Rocky Highway: a Cobbles PowerPoll

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Simply to type my very own thoughts and get in gear for the upcoming barrage of cobbles goodness within the coming weeks right here’s a fast and soiled PowerPoll of the groups as we go into the holiest of holy durations of the 12 months. We’ve had a ton of racing already and as for cobbles we’ve seen opening weekend, Nokere and a few assorted small scraps to present us some pointers as to who’s the place this 12 months

1. Visma-LeaseABike

What have we seen? Effectively opening weekend, and all different races appear to be a continuation of 2023 which is fairly rattling excellent news for somebody who had a 12 months like that they had. They received double and did it in some spectacular trend. They raced with a democratic a number of pronged assault the place Wout van Aert was merely one of many awe inspiring weapons. Similar to early final 12 months there’s nothing that means that they received’t dominate the cobbled Monuments and you need to suppose that a company this good received’t wish to be repeating no matter errors that stopped that from occurring final 12 months.
What’s new? An already insane lineup is now bolstered with Jan Tratnik, who has accomplished his transformation into classics wizard, and an ever improing Matteo Jorgenson who brings one other dimension to the roster. Additionally they have a stronger Kooij as a severe choice for the sprintier races which provides them much more playing cards (though it could put extra of a query mark on which position Laporte is to play in all of this).
What’s their downside? It’s all about successful one of many large ones this 12 months, particularly for Wout, and there are numerous indications that this might be as tough for them as final 12 months. Their finest weapon is after they trip musketeer model, all for one and one for all, like they do within the smaller races however when it turns into extra the “setting issues up for Wout”-team then instantly they don’t look as terrifying anymore. And Wout one on one towards MvdP all of us agree is just not going to work out for Visma fairly often, don’t we?

2. Alpecin-Deceuninck

What have we seen? There’s good trigger to name this one of the best classics workforce on this planet proper now and there’s an affordable probability they are going to transfer up on this rating as we get some extra races with Van der Poel on the beginning line. With Philipsen now a confirmed classics beast and just about accepted as the highest sprinter on this planet they’ve the 2 sharpest weapons of anybody. Add to that some terrific assist and you’ve got a workforce with only a few chinks within the armor. They’d essentially the most depressing opening weekend of all the highest groups however they didn’t deliver their a-team, it was actually solely Jasper who disenchanted and we’ve seen him come into his actual kind since then.
What’s new? Jasper Philipsen. There’s no denying the distinction a 12 months makes in how we, and most significantly how the opposition, view him as a classics chief. The double menace they now possess make the calculations a lot tougher for everybody else to make as soon as we come deep within the finales.
What’s their downside? Theoretically a management complication between the 2 now that Jasper has risen in standing however that’s simply hypothesis. What we now have seen signifies the alternative actually. A few of their key lieutenants have had some damage points although and if Visma begin taking part in playing cards left and proper then Alpecin may come to wish all of the wholesome legs they will discover in an effort to not get tactically verify mated.

3. Lidl-Trek

What have we seen? As ordinary Trek had a really informal strategy to opening weekend, they actually appear to be essentially the most hardcore subscribers to the outdated “can’t each crush Omloop and Ronde” line of thought. However they definitely didn’t embarrass themselves and had some optimistic indicators even when the massive outcomes weren’t there. With Pedersen entering into the lineup they need to be formidable once more.
What’s new? Most significantly they’ve added Tim Declerckq to supply working muscle however there’s additionally numerous pleasure on the prospect of Jonathan Milan including one other sharp dimension to their recreation, In Omloop/KBK we noticed Toms Skuijns being an enormous weapon however sadly he’s too good at too many issues and received’t be part of the cobbles lineup within the coming weeks.
What’s their downside? Very like in Sanremo the opposite day the overall really feel is that Stuyven/Pedersen are very excellent, simply not the very best when it comes right down to it. And so they don’t fairly have a viable plan on the right way to overcome that hole. Pogacar’s absence in Flanders could also be higher information for Lidl-Trek than for anybody else, the supersonic Kwaremont climbing hijinx actually hit their probabilities greater than anybody else and a extra “regular” Ronde ought to work of their favor.

