My Man 2016
disgruntledgoat
Posts: 8,957
With the GP de Skippy the Bush Kangaroo a mere... I'm sorry, I can't even pretend I care.
With Omloop only 45 days away, it's time to update your My Man team for the coming year! Who did you drop for underperformance? Which young talent forced his way into your affection and who did he elbow out of your favour?
9 man teams, explanations appreciated.
For me, I once again have a few categories
Mennest of Men:
Iljo Keisse who barged his way to the top of the list by enjoying his best ever season with 4 wins on the road, 1st time selection for the worlds and a 5th title in the Kuipke then spending the off season insulating his loft.
Thomas De Gendt: Continued to compensate for not being able to ride in the peloton by jumping on every break going, netting himself the KOM in Paris Nice and getting caught 300m from the finish of a Tour stage into Rodez.
Bonus Gentenaars:
Tijs Benoot for an outstanding 1st season in the pros. Animated the race at E3 and DDV before a fairly outstanding 5th in his first RVV. Finishing his Economics degree at U Gent this year too. Brought in to replace Tyler Farrar who did absolutely nowt last year and moved out of Gent like a loser.
Ward Theuns for a great last season at Pro Conti. Topsport will really struggle to replace the twin threat of him and Jelle Walleys. Did a charity ride that he lead back in November and he seemed a decent chap.
Dries Deveneyns because god loves a tryer and I'm sure he does his own road graffiti around Kruishoutem.
Cav for the sprints because he's Cav and I just have the feeling that blind fury will provoke him into a good year.
MY GC man is Thibaut Pinot. I'm quite sure he'll never win a grand tour but he's a guy who always looks to recover from setbacks and works super hard.
Remaining 2 spaces are living on past performances. Step it up Laurens Ten Dam and Stijn Devolder (the only man Trek don't insist on power files from because they know he just won't do it).
With Omloop only 45 days away, it's time to update your My Man team for the coming year! Who did you drop for underperformance? Which young talent forced his way into your affection and who did he elbow out of your favour?
9 man teams, explanations appreciated.
For me, I once again have a few categories
Mennest of Men:
Iljo Keisse who barged his way to the top of the list by enjoying his best ever season with 4 wins on the road, 1st time selection for the worlds and a 5th title in the Kuipke then spending the off season insulating his loft.
Thomas De Gendt: Continued to compensate for not being able to ride in the peloton by jumping on every break going, netting himself the KOM in Paris Nice and getting caught 300m from the finish of a Tour stage into Rodez.
Bonus Gentenaars:
Tijs Benoot for an outstanding 1st season in the pros. Animated the race at E3 and DDV before a fairly outstanding 5th in his first RVV. Finishing his Economics degree at U Gent this year too. Brought in to replace Tyler Farrar who did absolutely nowt last year and moved out of Gent like a loser.
Ward Theuns for a great last season at Pro Conti. Topsport will really struggle to replace the twin threat of him and Jelle Walleys. Did a charity ride that he lead back in November and he seemed a decent chap.
Dries Deveneyns because god loves a tryer and I'm sure he does his own road graffiti around Kruishoutem.
Cav for the sprints because he's Cav and I just have the feeling that blind fury will provoke him into a good year.
MY GC man is Thibaut Pinot. I'm quite sure he'll never win a grand tour but he's a guy who always looks to recover from setbacks and works super hard.
Remaining 2 spaces are living on past performances. Step it up Laurens Ten Dam and Stijn Devolder (the only man Trek don't insist on power files from because they know he just won't do it).
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent
@gietvangent
0
Comments
-
My men.
Boonen. It'll be the end of our romance soon.
Terpstra. No one seems to like him in the peloton and it doesn't seem to faze him. I can empathise. And he's Dutch, and he's always there in the flat one dayers.
Bram Tankink. Top bloke. Rent a quote. Pure domestique. His last win was in 2008 in the profonde van wierden which isn't even a proper race. Friebe had a good story on him: he's obsessed with trading equities too.
Pozzovivo. He's my weight (albeit a little shorter) so I kinda feel a connection to him in the way he rides.
Dumolin. Have cheered him on for a while. Thought he was a little overhyped in Spain but I was so chuffed earlier in the year with his Tour de Suisse performance. Also, his favourite Dutch sporting moment (in their sports personality of the year equivalent) was him beating Chris Froome wheel-to-wheel so he's obviously a good bloke.
I'll take Thomas de Gendt for the same reason as Gost
I'll take Gesink too.
