Young riders to watch in 2011

[MADRAZO]

Can only agree with most of the mentioned riders like Felline, Duarte, Sicard, Mathews, Degenkolb, Apollonio, Slagter, Phinney, Betancour, Modolo, Madrazo, Nizzolo, Kump etc.

Besides these I think for instance the following needs a mention:

Andrea Guardini (seems even faster than Nizzolo),
Wilco Kelderman (the next dutch supertalent),
Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (italys biggest climbing talent, will dominate the u23-climbs next season)
Danielle Ratto (huge young talent that could get a big breakthrough next season)

 

[personal]

Robert Kišerlovski (climber) - Liquigas - Croatia

 

[biopass]

Robert Kišerlovski (climber) - Liquigas - Croatia

Didnt he signed for Astana?

 

[Captain_Cavman]

In the 2008 Junior Paris-Roubaix, Peter Sagan went clear from a long way out but was eventually caught and passed 1Km out to finish second. The rider who won has just signed up to the team run by one of the greatest classics riders of all time, Sean Kelly.

Of course, there's every possibility that the promise shown as a 17 year old doesn't translate into later success at the highest level and that success at the highest level doesn't equip anyone to develop talent in others; but I'll be watching Andrew Fenn's progress to see if it does in this case.

 

[Kwibus]

TGBM ofcourse
Slagter
Matthews
Any colombian.
Kristoff. ACF inspired me
Sicard
van Garderen
Degenkolb
Phinney

 

[PedroMartins94]

Two words, one rider to look after this next year: Nelson Oliveira

 

[simo1733]

Australia has an unbelievably strong crop of young talent coming through at the moment.Stronger than they have ever had, and maybe stronger than anyone else has ever had. I'm particularly liking Cam Meyer. He has the eye of the tiger that boy!

 

[Michele]

Waiting for Jens Keukeleire (Cofidis) to confirm what he's shown this year.

 

[kurtinsc]

While he's only riding at an under-23 team, I'm very interested to see Lawson Craddock outside of the junior ranks.

Winning the US road race, road time trial, criterium and individual pursuit junior titles in a year is a pretty impressive feat... but junior success often doesn't translate even to the u-23 level, let alone as a pro.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rafael Reis.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Two words, one rider to look after this next year: Nelson Oliveira

Three words for you: Riding for Radioshack

Sorry, but not the best descision on his part to go to that team.

 

[Sydney21]

Sep Vanmarcke

This guy is the goods. Rode to 2nd in GW and a strong PT. Will prove to be a super all round classics rider

 

[Hugo Koblet]

This guy is the goods. Rode to 2nd in GW and a strong PT. Will prove to be a super all round classics rider

He definately is very promising, but he'll have a hard time getting results at the current Garmin-Cervelo team I think. Or hasn't this been confirmed yet?

 

[royalpig180]

A starter. Please add to the list

Dan Martin
Romain Sicard
Brice Feillu
Geraint Thomas
Thomas Sagan

Erm do you mean Peter Sagan or is this someone different? I'm aware Peter's brother Juraj is also on Liquigas, but I haven't heard of a Thomas...

 

[royalpig180]

Didnt he [Robert Kirserlovski] signed for Astana?

Yes he did. And I agree that he is one to watch, he was solid in the Giro this year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Coen Vermeltfoort should be interesting to watch

 

[ferryman]

Erm do you mean Peter Sagan or is this someone different? I'm aware Peter's brother Juraj is also on Liquigas, but I haven't heard of a Thomas...

I did indeed mean Peter

 

[Hugo Koblet]

3 young sprinters to look out for this year:

Michael Van Staeyen:

He won the Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen this year, outsprinting McEwen and Roelandts among others. Also won a sprint stage in the Tour of Denmark where he finished ahead of Breschel, Hunt, Goss, Farrar and Modolo. Seems really fast and isn't that heavy so he could potentially target som more hilly races.

Leigh Howard:

Maybe HTC's next sprint hope. He won a stage at the Tour of Oman this year, outsprinting Farrar, Bennati, Boonen among others. He will be competing with Goss for Greipel's role this year and apparently he's first in line. Also won the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen this year.

Elia Viviani:

Has produced some promising results this year, including the Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke, the Memorial Marco Pantani and a rather controversial stage win at the Tour of Turkey. With the departure of Bennati and Chicchi from the Liquigas team, Viviani will get a decent amount of chances to prove his worth next year.

 

[Christian]

Okay partly I'm saying this because the guy comes from my country, but partly I also think there is reasonable hope based on good U23 results.