4. Staff UAE

What have we seen? Stunning issues actually for a workforce we don’t fairly see as one for April except Pogacar decides to parachute in and dominate. Politt and Wellens had been main elements in opening weekend and the brand new child Antonio Morgado has been spectacular within the smaller midweek races. Even with out The Tufted One they could be a issue on the cobbles.
What’s new? Nils Politt provides large energy, if not a lot brains, to UAE’s cobble line-up. That alone elevates them to relevancy, particularly within the large monuments, however in addition they now have a stable dash set-up for races like Brugge and Scheldeprijs so they’re fairly full now.
What’s their downside? Nobody ever stated Tim Wellens was reliable. He was nice in Omloop and on paper he’s a hazard man in any race with sufficient hellingen however he may additionally simply as simply disappear in races. And like Politt he actually struggles to search out that final bit of the puzzle that enables him to win the essential races. For that they’d have wanted Pogi, with out him it’s simple to see numerous robust placings and no wins.

5. Lotto-Dstny

What have we seen? A fluctuating efficiency curve from Arnaud De Lie who’s the crux of their classics squad. Flashes of brilliance but additionally indicators that issues aren’t operating 100% easy this 12 months. After the gamble of skipping Kuurne and aiming for his native race Le Samyn backfired and resulted in a crash it’s been a grumpy bull. Fortunately for Lotto the season has in any other case been splendid however the Belgians need to De Lie to meet his promise.
What’s new? The expectations and stress on Arnaud De Lie. The squad is comparable in any other case with stable assist for the cobbles, Campenaerts to liven issues up and Menten to grind out some unglamorous however important dash wins and podiums in smaller races. However that is the 12 months everyone seems to be searching for large issues to occur from De Lie in large races and that’s a primary for him. Lots hangs on how he can deal with it and deal with slightly adversity.
What’s their downside? They’re basically a one man present. Campenaerts will want some small miracle to drag off a win from his escapades, as satisfying and admirable as they’re, and the remainder of the squad is nice for some honorable high 15s usually. So miracle boy must ship in some unspecified time in the future.

6. Movistar

What have we seen? Pigs fly? Movistar in a cobbles powerpoll? Okay perhaps they’re slightly bit right here as a lark, however probably not. Oier Lazkano’s Kuurne (and Clasica Jaen) kinda give them a deserved spot up there. And there’s first rate individuals round him too in Garcia Cortina, Jacobs and Norsgaard so it is a actual factor now.
What’s new? Spain might need a brand new classics ace in Lazkano if issues proceed the way in which they’re going. Plus they’ve performed the hip factor and picked up an Italian monitor man with classics potential in Manlio Moro. Add a Belgian DS in Roelandts who is aware of how the sauce is made on this a part of the world and you’ve got one thing.
What’s their downside? That is basically a one-man workforce aside except you price Gaviria’s probabilities within the sprintier races (I don’t anymore, I gave up) since Cortina for no matter motive isn’t doing the approaching cobbles races which appears an odd alternative. Sadly Lazkano is outwardly nonetheless fairly uncomfortable with the stress and expectations that include all that promise but when they will get him in the proper headspace it may very well be a unbelievable spring in Flanders for Movi.

7. Intermarche-Wanty

What have we seen? Biniam Girmay appears to be someplace close to his 2022 self once more and so they’ve been visibly current in many of the classics. High result’s Rex successful Le Samyn which is an enormous one for an area workforce even when it won’t be a lot of an indicator for the largest races to return.
What’s new? Vito Braet has come on from the Flanders expertise program and appears to be making a direct affect, he’s already prepared for these races. Aside from that it’s primarily the identical outdated gang and the important thing appears to be discovering new methods to have Girmay match coaching, racing and travels again house work extra seamlessly in an effort to deliver extra consistency.

