Recent content by Praetor

Exactly. If Gilbert has no chance, than Sagan and Cancellara might just as well stay home.

I think Sky is in the midfield when talking budgets.

He has that clause.

According to NOS, he might not even start tomorrow.

If he stays at this level, it might get close with Valverde and Rogers.

Bos is at his expected level, this is what he is supposed to do, I don't think it really makes up for others failing at the top level. He clearly has found his niche in the HC category, with an occasional World Tour win. Since he's almost 30 and in his 5th year on the road, I think we can...

He always managed to mess up an almost certain win by choking, at least in the one week stage races. I would reserve the term deserving for riders who had bad luck.

Froome probably, Andy Schleck possibly. I think Frank Schleck en Sanchez have had their opportunities and missed them. I have a hunch the same goes for Rodriguez, he should have won last years Giro or Vuelta, I don't think he will get a lot of other opportunities. The others, not gonna...

It's not that difficult. There are great riders and there are almost-great riders like VDB. When the greats fail, the almost-greats step up and then VDB is by far the most likely to do so, since he is easily the most reliable and consistent. It's not like those guys never succeed...

I don't think it is a subjective concept in this context. Bad is bad, as in not very good quality-wise or untalented. If a rider is unattractive, boring, one-dimensional or an opportunistic coward, I would expect someone to use those terms.

Why on earth would an unattractive rider be a bad rider?

Devolders wins in the Ronde weren't lucky, they were smart and tactical. It's not like there is a dozen riders who could have easily pulled off the same, had they been Boonen's teammate. And I think we all know where Dekker got his sudden potential at 30.

That's not :rolleyes: what they are saying :rolleyes: in the Dutch media :rolleyes:

Have they forgotten that they're supposed to be a Dutch team? Now I know that maybe there just aren't enough Dutch riders that can reach a World Tour level to fill 3 teams, but what Argos is doing is just ridiculous.

And he ended up 8th (almost 5 minutes behind Cobo), where Gesink ended up 6th (but over 12 minutes behind Contador), neither of them adding much to the overall race, so there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in approach between the 2, yet one of 'em is dull (because he never attacks, which...