I'll take Sep Vanmarcke too for his face-like-a-farmer looks and his constant bad luck - basically he reminds me of Leif Hoste and that makes me laugh. I liked his complaining about the Tour not being for him too. Good on ya.
Finally I'll take Kruiswijk for his coat hanger looks and great Giro effort.0 -
I'm sorry, I've made a huge mistake. I forgot my club's adopted rider.
Devolder? You're fired. Gijs Van Hoecke, here's your Team Goat jersey."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773598#p19773598]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sorry, I've made a huge mistake. I forgot my club's adopted rider.
Devolder? You're fired. Gijs Van Hoecke, here's your Team Goat jersey.
Sheesh. Hard team owner, Goat0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773600#p19773600]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773598#p19773598]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sorry, I've made a huge mistake. I forgot my club's adopted rider.
Devolder? You're fired. Gijs Van Hoecke, here's your Team Goat jersey.
Sheesh. Hard team owner, Goat
I figured I have a surplus of axe faced Belgians and most of them have time on their side. Ten Dam offers me valuable options in the Mountains, Strava and facial hair stakes."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773602#p19773602]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773600#p19773600]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773598#p19773598]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sorry, I've made a huge mistake. I forgot my club's adopted rider.
Devolder? You're fired. Gijs Van Hoecke, here's your Team Goat jersey.
Sheesh. Hard team owner, Goat
I figured I have a surplus of axe faced Belgians and most of them have time on their side. Ten Dam offers me valuable options in the Mountains, Strava and facial hair stakes.
+ a ceaseless consumer of any red meat past its sell-by date in the Team Goat larder0 -
Think 2016 will be the year we see a solid french podium place on one of the GT's, so with that in mind, I will have
Tony Gallopin - french
Romain Bardet - french podium contender?
Cedric Moynard - french
Mikael Cherel - french
Julian Alaphilippe - one to watch for classics
Alejandro Valverde - something made me like him last year, don't prove me wrong senor!
Zdenek Stybar - paris roubaix
Tom Dumoulin - confidence can do wonders
Mikel Landa - fantastic support role at vuelta
Want to say my man at least once this year, having previously felt completely left out
0 -
Think 2016 will be the year we see a french podium place on one of the GTs
There were 2 in 2014, no?"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Stefan Kung because I like the way he races, looks as strong as an ox, and his stage win at Romandie from far out was stunning for someone so young.
Louis Meintjes as he showed great ability at the Vuelta, was unlucky to get ill near the end of the Tour. This year I'd like to see him push on with confidence gained in those GTs.
Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno as he looks like a superstar in the making. I think he'll win a stage race this year.
Bananito as I want him to get back to the form he had in 2013/early 2014. He's always good to watch, albeit recently that's been showing off his sponsors right at the back.
The Yates boys and Chaves. They've grown each year and Orica seem to want to give them a chance and have bought in some support.
Fernando Gaviria as he could become the supreme sprinter judging by his incredible form last year.
Rein Taaramae as he seems to have cleared up a medical problem and could possibly do rather well this year.0 -
Fingers crossed for Kung's season, mind. Been diagnosed with that blooming mono, which can really hit a rider's season (could affect Switzerland's TP chances this year, too)0
-
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773750#p19773750]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Fingers crossed for Kung's season, mind. Been diagnosed with that blooming mono, which can really hit a rider's season (could affect Switzerland's TP chances this year, too)
Yeah I know, not great news.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773708#p19773708]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:Think 2016 will be the year we see a french podium place on one of the GTs
There were 2 in 2014, no?
Ok yes, but.. but.. I completely forgot about the tdf that year. Selective memory you see0 -
In:
Vuillermoz - Looks like a goldfish when he rides. Front of the line.
Gougeard - I just like the cut of his jib.
Alaphillipe - Backed him at 22s for L-B-L so kinda has to be in.
Peanut & Bardet - French GC riders so de fact team members.
Kenny Ellisonde - Hasn't kicked on from his promising start and doesn't look like he's gonna, but I'm a fan and I'll cheer any win he picks up along the way.
Pierre-Roger Latour - Getting on the bandwagon early, even if it means the team is a little AG2R heavy.
Reza - Because.
Phinney - Need a token foreigner, I'm making a point of not picking a big GC star which leaves me a space free, he winds people on here up which is good. Voeckler used to serve well on this last point but is getting old.
Didn't make the cut:
Valverde - I used to like his pantomime villain thing, but this season I actually started to like him. This means he's probably about to get pinged so he's in breach of my zero-tolerance policy which isn't actually a zero-tolerance policy or he wouldn't have been considered in the first place.
