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Aru - Blip or Flop?

redvisionredvision Posts: 2,918
edited May 2018 in Pro race
I was going to post this in the discussion thread but figured it might deserve its own thread.

Following his Vuelta win in 2015 Fabian Aru was described as the future of Italian (and by some, world) cycling, yet since his biggest career win, he has somewhat underwhelmed and never lived up to the hype.

This Giro has been a perfect example of his troubles, talked up as a potential winner by some sections of the press, yet finds himself 25 minutes down in the GC and behind two of his fellow countrymen, Formolo and Pozzovivo.

So, has Aru's bubble burst? Was 2015 the pinnacle? Was 2015 a fluke?

Posts

  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    I don't think you can call 2015 a fluke, given he had a podium at the Giro and a 5th at the Vuelta in 2014, plus a 2nd at the Giro in 2015.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

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  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,417
    Cunego
  • redvisionredvision Posts: 2,918
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    I don't think you can call 2015 a fluke, given he had a podium at the Giro and a 5th at the Vuelta in 2014, plus a 2nd at the Giro in 2015.

    So what's happened to him then?
  • ShutupJensShutupJens Posts: 1,373
    He is clearly struggling with something, not perhaps to the same extent as Chaves but he doesn't look fit and every day seems to make it worse

    He'll be back, look at nibs - 4 years between his Vuelta and Giro wins, Aru is still young when it comes to Grand Tours after all
  • larkimlarkim Posts: 2,454
    Kirby was describing in reasonably unpleasant terms that Aru was having trouble keeping fluids inside him yesterday wasn't he? Of course, that doesn't explain not living up to the hype in other years.
    2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
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  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,746
    I might suggest that a change of team and and a change of coach aren't working out for him. He's being coached by Paolo Tiralongo who only just retired and doesn't have expertise of Slongo or whoever he worked with before.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • milton50milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Top 5 in the Tour/Podium in the Giro is about his level. Mainly because he has the worst TT ability of any of his rivals. The Vuelta is just an afterthought for the top GC guys, or a chance for those who were injured earlier in the season to salvage something. Chris Horner won the Vuelta.

    He's clearly ill/injured or both in this Giro.
  • redvisionredvision Posts: 2,918
    RichN95 wrote:
    I might suggest that a change of team and and a change of coach aren't working out for him. He's being coached by Paolo Tiralongo who only just retired and doesn't have expertise of Slongo or whoever he worked with before.

    This was my initial thought but then his results with Astana started to slide after his Vuelta win, so can't really say it's down to changing teams.
    Milton50 wrote:
    Top 5 in the Tour/Podium in the Giro is about his level.

    I think this could well be it.
  • jimmythecuckoojimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,678
    Maybe if he learnt to pedal forwards more and sideways less he would be better...

    (not that I am the most elegant peddler of course.)
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  • r0bhr0bh Posts: 1,873
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    Maybe if he learnt to pedal forwards more and sideways less he would be better...

    (not that I am the most elegant peddler of course.)

    People go on about Froome looking bad on a bike but Aru is an order of magnitude worse IMHO
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,675
    redvision wrote:
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    I don't think you can call 2015 a fluke, given he had a podium at the Giro and a 5th at the Vuelta in 2014, plus a 2nd at the Giro in 2015.

    So what's happened to him then?

    The Khalifa's letters have less potent prose than Vino's.
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  • topper_harleytopper_harley Posts: 597
    I have no sympathy for him after what he let that team do to his nation jersey
  • inseineinseine Posts: 5,786
    He's a very attaching (and entertaining)rider,but you've got to wonder if there's much planning behind it. Maybe he's more keen than talented.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • Vino'sGhostVino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    also Kirby goes on about what a horror show his face is but i dont think he looks too bad.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,675
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    also Kirby goes on about what a horror show his face is but i dont think he looks too bad.

    fabio_aru_by_tonan111-d7xjuzg.jpg

    :lol:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    I'm not sure Fabio is the sharpest knife in the drawer.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    r0bh wrote:
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    Maybe if he learnt to pedal forwards more and sideways less he would be better...

    (not that I am the most elegant peddler of course.)

    People go on about Froome looking bad on a bike but Aru is an order of magnitude worse IMHO

    Agree. Froome is ugly as sin, but at least it looks like it's probably effective in some strange way. When I see Aru I'm mentally counting up the watts going sideways.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,604 Lives Here
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Cunego

    Same reason too?
    _
  • m.r.m.m.r.m. Posts: 3,052
    Flop
    PTP Champion 2019 & 2022
  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    I think we can say we will not be seeing Fabio in pink this Giro.

    latest?cb=20120318224909
    Correlation is not causation.
  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,417
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Cunego

    Same reason too?

    ....del
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,746
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Cunego

    Same reason too?
    Nah. Aru will be decent again. He won the Vuelta because he was better than an ageing Purito and Majka. He was second in the Giro because he was better than Amador and on the same team as Landa. He's not one of the top guys, but if the top guys are not there, he'll get a good result.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,417
    My principle is this: To do what I can in the way that I should. With a conscience. The people who know you, understand you, appreciate you, esteem you, and respect you. There is a finishing order on the day, which this time has penalized me, and there is a finishing order in life, where everyone must protect himself. I am not the only one to do what I can the way I should. Therefore I keep doing it. And already I know there are certain classifications, that must be rewritten, to finished competitions, and this remains painful to me.”

    Cunego who moved from Saeco to Lampre
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 8,455
    Not mincing his words https://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/giuseppe-saronni-livid-with-his-own-uae-emirates-team-and-fabio-aru/
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  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 3,764
    Feels like his relationship with the team might be turning a bit toxic. If Saronni is right that he might have still been useful in the mountains it's a bit dumb to leave him without any support other than the tender mercies of the broom wagon, so they clearly weren't that bothered about the chance of him making it through the stage.
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  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,671
    Looked ill to me
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 8,455
    Seems very harsh to me he could easily have a physical problem.

    They don't seem to be suggesting he's slacking or not taking the sport seriously it's more he's not performing as expected we don't know why so it must be a psychological weakness.

    Clearly though there's an issue between Saronni and one or more of the coaching staff.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • m.r.m.m.r.m. Posts: 3,052
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    Feels like his relationship with the team might be turning a bit toxic. If Saronni is right that he might have still been useful in the mountains it's a bit dumb to leave him without any support other than the tender mercies of the broom wagon, so they clearly weren't that bothered about the chance of him making it through the stage.

    Don't think he could have made it back even with support. The peloton started out so fast and refused to let the break go for so long, the gap was unmanageable. I felt really sorry for him. He was full gas, pounding one gel after another and still had a 15-20 km/h speed difference to the peloton.
    PTP Champion 2019 & 2022
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    m.r.m. said:

    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    Feels like his relationship with the team might be turning a bit toxic. If Saronni is right that he might have still been useful in the mountains it's a bit dumb to leave him without any support other than the tender mercies of the broom wagon, so they clearly weren't that bothered about the chance of him making it through the stage.

    Don't think he could have made it back even with support. The peloton started out so fast and refused to let the break go for so long, the gap was unmanageable. I felt really sorry for him. He was full gas, pounding one gel after another and still had a 15-20 km/h speed difference to the peloton.
    Yeah, it was a bad day to have a bad day.

    Nice piece from Jeremy Whittle here
    http://lacourseentete.com/2020/09/hard-as-nails-so-woe-betide-those-prone-to-displays-of-weakness/
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
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