2013 Cycling Thread

[XYZ]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

I am fairly certain that the final climbs are some of the same climbs that cause so much damage in Tirreno-Adriatico. The ones where Nibali and Purito (I think) destroyed the Sky train end when on for the win. There are a couple of 10%+ walls in there and Wiggo has shown weakness in classic type stages, so...

Saturday TT or not I'd really like to see some other GC guys put Sir Wiggo under pressure on a stage like this. I really don't see why they wouldn't. Yeah they might work a little harder than they would have to otherwise, but so would Sir Middle Finger...

 

[MattS]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Saturday TT or not I'd really like to see some other GC guys put Sir Wiggo under pressure on a stage like this. I really don't see why they wouldn't. Yeah they might work a little harder than they would have to otherwise, but so would Sir Middle Finger...

Hesjedal maybe would be willing to give it a go again?

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Well, that was fun!


Go Nibali!

 

[XYZ]

Well, that was fun!


Go Nibali!

And THAT is why you put Wiggins under pressure on a stage like this...

 

[XYZ]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Stage 8: Individual Time Trial, 54.8k. Have to think Sir Wiggo is going to come out grumpy and do well, but I suspect the undulations will limit the time he takes back relative to what he would on a long TT that was pan flat. Evans has looked good so far but the roads have suited his style. He's a guy I'm really curious to see tomorrow since while usually being a strength his TT was garbage last season:

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Crazy TT so far. Wiggo down, Wiggo mechanical, Wiggo descending like a grandmother bringing home the eggs. Wiggo smashes the final climb.

Nibali fast time @ the first split!

Cadel trying to kick some of the dirt off his grave.

Oh and Alex Dowsett is the fastest Brit.

And of course as everyone predicted, we will have a defensive Nibali defending against the attacking Wiggo (RoboWiggo?) in the mountains.

 

[sagard]

I don't see Wiggins as tough enough to even try to get back in it. Hope he feels good about costing Sky the '10 Vuelta, and now the '12 Giro. Uran and Henao deserved better than to escort his silly soft peddling *** at the end of stage seven. Those two would be less than a minute to Nibali, and each has the stones to attack.

 

[XYZ]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

I'm convinced that I could have descended better than His Sirness did on Friday. Don't like seeing him crash yesterday or getting the mechanical today, but the guy really is a pure diesel that isn't built to win grand tours - unless it's a course designed specifically for him and he's got a supercharged Froome there to tow him around. With one week in the bag I have to say things don't look quite how I expected. Figured Wiggins would take enough today to get in pink and from there it would be up to everyone to try to deal with the Sky Train. Now someone is going to have to attack Nibali which isn't going to be easy, and with time bonuses being crucial I have no idea how Wiggins will make up or hold time on numerous other guys near the top considering there is no way he has the mountain sprint capabilities of some of the others. Short of Sky going full gonzo and somehow driving away from the entire peloton, I think he's in big trouble. Evans seems to look like a legit contender and Bradley does not like that:

Biggest mountains of the race so far tomorrow, though it again looks like a stage bound to generate late action. Let's see some more rain...

Interestingly, my guide says beIN will have just hour of coverage. Odd. Tour of California also starts tomorrow with coverage beginning at 4pm CDT on NBCS

Stage 9 Profile:

 

[XYZ]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

And seriously, why can't the TDF design stages that promote actual racing like these do? It's not really that hard. Stage three looks like a nice one this year, otherwise they seem to always fit one of about four profiles.

1. Pan flat sprint stage
2. Nearly pan flat stage with 2% grade over last 3-500 meters. Also known as "The Gilbert" or "The Sagan"
3. 140km of flat and then a mountain finish. Nothing prior to final climb to soften up the legs.
4. 17 mountains, but a long descent and then 30km of flat prior to finish that makes attacking on climbs less effective as gaps get closed down

Am I being too nitpicky or does that really seem the way its worked over the last few years? I'm trying to think back to the last time a TDF stage design really encouraged creativity and aggression (by the GC contenders and their teams). I'm sure there have have been a few recently but none immediately spring to mind.

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

THEY COULD HAVE FINISHED WIGGO! WHY DIDN'T THEY ATTACK?!?

Anyway exciting stage, the Cat 3 was a beast for a cat 3.

As for the stage design, thats why this is the Giro and that is the Tour.
Why does the Vuelta finish with 14 2 K 15% climbs?


Its why the Giro is the best GT for my money.

 

[sagard]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Nobody tells Betancur anything. Hope he decides to ride hard on a few more stages.

 

[rufus]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Had my DVR all set to record the measly 1 hour of coverage today, and the dammed thing didn't even do it. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And you notice, Cannondale's kit is really bright, neon green, almost hurt the eyes to look at it. But any shot of them in the peloton that has a Fantini Vini rider in it with them, and the Cannondale colors look positively washed out in comparison.

