Will Quick Step ever get a GC contender?

[The_Z_man]

So Chavanel is out for at least 8 weeks with a skull fracture. My second reaction (after "Man, he was lucky to walk away from that") was "There goes what slim chances Quick Step had for a high GC place in a Grand Tour.

Will Quick Step ever go after a real GC contender? They have a team loaded with stage winners, and guys to support them. I wonder if Lefévère will take some of his piles of dough and throw it at someone who can win them an overall, and a couple of pure climbers to help out in the high mountains.

 

[Jan the Man]

Maybe.

Chavanel was never a chance at a GC at a grand tour, unless you cound 15th to 20th as a chance. Lefevre indicated recently that he might consider going for i.e. Contador who is sure fire. However he has been bitten in the past, remember the Peccharoman signing?

Ultimately, whilst they have Boonen, competing for stages in GC and challenging in the Northern Classics, the sponsors and target market will be quite happy.

Unless either Devenys or Seeldrayers develop I doubt he will go into the market for a GC challenger.

 

[nvpacchi]

Maybe.

Chavanel was never a chance at a GC at a grand tour, unless you cound 15th to 20th as a chance. Lefevre indicated recently that he might consider going for i.e. Contador who is sure fire. However he has been bitten in the past, remember the Peccharoman signing?

Ultimately, whilst they have Boonen, competing for stages in GC and challenging in the Northern Classics, the sponsors and target market will be quite happy.

Unless either Devenys or Seeldrayers develop I doubt he will go into the market for a GC challenger.

I think Seeldrayers could turn into a nice GC threat. He had a nice Giro last at year 14th overall (best young rider too).

Devolder was always coined as the rider that could compete for the one-day cobbles and the overall GC. Looks like he can't do either of those now.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

they have devolder, major GT threat

I agree with Seeldrayers. Good rider, a lot of potential imo.

 

[The_Z_man]

Maybe.

Chavanel was never a chance at a GC at a grand tour, unless you cound 15th to 20th as a chance.

I don't consider that a chance, but his 15th to 20th was always as good as they could get. And he was always the one they considered their GC man.

They do keep their target market happy. Wins and good placings in the Northern and Italian classics is what they're built for, and what they get.

It would be nice to see a Belgian develop who could score overall.

 

[theyoungest]

they have devolder, major GT threat

I agree with Seeldrayers. Good rider, a lot of potential imo.

Seeldraeyers has the physical talent, but not the mentality. It's almost absurd how little the guy cares about what he's doing.

 

[TRDean]

I don't consider that a chance, but his 15th to 20th was always as good as they could get. And he was always the one they considered their GC man.
They do keep their target market happy. Wins and good placings in the Northern and Italian classics is what they're built for, and what they get.

It would be nice to see a Belgian develop who could score overall.

Chavanel has not been with QS but a couple of years...am I missing something here??

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

they have devolder, major GT threat

They won't at the end of the year!
I doubt Lefevre will want to keep Devolder after the classics campaign...unless devolder quickly comes up with something great he wont be riding for Quickstep again.
And overall...Quickstep will never get a pure GC contender, as long as they can win a bit in the classics (which didn't work out this year ) and some stages, their sponsors will be happy.

 

[issoisso]

I'm guessing they'll continue to do as they have done so far.

Sign young, extremely promising GC prospects, and mishandle them, culminating in none of them ever fulfilling their potential

 

[The_Z_man]

Chavanel has not been with QS but a couple of years...am I missing something here??

I guess I missed something. OK, he's been there only a couple of years, but he was hired as their "GC man".

 

[rghysens]

I guess I missed something. OK, he's been there only a couple of years, but he was hired as their "GC man".

He only is with quickstep since last year (2009), and he was hired to perform wel in the classics (after his victories in dwars door vlaanderen and the brabantse pijl in 2008). The closest qsi ever came to a good performance in a gt final classification was with garate in the giro of 2006 (7th in gc, stage win and kom competition)

 

[jaylew]

I don't thhink Lefevere will do it unless he get a sure-fire podium guy. As people have mentioned, they've been burnt before(who can forget the Rujano debacle?).

 

[theswordsman]

Last year he wanted to bring in Contador plus four or five riders Alberto selected. He said earlier this year that he still wants to do it.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Well I hope Seeldraeyers develops properly but I doubt it...
As for contador, they had 4.5mill for him last year, they'll give it to him for next year;
I think Malacarne can turn into a great climber, he's very young and proved he can do it already

 

[isayic]

Last year he wanted to bring in Contador plus four or five riders Alberto selected. He said earlier this year that he still wants to do it.

I think that (barring some desaster during the rest of the season) Contador will stay with Astana. He wants to win Giro and Tour next year and I know only one director who has experience with the double. It's Guiseppe Martinelli who managed this with Pantani. Martinelli is now sports director with Astana and why should Contador go to a team with no experience of how to support a CG contender

 

[BeachBum]

A GC contender would only be a distraction to QuickStep. They know their sweet spot and they hit it more often than not. QS has won 4 of 5 Monuments (all 5 if you include Mapei-QuickStep), multiple road WCs, a green jersey, points jersey in the Giro a few times, road wins in all 3 GTs, and that's just the major races.

In the past 10 years, what other team has come close? Only CSC/Saxo.

 

[Michele]

Seeldraeyers has the physical talent, but not the mentality. It's almost absurd how little the guy cares about what he's doing.

Care to elaborate/explain?
Thanks.

 

[ridley]

They won't at the end of the year!
I doubt Lefevre will want to keep Devolder after the classics campaign...unless devolder quickly comes up with something great he wont be riding for Quickstep again.
And overall...Quickstep will never get a pure GC contender, as long as they can win a bit in the classics (which didn't work out this year ) and some stages, their sponsors will be happy.

I have to agree - Lefevre was quite blunt about Devolder's performance and only targetting a specific race for the season.

But as long as Tommeke is there, a GC position might not be so important

 

[Angliru]

Maybe.

Chavanel was never a chance at a GC at a grand tour, unless you cound 15th to 20th as a chance. Lefevre indicated recently that he might consider going for i.e. Contador who is sure fire. However he has been bitten in the past, remember the Peccharoman signing?

Ultimately, whilst they have Boonen, competing for stages in GC and challenging in the Northern Classics, the sponsors and target market will be quite happy.

Unless either Devenys or Seeldrayers develop I doubt he will go into the market for a GC challenger.

IMO Carlos Barredo is more of a gc threat in the grand tours than Chavanel.
He's shown consistent improvement in his performances at the grand tours. I believe he was even talked up as a potential top ten in the gc at last years Vuelta but he either succumbed to injuries from a crash or got sick, I can't remember exactly which. He had been showing good form before pulling out.

 

[MADRAZO]

Branislau Samoilau has huge potential as a GC-rider, both strong in the mountains and in the time trials when in topform. He hasn't shown anything this year though but hopefully he has been building up for a good showing in the Giro. I think in a couple of years he will be a top GC-rider.