Jayco AlUla thread

[eth-dog]

Bauer is retiring and Howson has joined Doug Ryder's new team, don't think they have a name yet, it's likely a second tier team.

Bewley not Bauer.

 

[yaco55]

At the moment, BEX have three unsigned riders in Konyshev,Bauer and Edmondson - Edmondson is a mystery as he's barely raced all seson.

 

[eth-dog]

Will be interesting to see the GT roster for next year. Suspect that we'll go the sprint train alongside Sobrero and Craddock to have a licence to go for mountain and time trial stages.

Would expect Yates to lead the Tour with Bling as a stage chaser. We have a better support train for Yates as well now with Harper, Dunbar and Postlberger so he's going to have an interesting chance here.

In the end, I'm hoping for:

Giro: Groenewegan, Mezgec, O'Brien, Stewart, Reinders, Craddock, Sobrero and Zana

Tour: Yates, Hamilton, Harper, Dunbar, Postlberger, Stybar, Juul Jensen and Matthews

Pretty upbeat about season 2023, really. Keen to see who we send to TDU as well

 

[yaco55]

I can tell you straight out that Groenewegen is doing the TDF and Dunbar is doing the Giro - There is some chance that Matthews will do the Giro because he wants to target the Worlds - There is also a chance Bling may target the Nationals.

My teams are

Giro ; Sobrero, Zana, Grmay, Craddock, Juul-Jensen, Quick, Stewart, Balmer
TDF ; Yates, Hamilton, Matthews, Groenewewegen, Mezgec, Durbridge, Stybar, Harper,

 

[eth-dog]

I can tell you straight out that Groenewegen is doing the TDF and Dunbar is doing the Giro - There is some chance that Matthews will do the Giro because he wants to target the Worlds - There is also a chance Bling may target the Nationals.

My teams are

Giro ; Sobrero, Zana, Grmay, Craddock, Juul-Jensen, Quick, Stewart, Balmer
TDF ; Yates, Hamilton, Matthews, Groenewewegen, Mezgec, Durbridge, Stybar, Harper,

You can't send all three to one GT. If Quick gets a Grand Tour it'll be the Vuelta.

Yates is our #1. We need to plan the GT season around him. And Bling's best Worlds prep has always been off the TdF, who is also a decent chance of wearing yellow as well as being a threat for Green too.

If Groenewegan rides the Giro he'll be the best sprinter there in all likelihood.

 

[yaco55]

You can't send all three to one GT. If Quick gets a Grand Tour it'll be the Vuelta.

Yates is our #1. We need to plan the GT season around him. And Bling's best Worlds prep has always been off the TdF, who is also a decent chance of wearing yellow as well as being a threat for Green too.

If Groenewegan rides the Giro he'll be the best sprinter there in all likelihood.

The World's in 2023 is the week after the TDF, hence the consternation of many in the peleton - I think three leaders in the TDF can work BUT if you take two then Matthews is better suited to the Giro than Groenewegen.

 

[eth-dog]

Alessandro De Marchi signs.

 

[yaco55]

Team is rebranded as Team Jayco Alula - Alula a Saudi conservation/ecological resort who were a partner in 2022 have stepped up to being a title sponsor from 2023 to 2025 - I imagine this will give the team a greater budget moving forward

 

[eth-dog]

Team is rebranded as Team Jayco Alula - Alula a Saudi conservation/ecological resort who were a partner in 2022 have stepped up to being a title sponsor from 2023 to 2025 - I imagine this will give the team a greater budget moving forward

There'll be a lot of blowback over this. I understand why but geez, not a good look.

 

[yaco55]

There'll be a lot of blowback over this. I understand why but geez, not a good look.

Why would there be a blowback ! Alula was on board as a sponsor in 2022. There is lots of middle east/Gulf money in cycling - Look at UAE, Bahrain, Astana etc,etc,etc - Any blowback should be at Australian companies who fail to invest in a well run, successful and international cycling team It's funny that the MORALISTS go on about Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, YET they blindly give a leave pass to America who is the only first world democracy who still has capital punishment - So many hypocrites in the world.

BEX has named an interesting team for the TDU - Matthews, S.Yates, Reinders, Hepburn, Durbridge, O'Brien and Scotson - Yates will go for the GC with Matthews as a back up - No real sprinter and I surprised there is no Harper to support Yates. I am surprised that none of the three upcoming junior riders in McKenzie, Rogers or Chamberlain got a start in the Uni team.

The women's team is Manly, Roseman-Gannon, Baker, Allen, Pate and Howe - Most of the WT teams will be there BUT sadly no Movistar which means no Gigante, who is not selected for the UNI team.

 

[eth-dog]

Good race in the TDU. Second overall, one stage win and the points jersey.

Looking like a strong year ahead.

 

[yaco55]

And the racing continues tonight with Valenciana - Have a young team with probably Mezgec going for the final.

 

[eth-dog]

And the racing continues tonight with Valenciana - Have a young team with probably Mezgec going for the final.

Sobrero the smokie as well.

