Cancellara's Descent

Biscuiteer

For those who missed it, there's a video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVmq4UBJs4

El Conejo Ingles

Cojones.

I particularly enjoy the parts where he puts down a little power. It woudl be great if he could climb like Indurain as well.

RichN95.

Biscuiteer wrote:

For those who missed it, there's a video of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVmq4UBJs4

Thank you very, very much for that. I had a look on YT yesterday but found nothing. That's more than I'd hoped for.

I would love to see the autobus descend - apparently the sprinters are the best descenders of everyone - as it's where they make up time and they're brilliant bike handlers.

gregssmirkingrevenge

Thats a beautiful piece of film- "an absolutely incredible bike handler" as sherwin put it

Pokerface

I only wish...

A. I had his balls of steel and
B. we had roads around here that you could ride like that without getting killed by oncoming traffic.

It was awesome to watch that (saw it live on the TV on the day).

gregssmirkingrevenge

El Conejo Ingles wrote:

Cojones.

I particularly enjoy the parts where he puts down a little power. It woudl be great if he could climb like Indurain as well.

Maybe if he shed 7 kilos ala wiggins he could compete in the hills and become a GC contender. He seems happy just tanning everybody in the prologues each year and spending a few day sunning himself in the maillot jaune though.

RichN95.

gregssmirkingrevenge wrote:

El Conejo Ingles wrote:

Cojones.

I particularly enjoy the parts where he puts down a little power. It woudl be great if he could climb like Indurain as well.

Maybe if he shed 7 kilos ala wiggins he could compete in the hills and become a GC contender. He seems happy just tanning everybody in the prologues each year and spending a few day sunning himself in the maillot jaune though.

He has lost 7 kg - according to him. The problem is is that he's still a big boy and no amount of dieting will fix that - his thighs are as big as my waist.

Jez mon

gregssmirkingrevenge wrote:

El Conejo Ingles wrote:

Cojones.

I particularly enjoy the parts where he puts down a little power. It woudl be great if he could climb like Indurain as well.

Maybe if he shed 7 kilos ala wiggins he could compete in the hills and become a GC contender. He seems happy just tanning everybody in the prologues each year and spending a few day sunning himself in the maillot jaune though.

He's already a contender in the classics (he's won Paris-Roubaix and MSR), and has won bucketloads of TTs as well as a gold and bronze olympic medal, give him his dues!

RichN95.

I f anyone doesn't want to watch all of the video, just check out 4.05-4.25 - breath-taking.

takethehighroad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWTXmq9lZw&feature=related

Bit outdated but still quite impressive

gregssmirkingrevenge

Jez mon wrote:

gregssmirkingrevenge wrote:

El Conejo Ingles wrote:

Cojones.

I particularly enjoy the parts where he puts down a little power. It woudl be great if he could climb like Indurain as well.

Maybe if he shed 7 kilos ala wiggins he could compete in the hills and become a GC contender. He seems happy just tanning everybody in the prologues each year and spending a few day sunning himself in the maillot jaune though.

He's already a contender in the classics (he's won Paris-Roubaix and MSR), and has won bucketloads of TTs as well as a gold and bronze olympic medal, give him his dues!

Apologies- i meant his overall chances in regards to the tour. He is of course already an amazing and talented pure bike rider.

RichN95.

Does anyone have a link to the video of Savoldelli descending in the Giro a few years back - it must have been 2005 when he won it. I watched that through my fingers, like Dr Who. Utterly unbelievable.

Mettan

Great piece of footage - great ride by Fabien - stunning roads - looks like awesome fun.

phreak

Spectacular stuff. Super video, thanks for posting.

GemmaAtkinson1

wow. panache and balls of steel great vid thanks for posting!

Angus444

Bravo Fabian!! Great piece of film!!

The quality of the roads are a big factor......here in Angus, we must have the worst road surfaces in Britain. The only decent one is the dual carriageway between Arbroath and Dundee, and you're taking your life in your hands cycling on that between 8am and 10pm.....Angus councilors should get up off their fat bahookies, get bikes, and get out to see the state of the roads for themselves.....but that would mean they would have to actually make an effort!!!!

term1te

Awesome, I was reading the live feed on the TdF website and they said he was over 90 kmh in places! Puts my descent of the Galibier last weekend to total shame.

