Did Bradley have a low enough gear today?

Rule74Please

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good either which is why he is doing the Vuelta.


None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Gazzaputt

Rule74Please wrote:

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good eother which is why he is doing the Vuelta.
He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Rearrange.

Talking stop out arse your of.

calvjones

Rule74Please wrote:

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good either which is why he is doing the Vuelta.


None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Nibs no good? Menchov? Whatever.

At the very least there'll be no-one claiming his TdF 4th was a lucky fluke on an easy course will there? Although I'm sure you weren't one of those

blazing_saddles

Gazzaputt wrote:

Rule74Please wrote:

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good eother which is why he is doing the Vuelta.
He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Rearrange.

Talking stop out ars* your of.

Which of Rule 74's point/s is coming out of his ars*?

The one which he suggests Contador is a better climber than Wiggins?
Or that Bradley finds +10% gradients hard?
Or that yesterday, Cobo's attack put the Sky man into difficulty?

Seems to me, that while Rule 74's statements might be unpalatable to some, they aren't inaccurate.

Which means that the man with talking ars*, would be you......................again.

Much more effective would have been the barely disguised Spanish doping allegation, repost.
Something along the lines of Cobo was on the right gear for the Angliru.

calvjones wrote:

Nibs no good? Menchov? Whatever.

At the very least there'll be no-one claiming his TdF 4th was a lucky fluke on an easy course will there? Although I'm sure you weren't one of those

The problem with Nibs and Menchov is that both seem to have at least one bad day in the mountains.

calvjones

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

Rule74Please wrote:

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good eother which is why he is doing the Vuelta.
He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Rearrange.

Talking stop out ars* your of.

Which of Rule 74's point/s is coming out of his ars*?

The one which he suggests Contador is a better climber than Wiggins?
Or that Bradley finds +10% gradients hard?
Or that yesterday, Cobo's attack put the Sky man into difficulty?

Seems to me, that while Rule 74's statements might be unpalatable to some, they aren't inaccurate.

Which means that the man with talking ars*, would be you......................again.

Much more effective would have been the barely disguised Spanish doping allegation, repost.
Something along the lines of Cobo was on the right gear for the Angliru.

calvjones wrote:

Nibs no good? Menchov? Whatever.

At the very least there'll be no-one claiming his TdF 4th was a lucky fluke on an easy course will there? Although I'm sure you weren't one of those

The problem with Nibs and Menchov is that both seem to have at least one bad day in the mountains.

Hasn't stopped them bagging what, 4 GTs between them?

calvjones

Although to be fair I'd only call Brad an 'elite' climber if that elite was around a dozen or 15 strong.

He's a Menchov/Indurain type. Not a goat but classic GT winning type nonetheless.

tremayne

Thread getting a little heated and separating along predictble lines. I know where I stand.

However, strictly 'on thread' - whatever has been said, I for one was screaming for Brad to find a bigger back sprocket. Knew he was already in it - but didn't stop me from wishing it to materialise on his cassette!! At that point (ie the point he very seriously came close to doing an imitation of MOTO 2), I'm pretty sure he would have happily shifted for another tooth or couple teeth on the back.

Yes - he was in desperate desperate trouble by this point, but I still think it would have resulted in a marginally better time up that last slog.

More off thread - Brad was a total hero yesterday and was (by his admission - by anyones admission) undertaking something well outside of his comfort zone, well outside of what we would recognise as Wiggins territory.

In summary - total shame to see him almost heading towards a track stand on the Angilru. That said, he's paving new ground here folks and many of the elements of 'he can't do this' or 'he can't do that' are simply no longer applicable to 'NEW- BRAD' !

cougie

I'd think that most clean riders would have one bad day (at least) in the mountains.

Think back to the dopers - ridiculously strong on all of the mountain stages.

blazing_saddles

calvjones wrote:

Nibs no good? Menchov? Whatever.

At the very least there'll be no-one claiming his TdF 4th was a lucky fluke on an easy course will there? Although I'm sure you weren't one of those

Blazing Saddles wrote:

The problem with Nibs and Menchov is that both seem to have at least one bad day in the mountains.

calvjones wrote:

Hasn't stopped them bagging what, 4 GTs between them?

