2011 Volta a Catalunya

[boomcie]

That kind of research already exists, number of suicides per capita. Sweden usually scores pretty high on those.

Maybe that's just a Swedish hype. People in my town just get old and angry.

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe that's just a Swedish hype. People in my town just get old and angry.

Maybe it's because Belgium is more densely populated, you guys have people to share your sadness with.

 

[boomcie]

Maybe it's because Belgium is more densely populated, you guys have people to share your sadness with.

In Sweden people also have to deal with long dark periods, especially in the north. I guess this does not help either.

 

[Angliru]

The same Michelle Scarponi who took 2 minutes from Vinczenzo Nibali in the Giro mountains. The same Michelle Scarponi who won the queen stage of that very Giro from Nibali and Basso. The same Michelle Scarponi who later went on and took 2nd in the Giro di Lombardia?

Sure Scarponi isnt Schleck, and there are a few people better than him in gts but not many. Not many at all. Definately one of the top 10 Grand Tour riders around at the moment.





Christ Timmy. Next your going to be telling Ryo that Santa isnt real I mean talk about crushing someone's dreams.

I for one massively enjoy Ryos commentary. He really doesnt hold back. Calls riders he doesnt like cowards, predicts a Colombian for every race then guarantees that they will win all the way up to the point that they lose, massively overrates all South Americans, most of his comments are in your face. Then comes back the next day and does it all again.

I still remember when someone tipped Henderson for "good rider that isnt hated" and he came back with " nobody cares about him except maybe his immediate family". Or when he said that without Laquilla Richie Porte "wouldnt come top 20, not by a long shot" even though 7th minus 12 minutes would have put him easily in top 20.


Of course he overates Colombians, but i kind of like that hes not Colombian and adopts them as his cycling nation, and his support for them spices up every thread he participates in.

This alone should be a reason for inviting Colombia is Passion to every single race.

There is something admirable about carrying their flag all on his own every single day.


He also does know a lot about cycling.

+1 Nothing wrong with a bit of over-the-top support of any sector of cycling. Variety spices up the forum dialogue. It would be quite boring if everyone was raving about one particular rider or nation of riders. Ryo is indefatigable in his support of Columbian cyclists and as a result of his passion, along with several other's with knowledge of the South American racing scene, we have been enlightened to another sector of competitive cycling that some of us, me included, may not have learned about in such detail. Just like the passionate support of Australian cycling by ACF, Belgian cycling by El Pistolero
(it is El Pistolero that is the Boonen fan?), I think we are all better of because of it.

 

[Angliru]

@ Havetts: Pretty tacky comment there.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

That kind of research already exists, number of suicides per capita. Sweden usually scores pretty high on those.

finland I believe has highest. it's metal/emo country where the sun barely shines so makes sense

 

[Hugo Koblet]

finland I believe has highest. it's metal/emo country where the sun barely shines so makes sense

Without having done any research on this, I would have thought Greenland was highest on a "sadness" scale. 1/3 teenagers from Greenland tries to commit suicide and they have a very high percentage of alcoholics.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Without having done any research on this, I would have thought Greenland was highest on a "sadness" scale. 1/3 teenagers from Greenland tries to commit suicide and they have a very high percentage of alcoholics.

probably right but I think it belongs to denmark right??

 

[The Hitch]

colombia is number 1 on the world happy index?

Say what

(it is El Pistolero that is the Boonen fan?), I think we are all better of because of it.

Pisti is more a Gilbert ultimate fanboy but his posts definately make the forum way more entertaining, especially the dueling with his nemesis the youngest and the rest of the dutchies.

 

[MADRAZO]

they were in u23, pls don't go look at results by knowing what you know today but they were supertalents in u23. and aosta is one of the strongest u23 races in the world when it comes to level or competitors right there with giro bio, tour avenir, circuito montanes and thuringer rundfahrt until 3/4 years ago.

getting colombians to sign with european teams isn't much of a solution. for instance a guy like pantano was 2nd in gp tell in his first u23 year with the uci mixte team. he had increidble results in europe for a regular talent in colombia. but the guy was crying every night because he missed his country so much swearing he would never return to europe despite getting offers from teams, same with duarte in 2007, oliverio rincon and countless of other cases. the only reason pantano came back and was 3rd at last years tour avenir was because he was in a colombian team. You know how many offers quintana had last year?? 15!! pro teams wanted him but he refused them all.

you should only get colombian riders if you get a number of them and really have the colombian atmosphere in the team. ever wondered by colombia is number 1 on the world happy index despite everything?? it's a special country that everyone who went there misses.

personally I hope for colombia es passion and many other colombian teams to make the move to europe like in the 80s. many things need to be changed including attitude of colombian teams thinking cycling in europe is still like it was in the 80s but they are slowly learning while having an unlimited source of cyclingtalent that we will NEVER see in europa unless in a colombian team because for many that's the choice they have made. the best colombian riders aren't ardila, duque, serpa or perhaps even soler and uran, they are guys like ortega, henao, duarte, colorado, montana, suarez. we have seen a few short glimpses of duarte already and he is from a different planet we will see this giro if menchov hopefully fails because duarte has much more potential and rides with his heart instead of fear.

to give an indication colombia es passion is the 5th best team of colombia behind epm-une, boyaca orgullo, orgullo paisa and great wall shimano. imagine them coming here as well

Propably the thing is that powerfull riders like Grabovskyy, Finetto or Gavazzi could do well in u23 climbing by being early developed, just like Miguel Lucena could beat spanish supertalented climber Jordi Simon in spanish juniorclimbs and so on. Even Malori was a pretty decent climber in u23, and Rojas won on u23 climbs in spain and Matthews and Degenkolb were climbing well last year, but they were never real climbers and never will be. But I guess Canos performances speaks of the same quality no matter what.

