2014 Tour Down Under Stage 5: McLaren Vale -> Wilunga Hill, 151.5km (2.WT)

[Tragic]

Whether you think someone has been "wheelsucking" or has been "tactically astute" rather depends on whether you like the result or not. I rather like the fact that brains as well as brawn can influence the outcome of a race. Those without brains will no doubt disagree.

+1 Good comment. These are professionals whose job is to win races for their team, the best way they know how. I have always liked how Simon Gerrans races smart.

 

[movingtarget]

Evans and his teammate went to the front at the bottom of the hill.

They should have ridden more defensively. It would have limited CE’s losses at the end.

Over confidence from yesterday is my guess.

It was kinda odd with the headwind. He would have lost less time if he waited for Gerrans to out jump him in the final km but he was worried about Porte who had a much bigger gap until the final km. Caught in no mans land. Gerrans got the better of him today tactically but Evans had a good win on Corkscrew. Gerrans is good at the shorter stage races that don't have a lot of hard climbs. Of course the bonuses are handy.

 

[simo1733]

By disrespecting his own team nonetheless. The guy's got absolutely zero class.

That sort of comment by Cadel should stay in the team bus.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It was kinda odd with the headwind. He would have lost less time if he waited for Gerrans to out jump him in the final km but he was worried about Porte who had a much bigger gap until the final km. Caught in no mans land. Gerrans got the better of him today tactically but Evans had a good win on Corkscrew. Gerrans is good at the shorter stage races that don't have a lot of hard climbs. Of course the bonuses are handy.

Easy in hindsight but he had to gap Gerrans in my view. Waiting would have seen him beat tomorrow.

 

[Major Taylor]

It was kinda odd with the headwind. He would have lost less time if he waited for Gerrans to out jump him in the final km but he was worried about Porte who had a much bigger gap until the final km..

Yep, and I think Porte capitalised on the early aggression from Evans.

 

[movingtarget]

Easy in hindsight but he had to gap Gerrans in my view. Waiting would have seen him beat tomorrow.

It's never easy and Gerrans was pretty ordinary on Corkscrew so once Cadel saw that he and Porte had a the gap he went on with it. It was understandable that he took a gamble but like you said, the other way may not have been any better re the race result.

 

[DirtTurtle]

All this talk about wheelsucking, racing is based on being able to draft. If it was an uphill TT cadel would have won but clearly not the case.

If you are in a situation where you a so much stronger than everyone else and dont pull turns is wheelsucking, sitting on waiting until you can use your strength is not.

Awesome ride from Gerro, turned an easy loss into a win.

 

[BigMac]

Nice ride. Ulissi close again to the win.

BMC can still try something to get the overall, since its just one second and they got nothing to lose.

Rooting for Gerrans, tho.

 

[Netserk]

Classic Evans

 

[Der Effe]

By disrespecting his own team nonetheless. The guy's got absolutely zero class.

In that case, you two would be great friends.

 

[Flamin]

That ochre jersey and dominant performance on Corkscrew backfired big time today. Evans had to go after Porte since everyone would have been looking at him anyway.

But Gerrans pulls off a great Gerrans though.

 

[qwerty16]

Whether you think someone has been "wheelsucking" or has been "tactically astute" rather depends on whether you like the result or not. I rather like the fact that brains as well as brawn can influence the outcome of a race. Those without brains will no doubt disagree.

Big difference also is if someone who has been wheelsucking easily rides away or takes te sprint in the end. Gerrans today was barely able to hold the wheel of Ulissi at times, including when coming to the finish line.

 

[ItalianGigolo]

Big difference also is if someone who has been wheelsucking easily rides away or takes te sprint in the end. Gerrans today was barely able to hold the wheel of Ulissi at times, including when coming to the finish line.

Gerrans done everything he could to win the Overall and he won it! End of the story! I don't really understand what people expects from him. Do you want him to attack like a mad man and lose every race or play it smart and get the best possible result?

 

[Panda Claws]

Gerrans done everything he could to win the Overall and he won it! End of the story! I don't really understand what people expects from him. Do you want him to attack like a mad man and lose every race or play it smart and get the best possible result?

People want a mixture of both.

 

[ItalianGigolo]

Well, I can understand people wanting to see spectacular races but I can't agree with people criticizing cyclists because they play their cards right. Gerrans just wanted to won the race and he done it in the best way he knew. Cheers to him!

 

[Panda Claws]

Well, I can understand people wanting to see spectacular races but I can't agree with people criticizing cyclists because they play their cards right. Gerrans just wanted to won the race and he done it in the best way he knew. Cheers to him!

So you see no problems with wheelsucking, whatsoever?

 

[Netserk]

So you see no problems with wheelsucking, whatsoever?

Not if it wins you the race. However it's very frustrating to see riders wheelsuck, where it costs them the victory. Valverde is a good example of that.

 

[karaev]

Wheelsucking is ok in my opinion. If this is the way some cyclists do their best I can't see the problem.

 

[forkboy84]

Whether you think someone has been "wheelsucking" or has been "tactically astute" rather depends on whether you like the result or not. I rather like the fact that brains as well as brawn can influence the outcome of a race. Those without brains will no doubt disagree.

Absolutely correct. It's usually a term rolled out when someone who isn't loved wins, or by mewling fanboys when their chosen favourite is beaten, as so perfectly highlighted by one particular Cadel fan here.

Sometimes it's a bad tactic to use, but when it's used right it's an absolutely valid tactic and hardly a recent phenomenon in cycling.

 

[Panda Claws]

Not if it wins you the race. However it's very frustrating to see riders wheelsuck, where it costs them the victory. Valverde is a good example of that.

So what Pozzato did in '08 and '09 would have been fine, if he had won the race ?

 

[Arredondo]

Not if it wins you the race. However it's very frustrating to see riders wheelsuck, where it costs them the victory. Valverde is a good example of that.

But you're hating Rodriguez?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

For people who are interested. Gesink's power data of both corkscrew climb and willunga hill stage are on Strava.

 

[Taxus4a]

Well, I can understand people wanting to see spectacular races but I can't agree with people criticizing cyclists because they play their cards right. Gerrans just wanted to won the race and he done it in the best way he knew. Cheers to him!

He was yesterday clever than Evans, who was quite nervous and use a wrong tactic with headwind.

I dont know if Voigt_attacks put the new record on his blog, I didnt see. I took 8:17 with Porte from corner to corner.

It is a good time considering the headwing.

The same I wanst impresed for some records established last yeard, becouse the tailwind or to be settled at the begining of a grand Tour vs at the end another years, I must say yesterday the time was good becouse the wind.

PORTE has a skill I noticed yesteday, he is able to be aerodinamic on the climbs, so with power and aerodinamic, you can do Willunga very well with headwind., becouse is a short and hard climb, but not really hard.

It was headwind as well in Lure at Nize.

 

[Netserk]

But you're hating Rodriguez?

Have you seen him race?

 

[Arredondo]

Have you seen him race?

Yeah, he races to win. He waits and then attacks, and he does that perfectly. A master tactician.

Btw, he did decide to do a attacking race. That was at the worlds, and thanks to that attack, he failed. So can't blame him to wait

And you can't compare Purito to someone like Pozzato. There are plenty of moments and races where Purito had the balls to attack. Remember VPV in 2010 (Orio)?, or Dauphiné 2011, or Giro 2011 (Sestriere), or stages like Semnoz, Mendrisio?

Probarly not...