Let's Talk J-Rod & Katusha!

by ursula on Nov 18, 2009 2:20 PM EST Comment 19 comments

Interesting team, that Katusha and an interesting pick-up on their part, picking Joaquin Rodriguez from Caisse d'Epargne. For CN today comes word on the race schedule for J-Rod next year and it's much like in previous years, with two exceptions: there's Tour de France for the first time and there's no Alejandro Valverde to support. Here's his early season (up to the Tour) schedule:

warm-up: Volta a Mallorca then Volta ao Algarve

Tirreno-Adriatico which has the Wolf Mountain stage again

Spain and the Basque Country: Volta a Catalunya then Pais Vasco

The Ardennes Trio: Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallonne, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Tour prep: Luxembourg and Suisse Tours

Tour de France

On the flip, a look at his new teammates and wild-eyed speculation on how he'll do.

So all speculation on how well he'l do has to take into account on what effect his new team will have on him. Look at that Katusha roster.

BUT FIRST-BREAKING NEWS!!! NEW DESIGNER SNUGGIES!!!!! WHAT COULD BE SEXIER THAN A WOMAN IN A LEOPARD PRINT SNUGGIE!!!????

Okay back to reality. Barring Robbie McEwen finding the fountain of youth and the odd Grand Tour stage win (which will come) and Pippo Pozzato's cobbles exploits (no small thing) this team is built for small stage races and the Ardennes. Adding J-Rod and Kim Kirchen to Serguei Ivanov literally screams Ardennes, plus small stage races. Those three plus the likes of Pavel Brutt, Al Botcharov, Vlad Karpets, Mikhail Ignatiev (among others) in support of the Big Three also says that they are prepared to take the repeated attacks of Saxo Bank in the Ardennes and return the favor.

On paper, that is. The question is how will J-Rod, Kirchen, and Ivanov interact? Ivanov is notorious for striking out on his own. Many of their main supporters, like Brutt, Botcharov, and Ignatiev have spent most of their careers in breakaways. Can they learn some discipline and support their leaders? Will J-Rod, a lifetime supporter, find himself pushed aside by freelancing teammates?

My guess is sort of. This team has the depth of Saxo Bank or Shack or Columbia or Liquigas to compete in the Ardennes but the urge to break out will be too much at times. But otherwise the individual abilities of these guys will bring them a win or two I think. I have a feeling that Kirchen + J-Rod will work quite well and I have them on a short list for an Ardennes title. La Fleche? L-B-L? One of 'em.

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There're a roumors about Kolobnev

From Saxo to Katusha

by Grzdylu on Nov 18, 2009 2:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Say it isn't so

Though I do think Saxo’s other stars have kept them from really helping him develop. I think he can be quite the force in the spring if he gets the chance and support to ride for himself.

by dansel on Nov 18, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He just needs to learn not to lead out every sprint in a major race...that is partially why he doesn't have that big win.

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 18, 2009 3:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+ Many, many, and more.

Poor guy gets over excited I think.

by dansel on Nov 18, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Regardless of if that happens or not

it just underscores the direction of this team.

by ursula on Nov 18, 2009 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Plus,

is Gusev on this team now or not? I’m confused.

by ursula on Nov 18, 2009 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Read somewhere a while ago that he signed 2 years with

Katusha, but l haven’t seen anything official.

by Bruce Suomi on Nov 18, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Very True

The last big result he got that came before September was when he won Eroica in 2007. I think that’s one of the few chances he’s ridden for himself outside of the Worlds and Lombardia (and even Lombardia is only because the Schlecks were out).

by dansel on Nov 18, 2009 3:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Kolobnev would now be Olympic road race bronze medalist.

Moves up now that Rebellin’s been stricken.

It was just a long race--Edvald Boasson Hagen, on the Giro

by majope on Nov 18, 2009 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

'07 Eroica

was held in October just after he got his first 2nd place at the Worlds. He has been 100% anonymous in the spring. In fact, Riis didn’t even send him to the ‘08 Eroica to defend his title (which was switched to the new March slot). Damn shame, which is why I’d like to see him on a different team. I suspect the only reason he got to ride for himself at Lombardia this year was because the Schleks were absent.

by The Team Chef on Nov 18, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for reminding me about the 07 Eroica

I emphasize even more the team dynamics that make him invisible until September/October.

by dansel on Nov 18, 2009 7:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I would love it if Kolobnev moved to Katusha

What a powerful Ardennes lineup that would be!

Fun fact! Last year the guy placed second at Big Mig.

by ursula on Nov 18, 2009 7:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think any of the Katusha guys has the quality to win L-B-L

They’ll be good for FW and AGR, though

by William H on Nov 18, 2009 4:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

as long as i get to watch

robbie mac teaching ben swift the ins and outs of the sprinting game, i’ll be happy. j-rod is a curious one. i don’t expect much from him this season, cause he’s never really been a team leader before. and i can’t imagine katusha, with the personalities mentioned above, is the easiest team to marshal on the road.

"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09

by benrazor on Nov 18, 2009 9:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the post, Urs.

J-Rod’s one of my fave’s. I concur with your assessment RE: Ardennes—they could be successful if they can harness Ivanov and/or J-Rod plays it cool when he’s in the winning break.

"My facking goat didn’t wear Robes! Does he look Scottisch?!" Baron von Frinkenstein

by itswells on Nov 19, 2009 7:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

I most like bike races when there are multiple teams that have the strength to neutralize each other and thus make for another layer of strategy. Don;t get me wrong-anythime Flanders or the Tour is happening is a great time. But when one team can basically dictate the terms of winning, even if they don’t win themselves, is a little less interesting.

That one-team-dominates-a-race thingy happened a lot last year:

- Flanders was dominated by Quickstep as the only other team with their depth, Saxo Bank, was too banged up.
- LBL was also dominated by Saxo Bank
- The Tour (and several stage races) by Astana
- Columbia, when Cavendish was riding, owned the sprints.

Again, I love seeing the excellence of certain teams in certain races but the greater ambiguity that happens in other races where there was no dominant team/riders is all the more fun. The Worlds, Lombardia, Amstel Gold, San Seb, T-A, Het News, etc. were all the more fun for the lack of dominant team. Katusha looks on paper to me to be an answer to Saxo in the Ardennes. Saxo shouldn’t be able to wear down Katusha by throwing one great rider after another on break after break until the field says, “no mas” like they did this year at LBL. That, in turn will give more freedom to good individuals on otherwise weaker teams to slip through the cracks for a win.

by ursula on Nov 19, 2009 9:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

By bet on J-Rod

He was domestique for a reason. I’m fairly certain he’s one of those riders who thrives in the shadow of others. I think he will have pretty mediocre results in 2010.
Not bad, a few top 10,s and top 3 perhaps but I don’t expect him to explode as a new star.

by Jens on Nov 19, 2009 11:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs