Sucks for him and also a bit strange after they were saying how well everything was going and he was riding the bike outside again and so on.

Campenaerts has to be rubbing his hands a bit now, this might be his shot to go to the Olympic TT anyway. If this is the "state" Evenepoel is in now, not having ridden his bike for weeks, no way he is in top shape come July..

It is odd, but I suppose the nature of these severe injuries. I really enjoy Campanaerts as a personality, but it would be a shame if Evenepoel didn't get that slot.

Good point on Campanaerts. He could contend for a medal but doesn’t have a chance of gold (does anyone, baring bad luck befalling Top Ganna?) Hope the best are on the line for Olympics and have a proper go. If Evenepoel has a slow start to year perhaps he’ll be fresh come August.

Not to jump to late in year but WvA could have a shot at double rainbow at worlds. Ganna is probably too big to handle a punchy Flanders-style road coarse for the double, will be interesting to see if/how he goes at the Ronde. Throw in CX and track respectively and it’s going to be a looong season for a few of those guys.

Good point about WvA.

Ganna was so dominant last year in the TT the only way I see him not winning a TT is parcours related or a fall.

The TT course will be in Knokke near the Belgian coast, so almost completely flat and fast, possibly with quite some wind at the end of September.

I agree Wout could go for the double, by coincedence I listened to an interview with Oliver Naesen about last year's season and he said during the 2020 World Champs there was no discussion about who they were going to ride for during Worlds since Wout was clearly the best rider in 2020. In 2021 it will be interesting to see how that will go with Worlds being in Belgium now and we basically have an entire selection that could all win or at least podium in any field. Then again, Oliver said that if Wout starts his year off the way he did in 2020, it would be stupid not to ride for him in 2021 too, according to him then there was no discussion because he says he knows he's not capable of a performance like that.

I'm curious to see how the leadership shakes out at Ineos. Bernal is now saying the Giro is option number 1. They have so many GC leaders; seemingly they will continue to protect the two strongest for each GT, but even so they have more contenders than that will allow.

What an embarrassment of riches.

The multiple leader approach certainly worked out for Ineos with Giro win. Otherwise it'd have been a pretty rough year for them given the bar. That said, also has to be tough for TdF winners to not be the outright man. Though I guess they're used to it between Froome, GT and Bernal all being in that position at one point or another.

Giro is certainly a tricky scenario. I bet TGH wasn't super stoked to read Bernal's comments. Ineos can certainly "show me the money" but I wonder at what point riders regret taking it due to these scenarios. Like Froome exits to be replaced by Yates, all while Sivakov is waiting in the wings for his own chance.

A flat, windy course will benefit Capanerts, but probably Ganna even more. Got to figure he's as aero optimized as anyone, and it diminishes any 'weakness' due to his weight.

I think the only one to possibly match Ganna on that course is Wout.. 2021 can become a very good year for Ganna: Olympic IP gold, possibly Olympic TP gold but podium at least is likely, WC ITT and perhaps grand Tour TT wins and the leaders jersey if he wins a prologue.

And the risk to Wout is being too ambitious and less than 100% for either at Worlds. If memory serves, Fabian ultimately focused on road or TT for both Worlds and Olympics. A flat TT versus Ronde-style road coarse is two entirely different sets of demands.

If TD put his focus on Worlds he should be a contender too.

Does anyone know what the Olympic ITT looks like?

Agree on everything. Except Olympic IP gold, as unfortunately there won't be IP in the Olympics anymore.
And I think WvA has so much everything else that he can't focus on the TT enough to beat Ganna.

UAE is giving them a run for their money re money. One thing I’ve appreciated about LeFevre is the poker hand style strategic spending and acquisitions and releases, not simply stockpiling talent that then becomes disgruntled. Each season, even race has a plan a, b, c it seems. Roles try to be clearly defined. Then of course, racing happens.

And J-V isn’t far behind UAE or Ineos when it comes to shelling out the Euros, and that before having to pay up for WvA.

