"There is definitely potential in Jack Burke" - Intermarché - Wanty scout admits to being impressed by viral Strava sensation

The sensational Strava performances of Canadian amateur Jack Burke continue to garner interest in the wider cycling world. As Burke searches for a contract in the professional peloton, the talent scouts are beginning to take notice.

"When those crazy times were set, I also started googling his name and looking it up on ProCyclingStats," admits Dimitri Claeys, talent scout at Intermarché - Wanty, in conversation with Sporza. "There is definitely potential in Burke and he will probably be a good climber. But it remains difficult to estimate the exact value of his top times on Strava."

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Among the list of notable performances by Burke on Strava are his record breaking climbs of the Mortirolo and Alpe d'Huez, clocking quicker times that previous record holders Vincenzo Nibali and Sepp Kuss respectively. "Kuss of course set that time after almost 2 weeks of racing and at the end of a Tour stage," Claeys notes. "But Burke's top time is still very strong."

Claeys also adds that Strava performances can't always be taken at face value however, given the fact they aren't taken during racing conditions much of the time. "For example, I know that there are riders who wait in the Flemish Ardennes to break a KOM until the wind blows in their favour," he explains. "As a team, we have to keep our eyes open for riders who haven't been picked up by the top teams. In that respect, Burke is an interesting rider to follow, even though he's already 29 years old. I have every respect for his attempt to become a World Tour rider. And I hope he succeeds, but I don't think it will be with us."

So if not Intermarché - Wanty, could Soudal - Quick-Step provide a home for Burke? It wouldn't be totally unheard of. "This spring, for example, there was a young Dane (Peter Øxenberg) who set a KOM on the Coll de Rates. That guy got a contract with INEOS," adds Quick-Step scout Johan Molly. "When you see a name like that pop up again later, you think: 'That was the guy who did the KOM on the Coll de Rates.' But a KOM like that doesn't say everything. In a race, there are so many other factors, such as riding in a group and your mental strength."

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