2013 Tour de France: Best passenger

[murali]

today's stage has made lots of changes on passenger status.

j-rod showed some skill today, though katusha still needs to do more.

Euskatel can be excused for their lacklustre performance courtesy Nieve.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

J-Rod didn't show any skill. Just the usual wheelsuck your group and do your 1km attack. I still dislike him as GT-rider..

 

[Dazed and Confused]

today's stage has made lots of changes on passenger status.

j-rod showed some skill today, though katusha still needs to do more.

Euskatel can be excused for their lacklustre performance courtesy Nieve.

No, sorry I disagree.

Sky was the only team that passed today.

EUS and MOV needs to do more.

Katusha hasn't done anything yet.

 

[mopar769]

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, a sprinter 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

Such Vitriol seems unwarranted, though entirely accurate nonetheless!!

Can those guys in the Radio Shack jerseys even be called a Team this year? Other than Bakelants and Voigt, they all seem to be freeloaders who ride other teams wheels, and make no effort to help each other at all.

 

[kinggeitje]

I do think mollema deserves the title of best passenger there is. He didn't attack once. He just stayed in froome's or ten Dam his wheel.

 

[murali]

No, sorry I disagree.

Sky was the only team that passed today.

EUS and MOV needs to do more.

Katusha hasn't done anything yet.

i agree.


i was only referring to j-rod returning to his normal.

Have to disagree with the MOV call. Quintana's ill-timed attack is worth giving the rider some credit. Tactically, though, i think the team should get a new tactical advisor.

didn't have time to post. had just given a quick post. that's all.

its time for a revised post on status though

 

[SafeBet]

News on Maxime Monfort? Anybody seen him?

 

[Pentacycle]

J-Rod didn't show any skill. Just the usual wheelsuck your group and do your 1km attack. I still dislike him as GT-rider..

Don't know if you're prejudiced, but I saw him on the front of the chasing group several times. Fuglsang and Mollema were the real wheelsuckers.

 

[gunara]

I saw him on the front of the chasing group several times

I saw him working too, and for more than one shot. But probably to some his last kilo attack has only made him an obvious passenger than the ones who didn't attack at all

 

[murali]

News on Maxime Monfort? Anybody seen him?

he is in the list of riders. 14th in GC. He may end up as the best placed passenger, unless J-rod, Peraud, Mollema decide otherwise.

 

[mariposa]

No, sorry I disagree.

Sky was the only team that passed today.

EUS and MOV needs to do more.

Katusha hasn't done anything yet.

I really think that you are being unrealistic here how can Movistar do more when Quintana was the only one to challenge Froome and Nieve for Euskaltel also tried hard.

 

[gunara]

News on Maxime Monfort? Anybody seen him?

Me, not since a close up of his **** 3 kilometer into the TT

 

[IndianCyclist]

Such Vitriol seems unwarranted, though entirely accurate nonetheless!!

Can those guys in the Radio Shack jerseys even be called a Team this year? Other than Bakelants and Voigt, they all seem to be freeloaders who ride other teams wheels, and make no effort to help each other at all.

Contract up - every man for himself
Impressed by Bakelants on Ventoux though

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I do think mollema deserves the title of best passenger there is. He didn't attack once. He just stayed in froome's or ten Dam his wheel.

Not true. On Ax-3 he was dropped really soon and did his own climb (Ten Dam was ahead of him). When he came back to KReuziger/Contador he attacked them himself. He did his own pacing on almost complete Ax-3 climb.

Also, in the echelon stage he did take some very strong turns himself in the final.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I really think that you are being unrealistic here how can Movistar do more when Quintana was the only one to challenge Froome and Nieve for Euskaltel also tried hard.

Movistar has been active, but the team is strong. No reason to stop being more active in 3rd week is more the point.

Euskaltel got 9 riders in the race, Nieve did every well, but as a team they got to get moving again on one of the coming stages to pass imo.

 

[SafeBet]

he is in the list of riders. 14th in GC. He may end up as the best placed passenger, unless J-rod, Peraud, Mollema decide otherwise.

14th in GC??? Are you serious?

Jesus Christ this guy is special.

 

[roundabout]

Murito.

Untill he sees the 1km banner

 

[Netserk]

Not true. On Ax-3 he was dropped really soon and did his own climb (Ten Dam was ahead of him). When he came back to KReuziger/Contador he attacked them himself. He did his own pacing on almost complete Ax-3 climb.

Also, in the echelon stage he did take some very strong turns himself in the final.

He only took one turn IIRC.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He only took one turn IIRC.

thats bs sorry, have the stage on video...

 

[Christian]

I think it's hard to ask for more of Maxime Monfort. He rides at his capabilities, actually way exceeding since no one expected him so "high" on GC. He is not an attacking rider, he cannot compete with Froome or anyone else in the top-10. So he rides the climb at his own pace.

If Andy or Zubeldia were in shape I'm sure he would do a lot of domestique work, and would be way down on GC, and no one would care. But since he actually has the best shape on the team, he just does his own race. I don't think we should blame him for not attacking though, that's just unrealistic

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think it's hard to ask for more of Maxime Monfort. He rides at his capabilities, actually way exceeding since no one expected him so "high" on GC. He is not an attacking rider, he cannot compete with Froome or anyone else in the top-10. So he rides the climb at his own pace.

If Andy or Zubeldia were in shape I'm sure he would do a lot of domestique work, and would be way down on GC, and no one would care. But since he actually has the best shape on the team, he just does his own race. I don't think we should blame him for not attacking though, that's just unrealistic

Monfort.

ok, but why continue with the "hang on tactic" on the big stages? To prove hes top 20 material? I think he can be used tactically. Use him to set the pace on an earlier climb for other team members etc?

 

[Christian]

Monfort.

ok, but why continue with the "hang on tactic" on the big stages? To prove hes top 20 material? I think he can be used tactically. Use him to set the pace on an earlier climb for other team members etc?

But which other team members? He's the strongest climber (and ITT) of the whole team!

Possibly tomorrow for Bakelants who must be exhausted though or Gallopin, but after that the stages are too hard for those two

 

[Dazed and Confused]

But which other team members? He's the strongest climber (and ITT) of the whole team!

Possibly tomorrow for Bakelants who must be exhausted though or Gallopin, but after that the stages are too hard for those two

the concept of hanging on is a broader complaint from me. It does almost nothing for the race. I would suggest it does very little for the sponsor as well.

Monfort, if he was "rested" on a few tough stages, could be a significant force in an attack. In fact wasn't he instrument in Andy's attack in '11?

 

[Christian]

the concept of hanging on is a broader complaint from me. It does almost nothing for the race. I would suggest it does very little for the sponsor as well.

Monfort, if he was "rested" on a few tough stages, could be a significant force in an attack. In fact wasn't he instrument in Andy's attack in '11?

Oh yeah he was brilliant in that stage, absolutely amazing. But mostly on the flat and not so much on the climbs.

He can be a phenomenal domestique, the problem is just that there is no one really to finish the job, no Andy from 2011 or Klöden from the olden days...

 

[Wigwan]

One we all forget: Hubert Dupont.