Cycling: We all expected the Sagans, the Froomes and the Quintanas to be high up this season. However, every season we also see drivers that we have not known at all before. They're young, they're hungry and they've got a heck of a lot of talent. Since we can expect a lot from them in the coming season, we are now introducing you to our 2016 cycling newcomers in more detail.
Dylan Groenewegen: Breakthrough in the very first year of the WorldTour
Last year Dylan Groenewegen started for the Roompot-Oranje Peloton team. With his victories in the one-day races Arnhem-Veenendaal and Brussels Cycling Classic, he drew the attention of the LottoNL-Jumbo team bosses. He was signed and promptly took the step from talent to professional. In his first season with a WorldTour team, he had 10 wins. Among other things, he won Rund um Köln, the Dutch Championship and stages at the Eneco Tour, the Ster ZLM Toer and the Tour of Britain. He sprinted into the top 23 in three stages of the Tour de France and also in some well-known one-day races in the first half of the year. Groenewegen had the most striking development of all young sprinters this year. The 2017-year-old Dutchman should also be fighting for a few victories in XNUMX. It will be interesting to see whether he will blossom into a classic hunter or whether he would like to become a classic sprinter.
Fernando Gaviria: The top sprinter in the shadow of Marcel Kittel
Actually, the headline is not correct, because Fernando Gaviria really only drives in the shadow of Marcel Kittel in training. The two sprinters from the Etixx-Quick Step team are not at the start together. Kittel has competed in 71 races this season and Gaviria in 42, but they have not completed a single kilometer together. The team bosses already know why. Gaviria is too strong to use him as a helper and starter for Kittel. That would slow down his development. Kittel found his two top drivers in Sabatini and Richeze. Gaviria is often on his own in his races, although the South American duo Richeze/Gaviria works very well. This was particularly evident in a stage of the Tour de Suisse. At that time, the two drove a double victory, with Gaviria even letting his driver Richeze win. Gaviria was allowed to celebrate seven times this season. Among other things, he won the Paris Tour and stages at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Pologne. We will certainly see the successful train driver on a Grand Tour in 2017.
Miguel Angel Lopez: The next Colombian is reaching for the stars
Colombia is a cycling nation. The South American country is fourth in the UCI WorldTour Ranking. Ascending trend. Because seven Colombians are among the top 70 and none is older than 29. Behind them, some talents are pawing their hooves. Miguel Angel Lopez is more than just a talent. The 22-year-old won the Tour de Suisse and Milan-Turin this season. Unfortunately, he had to retire early in the Vuelta a Espana due to injury, otherwise we would probably have seen him up there among the front runners. He enjoys great trust in Team Astana. After the departure of Vincenzo Nibali, his role as captain was not filled by a new signing. The future is Fabio Aru and Miguel Angel Lopez. In 2017, Lopez wants to compete in the Tour de France with Jakob Fuglsang. Then he will also be known to a wider public. And they will see that Quintana may soon have one more competitor from its own country.
Pierre Latour: He should satisfy the longing of the French
In 1985, Bernard Hinault became the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France. Since then, the enthusiastic French cycling fans have been looking for a successor. Many names have been thrown into the ring over the past 30 years, but so far it's only been enough for a few second and third places. But that is not enough for the country, which has been spoiled by success. That's why every young climber from France is driven by the hope of the fans. This also applies to Pierre Latour, but the 23-year-old is lucky that there are many other good drivers from his country at the moment. The pressure and expectations are (still) limited. His teammate Romain Bardet finished second this season. Latour wasn't allowed to start because the team bosses wanted to carefully introduce him. But he was at the start of the Vuelta a Espana and promptly won a stage. Certainly his greatest success to date, after he was allowed to wear the leader's jersey at the Tour de Suisse. But he convinced in many other races, even if there were no victories. He was able to place himself in the top 10 several times in both one-day races and one-week tours. So far it is unclear where he may present himself in 2017. On the other hand, it seems certain that the French have another hot iron in the fire with Latour for the future. Maybe it will work out again with a home win in the Tour de France.
Magnus Cort Nielsen: A fast Dane for Orica-BikeExchange
On January 16, 2017, Magnus Cort Nielsen will be 24 years old. For a good sprinter, the best phase of a career is slowly beginning. The Dane was already able to draw attention to himself this season. He eventually won two stages at the Vuelta a Espana, including the final stage to Madrid. However, it was not enough for the great popularity among cycling fans. After all, there were hardly any top sprinters at the start of the Vuelta. That's certainly true, but it in no way detracts from Cort Nielsen's performance. The Dane has been considered the upcoming sprint star for years. But as a sprinter you need a lot of experience, much more than is needed as a climber. That's why the successes in the Tour of Spain were so important for him. Not only was he able to gain self-confidence, but he was also able to position himself with his team bosses. Orica-BikeExchange is now much more versatile than before. With the Yates twins and Esteban Chaves you now play a big role in the mountains, just as Cort Nielsen suddenly makes it possible to win mass sprints. He will certainly need his time, but Cort Nielsen is also one of the ranks of the upcoming sprint stars.
More retrospective articles:
The big season review: The cycling highlights 2016 - Part 1/2
The big season review: The cycling highlights 2016 - Part 2/2
The big season review: The top drivers 2016
The big season review: The cycling flops of 2016
The big season review: The cycling highlights of 2016 in 30 pictures
The big season review: The cycling surprises of 2016
The big season review: The bad luck in cycling 2016
The big season review: The cycling comebacks 2016