Who will be bigger?

[Christian]

Two American talents are emerging while the old generation (Armstrong, Levi, Hincapie) are slowly stepping down.

Both Phinney and Van Garderen seem to have the talent and the will to make it big in Pro cycling.

Right now Phinney is bigger even though Van Garderen is further in his career and has some very impressive results, especially his 3rd place at Dauphiné-Libéré. He seems to be more of a GC contender than Phinney, so that's why my vote goes to him.

I think Phinney is great but my money is on Van Garderen being the next big American rider.

 

[Barrus]

Phinney will stay bigger, come on, look at his body

But seriously, part of me doubts whether Phinney will truly perform at the classics, at least on the level that everyone is hyping him. My belief is that Van Garderen has more growth potential, especially if he could move away from HTC

 

[Moondance]

I'm voting Tejay. Basically on the strength of his GC potential for the future, and knowing that will be the main source of hype for any US rider.

Phinney will almost certainly be a great time trialist, and if he works hard could even become a future classics rider and do well. But unless Phinney reaches a Cancellara-like level of TTing and Classics ability (which is impossible to predict) he'll never outhype the potential successor to Lance Armstrong with TJ van G, who has produced some very impressive GC performances in Pro races at only 21.

 

[hrotha]

I'd say Phinney is a safer bet. He's well on his way to become one of the best time-trialists in the world, so most likely he'll win lots. We'll see about the classics though.

On the other hand, Van Garderen is a GC guy, and those get ruined all the time. It's easier for him to become good but not great and be another Rogers, with the occasional top 10 at the GTs. Mind you, being another Rogers or somewhat better would still be pretty good.

 

[The Hitch]

Sigh.

Another poll for the Dutch Mafia

 

[jens_attacks]

i don't like neither of them.
van garderen was pretty impressive in dauphine and vuelta though,so he might become a big rider.

 

[theyoungest]

Phinney. He's an outstanding time trialist, and he has a sprint, which guarantees at least a few wins every season. Tejay is a talented GC rider, but in the current field of fairly young GT stars, most of whom are at least as talented as Tejay, it'll be a bit hard for him to shine. And I'm not entirely convinced of his talent for three week races. The Vuelta was his first GT, and he's a neo, but he faded away a bit too fast for my liking.

 

[jsem94]

Sigh.

Another poll for the Dutch Mafia

LOL! So true...

 

[theyoungest]

Sigh.

Another poll for the Dutch Mafia

Van Garderen lived in my (former) home town for a while, but I didn't vote for him

(BTWt There are a lot of people with Dutch names, I don't think this plays a role in Dutch voting behaviour)

 

[Christian]

Van Garderen lived in my (former) home town for a while, but I didn't vote for him

You lived in Tacoma as well?

 

[Barrus]

You lived in Tacoma as well?

Lol. I'm guessing theyoungest meant when Tejay was living in the Netherlands

 

[Curls_21]

TeeeJaaaay!!!

Tejay has an awful lot of potential so I think he will be the more successful rider overall, from a GC perspective; however from a PR perspective Taylor Phinney will be bigger.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sigh.

Another poll for the Dutch Mafia

Meh, you never heard us about Christian Vande Velde, which is somewhat of a Dutch name as well (although he has Belgian roots I believe?)

etc etc

 

[The Hitch]

Van Garderen lived in my (former) home town for a while, but I didn't vote for him

(BTWt There are a lot of people with Dutch names, I don't think this plays a role in Dutch voting behaviour)

Meh, you never heard us about Christian Vande Velde, which is somewhat of a Dutch name as well (although he has Belgian roots I believe?)

etc etc

Its not about Dutch sounding names. TJ has dutch descent ( i checked before i made the post to be sure), AND according to this thread, lived in Holland as well.

 

[Barrus]

Its not about Dutch sounding names. TJ has dutch descent ( i checked before i made the post to be sure), AND according to this thread, lived in Holland as well.

If I am correct he even speaks Dutch

 

[theyoungest]

Its not about Dutch sounding names. TJ has dutch descent ( i checked before i made the post to be sure), AND according to this thread, lived in Holland as well.

