Froome and Thomas left off Ineos TdF team

[nooneline]

Wow, it's still a strong team for sure - definitely an embarrassment of riches that they can leave off two TDF winners from their TDF squad, but yeah, Ineos looks toward the future not to the past.

Speaking of the future, Sivakov is going VERY well and I wouldn't be surprised to see him as Bernal's last-man-standing in the mountains during the Tour. The last day of the Dauphine, Sivakov was the strongest rider out there - in the break with Alaphillipe, and then chased back after crashing, and hanging with the Kuss/Pogacar/et al bridge from the group - repeatedly dropped and clawed his way back, only finally distanced by Kuss's incredible attack.

Van Baarle, Castroviejo, and Kwiatkowski are absurdly talented midmountain domestiques. Haven't really seen Kwiatko at top form yet this year but in years past he's only struggled when trying to peak for both the classics and then rest, bulid, and peak again for the Tour - that's not an issue this year. Haven't seen what Amador can do this year, and Carapaz's performances have been strong but a little uneven. All in all, it's a very strong and promising team just one that has a little bit less control over all of the variables compared to Ineos in years past. and with the spectacle of Jumbo-Visma lurking... well - I think it oughta be a good race.

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

I keep wondering: what’s up with Rohan Dennis? He proved last year that he can train on his own, and was ostensibly hired to fulfill the role Tony Martin has on Jumbo-Visma. But we haven’t seen him at any races this year (have we)?

You're right ihe does seem to be a little MIA. None of the races so far in this season restart would have particularly suited him. Are there any major time trials in the grand tours? Is he a Tony Martin kind of teammate?

[phishrabbi]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I’m not sure Froome ever comes back to his old level.

This.

Given age + injury I think it's a given. It's impressive that he's made it this far back.

[prototoast]

Given how they performed at the Dauphiné, I think this decision makes a lot of sense. They're clearly not in top form, and given how this year has gone, it's understandable if they haven't been able to time their training right. While I'm sure they're probably frustrated and wanted to give it a shot, I think giving each of them a little more time and a grand tour they can potentially contend in and win is actually the kindest thing to do for them.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by Hindmost

You're right ihe does seem to be a little MIA. None of the races so far in this season restart would have particularly suited him. Are there any major time trials in the grand tours? Is he a Tony Martin kind of teammate?

(RE: Rohan Dennis)

The Giro has three time trials, so if you’re looking for stage wins, it makes sense to send him there. But it also made sense for Ineos to hire him to drill it at the front of the peloton for long stretches of time policing the group or to chase down breakaways, and we haven’t seen any of that yet this year. Seems like he could have been doing that in any of the stage races we’ve already had.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

(RE: Rohan Dennis)

The Giro has three time trials, so if you’re looking for stage wins, it makes sense to send him there. But it also made sense for Ineos to hire him to drill it at the front of the peloton for long stretches of time policing the group or to chase down breakaways, and we haven’t seen any of that yet this year. Seems like he could have been doing that in any of the stage races we’ve already had.

I have no insider info, but I would speculate that the world champs TT was his top priority, and that's just 5 days after the end of the TdF, so probably hard to do both well. Even if he might have been useful on the front, given Ineos clearly has no shortage of strong riders for the TdF, sending Dennis to worlds + Giro seems to be a better allocation of their resources.

[tctyres]

Looking at the whole team: Luke Rowe and Dylan van Baarle are solid. Amador did extremely well for Movistar last season in the TdF, and he was one of the Movistar domestiques keeping pace with Bernal on Stage 19 (the mudslide stage ... Soler was the other one).
Catstroviejo looks good so far this season. Sivakov is a machine.
Kwiatkowski is off form, but he was at least leading near the end on a couple of stages in CdD. He's off, but not too far off.

Wout Poels was a huge loss for them at the end of 2020.

I think Brailsford has done a good thing to move around the roster a bit. After Froome's accident, the team went into a weird depression.

Ineos’ team for the upcoming Tour de France will feature Egan Bernal, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov, Andrey Amador, Jonathan Castroviejo, Michal Kwiatkowski, Luke Rowe and Dylan van Baarle.

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/08/froo...e-france-team/

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

(RE: Rohan Dennis)

The Giro has three time trials, so if you’re looking for stage wins, it makes sense to send him there. But it also made sense for Ineos to hire him to drill it at the front of the peloton for long stretches of time policing the group or to chase down breakaways, and we haven’t seen any of that yet this year. Seems like he could have been doing that in any of the stage races we’ve already had.

Originally Posted by prototoast

I have no insider info, but I would speculate that the world champs TT was his top priority, and that's just 5 days after the end of the TdF, so probably hard to do both well. Even if he might have been useful on the front, given Ineos clearly has no shortage of strong riders for the TdF, sending Dennis to worlds + Giro seems to be a better allocation of their resources.

Unless i'm looking at the stage list wrong, the only ITT in the Tour this year is an uphill, i.e. something a whippet/GC guy is going to win, not for the flatland aero diesels like Dennis. Another reason not to use him there.