 

[sagard]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

THEY COULD HAVE FINISHED WIGGO! WHY DIDN'T THEY ATTACK?!?

I don't think Wiggins is considered a threat anymore. It is pretty much proven Sky has only one plan. Ride Uran and Henao until they can't go any further. Then let Wiggins lose 10-30 seconds, plus time bonus to Scarponi/Nibali/Evans/Gesink/etc... Going into the final TT if he doesn't quit, he will be 3+ minutes back.

Wiggins needed to be 2+ minutes up at this point, and I don't think he has the legs to compete.

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

I agree that Wiggo is not likely to win. BUT for all the strength Astana showed at Trentino, they have, save Kangert, been sick, weak, or falling down in the Giro. What happens when on the penultimate climb Uran or Henao nip off the front? I doubt that Sky want it to work, I know Wiggo's ego wouldn't allow it but what does Astana do? Does BMC or Lampre have the firepower to chase? Cungeo won his Giro with just that tactic.

Besides it is not impossible that Wiggo could takea minute out of Nibali on the MTT (granted its apples and oranges but he has the 2nd best split of anyone on the final climb yesterday) which is perfectly suited to him. Its like 20 K at a fairly consistent 6% perfect TDF style climb for him. There are no descent finishes and except for Gaiu there is always a decent amount of flat between the ultimate and the penultimate climbs.

What I'm saying is that Wiggo was on the ropes, if they ride and drop him like Ryder, then I bet he is reconing climbs for the TDF by this weekend. As it is, he gets a rest day and sunny forecasts for the rest of the Giro. You should eliminate a competitor when you have the chance. They had a chance and didn't do it.

 

[sagard]

I agree that Wiggo is not likely to win. BUT for all the strength Astana showed at Trentino, they have, save Kangert, been sick, weak, or falling down in the Giro. What happens when on the penultimate climb Uran or Henao nip off the front? I doubt that Sky want it to work, I know Wiggo's ego wouldn't allow it but what does Astana do? Does BMC or Lampre have the firepower to chase? Cungeo won his Giro with just that tactic.

Besides it is not impossible that Wiggo could takea minute out of Nibali on the MTT (granted its apples and oranges but he has the 2nd best split of anyone on the final climb yesterday) which is perfectly suited to him. Its like 20 K at a fairly consistent 6% perfect TDF style climb for him. There are no descent finishes and except for Gaiu there is always a decent amount of flat between the ultimate and the penultimate climbs.

I agree that Sky could still cause problems, if they had an oz. of creativity. Sadly they don't and everyone knows it. As it is, Sky will tow the GC men as far as they can and Wiggins will lose the finishes.

It's hard to tell Wiggins he should be a dom, but man he would be good at it.

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Degenkolb DNS Stage 10 at the Giro.

Also just watch the ToC finish at Palm Springs, BRUTAL!

 

[XYZ]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Also just watch the ToC finish at Palm Springs, BRUTAL!

Yeah, painful. I've driven up that numerous times and taken the tram up to hike San Jacinto Peak. Not the road I'd choose to cruise up on a casual ride . Which makes me wonder...since my disillusioned self was out of the cycling loop for awhile, has the ToC ever use the road up to Mt. Whitney as a finish? I have to assume it has, but that'd be a good one if not. Not as steep as this but would work well and the scenery is great, also. I know they used Mt. Baldy last year or the year before, which is another good one (that I've also driven up to hike the peak), but the road there is complete crap.

As for the Giro, looks like some more fun tomorrow. A true mountain finish, and I really have no idea what to expect. I now have some horrible gut feeling that Sky is going to come out and be really strong.

Stage 10:

 

[sagard]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Fun and shocking result at the Giro. Hopefully Wiggins can actually show some leadership and continue to let Uran go. At some point guys are going to break, whether it's Uran, Evans, Wiggins, or Nibali.

 

[Titleist]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

I thought Nibali looked very in control today, except for his multiple gear problems. He even controlled Uran fairly well without putting too much into the chase. Also the AG2R duo looked great. Surprisingly Evans hung tough and Scarponi didn't. That was the biggest surprise for me, that and that Uran was given the freedom to move up.

I thought his post stage comments were amusing:

"Henao and I are here working for the team. We've already shown that we are men who are willing to work for the team," said Uran, whose contract with Sky expires at the end of the season. "We are not Froome, so we'll just see what happens day by day. We knew our roles from the start of the race."

Bold is mine...

 

[rufus]

Re: 2013 Cycling Thread

Those were a couple nice climbs today. Just beautiful. You see the spectator take a step off the road to avoid the oncoming pack, and just tumble off down the hillside? Funny.