In this episode Patrick Broe and Benji Naesen preview INEOS Grenadiers.
Our merch has dropped! Custom designs painstakingly crafted by Louemans on t-shirts, mugs and hats with all your favourite catchphrases from the podcast. Check it out at https://shop.lanternerouge.com
If you enjoy LRCP please support us by subscribing and leaving us a like and comment! You can also send us a tip here https://ko-fi.com/lanternerougecyclingpodcast 🤗
LRCP
Tweets by LanterneRougeCP
Lanterne Rouge
https://www.youtube.com/c/LanterneRougeCycling
https://www.instagram.com/the_lanterne_rouge_
Tweets by LanterneRougeYT
Benji Naesen
https://www.youtube.com/c/BenjiNaesenTV
https://www.instagram.com/benjinaesen
Tweets by BenjiNaesen
Credits:
Photos | Cor Vos (unless stated otherwise)
Data | FirstCycling
00:00 2023 recap
06:02 Outgoing transfers
11:02 Incoming transfers & longterm vision
19:22 Tom Pidcock
25:13 Goals for 2024
35:15 ”The unconvential way”
39:37 Hot takes & over-unders
We’ll get into the inos grenadiers preview one of whom you know their their biggest their best GC Rider is doing the jro at least I’m not sure if that’s officially announced or I guess we’ve just decided it’s happening uh Grant Thomas but a reflection on their year
Benji nine World Tour win a lot of wins 36 wins but only nine at World Tour level uh in terms of actual points from world tour competition I believe Bahrain were ahead of them in terms of wins Grand Tour wins and points in World Tour competition so in the serious stuff
People don’t think of it Bahrain were a better team maybe than than inos if you look at those sort of numbers um but still some highlights and bad luck like I think they were they were very unlucky in the jro and uh which has become since Co the race they’ve won twice right
Uh they really targeted and done well at correct and the thing is also with gag hard crashing out major step in the race because I still believe to this day that he would have been very competitive for the victory because he was so bloody good in week one and you never know
What’s going to happen in week three then because the races he were good at were also the races he wasn’t good at in the past like the time TR he was in that was an amazing time TR but anyway he crashed out Gary Thomas second in the
End the plus 10th but if you look at that race I also feel like tactically there was something missing as in I feel like they didn’t realize that the high expenditure stages would impact RIT and play the defensive role and therefore didn’t get the best out of the race
Would that have changed the outcome maybe not but they didn’t get everything out of it in my opinion that being said second in the jro solid result for Thomas so good result to France fifth Carlos Rodriguez two stage wins with quato and Rodriguez one stage with in
The velta with filipo Ghana the time trial gr tourwise it’s not a horrible season but it’s far from the days where you were they were competing for the for the Tor FR they just weren’t there and there was a bit of a light point was it
Um God what is the name of that Bloody climb again the the climb in the T France where they’re going out that climb with the tram rails next to it that pitcock was still in the group Tweed jorens yes oned there was some light point there for Pitcock where I
Didn’t expect Pitcock to be in that Bloody group for that long colia he was third behind Yannis and pogy exactly so there is some hope GC wise there even though consistency throughout three weeks and his time TR is worrying at the moment even though time TR was not an
Issue earlier on in his career I swear so what do you reckon well we’re going to that question later let’s continue with the results first one day races bit cook won strade second at MSR with GNA second at lbl with Pitcock and second at Montreal with Civic goov so two podiums
At monuments very close and top five r with scner very possible he was in that group I don’t remember the exact result he had and and he that was the biggest surprise to me and positive surely positive surprise to them this year was ganner in one day races I didn’t see it
Coming to that extent sorry he was 10 E3 and sixth in Ru was just off enough he also won to the wony yeah it’s not a world tour race but it’s a it’s a classic style stage race in in Belgium and he was the highest point scorer by
Quite a long way this year so I think that’s surprising that he developed not just a Time Trail not just a soft stage Hunter he a guy that could have won a Sprint in the Welter he could have won he could have won a big classic and he
Probably could have won some other stage races if things have gone his way I agree and with the one we races Luke blap getting second at UAE tour completely forgot about that obviously greatly benefited from the echelons but it’s part of the race that’s part of
What matters and the way he rode from not being in the echelon to being in the echelon in the echelon stage he literally closed down the Gap with I think Coy in the wheel that was spectacular the way he did that so I’m very curious to see what he will be
Doing in a different team next year we’ll talk about where he’s going in a second third at Tia with gagen h so good result there FR at Pia with quato I feel like quato had a better year than I remembered that t of France Victory on
