EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
The American team have landed themselves the hottest property in the sports for the next decade in Zoe Bäckstedt but the contract of one of their own best performers is still pretty much wide open.
Indeed Krista Doebel- Hickok made the move last season and amid a season of serious crashes, she was one of their best performers, well at least in Velogames.
Krista Doebel-Hickok
453 points for the women’s classics is not much.
However, considering that she was priced at 6 points and she is everything about a good climber, she proved to be a wise choice.
Most of her points (405) came unsurprisingly from her 8th place in La Fleche Wallonne Feminine.
As for the stage races, she was affordable and nearly always on her list.
Unfortunately a combination of early mis-form and a series of bad crashes made it a season to forget.
(Mental tag to my dear friend, Mark Miwurdz)Verdict 2023: She is looking extremely motivated for 2023. With more luck by her side, she could be a real asset in the mountains.
Veronica Ewers:
The real performer of the team.
Unknown to the public, she is quite a household name now.
More of rider puncheur, she expanded to the climber business.
A mere figuration in the women’s classics (total 36), she was a big hit in the stage races.
Starting with women Itzulia, she finished 10th in the general classification, bringing home 110 points for 13th best rider getting her in the best possible team at 6 points.
More of a sprinters’ race, she still managed to get some 114 points/ 19th best in the Ride London classique.
Her very high price 14th indicates clearly that picking her was a trap.
Best possible @velogames team for #ItzuliaWomen:Demi VolleringLiane LippertPauliena RooijakkersNiamh Fisher-BlackKristen FaulknerFloortje MackaijOlivia BarilVeronica EwersPetra Stiasny3947 points, 100 credits— Calum Lonie 🇮🇪🇨🇵🇪🇺 (@CalumLonie) May 15, 2022
Best possible @velogames team for #TDFF Velogame Femmes 2022:Demi VolleringMarianne VosKatarzyna NiewiadomaLotte KopeckyJuliette LabousSilvia PersicoÉvita MuzicVeronica EwersMaike Van Der Duin5826 points, 100 credits— Calum Lonie 🇮🇪🇨🇵🇪🇺 (@CalumLonie) July 31, 2022
While she did missed out on the best possible team for La Vuelta (144 for 8 points) and Romandie, her perfomances (269 at 12 points) brought her the 21st and 10th best Velogames riders, meaning she was nothing close to a bad choice.
Verdict 2023: While her price will most probably vary between 10-14 next season, her performances will improves stating that she should included whenever the various combinations allow it.
Laetizia Borghesi:
The Italian sprinter is everything about a cobble rider and her12th and 8th place in Flanders door and Scheldeprij brought her some decent classics points. (387)
Abi Smith, Omer Shapira, Clara Honsinger, Emma Langley:
All 4 riders are very offensive riders that we often used to see at the front of the races.
Sadly, the final results were lacking for them in 2022 and so did their Velogames 2022.
Verdict 2023: Their young ages mean that they will still improve and one result mean that other will follow. A velogames bargain selection will then be an option.
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