But Phinney actually won a Dutch race... I don't think Tejay ever did that (too flat, I guess). But yes, Tejay's father is Dutch, and he lived with his uncle and aunt (I think) for a while.

edit: although I'm not sure if Tejay himself is actually of Dutch descent, he's a stepson or something like that?

 

[Moondance]

Its not about Dutch sounding names. TJ has dutch descent ( i checked before i made the post to be sure), AND according to this thread, lived in Holland as well.

But Phinney actually won a Dutch race... I don't think Tejay ever did that (too flat, I guess). But yes, Tejay's father is Dutch, and he lived with his uncle and aunt (I think) for a while.

edit: although I'm not sure if Tejay himself is actually of Dutch descent, he's a stepson or something like that?

Youngest is correct in his edit`. Tejay has no Dutch blood whatsoever. The very Dutch Van Garderen last name is that of his Dutch, or Dutch-American (i don't know which), stepfather.

EDIT: I see why Hitch suspected he might be of Dutch heritage... The wiki can lie you know

 

[The Hitch]

Youngest is correct in his edit`. Tejay has no Dutch blood whatsoever. The very Dutch Van Garderen last name is that of his Dutch, or Dutch-American (i don't know which), stepfather.

EDIT: I see why Hitch suspected he might be of Dutch heritage... The wiki can lie you know

lol. My expert means of checking if he was Dutch or not was typing "Teejay Van Garderen Dutch" into google, and hoping i get a match. When i looked at the wiki entry all i saw was "is from Dutch descent". I didnt bother to read the words before that. "His family name INDICATES"

silly me

Dont put the blame on wiki though. It was I who was at fault.

The mind reads what it wants to read huh.

Anyhoo, it doesnt matter anymore if he has Dutch descent or not. What matters is that people THINK he is.

 

[Kwibus]

Phinney. Time trial powerhouse for the future. So also potential to win 1 week flat races. Very decent sprint too for winning stages. Can't really say anything about his classics skills though.

Van Garderen looks like a nice top 10 rider to me. Very good, but not good enough.

 

[kurtinsc]

I have relatively low expectations for both. I tend to take a "I'll believe it when I see it" approach with young riders.

That being said... I voted Phinney.

My thinking is that Phinney already looks capable of contesting time trials of various lengths against top competition right now. Maybe I'm reading too much into him beating Levi a few times... but Levi has still finished high up in ITT's in other big races.

Once he leaves the track, I'd expect him to improve in the longer ITT's (though perhaps losing a bit in prologues). But even right now, I think he'll take home several TT wins next season.

I have no expectations from the cobbled classics until I see him against some real classics riders.

Van Garderen can be pictured placing in the top 10 or top 5 in 1-week tours right now... but I have trouble picturing him winning them now or in the future. Too much GC talent out there right now who look to be superior to him.

 

[scribe]

Phinney. All the right stuff is in place. With a couple of more years in the big leagues, he'll be contesting things that you would expect out of a big rider.

 

[auscyclefan94]

phinney, i see him being like Cancellara. Dominating the cobbled classics and then winning the prologues/itt's in the gt's.

 

[Moondance]

Van Garderen can be pictured placing in the top 10 or top 5 in 1-week tours right now... but I have trouble picturing him winning them now or in the future. Too much GC talent out there right now who look to be superior to him.

Most of those guys (assuming the 'talents' you refer to are the likes of Gesink, Kreuziger, Dan & Tony Martin, Fuglsang, TGBM, Peter Velits and others) are also 2+ years older than Tejay. Don't expect him to compete with 25 year olds.... yet.

 

[Moondance]

phinney, i see him being like Cancellara. Dominating the cobbled classics and then winning the prologues/itt's in the gt's.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED I SAY, to see you jumping on the Phinney bandwagon. I have no idea what caused this...



So Bring Me Cancellara miss out on The Canc, thereby remaining Bring Me Cadel, and all of a sudden Phinney is the next Canc anway, right?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Phinney is yet to display any real climbing capabilities.
Therefore Tejay for stage race GCs and Taylor for one day wins and ITT stages.
Which ever rocks your rather shallow boat.