Amstel Gold Race 2014 *SPOILERS*

frenchfighter

TDWsport.com

frenchfighter

iainf72 wrote:

Tough crowd. At Costa's age J-Rod had zero stage wins in the Tour. Costa has 3 (2 more than J-Rod)

Took him a while to come into his own and he was also squeaky clean in those dope fuelled years.
Not everyone is a Contador, Sagan or Kwaitek.

frenchfighter

Split his lip with the effort:

tailwindhome

frenchfighter wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

So far this year J Rod has 1 stage and the GC at Catalunya.

Not exactly tearing it up himself.

You are aware of his rankings in the last few years right?
He is 21st this year and he is just getting started. Watch him at Fleche and LBL then tear up the Giro, the Vuelta, the Worlds and Lombardia.

Yup. However what he has done previously and might do in the future is not really relevant.

J Rod hasn't done much so far this year. Costa has maybe been a bit unlucky with 5 second places.

Deriding him as somehow an unworthy champion seems a tad unfair

tailwindhome

frenchfighter wrote:

Look at him there. Sucking wheels as usual

HamishD

I love the photo of Tony Martin wearily retrieving his bike from a bush. And G - "Oh no, not again" like a bowl of petunias...

FJS

Dolan Driver wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

It's good to see the rider's unashamedly enjoying a beer after the race. Has Cancellara started a new trend here? It will probably annoy the PC brigade but who cares.

DD.

I think they've always been served an Amstel, it's the title sponsor after all.

frenchfighter

TailWindHome wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

So far this year J Rod has 1 stage and the GC at Catalunya.

Not exactly tearing it up himself.

You are aware of his rankings in the last few years right?
He is 21st this year and he is just getting started. Watch him at Fleche and LBL then tear up the Giro, the Vuelta, the Worlds and Lombardia.

Yup. However what he has done previously and might do in the future is not really relevant.

J Rod hasn't done much so far this year. Costa has maybe been a bit unlucky with 5 second places.

Deriding him as somehow an unworthy champion seems a tad unfair

You mean other than winning a stage race and one stage? In a stage race that had Contador and Froome. On top of that, like I said, he is limbering up.
Costa has some fire in him, I like him and he has some decent results but he doesnt hold a cigar to Purito.

cal_stewart

Bottom line is it's Sport and not Sports Entertainment. So it's all about getting across the line first the best way for yourself.

Contador doesn't attack when and how he does because he wants to entertain it's because it gives him the best chance to win.

Crampeur

frenchfighter wrote:

TDWsport.com

Love that photo. Complete "Oh s@#t" moment for Gerrans.

Macaloon

Only Amstel can do this:


Nice stadium.

shazzz

FJS wrote:

Dolan Driver wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

It's good to see the rider's unashamedly enjoying a beer after the race. Has Cancellara started a new trend here? It will probably annoy the PC brigade but who cares.

DD.

I think they've always been served an Amstel, it's the title sponsor after all.

I'd like to see the rest of this clip, where Pip puts the empty glass upside down on his head.

Mad_Malx

shazzz wrote:

FJS wrote:

Dolan Driver wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

It's good to see the rider's unashamedly enjoying a beer after the race. Has Cancellara started a new trend here? It will probably annoy the PC brigade but who cares.

DD.

I think they've always been served an Amstel, it's the title sponsor after all.

I'd like to see the rest of this clip, where Pip puts the empty glass upside down on his head.

That's definitely a fail from Gerrans - can't even win the boat race.

pinno

TailWindHome wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

So far this year J Rod has 1 stage and the GC at Catalunya.

Not exactly tearing it up himself.

You are aware...Lombardia.

Deriding him as somehow an unworthy champion seems a tad unfair

I agree. The worlds are a one day event at the very end of the season where the form books go out of the window. Look through the list of previous world champions and how many have carried the curse of the Rainbow Jersey. Also consider the number of 'greats' in the past who couldn't even be bothered to ride it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_Road_ ... _road_race

Costa won and is probably not living up to the expectations but Gilbert had a bad season by his standards following his win. I think wearing the colours and a white top makes you a marked man.

If you nail the thing, regardless of whether your worthy or not, then you nail it. I wonder given the lack of significant Portuguese cyclists, what they would think of Costa bashing? I bet you he is a hero back home.

Mad_Malx

frenchfighter wrote:

I know some of you have a thing about not mixing family and competition, but from a dad's perspective that is a truly beautiful photo.

tuneskyline

Sky's new bike for the ground loving Thomas.




It is actually quite a bit of carbon kit going on.

smithy21

We are not even out of April yet and people are ripping Costa as an unworthy world champ? Seriously??

RichN95.

smithy21 wrote:

We are not even out of April yet and people are ripping Costa as an unworthy world champ? Seriously??