Gr Columbia was on point and if I recall he nearly won the stage to uh c as well he was there together with um johanneson former enemy yeah former enemy you’re right Oddities I’ve got a list of oddities here as in yeah they didn’t send COV to Laval which was a bit
Disturbing to me and was it because he was leaving the team because I contr yeah of well you don’t think he was in good enough shape no he he definitely was in good enough shape but I just forgot what the reason was but it did
Feel it still felt odd so that’s why it felt odd because he was good enough to go and he would have been a a good Rider there especially instead of benol in my opinion dude that team they was they were so in the Welter of course he
Was he would have been he added a lot why did Bernal it wasn’t even good for Bernal to do it yeah like it made no sense Bernard did 79 race days this year how is that making how does it make sense to him to do 79 race days all at
World Tour level except for Hungary and San Juan or like two two grand Tours non-competitive in in all of them Y in both of them like instead of but yeah I guess C’s leaving and Bernard still on a big contract yeah anyway that was strange as you said that brings us to
The transfers and about that before we dive into the actual names I do want to talk about the drama a bit we had some rumors during the transfer season as in we spoken about them quite a bit now as in they had a list of transfers they
Wanted to do then from hup railford maybe came down set those transfers we’re doing different transfers and we kind of saw that rumor resembled in what was happening as in Rodriguez you can go 10 minutes later Rodriguez no no no no no I know we you signed for moar now but
We desperately need you now like that stuff sounds like mismanagement we spoke about it already but they they’re changing their management stuff like that but how how how bad was it in your opinion uh pretty bad I I think because yeah they had to go and basically buy and back from mesta is
What seems to have happened and then there was yeah all the management changes ellingworth resigning and um who else left like a lot of upheaval a lot of upheaval Cummings now the head race coach Rober Roger Hammond left Cummings takes his role so we’ll see what how that pans out but certainly
There’s been a lot of like you we can say it wasn’t the best season they definitely did underperform uh relative to their budget but also their budget continues to obviously contract like they shipped out Adam GES uh and caras and Dylan vanal and they had wins and big wins too but
They also had big salaries and now that Exodus has continued of big salaries with COV gagen Hart Martinez those three all going to big budget teams all with established palar as or potential and so they’ll all be on solid seven figures uh so that’s more money sort of off the
Books and certainly the riters coming in and not well I guess Carlos extension is going to be on more money isn’t it so and maybe ganner’s on a his kicks in I don’t know uh I think overall the budgets contracted so that makes sense I guess
That they’ve let those three go if they thought okay these three Riders COV Martinez gagen har are not the future of the team although it is somewhat surprising to see the last British Grand Tour winner you know not that long ago go to a different team uh but what about
The other the young guys they let go Benji is that also surprising to you PLA and tet when it comes to tet yeah I kind of expected him to stay earlier on and flap similarly but I also feel like if you’re toet in a situation of okay your
Contract is running out that it might not only have been inos not wanting toet anymore it might have been Yambo being a more desirable location for tallet as in I think that option is valid I think Val might think that it’s a more attractive team to ride for and yes there’s a lot
Of competition in that team but there was also a lot of competition at inos so it’s kind of in a similar boat at is in my opinion and when it comes to Luke plab then I feel like pl’s a weird one because he didn’t have a great season it was injury
Related though next year’s an Olympic season it might just be that he wants to ride for an aussy team again even though he probably enjoyed his time there I feel like I feel like he might just enjoy being a jco more a bit more a bit
More free in between quotes and I think he’ll have a lot more opportunities there so I believe that’s a good move for PL because in general I just feel like inos is not the most attractive team to sign for in witer anymore and that’s been the case for a few years now
Where if you’re a very young youngster if you’re for example the rider that’s coming AJ August I can understand if you’re going to inos but once you reach the point where you’re hit where you’ve hit your your stagnation point for a bit like where even hater is at at the
Moment I’m like you can choose to stay and hopefully break through that barrier or you can leave the team in a new environment and maybe break through that barrier easier that way so maybe plaps thinks he can break through that barrier in a different place but you’re
Right about the the big name COV hard Martinez and so forth COV wise I also believe that he’s come to a point where a new to environment would be good even though the money probably didn’t didn’t denoy him that UA was given him G Hart similar fashion a new location is valid because
