• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Who will ride for Lotto - Ridley?

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Michielveedeebee said:
Where did I mention the TdF? I said mountains. And yes I believe he can be a solid domestique, not necessarily in the TdF
Well, the TdF is the race where Van den Broeck is going to need mountain domestiques, if he doesn't crash again, so it was implicit. Regardless, it's too much to ask of a neopro, and too much of a gamble to count on it.
 
Michielveedeebee said:
Where did I mention the TdF? I said mountains. And yes I believe he can be a solid domestique, not necessarily in the TdF

I said in my quote GT's. You highlighted the part before. You responded to my comment. What i meant in my quote was other than Jelle and Greipel JVDB would have weak support in GT's because Hendo and a few others would be there. Their team looks threadbare though their other riders might ride tempo or something along those lines ( protecting their leaders ). Dennis might be a talent but won't ride so much the GT's in his first year.
 
Feb 25, 2010
3,854
1
0
Visit site
greenedge said:
I said in my quote GT's. You highlighted the part before. You responded to my comment. What i meant in my quote was other than Jelle and Greipel JVDB would have weak support in GT's because Hendo and a few others would be there. Their team looks threadbare though their other riders might ride tempo or something along those lines ( protecting their leaders ). Dennis might be a talent but won't ride so much the GT's in his first year.

Sorry forgot about that :/

Dennis might ride the Vuelta though... And with Jelle as a mountain domestique you really don't need anyone else imo... He's a better climber than Szmyd and Niemiec.
They won't be able to control the race, nor will they have to do so. 1 really really good domestique is all Jurgen needs...
 
Apr 9, 2011
3,034
2
0
Visit site
I also wonder if Lotto will bother with the world Tour, or do as we (mostly) think EE should do, be 2ND tear team and get invites to the races that want/hope to ride.

The team mentioned will be an ok GT team for either the Tour or Giro Vuelta double but thats it.

Big André can do well and pick up wins all year.

VDB2 is another only rides in July guy so why bother stretching the team ?
 
Michielveedeebee said:
Dennis might ride the Vuelta though... And with Jelle as a mountain domestique you really don't need anyone else imo... He's a better climber than Szmyd and Niemiec.

Jelle was great at the Tour, but let's not go overboard. He's done that once, and we were all surprised at his mountain ability as we'd only ever seen him on short hills before. Szmyd's been sticking the GC contenders out of the back door for years - let's see Jelle do it a few more times before we anoint him. Remember, for three weeks in 2009, Bradley Wiggins was one of the best climbers in the world, while Cadel Evans and Denis Menchov were chumps coming in with autobuses. A lot of bluster came about involving the expectations of Wiggins' abilities as a GC rider, and it's taken him two years to get to grips with that.

Jelle has the potential to be one of the great mountain domestiques, but I'd like to see him do it a few more times before I'm prepared to accept that it was definitely because he's awesome and definitely not because of not being a threat and conservative racing behind.

Also, remember that often we don't actually necessarily see what Szmyd as a climber is capable of because his other aspects of his game are lacking so as to make him a domestique. I'm sure Szmyd could have gone up Finestre faster, but Nibali was struggling to Szmyd had to ride his pace. When he has been given the freedom he's come in amongst the best on some pretty serious mountains (Dauphiné '08, '09 and '10). And even further back, check out this list of names behind him:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=5656

Niemiec, on the other hand, we have seen riding for himself, dropping the likes of Basso and Vino. But, like Szmyd, this has primarily been in warmup races.
 
Feb 25, 2010
3,854
1
0
Visit site
Fair enough, I might be jumping to conclusions, but he showed some good skill as a climber when he was a 22 year old neo-pro by doing good(12th i think) in fleche wallonne. Szmyd and Niemiec might be better right now when riding for themselves, but they reached their peak, Jelle can still develop.
But I do think he will deliver in the coming years.
 
Apr 14, 2011
998
0
0
Visit site
just some guy said:
I also wonder if Lotto will bother with the world Tour, or do as we (mostly) think EE should do, be 2ND tear team and get invites to the races that want/hope to ride.

The team mentioned will be an ok GT team for either the Tour or Giro Vuelta double but thats it.

Big André can do well and pick up wins all year.

VDB2 is another only rides in July guy so why bother stretching the team ?
Problem is, any non-French team which is not World Tour runs a serious risk of missing out on the TDF. If Menchov wasn't enough for Geox to get in, there is no guarantee that VDB would get Lotto an invite.
 
Michielveedeebee said:
Fair enough, I might be jumping to conclusions, but he showed some good skill as a climber when he was a 22 year old neo-pro by doing good(12th i think) in fleche wallonne. Szmyd and Niemiec might be better right now when riding for themselves, but they reached their peak, Jelle can still develop.
But I do think he will deliver in the coming years.

A few years ago he climbed as good as Andy Schleck in some Alp classic, can't remember the name...
 
May 19, 2009
80
0
0
Visit site
Lotto-Ridley needs some rider for the cobbles!!!!!

I think that a team as Lotto-Ridley needs some rider for cobbles classics...YTTING BAK?...but someone more...

on other hand...Belgacom will involve in the projec?
 
vala-vala said:
I think that a team as Lotto-Ridley needs some rider for cobbles classics...YTTING BAK?...but someone more...

on other hand...Belgacom will involve in the projec?

There were rumours about the involvment of Belgacom, then it was quiet about Belgacom and after a while Belgacom might have been contacted again ...
 
Aug 17, 2011
42
0
0
Visit site
42x16ss said:
Is there any word on what Adam Hansen is doing next year?

He came across to OPL with Greipel (apparently they are good mates) and was on a 2/3 year contract. Is he staying with Lotto, or going somewhere else, eg. Greenedge?

Just wondering, because he's a reliable, no-frills rouleur/domestique.

I know Adam and while i havent spoken to him recently, he is a loyal bloke and he is mates with Andre so im pretty sure he will be with Lotto. (If lotto require him, that i have no idea about)
 

TRENDING THREADS