Amstel Gold *SPOILER*

124

Comments

  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    I watched the final hour and don't remember seeing a single Sky rider. I could have turned away at the wrong moment but did they have anyone up front in the race?
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Kléber wrote:
    I watched the final hour and don't remember seeing a single Sky rider. I could have turned away at the wrong moment but did they have anyone up front in the race?

    Nope. Best place finisher was Nordhaug in 45th.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Sky are a disaster because you guys won't post nice, patriotic things about them......even if they are mostly a bunch of mediocre foreigners. :P

    Seriously.........are any of us really surprised?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Seriously.........are any of us really surprised?

    A guy from Wigan came 2nd.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Football team beat a small club today too
  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    Sky are a disaster because you guys won't post nice, patriotic things about them......even if they are mostly a bunch of mediocre foreigners. :P

    Seriously.........are any of us really surprised?

    Gerrans came seventh last year so maybe a surprise not to see him closer at the finish
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784

    Gerrans came seventh last year so maybe a surprise not to see him closer at the finish

    To be fair, he's been saying for days his form isn't what he wanted it to be. And he was the man for Sky.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Sky are a disaster because you guys won't post nice, patriotic things about them......even if they are mostly a bunch of mediocre foreigners. :P

    Seriously.........are any of us really surprised?

    Forgotten last week's decent performance already?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Gerrans is an interesting rider, he's planned many of his career objectives a year, sometimes 18 months in advance and has been allowed to follow these goals by his teams, from Credit Agricole to Cervelo to Sky (although the Cervelo Tour de France selection is another story).

    So when he says he's aiming for the hilly classics and misses by a mile, something's a miss.

    Interesting to see Nordhaug as the first home for Sky, I thought he was a sort of comfort signing for EBH, a pal for Edwald but actually he was their best rider today.

    A shame Wiggins didn't ride, Ryher H travelled from Girona after all. Wiggins rode the classics last year and this was the making of him. Previously he saw himself as a pursuiter to the point where if he lost his rhythm in a prologue, he could never get back on top of the gear. Riding the classics helped him to deal with changes in pace, positioning in the bunch and more. I fear his wattage-based approach to the Tour, and a shortage of racing miles, could mean he struggles. Let's hope I'm totally wrong :lol:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    DaveyL wrote:

    Forgotten last week's decent performance already?

    Different situation today. It was a lot more difficult to ride for 2nd.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    So we're dismissing a 3rd at Paris-Roubaix, and having a go cos they were nowhere in Amstel Gold?

    :roll:
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    DaveyL wrote:
    So we're dismissing a 3rd at Paris-Roubaix, and having a go cos they were nowhere in Amstel Gold?

    :roll:

    No, we're having a laugh.

    At least they took part and had a jolly good time. Who cares about where they came. Eh. Eh!
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Sorry. Oh. Ah, ha ha.

    Enough with the funnies already
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Gilbert must be short-money for Liege-Bastogne-Liege given the finish he showed today and it is the race he wants to win.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    DaveyL wrote:
    Enough with the funnies already

    No worries.

    Don't panic everyone. It was 5 degree's warmer!

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gerrans ... mstel-gold
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    I just read that. What a crap excuse.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    "It was about five degrees hotter than it had been which sort of caught everyone by surprise and might have been a factor. But everybody had to cope with that and Philippe Gilbert obviously managed best of all. We're not too disappointed though and I'm very confident the riders will bounce back much stronger first on Wednesday [at Flèche Wallone] and also next Sunday [at Liège-Bastogne-Liège]."

    Might. He's hardly hanging his hat on it, is he?

    I'd say missing Wiggins and EBH was a bigger issue.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    I'm slightly confused why Wiggins keeps being touted for these races?

    Has he ever shown any form in one day races?

    Has he ever shown any intent to win one day races?

    He's certainly never mentioned them this season. It's all about the stage races for him.
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    So we're dismissing a 3rd at Paris-Roubaix

    We can't count that it was in a velodrome :wink:
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Note to Sky: If you have problems with "five degrees warmer"

    1) Ditch the black gear

    2) Hire a rider from a warm climate like Australia instead of someone like Simon Ger........Oh.

    (They do know France in July is more than five degres hotter?)

    Never mind - there's bound to be some technical solution on the way from head office.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    DaveyL wrote:
    So we're dismissing a 3rd at Paris-Roubaix, and having a go cos they were nowhere in Amstel Gold?

    :roll:

    I thought we were distinguishing between the cobbles and the hills.
    There being a lot more hills during the season, than cobbles.
    They didn't exactly shine in Pais Vasco, or Paris-Nice, either.

    Some of them need to find their climbing legs before the GTs.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    DaveyL wrote:
    So we're dismissing a 3rd at Paris-Roubaix, and having a go cos they were nowhere in Amstel Gold?

    :roll:

    I thought we were distinguishing between the cobbles and the hills.
    There being a lot more hills during the season, than cobbles.
    They didn't exactly shine in Pais Vasco, or Paris-Nice, either.

    Some of them need to find their climbing legs before the GTs.

    Arvesen goes uphill alright doesn't he?

    Or is my procycling manager lying?

    I swear I remember him doing some donkey work for Saxo Bank last year in the hills and mountains.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I think whatever way you cut it 45th as best position is pretty poor. Of course they will say that there are extenuating excuses and you can't ride well ALL of the time, but still, not great. In relation to Wiggins - he won't win any of these one day races, but he will do big pulls for the team - I'm sure that I've' read plenty of riders say that you know when Wiggins is on the front as the pace goes up a notch or two if he's in the mood.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Look, it's only one race, I didn't want to stir up the nest too much. But others are laying down markers and building confidence, most notably Evans and Contador but others are there too.

    We'll see what happens in July but if Sky want a good Giro, they'll need riders to come into form quite quickly.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Forget Sky, HTC-Columbia ARE IN CRISIS!!!! Their best rider came in 42nd. Disaster for them. They are really going to have sort themselves out if they want to have a good season.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Except they won several stages in Turkey :wink:
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Yeah, but that's history now, mate. It's all about the Amstel Gold Chi-, sorry, Race....
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Kléber wrote:
    Except they won several stages in Turkey :wink:

    And are #1 ranked team.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    So... You're saying... We should judge teams on their overall perforamnce for the year so far and not just jump on one bad race in isolation?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    DaveyL wrote:
    So... You're saying... We should judge teams on their overall perforamnce for the year so far and not just jump on one bad race in isolation?

    Of course. But the hilly classics are an indicator for the Grand Tours. Evans, Schleck, Roman K / Nibs, Astana / Shack guys all visible. I think that's all people are saying. If you're expecting a team to support someone in the mountains, you'd really expect to see them a bit in this kind of race.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.