Tracking the French drought

[fauniera]

Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

What a weird statement. I would call 2017 a good year for France. Bardet on the podium in Paris, Pinot confirmed as Grand Tour contender (only 1:17 behind the Giro winner), plenty of wins for Demare. Career best season for Barguil and breakthrough season for Calmejane, both winning stages at the Tour. With Gaudu you have one of the hottest prospects and a healthy Alaphilippe is a force to be reckoned with. Most other nations would be jealous.

 

[axl]

I think the dauphiné win is worth much more than several GT stages.
In 3 years, there's only one french victory at world tour level (Demare at MSR last year). That's very poor.
Bardet and Pinot confirmed this year a very good level in GT, but I feel the podium is their limit. And 1-week race aren't good for them.
We're all waiting for Gaudu, but he curently is the only real prospect. He will have all the nation's hopes on his shoulders. Not the best situation for him to develop in a good environment.

Alaphilippe and Demare seem like the only options to win something big in the next years, I hope they will.

 

[JRanton]

Re:

I think the dauphiné win is worth much more than several GT stages.
In 3 years, there's only one french victory at world tour level (Demare at MSR last year). That's very poor.
Bardet and Pinot confirmed this year a very good level in GT, but I feel the podium is their limit. And 1-week race aren't good for them.
We're all waiting for Gaudu, but he curently is the only real prospect. He will have all the nation's hopes on his shoulders. Not the best situation for him to develop in a good environment.

Alaphilippe and Demare seem like the only options to win something big in the next years, I hope they will.

Latour is also a great prospect.

 

[Ruby United]

Re: Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

What a weird statement. I would call 2017 a good year for France. Bardet on the podium in Paris, Pinot confirmed as Grand Tour contender (only 1:17 behind the Giro winner), plenty of wins for Demare. Career best season for Barguil and breakthrough season for Calmejane, both winning stages at the Tour. With Gaudu you have one of the hottest prospects and a healthy Alaphilippe is a force to be reckoned with. Most other nations would be jealous.

He's had 3 top tens in GT's already, including a 3rd in the Tour 4 years ago, and 4th in the Giro confirms him as a GT contender!?

 

[Breh]

For those who'd like to compare:

Tour Down Under: ///
Paris-Nice: Frank Vandenbroucke (1998)
Tirreno-Adriatico: Greg Van Avermaet (2016)
Milan-San Remo: Fons De Wolf (1981)
E3 Harelbeke: Greg Van Avermaet (2017)
Volta a Catalunya: Freddy Maertens (1977)
Gent-Wevelgem: Greg Van Avermaet (2017)
Tour of Flanders: Philippe Gilbert (2017)
Tour of the Basque Country: Maurice De Waele (1929)
Paris-Roubaix: Greg Van Avermaet (2017)
Amstel Gold Race: Philippe Gilbert (2017)
La Flèche Wallonne: Philippe Gilbert (2011)
Liège-Bastogne-Liège: Philippe Gilbert (2011)
Tour de Romandie: Claude Criquelion (1986)
Giro d'Italia: Johan De Muynck (1978)
Critérium du Dauphiné: Michel Pollentier (1978)
Tour de Suisse: Luc Roosen (1991)
Tour de France: Lucian Van Impe (1976)
Clásica de San Sebastián: Philippe Gilbert (2011)
Vattenfall Cyclassics: Johan Museeuw (2002)
Tour de Pologne: Dylan Teuns (2017)
Eneco Tour: Tim Wellens (2015)
GP Ouest-France: Oliver Naesen (2016)
Vuelta a España: Freddy Maertens (1977)
GP de Québec: Philippe Gilbert (2011)
GP de Montréal: Greg Van Avermaet (2016)
World Individual Time Trial Championship: ///
World Team Time Trial Championship: Etixx- Quick Step (2016)
World Road Race Championship: Philippe Gilbert (2011)
Giro di Lombardia: Philippe Gilbert (2010)

 

[RedheadDane]

What are we comparing?

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

What are we comparing?

Beligian victories with the French ones listed in the OP, it seems.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

Wait for Lombardy I told you.

 

[veji11]

Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

That was harsh... Sure no big win (monument or GT or prestigious WT stage race) this year, but the density at higher level of the french peloton was again visible this year, Démare or Alaphilippe on the classics, Pinot, Bardet and even Barguil in the mountains and stage races, Latour suffering in the mountains but showing strong TT capabilities for future stage results, Calméjane and others ready to keep the high level (Voeckler/Fedrigo/Casar) baroudeur tradition alive and very promising youngsters like Gaudu or Benjamin Thomas for example.

Sure that big result eluded us, but it is coming, maybe not a GT win yet, but just like the San Remo monument win by Démare, a stage race win will happen soon enough.

