Scott Thwaites -2019?
johnnymcg259
Posts: 569
Lives locally to me but unsure of his career now for 2019? Has been with Dimension Data for the past 2 seasons but following a bad training accident last year he struggled to make an impact on comeback. I think they've not renewed his contract?
What's his future....anyone know please? I hope he stays in cycling as he's only 28 and has more to give i.e. a 10th place in Strade Bianchi a couple of years back was no fluke.
What's his future....anyone know please? I hope he stays in cycling as he's only 28 and has more to give i.e. a 10th place in Strade Bianchi a couple of years back was no fluke.
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maybe we should offer some career advice.0
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johnnymcg259 wrote:Lives locally to me but unsure of his career now for 2019? Has been with Dimension Data for the past 2 seasons but following a bad training accident last year he struggled to make an impact on comeback. I think they've not renewed his contract?
What's his future....anyone know please? I hope he stays in cycling as he's only 28 and has more to give i.e. a 10th place in Strade Bianchi a couple of years back was no fluke.
His current options would appear to be accept the offer from an international blue chip or if he wants to stay in the sport, sound out domestic teams.
Following strong performances at Bora, Thwaites had a number of options in 2017 and went to DDD as Classics support for EBH and in the Cavendish train. He supported EBH, but actually outperformed him, finishing as the teams leading rider at Strade, KBK, G-W, E3, Flanders and Roubaix. Although riding the whole season as a domestique, mainly in WT level races, including Classics, TdF and Worlds, he was the teams 4th highest points scorer. He rode more days and Kms than any DDD rider or British Pro and completed every race he started, which ranked him 13th in the World for race days without a DNF.
2018 started with promise and he finished 13th at Nieuwsblad before a training crash kept him out for 4 months. He recovered extremely quickly and rode for GB at the sharp end of the Euro Champs for much of the day, finishing in a group with Viviani, GVA, Stybar, Degenkolb--one of only 2 British riders to finish. Notwithstanding his lengthy time out, he still scored more points than 16 other DDD riders. most of whom are still there for 2019 and only ONE point less than Meintjes who rode a full season as protected rider, including 2 Grand Tours and is probably on close to 10 times his salary. Thwaites scored more points individually than Cavendish, Cummings, Eisel and Renshaw put together.
BC oversaw his recovery following surgery and continued his membership of the 8 man Olympic Road Squad and in December he attended a training camp for the potential 2019 Worlds team. So there are no injury concerns. His record suggests he is one of the top 25% of World Tour Classics riders, yet he has no contract offers from any WT or PC team for 2019. That’s 43 teams and about 950 riders.
His performances over several years in the Classics rate him as a very strong domestique and as such nationality is not a major factor. However as he missed the whole Classics season in 2018 he is now probably viewed as a standard domestique along with several hundred others, and as such is subject to the high to extreme or total nationalism evident in the vast majority of teams when signing domestiques.. It also explains why riders who reach the sharp end of the domestic scene struggle to step up, eg Swift, Bibby, Holmes, Stewart, and several others. Very few get the opportunity to ride at a level their ability justifies. If they were French, Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, Italian, Columbian, Russian, Portugese or Norwegian for example, there would be teams that are effectively quasi national, and would priotise them.
Until such time as genuine British firms are found to sponsor British WT and/or PC teams and adopt the nationalistic tendencies seen in the WT and even more so PC, then the situation will not change and the number of British riders in the pro peloton will remain small. (4% WT and 0.4% PC.). Down from 26 in the top 2 divisions in 2018, to 22 for 2019.0 -
I'm sure you're much more expert than me, but it seems that the UKs presence (at WT level at least) is on a par with other countries, other than than the big players who have many more races and a much longer history. I think we have more riders than the Colombia (not Columbia, when will this madness stop!!!!;) ), Russia, Portugal or Norway that you quote. Interestingly the USA have three teams but less riders than GB, whereas Australia has more (with one team like GB). I just don't think we have the history.0
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inseine wrote:I'm sure you're much more expert than me, but it seems that the UKs presence (at WT level at least) is on a par with other countries, other than than the big players who have many more races and a much longer history. I think we have more riders than the Colombia (not Columbia, when will this madness stop!!!!;) ), Russia, Portugal or Norway that you quote. Interestingly the USA have three teams but less riders than GB, whereas Australia has more (with one team like GB). I just don't think we have the history.
