Continuing the discussion from The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 1) - #10009 by barry_day.
Previous discussions:
How unlucky is Plapp. There were 15 crashes in the ITT. That is his season gone and no certainty to be ready for the Aussie summer.
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Ben O’Connor in for the injured Lucas Plapp for the road race.
O’Connor will join Jayco Alula in 2025. This will keep the Aussie cycling mafia happy. Tour or Norway starts on Sunday and Burgos on Monday. This will give us a clue as to Jayco’s Vuelta team. Reckon Schmid can win Norway.
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Jayco sign Josie Talbot.
An underwhelming signing who will not turn the needle. Manly is out as she wants to focus on sprinting as opposed to clASSICS type racing. In terms of raw speed there is little difference between Baker, Paternoster and Manly, however, Manly and Paternoster are better at positioning. Anyway, she is making a puzzling move to AG Insurance when you consider woolaston is the sprinter.
Men’s RR at the Olympics tomorrow. It’s a lottery with the reduced peleton. Australia made a mistake in not including Groves.
Same as it ever was.
Australian team for the UCI Road Championship announced.
Women Elite Road Race
- Neve Bradbury* (22, St Kilda CC, VIC)
- Grace Brown (32, St Kilda CC, VIC)
- Brodie Chapman (33, University of Queensland CC, QLD)
- Sarah Gigante (23, Brunswick CC, VIC)
- Ruby Roseman-Gannon (25, Brunswick CC, VIC)
- Amanda Spratt (36, Penrith CC, NSW)
Women Elite Individual Time Trial
- Grace Brown (32, St Kilda CC, VIC)
- Brodie Chapman (33, University of Queensland CC, QLD)
- Isabelle Carnes* (20, Balmoral CC, QLD)
*Eligible for under-23 competition.
Men Elite Road Race
- Jack Haig (30, Bendigo & District CC, VIC)
- Chris Harper (29, Norwood CC, SA)
- Jai Hindley (28, Midland CC, WA)
- Michael Matthews (33, Vikings CC, ACT)
- Ben O’Connor (28, Peel District CC, WA)
- Nick Schultz (29, Sunshine Coast CC, QLD)
- Callum Scotson (27, Port Adelaide CC, SA)
- Michael Storer (27, Midland CC, WA)
Men Elite Individual Time Trial
- Lucas Plapp (23, Brunswick CC, VIC) - Pending recovery.
And Grace Brown was the same as usual in the women’s RR. She was with the first group and got dropped like a stone. I posted last year you can not go with her as a leader in World’s or Olympics. When Spratt was leader she could get results. I’ll also add that the team selection was questionable. Roseman-Gannon was never going to survive that course and the logical selection would have Brodie Chapman. And the men’s team had to select Groves, especially once Plapp was injured in the RR. Bling simply did not have the legs in the RR.
Women’s team for the TDF Femmes is uninspiring. Roseman-Gannon, Garcia, Andersson, Smulders, Ton, Pate and Korevaar. It does not help that Baker, Manly and Paternoster are riding track at the Olympics, so are unavailable. The TDF Femmes needed to be a week later. Finally, Jayco continues the theme of not taking their best riders to the biggest races. How could Paternoster go through the season without riding a GT.
Finally, posted last year that Jayco needed to try harder to accept the foibles of Faulkner and have her her on the team in 2024. She’s a gifted rider with untapped potential and a big ENGINE.
What a disastrous performance by Jayco in stage one of Burgos. You have to watch the last 10kms to see how the team gave Ewan no chance.
The World’s team. Bling should not be in the team. Even though he will help as much as possible he is not a domestic. Chris Hamilton should be in his place. O’Connor is the one for the RR. He’s a decent one day rider and he will be aggressive and try to get in a late move I’d be very surprised if Plapp is ready for the ITT with his injuries from the Olympics. On the women’s side you can’t go with Brown again. The parcours is unsuitable and she has failed as a leader too many times in the RR. Let Brown focus on the ITT. Roseman Gannon will be no use in this race. They can be replaced with Loretta Hanson and Amber Pate. They’ve got Bradbury in the under 23’s two years too late. Anyway, Bradbury should be the leader as she has put into two or three exceptional stage performances in the Queen stage of UAE and Suisse.
Such an arrogant win by Ewan is stage two of Burgos. Never followed his team, sat in the first three for the last km and won convincingly with something in hand.
Good to see Vine racing again, and he wins the TT at Vuelta a Burgos.
Nothing wrong with his engine. Bike handling still needs work.
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That was a strong performance by Vine in the second half of the ITT. Unsure of his program moving forward as his partner gives birth next week.
Outside of Ewan’s win in stage two of Burgos the team was disappointing. Dunbar is nowhera and I can’t see him going to the Vuelta. Hamilton is losing 10 or 20 minutes on hilly days. Team performed much better in Norway with Schmid getting a 4th on GC. It was a cohesive team performance. Two more signings. Double joining the WT at 28 has good results in the last two years and will be a climbing domestic. Boumann is a goor rider and I suspect he wants to ride the TDF.
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Bradbury and Cromwell extend at Canyon SRAM.
He is a solid rider but not a winner. He was in one of the breaks at Burgos and could not drop PCT level riders. Disappointing about Bradbury. The team should have moved heaven and earth to get her services. Liv Jayco Alula do struggle to recruit the best Aussie riders.
The Vuelta GC is wide open, while VWA in form could win four stages. San Sebastian did not shed any more light with Hirschi defeating Alaphalippe and some big names were shocking. It is a tricky time of the year with Poland ( which should not be happening ) crossing over with the Vuelta. Potentially the sprint field will be at the same level as the TDF.
Jayco is struggling for inform riders which resulted in them making four late changes for San Sebastian. I have no idea what they will do for the Vuelta. Know that Ewan will have Stewart and Walscheid for support and Schmid will ride. The rest is up in the air. And have no idea who will ride at Poland.
Track Cycling; Finally, the track honchos have realised that the endurance part of the program can achieve success using Road cyclists, instead of full time track cyclists. I am certain this was the model used in 2004 which was the last time, Australia won the teams pursuit.
WOW. EWAN’S UNEXpected struggle on stage 5 could have lead to a change of plans. IN every Interview he has stated he said he was riding the Vuelta. I feel ddoing Poland and other races is a better program, however, he would have more chance of winning at the Vuelta ,than in Poland.
The team for the Vuelta could go one of many ways. They may sprint with Stewart, although they could even take Matthews. I suspect Harper will ride a soft GC. Think they will take Foldager and Zana and they should take DeMarche. All will be revealed next week.