Who will be the next great French GC rider?

[The Hitch]

You're clearly younger than me. But Coe v Ovett and later Cram v Aouita were the heyday. Have a look at this - magnificent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0T2xO-D6Vg

Yeah ive seen the Coe Ovett thing many times. Not the other one though.

But 1500 m runners would be more the Cancellaras of cycling. Maybe cobbled classics and tts. Power. The GT rider equivalent in athletics is the real long distance stuff.

I didn't realise he was as old as he is (I thought about 30). But a cycling magazine's description of his training regime as 'a couple of hours cycling round a Parisian park once a week' made me feel he could have done better (and maybe still could - look at Horner).

Yet I love him for doing what he wants to do and sod anyone else.

I hope Moncoutie becomes a director Sportiff.

Him Vino and Jens are aging characters who i would like to see more of in such rolls. Vino obv with Astana, Jens maybe with Riis, or Schlux and David for Cofidis would obviously be a good thing.

Oh and Horner for some American team. Hell be able to eat all the burgers he wants by then.

 

[Sasquatch]

Rolland - without a doubt.

 

[Mambo95]

I hope Moncoutie becomes a director Sportiff.

I can't see it myself. He may open the first Michelin starred organic, vegetarian restaurant in Paris though, or maybe France's leading homeopathic medic.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Future hope (though physically a bit more Chicken than Badger): Romain Sicard

But. That Basque team has a few more pressing concerns than developing Sicard. If he's just happy to be a pro (like I would be) then he's doing alright there; if he wants to be the Great French Hope, he better start talking to Madiot (who will develop him and then watch with a frown as Team Big Budget snatches him away).

Current potential: Pierre Rolland

My own personal favorite (who I'm baffled that he didn't warrant mention for so long in the thread, regardless of future, present, or past): David Moncoutié

 

[Jan the Man]

The obvious upandcoming riders with potential as has been stated are Sicard and Pinot.

Of the current crop of French Riders, Rolland or Coppel probably have the best shot at the Tour top 10.

 

[Bike Boy]

The obvious upandcoming riders with potential as has been stated are Sicard and Pinot.

Of the current crop of French Riders, Rolland or Coppel probably have the best shot at the Tour top 10.

I would add Mevel to that list

 

[the asian]

Out of the Current pros, has to be Sicard and Coppel. Lets see what coppel does at this years tour.

 

[Kellys Big Sprocket]

no one.open this thread in 30 years and maybe then we can talk.

Sadly, I have to second that. Hope I am proved wrong especially for Le Tour. A french lad in yellow for several stages before they hit the mountains is their best opportunity this season.

 

[ingsve]

Out of the Current pros, has to be Sicard and Coppel. Lets see what coppel does at this years tour.

When it comes to french riders it's almost as if the current hopes are the ones that haven't failed yet. There always seems to be new riders that are hailed as the next french hope and one after one they come to the Tour and are mediocre at best.

 

[VeloFidelis]

Future hope (though physically a bit more Chicken than Badger): Romain Sicard

Imagine how good he could be on a bike that actually fits!

 

[rzombie1988]

So as someone who hasn't seen Coppel or Sicard: Are they the real deal? Does anyone legitimately think they could win a GT?

 

[Bike Boy]

So as someone who hasn't seen Coppel or Sicard: Are they the real deal? Does anyone legitimately think they could win a GT?

I don't think it's very likely to see Coppel win le tour in the future, He did okay in Libere last season but I think he's close to 25 years of age. If this guy really had it, we would have seen better things by now.

Sicard is still very young. Only time will tell.

EDIT: Of course there's 3 GT a year, but I don't think the people of france will settle for a victory in the Giro or Vuelta for that matter. It could be a massive stepping stone though.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

GT winner... might be none of the young guys, safer to talk about top 5 riders. And there IMO it looks fairly good for France right now. Yes, there have always been talents, hopes, that then disappointed, but don't remember such a high number of talents at once.

Best chance IMO:

Coppel. He's complete, more complete than all the others. Ok, he's older than most as well, so further in his development.

Then Sicard, Geniez, Pinot, all 3 had a good first year, now will be time to confirm and make small steps forward. Can't expect any of them to really show something in a GT before 2012 or 2013. Then Bonnin, looked like the best of them all in 08, sick year, off in 09, back in 10, now Pro too. All 4 of them pure climbers, Sicard probably the most complete.

Rolland? IMO wont amount to much, what did he do? Won a KoM jersey at PN or Dauphiné in 2008... don't remember which, without playing a role in the general. Then an ok Tour 09, not a parcours for him, still a fairly good result. 2010, should fit him better, nothing. Vuelta, nothing as well. Dauphiné good. And in the end that's his best and really only result that shows he could progress. Rolland was mostly hype due to his KoM jersey from the beginning.

