Gert Steegmans over/under: 10 Wins???
by ursula on Dec 3, 2009 3:22 PM EST
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PrintIn CN today we see Johan Bruyneel predicting that his new sprinter, one Gert Steegmans, will produce 10 victories this year. So let's keep this short and sweet, while waiting for Flanders: you think Gert has a chance in hell to get 10 wins for RadioShack?
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no way
just no way
"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
The article suggested Bakelants (and Rosseler) where going to be the leading outs..
Rosseler ok but Bakelants is a talented climber no? Or was he a classic specialist.. I know I saw him in the Tour of Belgium.. And I also think Vaitkus is going to be his leading out. He can sprint and Gert needs someone..
On the 10 wins.. He has it in him.. Just the pressure.. Maybe Lance can help him with that.. And the 20 other 30+ers… But for now I voted less.. Which is good for him because than the pressure is lower.. So he can win 2 races. Which will raise the pressure after 1 or 2 wins, so that after 2 wins he can’t win anymore….
I feel pity being Steegmans.. (Until I see his payslip that is)
Bakelants
Dude was a brilliant U23, an all-arounder. He climbed well enough to win Tour de l’Avenir, as I recall. But he looks more like a classics rider at the pro level – he’s tall and strong, built a little like Boonen, though probably lighter. I’d guess the Ardennes are a hilly as he’ll be able to do. I’m not too sure how he’d go as a lead-out, but he does look like he has some lightbulbs in his legs. I can’t say I like the idea of him tied to the train, though, I’d rather see him developed to chase his own resutls.
Thanks! I knew someone could help...
And my understanding was the writer of the article suggested Bakelants.. So nothing to worry about for Bakelants.. I hope they guide him well..
Cool.
Last year was his first as a pro, and he didn’t do much in the results dept. Mostly rode the Belgian classics. I’m interested to see how he develops, for sure.
Meant to add
He rode the Varese Worlds race as an U23, and partly got the wrong end of the tactics deal, but I also had the sense that maybe the course was a little difficult for his characteristics.
Induction is not a valid form of reasoning
But screw that, I voted under based on his last season.
Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl.
It may not be valid, but it can tell us an awful lot about what is probable...
…which is why I agree with you.
+1
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 3, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
I can't see how he helps Lance
so he won’t be doing any GT’s. That will certainly limit his opportunities.
Tickets are bought, Belgium here I come!
Maybe
But winning sprints in sub-GT stage races is a lot easier when the big boys aren’t in town. Almost a draw there.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 3, 2009 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
It's an American thing
and actually, I think it’s a United Statesian thing. Muy tastey with whipped cream.
I’m hooked on spekulatius – or however that’s spelled – cookies now. yum.
They are the best
If I open a box, it usually does not survive the evening :)
That’s the German spelling, I believe.
Get out!
[driving to Trader Joes…]
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 3, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions
Wishing I had a trader Joes...
That sounds freaking incredible.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 3, 2009 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
That would make sense
They’re Bahlsen which is German. Yummy. Super awesome with hot chocolate or espresso. Yummy.
I disagree
Well, to clarify: it’s not justan American thing. Australians use a great deal of pumpukin, but not in a pie.
Why would you, when you can add meat instead?
It seems
That being upside down all the time has some adverse effects.
Tickets are bought, Belgium here I come!
I thought that...
we’d already addressed that misguided notion…
I feel like I'm falling...
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Oh, really?
I had no idea that you were rocking the pumpkins in Oz. Sweet.
Heh, I do not do meat pies, though, I’ll stick to pumpkin. Did we mention the whipped cream?
we eat em
all the time too here in france. Soups, various pies, all kinds of things. Especially the potimarron – potiron = pumpkin (more or less) and marron = chestnut. These potimarrons – which look like small pumpkins – have an incredible chestnut flavor. Yummo. And yeah, ate a wonderful pumpkin soup prepared by an australian once.
What? No pumpkin scones?!
You are missing out on ambrosia. Pumpkin scones are da bomb.
Pumpkin soup ain’t bad, either.
a good pumpkin risotto rocks my world
I hope Americans keep the flesh from those Hallowe’en jack o’lantern things. Otherwise it’s a waste of a tasty pumpkin.
Oh crap
did I miss it????
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 3, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions
Whew
late 1st Q.
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 3, 2009 9:35 PM EST up reply actions
well now
that takes care of the surprise. Guess it’s time to review the race list…
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 4, 2009 12:24 AM EST up reply actions
10 wins?
WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
He had 8 in 2008! It's not totally impossible.
Go, Gert!