Especially as he was second in Paris - Nice. What did people expect from him?

frenchfighter

Nathan Earle of Sky had to ride the front yesterday, he is riding Fleche and he is riding LBL. Big miles on the front for a neo pro. Lets hope he does ok - supposed to be quite a talent and you dont want him breaking his knees or something before the tv cameras come on.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

Mad_Malx wrote:

I know some of you have a thing about not mixing family and competition, but from a dad's perspective that is a truly beautiful photo.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/04/paren ... d-cycling/

milton50

Don't know why people are so disappointed with Costa. It's not like he's been out the back all the time. He came 2nd in Paris-Nice and has been prominent in some stages/races.

Granted he's not in the same league as Purito but that's bike racing. He got the big win when it mattered.

Paul 8v

Costa seems to be making more of a show of the rainbow jersey than Phil Gill did, he must be due a win soon.

wombly_knees

frenchfighter wrote:

Nathan Earle of Sky had to ride the front yesterday, he is riding Fleche and he is riding LBL. Big miles on the front for a neo pro. Lets hope he does ok - supposed to be quite a talent and you dont want him breaking his knees or something before the tv cameras come on.

He's clearly good, but would say that there are a few better climbers in Australia atm.

Good to see him racing in the big races though.

philbar72

PeteMadoc wrote:

OK so stop being weird about the pic of Gilbert's wide and child please.

Back to road helmets, I really want a Specialized evade in my life.... but at £160 not sure I can justify it. How many seconds do you reckon it's worth on a club 10?

its faster than a prevail certainly, ventilation isn't quite as good, but it definitely feels more aero and i've beaten various timed segments with it on compared to with the prevail, its a great lid. Doing my first club 10 tonight so will advise on how i did after that.

Top result for Gilbert and good to see him and Vanenedert do well. Gutted for Kwiatowski, he seemed the hardest working of the 3 for the barely contested sprint at the end and had to put up with Valverde doing his usual self absorbed thing, at least Gerrans worked as best he could and got a good 3rd.

I have a feeling if rodriguez was there at the end we'd have seen a different result.

Richmond Racer

smithy21 wrote:

We are not even out of April yet and people are ripping Costa as an unworthy world champ? Seriously??

Because some people seem to derive more pleasure in ripping riders than they do in celebrating good performances

Strange

frenchfighter

Well that certainly is not me - as evidenced time and again. Particularly given when I was simply stating I would prefer JRod in the bands and that he is a significantly better rider. Oh well, people like to fight.

philbar72

Also he suits certain courses better than others (not really news but...) and his support team at lampre is not a patch on Movistar. should come good around tour time or tour de suisse. thats when he usually peaks!

frenchfighter

2014:0,8 km@6,3%---1:22---average speed 35.12 km/h(Philippe Gilbert)-RECORD
2013:0,8 km@6,3%---1:27---average speed 33.10 km/h(Philippe Gilbert)
2012:0,8 km@6,3%---1:25---average speed 33.88 km/h(Philippe Gilbert)-Road World Championships
2012:0,8 km@6,3%---1:35---average speed 30.32 km/h(Davide Villella)-Road World Championships U23
2012:0,8 km@6,3%---1:45---average speed 27.43 km/h(Marianne Vos)-Road World Championships Women
2012:0,8 km@6,3%---1:33---average speed 30.97 km/h(Gasparotto-Vanendert-Sagan)
2011:0,8 km@6,3%---1:26---average speed 33.49 km/h(Philippe Gilbert)
2010:0,8 km@6,3%---1:31---average speed 31.65 km/h(Philippe Gilbert)
2009:0,8 km@6,3%---1:41---average speed 28.51 km/h(Gilbert-Cunego-Kolobnev)
---1:43---average speed 27.96 km/h(Sergey Ivanov)
2008:0,8 km@6,3%---1:33---average speed 30.97 km/h(Cunego-F.Schleck)
2007:0,8 km@6,3%---1:46---average speed 27.17 km/h(Davide Rebellin)
---1:51---average speed 25.95 km/h(Stefan Schumacher)
2006:0,8 km@6,3%---1:27---average speed 33.10 km/h(Matthias Kessler)-Tour de France,Stage 3
2006:0,8 km@6,3%---1:47---average speed 26.92 km/h(Frank Schleck)
2005:0,8 km@6,3%---1:33---average speed 30.97 km/h(Di Luca-Boogerd-Celestino)(source:https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily)
2004:0,8 km@6,3%---1:56---average speed 24.83 km/h(Bettini-Di Luca-Van Petegem)
---2:10---average speed 22.15 km/h(Davide Rebellin)
2003:0,8 km@6,3%---1:43---average speed 27.96 km/h(Boogerd-Di Luca-Rebellin-Kessler)
---2:13---average speed 21.65 km/h(Alexander Vinokourov)

http://www.climbing-records.com/

Gilbert sets the fastest time ever.

milton50

Interesting that he went even faster than in 2011 when he looked scarily fast.