Ben Gastauer (AG2R) will be entering his second season with the pro's. He didn't show anything last year, but that was also due to his program: RVV, Paris-Roubaix, Kuurne etc., which his team made him race, because according to Vincent Lavenu "this is where you learn cycling".

Next year's schedule should be more appropiated to his abilities though (climbing/hillier courses):

17-23 janvier : Tour de San Luis (Arg/cat 2.1)
9-13 février : Tour Méditerranéen (Fra/cat 2.1)
19-20 février : Tour du Haut-Var (Fra/cat 2.1)
26 février : GP Dell'Insubria-Lugano (Sui/cat 1.1)
27 février : Gp de Lugano (Sui/cat 1.1)
2 mars : Grand Prix Samyn (Bel/cat 1.1)
4-6 mars : Trois Jours de Flandre Occidentale (Bel/cat 2.1)
20 mars : Cholet - Pays de Loire (Fra/cat 1.1)
23 mars : À travers la Flandre (Bel/cat 1.1)
26 mars : GP E3 (Bel/1. HC)
2 avril : GP Indurain (Esp/cat 1.1)
4-9 avril : Tour du Pays basque (Esp/Pro Tour)
17 avril : Amstel Gold Race (PBS/Pro Tour)
20 avril : Flèche wallonne (Bel/Pro Tour)
24 avril : Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Bel/Pro Tour)
7-29 mai : Tour d'Italie

Some of his promising U23 results:

Overall Ruota d'Oro (2008), Overall and 1st stage Tour des Pays de Savoie 2009 (in front of Tejay Van Garderen), 2nd overall Flèche du Sud (2009) (behind Lasse Bochman)

 

[mortand]

I'm looking forward to follow Kristjan Koren. He had a very promising debut season at top level this year, showing off his versatility: 23rd in Paris-Roubaix, 15th overall in Critérium du Dauphiné and a win in GP Citta di Camaiore beating the likes of Giovanni Visconti and Francesco Ginanni in a six-man sprint. Besides, he finished the Tour de France in his first year as a full time pro.

It's difficult to pinpoint what kind of rider Koren is - before this year I would've thought of him as primarily a hilly classics guy, but now I'm not quite sure. He reminds me a bit of fellow Slovenian Simon Spilak, who has some of the same versitility (although more stage race minded).

Anyway, Koren's an interesting rider, and I hope he'll get some opportunities for himself at Liquigas. At 24, he's not that young anymore, and with a handful of years as a senior racer, he's probably more mature than most of the 'young brigade'.

 

[Sasquatch]

William Clarke will be a neo pro with the Schlecks team. Might be all domestique duties in his first year, but with an opportunity, definitely one to watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO_fLNAHvTU

Will Clarke will win Paris-Roubaix at some point in his career. Flanders too. Potentially one of the Ardennes too.

 

[profff]

I'm looking forward to follow Kristjan Koren. He had a very promising debut season at top level this year, showing off his versatility: 23rd in Paris-Roubaix, 15th overall in Critérium du Dauphiné and a win in GP Citta di Camaiore beating the likes of Giovanni Visconti and Francesco Ginanni in a six-man sprint. Besides, he finished the Tour de France in his first year as a full time pro.

It's difficult to pinpoint what kind of rider Koren is - before this year I would've thought of him as primarily a hilly classics guy, but now I'm not quite sure. He reminds me a bit of fellow Slovenian Simon Spilak, who has some of the same versitility (although more stage race minded).

Anyway, Koren's an interesting rider, and I hope he'll get some opportunities for himself at Liquigas. At 24, he's not that young anymore, and with a handful of years as a senior racer, he's probably more mature than most of the 'young brigade'.

kristian koren is very fast in small bunches and he can pass small hills
he will do well

 

[auscyclefan94]

Will Clarke will win Paris-Roubaix at some point in his career. Flanders too. Potentially one of the Ardennes too.

I haven't ever seen much of the guy but all I have heard is raving reviews of his talent and future. Is he a good tt rider? His brother, Simon, is riding for Astana next year. Strong workhorse. Remember his excellent job at the worlds in Mendrisio.

 

[CanSprint]

GUILLAUME BOIVIN Best young sprinter IMHO!

 

[sublimit]

Erm do you mean Peter Sagan or is this someone different? I'm aware Peter's brother Juraj is also on Liquigas, but I haven't heard of a Thomas...

Probably a Welsh/Yugoslavian child out of wedlock. Or perhaps Liquigas cloned another Sagan..

Andy Fenn is a good call, but maybe in a couple of years or so.