Geraint Watch

BelgianBeerGeek

OK. Second thread I have ever started (after Chris Froome: Didn't he do well?)

I know Geraint has been discussed here before but after seeing his interviews today, does anyone else detect a bit of steel in the eyes of G? My previous criticisms have always centered around his lack of "killer instinct".

Is this the moment G steps up and really shows us what he can do? Can that be done with SKY?

As they say in tedious, w***y student circles, discuss...

lurcher lurking

I too lurk (hence the name) and G Has been one of my favourite riders since I came back to watching the pro scene a few years ago. Not only is he an outstanding all round rider, I also think he's a genuinely nice guy. There's no side to him.

Personal wish is for him to go to a team where he'll be seen as the no.1 in the classics and used sparingly for the tours, a little like Cancellara. I'm convinced he's got a few monuments in him but he needs to be given the armchair treatment by a top team to see how good he really can be. From the outside looking in he's been held back a touch at Sky firstly because of EBH/Stannard and then forgotten amidst the internal politics between Froome and Wiggo.

iainf72

Isn't it Geraint who wants to be the stage racers guy?

His big problem is if he wanted to take on the classics, he'd have to go to a team where he isn't number 1 to learn how to win them. For example, if he did a spell at Quick Step

But he's from the UK, so it's all about Olympics or Grand Tours, as they're his ticket to bringing in the benji's longer term.

DeVlaeminck

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

I know Geraint has been discussed here before but after seeing his interviews today, does anyone else detect a bit of steel in the eyes of G? My previous criticisms have always centered around his lack of "killer instinct".

Is this the moment G steps up and really shows us what he can do? Can that be done with SKY?

Chances are he'll do what the team want him to do, I just don't see him as the type to force the issue of leadership in the way that Froome has done in the grand tours.

So the question is will Sky see him as part of their stated desire to win throughout the season ? I could see him getting an expanded leadership role in the classics if only because Wiggins, Flecha and EBH are gone (or effectively gone) and that must open up opportunities for Thomas and Swift. Sky seem to see the shorter stage races as opportunities for their grand tour riders to find form or to blood future grand tour riders and as Thomas doesn't seem to be seen as a future grand tour leader I can't see him getting leadership in those kind of races.

ddraver

I agree with all of you really....

I think he looks much more like a classics rider now but he seems to constantly be saying that he wants to ride stage races. Now whether that is Him talking or Sky talking I don't know but I reckon that performing in stage races is a British riders ticket to the Santander adverts with Jess and Jenson rather than the powerband advert fodder he is now....

Pross

iainf72 wrote:

Isn't it Geraint who wants to be the stage racers guy?

His big problem is if he wanted to take on the classics, he'd have to go to a team where he isn't number 1 to learn how to win them. For example, if he did a spell at Quick Step

But he's from the UK, so it's all about Olympics or Grand Tours, as they're his ticket to bringing in the benji's longer term.

I agree with most of this except I think he has been advised (wrongly) by someone to go the stage race route rather than it really being his decision. I also don't see any reason why he couldn't win Classics at Sky if he did concentrate on that, they have a decent Classics squad coming together but possibly need a Classics oriented DS in addition to Knaven. Maybe Hammond or Flecha could do it?

RideOnTime

salsiccia1

Macaloon

RideOnTime with the wind-up.

milton50

Just signed a 2 year extension with Sky. I worry for his career.

lurcher lurking

Disappointing.

Unless it's been agreed that he's to be the man at the Classics his career is going to stall.
I can never see him getting even close at a grand tour as long as Froome and Porte are
nos. 1 and 2 on the priority list.

He's either been badly advised or values loyalty to Sky over his own personal ambitions - which
is very laudable, but what will that mean when he's 50?

It's a shame.

salsiccia1

lurcher lurking wrote:

He's either been badly advised or values loyalty to Sky over his own personal ambitions - which
is very laudable, but what will that mean when he's 50?

It'll mean he'll never have to work if he doesn't want to :P

RichN95.

lurcher lurking wrote:

I can never see him getting even close at a grand tour as long as Froome and Porte are
nos. 1 and 2 on the priority list.

I can never see him getting even close at a grand tour regardless of who he rides for. I reckon he could maybe sneak into the top ten of low octane Vuelta, but that's about it.

mulletmaster

I can't ever imagine him at the pointy end of a GT either. That said unless Porte remembers how to cycle again the same could be said for him.

Yellow Peril

He reminds me of Laurens Ten Dam but doesn't land on his face so much.

I think the six figures on offer at Sky was too much to turn down. He might blag a one weeker somewhere and will always have the diesel to go the distance in a GT but I can't see him worrying the podium.

Pross

His post Tour Facebook status was a picture of him outside the OGE bus with:-

"Tour done. The team didn't have any beers on board so being a Welshman I went in search of one...safe bet the Aussies would have some....job done"

Good man!

takethehighroad

He said to the Beeb that next season he will be "A [week long] stage racer who rides the classics, not the other way round".

Mentioned Suisse, P-N etc

RideOnTime

What time is it now?

RichN95.

RideOnTime wrote:

What time is it now?

Hammer Time. It's always Hammer Time.

DeVlaeminck

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

He said to the Beeb that next season he will be "A [week long] stage racer who rides the classics, not the other way round".

Mentioned Suisse, P-N etc

That's interesting, in that case I assume Sky will be in the market for at least one leader for the classics - maybe Boom ? - I suppose the Wiggins/EBH situations need sorting first.

Be good to see Thomas lead a couple of week long stage races with some mountains, impress there and it opens up leadership at the Vuelta or even Giro, don't impress and if he wants to be a leader it has to be the classics. Right or wrong choice at least it sounds like he has a direction.

dish_dash

DeVlaeminck wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

He said to the Beeb that next season he will be "A [week long] stage racer who rides the classics, not the other way round".

Mentioned Suisse, P-N etc

That's interesting, in that case I assume Sky will be in the market for at least one leader for the classics - maybe Boom ? - I suppose the Wiggins/EBH situations need sorting first.

Surely they'd try to sign Sep Vanmarcke before Boom...

bluemoon17

dish_dash wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

He said to the Beeb that next season he will be "A [week long] stage racer who rides the classics, not the other way round".

Mentioned Suisse, P-N etc

That's interesting, in that case I assume Sky will be in the market for at least one leader for the classics - maybe Boom ? - I suppose the Wiggins/EBH situations need sorting first.

Surely they'd try to sign Sep Vanmarcke before Boom...

If there is even a slight chance that he's available, they should go all out for him. If they are serious about competing in the Classics, they have to get someone of his calibre in.

dish_dash

Bluemoon17 wrote:

dish_dash wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

He said to the Beeb that next season he will be "A [week long] stage racer who rides the classics, not the other way round".

Mentioned Suisse, P-N etc

That's interesting, in that case I assume Sky will be in the market for at least one leader for the classics - maybe Boom ? - I suppose the Wiggins/EBH situations need sorting first.

Surely they'd try to sign Sep Vanmarcke before Boom...

If there is even a slight chance that he's available, they should go all out for him. If they are serious about competing in the Classics, they have to get someone of his calibre in.

Hmm... Apparently re-signed with Belkin until 2016 earlier this year. So his availability would depend upon the future of the Belkin team (saw reports that the Dutch Lotto deal wasn't a done deal yet)...

DeVlaeminck

Agreed on Vanmacke, Boom was just a rumour I'd read somewhere.

BelgianBeerGeek

Commonwealth Gold Men's RR - awesome.