Tour of Catalunya - *Spoilers*

13567…19

Comments

  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    That was quite good - Unexpected from Wiggins.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.

    Stage 1 Results
    BEL 1 MEERSMAN, Gianni (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) 3:55:56
    ITA 2 AGNOLI, Valerio (ASTANA PRO TEAM)
    ESP 3 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR TEAM)
    IRL 4 MARTIN, Daniel (GARMIN SHARP)
    SUI 5 WYSS, Danilo (BMC RACING)
    GBR 6 WIGGINS, Bradley (SKY PROCYCLING)
    NED 7 GESINK, Robert (BLANCO PRO CYCLING)
    ITA 8 SCARPONI, Michele (LAMPRE-MERIDA)
    ESP 9 LOPEZ GARCIA, David (SKY PROCYCLING)
    ITA 10 CATALDO, Dario (SKY PROCYCLING)

    General Classification after Stage 1
    BEL 1 MEERSMAN, Gianni (OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP) 3:55:46
    ITA 2 AGNOLI, Valerio (ASTANA PRO TEAM) + 4
    ESP 3 VALVERDE BELMONTE, Alejandro (MOVISTAR TEAM) + 6
    IRL 4 MARTIN, Daniel (GARMIN SHARP) + 10
    SUI 5 WYSS, Danilo (BMC RACING)
    GBR 6 WIGGINS, Bradley (SKY PROCYCLING)
    NED 7 GESINK, Robert (BLANCO PRO CYCLING)
    ITA 8 SCARPONI, Michele (LAMPRE-MERIDA)
    ESP 9 LOPEZ GARCIA, David (SKY PROCYCLING)
    ITA 10 CATALDO, Dario (SKY PROCYCLING)
    Contador is the Greatest
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,383
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.

    Yeah I'm sure Wiggins et al spend hours worrying about what Internet Forum People think of how they ride bike races!
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    r0bh wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.

    Yeah I'm sure Wiggins et al spend hours worrying about what Internet Forum People think of how they ride bike races!

    Could have been someone in the deathstar that was reading the forum :lol:
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • oneof1982
    oneof1982 Posts: 703
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!

    Yeah but Bri is a forum member, so he doesn't count.
    http://www.twitter.com/InTheGC http://www.InTheGC.com http://www.facebook.com/intheGC
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    LeicesterLad wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.
    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Yeah but Bri is a forum member, so he doesn't count.
    Oh it does count because he could burst into song on these pages.
    Someone asked the other day about where Mrs Harmon was these days.
    Myself I just hope she has gone back to the Motor bikes and Cars.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    LeicesterLad wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!

    Yeah but Bri is a forum member, so he doesn't count.

    It's not unique to here. Pretty much every forum / twitter / whateva has the same kind of comments.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    iainf72 wrote:
    LeicesterLad wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!

    Yeah but Bri is a forum member, so he doesn't count.

    It's not unique to here. Pretty much every forum / twitter / whateva has the same kind of comments.

    Yes Iain, but it's only here that matters. :wink:
    http://www.twitter.com/InTheGC http://www.InTheGC.com http://www.facebook.com/intheGC
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,549
    iainf72 wrote:
    That was quite good - Unexpected from Wiggins.

    Quite good?

    Having normalised the data by running your evaluation through my poster-adjusted-weighting algorithm, it appears I've missed an absolutely superb stage.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    That was quite good - Unexpected from Wiggins.

    Quite good?

    Having normalised the data by running your evaluation through my poster-adjusted-weighting algorithm, it appears I've missed an absolutely superb stage.

    Last 15Km were good, fast climb & descents with Bradley flying off the front & mixing it up
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    Stage 2

    catalonia2013et2.png
    What's that, 5 times over the finish line. :?:
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,177
    Looks like I missed a decent stage. Lopez looks like being a good addition to the Sky squad. Would never have expected Dan Martin to be fourth in the sprint.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP0wDTwbYP8
    last bit in low def video....
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    That was quite good - Unexpected from Wiggins.

    Quite good?

