2 newcomers: top grand tour racers in the making

wicklow200

2 newcomers showing up some top stars like C Moreau and Andreas Kloden

Roman Kreuziger sensationally took the lead of the TDS after a stubbing mtn time trial today, leading a star packed field including Kloden who was probably not holding anything back as he wont be going to the TdF

And Daniel Martin, the first year Irish pro, rode himself into the overall lead of the Route du Sud on Saturday, also on a big mountain stage

I have read that Martin was a big potential, apparantly a great climber. And he has just proven that he might have the right stuff at this level.

Kreuziger was a world junior champion a few years ago. His dad apparantly was a very good rider in the late 80s /90's . He might have won the tour of austria at one stage

And Martin's uncle is Stephen Roche.

Anyone know anything more about these guys?

zlatan

i saw the stages in the tour de suisse Roman Kreuziger just flew up the mountain but fade a bit the last 1.5km.

Wayne666

Kreuziger was a good cyclocross rider in the younger ranks too. I don't remember if he was ever the world champion but he was at least on the podium at worlds, as was the new French revelation L'Hotellerie.

Runitout

Wonder if his training methods are as popular as L'Hot's are.

__________________
And saying so to some
Means nothing; others it leaves
Nothing to be said.

Eldron

I'm loving this cycling year for exactly that reason - can't remember when last I saw so many podiums by riders I don't know...

Hmmm either the underdog is kicking ass this year or I'm getting olde. Tough call...

Either way I'm hoping for a wide open TdF with long, suicidal breaks, the favourites having at least 2 bad days each, nobody finishing a stage looking daisy fresh and a horde of names I've never heard of.

Viva cycling viva!

Anticyclone

How about Pierre Rolland (Credit Agricole)? Won the mountains jersey in the Dauphine at the age of 21

wicklow200

(always a bit sceptical about mts jersies since tricky Dicky Virenque used to go for it year after year in the tour. winners obviously deserve them for their efforts, but one big break on one day can often make the jersey. or a complete outsider being allowed to do one )

ill keep a look out for the name. is he doing the tdf?

Anticyclone

Yeah, thats true but in this race he was in a lot of breakaways rather than it just coming from one break - he came second to Dessel on stage 4, rode with the main group on stage 5 and finished with Dessel, Casar, Astareloza and Sastre. Stage 6 saw him in another breakaway - he took the points over the Croix de Fer but cracked completely on the final climb of Le Toussouire and lost 16 minutes. Stage 7 saw him off the front again, this time in a chase group - he managed to stay away but it was all a bit pointless in the end. Not the same as leading the group of favourites over every climb but promising nonetheless


No idea. Seems a bit young to be making it through the mountains in the tour. Maybe he was aimed at the Dauphine? Seems like a name for the future though

Anticyclone

Just quickly scanning a few results on cyclingnews i see that Kreuziger made it through the Vuelta last year, finishing 21st overall. Its not quite as hard as the Tour perhaps but this year's tour wont be his first three-week stage race and maybe he will complete it all.

Rolland competed in the Paris-Nice and did quite well finishing 13th overall

adamastor

Not riding this year. Too young.

wicklow200

Yes and Martin won his national championships last week too - both the Elite Mens and U23 road races. He absolutely destroyed the field although it wouldnt have the strongest field of any nat champs

Still adding up to a nice year for him

Kreuziger's 21st place in the Vuelta last year is impressive for a youngster.

Wayne666

You know despite Armstrong's claims that the Tour is so much harder, usually he says than the Giro (don't ask me how he knows since I don't believe he ever rode the Giro), there was a study that used HR data from the Tour and Vuelta. They basically concluded they were comparable in difficulty, the Tour was longer so riders spent more time at easy or moderate effort levels and less at the hard level, with the shorter Vuelta the riders simply rode harder spending more time at the hard level and skipping a lot of easy/moderate riding.