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Digging for FSA-VDS Gold on the Continental Level

While we may wallow in the agony of top riders underperforming our expectations during the FSA VDS season, one of the most beautiful parts of the game (besides the rare, sweet taste of victory) is that it makes you discover, follow, and root for riders that would otherwise be off your radar.

While picking riders at the Pro-Continental category is a tried-and-true method for VDS success (Hello Tom Van Asbroeck owners in 2014, Edward Theuns owners in 2015, and Sonny Colbrelli owners in 2016), picking riders from the Continental ranks is a much less used option. There is good reason for this as Continental Teams are far less likely to get invited to races where points are awarded in VDS.

However, last year was a bumper year for continental riders in VDS. Looking at the top 10 scores of continental riders from 2010 until 2016, five of the top ten and four of the top five come from riders in 2016, including the two highest point totals, both being close to double the previous highest continental score in 2011 from the (ahem) eternally-youthful Davide Rebellin.


TOP 10 VDS SCORE FROM CONTINENTAL RIDERS - 2010-2016




Rider

Year

Score

1

Timothy Dupont

2016

775

2

Baptiste Planckaert

2016

730

3

Davide Rebellin

2011

435

4

Xandro Meurisse

2016

430

5

Romain Feillu

2016

345

6

Janier Acevedo

2013

330

7

Mauro Finetto

2016

327

8

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke

2012

315

9

Baptiste Planckaert

2015

305

10

Julien Loubet

2015

305

While there were higher scores for continental riders in 2016, there has also been a trend of an increasing number of riders from the continental ranks scoring 100 or more points between 2013 through 2016.


CONTINENTAL RIDERS SCORING 100 PTS OR MORE

2016

41

2015

36

2014

25

2013

15

Can this trend continue in 2017? I mean, all good things do come to an end, like the efficacy of democracy in the United States, but there is a lot to suggest that the increasing efficacy of continental riders in VDS is not just a statistical blip. Partly this is due to talent, and the decision of young talented riders to forego turning professional at the first chance they get, and partly this is due to opportunity with the UCI’s incoherent and untenable new World Tour calendar likely spreading WT teams too thin, leaving the non-WT races to the PCT and Continental teams.

Last year, only three teams got the benefit of Timothy Dupont’s tremendous season. One of those teams, helmed by Broerie, likely picked him due to personal knowledge from riding with Dupont. So, while we all don’t have the insider knowledge or cycling ability of Broerie, let’s see if we can identify some riders that might follow in Timothy Dupont’s stripstream in 2017.

First, let’s look at the obvious pick. Kristoffer Halvorsen is primed to be the next Norwegian superstar. Last year, riding for Team Joker - Byggtorget, Halvorsen scored 235 VDS points. He took a 2nd place in Nokere Koerse - Danilith Classic, behind the aforementioned Dupont, but ahead of breakout VDS star Dylan Groenewegen. Halvorsen then took 3rd place in the Norway National Championship road race, behind Eddy Boss and Kristoff. He then won a stage in a bunch sprint in the Tour de Avenir, won the Grand Prix d’Isbergues - Pas de Calais, and won the U23 World Championship road race. And he’s still only 20 years old. While his lead out man, Amund Grondahl Jansen, moved onto the World Tour with Lotto Jumbo, Halvorsen decided to remain with Joker for another season. While the talent is certainly there, it will be hard for Halvorsen to find more opportunity for VDS points than he did in 2016 on Team Joker. Furthermore, he has not really flown under the radar, and will likely be priced at 4 or 6 points by the Evil One.

By far, the most consistent purveyor of young talent to the pro level has been the team that sounds most like a law firm-- Axeon Hagens Berman. Taylor Phinney, Jesse Sergent, Ben King, Alex Dowsett, Joe Dombrowski, Ian Boswell, Lawson Craddock, and Jasper Stuyven have all started there. This year, two very promising riders in Tao Geoghegan Hart and Ruben Guerreiro joined the World Tour from the team. Overall, though, Axeon Hagens Berman suffers from a similar problem afflicting Team Joker-- a lack of access to European races that accrue VDS points. The America tour simply can’t sustain a VDS season and the only hope for many of these riders is riding as a stagiaire for some WT teams. This year sees the team stacked with talent, including Adrien Costa, Eddie Dunbar, Jhonnatan Manuel Narvaez, Logan Owen, and Neilson Powless. Adrien Costa, the French-American 19 year old, seems poised for a great future and seems to be the next great American hope (sorry, Tejay). Last year saw him come in 3rd on GC in the Tour de l"Avenir and most impressively 2nd on GC in the Tour of Utah, where the organizers had to take his champagne away from him on the podium, after realizing he was only 18 years old. Hopefully, some more European riding is in his future, where he can hone his racing craft and imbibe in celebratory champagne if he makes the podium.

Of the lesser known cyclists, let’s look at two. Arvid De Kleijn is on the fantastically-named Baby-Dump Cyclingteam. His team may be appropriate, because according to the Google Gnomes, in 2015 he missed most of the season due to a "spastic colon." However, last year he found some form toward the end of the season, winning the Paris-Tours espoirs and getting fourth place in Nationale Sluitingprijs - Putte - Kapellen. If he gets the opportunity and race organizers don’t mind a Baby Dump in their races, he may well have a good season.

Emiel Vermeulen rides for Roubaix Lille Metropole this season, transferring from Team3M. Last year, he took a 10th place in Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, a 2nd place in Gooikse Pijl, and a 3rd place in Grote Prijs Marcel Kint. While not necessarily the most impressive palmares, in the Gooikse Pijl he came in ahead of Timothy Dupont, Rudy Barbier, and Baptiste Planckaert. Vermeulen also appears to be following the Tiesj Benoot scholarship/cycling path, having just finished a degree at Ghent University. Perhaps all study and no cycling made Emiel a slow boy and now cleared of his studies he will breakout.

Finally, the Continental ranks don’t only contain future potential stars, but also a rogues gallery of cyclists from a different era. Francisco Mancebo, the Operacion Puerto refugee, is apparently still racing on the Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team. Last year, the spry 40-year-old came in 2nd place in something called the Sharjah International Cycling Tour but also came in 4th on the GC in Le Tour de Langkawi, only seconds behind Superman Lopez and won a stage of the Tour of Alberta. Anyone who needs a replacement for Chris Horner in their AARP sponsored slot in their VDS team could do worse.