Why does BMC struggle to get wins under their belt?

[dlwssonic]

They have a very strong team with a lot of famous people but since last year they have struggled to get many wins. Most of their wins have come from cuddles. However the other high profile cyclist have failed to succeed in getting wins. I believe this classics season will be the real test for BMC if their really a good team.

 

[Parrulo]

not counting evans, besides ballan who was injured/in bad shape last year they didn't have any1 good enough to get them a win on the classics. simple as that. maybe they have a shot at one of the cobble classics this year as ballan seems to be in good shape

 

[Archibald]

strong team, but what of their leaders [excluding Cuddles]?

Ballan, VanAvermat, Burghardt... maybe in a pinch, Big George?

who else is there that you'd expect to be "up there", let alone winning?
I don't see any of them topping the favourites in any of the classics.

 

[roundabout]

No 1st class sprinters (sorry TGAK)

No 1st class time trialists (at least as yet)

Cadel Evans who has never been a prolific winner is the best climber.

Leaves random breaks

 

[ergmonkey]

To paraphrase what many have been saying: BMC has too many riders who can win big but who can't win very often.

Evans wins: FW; Worlds
Normal Evans result: podium in brutally hard big stage race

Ballan wins: Flanders; Worlds
Normal Ballan result: "improving his form" for Classics or Worlds

Burghardt win: GW
Normal Burghardt result: impressive, unsuccessful long breakaway

Hincapie win: GW
Normal Hincapie result: fourth place or mechanical incident

This team needs for Van Avermaet to break through big time.

 

[ingsve]

I can only echo what's been said already. The riders on BMC are mainly guys that win on very specific courses rather than guys who can win the more common types of races.

Most races on the calender are pretty much dead flat or very few bumps and BMC has noone who can consistently win those races. If you instead look at HTC who has more sprinters than they know what to do with almost it's no surprise that they consistently win more than any other team. To win on the flat they would need to go in breaks and that's just not a conssitent way to win. Even if you happen to be in the break that stays away there will more often enough be someone in the break that is faster than the BMC guys as well.

Then if you look at time trials BMC has Evans and perhaps Quinziato and in the future or in smaller races they have Phinney but no one that can deliver steady wins for them. You don't even need to have someone like Cancellara for that. It would be enough to have someone like Pinotti or Millar who are consistent performers who usually get one or two TT wins per year.

Then if you look at MTFs once again it's Evans that's the only consistent option unless you count in escapes from riders that aren't dangerous on GT. Perhaps they have a few guys that could occasionally win on a big mountain but so far they haven't shown themselves.

This leaves only a small type of races left. The classic style course with either cobbles or shorter climbs or hills. These are the types of courses they have riders for but it's also the hardest types of races to win consistently since you have to be in great shape and be lucky enough to be in the right group when the race is decided and that can often have a random aspect. It also requires that you have a decent sprint to beat the other riders in your finishing group and there BMC once again have a slight disadvantage. Guys like Ballan are fast enough to beat many riders but he isn't the fastest so he's more likely to finish 2-5th rather than winning.

 

[theyoungest]

This team has just come off the most impressive week since its inception, so the timing of this post is a bit odd. For a moment it even looked like they were going to win a Monument, that's definitely a first.

As for the (lack of) wins: Kroon, Burghardt, Hincapie, Van Avermaet... all decent riders, but hardly big time winners. That much was clear before BMC signed them, so why expect them to do things they aren't capable of? The reason BMC struggle to get wins is that they don't have riders who win races, simple as that.

 

[auscyclefan94]

BMC had quite a lot of young inexperienced riders and they were pretty unlucky last year with the way things turned out as all their classics riders other than Cadel really didn't do that well at all. I think a big improver this year could be Steve Morabito.

 

[ingsve]

BMC had quite a lot of young inexperienced riders and they were pretty unlucky last year with the way things turned out as all their classics riders other than Cadel really didn't do that well at all. I think a big improver this year could be Steve Morabito.