True enough.
Everybody had at least one bad day at last year's Vuelta and Nibali managed his damage limitation very well. Had Anton stayed in the race.............
Dennis won his GT's by mostly avoiding his normal bad mountain day and by great ITT performances

In that context, IF Wiggins doesn't win this Vuelta, he didn't just lose it on the slopes of the Angliru, yesterday but in conjunction with the two stages against the clock.

What Wiggins has achieved at this Vuelta is to show that his 2009 performance was not a fluke and that he has developed his climbing to the extent that it can be classed as very strong, rather than great.
It is also clear, that while the Tour competition might have been stiffer, the parcours were better suited to Bradley's potential.

outcastjack

Rule74Please wrote:

Face it he can't CLIMB.

TT up a mountain yes but when it gets steep he gets found out.

For one not surprised and watched waiting for him to crack as predicted

If finishing 5th on a climb like that in a GT and wasting the likes of Nibli is your idea of someone who can't climb then I would love to see what sort of drugged up freakshow would be your idea of a good climber.

Rule74Please

wiggin's 2009 was a fluke made possible by a neutral tour that came down to 1 climb (Ventoux) and he failed to climb and was beaten by a man well past his best to lose 3rd place.

A great rider but not a great climber.

True he lost his race in the TT by cracking on the HILL

seems to be a pattern here

Rule74Please

outcastjack wrote:

Rule74Please wrote:

Face it he can't CLIMB.

TT up a mountain yes but when it gets steep he gets found out.

For one not surprised and watched waiting for him to crack as predicted

If finishing 5th on a climb like that in a GT and wasting the likes of Nibli is your idea of someone who can't climb then I would love to see what sort of drugged up freakshow would be your idea of a good climber.

Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD
Ivan Basso

A list of the best climbers in the Biggest 3 week race of the year Who in this list would lose a minute's sleep over wiggins in the big mountains with the bigger gradients?

Rule74Please

PS don't care if clean or not. That is what the testing is to stop.

Some of the best racing was when everyone took stuff Yes we all KNEW but really didn't care

Tell me athletics is clean. we all know the 100m is the dirtiest event on the planet yet nobody mnids

iainf72

Rule74Please wrote:

wiggin's 2009 was a fluke made possible by a neutral tour that came down to 1 climb (Ventoux) and he failed to climb and was beaten by a man well past his best to lose 3rd place.

You think the 09 Tour came down to a stage where nothing happened?

Stage 19 : Wiggins 4'th overall. Stage 20 : Wiggins 4'th over all.

3/10

blazing_saddles

Yes, Rule 74.
You should have quit while you were ahead.

Gazzaputt

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

Rule74Please wrote:

symo wrote:

I think he showed today that he is in the elite of climbers, so he can TT really well, climb really well (barring a collarbone stopping him hopping out the saddle more).

Race is far from over. Lots of flat stages for those noted flatland riders at Geox to crash in.

Really!!!!!!

Contador evans Basso Schleck (x2) all missing for a start. Nibali is not that good eother which is why he is doing the Vuelta.
He admits that if the gradient makes 10% he is in trouble.

None of the best are there and he was cracked by a very good dommie in Cobo

Rearrange.

Talking stop out ars* your of.

Which of Rule 74's point/s is coming out of his ars*?

The one which he suggests Contador is a better climber than Wiggins?
Or that Bradley finds +10% gradients hard?
Or that yesterday, Cobo's attack put the Sky man into difficulty?

Seems to me, that while Rule 74's statements might be unpalatable to some, they aren't inaccurate.

Which means that the man with talking ars*, would be you......................again.

Much more effective would have been the barely disguised Spanish doping allegation, repost.
Something along the lines of Cobo was on the right gear for the Angliru.

calvjones wrote:

Nibs no good? Menchov? Whatever.

At the very least there'll be no-one claiming his TdF 4th was a lucky fluke on an easy course will there? Although I'm sure you weren't one of those

The problem with Nibs and Menchov is that both seem to have at least one bad day in the mountains.

I think if you read his posts you'll find my comment is fair.

As for yours same old shite you usually spout.

Squaggles

I get the impression that Wiggins isn't actually all that popular , is it something about his personality that annoys people ?

He did look slightly over-geared to me but what do I know

jibberjim

Rule74Please wrote:

... with the bigger gradients?

But the TdF doesn't have big gradients... The french don't build those roads.

ForumNewbie

Thanks for some interesting replies.

