be careful but there is really no defending a team that isnt willing to take risks to "fight for its hair"

Oh my god, Alpecin totally missed out on this opportunity of a pr-stunt! Van der Poel sneaking out because nobody could be trusted to get his shampoo - and what is he without it?

Seriously I find it hard to say whether this is too much. Of course they want to do everything to prevent Corona-spreading, it's good for the team, it's good for the peloton, it's good for society. And of course I want to see races and not get them cancelled because riders got tested positive.
But I would just hate it if my personal liberties were tied down like that, not even being allowed to go out and do something very simple... so I have some sympathy for Storer and think sending him home is a bit too much after one small violation.
 

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