And more significantly the economics of the french peloton are quite good at the moment with a new Conti Pro team in Vital Concept, Fortuneo-Oscar growing with Barguil, and the free of access TV l'Equipe showing more than 120 days of racing on french TV and doing great scores allowing for more interest from investors for cycling.

Awful is way too extreme a word. After 2016, Démare's victory and Bardet's 2nd place at the Tour as well as the Dauphiné we could hope for more, but podium on MSR for Alaphilippe, podium for Bardet on the tour, 4th from Pinot on the Giro, stage wins and many top5/10s by french riders will have to do. No need to be depressed.

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

That was harsh... Sure no big win (monument or GT or prestigious WT stage race) this year, but the density at higher level of the french peloton was again visible this year, Démare or Alaphilippe on the classics, Pinot, Bardet and even Barguil in the mountains and stage races, Latour suffering in the mountains but showing strong TT capabilities for future stage results, Calméjane and others ready to keep the high level (Voeckler/Fedrigo/Casar) baroudeur tradition alive and very promising youngsters like Gaudu or Benjamin Thomas for example.

Sure that big result eluded us, but it is coming, maybe not a GT win yet, but just like the San Remo monument win by Démare, a stage race win will happen soon enough.

And more significantly the economics of the french peloton are quite good at the moment with a new Conti Pro team in Vital Concept, Fortuneo-Oscar growing with Barguil, and the free of access TV l'Equipe showing more than 120 days of racing on french TV and doing great scores allowing for more interest from investors for cycling.

Awful is way too extreme a word. After 2016, Démare's victory and Bardet's 2nd place at the Tour as well as the Dauphiné we could hope for more, but podium on MSR for Alaphilippe, podium for Bardet on the tour, 4th from Pinot on the Giro, stage wins and many top5/10s by french riders will have to do. No need to be depressed.

GiroBio this year is a great sign for the future as well, Pavel Sivakov is taking French nationality. Could Sky end France's wait for a GT winner?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

What an awful year for us.

No victories of significance, only stage wins.

That was harsh... Sure no big win (monument or GT or prestigious WT stage race) this year, but the density at higher level of the french peloton was again visible this year, Démare or Alaphilippe on the classics, Pinot, Bardet and even Barguil in the mountains and stage races, Latour suffering in the mountains but showing strong TT capabilities for future stage results, Calméjane and others ready to keep the high level (Voeckler/Fedrigo/Casar) baroudeur tradition alive and very promising youngsters like Gaudu or Benjamin Thomas for example.

Awful is way too extreme a word. After 2016, Démare's victory and Bardet's 2nd place at the Tour as well as the Dauphiné we could hope for more, but podium on MSR for Alaphilippe, podium for Bardet on the tour, 4th from Pinot on the Giro, stage wins and many top5/10s by french riders will have to do. No need to be depressed.

"Awful" isn't the right term, but with the amount of talent we have today, I hope for more than stage wins (admittedly, the quality of those stage wins has risen).

Even when we were struggling to qualify a full-roster for the Worlds (and sometimes failing to do so), winning stages in the Tour wasn't a problem.

As a famous newly-retired rider said, second place is not good.

 

[LeChuck]

Surely Alaphilippe will catch a big one next year. He's had his share of bad luck and second places.
As for Grand Tours, GC still looks out of reach for the current frenchies but with a little luck you never know

 

[veji11]

France is currently 3rd in nations ranking in the pro tour behind Belgium and Italy, was first last year, the density at high level is sort of back to historical standards now, after the massive dip post festina. Big victories will come, don't worry. But we also have to realise that even coming back to our historical place means a lot less victories than in the pre-90s cycling world where only athletes from 5/6 historical cycling countries were competitive. In a more global sport it will never go back to the Hinault years.

 

[TMP402]

Nobody celebrating Cosnefroy's win?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Nobody celebrating Cosnefroy's win?

Winning medals in the younger categories is what we do best.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Not this year.

 

[Chrispol]

I believed it today though.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

Not this year.

There is still lombardia

 

[LeChuck]

Really thought that was it today ..
The broadcasting made it so much painful. The world champion was French in my head for some long minutes

 

[Alexandre B.]

Every major nation won a major race, be it a prestigious one-week race, a GT or a Classic this year.

Except one. :Neutral:

 

[Chrispol]

I believed.

Until 15k.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

On behalf of not-France I want to make a formal request for France to breed a GC rider who excels at timetrialling, so that ASO will stop making these pathetic routes with only one medium length TT in order to get French riders on the podium.

 

[Chrispol]

Waiting for Alex now.

 

[Alexandre B.]

I’m not mad this time, Benoot was simply the best.

 

[Ricco']

What about Madouas? What can we expect from him?

Very strong start of season for a neo-pro.