What is with Fabian's head?

Pokerface

Interesting article on Cancellara - about how he could be a Tour contender if he lost some weight:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/could-c ... -de-france

I've always wondered if he had what it takes to win. We've seem him win short tours, prove he CAN climb and is the best TT rider by far. Maybe he just doesn't have the ability to ride like that for 3 whole weeks?


Anyway - does he have an oddly shaped head or something? His helmet is ALWAYS tilted to one side:

greasedscotsman

Pokerface wrote:

Anyway - does he have an oddly shaped head or something? His helmet is ALWAYS tilted to one side:

Could be that his ears aren't level which makes his glasses a bit wonky

ColinJ

Pokerface wrote:

Interesting article on Cancellara - about how he could be a Tour contender if he lost some weight:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/could-c ... -de-france

I've always wondered if he had what it takes to win. We've seem him win short tours, prove he CAN climb and is the best TT rider by far. Maybe he just doesn't have the ability to ride like that for 3 whole weeks?

Interesting - I was thinking the same thing myself!

I am the same height as FC and (when I'm fit) a similar medium build. He obviously isn't naturally a scrawny climber but he also isn't a huge chunky sprinter.

I could climb pretty well when I weighed 80 kg like him but it made a huge difference when I got down to 74 kg.

Obviously his time-trialling might suffer a little but hopefully he'd gain far more every time the road went uphill.

I wonder if he will give it a try?

Kléber

He's talked about it already, I think there was an interview in early February on the same subject. The test results say "no", in that he would probably not be able to lose the weight without losing power, he is simply too heavy.

He should revoke his Swiss citizenship and go back to Italy (where his parents come from) and then the Italians could design a course to suit him, just as they flattened the 1984 Giro to boost Moser's chances.

timoid.

This is something that keep raising its head once in a while.

I don't think he should risk his current prowess in TTs, classics and weeklong stage races for a crack at the Tour with very little chance of success. Even if he becomes a contender, he's got the small matter of Contador, a once in a generation cyclist that will blow everyone away for the foreseeable future.

andyp

Wasn't it five years ago when certain sections of the press had Boonen down as a future Tour winner?

It's lazy journalism, every time someone is dominant in the cobbled classics the press speculate about their next objective.

afx237vi

Well Sean Kelly tipped him last year, although his sense of humour is so dry you never know if he's taking the p*ss or not.

It's never gonna happen though. Look how easy last year's parcours was, and Contador still mullered everyone.

Kléber

Boonen could climb ok as a junior and U-23, or at least he was strong in the Ardennes. Similarly there was talk of Devolder having a tilt.

Cancellara is in a higher bracket here but to return to the interview back in February, the idea was that he could finish in the top-10 if things go to plan. But he's not a guy who'd be happy with that - he's not Christophe Le Mevel or Brad Wiggins - he needs to win.

winterdancer

I don't have anything to say about Cancellara's ability for the big tours, but my helmet is always wonky on my head (and it's a Bell Sweep) and I think - well, am pretty sure - that it's because I've a bit of a scar on my forehead (like the skull is a bit thicker) and so my head isn't symmetrical - the logo on the front of the helmet is never in line with my nose :-( Maybe something similar for Fab?

luckao

As I'm so convinced of Contador's dominance, and assuming that Fabian is only in it to win it, it'd be an almighty risk.

In his favour, he thrives on a challenge, and Sunday's showing provoked the controversial whispering that is a requisite for being a top GC rider.

I remember somebody speculating about Cavendish's credentials. Not to be taken seriously by anybody who's watched a single bike race, but it was good for a chuckle.

calvjones

I too have wonky ears, and I too will never win a GT.

warrior4life

He reminds me a little of indurain, Ulrich, Riis, (Im not hinting at anything here) i think if it wasnt for Alberto and he lost a little weight he could be up there somewhere.
I know people say this about lots of other pros but Cancellara is obviously gifted, he's a special rider, its just weather his abilities will work over 3 weeks.

It's interesting just like wiggins is interesting, lots of what ifs...

warrior4life

What is his height and weight? And has he gained or dropped much weight over the years?

