Who will be the next great French GC rider?

[jaylew]

Who's the best French rider at the moment?

In my mind it's Voeckler, edging out Fédrigo and Chavanel. Other riders might be more talented or have more potential, but the guy is tenacious and gets the most from his ability.

 

[supercameron]

why doesn't anybody like Pierre Rolland?
I think he has a chance of top 10 in the tour this year, as long as his team doesnt repeat their 2009 TTT performance

 

[bicing]

Tom Danielson

Bravo, the best answer to the joke question.

 

[Angliru]

I'm always amused by this discussion. Sure there's a few promising talents, as mentioned earlier in the thread. and yes Sicard could very well develope into something great but we all now it aint gonna happen.
He will succumb to the pressure soon enough.

Maybe not. Possibly being outside of the French team environment, which I liken to the culture of losing that has existed with my hometeam Detroit Lions, will be an advantage for him. Virtually all of the past great hopes of French cycling that failed to live up to the hype were on French teams: DiGregorio, Rolland, Fedrigo,Voeckler (not that anyone ever took him being a GC hopeful seriously), Casar, etc... Additionally it appears Euskatel is bringing him along slowly which is a plus. I believe Sicard is the real thing and with Anton and Sanchez already there he has experienced elite riders to learn the ropes from.

 

[Angliru]

I'd definitely put my money on Romain Sicard. Thing is, Euskaltel has kept him on a pretty tight leash (smart move) so we cannot really be sure yet. I'm looking forward to seeing big things from him in the future, but like I said it's too soon to say if he's the next big French GC talent. For now, Roche is improving in leaps and bounds, but his TTing is far too weak for him to ever be a serious contender.

...but Roche isn't French, just riding for a French team. This French drought at the Tour has to end at some point although the same drought could be applied to another former power in stage racing, Belgium. Before Vandenbroucke they were suffering a similar shortage of grand tour stage racing talent and results. It will be interesting to see if his performances motivates a generation of up and coming Belgium cyclists.

 

[Marcus135]

You cant win the TDF unless you can speek american

*English
..

 

[Bike Boy]

Maybe not. Possibly being outside of the French team environment, which I liken to the culture of losing that has existed with my hometeam Detroit Lions, will be an advantage for him. Virtually all of the past great hopes of French cycling that failed to live up to the hype were on French teams: DiGregorio, Rolland, Fedrigo,Voeckler (not that anyone ever took him being a GC hopeful seriously), Casar, etc... Additionally it appears Euskatel is bringing him along slowly which is a plus. I believe Sicard is the real thing and with Anton and Sanchez already there he has experienced elite riders to learn the ropes from.

Yes and I thought chavanel would become the real thing aswell but yes you raise a good point. I will keep an eye on him for sure. As flatclimb said he will still be affected by the pressure of the entire nation, maybe he can deal with it, only time will tell

 

[janraaskalt]

Let's see how junior world champion Olivier Le Gac will improve over the next years. He seems to be a Bernard Hinault type, lives in the same area in France. Also, he just started with cycling.

If only pros can be taken into account, I would bet my money on Coppel.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Coppel, although maybe not great like Hinault etc, but at least better than the 'accident' top 10 riders like Dessel.
And then obviously Sicard

 

[sublimit]

Annex most of North Africa and call it Greater France then persuade some of the talented distance runners to switch to cycle racing for cash. Give them a couple of years and then bingo!

Or they could do what Qatar do and import some athletes to perform for them.

 

[L'arriviste]

Annex most of North Africa and call it Greater France ...

They did that once already.

 

[The Hitch]

Annex most of North Africa and call it Greater France then persuade some of the talented distance runners to switch to cycle racing for cash. Give them a couple of years and then bingo!

Or they could do what Qatar do and import some athletes to perform for them.

No no. You were onto something on the first point. France have in the past taken African born and bred footballers and put them in the national squad. Problem is the big distance runners come from East Africa, not former French colonies in West and Central and North Africa.

 

[sublimit]

No no. You were onto something on the first point. France have in the past taken African born and bred footballers and put them in the national squad. Problem is the big distance runners come from East Africa, not former French colonies in West and Central and North Africa.

Ever heard of Hicham el guerrouj from Morocco or Khannouchi ex of Morocco now a US citizen heres the progression in 1500 metre world records!

3;29.46 Saïd Aouita (MAR) 1985-08-23 Berlin, Germany
3:28.86 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) 1992-09-06 Rieti, Italy
3:27.37 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) 1995-07-12 Nice, France
3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 1998-07-14 Rome, Italy

There must be plenty of talent there now also. But you are right East Africa is a hotbed for runners.