    Having normalised the data by running your evaluation through my poster-adjusted-weighting algorithm, it appears I've missed an absolutely superb stage.
    Not quite 'absolutely superb' but, particularly given the level of expectation, pretty damned good.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Doesn't anyone else think that Wiggins attacking on a descent may have been more of a statement to Nibali than to us VIPs on the internet.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    DeadCalm wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Doesn't anyone else think that Wiggins attacking on a descent may have been more of a statement to Nibali than to us VIPs on the internet.

    or he's just a bike racer and decided to attack?
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Doesn't anyone else think that Wiggins attacking on a descent may have been more of a statement to Nibali than to us VIPs on the internet.

    or he's just a bike racer and decided to attack?
    ^^ thats it...
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,243
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Doesn't anyone else think that Wiggins attacking on a descent may have been more of a statement to Nibali than to us VIPs on the internet.

    or he's just a bike racer and decided to attack?
    or it could be that,
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    DeadCalm wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    DeadCalm wrote:
    oneof1982 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Didn't watch this but sounds decent. Sounds like someone has been reading this forum.


    Brian Smith on the commentary made reference to "online criticism" Sky were getting!
    Doesn't anyone else think that Wiggins attacking on a descent may have been more of a statement to Nibali than to us VIPs on the internet.

    or he's just a bike racer and decided to attack?
    or it could be that,

    No, no it is all part of the Sky conspiracy super plan, Wiggins is pulling a double bluff. :wink: Or he could have just decided to attack.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    Could be Wiggins was just fed up with training and being knocked of his bike that he decided to try his legs out in a real Pro Race.
    Question :- Has he got any race miles in his legs in the last month. ??
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    It was probably his power meter that told him to attack!
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    As well as giving the turbo-diesel a workout, Wiggo, Lopez and Cataldo improvised the last few kms in the least Skytrain manner imaginable. Spread through the group they let wheels go several times forcing guys behind to scramble. Obviously the other GC guys wanted to ride, but Sky made sure they all worked for it despite their extra numbers in the group.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,314
    It was a shame that there didn't seem to be a working camera covering the panicking chasing bunch (not that the camera following the leaders was much good, either) - the aerial suggested full red alert for the teams who lost out (the bodged right hander won't have helped them much, either). I'd imagine that there were quite a few pantomime/amateur dramatic gestures going on...
    There must have been quite a few domestiques who'd have been hoping for a relatively sedate ride into town with a normal sprint finish before Wiggins did that... not least David Lopez and Dario Cataldo (talking of whom - how strong have they looked in the last few weeks?).
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Bonus seconds suck.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Only if your Sky boys are not in for the win. Contador can't win a sprint to save his life which is why he needs to make efforts to arrive solo.

    --

    Sky led the race as they like, with a rapid pace [on the final climb]
    -Joaquim

    25km to go it was Team Sky who seized the initiative on the final pass over the Collsacreu to set the pace and keep a lid on attacks. Josh Edmondson set the tempo initially to line things out with Pete Kennaugh, Danny Pate, López and Cataldo all present to rally around a motivated Wiggins
    -Team Sky website

    Team Sky pushed the pace on the ascent with Lopez, Rigoberto Uran and Cataldo leading the peloton over the final KOM and continued to force the issue on the descent with reigning Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins prominent at the head of the race. Sky's efforts managed to force a 13-rider selection
    Cyclingnews

    --

    I hope the climbers like Nieve and Anton have moments to shine before they are blown out the back again with the dynamite tempo.

    --

    Check out Wiggins new shoes:
    wiggins.jpg
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5PELNlRpFwg/U ... iggins.jpg
    BradleyWigginsCataldo_2917455.jpg

    --

    Nice to see Wiggins stretch his legs. Like I was saying recently, it would be good if he used the talent he has in his TT
    legs on a non-TT and non-mountain stage.

    --

    Entire race broadcast:
    http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/cicl ... ?media=tve

    --

    Lots of pages for a thread after stage 1.

    --

    I guess Sky are riding, unsurprisingly, for Wiggins and not Uran.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Specialized?!?!

    What happened to bonts?!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,177
    I guess this is what happens when a race has no TT to set the time gaps. I assume that Uran isn't the Sky GC man for this race after all!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,177
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    Specialized?!?!

    What happened to bonts?!

    Cataldo's shoes look good, nice match with the kit but would look better with black socks ironically.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Turfle wrote:
    Bonus seconds suck.

    Or make the protagonists race to the line rather than roll over en mass glad they won whatever battle they were riding ...

    Watching Schleck/Contador ride over the line hand in hand the other year was pathetic, give them something to race for ... Last year's Vuelta showed how bonus seconds can enliven a race right to the finish line ...

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