It was just a long race--Edvald Boasson Hagen, on the Giro
Wait for what team does he ride for again?
oh he rides for LanceandJohanthinkabouttheTouralotandcarenotaboutthesprintonebitshack
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
That's not the official name of the team, right?
But seriously, they brought Gert on to get stage wins obviously. No, not at any of the GT’s, but elsewhere for sure. Even JB’s teams want wins outside of the Tour, and his obsession with winning the Tour shouldn’t be knocked, for obvious reasons (success at TdF brings some +’s your way)
No horn, watch for finger.
It's the nickname, short and sweet I know
yeah they want other wins, but along with the fact he doesn’t have a team that is made for sprints he also isn’t a top tier sprinter. So unless he goes for wins at races like the Vuelta a Bolivia 10 is a hefty number. Maybe smaller Belgian classics as well.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
Well I was so unintersted in his potential results for next year
I voted for pie.
But I agree that it will be a tall order for him to grab 10 wins outside of Bolivia.
No horn, watch for finger.
Winning on the Champs
in a sprint means by definition you are a top tier sprinter to me. It would be different if he had won like Vino did, but he just went from a few hundred meters and no one could catch him.
I disagree, one stage, even if it's the most famous sprint stage, doesn't define how good of a sprinter you are overall
would you consider Garate a mountain goat for winning on the Ventoux?
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
Nazon was top tier?
I agree that Steegmans has talent by the bucketload, and some hugely impressive wins. But…
Touche
I thought I was the only one who remembered Nazon. When was the last time anyone ever heard of him..?
Champs = good but not great.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 4, 2009 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
this one belongs in the same file
as Bruyneel’s George Hincapie, Tour de France contender
"The road is our agony, but also our daily bread; and at night, when it is deserted and the moon glistens on the asphalt, the ridiculous dreams of racers like us pass up and down it."
--Dino Buzzati
Hah.
I love George, but JB should’ve known that a guy who can contend at Roubaix can’t at the tour.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 3, 2009 11:18 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not saying you are wrong
but Messrs. Merckx and Hinault are the exceptions that prove the rule. Mr. Kelly also has both a cobble and a GT champions jersey in his den.
Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste
True
I was thinking of them afterwards. I think there’s an argument that, in the more recent era of uber-specialization, that’s not nearly as likely.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 5, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Steegmans has 10 win upside..
even on this team.
But everyone knows The Shack is all about Lance.
The Shack has a weird, mostly aging roster, which should be a notable and obvious negative, except for the fact that so many top pro teams have equally bizarre rosters themselves, and so they just kinda blend in among the blah teams.
Lance will of course be on the TDF podium again in 2010, but for races outside of Armstrong’s objectives, this team is gonna be full-out Hanson brothers old-time hockey!
Roll camera!
by thisisntthezodiac on Dec 3, 2009 10:36 PM EST reply actions
"Lance will of course be on the TDF podium again in 2010"
I’m not much into astrology or I might have seen this as well.
No horn, watch for finger.
I voted with the small group of The Faithful
Must have Faith ;-). And in an act inspired by this subject, and symbolising my faith, my PC wallpaper has just changed to the ‘07 Tour stage finish in Gent. Every time I see those finish-line photos, I grin from ear-to-ear… ’let him win’ my arse, Tom…
I've run all sorts of regressions, etc on Steegman's wins from past seasons.
All I can come up with is he’ll get in the area of 2-3 wins next year. Tough luck Gert, you’re on a downward slope for now.
This is all impossible to know until we see how he will be used
If they put him as captain and he focuses on the bigger races where the competition is A class he won’t get more than 1-2. If they put him on the roster for lots of smaller races and Lance’s prep-races he could rack up 10-15 wins against lesser competition.
I doubt he would be a factor in MSR...with the new course layout anyways...
I was thinking like Trofeo a Mallorca or Etoille de Bessges early
Quick stats check:
Has a sprinter on any team run by Johan ever bagged 10 wins?
Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste
Not to knock Van Heeswijk or anything but those wins are not the best of quality but 10 none the less.
by Vlaanderen90 on Dec 5, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions
That's exactly what I meant with how they will use Steegmans
He could easily rack up a fair number of wins of that quality but I don’t see him winning much in higher caliber races.
Very few
Only 6 riders had 10 or more wins this year. In descending order:
Cavendish (23)
Greipel (20)
EBH (12)
Farrar (11)
Petacchi (10)
Contador (10)
Other sprinters who were close:
Gavazzi (8), Bonnen, Casper, and Hushovd (7), and Haussler (6)
Not that many wins to go around. And a lot of these wins are smaller ones, like Italian one-day races.
by Douglas Ansel on Dec 6, 2009 8:50 AM EST up reply actions
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