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The cynical view in cycling has often proved to be the correct one. Contador certainly seems to be going very well for someone with a "broken leg" (whatever that means) only weeks ago. Disappointing ride by Froome. Careless by Quintana. Good rides by Uram, Evans and Rodriguez. Still all to play for and Quintana has to go out and attack now which should make it interesting.
Grandfondo said:
It's funny how when Froome wins by pedaling at cartoonish cadence it's because he's the best but when he has a bad result everyone else is on rocket fuel.
What surprised me most about Froome's ride yesterday was how slow he was pedaling. Perhaps saving a lot for today? but I think more likely he was just a bit knackered.Grandfondo said:
It's funny how when Froome wins by pedaling at cartoonish cadence it's because he's the best but when he has a bad result everyone else is on rocket fuel.
Cadence means squat, you think someone is doping because they pedal fast? If so you're worse than I first thought.Look back at what I wrote, Bertie who was at best equal to Froome pre tour is now better despite having more time off and a more serious injury. And he's a convicted cheat, and its the Vuelta, and he's spanish.
spikeyhead said:
What surprised me most about Froome's ride yesterday was how slow he was pedaling. Perhaps saving a lot for today? but I think more likely he was just a bit knackered.
Did your hear his comments? He said he went out too fast, went in the red and could not really recover.Dr Imran T said:
spikeyhead said:
What surprised me most about Froome's ride yesterday was how slow he was pedaling. Perhaps saving a lot for today? but I think more likely he was just a bit knackered.
Did your hear his comments? He said he went out too fast, went in the red and could not really recover.Linky
okgo said:
Grandfondo said:
It's funny how when Froome wins by pedaling at cartoonish cadence it's because he's the best but when he has a bad result everyone else is on rocket fuel.
Cadence means squat, you think someone is doping because they pedal fast? If so you're worse than I first thought.Look back at what I wrote, Bertie who was at best equal to Froome pre tour is now better despite having more time off and a more serious injury. And he's a convicted cheat, and its the Vuelta, and he's spanish.
And do you really think I give a toss what you think?
Movistar have a little dilemma here now, I would expect Quintana will be playing super domestique to Valverde now as a Spanish team have a Spanish rider 27s off the red jersey and Quintana is 3:30 back down the road havingt someone of that quality supporting Valverde makes the most sense, particularly if they honestly think Valverde has the legs to win it.... but maybe they will use Quintana to put the pressure on Contador, maybe they will push Quintana up the road on the climbs to make TinkOff work on the front, break Contador and Quintana reap the spoils?...
Contador's injury in le tour was a fractured tibia (shinbone) not a broken leg... I really dont see his recovery as some kind of religious intervention that others believe. If le tour showed us anything this year, its that a huge delta exists betwenn the real GT podium contenders like Nibali compared to the likes of Gesink, VdB and Porte. Contadors base level appears to be equivilent to Gesink at his prime...
To me its obvious that Froome's injury in the Dauphine was worse than Sky made out and he was still injured going into le tour, he aggravated that injury by crashing again and still isnt race fit.
Contador's injury in le tour was a fractured tibia (shinbone) not a broken leg... I really dont see his recovery as some kind of religious intervention that others believe. If le tour showed us anything this year, its that a huge delta exists betwenn the real GT podium contenders like Nibali compared to the likes of Gesink, VdB and Porte. Contadors base level appears to be equivilent to Gesink at his prime...
To me its obvious that Froome's injury in the Dauphine was worse than Sky made out and he was still injured going into le tour, he aggravated that injury by crashing again and still isnt race fit.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 3rd September 11:26
pablo said:
Movistar have a little dilemma here now, I would expect Quintana will be playing super domestique to Valverde now as a Spanish team have a Spanish rider 27s off the red jersey and Quintana is 3:30 back down the road havingt someone of that quality supporting Valverde makes the most sense, particularly if they honestly think Valverde has the legs to win it.... but maybe they will use Quintana to put the pressure on Contador, maybe they will push Quintana up the road on the climbs to make TinkOff work on the front, break Contador and Quintana reap the spoils?...