He want might want the new environment to to try and shine in but once again he’s probably getting a bit more money at little Trek as well I’m guessing Martinez I I don’t know like I don’t know what what he’s going to do at Bor so strange isn’t it but that being said
Cameron wor still a question mark let’s see if he stays or not they’re at 27 Riders now they were at 30 at the end of 2023 so there might just be yeah there might be three showing up in the next month and a half we don’t know yet but
Incoming transfers there were a lot of rumors when it comes to inos as in Verona was mentioned ages ago as a potential Castro replacement Tobias fos was mentioned a thousand times and then he was not mentioned anymore because then suddenly they weren’t interested in him anymore is what the rumor was but
Then suddenly they were again so I wonder about the following they were negotiating with false according to the rumors early on there were high figures man like seven figures was mentioned or something that’s a lot for Falls that’s too much for Falls in my opinion that’s the amount you’d give him
If he do his world championship TT every time TR but I feel like outside of that then the rumor came that they weren’t interested in him anymore or that something happened or something but then they wow came to an agreement again so my question is like is that
Not true that it kind of stagnated the idea was that related to the other teams or is it related to the fact that they realized they were offering him too much in the first place and then kind of him over and now offered him less well something obviously did happen
Because Yan hogland late on League he just said it publicly to Eurosport Norway back in June ages ago that F’s agent was asking for crazy money cuz he already had like a deal yeah and then F I just checked in announced it on 27 November like 3 weeks
Ago so Something’s Happened like you could have announced him in August September so Something’s Happened uh whatever that was that he he does end up being uh on the team one the laer to the lavir obviously in 2019 he only raced 36 race days this year started decently in Al gav and
Uh but then really this season was was a ride off um for the most part so he had a year like ever since he’s won the World Championships it the only moments where I’ve seen him was in the Canadian Classics and cuol as a domestique you’re
Right those two and like what fos needs to become to be valuable for a team like inos is that Dom you can count on every time yeah Castro or moscon when it comes to his climbing performances combined with some performances in hilly Classics like the way he wrote Montreal or
Something that race where he was really good at like I don’t know that’s that’s how I see Tobias fos at his at his good there he can also do slight ruler of if his DT skill is still somewhere in there because you can’t win the champ and then
Never perform that same TT ever again that just that’d be devastating somewhere exactly but outside of Foss Oscar Rodriguez like sorry man but this is a this is part of the RO charos Rodriguez yeah if you don’t know what we’re talking about this agent aquadro which
If I recall is also the agent of Oscar and Carlos Rodriguez whenever he tr get a GC Rider of him signed to a team for example catapal at umf he puts another Rider in that same deal to try and force them into wter still as
Well in a proper team so Amador did that with f and then Oscar Rodriguez now with inos so this feels like a package deal I don’t think Oscar Rodriguez moves the needle at all I think he’s a an average mountain ntique and that’s kind of it I can’t
That much more than that to it but AJ Aus what do you think you think is strange though like a British team getting someone like Oscar Rodriguez instead of yeah arjie runs Irish not British but an anglophone yeah or Lucas Nuka going to EF like don’t you think
That’s strange I feel like this is a year where every month I shouted ino’s missed out ino’s missed out Nar whether it’s Ryan Nar in the past maybe Healey as well but also yeah I feel in addition to that when I when RIT came on the on
The on the dinner table that’s a weird thing to say when Keon became available like well did he become available that’s still a question but but what when all these GC Riders became available inos wasn’t visibly hunting them very well and oh maybe they were maybe they were maybe they just didn’t
Have the money although they rather didn’t want to go there yeah that’s also very possible like they can’t force someone to sign with them um imagine but but yeah Jack R con gra the other one I was thinking uh on S he on S Pon
21y old uh so yeah it’s he I think he came fourth in Worlds in that dysfunctional Chase group so it is like three incoming signings I guess you got the extension of Carlos if you want to be generous but it is surprising now maybe that’s why Benji
Used it to me we sure we want to do this because 27 Riders is there’s someone else on the boil they might be trying to sign particularly as all their signings were really delayed but I’m trying to think like who’s really on the market I mean we’ve seen maybe people are on the
Market that you never thought were on the market uh but I mean AJ August we should mention 18 years old uh 2005 big American Prospect him and Y nordhagen was sort of neck and neck in Co cor La Juniors which is a Czech uh sort of big Junior GC testing race
