2013 Tour de France: Best passenger

[BigMac]

The entire Cofidis team.

 

[Afrank]

Contador hasn't attacked either.

I hope you don't think I'm coming down on Belkin for not attacking. I would have to agree with SafeBet, their tactics are understandable for them. Considering they've never really been in this position before. Although I think it would be cool to see and hope they do attack somewhere.

 

[trevim]

The entire Cofidis team.

Mate was the only crazy enough to attack in the headwind to Marseille. Respect

 

[Wigwan]

within 30 min so far



3 MOLLEMA Bauke + 03' 37''
4 CONTADOR Alberto + 03' 54''
5 KREUZIGER Roman + 03' 57''
6 TEN DAM Laurens + 04' 10''
11 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin + 05' 48''
14 EVANS Cadel + 06' 54''
15 NIEVE ITURRALDE Mikel + 08' 04''
16 ROGERS Michael + 08' 28''
17 SCHLECK Andy + 08' 32''
18 MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel + 09' 34''
19 MONFORT Maxime + 10' 16''
21 BARDET Romain + 11' 37''
22 SERPA José + 12' 16''
23 POELS Wouter + 13' 09''
24 TALANSKY Andrew + 13' 11''
25 NAVARRO Daniel + 14' 50''
26 CHAVANEL Sylvain + 16' 00''
28 MALACARNE Davide + 17' 57''
29 BAKELANTS Jan + 19' 02''
30 MORABITO Steve + 19' 59''
32 GESINK Robert + 21' 32''
33 GADRET John + 23' 12''
34 VORGANOV Eduard + 23' 46''
35 MEDEREL Maxime + 24' 55''
36 NIEMIEC Przemyslaw + 24' 58''
37 ASTARLOZA Mikel + 25' 21''
38 CUNEGO Damiano + 26' 09''
39 PLAZA MOLINA Ruben + 28' 22''
40 ZUBELDIA Haimar + 29' 57''

Omitting the likes of cannondale, confidis and sojasun. They are not interested in GC race anyways,

We got a winner here!

2nd place goes to Astarloza.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

The entire Cofidis team.

Who? Are they still around?

 

[luckyboy]

Zubledia managed to finish 6th overall last year, as far as I am aware nobody actually noticed him at any stage of the entire race. It's unlikely anyone will be able to match that this year.

haha, I remember seeing Kloden ride past him when he had a puncture but that was it

 

[SafeBet]

haha, I remember seeing Kloden ride past him when he had a puncture but that was it

Even Kloden didn't notice he was his teammate at that time

 

[murali]

btw, is kloden in this race? His name is in the starters list, but i don't remember seeing him in this race.

I faintly remember hearing kloden being hailed as the next best German rider after Ullrich.





btw, even after stage 12, Contador() is the top placed passenger.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Laurens Ten Dam for me. I always think "what the hell?" when I look at the GC and see him in 6th position.

 

[murali]

I just checked ten dam's cq profile. His best year so far was 2011, in which he got 459 pts.
In all other years, he was getting less than 400 cq pts.

8th in last years veulta is his best GT standing. In 2008 he had hit 20th in TdF. The funny thing is that if he maintains his 6th position, then he will get most cq pts in a season in this yr, and everyone playing fantasy game will curse themselves for not including his name.


I think he might actually drop out on sunday's stage and the best passenger competition.

 

[Arnout]

Even Kloden didn't notice he was his teammate at that time

That was the funniest moment in last years race, Kloden intentionally looking away to avoid having to help his better placed teammate

 

[dirkprovin]

I nominate M.Harley Goss who should henceforth be renamed "Caravan". He has been nothing but an unmanouvreable, unweildy conveyance that his unfortunate team mates have had to tow around the race route. Should he deliver his usual "non" performance on this stage, OGE management would be best served unhitching "the caravan" and parking him somewhere beside the road this allowing his team mates and management far greater flexibility re going up the road and not having to consign X amount of men to tow him to the finish

 

[screaming fist]

Goss is not within 30 minutes of the GC leader.

 

[Sylvester]

Zubeldia is riding with a broken hand.

Malacarne, Mederel, Vorganov, Monfort and Serpa for me.

 

[Kwibus]

Well, Gesink did attack on ax3. But he's not a GC contender. Not sure we will see the Belkin boys due too much of anything but try to hang on and race conservatively. Not many even expected them to be in this good a position in GC.

Boom was in the break day 1 and 2. Gesink attacked.

Mollema and Ten Dam were 4th and 5th on Ax3. Someone mentioned he didnt notice Ten Dam. Well he can't help it the cameras ain't interested in him... He did drop Contador on Ax3, but the camera just sticked with Contador... for obvious reasons, but Ten Dam can't help that.

When talking about passengers I think more about completely anonymous rides. Allthough some can't help it, for example Vanmarcke, Leezer, Tankink and Wijnants got 1 task this TdF. Support the teamleaders...
That's what they do. It's an important role, but to the outside world these guys are anonymous. There are plenty of riders in the bunch like them.

A real passenger is the rider that isn't a sprinter, isn't a climber and has no team leader to ride for, but hasn't shown himself in the break once.

 

[Frosty]

Edit: Wrong thread

 

[Frosty]

Edit, Ok, wrong thread.....

 

[murali]

do the belkin riders move out of the passenger list today?

 

[dirkprovin]

Goss is not within 30 minutes of the GC leader.

TBH, the definition is far too restrictive. Just HOW MANY riders are there to legitimately ride for GC; damned small percentage to be honest. What I classify as passengers are those selected to perform a specific role; fail utterly and/or throw in the towel and subsequently free-load on the rest of their team. This definition fits Goss most perfectly.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Update:

Saxo: Needs to do more
Belkin: Needs to do more
Astana: Pass ( Fuglsang moving inside top 10 almost without a team)

All others unchanged.

 

[murali]

calling a sprinter as passenger is oxymoron.

Goss is just an unlucky sprinter.

 

[dirkprovin]

calling a sprinter as passenger is oxymoron.

Goss is just an unlucky sprinter.

Repharase that, a spinter who's ever-descending level of competitiveness throughout this season,and now demonstrated conclusively at this Tour, renders him unfit for such a designation ....... therefore a dead-weight passenger for his team to tow around the remainder of the race route.

At least the overwhelming bulk of the sprinters are at least finishing top 10 and at minimum bringing in stage prizemoney to the team "kitty". At least THEY are earning their keep

 

[murali]

i just hope that belkins do some serious attacks today.

 

[karrotten]

TBH, the definition is far too restrictive. Just HOW MANY riders are there to legitimately ride for GC; damned small percentage to be honest. What I classify as passengers are those selected to perform a specific role; fail utterly and/or throw in the towel and subsequently free-load on the rest of their team. This definition fits Goss most perfectly.

Gilbert fits this definition as well. Other than modelling the WC jersey, has he done anything in the race?

 

[Christian]

Today, Trentin! Didn't see him much in the break, but he ended up winning. Good on him!

"i'm the passenger. and i ride and i ride"