Geraint Thomas is future Tour de France winner

TheBigBean
TheBigBean Posts: 20,642
edited March 2014 in Pro race
Assumed someone else would have posted this, but couldn't see it anywhere

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/wales/26634755
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Comments

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    it was posted somewhere...

    Think it first appeared in Wales Online - which is not the most level headed of news outlets when it comes to Welsh Sport...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ddraver wrote:
    it was posted somewhere...

    Think it first appeared in Wales Online - which is not the most level headed of news outlets when it comes to Welsh Sport...


    Dont let Pross or Blazing hear you diss the Welsh... :wink:

    tbf I think its Uncle Shane on one, rather than the august Wales Online
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,642
    Well, it wasn't until he was something like 28 that Vaughters started to believe Wiggins could do well in a GT. At 27, we would all have ridiculed the suggestion that he could win the tour. That said, still seems a bit unlikely to me.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    Let's assume Sutton is right, it begs the question who has been giving Geraint Thomas career advice that a rider with the talent to win the tour has such a thin palmares.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Not a chance ... He seems to get way too nervous on the bike, even without that level of pressure ...

    He has good PTP history though ... viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12929791&hilit=Geraint+thomas
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    it was posted somewhere...

    Think it first appeared in Wales Online - which is not the most level headed of news outlets when it comes to Welsh Sport...


    Dont let Pross or Blazing hear you diss the Welsh... :wink:

    tbf I think its Uncle Shane on one, rather than the august Wales Online

    Honestly, it's absolutely fine to diss walesonline, feel free. It's about as Welsh as Prince bloody Charles, being owned by the Mirror Group.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,158
    When the idea of British team was first thought up, it was originally envisaged it would start in 2013 with Thomas and Cavendish as leaders. They've always rated him extremely highly.

    Sutton's exaggerating though. I think he can come top ten in a GT, I've said that for a while now. And certainly win one of the week long stage races.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    RichN95 wrote:
    When the idea of British team was first thought up, it was originally envisaged it would start in 2013 with Thomas and Cavendish as leaders. They've always rated him extremely highly.

    Sutton's exaggerating though. I think he can come top ten in a GT, I've said that for a while now. And certainly win one of the week long stage races.


    I think Shane was a bit over-excited at the unveiling of the Nats Road Champs, he's certainly got carried away on the subject of G

    He'll have Brad back soon working with him on the track - that'll soothe him
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Can't see it myself. Froome isn't much older than him. Then there are loads of young riders who are better in the high mountains.

    And he falls off too regularly.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    He is hugely nervous on the bike, maybe that will change, I think like he says he needs to pick a focus an work on it. Maybe if he transfers his tt skills on the track to the road, he could win some 1 week races, and maybe a TT heavy Gt at somepoint.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    I hope he does win the Nationals on home turf this year, suspect the Tour will be a bit longer coming!
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Chris Newton said the same thing to the lads when he was home a couple of years ago.

    viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12877664&p=17863142&hilit=thomas#p17863142
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    As much as I'd like a Welshman to be the first British-born winner of the Tour :wink: , I don't think it'll be Geraint. I still don't think he climbs well enough to be a major contender in GTs.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Can't see it, much as I'm a fan.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Joelsim wrote:
    Can't see it myself. Froome isn't much older than him. Then there are loads of young riders who are better in the high mountains.

    And he falls off too regularly.

    He had a great ride in the Pyrenees in 2011...
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    When the idea of British team was first thought up, it was originally envisaged it would start in 2013 with Thomas and Cavendish as leaders. They've always rated him extremely highly.

    Sutton's exaggerating though. I think he can come top ten in a GT, I've said that for a while now. And certainly win one of the week long stage races.


    I think Shane was a bit over-excited at the unveiling of the Nats Road Champs, he's certainly got carried away on the subject of G

    He'll have Brad back soon working with him on the track - that'll soothe him

    Abergavenny rules.
    I'm not sure Geraint could.