Uh n hogen narrowly beat him there he’s got a good TT for such a small Rider big climbing Prospect and um yeah it looks to be a really really serious guy so 18 though threeyear deal it’s yeah they’re just going to hope to develop I guess they need a Dev team it
Be better to park on a Dev team exactly fully agree with that that was the point I was trying to is this another symptom that they’re missing that development team that that U23 team because now we see UAE having their gen Z team under their witer team for example
Every proper wter team that wants to establish a development pipeline towards their wter wants to grow in a long-term Vision I feel like has a development team and that brings me to the question what is the long-term vision of inos because Thomas is not staying for 10
More years he extended for two years but he’s probably not staying until he’s 48 so I would expect that did you hear Balor wanted to come back and inou had to tell him no really yeah he wanted to he want to come back why would you say
No you can win flesh 10 times in a row again I wish he came back I would have signed him I would have definitely signed him but anyway Thomas is leaving in three years let’s say roughly pure guess but probably won Ro reti Ben Swift retires Pitcock is still there
Ean hater is still there but he’s stagnated let’s be honest about that are you sure Leo hater he’s out of contract well right now he’s still there right yeah sorry I mean you said in three years I thought oh yeah sorry sorry sorry sorry yeah I mean right now
Those Riders are still there Joshua darling that’s a big one true brid spot he’s unbelievable Ben Turner relatively solid bar Brides spot he just had a bit of injuries crashes Conor Swift’s just an average domestique Ator like solid DTI solid gque I’d say he’s like Ben Swift but young yeah weird
Comparison but we’ll take it there are bright spots as in tling is a bright spot Turner is a bright spot we’ve said it bitc I’m I’m okay with even though it’s a what is the Pitcock thing like what is it what are the possibilities
For him what is his future at the end of the day the sponsors love him like you can say oh well he’s not he’s not winning Tour line he’s not putting the toour but the sponsors love him like goic the new kid sponsor I don’t think
It was like he’s FR Center in all their marketing and for pinello and for so they all love Pitcock I think and so his contract pays itself probably just before he even races but your point is you know we’re we’re a road Focus podcast uh so I agree like what’s uh what’s the
Plan I don’t know he declared Tom pitock declared that he’s going all out for GC at the Twitter fronts but he’s also mentioning that a top 10 doesn’t motivate him so I’m like on the page of like so we’d already need to fight for top five or Podium for him to be
Motivated for GC and then I’m like I don’t see the volum right now top five he doesn’t have the consistency for it at the moment during the ground tour his time TR needs to be better so I need to see improvements before the start of the Twitter FR and that’s exactly what
Pitcock also said in his interview where he will decide based on the onewe races before the tter FRS what’s a viable goal at the Twitter FR which I think that’s a good thing to say there’s a lot of GC riders that just start the year by
Saying I want pum at the to of fron and then there should at every one week race and then there at the torrons and I’m like it’s good that he’s like taking it step by step in that sense he’s also doing our den with that this does kind of motivate me a bit
When it comes to Pitcock you know the fact that he’s saying he wants to go all out for GC but is he also doing that because it’s a year with Olympics I think he’s the best in the Arden that’s like currently that is what he is the
Best at I think if you said what is P’s number one skill I would say it’s to Le H best on a race where or even flesh where it’s like Sprint he has the Sprint he has the punch he’s lightweight he can ride the flat a bit like in am and bance
I think the ardens is what he’s currently best at and like you just got to look at that consistency that you mentioned Benji you know third on gr colomb a stage 13 uni Puerto the next day and this is the difference po bilb J hindley not the best on on not the best
Days they lost 146 billb lost 319 Simon yat who ended fourth in the Tour by the way lost 321 pitcock 840 on a single stage 840 the first properly hard stage and then the next day and and be mind the day before so unless he got sick
Overnight might have I don’t know but day before he was flying and then the next day to S mon Blanc 8 minutes oh no no no I’m being that was to the Breakaway let me count quick maths it only lost two minutes or so or a minute
40 but that that he was already behind on the little hill before the final section to the yeah yeah he got dropped at in the middle of Amar and then yeah was struggling yeah so there’s something in his physiology that clearly um whether it’s endurance or whatever needs
To be grand tour focused or stage racing focused but whether that’s compatible with winning Mountain bik gold at the Olympics I don’t know I’m not a trainer uh what is your hot take Tom pitock what is the highest GC plays at the totter France he will reach in his career oh I don’t
Know you have to ask him I I need a it depends if I think he can win it but holy I don’t but he need but he need to CH yeah but he need to he need to want to live a different you know no cross no cycle cross no mountain
