For those who can no longer see the trees for the forest in the Sporza Cycling Manager, we have one last lifebuoy. Nicolas Delbecque, last year’s winner, has his cards taken just before the start of the Flemish spring.
“I don’t know if copying my ideas is the right tactic,” laughs last year’s winner. “It is also a tactical game and making the right transfers at the right times is just as important.”
But still, checking your cards just before the opening weekend gives citizens some extra courage. Or not? “It is only a first version, because the rider programs are not yet fully available. So I can still change.”
For the rest, Nicolas thinks that the prizes for the riders this year are not too bad. But especially the extra transfer provides more opportunities to make shifts or intervene tactically.
That is why he consciously chose to leave extra budget as a buffer for possible transfers. “There are always unforeseen circumstances, illness or falls and then it is a shame that you cannot replace a rider worth, say, 6 million or more with an equivalent option.”
“I have 4 absolute certainties”
Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen and Arnaud De Lie are the four spearheads of last year’s winner. “And with my financial flexibility, Pogacar is also an option,” Nicolas grins.
“Mads Pedersen has made a lot of progress. I think he can almost put his foot next to Wout and Mathieu. He also has a stronger Lidl-Trek block with extra workhorse Tim Declercq and where Jasper Stuyven can also operate in his shadow.”
Nicolas also expects a strong Visma-Lease a Bike team. “That is why I am also putting Laporte in the team. We will still race against Mathieu and I am aiming for the team game of Van Aert-Laporte and Pedersen-Stuyven.”
My biggest risk is Biniam Girmay
Nicolas Delbecque, winner cycling manager 2023
It is striking that the men on the second line of last season’s winner are still very expensive riders. We have already mentioned Laporte and in addition there are sprinters Jasper Phillipsen and Tim Merlier and frequent rider Matej Mohoric.
“But my biggest risk is Biniam Girmay,” says Nicolas. “Two years ago he earned me a lot of points. Last year I thought he was too expensive and he was also rejected. Can this be the year of resurrection for all-rounder Girmay?”
Tom Pidcock is his last expensive bird. He rides both the Italian races and the Ardennes section. “I read that his values are very strong. He played a bit of hide and seek in the cross country, already won an MTB race, so he will be there in Sanremo and the Strade.”
Success thanks to special tactics
It is striking that Nicolas, apart from Milan Menten, does not have a single rider worth 4 or 5 million. And that is a conscious choice.
“It is a tactic that I have been using for several years. If you have to make a transfer, you do not really free up a budget with someone worth 4 or 5 million. With someone worth more than 6 million, you do.”
And so the 2023 winner immediately looks at riders of 3 and 2 million. “I don’t think there are any points scorers and you can’t expect them to win races. But you never know in the small races and a top 20 place in a big race always yields something.”
And above all, if you take a rider from a large team and the leader wins, this year it will earn 10 points for the teammates and you can of course also collect that way.
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“Young, talented riders from big teams”
But who are those cheap white blackbirds that everyone is so desperately looking for?
Riders worth 3 million that Nicolas expects a lot from are Riley Sheehan, Amaury Capiot and Laurence Pithie.
“The first one rides a lot of big races and will be allowed to do his thing at Israel-Premier Tech. Capiot is a bargain, although many people will have chosen him now because he won that stage in Oman and Pithie won the Great Ocean race and is started the season very strongly.”
Martin Svrcek rides all the races that Merlier rides, so if the leader wins he also gets 10 points
Nicolas Delbecque, winner cycling manager 2023
Nicolas always prefers young riders with potential and in that respect he often looks towards Ineos. “They always have young talents who do well, but you never know where they will start.”
“I already have Andrew August and Theodore Storm, who was third in Paris-Roubaix among the juniors. You never know when he will start there. And Bastien Tronchon (21) from AG2R was second in the Clasica Jaen, which Wout won. “
Two more young guys who ride a lot of races are Filippo Baroncini from UAE and Martin Svrcek from Soudal-Quick Step. “The latter rides all the races that Merlier rides, so if his leader wins, he always takes the 10 points.”
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