2014 Tour of California May 11-18

[scholar]

So, based on the coverage, the first four riders yesterday were Cavendish, Sagan, Phinney and Wiggins, and for some unexplained reason they started at intervals of several minutes. And strangely enough there were a few other riders out training on the course for Wiggins and Phinney to pass.

 

[manafana]

wiggo just too good at this stuff for the rest

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=20686

This thread was great

Hitch spoiled it. It would have finished on page 1 without him.

 

[sir fly]

Hopefully Wiggins will be a factor during July.

 

[WildspokeJoe]

I think the problem lays with the race organizers. Essentially they created a course in which it will be a huge upset if one guy doesn't win. I would have preferred if they tried to make it a bit different like Paris-Nice this year. Although that race wasn't always the most exciting, the organizers did design a race in which nearly anyone could end up winning in the end.

I don't think you're giving BW credit. He killed it.

This will demand the climbers to attack earlier. Wiggins maybe able to follow the wheels. If that's the case, game over. (plus the field isn't very deep)

I agree with you that Paris-Nice was competitive but it was SO BORING.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Well maybe this has reopened my view that Wiggo should have done the Giro this year with all the ITT he would have had a few minutes on Quintana. As it stands he/ or Sky went for the $$$$

 

[The Hitch]

The Eurosport subscription is worth it* just for not having to listen to Phil and Paul.

* well, I'm sure it would be worth it if I paid it rather than relying on dodgy streams

Ligget for free or Kirby for pay? Oh gawd, lethal injection or firing squad

 

[The Hitch]

I suggested he won already the Tour, didin't it mean he can climb with the best?

He smacked your boy Nibali in the mountains, that's for sure

 

[Hugo87]

What a TT by Wiggo, Machado wasn't too shabby too.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Ligget for free or Kirby for pay? Oh gawd, lethal injection or firing squad

You really do have a vendetta against Kirby, and sometimes he does get himself too excited. But I wish you would stop squarking your same gripes.

 

[The Hitch]

I was not his biggest fan but everybody must love him in this race.

The Tour Winer riding full power on 2HC category race is something what is not seen quite often, isn´t it?

Yeah, so rare the last time it happened was the last time the Tour winner raced a 2HC race

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I was not his biggest fan but everybody must love him in this race.

The Tour Winer riding full power on 2HC category race is something what is not seen quite often, isn´t it?

Contador used to rock up and boss Castilla y León, which was 2.1. Evans won the 2.HC Critérium International as defending Tour champ, Tour of Oman sees guys like those and Froome putting down markers for the season. It's not common, but it's not super uncommon either. The other thing is that after such a disappointing 2013, Wiggins is kind of going into "don't forget about me!" mode, and laying down a marker for the Tour support slots. Most Tour champions are in the position where they can ride what they want, they don't have that pressure, because most Tour champions aren't on the same team as the current Tour favourite.

So yes, it isn't something we see every day, but Wiggins has more reason to do it than most Tour winners too.

 

[The Hitch]

You really do have a vendetta against Kirby, and sometimes he does get himself too excited. But I wish you would stop squarking your same gripes.

Anything of substance to say, or just getting personal?

Kirby knows less about cycling than Sarah Palin knows about paleontology. That is a fact. Whether or not I like Kirby or not is irrelevant.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Anything of substance to say, or just getting personal?

Kirby knows less about cycling than Sarah Palin knows about paleontology. That is a fact. Whether or not I like Kirby or not is irrelevant.

No its not personal and it is surprising you think it is. However, even if Kirby doesn't know the technical or even strategic side of cycling, I think he makes any day entertaining. I enjoy his passion for observing the aesthetics of our sport which is unique to Kirby. And his passion for the win is indisputable.

He blends very well with Sean Kelly I think in any race. Sean Kelly (who i met in Corsica) is a technical man as far as his commentary is concerned. "I/you need to make a calculation" is his catch phrase.

But honestly you take every opportunity to slag him off and maybe that doesn't reflect well on any writer/journalist.

 

[scholar]

Yeah, so rare the last time it happened was the last time the Tour winner raced a 2HC race

Yeah, apart from the Tour of Oman and the Giro del Trentino I can't think when eise it might have happened. This season. Or did Andy ride the Critérium International? Anyway, obviously a massively rare occurrence.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Contador used to rock up and boss Castilla y León, which was 2.1. Evans won the 2.HC Critérium International as defending Tour champ, Tour of Oman sees guys like those and Froome putting down markers for the season. It's not common, but it's not super uncommon either. The other thing is that after such a disappointing 2013, Wiggins is kind of going into "don't forget about me!" mode, and laying down a marker for the Tour support slots. Most Tour champions are in the position where they can ride what they want, they don't have that pressure, because most Tour champions aren't on the same team as the current Tour favourite.

So yes, it isn't something we see every day, but Wiggins has more reason to do it than most Tour winners too.

I think you raise some really acute points and thankyou for them. However with all due respect I think you have made a terrible error in that . . . . . Nah I agree with everything you said.

 

[Tournesol]

I think you raise some really acute points and thankyou for them. However with all due respect I think you have made a terrible error in that . . . . . Nah I agree with everything you said.

What was the hangover like from the bottle of red? If you had Bowie 'Starman' on waiting to see Wiggo podium in TOC one can only imagine what your drinking and listening to now after that TT performance.

Maybe a nice Bordeaux and some spliffs listening to Hawkwind? Nah,that sounds more like Old Crank...

 

[trevim]

Machado
Does this mean he'll suck on the mountains?
Vamos Tiago!

 

[zlev11]

So, based on the coverage, the first four riders yesterday were Cavendish, Sagan, Phinney and Wiggins, and for some unexplained reason they started at intervals of several minutes. And strangely enough there were a few other riders out training on the course for Wiggins and Phinney to pass.

the coverage really has been atrocious. the picture quality is also noticeably worse than it has been the past few years, too. i wonder if they've had to cut costs on how they present the coverage this year.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

What was the hangover like from the bottle of red? If you had Bowie 'Starman' on waiting to see Wiggo podium in TOC one can only imagine what your drinking and listening to now after that TT performance.

Maybe a nice Bordeaux and some spliffs listening to Hawkwind? Nah,that sounds more like Old Crank...

I beg your pardon!!! I have been clean since I graduated in 1997 you heathen!! But the rest is true +1

 

[Fight.The.Power]

The record is 'evil' by Interpol. Watch the video on YouTube

 

[Sciatic]

Ligget for free or Kirby for pay? Oh gawd, lethal injection or firing squad

Go with firing squad Hitch, we're having some problems over here with the lethal injection thing

 

[oldcrank]

All of the top six in the stage two TT are/were very
accomplished trackies. Very impressed with Rohan
considering he was on the floor during stage one.

 

[Kwibus]

Impressive TT by Wiggins. Destroyed his competition on a 20km course.

He seems to have his motivation back. Will be interesting to see what happens if he goes to the TdF. Would be epic if we get some mutiny.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Tour of Britain last september?

He said that the sponsors (so rupert murdock) placed this race as the teams second objective of the year after le tour. A bit odd given they've missed it the past two years (i think)

Sky have new(ish) sponsors 21-century Fox who of course are American. Hence the grand PR job they have done in America in recent weeks.

Great TT from Wiggins, he is getting back to somewhere near his best.