 

[Highlander]

...but Roche isn't French, just riding for a French team. This French drought at the Tour has to end at some point although the same drought could be applied to another former power in stage racing, Belgium. Before Vandenbroucke they were suffering a similar shortage of grand tour stage racing talent and results. It will be interesting to see if his performances motivates a generation of up and coming Belgium cyclists.

Actually Roche is French because he was born there and has a French mother. He had dual nationality and picked to compete as a Frenchman.

By the way, for those who mentioned Gadret as a contender, he needs to make sure that Roche doesn't kill him first like he threatened to do last July.

 

[Lanark]

Actually Roche is French because he was born there and has a French mother. He had dual nationality and picked to compete as a Frenchman.

By the way, for those who mentioned Gadret as a contender, he needs to make sure that Roche doesn't kill him first like he threatened to do last July.

Since when? The UCI site says he's an Irishman, and he competed for Ireland during the last World Championship.

 

[euanli]

And he was Irish Road champ last year as well.

 

[Sofía_]

Julien Bérard.

 

[The Hitch]

Ever heard of Hicham el guerrouj from Morocco or Khannouchi ex of Morocco now a US citizen heres the progression in 1500 metre world records!

3;29.46 Saïd Aouita (MAR) 1985-08-23 Berlin, Germany
3:28.86 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) 1992-09-06 Rieti, Italy
3:27.37 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) 1995-07-12 Nice, France
3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 1998-07-14 Rome, Italy

There must be plenty of talent there now also. But you are right East Africa is a hotbed for runners.

Yes. 1500 m was my favoruite discipline as a kid and i liked Hicham El Guerrouj. As i recall did a guitar salute when he won. But 1500 is hardly long distance. The running equivalents of cycling climbers are the small 160- 175 cm marathon runners and 10 000m specialists like Haile, Kenenisa. That Kenyan who was in that Alpe d huez film was a long distane runner, not 1500 m

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Since when? The UCI site says he's an Irishman, and he competed for Ireland during the last World Championship.

I believe he rode on a French licence in 2005 and 2006: albeit apparently reluctantly

I'm sure the French press would seek to reclaim him should he do the not-really-very-likely in July

 

[Angliru]

Actually Roche is French because he was born there and has a French mother. He had dual nationality and picked to compete as a Frenchman.

By the way, for those who mentioned Gadret as a contender, he needs to make sure that Roche doesn't kill him first like he threatened to do last July.

Wasn't he wearing the Irish National Champion jersey in 2010?

 

[jaylew]

Yes. 1500 m was my favoruite discipline as a kid and i liked Hicham El Guerrouj. As i recall did a guitar salute when he won. But 1500 is hardly long distance. The running equivalents of cycling climbers are the small 160- 175 cm marathon runners and 10 000m specialists like Haile, Kenenisa. That Kenyan who was in that Alpe d huez film was a long distane runner, not 1500 m

His point is still valid.Two of those guys are also 5k gold medal winners and one is a former world record holder in the marathon. Moroccans have a tendency to go for the 1500 (and to a lesser degree, the marathon) because of their great history at that distance but they have talented distance runners up to the marathon distance. They don't come close to Kenya or Ethiopia, but Morocco produces plenty of great distance runners

 

[Mambo95]

Yes. 1500 m was my favoruite discipline as a kid and i liked Hicham El Guerrouj. As i recall did a guitar salute when he won. But 1500 is hardly long distance. The running equivalents of cycling climbers are the small 160- 175 cm marathon runners and 10 000m specialists like Haile, Kenenisa. That Kenyan who was in that Alpe d huez film was a long distane runner, not 1500 m

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

Anyway, I still think the next good (not great) French GC rider could be Moncoutie. He has the talent, it's just his head that needs sorting out. Get him to give a toss and do some training and he could be right up there.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Anyway, I still think the next good (not great) French GC rider could be Moncoutie. He has the talent, it's just his head that needs sorting out. Get him to give a toss and do some training and he could be right up there.

At 36 by the time of this year's TdF? Way too late to "start taking it seriously"

 

[Angliru]

I always heard that Moncoutie just loved to race and ride, not concerned at all with what he was riding (technology wise) and yes it's a bit late in his career for him to be the next big thing in French cycling. He's an excellent rider nonetheless. I'd put him up in the top 5 of the French pro's.

 

[Mambo95]

I always heard that Moncoutie just loved to race and ride, not concerned at all with what he was riding (technology wise) and yes it's a bit late in his career for him to be the next big thing in French cycling. He's an excellent rider nonetheless. I'd put him up in the top 5 of the French pro's.

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.