Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 Tour Finish, 'Official' Thread

[trevim]

Yes Frank, he would have put you in 2nd place

 

[gregrowlerson]

I posted this ramble in the Wiggins thread, following the discussion about the Froome/Wiggins co-leaders pros and cons argument. Probably more apt here:

I agree with Hitch that you can have two leaders, or at least a strong domestique who is given a relatively free role.

It can depend on the team make up. When Lance won his seven Tours it wasn't going to matter what anyone else did. Apart from '03 he was clearly the strongest rider.

But take a couple of Kloden's Tours. In '04, if he'd been made to wait for Ullrich in the Pyrenees, then there is no way that he would have beaten Basso to second spot on the podium. And the small help that he could have given Jan wouldn't have allowed him to limit his losses enough to eventually defeat Ivan, so giving Andreas a free role here was a good decision.

The opposite occurred in the '07 Tour. Already well ahead of Vino in the overall standings and with apparently stronger legs given his super showing in the prologue, Kloden was nevertheless asked to work and then wait for his team captain on the first MTF in the Alps. In the end it didn't matter since Astana was thrown out of the race in disgrace, but Kloden was a potential podium finisher in that event, whereas Vino wasn't.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

I posted this ramble in the Wiggins thread, following the discussion about the Froome/Wiggins co-leaders pros and cons argument. Probably more apt here:

I agree with Hitch that you can have two leaders, or at least a strong domestique who is given a relatively free role.

It can depend on the team make up. When Lance won his seven Tours it wasn't going to matter what anyone else did. Apart from '03 he was clearly the strongest rider.

But take a couple of Kloden's Tours. In '04, if he'd been made to wait for Ullrich in the Pyrenees, then there is no way that he would have beaten Basso to second spot on the podium. And the small help that he could have given Jan wouldn't have allowed him to limit his losses enough to eventually defeat Ivan, so giving Andreas a free role here was a good decision.

The opposite occurred in the '07 Tour. Already well ahead of Vino in the overall standings and with apparently stronger legs given his super showing in the prologue, Kloden was nevertheless asked to work and then wait for his team captain on the first MTF in the Alps. In the end it didn't matter since Astana was thrown out of the race in disgrace, but Kloden was a potential podium finisher in that event, whereas Vino wasn't.

They left the race in protest againt Vinos fale positive


And Vino almost allways loose time in the first mountain stage. Look at his Vuelta 06, where he looses over 2 min on Valverde and Di LUca. Vino would have won that tour easily, Kloden on the other hand was a top 5 at best

 

[jens_attacks]

vino had the both knees destroyed. all what he had done in that tour was a miracle

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

vino had the both knees destroyed. all what he had done in that tour was a miracle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9LBsWCNE9I

It was a rainy day when we meet our hero once again

 

[MBotero]

You can't really compare Kloeden,the most overrated rider ever,with Froome/Wiggins situation,this guy should be happy that is was allowed to ride in company of Ullrich and Vino.

 

[Akuryo]

You can't really compare Kloeden,the most overrated rider ever,with Froome/Wiggins situation,this guy should be happy that is was allowed to ride in company of Ullrich and Vino.

Don't you think that is a little harsh. After all, he was second behind the mighty Pereiro!

 

[staubsauger]

May I remember to you that at Astana 2007 Andriy Kasheckin was the man with a free role!

 

[icefire]

Don't you think that is a little harsh. After all, he was second behind the mighty Pereiro!

He just did his best in order not to win even if someone ahead of him was disqualified

 

[Netserk]

He just did his best in order not to win even if someone ahead of him was disqualified

And even when he was in such a position, he managed not to get handed the win.

 

[gregrowlerson]

vino had the both knees destroyed. all what he had done in that tour was a miracle

Fractured coccyx was worse; even before their crashes Andreas had smashed Vino in the prologue (had won T-A earlier that season); I believe that he had the better legs.

Anyhoo, glad my thread is still alive

Even if all this Oscar talk makes me a grouch

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I just climbed Verbier in a Telekom top

Not sure how to post videos, but here is a link to a few:

https://www.facebook.com/growlerson/posts/10154139301185752?pnref=story

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

Apparently Andreas is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing cyclist of all time.

It has proved to me that I am even vaner than I thought

Here is a photo from his best ever TDF stage (IMO):

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

Apparently Andreas is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing cyclist of all time.

It has proved to me that I am even vaner than I thought

Here is a photo from his best ever TDF stage (IMO):

Poor Vino

 

[jens_attacks]

nice to see this thread revived!

go klodiii

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

Apparently Andreas is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing cyclist of all time.

It has proved to me that I am even vaner than I thought

Here is a photo from his best ever TDF stage (IMO):

If Im not mistaken, thats the stage to Tignes.. he surely have done much better than towing Vino up a climb, no?

 

[gregrowlerson]

He has done much better, but considering all of the circumstances, that is my favourite ride from him.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

He has done much better, but considering all of the circumstances, that is my favourite ride from him.

I see. But thanks for bringing back memories from that day. Vino being done, my first encounter with a sprinting up-a-hill Alberto (yeah, was very young), Mayo's resurrection and obviously MR.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

He has done much better, but considering all of the circumstances, that is my favourite ride from him.

It was an epic climb, with Moreau attacking from 17k to the finish, a favorite group attacking each other, Klöden trying to cross the gap for Vino, Contador suffering a flat tire then attacking again from the second group...

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

He has done much better, but considering all of the circumstances, that is my favourite ride from him.

I see. But thanks for bringing back memories from that day. Vino being done, my first encounter with a sprinting up-a-hill Alberto (yeah, was very young), Mayo's resurrection and obviously MR.

I remember Alberto having a flat at a crucial time and thus losing contact with the lead group, but then mostly making up that deficit on his rivals by the finish. BTW, Mayo's resurrection was rather brief

And what I remember the most (apart from Klodi's super ride) was CM having great legs and ambition, but nobody being willing to work with him (this was back in the days when Cadel Evans was basically Rafal Majka :lol: ), and his great form gained him next to nothing. A few days later he lost minutes in the crosswinds and his Tour was over.

 

[trevim]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

One of my favourites, Contador and Kloden casually hanging out at Liege presentation back in 2010. After thar Col de Romme "misunderstanding"

Busche's career peaked that day.

PS: I love this thread.

 

[trevim]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

Contador, Kloden and a casual fan.

 

[trevim]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

Navarro ofuscated with so much class.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Andreas Kloden's Final Bid For Another Coveted Top 10 To

One of my favourites, Contador and Kloden casually hanging out at Liege presentation back in 2010. After thar Col de Romme "misunderstanding"

Busche's career peaked that day.

PS: I love this thread.

So because everything is all about looks, are we going to lower ourselves to simply posting 'hot' photos of our Klodi now?

Wasn't even sure that he rode Liege? I don't recall him having a single decent one day result outside of the 2000 Sydney road race and the 2004 German road race. Do any Klodists out there know about any other reasonable results that Andreas achieved in one day races? It seems that he ignored the Ardennes every year, even though he targeted the TDF every season, except for 2008.

And how did he win his national title? Was the course a mountain top finish. I believe that Klodi only one won stage on a MTF, at the Volta Algarve '99, which is rather extraordinary considering his talent, and the overall stage races that he won.

 

[jens_attacks]

I will always remember that monster attack on mur de huy. 2010 i think?