With that music he reminded me of Flash Gordon, just needed some wings on his helmet, with the short clip of the Astana boys being Ming the merciless and his troops.

Philip S

Harmon said yesterday on Eurosport that Cancellara's second wheel change before this descent was simply done because the wheel he got given to replace his first puncture was blue. Spartacus wasn't happy because it didn't match his bike, so he had to stop to change it for a yellow one. 8) That's the sign of a man who is clearly confident in his descending skills!

Moomaloid

Incredible stuff, you can feel the speed when he dives into the corners.... without doubt my favourite rider!

all show no go

That was one of the most stunning and beautiful examples of how to handle a bike. The fluidity and speed with which Spartacus descended left me open mouthed when I watched it yesterday. My two kids (aged 2 and 4) were amazed when they were watching with me. I think they both finally "got" what daddies funny hobby is all about.
The way he constantly shifts naturally around his bike and gets behind the saddle or swings his upper body in to, or away from, each corner so effortlessly using all of the road and never looking as though he's going to lose it was brilliant to see.

ColinJ

Philip S wrote:

Harmon said yesterday on Eurosport that Cancellara's second wheel change before this descent was simply done because the wheel he got given to replace his first puncture was blue. Spartacus wasn't happy because it didn't match his bike, so he had to stop to change it for a yellow one. 8) That's the sign of a man who is clearly confident in his descending skills!

I think that he actually had his front wheel changed to match the new rear one. They wouldn't have matched anything else but at least they would have matched each other!

Monty Dog

Watch them descend off the Tourmalet today - Sean Yates allegedly hit 110kph one year

Rich.H

Monty Dog wrote:

Watch them descend off the Tourmalet today - Sean Yates allegedly hit 110kph one year

The best 20k I have ever experienced on a bike - even though it was freezing for the first 5k (last years Etape)

Monty Dog

Ten Daam clearly didn't enjoy the experience though..

Cootha

That descent was bloody frightening. Skilful descender, but OMG, it was a bit close in places....i.e his right knee practically skimming over a car bonnet when overtaking round a blind corner.rather him than me! :shock:

frenchfighter

Thanks for the link. I had to hold my breath when I was watching it live. Blind corners too and through the cars!

I like this one too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kZSzB4k ... re=related

Apparently one stage of the Giro this year they hit 75mph.

GeorgeShaw

I love the bit where one guy pushes the other on the a*se, just to give him a boost over 100kph.

markos1963

Top rider, clip should be shown to all aspiring racers to show them how its done. He has probably ridden down that descent many times but it still doesn't take away the bravery of his ride. Lines through the bends are perfect and if you look he is always putting his weight through the outside foot. He also leaves his brakes alone as much as possible, using the scrubbing effect of turning into a bend to lose minor amounts of speed. Doesn't waste time and energy going for silly aero positions just tucks down and concentrates on getting his lines right, thats why he's so fast.

andrewgturnbull

markos1963 wrote:

He also leaves his brakes alone as much as possible, using the scrubbing effect of turning into a bend to lose minor amounts of speed.

How does this scrubbing effect work on a bicycle then?

markos1963

Just the same as on a motorbike, the process of leaning puts the angle of the tyre into a postion that it causes more friction and it loses energy. In fact you can see this when driving a car to a certain extent, drive up to a constant radius bend and drive around it at a constant speed you'll find you have to increase power/revs to maintain that speed, then drive around it but without increasing revs or power and see the speed drop(obviously wind resistance influences the result a bit). Its not an excuse to neglect braking altogether but if you need just a bit then it saves on brakes and rims etc.

andrewgturnbull

markos1963 wrote:

Just the same as on a motorbike, the process of leaning puts the angle of the tyre into a postion that it causes more friction and it loses energy. In fact you can see this when driving a car to a certain extent, drive up to a constant radius bend and drive around it at a constant speed you'll find you have to increase power/revs to maintain that speed, then drive around it but without increasing revs or power and see the speed drop(obviously wind resistance influences the result a bit). Its not an excuse to neglect braking altogether but if you need just a bit then it saves on brakes and rims etc.

Hi there.

With respect, I'm calling bs on that one... A bicycle tyre is round in profile, not square like a car tyre - so where is the increase in friction?

Cheers, Andy