And thus only one big plunge is left. Yes, yes, into the team that was last to reveal their new season’s jersey. Two years ago, they were the last hold outs to reveal as well, the designs were kept under wraps until the eve of the Tour Down Under itself…and that kit and jersey delivered: that tye-dye pink and purple was instantly iconic, awesome, and completely original. But alas! This year the last jersey reveal has come up flat: just a standard light pink, surely to be confusing at the Giro, with negligible small custom designs throughout. O! EF, two years ago you won the “Kit Reveal” season by a wide margin with your tye-dye, but alas now you have reverted back to the pack with this year’s kit. But on to important matters, let us inspect the line up.
A difficult choice, but this year I give pride of place to Hugh Carthy fresh off his podium finish at the Vuelta a Espana. Not only did he finish third at the Vuelta, he won on the mighty Angliru, the climb a vast majority say is the hardest climb in all of cycling. Yes, Hugh’s Vuelta was sensational, and it came off the back of some hard racing: the Dauphine, the Tour, Worlds, and Fleche Wallonne. What mighty strength is needed for such a stunning ending performance, or perhaps Hugh should do more racing into shape this year! Yes, it seems all sorts of momentum is with this 26 year-old, and it seems he shall be returning to the Tour: surely with a high GC placing on his mind. Perhaps he is in good hands, learning wisdom from the Colombian Mick Jagger: Rigoberto Uran, twice runner-up at the Giro, once runner-up at the Tour. Surely, Rigo has a good pedigree in the Grand Tours, even before Nairo Quintana he was one of the Colombians igniting and setting up this new generation of climbing talent. But at 34-years-old, is he over the hill? Surely in 2015 and 2016, we thought he already was…and then he silenced the doubters in 2017 when he finished second at the Tour. Whether he is in the twilight of his career remains to be seen, but if his Grand Tour leadership days are over: may he prove a great asset for Hugh Carthy and the younger South American talents.
Alas! Dani Martinez has jumped ship and joined the Ineos Grenadiers, but behind are still Sergio Higuita and Jonathan Caicedo. Higuita on his best days can be as sensational as Superman Lopez in the mountains, but he has also proven a talent for riding in the crosswinds and also sprinting among the climbers. Last year this talented 23-year-old Colombian won the Tour Colombia outright, it was an impressive accomplishment, but alas! at the Tour de France he crashed out and that about ended his season. This year shall surely be a crucial stepping-stone year for the man, last year was cut too short when he would have shown so much progess: this year he must not stall out! Meanwhile, Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo took a surprise Giro stage win last year on Mt Etna, and almost even grabbed the leader’s Pink Jersey to boot! Surely, with Martinez gone, management shall be eyeing Caicedo to step into the void. But Caicedo was not the only EF Giro stage winner that more is expected of now. The Portuguese rider, Ruben Guerreiro also took that stunning victory on Stage 9 to Roccaraso, and the Blue King of the Mountains Jersey as well; at only 26-years-old he is another to watch. Another up-and-comer climber surely is the American Neilson Powless who has rode well in many Grand Tour breakaways.
I do believe this year too is the best EF’s Classics squad has ever looked. Two years ago Alberto Bettiol stunned the cycling world when he unexpectedly won the Tour of Flanders. He has re-shown glimpses of the good form since then, but perhaps in 2021 with this strong lineup great victories will blossom for him once again. Jens Keukeleire and Magnus Cort and Sebastian Langeveld return once again: all handy in the Classics or any sort of lumpy stage, but they add another new great weapon. Michael Valgren has joined the team, his seasons at NTT were disappointing, but the going theory or rumor it was due to overtraining. O! May he return to his former glory where he won Omloop and Amstel in the same season! Yes, yes, those were his best days, and at only 29 years-old it is not too late to rekindle them.
There are many new faces this year who I do not yet know. There are many old faces as well, hallmarks of my cycling viewing: Americans Tejay Van Garderen, Alex Howes, Lawson Craddock, and Australian Lachlan Morton. But there is one rider on the team who I value higher than most, for he also operates in the same realm as myself. Mitch Docker has one of the best cycling podcasts out there in addition to being one of the best domestiques in the world. I would love to see him take many victories, but more so this season I would like to see him make his Tour de France debut. At 34-years-old, he is a veteran, he is a Road Captain, he is a man that can greatly aid the team this Tour with its balanced and traditional looking route. Yes, thanks to his podcast, Mitch has become one of my most favorite riders, and I would love to see him succeed even more than he has before he calls it a career.
And with that—highlighting one of my favorite riders, I think we can simply call this a wrap on the World Tour team previews. The labors have been long and hard, and alas! people have been shafted and shortchanged. But as I write these last previews, the “Official, Official” start of the season is upon us, and I suffer personally with Coronavirus. So excuse any mistakes or mentions I have missed, I am deeply sorry to any I have forgotten to mention: O! May you make me rue the day that I did!
Cycling Odysseys 