Jayco AlUla thread

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BEX have withdrawn from talks for Premier Tech to be a co-sponsor - Apparently, Premier Tech wanted 50% ownership which was rejected by Gerry Ryan - It does post the question what is the value of a World Tour Licence ? Gerry will continue to bankroll the team in 2022 - It will be a year of consolidation with few riders joining.
 
A couple of new signings for Bike Exchange. Matteo Sobrero for 2 years, someone who was crucial to Vlasov in the Giro, and all the lead up races to it, this year and Jesus David Pena, a 21 year old Colombian rider who has been promising in his early career.

Looks like they're going with a GC focus for next year.
 
eth-dog said:
A couple of new signings for Bike Exchange. Matteo Sobrero for 2 years, someone who was crucial to Vlasov in the Giro, and all the lead up races to it, this year and Jesus David Pena, a 21 year old Colombian rider who has been promising in his early career.

Looks like they're going with a GC focus for next year.
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I am unsure about this when climbers in Nieve, Chaves and Zeits have left the team !
 

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BEX sign Groenewegen who will slot into the TDF squad - Have previously posted that BEX had money in their budget since A.Yates left but have sat on the money until the right opportunity came along - Groenwegen will have a decent sprint train for support - What is overlooked is that WT licences are up for renewal at the end of 2022 - If Bex had another season like 2020/2021 then they were at risk of losing their licence.
 
yaco55 said:
BEX sign Groenewegen who will slot into the TDF squad - Have previously posted that BEX had money in their budget since A.Yates left but have sat on the money until the right opportunity came along - Groenwegen will have a decent sprint train for support - What is overlooked is that WT licences are up for renewal at the end of 2022 - If Bex had another season like 2020/2021 then they were at risk of losing their licence.
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If he has good legs then yes, the TDF course will be a good chance for a couple of stage wins. Yates the man for the Giro again and go with Hamilton at the Vuelta.
 
Massive get. Is faster than Ewan and the squad is full of workhorses to build a lead out. The biggest question mark is his last man, I don't rate Mezgec in this role, Edmondson couldn't do it at a TDF level finish, big ask but Kell O'Brien could be the man.
 
Orange Agent said:
Massive get. Is faster than Ewan and the squad is full of workhorses to build a lead out. The biggest question mark is his last man, I don't rate Mezgec in this role, Edmondson couldn't do it at a TDF level finish, big ask but Kell O'Brien could be the man.
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Apart from one big error at the Vuelta (which really hurt BEX) Mezgec is very good in this role IMO. Not sure he's faster than Ewan but he's right up there for speed.

Personally would be sending Matthews, Mezgec, CJJ, Durbridge, Grondahl Jansen, Grmay and another climber for support. You reckon O'Brien will be able to last the 3 weeks? I'm not sure
 
eth-dog said:
Apart from one big error at the Vuelta (which really hurt BEX) Mezgec is very good in this role IMO. Not sure he's faster than Ewan but he's right up there for speed.

Personally would be sending Matthews, Mezgec, CJJ, Durbridge, Grondahl Jansen, Grmay and another climber for support. You reckon O'Brien will be able to last the 3 weeks? I'm not sure
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Mezgec isnt smooth in his speed, he tends to lose the rider behind him easily which is the worst trait of a lead out man. Id like to see him have more freedom to get in breakaways. Left field, somebody who i think has potential in this kind of role is Cam Meyer but for whatever reason he barely races in Europe but does every race the Oz summer.
 
Orange Agent said:
Mezgec isnt smooth in his speed, he tends to lose the rider behind him easily which is the worst trait of a lead out man. Id like to see him have more freedom to get in breakaways. Left field, somebody who i think has potential in this kind of role is Cam Meyer but for whatever reason he barely races in Europe but does every race the Oz summer.
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Meyer is a weird one. He did okay in the Giro but he's never been more than that when I've seen him
 
Mezgec is one of the best lead out riders in the peleton - He'll now have someone who can hold his wheel in the final - My prediction is that Groenewegen will win more races than Yates and Matthews combined. I expect Groenewegen will ride both the TDF and the Vuelta.
 
Yates in some good touch in Paris-Nice. Wonder if he's going for another crack at the Giro (which he should).
 
Having a strong Tour of Turkey right now. I know it isn't a world tour race but Groves has finished 3rd and 1st in the two stages so far. Ewan, Bennett, Philipsen, Bol, De Buyst and Van Poppel are a strong sprinting group so it's not as if he'll be the favourite sprinter at all.

Looking forward to seeing him on a Grand Tour this year. Give him a full lead out for the Vuelta.
 

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Groves started to make progress in the back end of 2021 - Now that he has stopped crashing he has continuity in his performance, while his young lead out team is getting him into position for the final - He's definitely got quicker this year and he's interesting in that he has a shorter sprint than most at around 100 metres BUT his maximum top speed is very good.
 
Probably should of won again last night, Phillipsen moved off his line a fair bit. I didn't think Groves was up to it but he is proving he is quick enough. BEX are looking really good for sprint stages whereas Lotto are an absolute mess and Bennett looks like he won't be winning any time soon.
 
