Shimagnolo

I just learned about this today: Floyd's of Leadville - Where Technology and Taste Meet

diphthong

i'll take tejay vs talansky anyday. swapping teams. straight up. hc climbs. rollers. classics. whatever.

Giacomo 1 

Could TJ just be the product of a mediocre cycling program in the US?

I think we produce some good riders, which TJ is, but we don't seem to produce top tier riders in any discipline. Nobody fears or considers American riders as threats to win any stage or race, whether a sprint, a TT, or a climb. Spring Classics? Forget it. Only two riders in the Olympics? Sheesh. I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I saw an American raise his arms up in victory in a European race. Countries with far smaller populations and with little cycling history are producing winners in every discipline while we produce domestiques and wannabees/shouldbees/ mightbees, but aren'tbees.

I think we will have to continue to hope for TJ, because we have nobody coming up the ranks.

Pemetic2006

Looking forward to seeing how Tejay does in the Vuelta. He finsished in 22nd place in the opening TTT, 7 seconds down on Froome who's teammate Kennaugh is wearing the leaders jersey for now.

Pemetic2006

I see Tejay is already down over 7 minutes at the Vuelta after just 3 stages.

DeceptivelySlow

Tejay not looking good; lost more time on stage 4. We will see if he can get together for one good stage performance during the Vuelta; however, my eight ball says outlook not so good.

Pemetic2006

Wow. He lost over 10 minutes on today's stage.


edit: just read that Tejay went into the race not as a GC contender but to chase stage wins. So I guess the time losses may be a part of that. I'd assume unless Tejay is down significantly he won't be allowed to go after stage wins, even if he is not considered a GC threat.

TCR Rider

Well in that case it looks like everything is going according to plan.

Pemetic2006

Yes it does. I'm quite sure the GC guys won't let Tejay get in a break if he's down 4 minutes. Down 10 minutes? Maybe.

cyclezen

feel sorry for Tejay, abandoned ...
I like him, but I'll be astonished if he rides in a Pro-Tour Jersey next season.

DLBroox

He abandoned? Wasn't he up there in like tenth place?

gsa103

Nah, he's still plenty good. He'll probably be Porte's top domestique next year.

cyclezen

Lotta 'PLenty Good' riders out there - especially with IAM & Tinkoff disbanding. OK, he's had a rough season, but given that, he's shown no inclination to help any teammate, it's all been himself. See anything from him supporting Atapuma during his brief stint in the jersey? In the early stages of the vuelta, when he already knew his form was way off, he had the chance to prove he could be a team player, instead of hide in the bunch.
Maybe his contract is too expensive to close out, but iff'n I was director, I wouldn;'t be takin him to any more tours...
and iff'n I was director of another team, there'd be a major list of super-domestiques I'd spend dough on, before him.
Maybe some continental or US team might pick him up...

Doge

Coming up the ranks would be the two on the UCI worlds ITT podium last year.
Adrian Costa
Brandon McNulty
Both beyond where TJ was at that same age. Still, never know till they are a bit older.

USA Juniors were the best in the world winning the Nations Cup in 2015. They could win 2016, sitting in 3nd place right now. Brandon is my favorite for ITT next month in Qatar.

But top cyclists in the USA go to college. The winner of the Peace Race (also won by the last UCI WCs, Sagan, Kwiatkowski) this year was a USA kid - he's in college.

Then...I am not a believer that the sport is clean. USA will shoot its own first. So seeing this talent translate to top senior level is a real stretch.