2013 Tour of Romandie, Stage 4:Marly - Les Diablerets 188.5 Km

[movingtarget]

Of course expectations are low, he hasn't podiumed a GT for 3 years. But it's impossible to say where he will finish next month based on a day of horrible weather in a race he has no intentions of performing well in.

It just makes low expectations look even lower but you are right, motivation would have been low as well.

 

[Pippo_San]

He has already been Top10 in GC. And when he was not amongst the best, he lost between 2 and (as you mentioned) 10 minutes on the hardest stage.

20 minutes is a lot, also psychologically - though he´s experienced enough to have other indicators than these 20 minutes. At least, public expectation is low now, for him. On the other hand, people tend to race for the win whenever they can, nowadays, and start to so already in January. For Basso, now, if he has a bad Giro, he will be obliged to ride the Tour.

Basso completely dropped the ball this year, I don't think he'll be anywhere near the best...at least in recent years he was there during some spring races, say for example Lugano...
Oh well, one RoboBasso goes, one SkyBorg comes

 

[movingtarget]

I hope so, because I like Basso and actually would love a Top5 in this Giro containing of Nibali, Basso, Di Luca, Pellizotti and Garzelli.

An optimist you are !

 

[Pippo_San]

then he has to abandon the giro

The first days to assess his form is ****, a little crash, excruciating pain, has to abandon, flies to Cali, wins in fashion.

Does nothing else for the rest of the season.

 

[movingtarget]

Don't worry, Bobby G. will salvage RaboBlancoFail season by winning the fourth GT, le magnifique Tour of California

I can never concentrate on the TOC because of the amount of loonies on the side of the road.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Blanco's twitter claims Gesink worked for his teammates today. Must have been before the tv broadcast started then because i've only seen him drop straight away

 

[RHRH19861986]

An optimist you are !

Yes, and I still miss Pantani, who was born a year before Horner was. When you see Noé started his last Giro the year he got 42, Pantani could be a great domestique still. Or go hunting for KOM jersey with Garzelli... Would LOVE to see that.

 

[classicomano]

Blanco's twitter claims Gesink worked for his teammates today. Must have been before the tv broadcast started then because i've only seen him drop straight away

Besides, would he actually work for his teammates if he had any form himself?

 

[nesocip]

Sicard top 30 on stage and in GC, Euskaltel might not have destroyed the biggest GC talent of his generation after all. First slightly encouraging sign from him in 3 years, since Dauphine 2010

 

[airstream]

Yeah now only the illusion that he's not as good in classic stages remains

Why? You obviously have more rooms. Say, Froome can not sustain his attacks in a GT

 

[cineteq]

how can it be an excuse when he was still top 10 in the vuelta and won california last year.

He simply completely ****ed up his preparation again. The reason Kelderman is good is because Kelderman took it easy the last few days because he felt tired. Gesink trained like an idiot and again and is now already exhausted before the Giro starts

He might have screwed up his preparation as you said, but my point was that the accident did enough damage not allow him to get to his previous level ever again.

 

[Descender]

Didn't look like that on the stage Valverde won last year in the tour, and this year he already said he will be working again for Valverde. Last sunday he raced for the team attacking from far away so Valverde could save himself and in Pais Vasco he was on the break to wait for a possible attack by quintana which didn't happen because quintana wasn't feeling good.

So saying that he never works for others is complete BS.

And just so i make it clear, i hated the way he raced today and would be sorry at all if he dropped off the podium tomorrow to some1 like keldermen who at least tried today

Oh he'll attack and go on breaks "for the team" all right. As long as he can get something out of it, he's in. Otherwise, you pretty much have to put a gun on his head when you plan to tell him to pull on the front if you want him to do it.

Costa is a prima donna who loves to think of himself as a leader. Hey, no big deal, he's a great rider, has won a couple of nice things and his designated leader is a ******.

 

[Descender]

Sicard top 30 on stage and in GC, Euskaltel might not have destroyed the biggest GC talent of his generation after all. First slightly encouraging sign from him in 3 years, since Dauphine 2010

A top 30 in Romandie? An encouraging sign for "the biggest GC talent of his generation"?