They're actually not THAT young compared to some other teams. I think they simply haven't replaced enough of their subpar riders yet to be at a high level. I think they are a bit like Garmin was before this year where half the team is at a good level but the other half of the team is still almost at continental or low pro conti level. With the merger with Cervelo Garmin lost a lot of their lesser riders and replaced them with seasoned PT level riders. BMC could need to do something similar and only keep the younger riders that are actually talented.

 

[ingsve]

If I were in charge of BMC the riders I would look to replace are:

Chad Beyer
Martin Kohler
Jeff Louder
John Murphy
Danilo Wyss
Simon Zahner

There might be a couple more that are close to that list as well. I'll add the caveat that I don't know that much about these riders so if there are injuries etc that is standing in the way of their development then that could change things of course.

Most of these are riders that haven't really earned a place in the PT. They seem to owe their place to some type of Swiss/US quota rather than having shown that they are at a level that is needed in the PT.

If you remove these types of riders and replace them with tested well experienced PT riders that have the ability to win once in a while then things could change very fast.

 

[theyoungest]

They also need to get rid of this Taylor Phinney guy... dude can't ride for ****.

[/Ryo Hazuki mode off]

One of their recent signings I really don't see much potential in is Yannick Eijssen... overrated talent if there ever was one. Won two mountain stages by getting away before the final climb last year, and there you go, signed by a WorldTour team.

 

[El Pistolero]

They also need to get rid of this Taylor Phinney guy... dude can't ride for ****.

[/Ryo Hazuki mode off]

One of their recent signings I really don't see much potential in is Yannick Eijssen... overrated talent if there ever was one. Won two mountain stages by getting away before the final climb last year, and there you go, signed by a WorldTour team.

Bauke Mollema.

 

[Night Rider]

They have a very strong team with a lot of famous people but since last year they have struggled to get many wins. Most of their wins have come from cuddles..

Like the above poster said, Ballan had a shocker last year with injuries, etc but he's looking in pretty good form for this year. Cadel has already won this year as well.

I have no doubt they will do better this year than last.

 

[theyoungest]

Bauke Mollema.

You don't get my point. Eijssen is tactically astute, but there are far stronger climbers than him in the U23 ranks. Mollema didn't win the Tour de l'Avenir by being lucky, he simply was the strongest.

 

[hughmoore]

How do they compare with wins to other new teams like Sky/Shack etc.





Hugh

 

[El Pistolero]

You don't get my point. Eijssen is tactically astute, but there are far stronger climbers than him in the U23 ranks. Mollema didn't win the Tour de l'Avenir by being lucky, he simply was the strongest.

There are far worse cyclists who got a pro contract. It's not like BMC is the best of the best here.

I would wait a few years before calling him overrated. Winning the Tour de l'avenir doesn't mean all that much in the pro rank. Just look at our latest winner. Supposedly having more impressive numbers at the Tour de l'avenir than Contador at the TdF. We'll see how far behind Bertie he'll end in Catalunya.

 

[theyoungest]

There are far worse cyclists who got a pro contract. It's not like BMC is the best of the best here.

I would wait a few years before calling him overrated. Winning the Tour de l'avenir doesn't mean all that much in the pro rank. Just look at our latest winner. Supposedly having more impressive numbers at the Tour de l'avenir than Contador at the TdF. We'll see how far behind Bertie he'll end in Catalunya.

Ah, so Eijssen isn't overrated because he didn't win the Tour de l'Avenir, and Quintana is overrated because he did. Way to go.

 

[El Pistolero]

Ah, so Eijssen isn't overrated because he didn't win the Tour de l'Avenir, and Quintana is overrated because he did. Way to go.

I don't see a lot of people talking about Eijssen, so no, he isn't overrated. I don't think anyone is expecting him to do something special this season.

Quintana is not overrated if you ignore a particular poster here.

Looking at the list of recent winners, only Menchov strikes out to me to be honest.

The biggest climbing talents in cycling in U23 category ride in Spain. And Spain only. When they become pro it seems like they came out of nowhere, but they didn't.

 

[theyoungest]

I don't see a lot of people talking about Eijssen, so no, he isn't overrated.