 

[ingsve]

I don't think it's very likely to see Coppel win le tour in the future, He did okay in Libere last season but I think he's close to 25 years of age. If this guy really had it, we would have seen better things by now.

25 is not that old. Look at Van Den Broeck. At the age Coppel is now he had shown nothing as good as a 5th in Dauphine. It was only during his 25th year that he finished 7th in the Giro and that was still the only good stage race result he had along with 14th in the Tour 2009 before last year where he started getting more consistently good results at 27.

Samu Sanchez also had similar results to Coppel before finally getting a good GT result at 27.

Menchov was 25 before he had a good GT result (11th in Tour) and 26 before he was a regular contender for top stage races and only had results similar to Coppel before that.

Purito was 28 before he got a top 10 in a GT.

Pellizotti also didn't show that much before 25 years old.

Even Vinokourov was 26 by the time he started winning a lot of stage races and it still took him to age 30 before he entered a GT top 10.

My point is simply that people tend to get a little blinded by riders like Andy Schleck and Gesink who break through very early. The truth is that a lot of riders don't show that much before age 25 and most can't be written off before they reach 28-30 and still haven't shown any results.

 

[Bike Boy]

25 is not that old. Look at Van Den Broeck. At the age Coppel is now he had shown nothing as good as a 5th in Dauphine. It was only during his 25th year that he finished 7th in the Giro and that was still the only good stage race result he had along with 14th in the Tour 2009 before last year where he started getting more consistently good results at 27.

Samu Sanchez also had similar results to Coppel before finally getting a good GT result at 27.

Menchov was 25 before he had a good GT result (11th in Tour) and 26 before he was a regular contender for top stage races and only had results similar to Coppel before that.

Purito was 28 before he got a top 10 in a GT.

Pellizotti also didn't show that much before 25 years old.

Even Vinokourov was 26 by the time he started winning a lot of stage races and it still took him to age 30 before he entered a GT top 10.

My point is simply that people tend to get a little blinded by riders like Andy Schleck and Gesink who break through very early. The truth is that a lot of riders don't show that much before age 25 and most can't be written off before they reach 28-30 and still haven't shown any results.

I don't disagree with you (hard to disagree with facts), but I opt for the more safe bet. Can't remember if Coppel managed 4. or 5. in Dauphine but still, among all the riders who can show similar results at that age, very few managed to become a GT winner. So odds looks good for me.

It's very possible that I'm influenced by my scepticism towards the french talents in general, so be it.

Btw if your right, maybe I should give it one more try, after all I'm only 24 years old

 

[Frosty]

Nicholas Roche is half-french by parentage and was born in France. He rides for ireland now but maybe they can try and claim him?

 

[ingsve]

I don't disagree with you (hard to disagree with facts), but I opt for the more safe bet. Can't remember if Coppel managed 4. or 5. in Dauphine but still, among all the riders who can show similar results at that age, very few managed to become a GT winner. So odds looks good for me.

It's very possible that I'm influenced by my scepticism towards the french talents in general, so be it.

Btw if your right, maybe I should give it one more try, after all I'm only 24 years old

Well, I'm not claiming that Coppel will turn out to be a top GT rider. All I'm saying is that it's a little too soon to rule it out.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Nicholas Roche is half-french by parentage and was born in France. He rides for ireland now but maybe they can try and claim him?

You would also have difficulty coming up with a more French name than Nicolas Roche, unless you can find a rider called Pierre Baguette.

If people of Irish extraction born abroad start declaring for the land of their actual birth it would be a national disaster! Not only would we lose three quarters of our ProTour riders, we'd never have a decent football team again.

 

[Bike Boy]

Well, I'm not claiming that Coppel will turn out to be a top GT rider. All I'm saying is that it's a little too soon to rule it out.

Which I will concede. I was a little too quick

EDIT: Although I could claim I never ruled it out completely, just said It's unlikely, which I still believe.

 

[Nikoloz]

Coppel

(-:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You would also have difficulty coming up with a more French name than Nicolas Roche, unless you can find a rider called Pierre Baguette.

http://www.pierrebaguette.eu/

 

[issoisso]

http://www.pierrebaguette.eu/

http://www.bertrand-baguette.com/

(except he's belgian)

 

[taiwan]

Just noticed that Jean-Christophe Peraud hasn't been mentioned. He's 33, and and he wasn't in the GC race at the Vuelta, his first GT. But that was his first year as a pro, he had respectable results at Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Basque Country, and did really good things against the clock the year before. Presumably he'll have joined a queue of climbers at AG2R though, and won't be getting protected anytime soon.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

http://www.bertrand-baguette.com/

(except he's belgian)

Yea, I've seen Bertrand in the past, rather disappointed that he was reduced to the IRL, at one point he looked like a very solid racing prospect.

 

[Descender]

The first one to dope.