Bike Racing

[Marco]

I think that's what you call a straw man Marco.

???

[Witton Park]

???

"The cycling greats won grant tours and classics. That's why Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Fignon and now Pogačar are talked about so highly. Whilst Pidcock clearly has some class, he's some way behind the top five currently active grant tour contenders"

If it's a comeback at what I said I've actually only identified potential in Pidcock. I can see he's clearly behind the top five, but he's never prepped seriously, and with the will and application he could be a contender by 2025 as he seems to have fewer miles on the clock than most.

If I've done you a disservice, I apologise

Quite a performance today in the TT.

[PeteS]

Opined Andy Schleck who retired at 29!

Indeed!

I think Pidcock came to road cycling late but has time to becoming a true GC contender if that's the path he wants to take. How old was this year's 2nd at the Giro?

Remco Evenepoel looks to be a likely target for Ineos if Rodriguez heads to Movistar next season.

[Graham Breeze]

Indeed!

I think Pidcock came to road cycling late but has time to becoming a true GC contender if that's the path he wants to take. How old was this year's 2nd at the Giro?

Remco Evenepoel looks to be a likely target for Ineos if Rodriguez heads to Movistar next season.

Well money doesn't talk it swears and if a team spends all its money on the star and doesn't have any left for a strong squad...although I suppose that's not a problem for the Ineos Bank.

One might think a Spanish rider would like to ride for a Spanish team (the only team) but has Movistar now put its years of infighting chaos behind it?

And what is the value/down side of riding for a patriotic team? Would the next Eddy Merckx not prefer to ride for a Belgian team? But that hasn't helped French riders much who always wilt under the weight of home expectation so much that Laurent Jalabert moved to Spain just to get away from French pressure. The recent history of French cycling is full of the corpses of riders destroyed because they weren't another Hinault.

It's so interesting!

[Witton Park]

Interesting to look at how Jumbo-Visma have taken to poaching Ineos riders.
Dennis last year and Van Baarle this year.
Built a strong squad to support the two GC guys.

UAE have done similar. They have Pog of course, but having Adam Yates, Soler and Majka who've all been GC contenders recently is taking a leaf out of the Sky/Ineos book and a lot of strong riders not at the TdF.

[Witton Park]

Fancy an early attack today from UAE. Get someone up the road on the first climb and a Pog attack on the 2nd.

It's the proverbial or bust after yesterday.

I'm probably way off

[Marco]

"The cycling greats won grant tours and classics. That's why Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Fignon and now Pogačar are talked about so highly. Whilst Pidcock clearly has some class, he's some way behind the top five currently active grant tour contenders"

If it's a comeback at what I said I've actually only identified potential in Pidcock. I can see he's clearly behind the top five, but he's never prepped seriously, and with the will and application he could be a contender by 2025 as he seems to have fewer miles on the clock than most.

If I've done you a disservice, I apologise

The point I am trying to make is this current period is unusual. In the past, there have been periods where one rider, such as Hinault, was so much better than the rest that they won pretty much won every stage race they entered (barring injury/illness).

There were other periods when there was no outstanding talent, and it was wide open (I'm thinking of 2011 after Bradley Wiggins crashed out).

The current time is not like either of these. For the first time in around 50 years we have three truly great grand tour winners all competing at the same time, and they are 23,24 and 26 years old. Talented as Pidcock is, it's going to be very hard for him (or anyone else for that matter) to beat these three.

In years to come this will be seen as a golden age for stage racing; enjoy what you're seeing now, as it could be another 50 years before we get an era this good again.

[Witton Park]

The point I am trying to make is this current period is unusual. In the past, there have been periods where one rider, such as Hinault, was so much better than the rest that they won pretty much won every stage race they entered (barring injury/illness).

There were other periods when there was no outstanding talent, and it was wide open (I'm thinking of 2011 after Bradley Wiggins crashed out).

The current time is not like either of these. For the first time in around 50 years we have three truly great grand tour winners all competing at the same time, and they are 23,24 and 26 years old. Talented as Pidcock is, it's going to be very hard for him (or anyone else for that matter) to beat these three.

In years to come this will be seen as a golden age for stage racing; enjoy what you're seeing now, as it could be another 50 years before we get an era this good again.

It's a fair point.

and the point I'm trying to make is that there is more specialism now.

Riders seem to be one day racers, or GC contenders in stage races. Pidcock even this year prepped for the Spring Classics and won one.
Job done.

Pogacar might be a capable classics rider, but I reckon this week he's paying the price for what happened in the spring.

[Marco]

It's a fair point.

and the point I'm trying to make is that there is more specialism now.

Riders seem to be one day racers, or GC contenders in stage races. Pidcock even this year prepped for the Spring Classics and won one.
Job done.

Pogacar might be a capable classics rider, but I reckon this week he's paying the price for what happened in the spring.

The evidence points towards less specialism: Pogačar has won two Tour de Frances, two Tirreno-Adriaticos and one Paris-Nice. He has also won 7 classic races, and he is still only 24. Remco Evenpoel has won the Vuelta a España and 5 classic races, and is only 23. And then there is Wout van Aert, who despite doing a colossal amount of heavy-lifting for Jumbo-Visma has won the Tour of Britain and 5 classics.

I was surprised that Pogačar even started this Tour de France, after missing so much training and racing. I would not expect him to be at his best, but he's still 49 minutes ahead of Pidcock in the GC

[Graham Breeze]

The evidence points towards less specialism: Pogačar has won two Tour de Frances, two Tirreno-Adriaticos and one Paris-Nice. He has also won 7 classic races, and he is still only 24. Remco Evenpoel has won the Vuelta a España and 5 classic races, and is only 23. And then there is Wout van Aert, who despite doing a colossal amount of heavy-lifting for Jumbo-Visma has won the Tour of Britain and 5 classics.

I was surprised that Pogačar even started this Tour de France, after missing so much training and racing. I would not expect him to be at his best, but he's still 49 minutes ahead of Pidcock in the GC

He's a local lad and all...but I'm not yet convinced by Pidcock.

We don't know yet if he has the strength for the third week, we don't know if he will give up easy victories like MTB,... The most successful recent Tour riders have been those for who it was that or nothing: Armstrong, Indurain,Froome.

At his age I don't think Pidcock will willingly limit his options to the Tour when victory is always a hostage to fortune and by the time he makes his mind up there might be another Pogacar champing at the bit.

The days of Cadel Evans winning as a Vet 50 are gone.