 

[yaco55]

Sobrero the smokie as well.

Sobrero rode well going in the early attacks - The standout was neo-pro Engelhardt who made the final and was ready to sprint before the crash with 150 metres to took him out of the picture - The team has big wraps on this rider.

 

[eth-dog]

They need to put a 5 year contract in front of Marc Hirschi. Desperately need a classics leader long term who can go for stage wins in a GT as well.

 

[yaco55]

Jayco has multiple problems which start from the top - Doubt that Copeland who heads up Jayco has ever been part of a successful team - Their talent ID in the last three or four years has been abysmal, even taking into account their budget constraints - Now that they have more money with Alula on board, they need to nail their talent ID and recruit good riders - No more Grondahl-Jansen, Zana, Stybar types - My number one target will be Kooij who can also develop as a classics rider - They also need to have 2 or 3 B Grade Belgium/Dutch ridersl who can get results and UCI points - They also need to redraw their calendar and ride more one day races and less stage races - The team hasn't been helped with Bling being ill at a crucial time of the year and new recruit Dunbar breaking his hand on his first race day and missing 2 months, but nevertheless they have a lot of work to do. Finally, they have to get Plapp for 2025 who has so much unfulfilled talent.

 

[Orange Agent]

Dylan has won in a pretty high level sprint field at Hongrie. The lead was excellent given Bora's shitty tactics to disrupt everybody. Think it's the first time I can think of with Kell O'brien and Mezgec for the finish. He might not need any more for the TDF, it keeps him closer the front if they can get away with it.

 

[eth-dog]

Dylan has won in a pretty high level sprint field at Hungary. The lead was excellent given Bora's shitty tactics to disrupt everybody. Think it's the first time I can think of with Kell O'brien and Mezgec for the finish. He might not need any more for the TDF, it keeps him closer the front if they can get away with it.

I think guys like Juul-Jensen, Grondahl Jansen, Durbridge and Craddock are good tweeners for lead outs, and provide a little bit in the mountains. Durbridge and Craddock would be the two I'd favour.

Yates, 2x Sobrero/Hamilton/Harper as the climbers
2x Juul-Jensen/Grondahl Jansen/Durbridge/Craddock in between
Groenewegen, O'Brien and Mezgec as the sprint train.

 

[Orange Agent]

I think guys like Juul-Jensen, Grondahl Jansen, Durbridge and Craddock are good tweeners for lead outs, and provide a little bit in the mountains. Durbridge and Craddock would be the two I'd favour.

Yates, 2x Sobrero/Hamilton/Harper as the climbers
2x Juul-Jensen/Grondahl Jansen/Durbridge/Craddock in between
Groenewegen, O'Brien and Mezgec as the sprint train.

I think Durbo is a lock and they love Joker. Yates maybe only gets Harper as a mountains domestique which given the opposition they maybe can't do a lot more in the hills. The team has ridden very strongly in the Giro so far, Scotson, Zana, DeMarchi have been really good.

 

[eth-dog]

I think Durbo is a lock and they love Joker. Yates maybe only gets Harper as a mountains domestique which given the opposition they maybe can't do a lot more in the hills. The team has ridden very strongly in the Giro so far, Scotson, Zana, DeMarchi have been really good.

I think Sobrero is close to locked in. It's a weak ITT field and it suits him more than WVA in terms of climbing, and more than Pog in terms of not as steep as what he'd like. Foss, if he gets over COVID in time, is the guy that would worry me for Sobrero.

 

[yaco55]

Jayco riders looked to be in good form at Romandie and Eisborn Frankfurt which has carried over to the Giro - The team set a target of 500 to UCI points and they already have 450 points.

The team for the TDF will most likely be yates, Harper, Sobrero, Groenewegen, Mezgec, Grmay, O'Brien - Unsure about the last position but it will likely be somehow for the transitional stages - Durbridge is no certainty as he is out of favour with the team and will probably be at another team in 2024. Sobrero will try for transitional stages, Grmay will get riders into the break and lead out for the final 3km.

The best news is Peiper has joined the team in a management capacity.

 

[nick23_]

Are there any rumours at this stage for potential signings for 2024?

 

[eth-dog]

Are there any rumours at this stage for potential signings for 2024?

Probably not until last week of the Giro. Think our GT squad is there so I'm hoping to target Classics leaders. Someone like Bagioli could lead, or my preference is definitely to buy out Hirschi's contact from UAE. Even someone like Daan Hoole is someone interesting.

 

[nick23_]

Probably not until last week of the Giro. Think our GT squad is there so I'm hoping to target Classics leaders. Someone like Bagioli could lead, or my preference is definitely to buy out Hirschi's contact from UAE. Even someone like Daan Hoole is someone interesting.

Agreed, would love to see Hirschi or even Kooij on the team

 

[eth-dog]

Agreed, would love to see Hirschi or even Kooij on the team

Kooij is quality and I'd be open to a move but he doesn't solve our Classics issues IMO. Although I get the feeling Engelhardt will become a very good Classics leader