What’s their downside? They’re nonetheless basically a moneyball squad of plucky outsiders preventing to supply an entire that’s larger than the sum of its elements and in todays excessive octane World Tour that’s a tricky ask. They actually need their diamond within the tough Girmay to be at the easiest we all know he’s able to to achieve the actual heights. And up to now they will’t fairly appear to get him there.

8. Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale

What have we seen? Consider it or not, Oliver Naessen again close to the entrance of motorbike races. Not a trajectory anybody was anticipating. Perhaps slightly extra space with out outdated Greg round served him nicely? Both manner he led a plucky band of franco-belgians to some first rate early outcomes.
What’s new?Twentyone 12 months outdated Pierre Gautherat is strictly talking not new since he in his second 12 months at Ag2r however he clearly seems to have made large strides ahead. Whereas the burden remains to be on Naessen, many eyes could be on him to see the place the Decathlon classics future could be heading.
What’s their downside? Oliver Naessen doesn’t win you the massive races. He doesn’t even win you the medium sized races frankly and possibilities of that instantly altering are slim, particularly when the Galacticos present up in full kind. So Decathlon are seemingly searching for some honorable high 10s in actuality.

9 Groupama-FDJ

What have we seen? They’ve had one in every of this spring’s revelations in Laurence Pithie even when it hasn’t fairly paid off in precise outcomes. In the meantime Stefan Küng is sort of clearly slowly working up his diesel to be primed for early April so it’s onerous to evaluate based mostly on that. The proof might be within the Monument Pudding.
What’s new? Basically that their youth motion is edging ever nearer to maturity. Their largest younger aces Gregoire and Martinez actually aren’t going to be of any assistance on the cobbles although so they’re relying on the following tier guys like Pithie, Askey and Watson to take steps from being terrific Coupe de France sharks to being elements within the classics
What’s their downside? Küng is a beast however nobody up to now has any earthly thought the right way to really convert that into getting him that first large large race win. Madouas will seemingly parachute in to supply some robust putting like he often does. The kiddos talked about will seemingly do nicely, they’re just too good to not. However, and it’s an enormous however I can’t lie, there actually is not any sense that there’s somebody at Groupama with some grasp plan to make all these items match collectively into what may very well be a classics powerhouse to problem the Bigs. Not but anyway.

10 Soudal-QuickStep

What have we seen? I’ll inform you what we haven’t seen, which is Pat Lefevere’s head exploding (or him at the very least spewing a gallon of acid in a newspaper column) however that actually says far more about how the main focus of this workforce has shifted than it does in regards to the workforce’s efficiency. They’d their ordinary disappointing Omloop however then didn’t bounce again in Kuurne, the truth is they had been maybe much more of a non-factor. Merlier is actually saving their bacon with the promise of extra dash wins in semi-classics. It’s not the glamorous manner but it surely will get the job performed. Type of.
What’s new? Quick youngsters. Like at all times at QuickStep, when issues appear to be they’re going downhill Pat pulls some loopy abilities out his Mallorca tanned bottom and instantly issues begin to look kinda scorching once more. Luke Lamperti is the classics related man this 12 months and all indications are it’s panning out nicely. The opposite basic Lef-style gamble made this 12 months is bringing Gianni “The Jerk” Moscon and see if they will do the outdated QS magic and rejuvenate a fading star’s profession with a carrot / bull-whip of a low wage/excessive bonus one-year contract. How nicely that’s working remains to be TBD however I’ll say it’s not trying like a miracle resurrection up to now. Ronde van Vlaanderen is on Easter Sunday although so…….
What’s their downside? They only don’t have one of the best or the strongest classics guys on their roster anymore. They’ve first rate second tier guys, a bruised confidence and maybe slightly little bit of an id disaster concerning the right way to take races on now on this new actuality they’re residing. How that develops relies upon a fantastic deal on if their scorching new youngsters could make them rise from the ashes like they’ve performed earlier than, and in that case how briskly? Large wins and podiums (outdoors dash wins for Timmy in doubtful races like Scheldeprijs) this 12 months looks like a stretch.

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