USA Pro Challenge - Jens last race *Spoilers*

Crozza

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Lance spectating and he and Basso lock eyes. Some serious memories there.

that's a great shot

Lance looking lean

FJS

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

If Dumoulin doesn't prove himself over three weeks, the rest of the names on that list will move ahead.

For Dumoulin it might be more a case of losing some weight to move from being predominantly a TTer to bring his climbing more in line. He might chose not to do so, of course, and have a more Tony Martin-esque career

frenchfighter

Has Dumoulin shown any capability on proper mountains? Other than his Giro battle earlier this year from a breakaway and his TA 2013 performance (breakaway also).

edit. was Timmer in the Giro.

FJS

frenchfighter wrote:

Has Dumoulin shown any capability on proper mountains? Other than his Giro battle earlier this year from a breakaway and his TA 2013 performance (breakaway also).

He was 5th overall in the Tour de Suisse. Has Bardet shown any real capability in ITTs? You need both to do well, and some riders start out excelling at both, others either TT or climbing. Some develop abilities in both along the way, others never do

frenchfighter

Bardet is two days older than Dumoulin and has a raft of decent placings in small stage races prior to this year. This year he is 4th overall at Catalunya, 5th at Dauphine, 6th at TdF (15th last year). So currently blowing Tom D out the water. Tom D would earn more money going down Tony Martin's route imo - there are a lot of 2nd and 3rd level GT riders. In the next five years, none of them are going to win a GT unless Quintana doesnt turn up, majorly bonks or crashes out.

RichN95.

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

I'd say Yates is with the curve and Aru is ahead of it. Bardet & Kelderman had breakthroughs last year, Quintana and Pinot 2 years ago.

So if Yates wants to be considered among the same company then he needs to do something in a GT next year (could be the Vuelta)

If his brother does something in this year's Vuelta it will make him step up for sure.

Which Yates are we talking about, because I was talking about Adam? A Tour of Turkey win, 5th at the Dauphine and 6th at California is as a good a debut season from a stage racer as anyone in recent years

takethehighroad

Ha I was talking about Simon. Darn twins!

I can see Adam doing well in the Vuelta tbh, maybe a stage win/good performance on a mountain stage

richa

Go Jens...

What chance a gift?

jscl

RichA wrote:

Go Jens...

What chance a gift?

It'd be nice, but the young 'uns weren't going to let that happen. That was truly amazing to watch, I think we all wanted him to go for the win.

frenchfighter

In the breakaway then more or less a solo effort for 40km then caught 900m from the line. Could have been wonderful for Jens. Giving his all as usual though as can be seen in these photos:
http://www.steephill.tv/2014/usa-pro-cy ... /stage-04/

Viviani did a great job to get to the finish in a position to take the win given the parcours:

blazing_saddles

So, American races will have one fewer predictable components, next year.
I think he's become too much of a side show; too much of a once good thing.
Now, if they can only find a mountain finish in Colorado with a half decent gradient...........

frenchfighter

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

Viviani did a great job to get to the finish in a position to take the win given the parcours:

The thing is, whilst the altitude is pretty high those climbs are gaining about 150 - 200m in 8km. Other than the middle section which looks like it might be around 8% for 1km it's more of a grinding drag than a climb. If that was at sea level and the profile was at a more reasonable exaggeration no-one would think of it as being particularly hard.

frenchfighter

Wurf's diary for the stage is a good read and shows how ridiculously strong Jens is even at his age:
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/08/cam-w ... y-stage-4/

simon_e

Blazing Saddles wrote:

So, American races will have one fewer predictable components, next year.
I think he's become too much of a side show; too much of a once good thing.

If Viviani hadn't made it over the climb in the front group Jens could have won the stage, as the group wouldn't have had the firepower willing to chase him.

He is fully aware that any attack is a gamble - and a predictable move - but he's not doing it for the hell of it, it's his only chance of winning a stage (and it seems it's the only way Trek get some TV exposure). Back in July he got to climb Buttertubs solo through that crowd and wear the polka dot jersey in the next day. If I was a rider, I'd choose those two things over sitting in the peloton chewing the fat; you can do that on boring flat stages.

frenchfighter

TJVG smashes the km TT (large gaps for a small TT) and takes the overall.

Stage
1 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:24:26
2 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Sharp 0:00:53
3 Serghei Tvetcov (Rou) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:01:08
4 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:29
5 Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:40
6 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:55
7 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team Netapp-Endura 0:02:07
8 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) Hincapie Sportswear Development 0:02:17
9 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing 0:02:20
10 Carter Jones (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:02:21

GC
1 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 17:20:22
2 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Sharp 0:01:32
3 Serghei Tvetcov (Rou) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:01:45
4 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:49
5 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing 0:03:11
6 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) Hincapie Sportswear Development 0:03:31
7 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team Netapp-Endura 0:03:35
8 Carter Jones (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:03:43
9 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:03:44
10 Bruno Pires (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:05:35
...
17 Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing 0:09:26

frenchfighter

Ron Stuart