Bike just vinger guard schedule vinger guard training cuz he’s got the the size the correct size for it um maybe he maybe won’t have that aerobic endurance uh it’s not possible because he’s so Punchy naturally I don’t know but I’m saying Fifth Fifth no I think you can do
Better than fifth I think you better than fifth at the moment I don’t see it I mean he hope he proven me wrong he barely races World Tour stage races and he rocks up each year wins a Mountain Stage or comes third on consecutive or closely linked Mountain stages I know
There were uni Puerto like there has to be something in there so I I think he can I would expect I would expect him to Podium it at some point in his career I don’t think he’ll win it but I would expect him to Podium the tour but I feel
Like pitock is in the place that so many GC Riders reach but then don’t break through and at the moment I feel like Carlos Rodriguez is Liker to put him a ground tour than pitcock is no cuz cuz caros has so many weaknesses that I think are less trainable he can’t ride
The flat he can’t TT that well it’s see TT is okay he he can’t punch or Sprint to save his life how will he be in break formation but his long his endurance climbing is really good uh which is kind of important fors so um yeah yeah yeah I don’t know
We’ll see it’s will it happen in 2024 probably not given the uh the Olympics uh being on but what is their overall goals as a team what what are they writing down you’re in the room with new management uh Benji they’ve just hired you they haven’t but if they just H they
Just hir Benji as part of the shakeup what what are they seven figures yeah why not yeah what’s your goals for the team Pitcock and GNA both need to each win a relevant one day race I feel like CU they were close man like Pitcock top
Three lbl Pitcock W St yep GNA top three MSR got relatively close in ru I think one of their goals is trying to get Gana to win MSR while trying to get pitock to win lbl I think that’s that’s the goal if you even get was it score ahead why
Wouldn’t peacock be good in on the podio well he was over the podo in the year that Sten won right in the group with quat tried to attack and he got blocked by someone he was sending yeah I would send okay yeah so I would make MSR a big
Goal cuz you got Ghana and pig coock and quato is decent too and so imagine I was try to get tling over the Chessa imagine him putting you in position on the PA so Ms real I think realistically they can actually win that race I also think
Agree Ru Big Goal they’ve won it before last year yes Gana was very good tling there go to win Ru it’s also more of a lottery race you know things can go right for you y whereas rvv is like you kind of have to be the best and so
Yeah I also not sure rvv is conducive to the rest of peacock’s calendar maybe maybe it is I don’t know and when it comes to rub it’s also not just GH I also want to see tling in there in the future I want to see Ben Turner again I
Want to see all the the riders that we we’ Sheffield those Riders I need to seef keeping Chef away from cobblestones really now what he Handler I’d put him on the Cs it got to learn it otherwise we’re sending you to I’ll send him to the Arden and T
Of Flanders Flanders and reu cobbles are different I was send him more to Flanders um yeah I actually agree with that Jorgenson style yeah it’s not the same Rider but you know what I mean yeah uh other would be fixing Ethan hater that’s got to be they got to they got to
See they got to find a way to work through whatever’s happening there like they got to it’s been the last 12 months nothing’s really changed with the issues that in races so agree like like yeah he has the talent to win a romedy stage he
Has the talent to do more than winning a Romy stage but then he should be cleaning Romy stages cleaning Catalonia stages cleaning welta Hill stages some of them so he should be winning stage yep I thought he’d be winning one weeks like soft one weeks and one day races
Classics like omop and so forth I expected him at the start of his career to be able to get over the mood and compete with the best Riders then and all those things did not happen he just got stuck he got stuck at okay he want
To he he could compete for GC at to the pon sorry but we expected more from Ean hater and I want to see more of him cuz I was pretty hyped to see his career and it’s kind of dead now no huge he’s 25 years old hyp is
Dead the hype is dead the hype is but inside there is a huge engine like I agree where he come in fourth in World Championships I in his in his second year or actually damn he’s been on the team since 2020 yeah this is it’s his
Fifth World Tour it I can’t be right it’s his fifth World Tour season next year correct uh British champion the TT he’s not that big so like he should be able to climb really really well he no he does climb really well but I think there’s a huge
Engine in there in a in a relatively compact package I just they have to they have to work on him because he’s not he’s regressed in 2023 and they got to figure it out together and um cuz like in 2021 for example fourth in brania classic uh two stages of Andalucia with
A good GC results second in alar yeah he um but hopefully they do and I think as a British r with how much talent they uh they should that should be a big priority uh as well as yeah just that’s more of a process thing isn’t it Benji like progress amongst the youngsters
