Biniam Girmay Wins Again, Mallorca Challenges and Tour de France 2024 Wildcards | Episode #53

In the first proper week of European racing the Mallorca Challenge races happened and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Races as well as the Hoogerheide World Cup which saw a domination by Mathieu van der Poel once again.

Collaboration between @thecyclingdane and @OwDoCycling

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00:00 Intro
00:28 Colombia National Road Race
02:17 Who is Alejandro Osorio?
03:24 GP Marseille
04:37 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2024
09:35 What Can Biniam Girmay do in 2024?
19:19 Mallorca Challenge Races
24:51 Tour of Valenica 2024 Preview
29:20 Cyclocross Round Up
30:31 What is Happening with Brandon McNulty?
39:18 Ineos Grenadiers Provisional Giro d’Italia 2024 Team
44:21 GrandTour Wildcard Teams 2024
54:25 Rider of the Week

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the ashon cycling podcast where three cycling nerds discuss Pro cycling what’s happened in the week and look a bit to the Future as well and as always I’m joined by Mr K himself Yan Wilson and also atrick Blake of outo

Cycling and today it’s episode 53 and if you haven’t already make sure to subscribe to the channel here on YouTube or check us out on all the different platforms like Spotify as well but guys I mean it seems like there’s been 17 races going on literally before

Recording we just saw a very intriguing edition of the national championships in Colombia where it was Alejandro ooro who beat Egan beral and Sergio to win I mean they almost caught him on the line but yeah how’s it kind of been all this racing coming back it’s like too

Much it’s it’s just like it’s jarring honestly I was quite happy with the the trickling in of the of down under and stuff and which is a world to race to that person who uh he was very upset about that but uh yeah now we’re just on

Like a whole like bag just like full racing it’s like it’s not even like a grand tour it’s like there’s a continuity going on with stages it’s just like one day races coming at year thicking fast but I’m not going to complain I really like the New York challenge race

Is I really I I think it’s a really great format I kind of classify as like a Seas as like the season opener like I I never was like but yeah I already like you were saying like a few episodes ago that UAE and all that isn’t even the

Season and now allor races have come back and now it’s no I I just don’t recognize the uee tour as a race by by the time we get to oml you’re going to be like this is where the season starts no no cuz that’s the old that’s the

Opinion of 80-year olds who were watching R race in the 1960s the modern movement realizes that racing is uh is not just limited to cobbles you see but I’m happy that Racing’s back it’s a it provides some entertainment but yeah I mean that the Colombian championship’s just finished interesting guy who won

That when you mentioned Alejandra o aario he was riding at the professional Continental level and then at the world tour level for 3 months he was uh with B Victorious at the beginning of 2022 um and until Bahrain ripped up the contract after he breached their Co

Protocol he went outside of that that designated Co window or the co bubble rather remember the co bubbles that we had back in the early 2020s he went outside of that broke the team’s rules and they chucked him out the window at the beginning of 2022 he had to sort of

Build everything up again he’s a former stage winner of the baby jeto and now he’s the Colombian Champion maybe that will turn some heads um maybe not bar victorus again but at least there isn’t a pandemic this time that will sort of make him look um like a mug uh

Nevertheless yeah there’s it’s been a lot of racing it’s been a lot of like small races which is I mean I say that there’s been World Tour racing this week as well but uh yeah definitely some lower level races I always think the season starts at LEL marz that that race

Happened today so for me the season is has has kicked so you’re just going to say the race and not say what happened that’s it we’re waiting for your signal go go go marz not going to lie one of the sper races I’m surprised we uh we opening with this

One we opened with the Columbia national championships true true true sorry sorry loso Colombia um but in that race it was Kevin jinet and Alex bodan they all got away razu now rides for group in case you forgot that I completely forgot that I was in that lead group in a blue

Jersey but in the endi back into the p on and it was just out and Janet um behind k v tried to attack across the Gap but he couldn’t make it in the end it was a Sprint between jenet and Buddha jenet LED things out and he led it all

The way to the line to win his first race outside of Luxembourg uh in his career so congratulations to Kevin Jet and to groupama who actually won two races today on Sunday the 2 to January that takes us across to to it’s going to say South Africa wrong country Australia

For the cadel EVC Ocean Road Race where it came down to a reduced sponge Sprint there won by the New Zealand writer Lawrence piy a group FR de who took that one in a photo finish against net Al fion of Le track and Eritrea and third place goes to the tall German goog

Zimmerman of anash one team good start for group Palmer isn’t it even not like World Tour relegation like battle or whatever you know they’re pretty safe from that but it is just good to see different people winning I’m really happy about jenet I think he’s been a

Rider which I’ve been a fan of for a couple of years he’s always kind of promised so much but he’s always been a domestique but he’s a surprisingly good climber considering how tall he is his bike rate must be like 60 like it’s massive and I was really happy to see

Him win that he’s of course going to the bes next week or well it’ll be this week when the episode comes out and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do there I think he will probably be the leader he always has this kind of

Like like he loves a um B called the to Al M team and duva like he he is like he loves coming like sixth place in GC and that and getting a few top 10 so I was feel like this is a very genat time of

Year and then he kind of like falls into a domestique duty later on but yeah really good to see that he got the finally got his hands in the air and yeah then piffy I think is really the extraordinary result considering the the people who are around him he is kind of