Btw. shame on me for not mentioning Duarte in the list. He might be the most talented of them all.

Otherwice you might be right that they have some mentality-issues holding them a bit back and making transition to europe more difficult, at least for some of them, but both Uran and Duarte still seems to be doing fine, and Soler would too if he didnt crash every race, and Betancourt and Sarmiento could also do fairly well this year in the giro, so its definetly possible, also not riding on the same team, like the old Kelme, and I still suppose Henao will also come to europe next year if the offers are good enough.

 

[boomcie]

Nah not Finland. I would say it's The Netherlands since they have been doing so well at every sport but have only managed to win one 1 major cycling classic in the last 2 decades. And that win wasn't even deserved.

Whoops.

Who will make the first comparison with Belgium?

 

[The Hitch]

Without having done any research on this, I would have thought Greenland was highest on a "sadness" scale. 1/3 teenagers from Greenland tries to commit suicide and they have a very high percentage of alcoholics.

1/3

Dude, thats like 33%

Maybe in Jonestown they had that, but i cant see how you get 1/3 teenagers trying to commit suicide.

Maybe you mean 3% which would still be very high.

 

[Moncoutie]

Doesnt Japan have a really high level of suicides too?

 

[cineteq]

Back to the race guys, focus!

Km 60

The breakaway:
Trofimov (Katusha), Brajkovic (RadioShack), Chalapud (Colombia), Vermote (Quick Step), Mollema (Rabobank).

 

[The Hitch]

Nah not Finland. I would say it's The Netherlands since they have been doing so well at every sport

Fixed it for you

Doesnt Japan have a really high level of suicides too?

Does eating Fugu count?

 

[The Hitch]

Doesnt Japan have a really high level of suicides too?

Does eating Fugu count?

 

[lancaster]

Volta anyone?

lithuania has the highest suicide rate at 31 per 100,000

33% attempt rate would be absolutely huge for even a very small sample.

 

[theyoungest]

Nah not Finland. I would say it's The Netherlands since they have been doing so well at every sport but have only managed to win one 1 major cycling classic in the last 2 decades. And that win wasn't even deserved.

Whoops.

Who will make the first comparison with Belgium?

1. In Holland, the Amstel Gold Race is considered a major classic, and we've won that one as well.

2. Coincidentally, the last Dutchman who won that race is also the only cyclist most people know. Maybe they'll commit suicide because he doesn't get through to the next round of Stars Dancing on Ice

edit: I totally forgot about Erik Dekker, who is actually the last Dutchman to win that race

 

[boomcie]

1. In Holland, the Amstel Gold Race is considered a major classic, and we've won that one as well.

That's just hilarious. But so great for you guys.

 

[The Hitch]

edit: I totally forgot about Erik Dekker, who is actually the last Dutchman to win that race

No, what you forgot is to express your joy/ dispair/ some sort of emotion that Mollema is in the break.

 

[hrotha]

Guys, this is serious, potentially catastrophic: Petacchi withdraws. I repeat: Petacchi withdraws. Rojas might win - several stages, even. I'll start packing up, and then off to the wilderness it is.

 

[theyoungest]

That's just hilarious. But so great for you guys.

Yes, we're strange that way. Although I think most Dutchies couldn't tell you who last won it.

 

[theyoungest]

No, what you forgot is to express your joy/ dispair/ some sort of emotion that Mollema is in the break.

He is? I'm sure he's caught already.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Propably the thing is that powerfull riders like Grabovskyy, Finetto or Gavazzi could do well in u23 climbing by being early developed, just like Miguel Lucena could beat spanish supertalented climber Jordi Simon in spanish juniorclimbs and so on. Even Malori was a pretty decent climber in u23, and Rojas won on u23 climbs in spain and Matthews and Degenkolb were climbing well last year, but they were never real climbers and never will be. But I guess Canos performances speaks of the same quality no matter what.

Btw. shame on me for not mentioning Duarte in the list. He might be the most talented of them all.

Otherwice you might be right that they have some mentality-issues holding them a bit back and making transition to europe more difficult, at least for some of them, but both Uran and Duarte still seems to be doing fine, and Soler would too if he didnt crash every race, and Betancourt and Sarmiento could also do fairly well this year in the giro, so its definetly possible, also not riding on the same team, like the old Kelme, and I still suppose Henao will also come to europe next year if the offers are good enough.

some riders adapt better. sarmiento, soler where guys that adapted well despite being alone. but they are from boyaca and they are basically like mountaineers living almost solitary lives with the bike. very unsocial to us, but it means they have only one focus and care less about atmosphere in a team. same counts for quintana who is also from boyaca and has same mentality and thinks only of the bike and lives almost in his own world. they are almost like monks. also reason why many colombian riders still have incredible level at high age. but guys from states like antioquia, bogota/cundinamarca, valle is different is way more social and they feel uncomfortable in european teams. spanish teams come most close to how they are but spanish teams usually only acquire spanish riders, now with movistar it's getting better

 

[The Hitch]

Petacchi withdraws.

I repeat:

PETACCHI WITHDRAWS .

Fixed it for you.

Btw does anyone know whats up with Jay Jay? I didnt think he was racing but then Jamsque said he crashed and well, whats going on?