2013 Tour of Oman (11th-16th February), 2.HC

[jens_attacks]

Watching the highlight video it looked to me like Froome was stronger than JRod. JRod had gone up the road while Froome was marking his GC rivals Contador & Nibali. Froome then realised Contador/Nibali had nothing left in the tank and put in a massive acceleration that nearly knocked Nibbles off his bike! He clearly closed the gap to JRod but its hard to say what the distance between the two was when he launched his attack.

at the moment chris is the strongest. but on tirreno, i expect a very strong alberto ready for revenge. he will never give up
just like i said he might attack sky even tomorrow

forgot to say, kudos to all of them for fighting so early in february. seems like the days of jan ullrich's tour de suisse and lance's tour of georgia are far away...




oh crrap, andy is gonna smoke these fools in le tour

 

[Casualfan]

The thing is Contador usually has a very high base rate. It may be months from the Tour but time after time after time he has won these kinds of races. and whatsmore for once he wasnt talking himself down but claimed to have "good sensations"

Froome on the other hand is the guy who goes 0 to hero just before a gt begins.

So for Froome to beat Contador definately sends the alarm bells ringing.

Not the end of the world of course. There are other scenarios. Maybe Contador is just here for the pay and the sun and wouldnt have even bothered otherwise. Maybe he is trying to save himself for a few goals. Maybe he plans on doing things differently this year with the train. He has sucked worse before in races (eg Criterium International)

Or maybe Froome simply is now a better climber than Contador.

I do take heart from the fact though that Evans beat Contador and Nibali was close behind. Because that suggests it may have been more Contador sucking than Froome improving (and its a lot easier to deal with the former than the latter).

2013 is the first year that Froome the GT contender has started infection free, so I don't really think the "zero to hero before a GT" really applies to him. Still, going to be an interesting battle that I am looking forward too. Personally I thought Contador was holding back a bit today, but who knows. Early days yet.

 

[The Hitch]

Contador went too early.

Contador. Too early?

Son, this is the guy who cracked J Rod from 30k out. When he did it on Telegraphe 96k out, that was too early, maybe. But 5 k out? How far out did he attack on Etna, on Grossglockner, on Verbier, on Angliru? On Ancares, on Lagos. On Gardeccia? His duels with Rasmussen, with Schleck, with Purito.

And almost all those climbs have far more slipstream at that.

When in the blue hell has 5k out (or whatever it was) been too early?

Remember the stage (no doubt you do) which won Cadel the Tour. Where Schleck cracked for 2 minutes. What did Contador do there? He attacked once. Twice. Thrice. And everytime the group was quartered until it was only him, a heavily on the limit Samu and Cadel left. And was Contador tired? No, he was about to attack again but the climb ended.

If Contador cracks after attacking, it means he is lacking in form.

 

[postmanhat]

Haven't seen the stage yet, and perhaps tactics, or lack of, played a part. But my first thought on seeing Contador finishing so far behind Evans was that he wasn't that fussed/too early in the season.

Whatever you opinions of Froome, with him in such stonking form so early, you can only rub your hands at what's to come. Could/should be the best season in decades!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

You don't have a VO2 MAX above 50, do you?

what?


,,,,

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Contador. Too early?

Son, this is the guy who cracked J Rod from 30k out. When he did it on Telegraphe 96k out, that was too early, maybe. But 5 k out? How far out did he attack on Etna, on Grossglockner, on Verbier, on Angliru? On Ancares, on Lagos. On Gardeccia? His duels with Rasmussen, with Schleck, with Purito.

And almost all those climbs have far more slipstream at that.

When in the blue hell has 5k out (or whatever it was) been too early?

Remember the stage (no doubt you do) which won Cadel the Tour. Where Schleck cracked for 2 minutes. What did Contador do there? He attacked once. Twice. Thrice. And everytime the group was quartered until it was only him, a heavily on the limit Samu and Cadel left. And was Contador tired? No, he was about to attack again but the climb ended.

