Tadej Pogačar, Tadej Pogačar. The year 2022 should suffer the same fate but some runners could do well if the conditions are favorable to them. They are part of the category of riders who perform in the background or for whom time trials are not their first specialty.. What to expect from them 2022 ?
Ilan Van Wilder (BELGIUM, Quick-Step AlphaVinyl Team)
Ilan Van Wilder is one of the Belgian hopes. Many already consider it to be the counterpart of Remco Evenepoel. Just like its teammate the Quick-step AlphaVinyl, he knows how to climb and ride very well.
Coming from the pool of young people from Team DSM, Ilan Van Wilder arrived this winter in the Quick-Step AlphaVinyl team where he has already proven himself. Indeed, he finished the Tour de la Provence in 6th place in the general classification and in third place for the youth classification. On this same race, he won two tops 10. It was during the first stage (against the watch) and the last (medium mountain stage. He therefore proved that he could adapt to all terrains at the start of the year.
During the season 2021, Ilan Van Wilder made his mark by achieving two tops 5 on time trials. It was on the Tour de Romandie and its national championship. He demonstrated that he is capable of fighting with the very best when he is in good shape.
Also, he distinguished himself at the U23 European Championships in Plouay in 2020 by securing a splendid 3rd place.
After starting his season around La Provence, Ilan Van Wilder will continue it during the UAE tour, then will perform his second grand tour by participating in the Giro. The Giro will allow him to gain experience with a view to his promised career as a general classification rider..
In sum, Ilan Van Wilder confirmed it at the start of the season : he's a complete runner. It performs as well in the time trial as in the mountains. Knowing that he is only 21 years, the young Belgian is on the upward slope. We should expect to see him progress throughout the season. If the startlist of a race does not present the best in the discipline and the conditions are favorable or the road gets steeper, you will have to be wary of him.
Max Walscheid (GERMANY, Team Cofidis):
After the dissolution of his team (Continue NextHash) at the end of the season 2021, the colossus Max Walscheid (1,50m pour 90kgs) joined the Cofidis team during the last transfer window. Often presented as a sprinter, it also has great capabilities for rolling.
he will be able to situate himself in relation to the leaders of the discipline, the German shone during the time trials. He notably won the mixed team relay at the last world championship, in Belgium. On this same edition, he finished in 11th place in the solo timed event. A few months earlier, the native of Leuven took a splendid 5th place, finishing just 23 seconds from the podium.
On the online shopping side, his last victory was in February 2020. It was during Langwaki’s turn (2.Pro).
Despite the fact that his last individual victory was two years ago, Max Walscheid has achieved many honorable places recently. Indeed, he has sixteen tops 10 on the last season. Added to this is a magnificent 12th place on the Queen of Classics. Besides, its program was partly oriented towards the cobbled classics at the start of the 2021 season.
INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRE BALMER, its results show thathe performs better in time trials rather than in sprints. He seems to have abandoned the latter. From now on, he would focus more on solo efforts and cobbled classics as he showed us recently.
In 2022, Max Walscheid began his sporting year in Spain then in Oman where he crossed the line of the first stage in 7th position.
His biggest success this season remains his, He and his team have planned for him to take part in Belgian classics such as Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Gand-Wevelgem, The Samyn and the Tour of Flanders. Two weeks later, he will try to achieve a better performance than in previous years on Paris-Roubaix.
Beyond simple shopping, the German will have to assert his place in his new formation to obtain an extension because his contract ends at the end of the season.
We must not neglect Max Walscheid in the time trials. Especially if he focuses on this type of effort. His biggest success this season remains his, he could obtain excellent results on the classics of the North.
Tadej Pogacar (SLOVAKIA, UAE Team Emirates) :
A 23 years, Tadej Pogacar has already left his mark on the world of cycling. He has already won 2 Tour de France, a podium in the Vuelta a Espana, raised his arms on 2 of the 5 monuments and many other races. One of the defining moments of the Slovenian’s life happened during a time trial. It was during the penultimate stage of the Tour de France 2020 where he reversed the general classification after an unbearable suspense.
As described previously, Tadej Pogacar has a very significant track record. Some of his victories came after a timed effort. Where I count four : 3 on the Tour and one on its national championship. Other than these races, the Slovenian finished in 10th place in the world championship and 12th in the European championships (both in a time trial). He is therefore capable of achieving honorable rankings even ifhe performs better when the general classification of a Grand Tour is at stake. dujardin-runner-fun-800, Tadej Pogacar only came out of the top 5 twice during the times he competed in 2021.
To be clear, time trials are not his priority. He will start his year on the UAE Tour. he will then compete in the Italian classics at the start of the year. Then do the spring classics. This will be the first time he participates in the Tour of Flanders. On this occasion, he will try to defend his title on Liège Bastogne Liège. After, he will prepare for the Tour de France in his country, on the Tour of Slovenia. Finally, he will try to match his Vuelta a Espana 2019, see to do better. he will end his season in Lombardy after trying to defend his title won last October.
Time trials are not his priority. Of course, He will give his all on the times contested during the Grand Tour but also on the championships.
Time trials are not Tadej Pogacar’s priority. The Slovenian first aims for the grand tours then, the times. he has often shown all his abilities in this very special effort. If the main riders want to earn victories on the Grand Tours, they will have to beat Tadej Pogacar first. which is not an easy thing.
Kasper Asgreen (DENMARK, ick-Step AlphaVinyl Team) :
The Danish Kasper Asgreen is above all a specialist on cobblestones, as evidenced by his victories at E3 and the Tour of Flanders last year.. His victory at E3 was built with a bit of strategy but above all an incredible solo effort of almost 80km.
His last two years, the native of Kolding won his national championship in the timed effort. disputed monuments is to say its value in a Proteam workforce 2021 exceeded the expectations of many. Over this period, he has three victories but has also reached good places. On average, he finished his times in 4th place.
His endurance is one of the keys to his success. Indeed, 30km time trials are where Kasper Asgreen succeeds best. Besides, this same endurance is probably one of the keys to his success in the Tour of Flanders.
Of course, its program in 2022 is geared towards cobbled races. He will open his season by competing in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad then he will defend his title at E3, before doing the same on the Tour of Flanders. After, he will play the role of teammate in the Amstel Gold Race and will aim for victory in Paris-Roubaix where he achieved a mere 68th place last year.
Its program is above all focused on the classics of the North. Solitary efforts are therefore an axis that he would have worked on (even if he won his Tour of Flanders by beating a certain Mathieu Van Der Poel in the sprint).
The time trials should therefore see Kasper Asgreen shine. It should have further progressed compared to last year.
Benjamin thomas (FRANCE, Team Cofidis) :
Benjamin Thomas joined Cofidis training this winter. He is part of the class of runners who alternate between the road and the track. He also won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games.. on track.
The team change seems to gave him a second wind. Indeed, he started his season off to a flying start by winning a stage at the Etoile de Bessège as well as a 2nd place at the end of the traditional time trial at Alè.with the general.
It’s a contrasting performance compared to his last season where he only won the French championship in the discipline.. Over this period, he still won a second place in the Tour de Suisse after a contested sprint against the Swiss Stefan Bissegger. His former seasons at Groupama-FDJ did not allow him to take liberties. He was often at the service of his leaders. He was then lacking in confidence. As they say in the world of sport “If the head is not right, the legs do not follow”.
In 2022, Benjamin Thomas the track parallel to the road. Since’he acquired freedoms, his goal is to raise his arms. He confided that if he had joined the Cofidis training, it was to participate in the Tour de France.
Benjamin Thomas is only 26 years. He's on the upward slope. He can thus allow yourself to have ambition given its dazzling start to the year The new context in which it operates, opponents should not neglect it.
The favorites may therefore be heckled by a few other runners. They have every chance of winning time trials even if they will never be among the big favorites if the startlist is made up of the best in the event. On the other hand, on other races, they will have the ability to win as the past has demonstrated. Even if they have great abilities, they must not regress because the new generation is coming…
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