Next year - Froome, Thomas, Bernal - Who is Team Ineos leader(s)?
 

Next year - if Froome, Thomas, Bernal race the TDF- Who is Team Ineos leader(s)?

It depends in part on the course, and on who does the Giro, and the price of tea in China.

This year was tailor made for Bernal with the altitude, long climbs (even if they didn't do them all), and limited ITT. Another course, G would have beaten him.

Brailsford.

I won’t be watching GC again until Sky Eneos is gone. I’m tired of watching them.

I would be shocked if Bernal isn't at least a co-leader of the team. He should only get better going forward. Froome is getting old, and building back to his old form may be difficult at his age. Thomas, also a bit on the older side, doesn't seem to be quite as talented as the other two IMO. If I had to guess, Thomas is the leader for the Giro, while Bernal and Froome are co-leaders for the tour but Bernal is the real leader.

Highly likely Froome is not in next year's TDF. With his injuries, likely at least a year until he's back to something resembling his prior form. And at his age, he may never be a TDF contender again.

Even if he comes back for next year's TDF, he'll be 35, and no one has won the TDF at age 35 in the modern era.

All of that adds up to it being a very rational decision for Froome to retire.

Bernal is the future. I'm also wondering if Froome is going to fully recover. GT is a super domestic who got his chance last year and took it. I don't think he is better than Bernal or a healthy Froome.

Shame you missed the first 17 stages of the TdF...

It will be a very interesting Vuelta and year !!!

I am with you on this one. Ineos is made up of talented but boring so-called racers.

Watching Alaphilippe descend like a man possessed in Stage 18, to keep the yellow jersey for one more day was awe-inspiring. Watching "little" Caleb outsprint the sprinters was thrilling.

Watching Ineos grinding it out for another GC is boring.

I like Bernal's backstory, but in another team he may not have been #1 at the podium.

Watching Froome burst out of the peloton 80k (50m) from the finish and outride them to win the stage in the Giro last year like a man possessed was awe-inspiring

I am not a Froome fanboy. The great thing about this sport, however, is that we can all pick our heroes and, on any given day, they can either rise to great heights or stink up the peloton.

Even my all-time favorite rider, Eddy Merckx, had days when he rode like a mere mortal.

The most awe-inspiring performance, ever (IMHO) was watching Lemond beat out Fignon by mere seconds. What a thrill that was.

This

I think it will depend to a great extent on the course next year. They could put the Alps in the second week and the Pyrenees in week three with a longish ITT as the penultimate stage. If they go for something like that I'd be doubtful if Bernal would be favourite.

Well, if you hate to watch the Sky/Ineos machine grind away to success through unity, purpose, oppressive talent, class, and total commitment to a team goal, then you must LOVE you some Movistar because those lads are a hot mess.

Somehow Movistar won the team classification this year. They were all over the place.

Largely as expected/feared.

What team wouldn't trade 3 spots in the bottom of the top 10 for one on the top step, or even the podium? Or the polka dots. Or something other than the team classification.

So sorry you missed the first 17 stages of this years's tour.

FWIW, as a Columbian how they feel about Bernal's win.

I can't help but think Bernal is the face of the TDF for the next decade. He's incredibly strong and talented and is still improving. Colombia placed 3 in the top 8 this year. That impressed the heck out of me.

Why do you make the assumption that I missed the first 17 stages. There is nothing in my post to suggest that.

You need to check your reading comprehension.

What does what Colombians feel about his win have to do with anything? :foo:

Sorry about it Nairo.

Context is everything. There is reading, and then there is discussing. Try to keep up.

Oh wise one, please tell me what I missed.

it will be interesting to see, with this year's success of french riders pinot and (especially) alaphilippe, how the tdf course is designed for 2020.
we seemed to have an abnormal amount of classics-styled stages (which i loved) this year. will the powers that be opt for more shorter, punchy climbs
in the vosges, massif central, alps and pyrenees vs the galibier/ventoux-style slogs to keep alaphilippe in contention again? more tt miles?
i think bernal could ride any of the three gt's in 2020 and win. tt ability plays into froomie and thomas' strengths. heaven forbid ineos throws all three
into a particular gt cuz they would probably sweep the podium. froomie (not the biggest fan but he's shown some moxie and chutzpah the last few years
vs being a radio-controlled robot) probably has 2-3 more potential years affecting the podium in the gt's. thomas a few years beyond that. the ability of
all three to consistently stay in contention (with the occasional stage win) while other contenders yo-yo and gain a handful of seconds here but lose two minutes there
is the key. how often have any of those three lost more than 30 seconds to a potential podium candidate? not often.

Next year - Froome, Thomas, Bernal - Who is Team Ineos leader(s)?
 

Easy - once Sky knows the course and sees who is healthy and going well. We won't know the first until this fall and the second next winter and spring.