A third head scratcher in a row. I feel this team is getting a raw deal. Last year, they struck out to build a new culture of success, to develop a formula to contend with the best teams in the world. The excitement and drive last year seemed to come from their new sponsor McLaren, that elite sports car company. But with the pandemic, McLaren has pulled out and Bahrain is left to its own devices once more. They have added Victorious to their team title, is this a sponsor? A dubious calling of shots? Who’s to say? Who can tell? There is talent on this team, but can it be harnessed and drawn together to compete across the calendar? I remember Bahrain’s best day last year was on the Col de le Loze stage at the Tour when five of their men shredded the peloton up the climbs—breaking even the might of Jumbo-Visma—to set up team leader Mikel Landa. Alas! Landa could not finish off the job, but it was an impressive showing nonetheless. As they go into this season, I hope they can kindle days like that once again here.
Thus Mikel Landa begins his second year of finally having sole leadership of a team. He finished fourth at the Tour last year with about as clear a run at the GC as he could ask for; what shall he achieve this year? It would be in his interest to simply target the Grand Tour with the least time-trialling and most climbing. Obviously, climbing is his strength and time-trialling is his Achilles Heel. Too often he has crashed, too often he has gotten sick, too often he has dropped minutes on the GC (General Classification) in the time trials. For years and years, we have heard rumors of his climbing skills away at team camps and in training. In the races, he has proved to be able to climb with the best—but very rarely is he ever The Best climber. Alas! I feel every Grand Tour he his missing one last gear or his lungs are only taking in 95% of the oxygen they possibly can; add in the regular floundering—or at best non-detrimental—time trials, and I think it explains why he has never finished higher than 3rd in a Grand Tour. But as I said, he should have sole team leadership at which ever Grand Tour(s) he attends, at 31 years of age it is not too late to finally pull off the Grand Tour victory. Keep trying, Mikel! Persevere!
The next two on the GC pecking order is the returning Wout Poels and the newly imported Jack Haig (formerly of Mitchelton-Scott). For years, Wout Poels was one of Team Sky’s greatest domestiques: colloquially known as Third Week Wout, for that is when in a Grand Tour he could be counted on most. But last year he struck out on his own to be a rider of higher stature at Bahrain. He rode the Tour in support of Landa where, if memory serves, he crashed early and had to nurse a handful of broken ribs all race. Yet still he was able to serve Landa in those finally days; yes, Third Week Wout once more. And he finished his season with a 6th place Overall at the Vuelta a Espana—a good hit out in what was seemingly a GC debut. At 33 years of age, his window of peak years must be closing, what shall his objectives be this year? I cannot guess. Nor can I guess for the Australian Jack Haig. His 2020 season was initially good before lockdown, but his achievements afterwards were sparse. For a while it seemed he was the next big Australian GC hope, but at 27 years old he is being upstaged by compatriots like Jai Hindley placing second at the Giro though he is more than a hand of years younger. What his goals shall be and what are his wild ambitions I do not know…a running theme with this Bahrian Victorious team. Additionally too, Pello Bilbao finished 16th this year in the Tour and turned around two weeks later to ride the Giro where he finished 5th; that is a quite a double in my eyes! To which I inquire, does not this 30 year old also deserve a clear GC run at something?
Soon to be 31, what does Sonny Colbrelli still have left, after an anonymous 2020? Where have gone the days of his 2017 where he took that electric Brabantse Pijl victory? The same is true for Matej Mohoric and Dylan Tuens. Matej, besides sneaking back into that final Liege selection right before the sprint, where were you in 2020? The same question, but even more so for you, Dylan Tuens. In 2019, you won a stage of the Tour, in previous years you won the Tour of Poland; but this past year I cannot even comprehend the logical behind your race schedule. Phil Bauhaus, besides victory at the Saudi Tour, did you even race? Fine, fine, yes there was a pandemic; the year was a wash. But now, I tell you, the pressure is on for 2021 and the competition shall only become stiffer!
Among the rest of the ranks are some notably strong and veteran domestiques from Central Europe. Can these elder statesmen set up the younger lads for success? How desperate is this team for an identity or a signature victory? I say again, on the Queen Stage of last year’s Tour they were the men of the match—driving the pace, but what else have they done of note? With their construction-orange uniforms they remind me of “Bob the Builder,” but what are they building? Are they building? What shall be their targets this year? Where are their best chances to win? Please do not misunderstand me. There is no doubt they are a talented group, there is no doubt they can work as a team. But they seem a team on the periphery off to the side, that no one is talking about, no one knows what they will accomplish. Let them surprise us all. May they take a great victory for their Victorious namesake.
Cycling Odysseys 