Liège-Bastogne-Liège *spoiler thread*

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Comments

  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    Congratulations Gerrans! I have so much respect and admiration for his tactical skill. He reminds me of countless examples of football players that are despised by opposing fans, yet would be the first name on the teamsheet for your own side.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Paul 8v wrote:
    He does use his head and he is effective, it's just horrible to watch. I can't even explain why because I have no problem with a sprinter who doesn't appear on the front all day and pops out just for a sprint.

    But he also used his team super effectively. Lets not gloss over that.

    BMC and Garmin seemed to be the only teams that brought any kind of tactics to the race today, along with Orica.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    ThomThom wrote:
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Poor Dan Martin had that in the bag by the looks of it.

    He didn't at all though.
    I though he looked like he was going well and had a reasonable gap, what actually caused that, did he have too much of a lean on or slip on something?
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    nic_77 wrote:
    Congratulations Gerrans! I have so much respect and admiration for his tactical skill. He reminds me of countless examples of football players that are despised by opposing fans, yet would be the first name on the teamsheet for your own side.

    Or not.

    I thought he was funny in the OGE 'Call Me Maybe' parody, but that's it.
  • was dan Martin on 180 cranks?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Weening deserves more credit.

    Tactically weak race IMO. Lots of mistakes from a number of teams.
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    Paul 8v wrote:
    ThomThom wrote:
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Poor Dan Martin had that in the bag by the looks of it.

    He didn't at all though.
    I though he looked like he was going well and had a reasonable gap, what actually caused that, did he have too much of a lean on or slip on something?

    He slipped on his own tears of joy when he thought he had the race in the bag.
    Looks like a pedal strike.
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    TMR wrote:
    nic_77 wrote:
    Congratulations Gerrans! I have so much respect and admiration for his tactical skill. He reminds me of countless examples of football players that are despised by opposing fans, yet would be the first name on the teamsheet for your own side.

    Or not.

    I thought he was funny in the OGE 'Call Me Maybe' parody, but that's it.
    Another facet of this beautiful sport is that there is something for everyone.

    Mind you I've always appreciated great defence performances in any sport. Organisation and teamwork is so much harder to coach than skill. I love watching dynamic nil-nil draws and stopped supporting Arsenal when they abondoned their old 'one-nil to the Arsenal' approach and started recruiting flair players!
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    nic_77 wrote:
    TMR wrote:
    nic_77 wrote:
    Congratulations Gerrans! I have so much respect and admiration for his tactical skill. He reminds me of countless examples of football players that are despised by opposing fans, yet would be the first name on the teamsheet for your own side.

    Or not.

    I thought he was funny in the OGE 'Call Me Maybe' parody, but that's it.
    Another facet of this beautiful sport is that there is something for everyone.

    Mind you I've always appreciated great defence performances in any sport. Organisation and teamwork is so much harder to coach than skill. I love watching dynamic nil-nil draws and stopped supporting Arsenal when they abondoned their old 'one-nil to the Arsenal' approach and started recruiting flair players!

    You're right of course. I just steer toward the Frenchie school of thought on cycling victories. I want to see courage and panache, not just sitting in until the competition is knackered and then come from behind to win. I can't argue the tactical nous of such a style, but it's boring and does nothing to excite me.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    The thing with Gerrans is that all the riders / teams know how he will try to win just as we do so they need to use tactics to stop him doing that. They either did but Gerrans and his team were better or they didn't because they were incompetent or felt they could beat Gerrans using the same tactic. I suspect in Valverde's case it was the latter and he just didn't have enough today.

    Like many others on here I don't like Gerrans' style but I admire the way he is so effective at it. If the other teams had raced the last few hills harder they may have succeeded in ditching him but they didn't.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Gerrans is a step below the best riders in races like this, and would never beat them in a head to head battle. He is, however, one of the best tacticians in the current peloton and this, plus a decent sprint, has meant he's got a palmares packed full of major results.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    andyp wrote:
    Gerrans is a step below the best riders in races like this, and would never beat them in a head to head battle.

    Well so what, that's not what cycling is!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    LBL 2011. Cant believe it sometimes. Gilbert pedal stroke is so supple and Andy is moving that big ring with ease.
    I love it when they put music and commentary at the same time.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgFc69sfl-0
    After Andy opened the taps at 20 to go:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qXHLGwEwsA
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    Gerrans would fit into the Sky set up very well. He has no panache has a rider. But if everyone had panache then not having panache would be having panache.
  • kamil1891
    kamil1891 Posts: 658
    Gerrans would fit into the Sky set up very well. He has no panache has a rider. But if everyone had panache then not having panache would be having panache.

    made my day :lol:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Pozzo's first attempt at this race. Speaks good French.
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1rpb9 ... 2014_sport
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Gerrans would fit into the Sky set up very well. He has no panache has a rider. But if everyone had panache then not having panache would be having panache.
    It's almost like he has ridden for them before!

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Gerrans
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Guess where Eisel and a few others were today...GranFondo Fizik :roll:

    10325145_854263101257737_4392613517179577486_n.jpg
    1797542_854263137924400_8453254016321208547_n.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Gerrans would fit into the Sky set up very well. He has no panache has a rider. But if everyone had panache then not having panache would be having panache.

    You do realise he was at SKY? Didn't get any great results IIRC.
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    wrjNweG.png

    It looks like the pedal and not his tears of joy that made him crash,,, amateur :lol:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    tumblr_n4p59dKmfV1ropreyo1_1280.jpg

    Dan Martin ‏@DanMartin86 3 hrs
    I think the phrase rhymes with 'Clucking Bell'
    @DanMartin86 43 mins
    Winning with these guys is great. How they make me laugh despite losing is even better. Thanks for a great week guys #rideargyle

    @Vaughters 1 hr
    No injuries, folks. @DanMartin86 is, physically, fine. Just chatted. Told him best way to get over this is to win the @giroditalia !!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    inseine wrote:
    Gerrans would fit into the Sky set up very well. He has no panache has a rider. But if everyone had panache then not having panache would be having panache.

    You do realise he was at SKY? Didn't get any great results IIRC.


    It was a sort of twisted joke of truth with irony.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    wrjNweG.png

    It looks like the pedal and not his tears of joy that made him crash,,, amateur :lol:

    Both of them need to ride that how to corner article in C+ :P

    (I'm feeling rather good about myself having smashed past a load of people on the muddy chalky descents yesterday)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    ddraver wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Gerrans is a step below the best riders in races like this, and would never beat them in a head to head battle.

    Well so what, that's not what cycling is!

    Did you stop reading after the first line?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    No

    ...perhaps I was a tad harsh...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    cycle_1700779c.jpg

    Dan getting it right in his early days
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    Delighted to see Gerrans win.

    I am sure he will be disappointed that he keeps winning monuments the wrong way though.
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    TMR wrote:
    I have to say that I just can't warm to Gerrans or his style of riding at all. Other bugger's efforts.

    Really? The only time he had to be at the front is over the line, and it was up to the others to prevent this. Its not like missing turns on a clubrun...
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,436
    edited April 2014
    ....
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    lbl14-gerrans_zpsf31218a2.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest