Geraint Thomas - stay or go?

afx237vi

He finished 2 minutes behind the peloton on today's stage, which looked like a fairly easy day for the main pack. He may have done some work for Hunter in the final few km, but is it time for him to go now?

He's done 10 days, experienced three days in the high mountains, and from the interviews I've seen he sounds pretty exhausted.

iainf72

Stay until tomorrow when Robbie wins a stage :P

He's done well - And he video diary is quite good too.

shockedsoshocked

I'd like him to stay through to Paris.

Plus, his video diaries remind me of someone whos given a camera to a 10 year old at a wedding

andyp

I think Barloworld's management will have failed if he's still in the race after the weekend. Ideally they should pull him after tomorrow's stage as that is probably the last one where he'll be any use to Hunter in a bunch sprint.

He's 21 and there is no way he should stay in the race until Paris - that could ruin his career. Look at Adrian Timmis in 1987 if you want an example why.

jibi

Let him have his head tomorrow
Tell him to go with a break, and just enjoy his last day in the tour
He has much to learn, and I hope he does, we need all the Brits we can find

what a baptism though poor lad.

george

lloyd_bower

andyp wrote:

I think Barloworld's management will have failed if he's still in the race after the weekend. Ideally they should pull him after tomorrow's stage as that is probably the last one where he'll be any use to Hunter in a bunch sprint.

He's 21 and there is no way he should stay in the race until Paris - that could ruin his career. Look at Adrian Timmis in 1987 if you want an example why.

Agree Adrian Timmis had the potential for a promising road race career, but the tour virtually finished him. He was never the same again, and quit part way through the next season

Moose11

I think he should ride on.. Let them eliminate you!! So long as he feels he can hack it I hope he continues on.

farrell

how do you know he didn't have a mechanical problem?......

What a ridiculous question.

Moose11

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!



I hope he keeps on keepin on

afx237vi

farrell wrote:

how do you know he didn't have a mechanical problem?......

What a ridiculous question.

The fact that he finished with three other riders suggest to me that he didn't have a mechanical, although I don't know for sure.

And why is it a ridiculous question? Some people think he shouldn't have been put in the Tour at all at his age.

SteveR_100Milers

Difficult decision to make. Was there ever a plan to withdraw him at a specific point/trigger (e.g. number of stages or time lost etc) Unless there was a pre-planned withdrawal it may be hard mentally for him to just be taken out, although leaving him in until he collapses would potentially disastrous. Cav always knew he was going to be withdrawn before the mountain stages.

RichN95.

While there's the arguement that no 21 year old should do the Tour (although Andy Schlek did the Giro OK), his video diaries seem to show him in good shape and good spirits. If he can finish then he may think "If I can do that then I can do anything".

I don't know much about Timmis, but I dare say that Geraint is of a stronger pedigree (I really believe he'll become a Classics contender)

But, if he comes in outside the peloton in the next couple of days, then he should probably drop out. But, I bet you'll see him up working for Hunter at the end tomorrow.

dave_1

lloyd bower wrote:

andyp wrote:

I think Barloworld's management will have failed if he's still in the race after the weekend. Ideally they should pull him after tomorrow's stage as that is probably the last one where he'll be any use to Hunter in a bunch sprint.

He's 21 and there is no way he should stay in the race until Paris - that could ruin his career. Look at Adrian Timmis in 1987 if you want an example why.

Agree Adrian Timmis had the potential for a promising road race career, but the tour virtually finished him. He was never the same again, and quit part way through the next season

Timmis got burned out for sure. But he did 88,89 with Z I remember..then came back to the UK in 90. I read that Robert Millar said that after completing the 1987 TDF he could still feel the fatigue of it waking up in mornings in November-describes the fatigue of grand tour racing as akin to having a mild influenza all the time. So, there you go, spot analysis of someone who did it. So indeed, the damage/rebuilding process from a grand tour is something so far beyond what's healthy or normal, pulling Thomas out would be best or he will end with no career in a few years. Timmis didn't just get round, he was ahead of Indurain on GC in 87, had won stage of the Midi Libre in 87 pre TDF-a guy who was really going somewhere and unerachieved as a result of TDF fatigue

timoid.

Definitely pull the kid out pre-pyrenees. Let him have his head today and then call it quits.

He's got what benefit there is to be had for such a young rider.

jimmythecuckoo

I think he should pull out and get a bit of rest!

Tom Butcher

Devil's advocate but Roche reckoned he should ride the whole tour but be told just to try and conserve energy rather than going for it.

Personally I think I'd pull him out before the Pyrenees - if that's how you spell it - play it safe.

andyp

Yeah but Roche is a bit of a twat these days is he not? He's very quick to criticise riders for not attacking and seems to have forgotten how hard the sport is.

I still think asking a 21 year neo-pro to start the Tour is daft (although I can understand why they did it this year, what with the London start). Keeping him in into the third week may have a negative impact on his future career so they should pull him out either today or tomorrow in my opinion.

SteveR_100Milers

andyp wrote:

Yeah but Roche is a bit of a twat these days is he not? He's very quick to criticise riders for not attacking and seems to have forgotten how hard the sport is.
I still think asking a 21 year neo-pro to start the Tour is daft (although I can understand why they did it this year, what with the London start). Keeping him in into the third week may have a negative impact on his future career so they should pull him out either today or tomorrow in my opinion.

That's if he was actually aware of it at the time.....

aarw

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

andyp wrote:

Yeah but Roche is a bit of a twat these days is he not? He's very quick to criticise riders for not attacking and seems to have forgotten how hard the sport is.
I still think asking a 21 year neo-pro to start the Tour is daft (although I can understand why they did it this year, what with the London start). Keeping him in into the third week may have a negative impact on his future career so they should pull him out either today or tomorrow in my opinion.

That's if he was actually aware of it at the time.....

neither Roche or Kelly knew when to quit, or put another way they knew never to quit... very few put more effort in, certainly when looking at the riders of today.

When refering to a cyclist who had collapsed after a race a few years back Kelly was asked if he ever collapsed or felt like we has on the verge of after any of his races. His answer was short and simple: Every time. He wasn't joking...

PeteinSQ

He apparently suffered in the heat yesterday and was quoted by the Guardian as saying that if he has another day like yesterday he won't make it to Paris:

"The first 70km was terrible," he said. "If I have another day like this I don't think I'll make it [to Paris]."

skut

aarw wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

andyp wrote:

Yeah but Roche is a bit of a twat these days is he not? He's very quick to criticise riders for not attacking and seems to have forgotten how hard the sport is.
I still think asking a 21 year neo-pro to start the Tour is daft (although I can understand why they did it this year, what with the London start). Keeping him in into the third week may have a negative impact on his future career so they should pull him out either today or tomorrow in my opinion.

That's if he was actually aware of it at the time.....

neither Roche or Kelly knew when to quit, or put another way they knew never to quit... very few put more effort in, certainly when looking at the riders of today.

When refering to a cyclist who had collapsed after a race a few years back Kelly was asked if he ever collapsed or felt like we has on the verge of after any of his races. His answer was short and simple: Every time. He wasn't joking...

There's a good bit in Kimmage's book where Kelly basically says the same thing after they have a sauna together.

Richrd2205

According to Eurosport, the plan is for Thomas to finish the race. Apparently, he's in contact with his coach from Team GB & this discussion on the programme appeared to conclude that it was a good thing. Hopefully, it doesn't have a negative effect on his future!

weyayeman

He should be ok till the 14th stage.

SteveR_100Milers

aarw wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

andyp wrote:

Yeah but Roche is a bit of a twat these days is he not? He's very quick to criticise riders for not attacking and seems to have forgotten how hard the sport is.
I still think asking a 21 year neo-pro to start the Tour is daft (although I can understand why they did it this year, what with the London start). Keeping him in into the third week may have a negative impact on his future career so they should pull him out either today or tomorrow in my opinion.

That's if he was actually aware of it at the time.....

neither Roche or Kelly knew when to quit, or put another way they knew never to quit... very few put more effort in, certainly when looking at the riders of today.

When refering to a cyclist who had collapsed after a race a few years back Kelly was asked if he ever collapsed or felt like we has on the verge of after any of his races. His answer was short and simple: Every time. He wasn't joking...

kelly, agree maybe. Roche, I wasn't being complimentary (should be an irony icon). When the pain is "numbed" then you don't feel the effects of the effort

Tom Butcher

The danger is now the green jersey might be a possibility - so with something to play for they might be less likely to let him pack even if it's in his best interests.

sing_for_absolution

Thomas was 19th in that stage that just ended, so he's doing good work for Hunter.

SteveR_100Milers

He doesnt look sh*gged out so maybe......who knows, I would take it day by day.

RichN95.

He's a hard as nails Cardiff boy, not some London softie - he'll be fine.

psychiatricblues

Fair play, Richn95, but he's from Whitchurch. He's no Splott or Ely boy.

Ratkilla

If you're good enough your old enough. There's far too much blighty whingeing about pulling riders out before this ... that ... the next big effing hurdle.
To protect them from what? Gaining experience? Actually completing a Tour?!
Heaven forfend that a young Brit may arrive on the Champs Elysee next Sunday!
Indeed, any Brit that arrives on the Champs next week must be doomed to failure for having completed the biggest race in the World?!
I liked Adrian Timmis.Great rider. But I don't think that one Tour ride destroyed his career.
Plus the fact that ANC's Tour didn't do much harm to Malcolm Elliot's subsequent career.Excellent palmares for a Brit.
As I said if you're good enough you're old enough.
It didn't harm Eddy.

murcof

52nd place in today's tt was pretty impressive - only 40 seconds behind Valverde who had every reason to do a good one. That's a brilliant placing, the Alps haven't battered him as much as I thought they would.