Cunego - really?

rick_chasey

Cunego.

Once a GT prodigy, winning the Giro when he was very young.

Then became a fine puncheur, being a good bet in all non-flat one dayers.

Now?

The guy's career seems to be slowly but surely ebbing away from him, year by year.

Shame because I think he's a classy rider with a good tactical head on him.

frenchfighter

I'm sure he is wondering too!


It definitely is pretty interesting. The easiest thing to assume was that he was doped and has lain off (although he is overt to anti doping with his sticker on his arm). I thought he was pretty good and liked watching him but off late he has been annoying to me.

I credit him on his attitude in that he is often there trying even if he doesn't won. Yes I agree he is tactical...I guess you could add to that the fact he is an excellent wheel sucker.



There was an interview with him in Cycle Sport earlier this year - cannot remember anything off the top of my head but it did bring some interesting points.

frenchfighter

It is worth pointing out that he does pretty well in the World rankings every year so he is still a top rider, pretty consistent.

He hasn't won anything this year but has 18 top tens.

moray_gub

frenchfighter wrote:

Yes I agree he is tactical...I guess you could add to that the fact he is an excellent wheel sucker.

This wheelsucking thing you have going on is an nonsense so it is ,wheelsuckers as you call them dont win a Giro however lucky he was and 3 Lombardias and an Amstel Gold and 2 mountain stages of last years Vuelta.

Here he is wheelsucking his away away to victory in the 2008 lombardia . He wheelsucked his way off the descent of the Civiglio ! imagine that eh

In answer to the op it would seem his days of being a top one dayer do seem to be ebbing away he seems to have been overtaken by Gilbert for one ,still think he is capable on his day of winning a hilly classic or GT mountain stage . Classy rider imo.

timoid.

He's been a pretty consistent for the past number of years. Still wouldn't rule him out of Lombardia or even the WC.

He'll never come close in a GT overall again.

Monty Dog

:shock: I agree with MG on this one! His Lombardia victories were fine examples of committed racing - the slo-mos of his knees grazing the walls on the descent are awe-inspiring.
He clearly doesn't benefit from the 'preparation' of other riders and has to choose his moments carefully. I believe he suffers from a chronic condition which means limits his performances too.

eh

A really under rated rider IMO, as stated above his Lomdardy wins in particular were quality.

disgruntledgoat

His 2nd in the WC was an awesome ride too. Particularly given the help he'd given Ballan previously. He always seems to pull out one or two top rides each year.

As for his GT ambitions, he had a certificate for a naturally high HCT when he turned pro, didn't he? Like young Master Ricco. I seem to recall him making some thinly veiled reference to having a kid the winter after his Giro win "changing his whole outlook" or somesuch.

rick_chasey

Even in one dayers he seems to have lost his powers - to me at least.

To my untrained eye it looks like he finds recovery difficult in any of the GTs he does, so he can't put in the same performances that say Chavanel or Valvarde could put in on the odd lumpy day.

He hasn't been on fire in any of the one dayers this year.

mididoctors

did a few classy rides in the vuelta last year

Monty Dog

He certainly was one of my faves for the WC based on his performances in the Vuelta last year but he wasn't able to translate his form into results on the day.

shockedsoshocked

Didn't he get glandular fever just after his Giro win? Horrible illness, especially for an athlete, fucks you over for a good few years.

frenchfighter

Monty Dog wrote:

He certainly was one of my faves for the WC based on his performances in the Vuelta last year but he wasn't able to translate his form into results on the day.

Check the blood from the nose

Le Commentateur

It's all that anti-clotting aspirin he's been taking.

An outside bet for the Worlds' this year then, perhaps, considering people are now suggesting it isn't really a sprinter's course (hence the non-selection of McEwen).

Brian B

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

Didn't he get glandular fever just after his Giro win? Horrible illness, especially for an athlete, fucks you over for a good few years.

Yep thats right and then he got post viral infection as well that laid him low for a few seasons and the doc's at the time predicted that his body could take years to recover back to peak fitness.

Always like him for some reason.

jerry3571

From memory I think Cunego won Lombardy on his own and the other with Ricco (not sure); he has won 3 times there; some say that most riders wheels have been hung up for the winter at that point of the season so the victory is less in value :? .
Wheel sucking is all part of the game. I love sitting on stronger riders and then coming round them at the finish; in my head I say "Thank you very much you numpty!" and that is at the lower ends of racing.
Valverde used to ride beautifully being almost invisible until the hammer went down and he would clear up with a quick finish; classy!!
Little Prince and his up and down form is a mystery to me. I think some of these riders have the Vampires chasing them; trying to get a blood sample for a positive test.
He is always a bit of a let down in the Tour much like his mate Simoni; great in Italy but rubbish over the border.
He remains a top Italian rider who can still get results without getting banned (Bad boys- Basso, Sella, DiLuca, Rebellin, Ricco, Piepoli et al) so he's got something.
-Jerry