"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Thoughts on Popovych

He put in some really impressive results a while ago. However, this season, even Buyneel has
commented that he seems flat or has hit a plateau. Popovych may have even said the same
about himself. In fact, I think he did in an article I read in the last month or so (but don't recall
where I saw it).

Any thoughts on what is going on with him? Is this a young guy who is burnt out? Or were his
good results just him being at his peak back then? I'm sure this is a complicated thing, but I'm
curious if people have any thoughts on it.

Then there is Danielson who is sitting out Catalunya because he has a "virus"...

When you're riding for GC, it limits the chances you can take. If you're not riding for GC, you can tear off, fight hard and win by 3:00 in a breakaway, lose 5:00 the next day, and who cares? I don't know if there's some other factor here, but I think part of it is him adjusting to the change of mindset.

When you're riding for GC, it limits the chances you can take. If you're not riding for GC, you can tear off, fight hard and win by 3:00 in a breakaway, lose 5:00 the next day, and who cares? I don't know if there's some other factor here, but I think part of it is him adjusting to the change of mindset.


Absolutely right. Holding it together over 7 or 12 or 23 days is not easy. GC contenders have to hold back on the aggression and stay calm under huge pressure. He may prefer one-day classics and hard individual stages that suit his talents. In the end, he'll get some results and be a super-domestique, but time will tell on stage racing. Loads of talent and still young, so...

When you're riding for GC, it limits the chances you can take. If you're not riding for GC, you can tear off, fight hard and win by 3:00 in a breakaway, lose 5:00 the next day, and who cares? I don't know if there's some other factor here, but I think part of it is him adjusting to the change of mindset.

You're right with respect to the Giro right now. That makes sense. However, I was speaking more in general terms where Bruyneel was saying earlier this season that Popo seems to have hit a plateau

Popovych is a solid all around rider who received massive hype because of his association with Ernesto Colnago who pretty much personally sponsored this kid and brought him to Italy. Of course, Colnago has a huge interest in Eastern Bloc sales, so this made sense. But Popovych was hyped as a Grand Tour winner, and has always been preparing for competition as a Grand Tour contender, but he hasn't shown the climbing abilities to live up to these types of expectations. He can TT well enough for the job, but when it gets really steep, he loses contact. But he may yet win a GT, given the right circumstances, and a few more years of maturity.

could've won the 2003 Giro if with a stronger team than Landbouw.

Landbouwkrediet-Colnago had Johan Verstrepen and four of Popo's buddies from the Ukraine. What more could you want?:) No truck painters on this team.

Popo finished third overall by five seconds to Garzelli, who beat Popovych in the final stage time trial by 3 seconds. But for 6 seconds, he would have had 2nd overall. And in the Stage 15 43k TT, he only beat Simoni by 4 seconds. Not good enough. And of the 7 minutes he finished behind Simoni overall, 6 of those minutes were lost on climbing stages, including a full minute on the first significant climbing stage of the race.

Popovych was very young, and he did have a weak team. I think a more mature Yaroslav with a stronger team would have gotten on the second step.

Of course, Colnago has a huge interest in Eastern Bloc sales, so this made sense.

Why is this? Ive never paid attention to this type of thing before.