ColinJ

warrior4life wrote:

What is his height and weight?

1.86 metres and 80 kg ( about 6' 1" and 12 st 8 lbs) according to what I found on t'interweb. They are suggesting that he tries to get down to 74 kg (11 st 9 lbs).

jim one

The thing is all these riders are already very thin, just take a look at Cancellara at last years world champs. I just do not see how with his frame he can lose enough weight to win a 3 week tour. Factor in that Bertie can TT right up there with him where is he going to get the time back that someone liek Bertie would put into him on the climbs?? He looked like he gave it a go up to Arcalis last year to see if he could keep his yellow jersey, and he got blown out the back even before the main attacks started.

I do think however Liege as a single day event he has a good shot of winning.

andyrr

Difficulty also might be that for a hilly race he doesn't have quite the jump that riders of the Contador / Andy Schleck type have - he can power up even steep climbs at a fair old lick but if someone makes a distinct attack or jump then he doesn't have the ability to put a spurt like than on. I think even L-B-L could pose problems for Cancellara as a sharp attack would see him lose the wheels of the front guys.
If he lost some weight and trained for it then he coudl improve - impression I've got from reading interviews with him is that he is motivated by setting different challenges each season so trying to win 5 P-Rs or 4 RVVs might not be his thing, he might well decide to go for Amstel or L-B-L or Lombardy.

emadden

Kléber wrote:

He's talked about it already, I think there was an interview in early February on the same subject. The test results say "no", in that he would probably not be able to lose the weight without losing power, he is simply too heavy.

He should revoke his Swiss citizenship and go back to Italy (where his parents come from) and then the Italians could design a course to suit him, just as they flattened the 1984 Giro to boost Moser's chances.

Just like what the organisers of the Tour de Suisse did last year... one of the easiest parcours ever --- specially designed for Fabu to win.... In the wake of that you had Sean kelly and others speculating that he could win the Tour (perhaps without realising that there was only one HC climb in the TdS last year, and that came right at the start of a stage - up the Gothard Pass).... I would prefer if Cancellara did not lose the weight so as to be a contender for the Tour - he would still lack the natural climbing ability (i.e. the dancing on the pedals etc), and in return we would lose one of the great classics & TT riders in a generation.

blazing_saddles

Well, as all the Yanks over on the CN forums now seem to think Horner could win the Tour, when he's pushing 39, why not Canc, if he lost 5 or 6 kilos? :roll:

stagehopper

afx237vi wrote:

Well Sean Kelly tipped him last year, although his sense of humour is so dry you never know if he's taking the p*ss or not.

Not sure it fully comes under the realm of tipping him, but story was Kelly did have a side bet on Cancellara for the Tour as he thought the odds being offered were far too generous to turn down considering the easier than usual parcours.

Kléber

emadden wrote:

Just like what the organisers of the Tour de Suisse did last year... one of the easiest parcours ever

That's what I meant, he's a character and worth designing a "parcours" for. Race organisers have commercial ambitions and the Swiss idea of suiting Cancellara paid dividends.

But the Tour? Forget it. Can you really see him matching Contador and Andy Schleck in the mountains, or pulling back minutes on them in a TT. This won't happen.

The Hour is a more interesting proposal and I suspect he could aim for other races like the Worlds too. I mean two classics a year, the Tour de Suisse, yellow in the Tour for a few days and then leading your team mate to the podium and then winning the Worlds, this is enough for anyone.

shockedsoshocked

If a self-confessed fat pursuiter can drop a bit a few kilos and seemingly start mixing it the big boys perhaps Fabu could do it too!

graeme_s-2

Wiggins is 6'3", does anybody know how low he got his weight for the Tour? I suspect Cancellara is just too well built to get his weight down low enough.

It's also worth noting that Contador actually beat him in the TT that came later in last year's Tour. I'm sure I've heard Cancellara say that he doesn't think he recovers as well as the top GC riders over a 3 week tour. He's said he can do one good day in the mountains, but after that he's finished, and his TT prowess obviously suffers as a GT takes its toll.

ridgerider

But can a strong Saxo team beat a lone Contador in a 3 week tour, pounding along to the bottom of the climbs like Discovery used to to exhaust the pure climbers before they get their chance to shine?

