Least worthy TdF winner ever?

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Comments

  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Deserving winner for single handedly pegging Andy back on the Galibier and blitzing the TT but not the most exciting of riders.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • Cressers
    Cressers Posts: 1,329
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others. Yes he won, but that had more to do with the Schlecks and Contador being out of form rather than his inate ability.
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    I still see Andy and Alberto at the top of the sport. And why not :D
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Cressers wrote:
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others.

    Sorry, but did you actually watch any of the Alpine stages this year?
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    How much can you wheelsuck uphill or 1 minute behind the group you're chasing?
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    Well i think it was 50/ 50 on who was gonna win

    the funniest bit is the bbc reporting, four page cefax report on the winner 3 pages of a certain manx cyclist (did he win the yellow - oh thats right no) and 3 lines to the winner.

    No mention that he is a cross disipline cyclist either...............

    did I mention that certain manx rider

    did i

    engerrrralllllaaannnnddd
  • darren555
    darren555 Posts: 194
    Sirius631 wrote:
    Just putting aside the fact he's an Ozzy and ends his sentances with that annoying upward inflection, he comes across as OK so long as nobody is prodding a broken body part.

    A yam yam criticising someone's accent. Priceless!
  • bearfraser
    bearfraser Posts: 435
    WTF:- he won, get over it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    LOL

    http://twitter.com/#!/CadelOfficial/sta ... 7529568256
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Cressers wrote:
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others. Yes he won, but that had more to do with the Schlecks and Contador being out of form rather than his inate ability.

    The Schlecks weren't "out of form" - they just rode like idiots. I think if they were still with Riis, Andy would have won.
    Granted, Bertie wasn't at his normal level but if we are charitable and say that was down to post-Giro fatigue, that is Bertie's own fault. If Evans has the nous to realise that he can't ride a tough Giro and still perform well at the Tour - as he found out last year - then thats as much "innate ability" as anything else.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    iainf72 wrote:
    LOL

    http://twitter.com/#!/CadelOfficial/sta ... 7529568256

    You'd think he'd have a bob or two to avoid them?
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    The OP has achieved a rare feat on this or any forum in getting absolutely everyone else to disagree with him and hence bringing rare unity! :shock:
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    Slightly off topic - if Andy couldnt win this tour with the mountain top finishes and having the third last stage an alpine stage I cant see him winning a tour. Placing high yes but his weakness in the TT is a fatal flaw.

    The era of the pure climber is gone - the strong men of the peloton no longer lose enough time in the alpine stages.

    On topic Evans was the strongest rider and the smartest - he rode to his strengths and limited his losses when he was at a disadvantage. Well deserved win.
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    The era of the pure climber is gone

    There never really has been one over the last 40 odd years, all the main repeat winners of the TDF have been top TTers e.g. Anquetil, Mercks, Hinault, Lemond, Fingon, Roche, Indurain, Ullrich & LA. You just get the odd one off win by a climber inbetween eg. Delgado, Pantani & Sastre.

    I can only see Andy winning one TDF at best, and possibly never.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Bugly wrote:
    The era of the pure climber is gone - the strong men of the peloton no longer lose enough time in the alpine stages.

    A pure climber is just a climber who can't time-trial.

    Contador is probably the most natural climber around, so why is he not classed as a pure climber?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    RichN95 wrote:
    Bugly wrote:
    The era of the pure climber is gone - the strong men of the peloton no longer lose enough time in the alpine stages.

    A pure climber is just a climber who can't time-trial.

    Contador is probably the most natural climber around, so why is he not classed as a pure climber?

    +1 Contador is a 'pure climber' who happens to be half decent in a TT aswell, Nobody dances up the mountains like Bertie.
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  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    Cressers wrote:
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others. Yes he won, but that had more to do with the Schlecks and Contador being out of form rather than his inate ability.

    I agree with this. No disrespect, but if Thomas Voeckler was in yellow for 10 days, then you have to imagine the main contenders weren't at the top of their game!
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    paulcuthbert wrote:
    Cressers wrote:
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others. Yes he won, but that had more to do with the Schlecks and Contador being out of form rather than his inate ability.

    I agree with this. No disrespect, but if Thomas Voeckler was in yellow for 10 days, then you have to imagine the main contenders weren't at the top of their game!

    Or just that Voekler is a very determined, Gritty rider, which he is, and has be known as in the peloton for a long time, Bertie wasn't at his best, but i think the shclecks were, they were just tactically inept to finish the job. As for Cadel wheelsucking, considering he spent most of his time at the front chasing the time gap on the alpine stages, this doesn't make any sense? Plus even when he did get a rest from the front, do you think sitting on somebodies wheel on an 8% incline averageing the same speed as a granny without a zimmaframe makes much difference? I don't. Worthy winner, he played the long game, and he beat the favourites, fair enough Contador could have been in with a better chance had he not nakard his leg and rode the Giro, but Andy pandy and frank were more than capable of winning this years tour.
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  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    paulcuthbert wrote:
    Cressers wrote:
    He managed to conserve his energy be wheelsucking the others. Yes he won, but that had more to do with the Schlecks and Contador being out of form rather than his inate ability.

    I agree with this. No disrespect, but if Thomas Voeckler was in yellow for 10 days, then you have to imagine the main contenders weren't at the top of their game!

    Evans has come 2nd in the Tour twice, around a minute off from the winner. I suppose those years the favourites were crap too?

    I'm curious, which TdF's do you think were good? They've sucked for a very long time, so I'm interested in what your benchmark is?

    This would be like me saying Cavendish's victories have no value because I don't like him. Odd in the extreme.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    paulcuthbert wrote:
    if Thomas Voeckler was in yellow for 10 days, then you have to imagine the main contenders weren't at the top of their game!
    - or the playing field has been levelled a bit more
    - or the others were playing a canny game and letting Europcar take the pressure

    You can read it in several ways.
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  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    LeicesterLad wrote:
    +1 Contador is a 'pure climber' who happens to be half decent in a TT aswell, Nobody dances up the mountains like Bertie.

    Pantani did, Lance too, you just need enough red cells ;)
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    Going on Dirty's TT efforts I would not call him a pure climber (although he is a magnificent one)- not in the sense that climbing is his only strength. Last pure climber (in aptitude not pure as in clean) to my mind was Pantani.
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    What was Evans supposed to do to become worthy?
    Shlecks lost their tdf in the Pyrenees due to lack of commitment. Their fault!

    Also, this whole thing with TT's and worthiness. Now I've ridden a few TT's over the last couple of years and I have been beaten by many riders better than me. I like to think that in another type of race, I will, in turn, be better than some of them. However, I'm giving it my all and they still put big time into me. I presume this is a combination of talent and hard work.
    Evans didn't just turn up at the start line last Saturday and get awarded a good time, he buried himself and exploited all the hard prep work he'd done.
    TT's may not be as exciting as mountain s but there were only 63K's of TT in a 3000K race.
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    dougzz wrote:
    LeicesterLad wrote:
    +1 Contador is a 'pure climber' who happens to be half decent in a TT aswell, Nobody dances up the mountains like Bertie.

    Pantani did, Lance too, you just need enough red cells ;)

    Pantani was a pure climber though. Lance wasn't
    The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg
  • shinyhelmut
    shinyhelmut Posts: 1,364
    Rasmussen was a pure climber (especially if one of the qualificaations required of a pure climber is the inability to TT.)
  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    ShinyHelmut wrote:
    Rasmussen was a pure climber (especially if one of the qualificaations required of a pure climber is the inability to TT.)

    No Pantani could TT as well if it was up a steep enough hill!
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