Quintana - no room on my team for big GC stars. Move along.
Bouhani & Demare- whether they like it or not they'll always be mentioned as a pair. Bit like the two guys in my year at school called Darren and Richard. They were so close that I just knew them as Darren and Richard - never figured out which was which. That's too weird for my team.
Geraint Thomas - I like him, but he's Welsh and rides for Sky.
Barguil - I like him, but Breton sounds like Welsh and he tried to kill Thomas.
Pozzovivo - AG2R-crit levels were too high.
Sepulveda - No room on my team for passengers.
Berhane - Always been a fan cos Europcar. But no Dimensions Data on my team.
Fatty Betancur - Used to like him, and nice to have a pro rider with a figure one can aspire to. But he's just annoying me now. And he rides for Movistar.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
2016 My Men
Steve Cummings- retained from last year. Increased his standing after the Tour stage win.
Rigoberto Uran- would love to see him get a GT victory but probably not at the top top level in anything but his devotion to the mullet.
Geraint Thomas- top bloke and great versatility. Races most of the year so you get a lot of bang for your buck with G as one of the squad.
Simon Gerrans- everyone knows the only way he can win...and he still wins.
Peter Sagan- used to not like him very much but he has grown on me.
Rui Costa- decent rider. Didn't think he got the credit he deserved as world champ.
Ian Stannard- just a beast of a rider.
John Degenkolb- despite the facial hair. Flat sprints are dull, prefer the slightly tougher drags which suit him.
Vasil Kiriyenka- for the hurt0 -
-
I'll go for the galactico approach not many domestiques here so doomed to failure :P
Gaviria - been really impressed with his performances on the track and interesting to see if he can continue to progress on the road. That being said i hope Cavendish has the beating of him if he gets to ride the omnium in Rio!
Viviani - i was split between him, Cav, Thomas, Contador, Degenkolb, Kwiatowski and a few others but i'll go with Viviani mostly because he was in my favourite photo of last season (chasing his wheel across a field)
Gerrans - I've always quite liked him as a rider but the more stick he gets for how he rides and gets results, the more i like him.
Froome - thought he handled himself very well despite all the abuse and hostility he faced during the tour, whatever you think about him, he is still just a guy racing a bike and noone should have to put up with the sort of shit he had to deal with last year over the course of the Tour.
Valverde - I'm another who has warmed to him alot over the last couple of seasons.
Cancellara - the guy i've pretended to be on my bike the most in the last 5 years, hope he can pull another big result or two out of the bag before he retires
Sagan - the guy i'll pretend to be on my bike the next 5 years!
Mohoric - Still best known as the inventor of the sitting on the top tube pedalling technique and he hasnt had any results yet after his back to back junior/u23 world champ wins, but he comes across as a nice guy who really likes his job as a pro cyclist.
Yates - bit of a loophole here, i'll just mention the surname and claim them both and have an extra My Man to call upon.0 -
Retained from last year
Degenkolb - won't be as good as last year, but he's one of my classics men.
Contador - possibly last chance saloon. Rarely a dull GT when he is involved.
Cavendish - he's getting older and probably slower, but I still like him.
Tony Martin - hopefully after last years cobbles in the tour he might change his mind and ride some classics. No doubt will produce some gutsy stage rides and who else am I going to cheer for in TTs?
Stybar - all-round rider for the classics and could nab a short stage race with the wind behind him.
Dan Martin - much maligned, but with a high quality palmares. He's my man for the hilly monuments, and currently has an extremely rare TheBigBean possibly clean star. Given up hope of any GT success.
Sep Vanmarcke - this is his year!
New signings
Davide Formolo - need some youth to balance my oldies. Hoping he can do something in the Giro. Otherwise, my GTs hopes are a bit slim.
Gaviria - new kid on the block. Bit of a punt this.
Axed
Aru - harsh I know
Betancur - who?
Tempted, but didn't make it
Porte
Valverde
Sagan
Tiesj Benoot0 -
2015
Kelderman
Pinot
Barguil
Coquard
Mollema
Dumoulin (Tom)
Navardauskas
Leukemans
Wiggins
2016 retained
Kelderman - Faith will be rewarded.jpg)
Pinot - Faith is being rewarded
plus
Tiesj Benoot Lotto - 5th at Flanders at 21 !!