 

[canyonball]

Oh he'll attack and go on breaks "for the team" all right. As long as he can get something out of it, he's in. Otherwise, you pretty much have to put a gun on his head when you plan to tell him to pull on the front if you want him to do it.

Costa is a prima donna who loves to think of himself as a leader. Hey, no big deal, he's a great rider, has won a couple of nice things and his designated leader is a ******.

Do you have any inside info? Know the riders involved or their dynamics?

Because if you are taking these conclusions just from watching races...to call it an overstatement" (as parrulo put it)...is an understatement

Sport-livez hasn't worked for me at all today. Some very sore bodies on the "chasers". Only explanation I can think of for such a gap in such short distance on such a climb.

Third placed rider will indeed have to be enough of a reason to hang on one more day with Romandie.

 

[Descender]

Do you have any inside info? Know the riders involved or their dynamics?

Because if you are taking these conclusions just from watching races...to call it an overstatement" (as parrulo put it)...is an understatement

Sport-livez hasn't worked for me at all today. Some very sore bodies on the "chasers". Only explanation I can think of for such a gap in such short distance on such a climb.

Third placed rider will indeed have to be enough of a reason to hang on one more day with Romandie.

I'm taking my conclusions from watching races, just like everyone else here.

By your reasoning, we should refrain from commenting at all.

 

[canyonball]

By your reasoning, we should refrain from commenting at all.

From where I'm stand...you're overreaching (again).

I respect your right to an opinion. I just don't agree with it. I don't see a "prima donna" when Costa races. Nor does Unzue or Valverde for all we know. I fail to see what reasoning supports such conclusion and therefore I wanted to know if you had more info than the one available to the "rest of us". That's all.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Blanco's twitter claims Gesink worked for his teammates today. Must have been before the tv broadcast started then because i've only seen him drop straight away

lol, like they ever say the truth. I remember vividly rabo's website and how they made excuses for just about everything

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Sicard top 30 on stage and in GC, Euskaltel might not have destroyed the biggest GC talent of his generation after all. First slightly encouraging sign from him in 3 years, since Dauphine 2010

 

[jens_attacks]

cool image ryo. and true too

does he still fool around with the road signs?

 

[nesocip]

1. SICARD Romain ORB 30h33'41"
2. VAN GARDEREN Tejay RB3 01"

5. KREDER Michel RB3 01'24"

7. STETINA Peter - 01'32"

10. VALLS FERRI Rafael VMC 01'57"

12. GALLOPIN Tony AUB 02'04"

14. ATAPUMA HURTADO John Darwin 02'29"

 

[roundabout]

Is that the Avenir where it was la Mauselaine and a tough TT as the decisive stages?

Although he did beat Henao by 50 seconds on the stage to la Mauselaine.

 

[RHRH19861986]

It´s not that wrong, Sicard was really presented as the next big thing, few years ago.

Then results didn´t follow as planned, this traffic signal affair arrived, people begun to laugh at him, results remained rather poor... Nowadays, his fans might be happy about every weak sign of life (result wise, not traffic signal wise).

BTW, Anton 10th today, nice

 

[Pentacycle]

1. SICARD Romain ORB 30h33'41"
2. VAN GARDEREN Tejay RB3 01"

5. KREDER Michel RB3 01'24"

7. STETINA Peter - 01'32"

10. VALLS FERRI Rafael VMC 01'57"

12. GALLOPIN Tony AUB 02'04"

14. ATAPUMA HURTADO John Darwin 02'29"

Since when is l 'Avenir a true indication of one's talent?

 

[nesocip]

Since when is l 'Avenir a true indication of one's talent?

Ok, http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=15261

Thats Mendrisio U23 world champs. Look at some guys who did well earlier and after at tough course u23 champs and see their careers later on.

There are no better indicators of someone's talent than Avenir and U23 champs.

Anyways, RHRH summed it up nicely, cant argue with people who consider anyone non-colombian without talent.

 

[SafeBet]

What's the story with the traffic signal?