TdF n' Thomas

greasedscotsman
greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
edited November 2012 in Pro race
So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint ... -de-france

I'm not so sure. Flanders/Roubaix winner yes. TdF winner, probably not.
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Comments

  • bipedal
    bipedal Posts: 466
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint ... -de-france

    I'm not so sure. Flanders/Roubaix winner yes. TdF winner, probably not.

    We'd have all probably said the same of Wiggins 6 years ago... the best thing about Wiggo's victory could well be that the younger generation of UK riders dare to dream
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    I'd like to see him win Paris-Roubaix TBH.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    I'd like to see him win Paris-Roubaix TBH.

    Yeah, I went to see Roubaix in 2004 when Hammond got 3rd. Would love to see Thomas win it, that would be great!
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    bipedal wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint ... -de-france

    I'm not so sure. Flanders/Roubaix winner yes. TdF winner, probably not.

    We'd have all probably said the same of Wiggins 6 years ago... the best thing about Wiggo's victory could well be that the younger generation of UK riders dare to dream


    Yeah.. its about whether he can put in a good few years of work to turn himself into a GC rider.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    My money's on G and Sky having a bloody good crack at it. Sky are going to put him through the Wiggo regime over the next few years with Kerrison as his coach.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    EBH closer to Roubaix winner though?
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    EBH closer to Roubaix winner though?

    Really? Based on?
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    ^^Ignorance.

    I always thought he was stronger, and won something cobbled a few years back.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Thomas is a fantastic prospect for Roubaix - at 26 he could (and I think should - but it's his career) have been up there as a contender for several years now. As a potential grand tour winner - not sure - he's shown glimpses of climbing form and presumably Sky will know his figures and how they measure up to what is needed.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    ^^Ignorance.

    I always thought he was stronger, and won something cobbled a few years back.

    Yeah, he won Gent Wevelgem 2009, not sure it's a good sign though, Hincapie won it was well! :D
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?
    .

    No.

    Really no.
    _
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    edited November 2012
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?
    .

    No.

    Really no.


    Rationale, Rick, for such adament belief of 'no'?
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    So can Geraint Thomas follow in the footsteps of Wiggins and win the Tour?

    Sorry everyone, I should have said wheel tracks! :D
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Yeah, he won Gent Wevelgem 2009, not sure it's a good sign though, Hincapie won it was well! :D

    Steady... :wink:
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Yeah, he won Gent Wevelgem 2009, not sure it's a good sign though, Hincapie won it was well! :D

    Steady... :wink:

    S'funny, I would have said that Hincapie would by the end of his career won either Flanders or Roubaix. Shows what I know!
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    I wonder how many people would have thought Wiggins was capable of winning the TdF when he was 26?

    Also I assume BC/Sky will have a good understanding of Thomas’ physiology and therefore wouldn’t be considering it if they didn’t think it possible.
    Mañana
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    pb21 wrote:
    I wonder how many people would have thought Wiggins was capable of winning the TdF when he was 26?

    Also I assume BC/Sky will have a good understanding of Thomas’ physiology and therefore wouldn’t be considering it if they didn’t think it possible.


    And G makes the accurate point that he's prob ahead of where Brad was at the same age, on the road.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    pb21 wrote:
    I wonder how many people would have thought Wiggins was capable of winning the TdF when he was 26?

    Also I assume BC/Sky will have a good understanding of Thomas’ physiology and therefore wouldn’t be considering it if they didn’t think it possible.


    And G makes the accurate point that he's prob ahead of where Brad was at the same age, on the road.

    Cool! Will we see Ed Clancy and Steven Burke on the podium with him?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    edited November 2012
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    pb21 wrote:
    I wonder how many people would have thought Wiggins was capable of winning the TdF when he was 26?

    Also I assume BC/Sky will have a good understanding of Thomas’ physiology and therefore wouldn’t be considering it if they didn’t think it possible.


