Wiggins - Dark Horse
Comments
-
Turfle wrote:Podium would be a fantastic result.
As for the upcoming climbs, who of us really predicted Wiggins to look like one of, it not THE strongest climber on the previous three MTF stages?
Good point Turfle but alas they were not as steep as the final today and more especially tomorrow, my hopes are with Wiggo. After being with Cummings after he just finished the TT at the end of Tour of the Algarve and losing yellow to Tony Martin I know what it means to these guys. :shock:0 -
Todays effort from the modfather and his faithful companion was genuinely heroic. I believe that in it's fullest respect.
Wiggo and Froome sticking it to them had me on the edge of my chair.
Ianf - not sure what you really meant by the comment that if someone had decided to crank it up a bit, wiggo would have cracked. My honest take on this is that pretty much everyone was too busy 'getting some' from wiggins and Froome! I would love to hear the response from someone like nibali were he to get told to 'crank it up a little more'! I think the air would have been blue!!
Great great day for British cycling.0 -
Watch the 2nd last climb again. In the last few km's, Wiggins was a lot less comfortable than some of the others. Even Harmon / Kelly commented on it.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
-
He was closing a gap when they commented that he looked to be struggling. It doesn't matter anyway just like its irrelevant who looked to be struggling on stage one."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
-
Just watching it now and I'm struggling to detect any particular discomfort. He is simply stuck firmly in Nibali's wheel the whole time.iainf72 wrote:Watch the 2nd last climb again. In the last few km's, Wiggins was a lot less comfortable than some of the others. Even Harmon / Kelly commented on it.0 -
DeadCalm wrote:
Just watching it now and I'm struggling to detect any particular discomfort. He is simply stuck firmly in Nibali's wheel the whole time.iainf72 wrote:Watch the 2nd last climb again. In the last few km's, Wiggins was a lot less comfortable than some of the others. Even Harmon / Kelly commented on it.
*shrug* I think it was when he had to move back up when J-Rod did his little bound off the front. Perhaps he was just too far back and had to extend himself a little more - Don't know. To me, he looked a little ragged. But hey, that's what being good is about, you get through it and if he was feeling it, he got past it.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Tour of Spain is ours to lose, says Wiggins
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... _interview
Wiggins: "Credo di poter vincere"
http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/03-09-2 ... 4356.shtml
'famous last words' ?
hope not, but....interview.cyclingfever.com0 -
He's already said that the Tour is his main priority for 2012.0
-
Wasn't it Sky's aim to win a GT in 5 years?? Or was it just Le Tour??
If, and it's a big if, Wiggo did pull it off - would he get more coverage than next weeks Tour of Britain?? I do wonder if the UK media realise that this is one of the 3 GT's, and not some 'tin pot' race abroad.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
There's the tour of france and the rest are tin pot races as far as the UK is concerned"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
-
Team Sky's public aim when launched was to get a British winner of the TdF within 5 years. However given the British media only responds to A - winners, B - Brits and C - the Tour de France then when Team Sky had its big launch and PR fanfare when a mic was stuck under their nose they couldn't really say much else.
I would be surprised if the British media even knew there was any racing outside of the TdF - tin pot or not.0 -
iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics0 -
AndyRAC wrote:I do wonder if the UK media realise that this is one of the 3 GT's, and not some 'tin pot' race abroad.
If they were watching the ITV4 coverage they may come to the conclusion that the two aren't mutually exclusive.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
i can't see any other team make their leader pace a domestique up a mountain. could you ever see contador tow richie porte, or the schlecks helping monfort?"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
gsk82 wrote:Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
i can't see any other team make their leader pace a domestique up a mountain. could you ever see contador tow richie porte, or the schlecks helping monfort?
+1 It's not like Froome has any history to suggest he was a GT contender. Fantastic Vuelta for him, but there was nothing much to suggest he would be able to ride this well beforehand.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
Yes put the rider that is out of contract into Red and leave the team leader to flounder. Cracking tactics.0 -
Gazzaputt wrote:Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
Yes put the rider that is out of contract into Red and leave the team leader to flounder. Cracking tactics.
Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?0 -
LeicesterLad wrote:Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
Tricky one that.... will Wiggins want to admit defeat, given that if can't dominate a GT against second string contenders (ie developing riders or GT winners now past their best) how can he be expected to be up there in the Tour?0 -
16simon wrote:LeicesterLad wrote:Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
Tricky one that.... will Wiggins want to admit defeat, given that if can't dominate a GT against second string contenders (ie developing riders or GT winners now past their best) how can he be expected to be up there in the Tour?
He could do the honerable thing and use the 'its only 7 weeks after i broke my collarbone, i havn't raced since' line, which is fair enough.0 -
16simon wrote:LeicesterLad wrote:Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
Tricky one that.... will Wiggins want to admit defeat, given that if can't dominate a GT against second string contenders (ie developing riders or GT winners now past their best) how can he be expected to be up there in the Tour?
Nbali, Scarponi, Menchov, Anton, Rodriguez. Wiggins has outclimbed every single one of them.0 -
Turfle wrote:16simon wrote:LeicesterLad wrote:Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
Tricky one that.... will Wiggins want to admit defeat, given that if can't dominate a GT against second string contenders (ie developing riders or GT winners now past their best) how can he be expected to be up there in the Tour?
Nbali, Scarponi, Menchov, Anton, Rodriguez. Wiggins has outclimbed every single one of them.
Cannot argue with this.0 -
Tempting though it is to let Bradleee ride for Froome, Christopher of Kenya is more likely to have a bad day than Wiggins.0
-
Would love to see to the two of them nip off the front and two-up it at the end of the stage...0
-
Turfle wrote:16simon wrote:LeicesterLad wrote:Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
Tricky one that.... will Wiggins want to admit defeat, given that if can't dominate a GT against second string contenders (ie developing riders or GT winners now past their best) how can he be expected to be up there in the Tour?
Nbali, Scarponi, Menchov, Anton, Rodriguez. Wiggins has outclimbed every single one of them.
How many of those do you expect to be challenging for the Tour next year?
Don't get me wrong, Wiggins is doing a great Vuelta. I've never been a particularly huge supporter of his, but he's been winning me over this year because of his more aggressive riding. But let's not get carried away - the Vuelta is still very much the 3rd of the 3 GTs.0 -
Gazzaputt wrote:Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
Yes put the rider that is out of contract into Red and leave the team leader to flounder. Cracking tactics.
As opposed to supporting the weaker rider because he is the 'team leader' and ending up second and third?0 -
Moomaloid wrote:Would love to see to the two of them nip off the front and two-up it at the end of the stage...
Won't happen Tuesday as its as flat as a pancake. Wednesday however I wouldn't mind seeing Team Sky send one of them up the road with the other sat on Cobo's wheel for a counter attack. Having a 2 and 3 on the GC means this ain't quite over yet (although being honest I don't hold out much hope).0 -
All Wiggins did today was sit on Froome's wheel until he couldn't.... he didn't contribute anything.0
-
Perhaps Christopher Froome should keep an eye on the continental teams that would let him defend a leader's jersey; surprisingly enough there are a few out there, some even that would like to talk to him. Nice to support your leader and ride for your country, even nicer to be allowed to make something of your talents.
Brad was thoroughly whacked today; did he neglect his feeding somewhere? Looked a bit like it when he went backwards but the loss of the TV bike didn't let us follow the matter.0 -
LeicesterLad wrote:Gazzaputt wrote:Dave_1 wrote:iainf72 wrote:I doubt it was a tough conversation. Froome would've known his role, and should have been happy to perform that role.
Seriously, would people expect someone with no record in grand tours to be protected by someone who was 3'rd in the race AND had finished top 5 in the Tour? Seriously?
if Froome had not had to do that pace making 4 days ago and for much of the climb today for leader wiggo he would not have lost the jersey 4 days ago and would be in it now..sky has used the wrong tactics
Yes put the rider that is out of contract into Red and leave the team leader to flounder. Cracking tactics.
Question now is this. Sky are unlikely to get red from wiggins, slightly more likely to get it from froome, so, does wiggins now admit defeat, and set the pace for froome?
No they dont do that, they are 2 and 3 so they can attack one at a time as sky have two gc contenders this is the only chance they have. Trouble is that all the spannish riders will help Cobo.0
