Giro - John Gadret

canoas
canoas Posts: 307
edited May 2010 in Pro race
For me this years Giro was the best since 2003 when Gilberto Simoni won the Zoncolan stage back then with Stefano Garzelli 2nd. Found this classic video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMYP6NL045Y

Been a cyclocross fan, I was really impressed with John Gadret, he looks like a pure climber to me. I wouldn't be surprised if wins a few stages in the TDF & Giro over the next few years in the mountains. He has incredible climbing ability. Would love to climb the Zoncolan one day! Don't know if I would love the pain though!

Anyone for thoughts on current climbers, I like sprinters but am getting bored of Cavendish & co, it gets really boring watching a whole flat stage and waiting for small sprint at the end.

Comments

  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    I thought this Giro threw lots of new names in the ring. Gadret rode excellently, Porte was a revelation and looks to have a big future. Boulema (excuse spelling) i thought rode really well, and Cuddles should receive the maximum respect. He suffered so much and really dug deep. I think he's worn the bands with pride and its lifted him to new heights this season. Lets hope he hasn't ruled himself out of contention for the tour podium with that ride.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    I seem to recall Gadret did well on a couple of stages in the 2006 Giro. I looked out for him after that but didn't see him do much, relatively speaking, til now. He does look like a great climber though.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    DaveyL wrote:
    I seem to recall Gadret did well on a couple of stages in the 2006 Giro. I looked out for him after that but didn't see him do much, relatively speaking, til now. He does look like a great climber though.
    Yes, he rode well in the Giro in the past and has been top-10 in the Fleche Wallone a couple of times. Apparently he's been suffering from knee problems and bad luck. If he changed his style a bit and was willing to give up the GC / stage win chance, he could be a KoM in the Tour.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Kléber wrote:
    DaveyL wrote:
    I seem to recall Gadret did well on a couple of stages in the 2006 Giro. I looked out for him after that but didn't see him do much, relatively speaking, til now. He does look like a great climber though.
    Yes, he rode well in the Giro in the past and has been top-10 in the Fleche Wallone a couple of times. Apparently he's been suffering from knee problems and bad luck. If he changed his style a bit and was willing to give up the GC / stage win chance, he could be a KoM in the Tour.

    I was thinking that but he would need to lose time somewhere first or he becomes dangerous
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Bernardus
    Bernardus Posts: 136
    Moomaloid wrote:
    Boulema (excuse spelling).

    I assume you mean Bauke Mollema?

    I did expect him to do well, but he finished a lot closer to the top 10 than expected. He's already a 3rd year pro, but due to glandular fever/pfeiffer he lost a complete year (2009).

    He was the first Rabo Continental rider that won the Tour de l'Avenir, after Gesink (2nd) and Thomas Dekker (crashed in leaders jersey) had failed. He started competitive cycling in 2005 and won that Tour in 2007. Before 2005 he trained like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59euuxBYGc. He has a lot of potential as an (explosive) climber, but his TTs are average. This Giro, with all its mountains, was tailor made for him.

    BTW In the Aquila stage Porte won 12:24 on Mollema, in the final GC Porte leads Mollema by 12:19. Of course Porte deserves his jersey, he was in the break away and in the end he completed the 21 stages in less time.

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