Fair point and history is certainly relevant as it takes time to become established. However, it must be 15 years or so since BC introduced their heavily funded talent identification, development and performance programs which have yielded significant improvements across all pro levels. This should be feeding through to the top 2 divisions a touch more quickly by now. It is easy to overlook PC level as secondary, but it plays a key role as a safety net for WT riders who may have a difficult year through illness, injury, performance issues or team politics. It also provides a stepping stone for developing riders to gain access to better quality racing and build a career. Ignoring the 1 rider at Novo Nordisk (restricted to those with a medical condition), there is just 1 British rider across the 24 teams at this level.
In contrast Bardiani has 17 riders, all Italian, Manzana 16 riders all Colombian, Gazprom 20 riders all Russian, Euskadi 20 riders, 19 Spanish, W52 Porto 16 riders, 13 Portuguese and there are many other similar examples. It is understandable that many teams favour their own nationals. That is not a criticism, because that is the nature of the game and is linked to sponsorship. However, if you cannot or do not choose to join the game, then your riders will have significantly reduced opportunities to ride at the higher levels.0 -
its a pity there isnt a permanent BC PC team providing the opportunity for British talent.0
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lyn1 wrote:johnnymcg259 wrote:Lives locally to me but unsure of his career now for 2019? Has been with Dimension Data for the past 2 seasons but following a bad training accident last year he struggled to make an impact on comeback. I think they've not renewed his contract?
What's his future....anyone know please? I hope he stays in cycling as he's only 28 and has more to give i.e. a 10th place in Strade Bianchi a couple of years back was no fluke.
His current options would appear to be accept the offer from an international blue chip or if he wants to stay in the sport, sound out domestic teams.
Following strong performances at Bora, Thwaites had a number of options in 2017 and went to DDD as Classics support for EBH and in the Cavendish train. He supported EBH, but actually outperformed him, finishing as the teams leading rider at Strade, KBK, G-W, E3, Flanders and Roubaix. Although riding the whole season as a domestique, mainly in WT level races, including Classics, TdF and Worlds, he was the teams 4th highest points scorer. He rode more days and Kms than any DDD rider or British Pro and completed every race he started, which ranked him 13th in the World for race days without a DNF.
2018 started with promise and he finished 13th at Nieuwsblad before a training crash kept him out for 4 months. He recovered extremely quickly and rode for GB at the sharp end of the Euro Champs for much of the day, finishing in a group with Viviani, GVA, Stybar, Degenkolb--one of only 2 British riders to finish. Notwithstanding his lengthy time out, he still scored more points than 16 other DDD riders. most of whom are still there for 2019 and only ONE point less than Meintjes who rode a full season as protected rider, including 2 Grand Tours and is probably on close to 10 times his salary. Thwaites scored more points individually than Cavendish, Cummings, Eisel and Renshaw put together.
interesting post, well researched! He deserves more.
I see him through the lanes quite a bit....always acknowledges other riders. Just hope he's happy with his lot really.
BC oversaw his recovery following surgery and continued his membership of the 8 man Olympic Road Squad and in December he attended a training camp for the potential 2019 Worlds team. So there are no injury concerns. His record suggests he is one of the top 25% of World Tour Classics riders, yet he has no contract offers from any WT or PC team for 2019. That’s 43 teams and about 950 riders.
His performances over several years in the Classics rate him as a very strong domestique and as such nationality is not a major factor. However as he missed the whole Classics season in 2018 he is now probably viewed as a standard domestique along with several hundred others, and as such is subject to the high to extreme or total nationalism evident in the vast majority of teams when signing domestiques.. It also explains why riders who reach the sharp end of the domestic scene struggle to step up, eg Swift, Bibby, Holmes, Stewart, and several others. Very few get the opportunity to ride at a level their ability justifies. If they were French, Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, Italian, Columbian, Russian, Portugese or Norwegian for example, there would be teams that are effectively quasi national, and would priotise them.
Until such time as genuine British firms are found to sponsor British WT and/or PC teams and adopt the nationalistic tendencies seen in the WT and even more so PC, then the situation will not change and the number of British riders in the pro peloton will remain small. (4% WT and 0.4% PC.). Down from 26 in the top 2 divisions in 2018, to 22 for 2019.0 -
don't know what happened to my comments there?!....anyhow........some good points made by all, so thanks.
I see Scott quite often through the local lanes - he ALWAYS acknowledges other riders (in my own personal experience). I wish him well whatever he does in the future.
(a loss to world pro cycling mind you)0 -
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Yep, just seen the news.......glad he's still in the game.0
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On one hand yes, but he's better than that. It will be disappointing if old man Tafi gets a vanity ride in the classics ahead of good riders like Thwaites.johnnymcg259 wrote:Yep, just seen the news.......glad he's still in the game.Twitter: @RichN950