    And G makes the accurate point that he's prob ahead of where Brad was at the same age, on the road.

    Cool! Will we see Ed Clancy and Steven Burke on the podium with him?


    No idea what you mean, Greased? I did say, on the road.

    G's 26. By 26, Wiggo had the following on his palmares, road-wise:

    1st Fleche du Sud
    Ist ITT - Tour de l'Avenir
    1st ITT - Circuit de Lorraine
    1st Stage 8 - Tour de l'Avenir

    At this point, G's road palmares includes

    1st Junior P-R
    1st Overall, Points, Under 21 plus a stage - Fleche du Sud
    3rd Mountains - Baby Giro
    3rd on a stage - Ster Elektroer
    Completed 2007 TdF as the Benjamin at 21 (think Brad's first Tour was later in his career)
    5th- Coppa Bernocci
    1st ITT - Qatar
    1st - British Nats RR
    Runner-up - British Nats RR
    2nd- Stage 3 - TdF
    White Jersey Stages 1-7 - TdF
    1st Overall, plus 2nd on Stage 3 - Bayern Rundfahrt
    2nd - Dwars door Vlaanderen
    1st Prologue - Tour of Romandie
    2nd Prologue, 2nd ITT Stage 21 - Giro


    I'd say that's more than a little ahead of Brad at 26.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    No idea what you mean, Greased?

    If Thomas is seen as a potential TdF winner, then why not other riders who have come through the BC track programme? Pursuiters in particular. That's where Wiggins came from and Thomas as well. Is that not the argument with Thomas?
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    I don't know about winning, but I can see him being a top 10 type rider. He's shown ability to be there in the final 30 or so in the high mountains, but whether weight loss would see him becoming a 3 week rider is a big unanswered question. He can TT well enough, he's got a big engine, and he has shown some climbing ability; Cam Meyer and G would seem the two ex-track riders who are most similar to Wiggins.

    His plan of going for the classics in the first half, then trying to lose a bit of weight for the second half of the year, seems a sensible one, and one that won't hinder his classics chances.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I think it's fair to say that Thomas has shown considerable more aptitude for a range of road riding than Clancy has.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Ed has definitely never been first over the Tourmalet in a Tour de France!

    (I think Thomas went over first anyway. It's Monday).
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Turfle wrote:
    Ed has definitely never been first over the Tourmalet in a Tour de France!.
    I think Ed Clancy is great, but he's probably never even been first over a humpback bridge in a crit! :)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Turfle wrote:
    Ed has definitely never been first over the Tourmalet in a Tour de France!

    (I think Thomas went over first anyway. It's Monday).


    He didnt - no one had told him about the 5k euros (?) prize for first over, and Roy (?) beat him to it :(
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Graeme_S wrote:
    I think it's fair to say that Thomas has shown considerable more aptitude for a range of road riding than Clancy has.

    Oh for sure. Clancy doesn't seem interested in the road at all. But then what about Burke, he is only 24.

    Mind you, I don't think Thomas will win the TdF.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Graeme_S wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    Ed has definitely never been first over the Tourmalet in a Tour de France!.
    I think Ed Clancy is great, but he's probably never even been first over a humpback bridge in a crit! :)

    So mean. But so fair.

    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    Ed has definitely never been first over the Tourmalet in a Tour de France!

    (I think Thomas went over first anyway. It's Monday).


    He didnt - no one had told him about the 5k euros (?) prize for first over, and Roy (?) beat him to it :(

    Ah, that's right. After Thomas went off the road 2 or 3 times on the previous descent. That was a good stage.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFWt_MKViKs
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    S'funny, I would have said that Hincapie would by the end of his career won either Flanders or Roubaix. Shows what I know!

    Yes, I'm gutted he didn't. He was often there or thereabouts, but never quite had the luck needed to win.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFWt_MKViKs

    I shouted fark very loudly in my office when he did that. Good crash technique, mind you

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