Because you can’t just be like oh we’re going to win the tour with Andrew augus like that’s stupid um yeah he’s not going to do the tour to France it’s more like how are they developing his a as a world tour Rider um how are they competing a settima copy B which which
He’ll do uh but then you still got to get but you still got to get results too it’s not a Dev team yeah it it kind of half is because you don’t have a de team so you’re developing your rers in your wilter team and that makes that 5 to 10%
Or 15% of your team is being a de team while you’re rest of your riders need to actually get the results so Michael Leonard for example leonar whatever you pronounce the Canadian like he’s still progressing he’s not showing a potential breakout next year imminently for me he his avener was
Wasn’t good so I’m on the page of I need to see more of him he’s still young he’s 19 so let’s see where that goes so that’s the kind of Rider that needs to be on the development team and not on the wilter team of inos and that’s why
Inos needs a a development team but next to that ground tour wise Gary and Thomas podum jro trying to win is the aim win the jro that’s the aim but with Pacha there go you go to win you always got to go to win 100% but realistically I see
Them Podium at the moment yeah of course if they podum is still a good result like I’m not how do you not be Pacha like you got you got to win and yeah um top five at the to of France with Rodriguez or pitcock you’d aim for for
The podium right yeah yeah yeah but top five is already a good result in my opinion for Rodriguez and pitcock although you kind of want to see progress with Rodriguez you seeag Podium yeah Podium bit coock top five would be big though for sure if any if he’s just
There you know just there with the the big boys all all three weeks and gets fifth that’s like that’s really good so exactly I think squito is just obliterating me these this bastard I know where it is how dare they at worst bitc needs to win it to
The front stage to get some hype going very important Josh darling to win the Olympic it does zos care about that sure I do I think so I think so too I think their goal should be to lock out the the can they lock out the podium no they
Can’t T unless they sign an M midseason oh Remco yeah they got okay Olympics and Zurich I think is a bit heier so that’ll be yeah that that be I think that should be a big Focus for hater to Podium that I think he should be big Focus for him
So but as we said like uh I also think we haven’t mentioned time and arensman at all like what role yeah like is he just going to go to the jro to be a domestique with G is he I think he has to do the jro I
Would make him ride for his own result particular with pachu going as a long-term development thing um I think with Bernal Bernal can’t be taking spots in races of riders better than him I know he gets paid a lot more than everybody else but the wela that’s it he’s just
Not good enough and harsh after after what happened but that’s the case right now at some point but I don’t think it’s best for him oh true wouldn’t it be better for him to to get back with training and altitude and peing like this isn’t the schedule he
Rode when he was killing it so why is he doing it now I don’t get it either but ainon I’d see jro VTA maybe yeah um regardless of whether he rides for himself or not at the jro I think the VTA is a good spot to go to anyway
Cuz Thomas isn’t going to do it when it comes to the double of jro VTA and then deliver on both occasions unlike based on his history um so I don’t mind doing that so I think they got to get a bit smarter on Race targeting yeah so like Thomas shouldn’t do
Catalonia he shouldn’t do the race yonas does and he should do I mean he’s usually not good in March anyway but like they should just get a little bit cuz like I think there were results there that they can get out of Swiss out of Pines maybe out of definitely Pia
Which they’ve already done in the past uh and maybe it pays Vasco top three with Carlos but they just got to maybe be a little bit more targeted with that by the way can I just go on a Rand about the whole marketing thing around inos where they’re always
Saying ah the non-conformist team where the what was the other word the the way in the their goic advertisement oh I think doing it their way the unconventional way yeah yeah yeah I’m like what the unconventional about inos in 2023 there’s nothing about this team that shines to me as
Unconventional is it because Thomas is old no like every year there’s a GC team with a rider that is near the end of his career that’s not special is good Pitcock rides every bloody kind of discipline he can find sorry but Vanderpool does the same like vanard does the
Same what the unconventional the goic marketer whoever invented that look at the team you’re working with they’re not uncon I like Kos but they’re not unconventional it’s a half Quadro Frankenstein it is it is I actually like the new kit and uh I like it too I think go because yeah got
Good report so hopefully it’s good for them uh yeah and to be honest when when bio races started with them there were the ripples in the jersey in the races remember remember the port when Port crossed the Finish Line was unbelievable um maybe but listen everything you know this has maybe been
