Riding with us since June 2026
I think he's probably the best bet. He looked good in the Dauphine (will always call the race that). Of course, because of how mechanical, he didn't contribute too much to the S3 TTT victory. He looked good in the mountains. I think Visma have enough strong men for the flatter stages. Tullett could be used earlier on the climbs. End of the day, Wout is irreplaceable. He could do the work on the flat, keep Jonas in position in the sketchy stages, do some work in the mountains, all whilst likely picking up a stage win himself.
Bramboss ... I liked it more from the perspective of rider safety. Jon security should in theory, lessen risks. You're right about UAE.
Michael Storer made some excellent points on the latest Hotseat Podcast with Aiden; one of which touched on rider's salaries. I thought his idea of increasing the minimum wage, and the "expense" of the highest paid riders had a some merit.
Quoting from the brilliant Daniel Benson Substack: "Last week I was provided with a well-researched wage bill for one of the biggest teams in the men’s WorldTour. The calculations examined the provisional top seven riders on the team for 2027, and the figure was an eye-watering €17.5 million. That number was based on retaining a Grand Tour leader, a Spring Classics specialist, a promising sprinter, two super mountain domestiques, a solid all-rounder, and a second Grand Tour leader as insurance should Plan A fail." No mention of who the team is. It's irrelevant. The total team budget was between 30-35 million. That's an insane amount of money for many teams. Monies they just can't afford. Look at last year's TdF. Look at this year's Giro. So many teams went home empty handed. It's just not great for the sport.
I'm sitting neutral on this. What Seixas says publicly might differ to reality. I think he should try and pump the brakes when it comes to expectations. He might want to aim for a podium, but he'd b wise not to state it publicly. If he plays his cards right, he can keep expectations in check; something that will only become harder in future years.
I think he's probably the best bet. He looked good in the Dauphine (will always call the race that). Of course, because of how mechanical, he didn't contribute too much to the S3 TTT victory. He looked good in the mountains. I think Visma have enough strong men for the flatter stages. Tullett could be used earlier on the climbs. End of the day, Wout is irreplaceable. He could do the work on the flat, keep Jonas in position in the sketchy stages, do some work in the mountains, all whilst likely picking up a stage win himself.
Bramboss ... I liked it more from the perspective of rider safety. Jon security should in theory, lessen risks. You're right about UAE.
Michael Storer made some excellent points on the latest Hotseat Podcast with Aiden; one of which touched on rider's salaries. I thought his idea of increasing the minimum wage, and the "expense" of the highest paid riders had a some merit.
Quoting from the brilliant Daniel Benson Substack: "Last week I was provided with a well-researched wage bill for one of the biggest teams in the men’s WorldTour. The calculations examined the provisional top seven riders on the team for 2027, and the figure was an eye-watering €17.5 million. That number was based on retaining a Grand Tour leader, a Spring Classics specialist, a promising sprinter, two super mountain domestiques, a solid all-rounder, and a second Grand Tour leader as insurance should Plan A fail." No mention of who the team is. It's irrelevant. The total team budget was between 30-35 million. That's an insane amount of money for many teams. Monies they just can't afford. Look at last year's TdF. Look at this year's Giro. So many teams went home empty handed. It's just not great for the sport.
I'm sitting neutral on this. What Seixas says publicly might differ to reality. I think he should try and pump the brakes when it comes to expectations. He might want to aim for a podium, but he'd b wise not to state it publicly. If he plays his cards right, he can keep expectations in check; something that will only become harder in future years.