If Contador cracks after attacking, it means he is lacking in form.

man you are blinded by your hatred by contador and love for froome or whatever. contador always sucsk in keeping distance in a mountain attack. he always has short bursts and then drops back slowly. only rarely has he demonstrated something else, like etna and verbier(which was a short climb), that is it basically.

 

[SafeBet]

If Contador cracks after attacking, it means he is lacking in form.

It's that simple, really.

 

[SafeBet]

man you are blinded by your hatred by contador and love for froome or whatever. contador always sucsk in keeping distance in a mountain attack. he always has short bursts and then drops back slowly. only rarely has he demonstrated something else, like etna and verbier(which was a short climb), that is it basically.

Drops back slowly, maybe.
Not brought back and dropped by Cadel Evans.

 

[ferryman]

at the moment chris is the strongest. but on tirreno, i expect a very strong alberto ready for revenge. he will never give up
just like i said he might attack sky even tomorrow

forgot to say, kudos to all of them for fighting so early in february. seems like the days of jan ullrich's tour de suisse and lance's tour of georgia are far away...




oh crrap, andy is gonna smoke these fools in le tour

Oh bad Andy for being out of form after a serious injury and not being in Oman. Please remember Andy has smoked everyone of these guys at one point or other when it has mattered. He hasn't needed to smoke Froome in the past because he, Froome, hasn't been near him.

 

[ferryman]

Contador. Too early?

Son, this is the guy who cracked J Rod from 30k out. When he did it on Telegraphe 96k out, that was too early, maybe. But 5 k out? How far out did he attack on Etna, on Grossglockner, on Verbier, on Angliru? On Ancares, on Lagos. On Gardeccia? His duels with Rasmussen, with Schleck, with Purito.

And almost all those climbs have far more slipstream at that.

When in the blue hell has 5k out (or whatever it was) been too early?

Remember the stage (no doubt you do) which won Cadel the Tour. Where Schleck cracked for 2 minutes. What did Contador do there? He attacked once. Twice. Thrice. And everytime the group was quartered until it was only him, a heavily on the limit Samu and Cadel left. And was Contador tired? No, he was about to attack again but the climb ended.

If Contador cracks after attacking, it means he is lacking in form.

You missed out Froome, Vuelta 2012. Pick your stage. Not that long ago.

ps you are far too young to start using 'son' to address someone. You have to put in the years for that privilege, OK son

 

[Carols]

Watching the highlight video it looked to me like Froome was stronger than JRod. JRod had gone up the road while Froome was marking his GC rivals Contador & Nibali. Froome then realised Contador/Nibali had nothing left in the tank and put in a massive acceleration that nearly knocked Nibbles off his bike! He clearly closed the gap to JRod but its hard to say what the distance between the two was when he launched his attack.

You guys have to see the GCN one around 2:10. Chris is on the ropes, wobbling across the road and looks like he is in a world of trouble....FF and he is accelerating away. He did that in le Tour and the Vuelta also. I'm like How does he recover like that so quickly???? I'd sure to see the stage and not just these bits of highlights.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

You guys have to see the GCN one around 2:10. Chris is on the ropes, wobbling across the road and looks like he is in a world of trouble....FF and he is accelerating away. He did that in le Tour and the Vuelta also. I'm like How does he recover like that so quickly???? I'd sure to see the stage and not just these bits of highlights.

This kind of recovery and acceleration comes after years of fighting parasites. Get. Ready.

 

[hfer07]

the evidence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSevuE4aQLA

Froome's attack was devastating-damn!!!

 

[del1962]

He recovers like someone who was born and raised at altitude, it was how the Kenyan distance runners are able to surge, slow then surge again

 

[auscyclefan94]

Contador. Too early?

Son, this is the guy who cracked J Rod from 30k out. When he did it on Telegraphe 96k out, that was too early, maybe. But 5 k out? How far out did he attack on Etna, on Grossglockner, on Verbier, on Angliru? On Ancares, on Lagos. On Gardeccia? His duels with Rasmussen, with Schleck, with Purito.

