If Brajkovic wins the Dauphiné...

paulcuthbert
paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
edited June 2010 in Pro race
...is he likely to be Radioshack's main man for the Tour?

Discuss
The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
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Comments

  • Splottboy
    Splottboy Posts: 3,695
    It'll be a frigging miracle!
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    No chance.
  • acidstrato
    acidstrato Posts: 945
    :lol: not a chance

    not even if the isralies storm lance's boat
    Crafted in Italy apparantly
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Pross wrote:
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.

    He said earlier in the year he might not be The Shack's man for GC in the Tour. And unless he finds some magic condition in the next few weeks you'd have to agree.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Alain Gallopin trotted out that it's 50/50 that the Brajkovic even rides the Tour.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Kléber wrote:
    Alain Gallopin trotted out that it's 50/50 that the Brajkovic even rides the Tour.

    Now he's shown he might be a threat to Lance & Bertie on GC he probably won't. Not sure he could be relied upon like Klodi or Levi.

    I actually enjoyed seeing him win the Dauphine. Looked like it really meant something.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    iainf72 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.

    He said earlier in the year he might not be The Shack's man for GC in the Tour. And unless he finds some magic condition in the next few weeks you'd have to agree.

    Don't you mean Magic Potion?

    I am very impressed with the way Janez rode that race. If he is saying he has not found his "peak" form then I am curious to see why he would be left out of the shack squad.

    What I would like to see is how he is as an attacking rider and how long he can sustain his efforts etc compared to sitting in.

    He reminds me a bit of Ricco in a way
    cartoon.jpg
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    Doobz wrote:
    He reminds me a bit of Ricco in a way

    Hopefully not in that way...
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    iainf72 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.

    He said earlier in the year he might not be The Shack's man for GC in the Tour. And unless he finds some magic condition in the next few weeks you'd have to agree.

    He might not be, be he'll think he should be. Just like last year...
  • RoadieBob
    RoadieBob Posts: 48
    iainf72 wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.

    He said earlier in the year he might not be The Shack's man for GC in the Tour. And unless he finds some magic condition in the next few weeks you'd have to agree.

    He said last year that he would ride for Alberto if he proved to be the strongest in the team, so I wouldn't take him at his word on that one!
  • Airmiles
    Airmiles Posts: 101
    Pross wrote:
    Nope, Lance is a meglomaniac and even if he was 150th on GC would expect the team to be riding for him.


    ...rather like Schuey stuffing Massa into the wall to save 9th?
    I'm not saying pedestrians in Hackney are stupid.. but a fixed bayonet would be more use than a fixed gear...
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    This was a Dauphine with a very weak field, and the fact that Brajkovic came out top says very little about his GC Tour de France abilities right now. Van Garderen, Van den Broek and Coppel are all fine riders, but not really Grand Tour top 5 material. Now if Brajkovic would ahve won last year's Dauphine...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    A weak field maybe but he still managed to beat the odds on favourite for the Tour and coped easily with him even when he'd lost all his team mates.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Pross wrote:
    A weak field maybe but he still managed to beat the odds on favourite for the Tour and coped easily with him even when he'd lost all his team mates.
    Does anyone seriously believe Contador was riding at his top level here?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    FJS wrote:
    Does anyone seriously believe Contador was riding at his top level here?

    No chance. He was well off his best.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • dulldave
    dulldave Posts: 949
    FJS wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    A weak field maybe but he still managed to beat the odds on favourite for the Tour and coped easily with him even when he'd lost all his team mates.
    Does anyone seriously believe Contador was riding at his top level here?

    Nope
    Scottish and British...and a bit French
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    He was off his best but so were several others. Menchov for example had a stinker, he was unable to ride tempo up the main climbs and resorted to a couple of random attacks.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Define riding at his best level. If you mean racing at his hardest then yes, I think he was and it showed on the Alpe. If you mean was he at his fittest then no and I think he'll hit top form after a week or so of the Tour as is normal for the top contenders. That said the same applies to other contenders but they don't seem to get given the same leeway by certain (internet) commentators!
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Janez rode very well. As did Silvester Szmyd who I wanted to win.

    I am not sure about everyone else but it all felt a bit low key.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Pross wrote:
    Define riding at his best level. If you mean racing at his hardest then yes, I think he was and it showed on the Alpe. If you mean was he at his fittest then no and I think he'll hit top form after a week or so of the Tour as is normal for the top contenders. That said the same applies to other contenders but they don't seem to get given the same leeway by certain (internet) commentators!

    Of course I mean racing at his fittest. Let's put it another way; it is extremely likely that Contador's (and for instance Menchov's) level of performance will increase much more in the coming month than that of Brajkovic.
    With GC contenders we know are able to compete for a top 5 place in the TdF GC not at their fittest and/or not bothered in the Dauphine, what does Brajkovic's win tell us about his ability to compete for such a top 5 position in the Tour de France, or even top 10, something that will be expected of the leader of a team like Radioshack? Very little. This thread is not about giving Contador leeway, but about an assessment of Brajkovic' win.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I agree with that although Brajkovic didn't appear tested at all so it would be interesting to see how he would cope with a fully fit Bertie and co.

    I think the only chance he would have of riding as the Shack's GC rider would be if he did something similar to Wiggo last year and out performs LA early on but even then I can't imagine the Shack being instructed to help him and the best he's likely to get is the freedom to ride his own race.
  • Homer J
    Homer J Posts: 920
    Is he down to ride the tour? It would be good to see an up a coming rider in the mix
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Homer J wrote:
    Is he down to ride the tour? It would be good to see an up a coming rider in the mix

    Not yet, although he's hardly up & coming.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • pedro118118
    pedro118118 Posts: 1,102
    It didn't look to me as though Contador was giving it full gas. Sure, he made a few surges and tested himself at certain times, but not all out. It was good to see AC properly congratulate Brajkovic though at the top - he doesn seem a gent, that way.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Well if he wasn't giving it his all on the Alpe I'm never playing poker with him as his face suggested otherwise. Also, with him being a true champion and all that you ought to know he only ever races at the max :lol:
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    Contador wanted that stage and he did the least amount of work possible to win.
    Mañana
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Agreed - he had a chat with Jani once he realised he wasn't going to get away and agreed the stage in return for the GC.
  • shinyhelmut
    shinyhelmut Posts: 1,364
    Pross wrote:
    I think the only chance he would have of riding as the Shack's GC rider would be if he did something similar to Wiggo last year and out performs LA early on

    cos then they can ride for him just like they rode for contador last year... :?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    ShinyHelmut wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    I think the only chance he would have of riding as the Shack's GC rider would be if he did something similar to Wiggo last year and out performs LA early on

    cos then they can ride for him just like they rode for contador last year... :?

    But that was the opposite surely? LA got himself ahead of Contador early on so he could justify getting them to ride for him.

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