Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic)
Warren Barguil’s move from Sunweb to Fortuneo-Samsic, from the WorldTour to the second division, was considered one of the big shocks of last year’s transfer markets, and one of the biggest gambles, too. The Frenchman had just enjoyed the summer of his life, winning two stages and the polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France, and his move was, depending on your outlook, a chance to tap into that liberation or a huge gamble.
Twelve months on and it’s fair to say it hasn’t worked out at all. Barguil has shown nothing of the flair of last year’s Tour de France, and having been signed as the French team’s clear leader and talisman, he has yet to register a single victory. The team as a whole only have two. He himself described his season as “rubbish” in June, and things didn’t improve at the Tour, where he was – not for a lack of trying – a shadow of his former self.
Barguil hasn’t had any major injury or illness, though he did hint at personal problems earlier this year. He wasn’t happy with the equipment at his new team and was pictured riding a bike that wasn’t from the sponsor, Look, but painted up to appear so. It wasn’t long before team cut their contract with Look and drafted in BH.
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Barguil has two years left on his current contract and needs to start making things happen. Could that happen at Il Lombardia? On the evidence of most of the season, that’d be a resounding ‘no’, but there are signs. In the past month he has finished third at the Grand Prix de Wallonne, 13th at the Giro della Toscana, 10th at Coppa Sabatini, 10th at the Memorial Marco Pantani, and a respectable 19th at Milano-Torino. It says a lot about Barguil’s season that those results can be picked out as cause for optimism.
Warren Barguil on the attack during stage 10 at the Tour de France
Fabio Aru (UAE Team Emirates)
Another big-name rider who has had an utterly miserable campaign. Sixth place at the Tour of the Alps suggested he wasn’t too far off track for the Giro d’Italia, his number one objective for the season, but he unraveled in spectacular fashion.
Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First-Drapac)
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)
Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Steve Cummings (Dimension Data)
Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin)
Ben Swift (UAE Team Emirates)
Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing)
Carlos Betancur (Movistar)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/10-riders-who-need-to-save-their-seasons
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