Like a sprinter type but he’s a classic Sprinter type and he’s just I just don’t believe he made it over those climbs considering the people who are around who would categorically punchers as all climbers he made it over that and I couldn’t believe that he was even

Attacking on the final climb to try and Whittle the group down so just an insane pickup for group that and I can’t to see what he’s going to do this year he’s going toir provisionally yeah likely he’s at a good beginning of the year up their top 10 and the Down Under classic

Up there top five in three stages of of the tour down under Fifth and the South classic which we’ll get on to later on and then winning this CR Ocean Road Race it’s a really really good sign for him just 22 years of age uh sorry 21 years

Of age born in 2002 a mighty mightly strong talent but is he also just another sort of one of these riders that does very well at this early season the younger Riders do particularly well here also a southern hemisphere Rider he’s used to racing at this time of year uh

In his native New Zealand maybe piy might not be able to translate that into later season results but last year we saw he was right up there in some races P for instance also the LA atlanti classic so fingers crossed that New Zealand’s can have a sort of a big bang

On the world tour level in 2024 yeah he kind of he’s very delesque in my eyes uh he he’s just a really classic stuff no I’m I’m I’m I’m telling you I’m telling you because that we’ve had a season of dele you know last year where

He was really good and I think that this is this could be piff’s year I think that PFF is just like a year behind where dele is because you know think back to the climbing that dele can do is really good I mean he was up there on

Mount lofty like that’s insane that a guy who weighs like 78 kilos or whatever he is and he’s a sprinter was up there with the clan is just it’s just incredible and it is a very delees it sounds weird to see but like he is like dele when Del’s like 20 whatever like

One years old as well but dele hasn’t been racing but what should we go on to next no no no I want to like the Finish did you not see the Finish where like Quinn Simmons like threw the hammer down and I mean little Trek threw so much

Into this and okay the air train fans who are there who appear like the Colombian fans when one of the Riders does well were absolutely incredible with spion afterwards but don’t you think there’ll be a bit of sad about this little dra there’s a lot of points

For a win here and mmer was in that group as well I think yeah I mean they’re not exactly in the relegation battle but it would have been good for them to get a world tour wins this early on with that re-envisioned uh team lineup they have by the way also

Groupama have equaled their number of worldour Victories that they got last year just one um so already early progress for them but for little Tre it is disappointing but Ton’s been looking strong already this year he was up there in the Criterion classic thing just before the to under where we saw e

Deloro and narva is also in the podium they’ve been performing particularly well so far this season similarly so I think little CH yes they’ll be frustrated but in the end photo finish piy winning it I don’t think they can be too beat up about it I am shocked gayor

Timmerman finished in third place he’s not someone I would really pick for a Sprint um and he beat people like Corbin strong unit NZ Mario like these are decent sprinters and he managed to outmuscle them at the end so good ride from G simman I mean we might

As well go on the other race what was it called the surf surf classic to something yeah something like thate I’ve never heard of it no I’m not sure if it’s new for this year or not but it I guess it’s another race which warrants the Riders going down to the southern

Hemisphere to kind of which is fair enough yeah it gives him another race I mean it’s not very long it’s more is really like a I won’t call it a crit it’s more like a circuit race I suppose but yeah I mean it’s just ended in a Sprint I mean I don’t know

What else to say I mean Benny W which is the big kind of the big news that Benny had quite it was a quiet year last year for bny for from everyone’s sort of expectations well tell me tell me where I did well apart from that Warner SM Mur

Got chopped up by philipson he beat W he wanted raceing here loads of people be and it was his first tour to France come on give him some slack and M Wonder push him out of the way so it’s true but in his first year he got a win

So the the bars set High listen I got to create controversy because then all the A train fans go and watch this video and start getting in the comments SE and and come from you as we’ve understood they’re everywhere they’re in Australia they’re in Switzerland they’re in well

They could be Yorkshire Patrick you never known it could be but I feel like my people will protect me your people my people bie hype once again and uh in the team presentation he was actually saying like he feels a lot stronger more mature like it was better for him to train down

In Australia uh because better weather obviously tra northern Europe isn’t all like Europe just in the winter isn’t ideal for someone who’s lived in a trail all their life so yeah and I think it was probably quite a big shock for him as well he’s kind of like he’s only what

23 so it’s like he shoved this massive Spotlight onto him so maybe one more year and he’s a bit more like bit more certain of what he’s going to do this year interesting program he has lined up as well yeah but I I also think that maybe in hindsight there was too much

Pressure play some BM gay last year after what was a fantastic 2022 with that big breakthrough at K wble him and winning that stage of the jar then last year just not really living up to the expectation that we all had of him but I think you for a writer who’s just 23

Years of age uh there is plenty of space to grow for him and the program this year looks very interesting I think maybe more of a focus on the classics instead of the stage races would actually be a good approach for him maybe not in terms of his his training

But definitely in terms of his results and for us as viewers selfishly at the moment we’ve got oid news blood K BR ker k the race I think he has a really good shot at doing well at followed by tyo sandmo edri harer kandre Ru and then the

Tour to France being The Grand Tour spectacle so yeah it’s it’s it’s definitely shaping up to be quite a formative year last year I think definitely posed a bit of a sort of difficult season but that’s common the sophomore slump they call it in music where you have to follow up your first

Album with a with something else uh if you think of it in that way he couldn’t quite follow up that debut album in 20 22 but maybe this is is the time he’s had had to mature as an artist as a cyclist and uh experiments with with his

