LaFlorecita said:
but was that just because Alberto and Andy weren't there? or also because guys like Sanchez, piti etc crashed or weren't in good shape and couldn't attack in the mountains.
Cycling doesn't need Andy and Alberto, it needs good climbers.
i personally believe its cos they were not there , sanchez , piti etc are all quality riders but contador and shcleck are on a entirely different level in the mountains if they are fit . i understand time moves on and eventually the new breed will come through but if the year away has not done too much damage then i believe you will see the class difference again when it matters most .
2010/11 TDFs might seem ages ago to a lot of people but it was only 2010 andy was the best YOUNG rider so its just crazy to think his day has been and gone .
just watch some of the crucial mountain stages on youtube of these two years . ok he lost a lot of time back in the final Ks but what he did on the galibier was a masterclass and when they both went head to head up the col du tourmalet the year before that really shows the gap between good and great climbers .
a lot of all these up and coming climbers that get mentioned on here have been around as long or longer than andy , maybe not piti or nibali but i dont rate the latter anyway {just my opinion} .
for some it may be ancient history but it really isnt because its more or less the same riders apart from a few young pretenders .
watch the clip , then 2/5 + 3/5 :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL8dkc3rgl4
they are on a different level guys !!