A little bit negative but everything and to be honest like about their future for the future there’s there things to be positive about but you can’t you can’t run away from 2023 it was their worst season in in a decade maybe longer maybe their worst season since Sky got good like I
Look back they had never not won a World Tour onewe race for that long into a season did they win one this year uh did they win Pia I don’t remember ponia at all man don’t remember ponia at all like not a single stage of that wait was that the
One where Micah deviated and still got the stage win I think it was so I think they maybe they got scammed out of well actually that was pole on pole violence so yeah oh yeah but anyway they the last time they didn’t win a World Tour onewe
Stage race or any World Tour stage race was like 2013 or 14 or something maybe when everyone crashed out maybe even longer so it is the reality like it wasn’t a good year and why did that happen and and what’s what’s going to happen in the future so I think yes
Little bit maybe negative but it is based on a reality and there are good things to Target in the future with top five tour or I think Podium tour winning the jro winning a monument winning the Olympics TT these are Big results that I do think they can realistically Target
And there’s enough talent in those youngsters uh that you would hope they they can kick on like maybe Sheffield just something clicks and bang he’s like the next really big serious guy um maybe maybe suddenly it clicks with even hater that we don’t see the work that’s being
Done behind the scenes suddenly it does work and I’d love to see that and I’d love to see what darling can do outside of of time TRS in about 3 four years because maybe next year is not the year that he needs to Branch out yet he needs
To brunch out after winning the Olympics because I’ve already C he’s going to win the Olympics so the it that is I want to see what he does in gos after that same thing for Ben Turner when is the moment that he clicks to the point that we’ll
See something extra on top of what he already showed because that injury did hold him back and there’s many Riders on the steam that I felt like stagnated at a certain point but the moment they cross through that stagnation they can deliver big things yep um except for he’s watched
Yeah maybe they sign a couple extra people but I’m not I’m not sure who it be all right it’s time for our predicting their world to wins for next year oh oo spicy I’m going with seven you’re go you’re going with two less than 2023 yeah okay I’m going to go with I’m
Saying they lost gagin har COV and Martinez and out those are not the winners anyway generally generally speaking though generally speaking Martinez and they’ll get you at least a couple you know I’m going to go with nine again the reason is that I believe tling will
Win more TTS in a r four those kind of things ah true that’s [Laughter] yeah and um 16 and 22 my hot take is that GNA wins MSR is that a hot take that’s a pretty hot take okay I’ll take it uh my hot take is that yeah Josh
Charing wins the Olympics okay it’s not that it’s not that hot I’ve had I’ve had more flaming hot ones yeah and since this podcast I got to go with a really a crash H one Grant Thomas wins a jro okay I’m saying Remco joins a team by the end of the
Year oh that’s that’s now that’s interesting I think that’s yeah pretty possible do you think that’s what really is happening that we’re they’re kind of just sort of keeping things going waiting to get that guy no man I that make a lot of sense right now you slot Remco in and
All of a sudden it looks a lot different you know that they got they still got good domestics what I don’t understand is is inos really that attractive for Remco still I’d sign for five other Riders before i’ sign for right now other teams Anto no on a serious note if you’re
Remco I would sign for I’d rather sign for something like little at the moment no I wouldn’t no chance I would and you’re also much more professional well have we seen that in the last year we keep saying that but I haven’t seen it in the last year their
Tactic tactics at the J were the and hope that Thomas survives while a different tactic would have been better for a better result yeah but when was the last time T was sniffing a grand tour Podium well the last time they had a GC leader in Port yeah
2020 and they P him the tour then so they did they do have the experience in my opinion and like in the in the vaa that stage with Gana and Thomas trying to win the stage that shows tactical issues as well in my opinion M man Remco
Like they wouldn’t do that you know yeah I get that could be all in for him maybe you’re right maybe you’re right but I I think still we might see it I mean that’s your H take you think he’s going to go there uh I think
Uh I think they were right with their transfers outgoing though I do think like I do think they made some really hard decisions and I think they’re probably right to have let those guys go particularly Martinez like no way I would have kept paying Martinez zero
Chance I don’t care if he wins a b country stage or whatever I no thank you if you can’t compete with UA that’s it and G hard T us T us the one is like you can’t be letting you should 22y old British GC Prospect that’s the one you want to and