Sound his riding style and now he can finally sort of get back to the lofty Heights that he was at before he showed really good form in in Australia he’s he looks just as quick as he was beforehand if anything that speed that he has really is his uh his own Advantage so

Yeah it’s going to be fascinating to see what happens hopefully they drill the lead outs a little bit better that’s where he kind of fell apart in the Tour of France in particular uh making him work closely with those lead out guys and for him to stick out to

Anto M just this week H to quite high level Sprint so that instantly kind of threatens his place in the pecking order within anal yeah interesting interview with G Tyson that I finally got around to today because it’ll be Monday when this is out

Uh but yeah he in I feel like I I feel like I’m me you now youan cuz like just batting for one Rider he did crash on his birthday like in Tor PL he had to come back from that and then yeah toor France got a bit bullied by alerson and

As we’ve heard so much it’s so different to be at the tour to France but is he going to be able to win a stage at the tour or the classics or whatever there is a much of Vanderpool in the way there is a w vard in the way there is a yasper

Philipson in the way at the Tour of France as well so I mean how was going to say I mean w match aren’t a problem at all yeah exactly yeah yeah but in terms of the class cuz their goal is a top five that’s what the team the team

Manager said for the classics yeah a top five just everywhere or just at on at Flanders or I think they one and then kind of more come like at least one I mean there’s no reason why he can’t do well at like the semi Classics I just

Think that Flanders is just going to be a really really big step because we all like we still like you and said we all remember that b was just incredible just a got a day full of elation but you know Gan doesn’t immediately translate into Thor of Flanders so I I’m not really

Saying that Flanders or even like rube to I just for monuments maybe San Rama to be fair I think I’m still gold could be a good one if I’m honest that’s true but he’s not provisionally down to do it oh they mentioned that he he is going to

Do I’m still gold oh is he yeah that’s true especially when you consider that all the big guns are just going for lege because they’re all just I don’t know want to do one day races which is lame boring um maybe he does have a good shot

At Amstel I think he’s probably got a better shot at amst just because he is that attritional you know Sprinter type if he can hang on and it’s a very sof of Pitcock Ward and shakman finished and yeah B could certainly be up there GNA say M’s too hard for

Him I mean it could be he’s gonna have to be climbing better than he was because like he got spat cadel Evans you got finished 22nd and if you’re getting spot on cadel Evans by guys like piffy like no way but there’s a long time like

Just because you win cadele St me you’re got to be winning abore yeah and then answering your question about to the France stage there are a couple stages this year that could suit him that’s sted to Bologna that comes on stage two he’s back in Italy the country where he

Took his first grandal Victory back of the Judo a couple years back in yashi not yashi that’s in Romania yesie then I think he’s um he’s got a decent chance the only I think so many stages I’m highlighting it’s like it’s it’s also a stage that could

Suit yesper Philips who does climb well m p we know is one of the most powerful sprinters out there for Leal Trek we assume he’s coming to the Tour of France as well sharing that team with d gard and do they need to go all out for fidum

Gay again do they also do they should they bring a bit of a sort of a leader punchers kind of squads they can have a chance of winning a breakaway stage and finally get that to a Fran stage win that they so desperately want it’s a tough Balancing Act for Frant Mar

Historically they’ve done better I think when when they play the underdog instead of being sort of the heavyweight they’re bringing Lou minky so what 17th in GC well top 10 is the target like we’ve been talking about brocking out that top 10 without UA V Riders I mean at this stage there’s

Going to be like seven Riders fighting for 10th place and also don’t forget you’ve also got Sasha blaso J hindley all those guys from as well it’s not just Vis and uu yeah exactly like there’s so many like non- galacticos Riders which were just is so easy to forget that

These guys who usually for the top 10 you’re like oh these guys are really good you know it’s so easy just to forget about them but you know they deserve their credit as well they’re not just pack Phill you know these guys are serious serious GC contenders it’s just

That they’re just not quite patranas just Cru the cruel way that things are side note this is probably the most competitive Tour of France we’ve had since 2020 yeah legit yeah absolutely I’d say it’s got probably one of the most stacked GC Contender fields since I don’t even know when like the FR

Contador era legit I that one contador inana Al honestly on like we haven’t seen this kind of level in almost a decade so it’s going to be one hell of a fight but anyway bny yeah can he win a stage I I think honestly just like you

Say Pon and philipson they’re kind of like the cryptonite but all it takes is just one thing to go wrong for them and one thing to go right for Benny like it really be just a matter of one bit one corner taken differently can make the difference

Being positioned in a one wheel rather than another could be the difference so there’s no reason that I don’t think that Benny can’t win a stage at all I mean we might as well go to as you alluded to um they also won with G Tyson

And the New Yorker races well open it on to the New Yorker races I mean you guys it’s such a Pandora’s Box this because there are so many different races they’ve all got incredibly simar names similar Nar why is it not a stage race I

Don’t didn’t it used to be a stage race at some point I swear it’s a stage race on procycling manager but I don’t know it’s it’s it’s cool though I like but it’s a series of one day races isn’t that what you wanted to do with the tour

Britain this is what the tour Britain needs to do scrap the tour Britain and create a Ser create a meor challenge but in the UK there you go that’ll be a whole different video at some point anyway Maya challenge let’s begin from the beginning maybe doing chronolog C

