Phil Gaimon for the Olympics

MissedTheBreak
MissedTheBreak Posts: 173
edited June 2019 in Pro race
Quite often enjoy the guy’s videos of KoM hunting and now he’s documenting his transition to the Team Pursuit on the track for 2020, should be an interesting watch. The first video had him weaving all over the track so suggests he has plenty of room to improve, not sure where the rest of the USA team is up to though. Anyone else going to be watching it?

Comments

  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    I thought it was a wind up for a while, then watched the video - his time would have got him 2nd in the US Nationals behind Ashton Lambie, pretty unbelievable for such a light guy! If he properly commits it would be incredible.

    Only question with him being so light is would he be explosive enough to get on the wheel at the start?
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    edited June 2019
    Poptart242 wrote:
    I thought it was a wind up for a while, then watched the video - his time would have got him 2nd in the US Nationals behind Ashton Lambie, pretty unbelievable for such a light guy! If he properly commits it would be incredible.

    Only question with him being so light is would he be explosive enough to get on the wheel at the start?
    Why wouldnt he? hes got plenty of time to beef the legs
  • MissedTheBreak
    MissedTheBreak Posts: 173
    I’d assume that if he’s got the engine and 12 months to build on the short explosive strength element then he’d be fine.

    I suppose he’s got a perfect example in Wiggo (albeit a shorter period to deliver).
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Poptart242 wrote:
    I thought it was a wind up for a while, then watched the video - his time would have got him 2nd in the US Nationals behind Ashton Lambie, pretty unbelievable for such a light guy! If he properly commits it would be incredible.

    Only question with him being so light is would he be explosive enough to get on the wheel at the start?
    How light is he? Peter Kennaugh is small and he has a gold medal.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    MissedTheBreak wrote:
    I’d assume that if he’s got the engine and 12 months to build on the short explosive strength element then he’d be fine.

    I suppose he’s got a perfect example in Wiggo (albeit a shorter period to deliver).

    Very different from Wiggo!!

    Wiggin grew up on the track and was olympic and world champion in TP and IP before going back to it after his road career.
  • MissedTheBreak
    MissedTheBreak Posts: 173
    He was still a lightweight climber who got back to track weight/power. I’m not saying he’ll be as good but it’s a good example to follow.
  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    He's on record as saying his w/kg for the short efforts is extremely poor.

    The game has changed even since 2012. Consider the hoops the Huub Wattbike team jump through so that John Archibald can get on at the start, which is something of an anomaly in the sport.

    On the other hand, Lambie guests on that squad so he'll be used to it, and I don't know anything about the US team's other pursuiters - maybe a slow start works well for them too. It'll be really interesting to watch it develop, hope he makes it.
  • poptart242
    poptart242 Posts: 531
    joey54321 wrote:
    Wiggin grew up on the track and was olympic and world champion in TP and IP before going back to it after his road career.

    Yup, Wiggo was always a track beast who got skinny (and had four years between his tour win and Rio). Phil spent some time on track as a junior but has always been a naturally super-skinny climber.

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