57th Vuelta al Pais Vasco 3-8 April 2017

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

What a weak generation of cyclists if a 37 year old beats them.

Did you say this about the weak generation of riders that couldn't pull a 35-year-old hill specialist back on the cobbles last week?

34 and last time I checked Sagan, GVA and Naesen crashed out in the finale. Otherwise Gilbert would have been caught.

Oh, and Gilbert isn't a hill specialist, such an insult should be bannable if you ask me.

Wrong topic, but in all likelyhood, no he wouldn't.

He would have been caught easily, he lost a lot of time in the final 13km.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Contador just isn't the same rider anymore. Bala has surpassed him in every department.

Says more about Valverde than about Contador...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

What a weak generation of cyclists if a 37 year old beats them.

LMAO, but it would be great if Boonen wins tomorrow

Boonen isn't winning 10 races in the spring season anymore. Cobbled classics have an actual decent field, unlike these races, which are severely lacking last few years.

Since you mention Froome beating Piti on Huy in TDF like 5 times a day, I will mention Fuglsang and Nibali smoking everyone on cobbles in TDF, which implies the field in cobbled classics is trash according to your logic.

Pistolero's logic only applies to circumstances when it is proven correct. Where his logic is proven incorrect, another set of circumstances apply, which can be invented as you go along to defend the hypothesis that all riders you don't like are terrible, and all riders you like are amazing.

Pisti will then post an extremely selective résumé of each rider's palmarès intended to promote the rider he likes and discredit the riders he doesn't, including insulting the field of any race won by a rider he doesn't like, even if the same field is beaten by his preferred rider in a phenomenally strong field.

 

[luckyboy]

If the Tour had long flat ITTs we could just have one day, watch Froome win and then not bother with the rest of the 3 weeks. TTs are awful

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

What a weak generation of cyclists if a 37 year old beats them.

LMAO, but it would be great if Boonen wins tomorrow

Boonen isn't winning 10 races in the spring season anymore. Cobbled classics have an actual decent field, unlike these races, which are severely lacking last few years.

Since you mention Froome beating Piti on Huy in TDF like 5 times a day, I will mention Fuglsang and Nibali smoking everyone on cobbles in TDF, which implies the field in cobbled classics is trash according to your logic.

The stage was won by Boom, who can't even podium a cobbled classic despite focusing his entire year on it.

So what? Porte was 9 seconds behind your beloved cobbled classic specialist Vanmarcke as well. And, don't forget that the Sagan and GVA barely closed the gap on Gilbert last week until Sagan crashed. Maybe you are overrating your beloved cobbled classic specialists?

 

[May0maniac]

We shouldn't overrate Bala's performance, every Movistar rider seems to gain 30W in an ITT on spanish soil.

 

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

Contador did a terrible TT. He is not the best in anything anymore

Looks like he went too hard on the climb. Another tactical error. No way he should be losing about 30 seconds to Valverde on that gently rolling section.

No, he just can't time trial on the flat now (see also Froome smashing him in last year's Vuelta). Fortunately - for this reason only - the Tour is allergic to long flat ITT's.

The Tour is allergic to long ITT's because of Bardets TT. Only way to change it is if Dumolin were French. Oh and maybe Quintana a little bit ...

 

[70kmph]

Amazing !

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Alejandro Valverde is absurd.

I can't stand it.

Me too

This is the most angry the forum has been about an individual time trial since Levi/Damiano, and rightfully so!

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Contador just isn't the same rider anymore. Bala has surpassed him in every department.

Says more about Valverde than about Contador...

I must have missed all the GTs already ridden this year.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

We shouldn't overrate Bala's performance, every Movistar rider seems to gain 30W in an ITT on spanish soil .

Even on Basque soil, in a race organized by Basques, where Izagirre is in contention for the win?

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Contador just isn't the same rider anymore. Bala has surpassed him in every department.

Says more about Valverde than about Contador...

 

[Alexandre B.]

Contador did a really good time trial in my opinion.

He was just riding against an absolute freak. Freak is not a compliment.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

So what? Porte was 9 seconds behind your beloved cobbled classic specialist Vanmarcke as well. And, don't forget that the Sagan and GVA barely closed the gap on Gilbert last week until Sagan crashed. Maybe you are overrating your beloved cobbled classic specialists?