Team Banana Spokesman

why would fabian lose power by losing weight?

looks to me like he has a lot of upper body muscle. ALMOST looks like a sprinter. anyone know why he has this? last weight number I saw for him was 77kg. didnt someone say he lost 4kg before last years tdf? or was this a rumour?

Graeme_S wrote:

Wiggins is 6'3", does anybody know how low he got his weight for the Tour?

73 I think.

Graeme_S wrote:

It's also worth noting that Contador actually beat him in the TT that came later in last year's Tour.

he used the motorbikes.

Graeme_S wrote:

I'm sure I've heard Cancellara say that he doesn't think he recovers as well as the top GC riders over a 3 week tour.

The GC guys recover the best because thier power to weight ratios are so high that a day in the mountains will mean they could be at 95% the next day but the non-climbers could be at 90%. If you take weight out of it - i.e. the whole tdf was flat, the man with the highest power would last the longest - fabian.

shockedsoshocked

By the way, my post was tongue in cheek, I probably should have added a :roll: I don't believe anyone can simply drop a bit of weight and get up there, no matter what anyone says.

As for Contador using motorbikes, he didn't. The TT came after 3 mountain stages, and Contador was in the form of his life. Hardly surprising Fabu wasn't at his sharpest.

deejay

emadden wrote:

Kléber wrote:

He should revoke his Swiss citizenship and go back to Italy (where his parents come from) and then the Italians could design a course to suit him, just as they flattened the 1984 Giro to boost Moser's chances.

Just like what the organisers of the Tour de Suisse did last year... one of the easiest parcours ever --- specially designed for Fabu to win.... In the wake of that you had Sean kelly and others speculating that he could win the Tour (perhaps without realising that there was only one HC climb in the TdS last year, and that came right at the start of a stage - up the Gothard Pass).... I would prefer if Cancellara did not lose the weight so as to be a contender for the Tour - he would still lack the natural climbing ability (i.e. the dancing on the pedals etc), and in return we would lose one of the great classics & TT riders in a generation.

The so called HC climb over the Gothard is like a motorway and is suitable for a power rider. Now the real HC Gothard is on the old road with the pave and oh just like the Muur but 20/30 times longer.

The French gave Anquetil similar parcours it was said.

deejay

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

By the way, my post was tongue in cheek, I probably should have added a :roll: I don't believe anyone can simply drop a bit of weight and get up there, no matter what anyone says.

That's the excuse they said the magician from Texas did.

warrior4life

Graeme_S wrote:

Wiggins is 6'3

Wiggins isn't 6'3. I'm 6ft and i stood next to him and he was 6'1ish.

You'll find in lots of pro sports that heights are not as listed.

graeme_s-2

warrior4life wrote:

Graeme_S wrote:

Wiggins is 6'3

Wiggins isn't 6'3. I'm 6ft and i stood next to him and he was 6'1ish.

You'll find in lots of pro sports that heights are not as listed.

I was just pulling his height off Wikipedia, so it could indeed be way off! Team Sky have him listed at 1.90m on their site, which is just over 6'2".

dougzz

Ridgerider wrote:

But can a strong Saxo team beat a lone Contador in a 3 week tour, pounding along to the bottom of the climbs like Discovery used to to exhaust the pure climbers before they get their chance to shine?

Bertie's a bit more than a pure climber, his TT is pretty much top end. Last year he managed to win with Saxo and Astana working against him

PocketRocket42

Cancellara is BRILLIANT -- especially at the moment in the Classics but as many have said there isn't much chance of him beating Contador in the Tour de France.

And what of Lance Armstrong ? ?:?: never say never.


Saying that though if the Tour this year does have some cobbles in it --- will we see Cancellara with an early lead in the Tour de France ? I think we will.

The question I ask myself is when and if Cancellara does go for the world hour record will it mean the end of the event as no body will ever beat his time at least not in our life times.

As for his helmet not fitting properly.........or is it his Glasses ...... luckily for him his legs are perfect and of the highest standard .

Poor Tom Boonen that's my feeling