Agree about Don. He arguably has one of the best riders in world and perhaps hottest prospect, yet there’s always an Almeida or Mas punching through too. Cav made some interesting comments about wishing he hadn’t left to take more coin; who knows, he might have that TdF win record had he stayed put. Kittel, Vermote, Viviani and a long list of others are thinking the same thing.

So enjoying the paradigm shift. JV set the tone, and UAE doing a good job of trying to replicate. The fact that Pogacar rides for Trentin and Hirschi in the spring and vice versa in the summer is awesome. Even Brailsford, if you believe his post Giro comments, acknowledges this a better model.

It cannot be overstated how much fun Wout/JV was last year. Allowing and supporting inidividual goals while still creating the culture where every one of them is a team guy. And willing to show up to any course all together.

Which, as an aside, made me a little annoyed at Sagan and Phil Gil's comments this week. Sagan saying Wout needs to apologize for their little dust up, and Gilbert commenting on Wout and MvdP needing to back off or refocus their ambitions.

Their points taken, but sounds a little "get off my lawn" to me.

Age and treachery.....Coppi

Gilbert was overall very complimentary toward the van Monsters, but yeah, maybe planting a little seed of doubt for later.

In Sagan’s defense, Wout did come across as a bit impish. What he did this year is impressive but he’s got a looong way to go to the level of success that either Peto or Phil have had. There’s irony in Sagan’s antics as he came up while the statesmen like Boonen and Fabian were probably thinking what he is now.

Phil was quite complimentary of WvA and MvdP too. Almost in awe how they could jump back and forth between road and CX and be at the top of both games. They do seem to be generational athletes.

I have always wondered if old Pat L is a witch doctor or something. It just seems like anyone leaving QuickStep is doomed to suck at their new team.

haha he might. His philosophy on how he runs that team is the secret sauce (along with a keen eye for talent that can fill a specific role). I just wish he would STFU already on any topic ;)

I've been having a blast lately. I've kept the TT bike on the trainer, the road and track bikes are in the shed and my "cheapest" bike has been my every day training bike. Aluminum, SRAM Apex 1x, 40mm gravel tyres and my old Vector 2 PM. Its quick enough on the road, grippy for the wet stuff, but most importantly allows me to explore all of these farm lanes and goat paths. Its been a blast. I think I might stick to this for the next month or so. Its a really nice change of pace.

Not a chance, he is being paid to do a weekly column by a Belgian paper, so any time there is something slightly controversial in there, it'll be picked up in other media as well.

The people leaving is such a myth. Cancellara left the team, Cav didn't immediately suck after leaving (as wordl champion he got a lead out by yellow jersey Wiggins to a win on the Champs-Elysees which was pretty cool), ...
The nain thing that changed is having less chances to profit from teammates in the front of a race. People like Terpstra, Knaven, Devolder, ... might have gotten their biggest wins simply to that factor.

To be fair, Cancellara left when he was quite young (at least by the standard back then).

That said, you are right about the likes of Terpstra and Devolder, the rouleurs who really need to rely on teamwork in order to work others over. I'd actually add Chavanel to that category as well, and he almost bagged De Ronde. None of them is a top-class favorite, but in the right circumstances (specifically, when their top-class favorite teammate neutralizes everyone else), they can still win a big race.

Think of it this way, GvA probably could beat both Terpstra and Devolder head-to-head, but both Terpstra and Devolder have one more Monument victory than GvA does.

just an update - Evenepoel off the bike for another 3 weeks as his pelvis bone has not healed 100%

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...another-three-weeks/

That's what happens when you come back and drop 7.0 w / kg; your pelvis can't take it. ;)

Hopefully he has a complete and speedy recovery.

I am ready for some Classics please...

I am ready for some Classics please...


CX Worlds can only hold us over for so long...

And even then, I've been thinking for 3 weeks now that it's about time that Worlds CX is on, only to figure out it's still 1.5 weeks.. Doh!