Haimar Zubeldia: The Anonymous One

[chiocciolis_calves]

I don't know why I follow Zubeldia's results each day. He never attacks. He's hardly ever noticed. One or two of his teammates are always picked to finish higher. Despite all that, the guy is consistent and many times ends up the highest on GC on his teams - Four top tens in the TDF and, most likely, a fifth top ten this year to go with two top tens in the Vuelta. And those top tens aren't built on accumulating time gaps in breakaways, they're built upon riding with the best. Is being consistently good in the Tour, but never winning, worthy of note?

 

[Jancouver]

I don't know why I follow Zubeldia's results each day. He never attacks. He's hardly ever noticed. One or two of his teammates are always picked to finish higher. Despite all that, the guy is consistent and many times ends up the highest on GC on his teams - Four top tens in the TDF and, most likely, a fifth top ten this year to go with two top tens in the Vuelta. And those top tens aren't built on accumulating time gaps in breakaways, they're built upon riding with the best. Is being consistently good in the Tour, but never winning, worthy of note?

no, its not

 

[yespatterns]

Who is this post about? The title only says "the anonymous one"...

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

no, its not

Well, then that settles it after one response. Remarkable efficiency.

Now I have a couple questions about God and women...

 

[gregrowlerson]

I don't know why I follow Zubeldia's results each day. He never attacks. He's hardly ever noticed. One or two of his teammates are always picked to finish higher. Despite all that, the guy is consistent and many times ends up the highest on GC on his teams - Four top tens in the TDF and, most likely, a fifth top ten this year to go with two top tens in the Vuelta. And those top tens aren't built on accumulating time gaps in breakaways, they're built upon riding with the best. Is being consistently good in the Tour, but never winning, worthy of note?

Yes, it is

But I would imagine that most people will miss seeing this thread if it's anything like it's cyclist in question

 

[Christian]

 

[jens_attacks]

hehehe one of cycling's biggest enigmas

i think he will finish 8th in this tour even if no moto tv camera will follow him in the itt. what a legend! he's always back there and you'll never see him

 

[nesocip]

In 2003 Tour he even ended up in front of overhyped Mayo.

He always rides at his own pace. It wasn't unusual to see him drop from the group of favorites before 20 other riders only to end up 6th or 7th in the end, overtaking them one by one as they get cooked.

 

[thrawn]

He Who Must Not Be Seen.

 

[Arnout]

In 2003 Tour he even ended up in front of overhyped Mayo.

He always rides at his own pace. It wasn't unusual to see him drop from the group of favorites before 20 other riders only to end up 6th or 7th in the end, overtaking them one by one as they get cooked.

Mayo isn't overhyped. He was literally the best climber of the last decade-and-a-bit. Zubeldia was better against the clock, but Mayo schooled the peloton between early 2003 and June 2004.

After that the team doctor left and he never quite reached that level again, but that's another story.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

In 2003 Tour he even ended up in front of overhyped Mayo.

He always rides at his own pace. It wasn't unusual to see him drop from the group of favorites before 20 other riders only to end up 6th or 7th in the end, overtaking them one by one as they get cooked.

Ten Dam said after he few stages he'd prefer to stick to Zubeldia "because he is strong and always keeps a good pace". Zubeldia never falters

 

[Arnout]

Ten Dam said after he few stages he'd prefer to stick to Zubeldia "because he is strong and always keeps a good pace". Zubeldia never falters

So he wheelsucks to the master wheelsucker.

 

[cineteq]

Please change title to:

Haimar Zubeldia: The Anonymous One or How to Wheelsuck a Top-10 Result All the Way to Paris

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

So he wheelsucks to the master wheelsucker.

Actually Zubeldia more than once made the pace of his group, usually dragging Mollema, Ten Dam and Schleck along.

 

[Guybrush]

I love him! great diesel climber, but why he can't win at 1 week races? not the big ones, but langkawi-sanluis-utah-beauce

 

[pink_jersey]

I love him! great diesel climber, but why he can't win at 1 week races? not the big ones, but langkawi-sanluis-utah-beauce

Because he doesn't ride them )

 

[sultanofhyd]

Zubeldia doesn't actually wheelsuck, if he did we would see a lot of him.

 

[Arnout]

Zubeldia doesn't actually wheelsuck, if he did we would see a lot of him.

Yeah he seems to be riding own pace like 50 meters behind the front group all the time.

 

[kingjr]

Yeah he seems to be riding own pace like 50 meters behind the front group all the time.

Yes, he does that intentionally, to not be labelled a wheelsucker.

It is known.

 

[Escarabajo]

I love him! great diesel climber, but why he can't win at 1 week races? not the big ones, but langkawi-sanluis-utah-beauce

Because he is not explosive but has great recuperation ability.

 

[Arredondo]

Iban Mayo a overrated climber?

 

[movingtarget]

What a gallery of rogues. Not sure about the one in orange.

 

[Escarabajo]

Please change title to:

Haimar Zubeldia: The Anonymous One or How to Wheelsuck a Top-10 Result All the Way to Paris

A lot of top 10's in GT's wheelsuck anyway. Otherwise they would be close to the podium anyway. They don't usually have to do the work unless they are working for somebody else.

 

[classicomano]

If Francis De Greef was a pokemon, Zubeldia would be his evolved form.

 

[burning]

Iban Mayo a overrated climber?

snipped the pic

I think he's a overhyped rider, definitely not overrated as a climber though.