Jens Debusschere Lotto - tough nut
Nacer (and Rayanne) Bouhanni Cofidis - left, right. Goodnight
Steven Kruijswijk Jumbo - oK hour down in the Tour but only 10 mins in Giro - looking for some early season form in the week races. Racing racer
Alexis Vuillermoz Ag2R - respected team respected rider. Sponsored his own way into the team
Yoann Offredo FDJ - Though Madiot had dropped him . Drifting out the picture but one of my favourite ridersfor a bit of FLAIR ( apart form crashing into that sign) He has still got the potential for a good year. Has the ability - but has the drive?? Training hard on the track this year. Shouldnt be Demarre's nanny
Pierre Latour Ag2R- I'm getting on this bandwagon now
reserve for next year
Matvei Mamykin Russian climber - sow the seed - and could get in Kraftwerk juniors
0 -
My men:
L'l Pete. Always has been, always well be. Permanent spot on Team My Man
Stannard. Ditto.
Bardet. No explanation necessary, shurely?
King Kung
Count Tom of Dumoulin
Gonna claim Ian Boswell. Bloody hard worker, cheerful chappie, starting to come good
Yates (BOGOF)
Scott Davies
Esteban Chaves. Smiley climbey Chaves.
And OBVS Bradders, But he's part team owner, so I'm going to maintain that he doesnt have to count as one of the 90 -
Forum lurker here, posted a handful of times under a username that I have since forgotten the login details to.. made a new account with a view to actually putting my money where my mouth is in PTP
Cancellara - hoping he gets one last big win (monument, Olympics or worlds)
Nibali - taken over panto villain duties from Valverde
Sagan - my favourite rider in general
Mick Rogers - Picked for his work for Cavendish in the glory days, also some excellent wins since riding for Tinkoff
Ryder Hesjedal - Did a lot in Talansky's Dauphine and Dan Martin's Liege win
Tony Martin - lead out dominance
Reto Hollenstein - hard man after that ride post crash in the tour
Simon Clarke - Sterling work in Amstel for Bling Matthews
Stijn Vandenburgh - workhorse despite lack of any tactical awareness0 -
If Yates is BOGOF then I will have Mike Teunissen too.
Damn, Vuillermoz...I loved the work he did the year before last for Bardet, and last year he got a few chances some of which he gleefully took. A great pick but I already have, ahem, 9.
Also nice to see a few with Balaverde, panto villain maybe, but a hell of a rider.0 -
1. Cav, has a purpose built team of riders built around him and I think he’ll be back to something approaching his best come the tour, though it appears most of the riders peaked in 2011(?)
2. Nairo Quintana, the most philosophical climber I know who is also the best pure climber currently plying his trade. Genuinely excited to see if he can get to the top step of a GC
3. Pip Gilbert. Hilly classics and Ardennes uphill smashfests. Still the best at pure short term power climbing.
4. Degentache. Now got the Giant team working for him for the classics knowing that he is the man that can deliver.
5. Ian Stannard --- for one race a year he is Etixx Quickstep Kryptonite ( Cheers OCDuPalais!). The rest he is a guy that can do 600 watts for 5 minutes. A monster in other words.
6. Tom Boonen, now partially deaf, and with a battered and bruised body from the last few years of racing, I do hope he gets one last monument.
7. Jose Serpa. Great climber/ climbing domestique, best tache.
8. Stefan Kung – oversized Cancellara replacement long term if he gets over his health issues
9. Little Pete. Properly good bike racer. Double national champ. Nuff said.
Honourable mentions
G , just because, he’s very very good at most things.
Cancellara for racing with what can only be described as a broken back. Twice last year. Hopefully healed up. hopefully does well in his last season.
Tony Martin. Lovely bike rider, huge engine, needs to downgrade the sandpaper.
Valverde, the days of “he’s behind you, or oh no he isn’t” are long gone. Proper bike racer.
Kwiatowski, the replacement for Valverde long term if he can lear how to climb more than 4km at a time.0 -
OK, time for the annual post before returning to lurking duties...
Retained from last year
G - So versatile, seems like a nice bloke, likes Welshcakes, and I'm just hanging in here hoping this is the year he takes Flanders
Stannard - Awesome beast of a man, rider I most realistically aspire to be, and hanging in there hoping this is the year he finally takes Roubaix. Plus for that one-man demolition of OPQS last year.
Cav - vied with Kittel for "is he going to have a rubbish year this year?" retention, and my heart just took over from my head. Always loved him as a rider, hoping for a renaissance...
Tommeke - praying for a final flurry of awesomeness before time takes its toll
Degenkolb - really, really happy for his stunning season last year. He has to keep the tache, and hopefully do some even-more-cringe-inducing Alpecin ads.
