Without options for the general classification, Movistar has the possibility of shining in the Tour
It is curious, of the four that appear in the Movistar photo at the Basque start of last year’s Tour, only Alex Aranburu and Nelson Oliveira will be in the game.
They are both cyclists who serve to explain that this year, the telephone team has other options, especially with the Gipuzkoan in the form he arrives.
Champion of Spain, with an interesting background in points but not as brilliant as one could imagine, Aranburu will certainly run his last Tour with Movistar.
Giving him freedom is not an option, it is the obligation to a team that, right now, is not there to think about the three weeks and general.
A reality that we all see clearly, but that the team management is reluctant to admit.
Competing in the Tour as they would have done ten years ago, and a little less, would be making, once again, the mistake of thinking that the overall or the podium is possible.
Overturn the team in Enric Maswhen their limits are what they are, has been the script that has prevented brilliance in many days that, in other teams, would have been perfect for riders like Aranburu.
Guipuzcoan is undoubtedly the icing on the cake, but not the only one.
Because the issue of points, the balance of victories and those things, I don’t think they are faithful to the reality of the team, which has more potential than the numbers dictate.
The Tour is ideal terrain for cyclists like Alex Aranburu, in many stages of the second and third week, but also the perfect stage for Oier Lazkano to dedicate himself to hunting and adding to his career the victory that we all think he has in his legs.
Escapes, risk, hunting for the escape, are not words that we relate to the blue teambut this is no longer the Movistar that went to the Tour with Nairo and Valverde.
In the eight of the Tour, apart from those mentioned, Fernando Gaviria is given the umpteenth option to resurrectI don’t see him winning, and the good tone maintained by Javier Romo is rewarded, who as Oier I hope will make the leap.
Completing the block are Gregor Mühlberger and Davide Formolo, two experienced cyclists in these fields who could perfectly fit into the strategy of looking for cuts and opportunities.
All this we write is on paper, what we see from the outside, another thing is what happens in the race and changing mentalities and in this team they have always been about leaving things as they were.
I hope this time it’s not like that, and the “Girazo” that Pelayo hit inspires you.
Image: ASO/Pauline Ballet
2024-06-24 22:01:45
#Movistar #chance #shine #Tour