Contador's injury in le tour was a fractured tibia (shinbone) not a broken leg... I really dont see his recovery as some kind of religious intervention that others believe. If le tour showed us anything this year, its that a huge delta exists betwenn the real GT podium contenders like Nibali compared to the likes of Gesink, VdB and Porte. Contadors base level appears to be equivilent to Gesink at his prime...
I'd agree that Movistar now have some interesting options (if they have the political will to play them) and could make life difficult for Contador. I can't believe that Valverde can win it - look at the way he faded in the last week of the TDF for example - but shoving Quintana up the road could make life difficult for Contador. I'd similarly agree about the gulf between the real contenders and the top 10 guys, but it were ever thus. Contador's injury in le tour was a fractured tibia (shinbone) not a broken leg... I really dont see his recovery as some kind of religious intervention that others believe. If le tour showed us anything this year, its that a huge delta exists betwenn the real GT podium contenders like Nibali compared to the likes of Gesink, VdB and Porte. Contadors base level appears to be equivilent to Gesink at his prime...
I'm not sure what the difference is between a fractured tibia and a broken leg other than semantics? Both involve bone damage which takes a long time to heal - hence why people spend 6-8 weeks in plaster. It would be useful to get the input of a proper doctor on the likely healing time, and time away from, say, extremely high levels of physical activity. Here we are almost 6 weeks to the day after the injury, and yet Contador is romping up climbs, and blasting TTs like he did in his pomp back in the "pre-beef" days. The questions that remain unanswered are a) exactly how bad was the injury?; and b) how long did he have off the bike, and what supplementary conditioning did he undertake? I fear we are unlikely to get the answers to either of those questions. Contador is an unreformed and unapologetic doper. History has shown us time and again that when it looks too good to be true that it probably is. So whilst I respect your position of hope and faith, I remain more sceptical.
johnxjsc1985 said:
Dr Imran T said:
Did your hear his comments? He said he went out too fast, went in the red and could not really recover.
No coming back in a TT when you have over cooked it. Today will be interesting.Rocksteadyeddie said:
johnxjsc1985 said:
Dr Imran T said:
Did your hear his comments? He said he went out too fast, went in the red and could not really recover.
No coming back in a TT when you have over cooked it. Today will be interesting.johnxjsc1985 said:
Rocksteadyeddie said:
johnxjsc1985 said:
Dr Imran T said:
Did your hear his comments? He said he went out too fast, went in the red and could not really recover.
No coming back in a TT when you have over cooked it. Today will be interesting.Which all begs the question what was Froome doing on Monday if he wasnt resting?!...
good preview of todays stage, as ever, on www.c-cycling.com
good preview of todays stage, as ever, on www.c-cycling.com
okgo said:
There is no chance Froome would have been well beaten by Nibali, the same Nibali that went backwards on every climb when they all raced not long before the tour. Possibly Bertie, but in shape Froome is still the best GC rider around. Shame he isn't on it at this one. But all to play for. Tomorrow will be interesting!
Amazing isn't it. Didnt do too much in prior races but flew up those TDF climbs. It's almost as if Nibali had thought things through and preserved himself for the one GT he'd be riding in. How dastardly.Nibali's MO is clear to see. He targets specific races. Big ones.
okgo said:
As long as there is nobody decent riding you mean. Or an old man from the USA who showed him a clean pair of heels.
Yeah, Nibali's crap. Can't climb, can't do cobbles in s
t weather. Useless TT'er. Has only ever won the three different GT's. As opposed to Froome, serial victor in one whole GT, who powered to victory over the very best in the world in 2013 (!) and who surely would have won this year had he not fallen, even though his entire team pretty much disintegrated and collapsed in a heap when put under pressure.Horner? Nothing suspect about his performance. Nothing whatsoever. No suspicions among US rivals of his systemic doping.
Joey Ramone said:
okgo said:
As long as there is nobody decent riding you mean. Or an old man from the USA who showed him a clean pair of heels.
Yeah, Nibali's crap. Can't climb, can't do cobbles in st weather. Useless TT'er. Has only ever won the three different GT's. As opposed to Froome, serial victor in one whole GT, who powered to victory over the very best in the world in 2013 (!) and who surely would have won this year had he not fallen, even though his entire team pretty much disintegrated and collapsed in a heap when put under pressure.Horner? Nothing suspect about his performance. Nothing whatsoever. No suspicions among US rivals of his systemic doping.
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