Originally Posted by
MinnMan
It depends on what you mean by "GC". If you mean GC in grand tours, it's hard to imagine that anybody could lead a WT team for a 3 week stage race without having ridden that kind of race before as a domestique. Not that I'm any kind of expert, but I don't think people can get ready for that kind of challenge by doing 1 week stage races at a lower level.
The world is his oyster, but I think if he aspires to make his mark on the WT, he needs to ride at the WT level as an apprentice before he leads. But I admit, I'm no expert and I do know that the WT chews people up and demoralizes them if they get in the wrong situation.
I think very few team leader/GC guys were not recruited as such. They may play a Dominique role, but that is not why they are on the team. Froome was a GC guy while working for Wiggans.
Like Froome, who was cultivated years before, and many lbs heavier that his TdF debut, the GC thing I think can be recognized early.