I don't like Vanmarcke, so how is he my beloved cobbled classic specialist lol? Besides, he had a flat tire. Did you even bother watching the race or did you just look up the results online?

Sagan only just started his attack before he crashed, so of course they hadn't taken a lot of time back yet. Gilbert lost a lot of time to GVA in the last 13km, despite GVA losing a lot of time in a crash.

 

[Aguirre]

Valverde just pure class

This year is being incredible, what a season!

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

So what? Porte was 9 seconds behind your beloved cobbled classic specialist Vanmarcke as well. And, don't forget that the Sagan and GVA barely closed the gap on Gilbert last week until Sagan crashed. Maybe you are overrating your beloved cobbled classic specialists?

I don't like Vanmarcke, so how is he my beloved cobbled classic specialist lol? Besides, he had a flat tire. Did you even bother watching the race or did you just look up the results online?

I know and I don't care, he crashes or has a flat tyre in every other race, he should learn how to ride a bike properly.

Sagan only just started his attack before he crashed, so of course they hadn't taken a lot of time back yet. Gilbert lost a lot of time to GVA in the last 13km, despite GVA losing a lot of time in a crash.

Maybe he was saving himself a bit given that he had a huge lead and did not lose much in last 5km?

 

[deValtos]

On a more positive note Contador fans should be getting hyped to see him finishing 2nd in the TDF this year, got to be riding well to do that.

And why not I think he can get 2nd in the world champs aswell for the complete set.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Contador did a really good time trial in my opinion.

He was just riding against an absolute freak. Freak is not a compliment.

Contador was riding faster uphill, Valverde was clearly the better technician and managed his efforts a bit better.

 

[loge1884]

Re: Re:

Contador did a terrible TT. He is not the best in anything anymore

Looks like he went too hard on the climb. Another tactical error. No way he should be losing about 30 seconds to Valverde on that gently rolling section.

No, he just can't time trial on the flat now (see also Froome smashing him in last year's Vuelta). Fortunately - for this reason only - the Tour is allergic to long flat ITT's.

The Tour is allergic to long ITT's because of Bardets TT. Only way to change it is if Dumolin were French. Oh and maybe Quintana a little bit ...

there might be some point ... in the Anquetil and Hinault days the Tour organizers took quite some liking in numerous TTs and not necessarily short ones ....

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

If the Tour had long flat ITTs we could just have one day, watch Froome win and then not bother with the rest of the 3 weeks. TTs are awful

They are rightfully a part of the sport. Was the 2008 Giro awful for having a number of time trials (which Contador could not have won without)?

 

[Velolover2]

Wonder what ol' Samu could have done on the TT if he didn't crash. Looked like he was peaking for this race.

My guess: 2nd on the Arrate stage and 10-12th in the TT.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

On a more positive note Contador fans should be getting hyped to see him finishing 2nd in the TDF this year, got to be riding well to do that.

And why not I think he can get 2nd in the world champs aswell for the complete set.

Please don't do this
If he finishes 2nd at the Tour I'm really going to kill myself.

Or I'll stop following cycling.

Losing is part of the sport.

And be honest, you can't see this Contador win the Tour anymore? Finishing 2nd would be a win really for Contador 2017 style

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Valverde the winner does it again - S.Yates again showed he finds those short and steep climbs challenging - Izagirre TT's to his best and he will the GC.

Is Adam better on those climbs? He seems to be a bit punchier.

Doubt there is much difference between the brothers - Maybe Adam is a touch better - They are more effective on longer climbs - Not quite the same as Pinot the diesel but in a similar vein.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Contador did a terrible TT. He is not the best in anything anymore

Looks like he went too hard on the climb. Another tactical error. No way he should be losing about 30 seconds to Valverde on that gently rolling section.

No, he just can't time trial on the flat now (see also Froome smashing him in last year's Vuelta). Fortunately - for this reason only - the Tour is allergic to long flat ITT's.

The Tour is allergic to long ITT's because of Bardets TT. Only way to change it is if Dumolin were French. Oh and maybe Quintana a little bit ...

there might be some point ... in the Anquetil and Hinault days the Tour organizers took quite some liking in numerous TTs and not necessarily short ones ....

No, they had plenty of TT's when Virenque was at his best.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Valverde just keeps on destroying everyone, loving it :lol: