Cycling thread

[Bruce Wayne]

Epic stage racing today - great stuff. vdP immense but looked in pieces at the end - that'll be it for the yellow jersey given what's in store over the weekend.

I wonder whether he has the GC as a longer term goal down the line - On the one hand if Bradley Wiggins can win a GT then you'd think the best cyclist in the world can also make the adaptation. But Wiggins had that iron TT endurance and just multiplied it whilst getting thin (plus some other major team and parcours advantages), might be that vdP won't have the physiology for it.

Hard to see where MvdP would possibly lose weight. Guys like him and JA are already crazily thin. I don't think it's that he can't climb, as he showed when dropping Bernal in Siena, but perhaps more the ability to do long efforts repeatedly on climbs. Some people are just better at the short efforts you get in classics rather than the long efforts you get in GTs.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Hard to see where MvdP would possibly lose weight. Guys like him and JA are already crazily thin. I don't think it's that he can't climb, as he showed when dropping Bernal in Siena, but perhaps more the ability to do long efforts repeatedly on climbs. Some people are just better at the short efforts you get in classics rather than the long efforts you get in GTs.

Check out vdP's arms here - he looks like a human being. Loads of weight to lose there to get to Froome or Wiggins TdF-winning alien physique.

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

I like watching the tdf but not an avid follower just dip in and out of the coverage, but those cycle commentators must be the best commentators in all of sport, they can talk absolute bubbles for hours on end and make interesting.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I like watching the tdf but not an avid follower just dip in and out of the coverage, but those cycle commentators must be the best commentators in all of sport, they can talk absolute bubbles for hours on end and make interesting.

David Millar is probably the best commentator in sport in terms of knowledge, insight, reading the event etc. At least I can't think of anyone who makes his level of contribution - I guess it helps that the event in question is quite deep and hard to read on the surface.

It's either him or Alan Shearer - get it out wide man, get some chalk on the boots.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Check out vdP's arms here - he looks like a human being. Loads of weight to lose there to get to Froome or Wiggins TdF-winning alien physique.

He's about the same weight as Merckx was, but I accept the sport has changed massively. I suppose my point is that JA weighs less than the likes of Bernal and Pogacar, and whilst he's shown he's certainly decent in the mountains, he's other worldly at puncheur style efforts versus just decent at hour long climbs at altitude. I suspect MvdP is similar, as he's had decent results in LBL and Lombardia so can clearly climb, but it's hard to see him doing well in long climbs.

Froome was the opposite, as he never did anything in the hilly classics despite being up there with the best at longer climbs. You could also look at guys like Contador and Quintana in a similar way. Both excellent climbers but they've done nothing in the hilly classics.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

He's about the same weight as Merckx was, but I accept the sport has changed massively. I suppose my point is that JA weighs less than the likes of Bernal and Pogacar, and whilst he's shown he's certainly decent in the mountains, he's other worldly at puncheur style efforts versus just decent at hour long climbs at altitude. I suspect MvdP is similar, as he's had decent results in LBL and Lombardia so can clearly climb, but it's hard to see him doing well in long climbs.

Froome was the opposite, as he never did anything in the hilly classics despite being up there with the best at longer climbs. You could also look at guys like Contador and Quintana in a similar way. Both excellent climbers but they've done nothing in the hilly classics.

It's true he is likely to not have it, but I think he'll make a serious effort to see later in his career - even if it means a major re-focus on how he races. Just on the basis of him being the GoaT. He's so phenomenally gifted, smashes everything he tries (usually first time out), that winning the biggest bike race in the world must be something he contemplates very seriously.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's true he is likely to not have it, but I think he'll make a serious effort to see later in his career - even if it means a major re-focus on how he races. Just on the basis of him being the GoaT. He's so phenomenally gifted, smashes everything he tries (usually first time out), that winning the biggest bike race in the world must be something he contemplates very seriously.

I remember similar conversations were had about Sagan and Cancellara. The two vans are probably better already, with Wout 20th at the Tour last year (albeit well over an hour behind). With the jersey to defend (probably for both of them with Wout next in line to get it), it will be interesting to see how well they climb as you'd hope the teams would look to capitalize on UAE's inevitable fatigue after today and hit Pogacar.

 

[lichfieldblue]

Movistar really are the worst team. Instead of putting Pogacar into difficulty they let their feud with Carapaz takeover and give him a tow to the line. Ridiculous team.

Netflix will be delighted.

In seriousness, Mas isn't going to win the Tour, but might nick a podium place. In that sense, Carapaz is much more of a rival to worry about.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Netflix will be delighted.

In seriousness, Mas isn't going to win the Tour, but might nick a podium place. In that sense, Carapaz is much more of a rival to worry about.

They've got form for trying to spoil the chances of former riders, and did so against Carapaz in the Vuelta last year when they give Roglic a few helpful tows. A car crash of a team and their tactics are compounded by the fact that they are a GT-based team that has only had success in the past few years when they've gatecrashed the favourite with unexpected moves. To then shut down those moves from other teams based on nothing but spite is petty in the extreme.

 

[arminisgod]

He's about the same weight as Merckx was, but I accept the sport has changed massively. I suppose my point is that JA weighs less than the likes of Bernal and Pogacar, and whilst he's shown he's certainly decent in the mountains, he's other worldly at puncheur style efforts versus just decent at hour long climbs at altitude. I suspect MvdP is similar, as he's had decent results in LBL and Lombardia so can clearly climb, but it's hard to see him doing well in long climbs.

Froome was the opposite, as he never did anything in the hilly classics despite being up there with the best at longer climbs. You could also look at guys like Contador and Quintana in a similar way. Both excellent climbers but they've done nothing in the hilly classics.

he won Milano - Torino and finished top 10 in the fallen leaves.

You are correct their Bruce, you just forgot to add 'until team sky realised he was asthmatic'

 

[Bruce Wayne]

he won Milano - Torino and finished top 10 in the fallen leaves.

You are correct their Bruce, you just forgot to add 'until team sky realised he was asthmatic'

Yes, Contador got 9th twice I think, which for a mere mortal is a decent result, but he was the best stage racer of his generation so a couple of 9th places is not a great return. You could argue, of course, that since Armstrong, riders have specialised a lot more and so seldom target both classics and grand tours, which was probably true of both Froome, Contador, Quintana et al, but obviously less so for Nibali, Valverde et al, but you sense they did that because they were seldom the overwhelming favourite in a GT.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's pretty grim today, and especially grim to see Froome being dropped on the climb before Cav. He's really a long way off.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Think this will also be the final day we see Thomas as a serious GC contender (possibly in any GT).

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Roglic as well. Today is going to be chaotic.

 

[Bruce Wayne]