It’s not like he’s going to be get he hasn’t won a Grand Tour stage so he’s not getting cival money um but anyway let’s and pl I think is is going to be happier at ja they’re going to he’s going to just be more focused on him uh
But that was the inos grenadiers preview for next year uh I think there’s some big races in there that they can indeed win it’s another year where we’re like is the the peacock GC project in full swing yet it sort of remains to be seen uh it’s obviously the jro with Thomas
Will be a big goal and and hopefully they they put up a big fight against pagat there we’ll be counting on them and frankly I really hope inos do move back up again so that it isn’t UA and Yambo plus Vanderpool and philipson winning a lot of the major races it’d be
Great to see in I mean now Bora here with RIT but it’ be great to see inos back there as well that would certainly make it more entertaining uh but unless you got anything else Benji I think that’s it for the Enos preview I got seven you’ve got nine and uh we’ve done
Our hot takes until the next one chia
25 Comments
for me arensman should work for thomas at giro and lead at vuelta
Inofficial LR 2024 WorldTour-Win-Predictions Tracker
Alpecin-Deceuninck (17 in 2023) – Benji 13 / Patrick 12
Jayco AlUla (4 in 2023) – Benji 6 / Patrick 8
Cofidis (4 in 2023) – Benji 2 / Patrick 2
Soudal-Quickstep (23 in 2023) – Benji 17 / Patrick 18
dsm-firmenich PostNL (5 in 2023) – Benji 4 / Patrick 5
Movistar (3 in 2023) – Benji 2 / Patrick 4
UAE Emirates (28 in 2023) – Benji 30 / Patrick 31
Decathlon AG2R (3 in 2023) – Benji 4 / Patrick 3
Ineos Grenadiers (9 in 2023) – Benji 9 / Patrick 7
TOTAL: Benji 87 / Patrick 90 (out of 179 including GCs)
They have to get one of Jonas, Pogi or Remco to be counted a top team. G aint gonna get better. Also tactically they are not good but then the leaders have to be strong to be tactical. Dont think the Pidcock is GC material in terms of recovery
This is the real emergency podcast.
Peak moment at 36:33
Why do we getting this like 2 days later than on spotify?
#gcganna 🔫
The fact they missed out on Roglic tells me something's amiss on Ineos.
Guys, I need you to tell me what to do post GCN+🙏 My daily routine, for 200 days a year, was to watch half a race live-ish, then let you explain it to me. What now?🫤
I was super impressed with Arensman in the Giro. He kept getting stronger and stronger as the race went on. The sad thing is I don't think he'll really be that guy to challenge for a grand tour win (maybe a podium) though just because the levels have gone up so much. And as much as I like Pidcock and think he's super talented, I don't know if he was what it takes to GC material. He will probably have a great classics/one day/stage hunting career, but that final step is very much up for question. I just don't see who on their squad will be able to challenge Pogi, Jonas, Remco, Roglic, etc.
honestly, the most remarkable thing about Ineos is how unremarkable they’ve become. I mean I can’t even muster the energy to dislike them anymore. Ethan Hayter reminds me of those guys I know who peaked in high school and end up closing the bar and drinking to the glory days, I hope he gets off that road at some point. Thanks for the pod, we’ll see if Ineos can move the needle at all in 2024.
Vuelta 2024 route reaction?
Tarling is a beast, even better than Pippo and Remco as prospect as cronoman. I've high expectations for next year!
Pidcock + Vingegaard schedule/training + descending skills = TdF podium
Hayter on the road was also just… 2 broken collarbones in short succession this season. But he's won multiple track world championships in the years he's been on Ineos, and given Ineos' strong background on track and Pinarello's involvement it may count more for the team than most road pundits give credit for.
Based on my source, Michael Leonard is being held back for the purpose of development. So, agree, Ineos is using the WT team to develop instead of having a development team. Is it perhaps because it is cheaper and still as effective and not terribly impacting the WT results? Great analysis, gentlemen…
Patrick is following the new, updated ending of Shelley's book created by an unknown author: As he drifted away, I could just make out his final words. "It's okay if you just call me 'Frankenstein' instead of 'Frankenstein's Monster'. I really don't mind".
hit the nail on the head with Pidcock, can he win a Tour? only if he focusses as a GC rider exclusively. Which makes it unlikely. Would he be in a class of his own if he went from CX world champ MTB world champ, possibly road world champ (already one of his goals) AND became GC winner? surely that's never been done?
Hayter looks uncomfortable in the bunch, but you also never see him in an attack.
Sadly no mention of Narvaez, I feel like he had a really good year in the classics/worlds without a good result. Could get a good win next year.
i don't know i'm not a trainer 😬
excellent pod!
I'll put Pidcock on the podium of the TdF this year, since he said he's going to try for GC. He was the 3rd best rider in the race last year before he crashed and hurt his back.
He's been flying under the radar imo since nobody believes he could do well , but im convinced he's up there.
I would love to see Pidcock rise to be a serious GC contender. Hopefully he's on the right team to make that happen.
Sheffield not a good bike handler…umm he grew up on cyclocross/gravel…really