Tony Martin - how can you not love this man?
J-Rod - like Boonen, hoping for a few more moments of glory before age kicks in. Then again, I've been thinking that for years. Just love the way he animates races.
Kudus - sticking with him, hoping he can get some attention back from Tekkers...
Dropped from last year
Kittel - as mentioned above, ran Cav close in terms of which slightly-disappointing-season sprinter stayed or went. Longer term he's still got a while to return to former glories, just have a gut feeling he'll have another poor one this year.
Newly drafted in
Chaves - impressed so much last year, and such a smiley geezer
Nearly made it in
Ten Dam - just for his entertaining mess of a face. Had stuck with him as a 'value pick' in various fantasy teams over the past few years, but he's disappointed me one too many times...
Valverde - like a lot of peeps on here, he made something of a shift from panto villian to grudging respect for me last year, but it's still not enough. He was the last of the "feet of clay" former heroes before I calmed down and stopped having heroes, and it'll take a lot to restore faith...
Still physically impossible to see him without immediately thinking of RR(2)'s "Senor Hairplugs" naming
(ooh, was it RR, or was it ATC?)@shraap | My Men 2016: G, Yogi, Cav, Boonen, Degenkolb, Martin, J-Rod, Kudus, Chaves0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773862#p19773862]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Yates (BOGOF)
That made me laugh. I've almost never read anything that doesn't treat them as one thing.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773862#p19773862]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Esteban Chaves. Smiley climbey Chaves.
Oops I forgot about him. Nevermind. Too late.0 -
Retained from 2015
Rowe - local boy
Thomas - local boy
Froome - not the champion cycling wants, but the one it needs
Rodriguez - I want him to get that elusive big win
Kudus - this is his breakout year
New signings
Boonen - one last hoorah from a perennial favourite
Gesink - he has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and now he's got a clear run at success
Boasson Hagen - nice and good
Porte - he just amuses me
Axed
Evans - retired
Gerrans - fading force
Cavendish - maybe too Olympics focused
Geoghegan Hart - not having u23s anymore
I will recruit Doull on a stagliere contract after Rio
(Maybe we should have a My Anti-Men thread. Riders you want to see lose for largely irrational reasons - doping reasons being too obvious)Twitter: @RichN950 -
The only person who hasn't done so is Dave 'Simon not Adam' Brailsford[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773862#p19773862]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Yates (BOGOF)
That made me laugh. I've almost never read anything that doesn't treat them as one thing.Twitter: @RichN950 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773862#p19773862]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Yates (BOGOF)
That made me laugh. I've almost never read anything that doesn't treat them as one thing.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773862#p19773862]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Esteban Chaves. Smiley climbey Chaves.
Oops I forgot about him. Nevermind. Too late.
Forgot about him too and Vuillermoz! Is my man a one time deal then? What if a rider should accidentally get killed off for some trivial reason?0 -
Balls! I forgot Poels
Right, he gets subbed in as soon as the opportunity arises0 -
2015 Squad
Dan Martin
Ian Stannard
Geraint Thomas
Tao Geoghegan Hart - he's from Hackney, so I'm laying claim.
Songezo Jim
Daniel Teklehaymanot
Merhawi Kudus
Gerald Ciolek
Natnael Berhane
Retained
Ian Stannard
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Songezo Jim
Daniel Teklehaymanot
Merhawi Kudus
Natnael Berhane
Looking for new contracts
Dan Martin
Geraint Thomas
Gerald Ciolek
New additions
Alex Peters - Also a Hackney lad
Tom Dumoulin
Rasmus Quaade - The man. The moustache. The moustache. The moustache.
EDIT: I won't have Carlos after all, had to make space for The Moustache. [gone] Carlos Betancur - If Rick is allowed to pick riders based on them having a similar size and weight as him, then so am I *fatbastard*. [/gone]
As ever, I reserve the right to call in any other Qhubeka (now Dimension Data) rider at any point. Yes, including Cav and EBH.
Steve CummingsWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Two bits of bad news for you. Firstly, he's in semi retirement. He's got no team but hopes to race a bit in Colombia. Secondly, he's shaved off the tache - it should have been protected like a listed building.7. Jose Serpa. Great climber/ climbing domestique, best tache.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Surely teams don't have to be finalised until the season starts (Het Nieuwsblad)[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19773995#p19773995]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:Balls! I forgot Poels
Right, he gets subbed in as soon as the opportunity arisesTwitter: @RichN950