Firstly, it didn't occur to me that people looking at the forum had TV highlights recorded but not watched yet, so apologies if I spoiled anyone's enjoyment. Saying that I don't think my title gave the game away as to how the stage finished,

Secondly, I was definitely not knocking Bradley as I think he recovered really well to finish 5th - I was just interested to know what gears he had on the bike for such a steep climb.

tremayne

F-Newbie - oh , and NOW you tell us! You've sparked WW3 already here fella!!

mz__jo

I have seen Cobo quoted today as having 34/32 gearing (not 36/32 as some seem to be suggesting). He said that he had wanted to do a reconnaissance but hadn't found the time so he played safe. With Shimano having mtb cassettes with 34 and 36 sprockets there is not too much reason to be overgeared, just the time needed to test out the possibilities before the big day.
I would agree that compared to most of the opposition Brad did pretty well, but Geox had 2 riders who did better than the 2 Sky. Its a pity that the time bonuses played so big a role on the GC.

chrisbonnie

lads

excuse my ignorance here, but when you say cobo had a 36/32,

was that on the front, or the back?

surely not the front

Dorset_Boy

I do find it odd how people slag off someone who has managed to get up that insane climb to finish the stage in 5th place.

It's a little like those who used to put down Eddie the Eagle but never had the balls to stand atop a ski jump hill, let alone go down it and take off.

Personally i suspect climbs like yesterday's are a bad hangover from the worast of the druggie days.

ForumNewbie

chrisbonnie wrote:

lads

excuse my ignorance here, but when you say cobo had a 36/32,

was that on the front, or the back?

surely not the front

I think it means his smallest ring on the front was a 36 and the biggest sprocket at the back was a 32.

OfficerDigby

Sky were on 38x32.. Because of the asymmetric rings. Froome seems to think could have made a difference.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... uelta.html


You guys are crazy Wiggins can't climb! LOL!
He would have been in better form during TDF.

Tom Butcher

Rule74Please wrote:

Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD
Ivan Basso

A list of the best climbers in the Biggest 3 week race of the year Who in this list would lose a minute's sleep over wiggins in the big mountains with the bigger gradients?

All of them. Not saying Wiggins would finish ahead of them all but his name wouldn't be out of place in that group. I mean Cunego - I like him as a rider but has he really consistently outclimbed Wiggins in recent years ?

The shame about Wiggins is we've had a potential GC contender all these years and he's only had a proper run at 2 - maybe 3 - grand tours.

edhornby

he dropped Cadel on the decisive climb of the dauphine this year

proto

Regarding the question raised by the OP and looking at a thread on Cycling news the leaders lowest gearing was reported as:

Cobo: 34x32
Froome: 36x28
Wiggins: 38x32
Mollema: 36x28

Wiggins lower than Froome but Cobo significantly lower still.

Make of that what you will!

thamacdaddy

Tom Butcher wrote:

Rule74Please wrote:

Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD
Ivan Basso

A list of the best climbers in the Biggest 3 week race of the year Who in this list would lose a minute's sleep over wiggins in the big mountains with the bigger gradients?

All of them. Not saying Wiggins would finish ahead of them all but his name wouldn't be out of place in that group. I mean Cunego - I like him as a rider but has he really consistently outclimbed Wiggins in recent years ?

The shame about Wiggins is we've had a potential GC contender all these years and he's only had a proper run at 2 - maybe 3 - grand tours.

+ 1 but for a different reason. In that list only cadel and contador could have kept within 90 seconds or beat wiggins in a time trial (most probably though there are a lot of factors). The rest would have needed minutes from the mountains and for my money I think wiggins can stick with basso and evans etc in the mountains so he is a genuine GC contender. I think we will find out next year. We will also find out if riding high tempo as he does on the 10% climbs whether any of those contenders would suffer.

I would say about cunego though, if he is in form as he was at the tour de suisse, then he is a great climber and descender. That climb he did in stage 3 and the descent with sagan was one of the highlights of the season for me.

seanoconn

Fair enough if you don't like Wiggins and hope he performs poorly but to say he can't climb is idiotic. The man was leading this tour after several hard mountain stages and came in 5th on an real bitch of a mountain stage. What more has he got to do? You don't have to win every mountain stage In order to qualify as a climber. Like him or not, he can Climb!!