Groves, Matthews and Groenewegan in the same team won't work.

Remember when the rivalry was so bad Matthews rode against Gerrans at the world's?

Groenewegan has to be top dog, but he hasn't been the same since his suspension for causing the crash that almost killed Jakobsen.
 
Matthews is no certainty to be offered a contract by BEX in 2023 - The three riders can work if BEX more carefully chooses their calendars - The Groenewegen calendar is fine, however Groves should have ridden a few classics, while Matthews should be riding the Giro - Yates crashes in stage one of the Giro and then they have nothing in the race.
 
yaco55 said:
Matthews is no certainty to be offered a contract by BEX in 2023 - The three riders can work if BEX more carefully chooses their calendars - The Groenewegen calendar is fine, however Groves should have ridden a few classics, while Matthews should be riding the Giro - Yates crashes in stage one of the Giro and then they have nothing in the race.
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Yates is the best GC rider in the race. Making the right call to go all in on GC, you can't plan for your best rider going down, you simply have to back them in.
 
Don't think Groves is any threat to Groenewegan, and Matthews is a much different rider. Groves had the best lead out at Tour of Turkey which will be a big factor at the bigger races this year. Based on this week Campbell Stewart has to be in the the A team for lead outs, be good to see him on the start list with Groenewegan and Mezgec for some upcoming races.
 
By the time Groves reaches his level to go to TdF, Groenewegan probably would have moved on anyway. Meanwhile groves gets to learn off one of the fastest blokes in the peloton in training.

Really looking forward to see how they support him at La Vuelta.
Orange Agent said:
Don't think Groves is any threat to Groenewegan, and Matthews is a much different rider. Groves had the best lead out at Tour of Turkey which will be a big factor at the bigger races this year. Based on this week Campbell Stewart has to be in the the A team for lead outs, be good to see him on the start list with Groenewegan and Mezgec for some upcoming races.
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Yeah, hoping he gets a start in the tour. Go a strong lead out train and then a couple of climbers for breakaways in the mountains.
 
Orange Agent said:
Don't think Groves is any threat to Groenewegan, and Matthews is a much different rider. Groves had the best lead out at Tour of Turkey which will be a big factor at the bigger races this year. Based on this week Campbell Stewart has to be in the the A team for lead outs, be good to see him on the start list with Groenewegan and Mezgec for some upcoming races.
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Stewart has been super impressive as a lead out rider, though I doubt they'll send him to the TDF - He's more likely to support Groves in the Vuelta - Groenwewegen is a worry in the sense that he is too timid from 3km to 1km and is reluctant to stay on Mezgec's wheel - His form is good enough to win at the TDF if he can get to enough finals.
 
eth-dog said:
Yates is the best GC rider in the race. Making the right call to go all in on GC, you can't plan for your best rider going down, you simply have to back them in.
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Bringing one rider like Matthews for stages does not dilute Yates GC ambitions - You plan for your best rider going down when you need points to secure a WT licence for 2023.
 
eth-dog said:
By the time Groves reaches his level to go to TdF, Groenewegan probably would have moved on anyway. Meanwhile groves gets to learn off one of the fastest blokes in the peloton in training.

Really looking forward to see how they support him at La Vuelta.

Yeah, hoping he gets a start in the tour. Go a strong lead out train and then a couple of climbers for breakaways in the mountains.
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Groenewegen will have no need to move on if he wins races.
 
They've released their Giro team, the order is in what I expect their numbers to be:

21: Simon Yates
22: Matteo Sobrero
23: Callum Scotson
24: Tanel Kangert
25: Damien Howson
26: Chris Juul-Jensen
27: Lawson Craddock
28: Nick Schultz

Schultz was good in La Fleche Wallone so wouldn't be surprised to see him target a few "hilly" stages with not many other "tweeners", apart from the obvious Magnus Cort and Mathieu van der Poel, but it's a strong support cast for Yates, all of whom apart from Sobrero are supporting him over the next 3 days at La Vuelta Asturias, although I do wonder why they're racing them in that rather than the Tour de Romandie. Maybe they think that 3 days is all he needs in prep for this race.

I expect that means that they're going to go with something like this for the Tour:

Dylan Groenewegen, Michael Matthews, Luka Mezgec, Luke Durbridge, Amund Grondahl Jansen, Cameron Meyer, Kevin Colleoni, Lucas Hamilton

Gives a strong lead out train for Groenewegen but Meyer and Colleoni can support Hamilton if they decide to go for a couple of mountain breakaway wins
 
You could not possibly have Grondahl-Jensen in the team due to his form - Colleoni is not up to tour level, Meyer is still not fit after not racing much last year while Hamilton whose form has been terrible since getting sick in the 2021 Tour De Suisse will probably ride the Giro.

Yates is definitely riding the TDF and may not even be at the Giro - Stewart is a chance to ride at the TDF as part of the Groenewegen sprint train.
 

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