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cycling: 5 to watch: Previous results & upcoming races

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5 to watch

Cycling: In our "5 to watch" section , we're following five top talents in 2018: Phil Bauhaus (Sunweb), Kilian Frankiny (BMC), Felix Großschartner (Bora-hansgrohe), Marc Soler (Movistar), and Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert). The season has only just begun, but four of our protégés have already been in action. We look back at their performances so far and take a closer look at their upcoming races.

Phil Bauhaus: Already in second place in Australia

Phil Bauhaus almost gave us our first victory – but only almost. On the third stage of the Tour Down Under, the 23-year-old sprinted to second place. Only the Italian Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) was faster that day. Admittedly, Bauhaus benefited enormously from the stage winner's top speed, as he let him pull him into second place in his slipstream. Nevertheless, Phil Bauhaus has also achieved some remarkable results apart from this. With fourth and sixth place finishes on two other stages, he can already boast three top-six results. He certainly still lacks top speed, but his biggest weakness seems to be positioning within a bunch sprint. This skill comes naturally with experience, because unless you happen to be Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe), it's not something you're born with.

Next race: not known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRAEAqwMvic

Felix Großschartner: Helper services on Mallorca

Felix Großschartner's season started somewhat more calmly than Phil Bauhaus's. After intensive training, he was nominated for two races of the Mallorca Challenge. He finished 32nd in the Trofeo Lloseta-Andratx and 10th in the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana . More importantly, however, his teammate and fellow countryman Gregor Mühlberger secured strong results with finishes of 2nd and 5th. Großschartner was given the opportunity to launch an attack himself. Only then did Mühlberger really get going. As a support rider, Großschartner also contributed to these results. Cycling is, after all, a team sport.

Next race: Felix Großschartner will be back in action on February 10th. The Austrian will then compete in the Spanish one-day race Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia Costa Calida. He finished eleventh there last year.

Kilian Frankiny: His first assignment starts on Wednesday

A cliché about the Swiss says that they are a bit slower. However, we have known since Fabian Cancellara and Alex Zülle at the latest that this does not apply to all Swiss. The fact that Kilian Frankiny has not yet played can therefore not be attributed to this. On the contrary: Kilian Frankiny turned 24 on Friday and is therefore in the prime of cycling age. So now things can really get going – and that's also possible on January 31st. That is when the five-day Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana begins. After his exit from the Vuelta a Espana, this will be his first race.

Next race: The Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana was won last year by Nairo Quintana. The five-day stage race isn't really suited to sprinters. The undulating and partly mountainous profile should suit Kilian Frankiny. However, his support role is also intended to force a win for Greg Van Avermaet. We still hope for some freedom for Kilian.

Marc Soler: No luck on the Tour Down Under

Team Movistar was somewhat disappointing at the Tour Down Under. They didn't manage a stage win, nor any noteworthy placing in the general classification. Marc Soler could have used the opportunity to make a name for himself as team captain, as he likely won't get many chances to do so in the squad of Alejandro Valverde, Mikel Landa, and Nairo Quintana. Unsurprisingly, Marc Soler's season highlights don't fall in January or February. Therefore, we shouldn't be too disappointed that he only managed 34th place at the Tour Down Under. His 18th-place finish on the climb to Willunga Hill wasn't actually that bad. Unfortunately, he incurred the biggest deficit on the fourth stage when he was distracted during Peter Sagan's victory and missed the split in the peloton. At least Marc Soler spotted a koala by the roadside during training in Adelaide.

Next races: Marc Soler's official race calendar is still relatively empty. Unless a race comes up unexpectedly, he won't be seen again until March 19th. He finished third overall in last year's Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. It's quite possible he'll get another chance this season.

Koala 🐨 #adelaida #australia #movistarteam

A post shared by marc soler (@marc_soler) on

Guillaume Martin: A busy schedule in February

Frenchman Guillaume Martin is the only pro in our 5 to watch who isn't under contract with a WorldTour team. Consequently, his schedule is a bit different. While the top-tier races only slowly begin in March, the Pro Continental teams are already under pressure to perform. It's no surprise, then, that Guillaume Martin's calendar is somewhat fuller. So far, however, the Frenchman has only competed in one race. At the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise, he finished in fifth place. He was part of the nine-man lead group, which also included his teammate Odd Christian Eiking. Since the Norwegian is the better sprinter, Guillaume Martin took over for him in the final meters. Eiking rewarded him with second place.

Next races: Guillaume Martin is expected to deliver strong results right from the start in February. He will first compete in the one-day races Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia Costa Calida on the 10th and the Trofeo Laigueglia on the 11th of February. After that, things get serious, as he will face renowned competitors at either the Tour of Oman (13th-18th) or the Ruta Del Sol (14th-18th), aiming for a top position in the overall standings.

Tags:5 to watch5towatchbauhaus5towatchfrankiny5towatchgrossschartner5towatchmartin5towatchsolerBauhausFrankinyGrossschartnerMartinNewsSoler

About Michael Behringer

Cycling with all its tactics, stage analyses, placements and forecasts are Michael Behringer's great passion. In 1996 he tracked his first Tour de France. Since then he has observed almost every race. His passion for cycling has been with him for over two decades. There is no end in sight.