Except by the experts who awarded him the U23 Flandrien award or whatever it's called

 

[adamski101]

How do they compare with wins to other new teams like Sky/Shack etc.






Hugh

Sky had 22 wins last year and Radioshack 12. So in terms of numbers on last year, not too favourably.

This year though BMC look in better shape. last week they rode tactically well in Tirreno and I thought they were the best team at MSR. Ballan looks like he is getting back to his form of 3/4 years ago and it would be good to see him challenging again at Flanders/Roubaix. Van Avermaet is proving to be a good signing and a win must be coming soon for him. Evans will always be active and prominent in every race he takes part in and will get his share of victories, though I just can't see him winning a GT.

I think BMC problem is they don't have a rider capapble of racking up wins at a lower level, they don't really seem to have a sprinter of any real calibre. Kristoff has shown little. Wyss has probably looked sharpest in that respect this year.

Phinney needs time, there has been a lot of hype, but he just needs to get on with it, learn about being a Pro at the top level.

 

[El Pistolero]

Except by the experts who awarded him the U23 Flandrien award or whatever it's called

It's not like they had much choice. He had the best results compared to other Belgians. Don't know how you can argue about that.

 

[ergmonkey]

When Judgment Day arrives, you will rue the day you ever so much as doubted The Great Bauke Mollema.

 

[brianf7]

If I were in charge of BMC the riders I would look to replace are:

Chad Beyer
Martin Kohler
Jeff Louder
John Murphy
Danilo Wyss
Simon Zahner

There might be a couple more that are close to that list as well. I'll add the caveat that I don't know that much about these riders so if there are injuries etc that is standing in the way of their development then that could change things of course.

Most of these are riders that haven't really earned a place in the PT. They seem to owe their place to some type of Swiss/US quota rather than having shown that they are at a level that is needed in the PT.

If you remove these types of riders and replace them with tested well experienced PT riders that have the ability to win once in a while then things could change very fast.

But what do these guys do for the team who carries water bottles and works up front when they have a rider in GC. all the team cant be winners they must earn their keep somewher or for sure BMC will drop them like a lead baloon.

There heaps of riders who are never alowed to show tallent in many teams especialy teams that have a guy going for GC.

Turn off ther radio and maybe they may show some tallent but with team boss yelling down your earhole all day what can they do.

 

[bhilden]

Marcus Burghardt looked pretty impressive with two stage wins in difficult conditions at last year's Tour de Suisse.

 

[Dewulf]

Sky had 22 wins last year and Radioshack 12. So in terms of numbers on last year, not too favourably.

This year though BMC look in better shape. last week they rode tactically well in Tirreno and I thought they were the best team at MSR. Ballan looks like he is getting back to his form of 3/4 years ago and it would be good to see him challenging again at Flanders/Roubaix. Van Avermaet is proving to be a good signing and a win must be coming soon for him. Evans will always be active and prominent in every race he takes part in and will get his share of victories, though I just can't see him winning a GT.

I think BMC problem is they don't have a rider capapble of racking up wins at a lower level, they don't really seem to have a sprinter of any real calibre. Kristoff has shown little. Wyss has probably looked sharpest in that respect this year.

Phinney needs time, there has been a lot of hype, but he just needs to get on with it, learn about being a Pro at the top level.

+1 to most of this; with due respect, i think the OP's question is a bit misguided - BMC's biggest target is getting Cadel on the podium at TdF, not racking up lots of small stage wins in lesser races.

Last year that made them similar to Radioshack, with BMC getting 10 stages and/or classifications (i'm not gonna count the Azzuri d'Italia Cadel got at the Giro but i will count the rest, eg. points, mountains, sprints). When you consider the calibre of riders the Shack snapped up from Astana (see how many teams classifications they won), BMC's 12 wins is not bad if ou remember what they are really on about.

And part of that focus is having riders who know that they are there to support, and are happy to do that, not get ideas about going for their own glory because they won recently in some smaller race and are hungry for more of that. There are different paths in life, for teams as well as people....not every team is going to measure success against the same benchmark as the others.