There’s so many different races the tro tro C sorry to all my Catalan friends out there I can’t speak your language Simon Carr took that one in a Sprint with Sasha vasso with Bron magnol taking third place there notably Alberto betol finish in fifth place good to see

Him back at the top level and great is that war a photo show like a top five is not honestly yeah in theor challenge not like it’s the early season have some have some patience oh the next day we had the tropo say Phan so glad you’re doing this me too me

Too um I I never said I was good at at the Catan pronunciation that was was Ron by the youngster that Patrick described as mini Jun Al Philip po man who took that one for sud quickstep ahead of Alberto de who’s now at Tuda and Luke

Lampy who now rides for sudal a very young podium in D with two new actually all three new signings onto their respective teams we’ll get back to chud to Pro cycling later on on a different note the next day at least I think it’s the next day gosh they all kind of blend

Into one cha Sarah tramontana that we had a triple up the road and it was lenardon adelt with Alexander vazov and Brandon mcnalty in a Sprint between all three the Sprint that Sasha blaso wasn’t happy about lenon adelt took the win having another good season he’s been

Growing and growing and growing as a rider over the past couple years wasn’t he caught up in some controversy oh we’re not going to talk about that I now remember was yeah um it was something to do with with with controversial issue that roping um Sasha blast off after the race

As I mentioned was very unhappy with the Finish he said it it was downhill and not not safe enough in outspoken Sasha blaso style he continued his good form the next day with another Podium yes you had that right a third podium in a row this was at the tra Pena Port

Dant that win went to poo Sanchez of M Star at their home race you could say m star’s first win of the Year second place went to Marius mofer who now rides for tud pro cycling he took the kad’s Great Ocean Road Race this time last

Year when he was riding for team DSM femin or team just team DSM as it was known at the time third place went of last of as I mentioned and Tobias haland johannis finished in fourth place for our Norwegian fans also 10th place of betal that’s too tenuous to get the photo

Out next up we have um thefor mentioned hias race in the trop of Palma in um I believe it’s the bigest place in Mya I don’t it is it is it is thank you Scott for that one Edon took the wi in a Sprint ahead of his former teammate

Alexander Kristoff who rides for Uno X third place go going to Marin F of EF education easy post with fourth place going to a little trk future Rider Tim Tor torenberg which is a brilliant name what a name what name I I almost had to

Like fact check if that was that was his actual name um who by the way got three top 10 this week which is incredibly impressive for Rider who’s just 21 years of age anyways um that’s my welome uh pick any of these races to begin I thought I’ll go back to the start

Again mcnaughty cramped in both legs apparently which is why he he basically just stop pedling um Simon Carr WN very impressively he did he did sit on for a long time I think he was playing the card of the main man the main threat Alberto Bol is coming and I’m sitting on to

To to to allow him to come because he’s going to win this hands down if you boys if if we let back so he was so SAR he just vlasov kind of pinged it off the front and just fully pinned his ears back and SAR got back on and then just

Fully just trumped him in a Sprint because I think vov went all in on trying to just drop him and going solo which is pretty fair but yeah very impressive from Simon car somebody who in our team preview I said he was going to win a grand tall stage this year so

Signs are looking good he’s going to be be a t the best so that’s going to be interesting but also I want to talk about I think I want to MC vov is the main thing which I want to get on to they’re looking insanely good they’re going to the valenciana next week

Probably the GC favorites Boris sing a very stacked team including hindley and kemna and some other people who I’m forgetting but UE is also sending a very good team what do you guys think about mol and V of this is just like early season form or is this something to be

Looking more into well sasel was really good at this time back in 2022 I believe when he went on to win the valenci Reigns and he was yeah he was particularly strong then I think he’s going to be be strong again here we’ve seen as well over the past couple years

That his one day racing like attributes are definitely there I’m not just sort of flating his ego I genuinely think that that he is making really really good progress on all these different types of domains and I mean mcnalty he’s so hit or miss and he seems to be

Hitting at the moment he didn’t he win a myca race was that last year yeah he won the Traer Calia I think last year memorable it might have been he’s he’s won one of them and past you are right I can’t remember maybe it might have been

Really cost I think it was last year but he won one of them so evidently this time of year likes to go well certain writers do have certain parts of the Year where they do go particularly well and have preferred races or preferred um sort of locations Road Styles climbs

That that I know particularly well so maybe this is just somewhere that what time of year that Minority favors we’ll see how he goes in valenciana I’m not quite convinced he’ll bag a Podium position overall there and thinking maybe looking towards another one of their writers maybe the Old Reliable

Felix go shner or pav COV maybe to go for a Podium as a more convincing attempt but I’d love to see MCN go up there I think he’s a fantastic Rider who often gets overlooked who has bags and bags of talent as he’s shown since he was a youth elsewhere at the valenci

Race we got a couple other contenders who got Eddie Duman pipo Zana coming here from ja alula dumbar who hasn’t really shown much since the J last year where finished comfortably inside top 10 it’ll be interesting to see how he goes we also have poob B Bago coming from

Bahrain Victorious as well as I mean Bor hro you mentioned with hinley kemna vlasov they’re also sending Floren lipitz who’s an interesting young talent and Giovanni alotti who I think is another really solid climbing domestic so should be an interesting week of racing but don’t tell too much don’t

Read too much into the results remember it’s it’s only January February by the time that race is done have you seen one of the teams are called project Echelon racing yes I noticed this oh yes I think we have to sort of de facto support them yeah I think we do we we’ll

Report back next week as to what they’ve achieved project eelan they actually they have one of the writers that an interesting one toan R from Norway um who oh I can’t remember what his thing was yes he he won the Belgian waffle ride last year which is a big gravel

Race there we go I finally got there uh he rides for that team he’s just 20 he was 26 years of age bit bit of a nobody in terms of road racing but quite a big deal in the grabble scene uh which is something I’m not very informed about

But I know it’s a big deal in the US uh they also have Scott McGill who was on human powered Health last year but that team folded so he’s now got a new home he went a couple stages of the tour of Portugal a couple years back wait hang

On before we move on I just want to quickly draw attention to stage four of fen Siana next week which finish is with this it’s a pretty disgusting clim so it’s 5.7k at 99.3% but the opening 1.8 averages 13.5% and the last kilometer average is

12.9% I did that last week it’s a nice club these gradients are suggesting otherwise and I think it’s G better that has Sasha vas of written all over it exactly this is this is Sasha it’s Sasha’s time to shine ladies and gentlemen in no party like s of last

Of part two yeah although he will hate stage two cuz it’s a downhill finish if Mahar doesn’t win that stage I don’t know who will it’s going to be chaos if I can already predict a crash on a ride of protest yeah it’s going to be a crash

Some really poorly um organized like I don’t know like people will like ride into like a barrier that doesn’t have a flag on it or something like something bananas will happen it be the first like major crash of the year yeah it literally looks like um that stage which

Edis scaling one it the abas country last year where it was a descent finish and he just like just sprinted with 500 meters to go and it was just like a descent kind of sketchy finish it just looks like that and uh yeah just once again just you know I I know profiles

You need to get to some place for the Finish because they pay for the Finish but it just feels like the rider’s request of you know non sketchy finishes just is continuously just being ignored I mean speaking of well cyc cross we have to do a Cy first corner

And mul didn’t do very well this week as he only won two races oh it’s not the special week between Christmas and New Year and F and imple wins again we had the tra H as well which I think is called the GP at vandero and M vandero won that ahead of

Mik voud and isid by 16 seconds in front of the European Champion we also had most notably Albert philipson won the junior category in that 55 seconds ahead of number two um 55 why didn’t he making it World T who is this now we can move back to CU like

Cycle cross is kind of Disappearing now very slowly when CHS uh I think it’s in two weeks next weekend oh is it next weekend yeah yeah it’s okay okay okay yeah the end of February usually over with can we just give him the Jersey already and just move on ohle

Already has the Jersey give it again I mean before we move on C cross we have moved on now but you touched on Brenda mcnalty we didn’t really we were going to discuss this last week but what is happening with Brenda mnel he’s not in

The jir team and he’s not in the Toral France team so how do you see his 2024 going he’s a phenomenal Rider but just yeah he is he’s someone he was snapped up early by UA e he’s only spent his sort of World Tour days at UAE has not

Been anywhere else um but he has seen success at his first Chino Talia was first gr tour back in the co season he was right up there uh inside the top 20 of GC was up in top 10 in GC for a while as well in in that race they had the

Chance to ride the Toyota France the year after in 2021 where he was supporting the winner of T poanta 2022 returned to the Toyota France then supported Pacha once again really sha on the stage to PUD in particular why he finished in third place where he dragged vingo and Pancha all

The way to the end for Pancha to win that uphill Sprint then last year I think um it was a different approach not going to the to of France instead he went to the G took a stage win in bore when he had that Sprint against Marco

Fro and someone else who I can’t remember um Ben Healey yes just Google that one to take his first ever Grand Tour stage win I thought that showed that he was a little bit more versatile up there in the in the breakaways he could be a bit more of a sort of Savvy

Rider up there he’s he’s sort of been joked about as being Brandon MC faly um for his like sort of naive tactics and sort of uh strange way of racing that that we’ve often seen in the past remember he wasn’t that far off uh getting a medal at the Olympic Games back in

2021 when he went in the winning move with Richard kerath but um looking towards this year no grand tour start is worrying uh he’s going to the U tour we believe and parin I think if if he could if he can really sort of stand out there

He could be one of the first reserves for either the jro or the to France I think he should be on one of those uh start list he’s a reliable domestic with a good grandor experience he’s been there for pogacha in the two grandor what the two tours to France that he won

In 200 well sorry in one to Fantasy one and one to Fantasy podiums and he’s also ridden the jro twice beforehand so I think definitely an experienced rider who can provide something in that Mountain train more than sort of sorry like Evo Oliva uh can provide although

He’s a great lead up man for Molano who do you sort of value more in that team setup I really think Brandon molti If he if he gets if he really proves himself he could probably jump in as the first reserve and we know how fragile these

Ground tour teams can be all it takes is for one rer to miss log and he sneaks onto that start list we seen it before I wonder whether they’ve got a longterm plan with mcnaughty where this year they like U have got their I don’t know the grand

Seems pretty stacked already like you say but I wonder whether he’s focusing on stage races this year and whether he’s getting more leadership at these stage races to almost see how he handles being a leader and whether they think that like you say the P good like he was

Super good V like do they think that maybe he could be a grand T Contender and they’re trying to almost assess how he would is going to do that but by doing stage races is a very backwards way of doing it I agree but I would send

Him to a grand to of course but I think that in a team so brimmed with Talent it’s hard to get your own chances in grand Tours and whether they are like quite happy to give him full leadership at the stage races like a parin I don’t know I think that they

They might see something in him where he could be like a grand talk contender and whether they’re just they’ve got a scheme going on or is it time to rethink what he’s doing a I mean in your screen days hello him but there’s also sort of the

Rider type that he is he’s so hot so cold I think that does sort of take him away from being a grand toour leader as we’ve seen he has these great days where his fantastic fourth place in the world championship time trial last year in Scotland let’s not forget and then some

Days he finishes 75th in in in in on a Mountain Stage like it’s very very unpredictable where mnal is going to be he’s one of the hardest and most s of enigmatic Riders if you’re going to place a bet never place it on Brandon mnal because you just never know where

It’s going to go high risk maybe maybe that’s your thing but I I don’t know where it’s going to change elsewhere what kind of team could he slot into I think if he f m Lisa bike dare I say he could fit in there and perform another

Teammate role but I just don’t think he has credentials to stand out as another team as a grand to number one card I mean as a super domesti for whoever not not as a grand to leader but okay but but as a super domestic he’s got growth

Within UAE to become that that best super domestic role but like how do you go from like 20122 where he’s like dropping everyone guiding tab patcha up and now he doesn’t even make the jro team which is crazy in my opinion and I think you two also think that yeah it’s

Crazy and he w a stage last year yeah exactly like how is this man not making it on a grand TOS team it’s incredible who is on who could we kick off that team Divo olivo sorry yeah I mean yeah I think yeah this is kind of the problem with cycling as

Well like we were saying they’re careering all this talent but you only have three grand Tours and then suddenly it’s like ah we have this fantastic Rider but nobody else can have him and just going to put him on the bench essentially go back to my point I just

Think that maybe they’re just trying to see like if he can do it over like parin if he can do it over eight days and be consistent over eight days and we’re like okay then we take a step further and we see if he can then go to I maybe

Well if he does well at pares and they take him to the Welter and they’re like you’re going to be like a co-leader alongside pogy do I say Richard Port here one of the best onewe Stage races ever but never really got a great result

While he was a te sky in the GR but MCN hasn’t even really got a good result at like a stage race like he he does well in just like random stages but you look back at his results last year they’re just they’re not really bad even

At like Community valenciana he was like eighth or something so tour of Luxembourg he finished third it’s like he should be like cleaning them out up pretty easily I think he’s got so much potential like he’s he’s got the TT ability he’s obviously got a really good

Climbing ability B oh not another one to that team why not this to support this false pipe dream that Prim Ro win the top that rattles people so much when I say that people Ro glit fans absolutely they they they just take R bit so

Easy they do to like rattle a little bit of M St it’s like a hive of bees ironic given that he left Vima Lisa bike but um FR quit but no I just I can’t I I don’t really know know where his his gr is going to progress to like he’s had the

Chance now he’s like over 25 he’s had the chance now I think to really get that big rake out performance he’s had a couple of really good performances but nothing like where it justifies placing a onewe long stage race leadership position for him at UAE especially since

They have so many other cards like ala like AA like hogy Adam Yates all these guys who I think are far more reliable I think he just has to accept that he will be a super domestic forever more yes but like a super domestique with a grand

Toour start that should be the least why is he not going to the to support pogy like it’s not like like that mountain support there is not exactly you know insane like MCN is a perfect all traes to put in there but jayvine is good though don’t mind Novak I would get rid

Of him oh I no no no back for bring manaly I would do that also sorry to Evo olivo he must get us a lot it’s actually ruy Oliva that’s going to to the oh dear you just got him off it’s just poor B you want brenon walti in top form and

Then it will just be him and T Pacha R to offl into the sunset on some stage um no Domin Noak um and Pacha anyways inos released their long list for the G do did they oh yes um can’t wait for him to not win this

Came with the news that Gary Thomas is going to both the to of France and the Jalia and the jro long list is as follows Magna Sheffield tamon adens SW toas F Ben Swift Jonathan Aras Ethan hater salvator poo gar Thomas Elia Vivani making his jro come back and pipo

Gner thoughts that’s about half of that roster considering how few people they have um Sheffield what was shef Sheffield was on there yep Sheffield would be very interested to see Sheffield at a grand tour get his debut finally I think he could be he’s he’s very versatile he’ll be very good in the

TTS I think I expect like T top 10 from the TTS but I mean if if the whole GC was just based upon team GC after all the time trials inops would probably win it’s just that that’s not how it works and last time G like he’s he’s a

Guy who has done one grand tour a year and that’s it right that’s what he did he he tried for welta last year and it went like worse than bad it it was awful like he got fully spat up that slight finish drag which his they did crash so did about half a

Pelon I’m that God awful TT like every Everybody crashed like you were you were lucky if you didn’t I mean to be fair I did kind of write them off before the last year when he almost won so maybe I won’t be so quick to kind of dismiss it

Because the Ziro GC field is alsoo trash apart from Pacha pretty much so he probably has a pretty good shot of being on the podium again I just then don’t know what the purposes of going to the talks I really don’t think that g will do much there personally because

B b solely upon but he didn’t do well at the Welter last year even though yes there was a crash in that but G crashes all the time so it’s you know is what it is but I just that tour I’m not really sure what’s going on

There do you think any us are smelling an easy Podium or easy top 10 here considering most of the other juggernauts are going because they’re rubbish at the Grand TOS in comparison to what they have been so they need to mop up a grand tour Podium because otherwise rat Cliff’s

Could to come along and steal all their money away and put it into F1 or football him and Adam been top five is the goo that’s side CH being in the top where’s gar Thomas yeah where’s gar Thomas I don’t know where Garen Thomas will be is gonna be there the Stars didn’t

Release that piece of information just Ironman just adman um well why are they bringing naay hater and Vivani they okay they’re not similar right is but not win any stages with them yeah exactly viviani is not winning a grand to level no exactly so why would

You bring him um I don’t know it’s a long list somebody’s got to go yeah exactly and it’s Vivani it’s probably gonna be viviani I understand hater going as well I’m in treat to see what he can bring I’d love to see him win a

Stage yeah it be cool pipo here for the time trial should really be you would say on paper an easy win but then you’ve also got out here n Piper wins um but yeah this probably means Gan is not going to DET tror France he’s going to

Skip that one uh before the Olympic games like we saw in 2021 um and to be F thoughts will he get a top 10 because to be fos he’s we don’t know well at this rate three inos guys are finishing a top 10 again if we’re thinking a rensman obviously because he

Is the actual he’s the he is the actual leader of his team yes G and who was the one who would just said yeah the question was do you think he’s going to finish in the top 10 and you just said yeah well he is I just question

Answered um yes but he’ll be a very lwen to PLO kind of top 10 yeah okay fair enough yeah like you can see it you can see it already can’t you I what is it with inos and having such a hard on for TTS and just what’s going on man look

Look at about whole roster what’s going on f g g there Sheffield hater it’s not a team time trial in sight no but there are lots of time trialing kilometers of the G so what they’ve just got to get five riders in every top 10 in the top

10 of all the TTS what that could put them in a good position to get the pink jersey after stage seven in pjo I mean that’s true but matter about wearing it if you ain’t wearing it at the end well speaking of that time to in peruja

Sponsored by Tuda let’s go to the world cards for the jalian the TOA Fran shall we oh yeah that’s actually good good um that reminded me because Tuda sponsor a goo stage and they’ve got a goo invite shocking two pro iing make their grand tour debut in 2024 at the goo Italia

Also joining them will be Israel Premier te get automatic invite to the Grand TOS uh invited as well Two Italian teams in poy coma forly known as aolo coma in that atrocious kit with the pumpkin colored shorts and VF group bani chsf fan bani as we’ve known them in the past

Or green project as they were know last year um those are the four for the G shall we discuss that one first I really like it actually I really do I think Israel are basically a pseudo World Tour team I mean I’ll get on to J at the end

I think that the green project they’ve got one guy in there who came second in the toal avener who I think would be a really cool one to keep an eye on pelari or something like that you know just you know he was going head-to-head with Del

Toro we’re see what del Toro’s been doing so that’s quite an interesting one and yeah py Kima I mean they’ve got some cool riders in there I think Fab is in there as well so he’ll probably get a good start and I think that they will definitely do some stuff so and they’ll

Be easy to identify in on kit chuda I’m really like even if they did kind of buy a stage to get themselves in there but we saw like you know mayah Hofer stora Trenton Dy you know this is that’s just four names who are just off the top of

My head I think this is a really strong team and I think they are very deserving of getting in over I don’t know what the other Italian team would be that gets in there or you crying now yes I’m a shamed my V stage picture is not in this

Room deserve to be in here over them they’re just I do agree I do agree I don’t I know like bani are like historically they always get in if they’ve won stages enria batalin has my heart um but I think Ban’s time is done yeah I would have put Cor in instead of

Them yeah I think I think corch proved more this year than bani b have had chances to prove themselves I think you kill the team if they don’t get into the jro you want to kill the team yeah you do kind of now trust me if there one guy

If there one pelar his name is he’s going to save the whole operation top 15 GC he’s going to do like a fortune Auto I think that this also goes to show how competitive the pro Continental scene is right now like we got a lot of really

Good teams and we’re going to get to them in the T France and the BU as well particularly The Bu exciting team to talk about that but yeah definitely Tuda I think have a really exciting Squad that’s I mean Grand Tour stage winners we have Tren te D there stora all Grand

Tour stage winners we’ve had people who supported Grand tour leaders in aach Alexander Camp has been up there in World Tour races ad decliners has been up there in sort of top level Sprints as well and you’ve also got a lot of young Talent that’s coming through that team

So definitely super happy with that let’s move to the Twitter France and nothing’s changed isra Premier tank and Lotto Destiny both redeem their automatic invites to O’s return to the toor France once again they’ve been here every year for the past 20 in every iteration that they’ve been and finally

Uno X Mobility is their own will return to the toad of France after their debut last year anything really to Total energies what really who but interestingly toal was snubbed for the smaller ucci Races they did not make the Criterium to do St list okay but they have made it to the

To of France which is more important yeah I mean they do have some decent Riders In what I like to be fair but I really think that well basically they need to sign Al Le at the end of this 2024 season to warrant there kind of

Bring in that kind of person who’s on the way out but we’re still living in a Nostalgia the the San signing and they need to do that to kind of you know carry them for another three years of invites um because matu burgo God bless his heart isn’t going to be able to

Carry this team again uh throughout the the T so I I really think they they’re for me are the who who are teetering the last time they went a to to France stage ladies and gentlemen when was it literally couldn’t tell you it was probably ination of a team yeah

They don’t exist in my mind it was St in 2017 from Lian there you go thank you that was a really cool one gr on the way there was him and Robert H cool um and then unox they’ve just they’ve just solidified their roster in the offseason with m

Joining that team and a couple of other ones and the Des Sun as well so should be interesting to see what they can bring another to of France last year was learning it and this year should be um yeah more consolidating them however no Italian team we have an Italian grar

Should an Italian team have made it like Paul team or Lampe when they existed or liquid gas get a Italian World Tour team Italy oh okay yes but like in terms of the invite did did they do enough last year to prove themselves well they have writers

Though L and Magnus like you said and kristof’s in there as well so plenty of big guys they’re in the top 10 I all for a lot last year to be fair more more than most Pro Conti teams like who’s you know trickling maybe two I think unox

Got at least like six or seven it’s pretty good oh sorry sorry the B has not released in there one I mixed this one up but um guess it’s it’s going to be a lot of it’s going to be a lot of Spanish teams

I was I was hoping for a grandal St for q36.5 my memory deceived me but q36.5 are going to a number of UCI well ASO organized races so maybe they’re trying tooo for the position that the Uno X have had over the past couple years a q36.5 the new

Threat they buy a stage and yeah stage seven sponsored by Q3 6.5 sponsor the most lame Sprint stage to set the bar nice and low it’s probably got a low bidding I don’t even know you could bid for can you even bid for stages where where is that where’s the

Like is there a market for that I don’t think the Twitter France you can but for the G yeah how much does the Astron cyc podcast need in order to guess okay but which stage would we want uh I presume the Sprint stages probably cost less but everyone will

Just associate you with worst and most boring day you kind of want the opening stage will be quite kind of expensive but you’ll probably get more like exposure because I presume that like the retention span of like audiences is like starts really high for the first couple

Of stages and this kind of like you know waivers so I can you w like stage two or something like that I don’t know what stage that was sponsor a TT and you get loads well that’s what Tudor have done but they’re also a luxury watch brand

That’s true what are we we’re batting in this existential questioning you are we what are we what’s up Happ Us in this world what do we serve I don’t know but all I want is q36.5 out of grandor in 2024 stroke 5 they have such a good star list this

Year I’m really I think it’s a really cool team with a really cool um res on Dedra and philosophy about themselves and we were listening to their team manager at rer and I think you and love he’s such an interesting guy and we know what he’s done in the past as well Doug

Ry is behind that project he was behind the Quebec project that they had before they proved that they could really punch above their weight they won a monument in 2013 when they really shouldn’t have and then they went on to win a stage at the TT of France in their first year on

Nelson Mandela day courtesy of the world’s very own Steve Cummings I have believe that q36.5 will return to the toour of France one day a lot of this has also based on personal relations between Ray organizers and team people which is something we don’t usually think about like for instance Uno X have

A really good relationship with ASO at the moment hence they’ve been they’ve had the door open I think Doug Ryder as well probably I would imagine based on previous Rel what previous inclusions in races like the worlds I like the to of France before they were kind of cool

That um he could make it back with q36.5 in the years to come but it’s a great sign that we have such a healthy Continental circuit would you invite Lotto Destiny if they weren’t automatically invited there we go yes yeah just for is the going to the talk

Yes ex exciting discussion if they didn’t have dele I would be right don’t know they Haven cor yeah it’s true did gr stage stage yeah exactly um I mean a neutralized stage with W downhill finish that no one really still counts I mean still counts still counts B is still the 2019

To F Champion very true don’t get me started don’t get me started up there in the background but didn’t win the road race this year and in terms of the Nationals and the time draw as well just to finish the Colombian up sandwich of the Colombian national championships Danny

Martinez won the time trial as well for the millionth time or whatever it seems like he’s the best time tral there and it wasn’t even close exactly so anyways right of the week coming to save us all and this one’s actually this is a quite competitive one shall I say yeah

Who wants to go first um I could go first and just steal the last off but no we were any of us was going to have one that Clash but apparently no no I’m I’m I’m picking Leonard van as my R everyweek for winning one of the meoc

Challenge races can’t remember which one it was cuz they like you say it’s kind of hard they all blar into one and he almost won another to be fair the one which was won by poo Sanchez he almost won that he was solo like 2K to go but

He was unfortunately caught on the line but still finish top 10 so Leonard velt has um I think got some some good potential for this year Sasha blov three podiums in one week right up there he could have won more he’s the man the moment the met the legend the cyborg

From Viborg is he actually a cyborg I hope not that probably guess I don’t know now well mat of Paul that’s such an easy one he just come oh no no I’m hanging through I mean bny is also low hanging but he would he would

Have like but I never heard of the race so I don’t I don’t feel like I can give it classic it’s not a proper race well it still counts it’s 1.1 oh fair I scrap I mean you can if you want for the for the A Train F no

I’m going for gin Tyson taking his first wi up the year and I mean inm had a lot of podiums as well over the week so to give it to not to have one of them as a right of the week I think that would be

A shame so gin Tyson is my wrer of the week that’s fun all anyways that’s basically it for episode 53 make sure to check us out on Spotify or any other platform as well uh in terms of where you listen to your podcast hit the like button here on YouTube comment down

Below as well we always like to hear your comments subscribe to the channel and of course as always thank you for watching and we will see you next week for our birthday special don’t forget your party hats balloons and birthday presents they’re available to send our mail address in the description sh