    For some reason, I prefer this link :wink:
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/british ... bergavenny
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    Don't you have to stay upright on your bike for more than 5 mins if you want to win the tour ? Is Thomas not known by his fellow pros as "Crash Gordon" 8)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Well, I've booked the leave, I've booked the hotel...Abergavenny had better be bloody awesome that week, Blazing :)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,816
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Well, I've booked the leave, I've booked the hotel...Abergavenny had better be bloody awesome that week, Blazing :)

    Well, it will have to be awesome, sadly without the Tumble.
    Scenery over severity. Rolling hills over rocking riders.Big mistake.:(
    Our big, little town will be buzzing, though.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    But Shane Sutton tends to get it right, everyone was unsure about wiggo doing the tour but it was Sutton who knew which rough edges to knock off

    I seem to remember boardman saying that G could do anything he wants to... wouldn't surprise me if he does the tour or giro
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Well, I've booked the leave, I've booked the hotel...Abergavenny had better be bloody awesome that week, Blazing :)

    It's awesome every week (just keep quiet in the pubs and you should be OK!).

    I'm intending taking a few days off for it. I'm down to run the town centre crits on the Friday night (if timings work it should be kids races and Welsh champs for vets, seniors and women). It would be nice if we could get a couple of the pros to turn up and do the prize presentations for the kids - I'm sure someone on the organising committee will have this in motion already though.

    Anyone know the TT course?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Well, I've booked the leave, I've booked the hotel...Abergavenny had better be bloody awesome that week, Blazing :)

    Well, it will have to be awesome, sadly without the Tumble.
    Scenery over severity. Rolling hills over rocking riders.Big mistake.:(
    Our big, little town will be buzzing, though.

    No Tumble? Hadn't realised that, just assumed it would be in. It tends to be too early in races usually though and there's some great riding roads in the area that will test the riders without splitting it to pieces especially if they are using the Monmouth / Skenfrith roads.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    Just looked at the route map and from what I can tell it goes more or less past my back garden. It appears to go up Belmont Hill in Caerleon which feature 8 times (from memory) when the Celtic Manor hosted the Champs about 10 years ago. It also does use the Monmouth route that has some really good climbs albeit nothing to rival The Tumble. It certainly a course that Cav could potentially hang in on if given the chance. I'm not a big fan of the finishing circuit and the closures are a genuine inconvenience for a big chunk of the northern side of the town but on the plus side it goes right past the bottom of my parents street. Hopefully I'll be able to find a pub to sit outside on the finish circuit, there's plenty of them.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited March 2014
    ...
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Pross wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Well, I've booked the leave, I've booked the hotel...Abergavenny had better be bloody awesome that week, Blazing :)

    It's awesome every week (just keep quiet in the pubs and you should be OK!).

    I'm intending taking a few days off for it. I'm down to run the town centre crits on the Friday night (if timings work it should be kids races and Welsh champs for vets, seniors and women). It would be nice if we could get a couple of the pros to turn up and do the prize presentations for the kids - I'm sure someone on the organising committee will have this in motion already though.

    Anyone know the TT course?

    Given that I ve just had a lunchtime epiphany that I won't be skiing this year (:cry:) maybe i should come up and join you...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ^c'mon, it'll be a larf
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    BR meet at the Champs sounds good (assuming I'm not roped into helping on the day!).
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    When's the date?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Essex Rouleur
    Essex Rouleur Posts: 98
    I mentioned a few times that Thomas was never going to win the Tour, and at best win a classic but was always doubtful and i got shot down on here something chronic.

    i wasnt just saying it to stir, it was just a gut feeling having watched him race. I just never got or get the impression that he has (for want of a better word) 'the X factor'. Sure, a good bike rider, good on track, but a Tour winner? no...a rival to Cancellara and Boonen in the classics? not a chance. Hes always on his backside for a start.

    I think a lot of people have watched all the Sky documentaries, heard all the fluff from Brailsford and co, and for whatever reason we've all been brainwashed into thinking hes the next big thing, but ive just never bought it.

    So i will say it again, with no animosity or anything against G whatsoever, but he will never amount to a serious contender for anything. Be happy to be proven wrong but i just dont think hes anything special.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,589
    ddraver wrote:
    When's the date?

    29th June I believe (time trial on the 26th).

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