And almost all those climbs have far more slipstream at that.

When in the blue hell has 5k out (or whatever it was) been too early?

Remember the stage (no doubt you do) which won Cadel the Tour. Where Schleck cracked for 2 minutes. What did Contador do there? He attacked once. Twice. Thrice. And everytime the group was quartered until it was only him, a heavily on the limit Samu and Cadel left. And was Contador tired? No, he was about to attack again but the climb ended.

If Contador cracks after attacking, it means he is lacking in form.

Etna, Verbier and many of the others are long mountain stages in a grand tour. Green Mountain is short and explosive, contrary to those other climbs. You can crack a lot easier on a short explosive climb when the pace is very high and the effort is short but intense if you don't measure your effort. I know you can't help yourself and have to jump to the defense of Alberto at every opportunity, but maybe this time you could take a deep breath and accept I am right.

If anything, saying that Evans brought back Contador because Contador went too early is better for you as it justifies why such an awful climber coming off illness and no racing like Evans could have brought back Contador.

 

[Bexon30]

You guys have to see the GCN one around 2:10. Chris is on the ropes, wobbling across the road and looks like he is in a world of trouble....FF and he is accelerating away. He did that in le Tour and the Vuelta also. I'm like How does he recover like that so quickly???? I'd sure to see the stage and not just these bits of highlights.

We've seen Contador crack as Evans, JRod and Nibali. But in last years Tour Froome looked super strong. I would like to see what happens if he pushes himself over the edge from too many attacks. He could blow right up. As mentioned by others it's middle of February still a long way to go. Mind games and attacks from tomorrow !!

 

[The Hitch]

Etna, Verbier and many of the others are long mountain stages in a grand tour. Green Mountain is short and explosive, contrary to those other climbs. You can crack a lot easier on a short explosive climb when the pace is very high and the effort is short but intense if you don't measure your effort. I know you can't help yourself and have to jump to the defense of Alberto at every opportunity, but maybe this time you could take a deep breath and accept I am right.

If anything, saying that Evans brought back Contador because Contador went too early is better for you as it justifies why such an awful climber coming off illness and no racing like Evans could have brought back Contador.

I dont think its short at all. More than half of Mortirolo. Harder than the Peyresoudes they climbed last year. 6 at 10% is no joke.

 

[willbick]

why do u guys even talk about contador? the guy's a cheat

 

[Cyivel]

why do u guys even talk about contador? the guy's a cheat

Because he is racing in the Tour of Oman, obviously.

 

[manafana]

if their is one thing sky and their riders are good at its measuring their efforts.

 

[Pippo_San]

the evidence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSevuE4aQLA

Froome's attack was devastating-damn!!!

UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

So good to see Little Cadel back in contention, hard man!

My man Vincenzo gotta grind harder if he wants to win the Giro or Robo-Wigans is gonna smash him!

Disappointed by Saganinator...I hoped he could do some more...he clearly didn't have it, yet it was also something beyond his skills...

 

[gatete]

Well Contador proved that it was possible in '09 for example, except for dauphine.

Does anyone have any idea how steep these 2 hills are at the end of tomorrow's race?

And didn't he failed at Paris nice on that year to lulu? 2009 is arguable his best year and yet he came up short and so close to the tour. We just need to chill a bit, is not going to be the last race/ stage he will lose and and certainly not the first. To la flo chill sweetie just freaking relax.

 

[greenedge]

Evans did very well and so i am happy. There is still a chance he and Contador could take the lead but Froome will probably win.

Congrats to JROD/ Ellisonde.

 

[wirral]

Early start today with it being Friday for prayers, I assume.

 

[manafana]

This would be their saturday, i dont think llive coverage woudl have cost too much more considering they put a highlights package together 80% of whats needed for live coverage is their.

Their was some rumours that it was a propganda thing with the Oman government wanting to filter what we get to see.