The current generation of cross-discipline cycling phenoms headed up by Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock may not be competitive “much beyond 30 years of age” such are the demands they are placing on their bodies, former Tour de France winner Andy Schleck believes.
This year’s Tour has been one of the most compelling and brutal in years. Heading into the final week, just 10 seconds separates the maillot jaune Jonas Vingegaard from second-placed Tadej Pogacar in the general classification, with cycling fans around the world gripped by the duo’s daily ding-dongs, first through the Pyrenees and now the Alps.
It is not just the top two riders either. Their respective teams, Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates, have also been bashing each other over the head day after day, trying to land a knockout blow on behalf of their leaders.
Whether it was Van Aert almost keeling over in exhaustion following a hefty turn on behalf of Vingegaard on the Col de Joux Plane on Saturday, only to miraculously reappear on the front of the bunch minutes later, or Britain’s Adam Yates riding hard for Pogacar deep into mountain stages, and in doing so getting ever closer to that final podium position – which is currently occupied by Ineos Grenadiers’ Carlos Rodríguez – the action has been unrelenting.
Schleck, the 2010 champion, believes we must enjoy this golden generation while we can as they will not be able to sustain these levels forever. “I think you have a lot of riders now with such class,” said the Luxembourger. “You watch them and you think: ‘It’s not fair.’ They are born with a bike and they never did anything else – the pedalling, how they go out of the saddle. They are phenomenal. You have a lot of them there now that go from juniors to the pros, the Remco Evenepoels, the Tom Pidcocks...
“I raise the question, and we don’t yet have an answer, but we don’t know the long-term side effects. Will they go until 35-36 as we did? Or will their careers become a bit shorter?”
The decline has arguably already started. Neither Van Aert nor Van der Poel has yet won a stage this year. They have still been key players. Van Aert has once again been supreme, although he does not look to be quite at the level he was in 2021 when he won three stages, including the double ascent of Ventoux on stage 11, the penultimate day time trial on Stage 20 and then the bunch sprint on the Champs Elysées on the final day.
Or last year, when the Belgian also won three stages and seemed at times to be bending the race to his will, even stopping his bike to wait for Vingegaard on one memorable occasion. Van der Poel, meanwhile, is mostly having to content himself with playing the role of deluxe lead-out man for sprinter Jasper Philipsen (although the Dutchman says his main goal this year is preparing himself for a tilt at the rainbow jersey in Glasgow next month).
Other virtuoso talents such as two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe – now 31 – also look to be past their best in what is increasingly a young man’s game. Pogacar – who was winning major spring classics just weeks ago – is still just 24, Vingegaard 26, Pidcock 23 (the Briton’s decision to ride for the general classification has certainly blunted his attacking spark but he will learn from the experience).
Schleck is not surprised. “Frankly, I know how stressful it is out there,” he said. “I’m actually surprised to see Van der Poel and Van Aert still racing at that level because they don’t break anymore. They go from a young age to cyclocross, they go pro, they do everything, and yes they have success in what they do – Van Aert was exceptional the last [few] years. But I’m not sure if the career will go long beyond 30 years.”
Their lack of stage success has certainly not diminished this year’s race. The yellow jersey battle, in particular, has been riveting from the moment Vingegaard dropped Pogacar on the first mountain stage of the race in the Pyrenees 10 days ago, only for Pogacar to strike back on the Tourmalet stage the very next day. Since then it has been a case of fighting for bonuses and the odd second here or there, with Pogacar slowly but surely clawing back his deficit.
Tuesday’s 22.4km time trial, which finishes with a category two climb to Combloux, will afford the Slovenian another golden opportunity to take back time, while Wednesday’s stage to Courchevel features the hors categorie Col de la Loze. “I think there will be gaps in the time trial and also the [Courchevel] stage after has one of the hardest climbs of the world,” Pogacar predicted on Sunday of where this race will be won and lost. “I think they’ll be decisive. I can’t wait.”
Neither can cycling fans. They may burn shorter these days, given the way they ride and the sheer amount they take on, but you cannot fault this generation for entertainment.
Andy Schleck is an ambassador for Skoda, which is celebrating its 20th year as headline sponsor of the Tour de France. Visit Skoda Cycling | Skoda UK for more information
"like this" - Google News
July 18, 2023 at 02:14PM
https://ift.tt/YwTft9F
Cycling's hybrid phenoms cannot go on like this - The Telegraph
"like this" - Google News
https://ift.tt/MVJFBky
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment