(Part 2/2)
Times change, people change and characters in a play may be the same but the actors behind it change, too. Larry and Magic were replaced by Michael, who was later replaced but Kobe, who in turn was replaced by the current King, Lebron.
Cliche says that the one thing that is permanent ic change.
The top echelons of the sport of cycling isn’t immune. Last week I wrote about the two of the four biggest and youngest up and coming stars, if not they’re stars already. Here’s the last two:
3- Remco Evanepoel. What were you doing when you were 19yo? Probably in college, trying to pass that tough subject. But Remco, at 19, turned pro after a junior season that he completely dominated. During the 2018 World Junior Championships, he wass in a crash and waited 2 minutes before he got going. What he did next was just short of Merckx-ian. The Italians, the Germans were at the front driving the race but Remco, against the best teams in the world, caught and drop the riders to win solo! Incredible!!!
He skipped the under-23’s and signed for the best one-day, classics oriented team in the world, Deceuninck–Quick-Step and was scheduled to race and learn from the best. Well, he did his part and more. With 25km to go in the 227.3km Classica San Sebastian, he was dropped and was asked to get water for the team leaders which he did. WhenToms Skujinš attacked, Remco covered it, Remco wasn’t just happy following Skujins. He did his share of work and dropped the 28yo, 8yr veteran and won. A few days later, he would win the time trial of the European Championships.
4- Egan Bernal. I don’t need to write more about Bernal. Not much can be said of the 22yo rider from the third world country of Colombia that hasn’t been said. What I can say at this point is that his future in pro cycling its limitless. The team he is on, INEOS, is a team with 3 Grand Tour winners including Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. Add Ricardo Carapaz, the 2019 Giro d’Italia champion on that team and that would be four. Would Egan survive INEOS? Well, INEOS Directo Sportif Dave Brailsford is sentimental type. He would pick the rider that would best win a race. In 2013, Brailsford didn’t even picked Bradley Wiggins in the Tour team inspire of the fact that Bradley was the defending champion. So, if Brailsfor think that Egan best represents the team, then Froome and company will have to work for the Colombian. Egan’s humility will serve him well.
I’d like to add two riders in the list, 5A- is Ivan Sosa, a countryman and teammate of Bernal at INEOS. last week, he easily dispatched his future teammate Carapaz, in the Vuelta a Burgos. At 21yo, 2019 is his 3rd year as a pro. TREK was supposed to sign him but INEOS couldn’t be denied and after some legal wrangling, INEOS stole Sosa from TREK. TREK will end up with 34yo multiple Grand Tour winner, Vincenzo Nibali. 5B is a 22yo Frenchman, David Gaudo. Though not a prolific winner compared to the others in this list, he has the potential to be the first Frenchman to win the Tour since 1985. He guided teammate Thibaut Pinot in the Tour last month in the mountains. He just need to get out of his current team GROUPAMA if he wants to be the best.