Brad Wiggins

[Carlo Algatrensig]

Reckon with 3000km of descending cunego might give it a go..

3000km of descending get Paolo Savoldelli back in the peleton and I'd back him to win it.

 

[Anonymous]

just imagine it though.. 43 hours of descending, youd fall asleep..

I do love descending, one of the greatest feelings in the world, down on the bike, eyes staring through your handlebars, legs tight in to the frame, elbows digging into your sides, just rolling down the road, but i have a major issue with the fact you tend to have to climb to get to them..

 

[uphillstruggle]

I think this will be brads best ever tdf finish to be honest, mainly because the course suits him. It would make my day to see him on the podium but I genuinely think stage 17 will finish him off with the constant climbs all day - hope I'm wrong as I have said but just don't see it. If he get's to the TT where he is now then he could easily get the podium but shleck will finish above him for sure and probably armstrong.

 

[_frost]

the weight thing, interesting comments in todays observer frpm bradley and what he thinks weight loss is worth.. he says about 10 seconds on a 10k climb per kilo pf wieght lost (if i remember correctly i read the article in a cafe), and approximated this would be worth 10 minutes plus over the entire tour.. (on top of normal improvements of course)

Even though we don't know the actual parameters, it isn't really hard math to find out the magnitude of change. Or one can simply punch in the numbers to numerous calculators found from the web, eg. http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesSpeed_Page.html

There really is no question if weight matters.

 

[mickkk]

Wiggins has been the surprise of the tour for me. Given theres no decent bumps in the UK, he is one to watch in future tours.

 

[Anonymous]

Even though we don't know the actual parameters, it isn't really hard math to find out the magnitude of change. Or one can simply punch in the numbers to numerous calculators found from the web, eg. http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesSpeed_Page.html

There really is no question if weight matters.

oh i know.. it was more in response to the person that said his improvement was "unbeleiveable".. you can be looking at a speed increase of 20cm-50cm or more per second, doesnt sound much, but 30 metres a minute, 300 metres on a ten minute climb......

 

[_frost]

oh i know.. it was more in response to the person that said his improvement was "unbeleiveable".. you can be looking at a speed increase of 20cm-50cm or more per second, doesnt sound much, but 30 metres a minute, 300 metres on a ten minute climb......

Yep, I wasn't actually replying to you but more like adding to what you wrote.

 

[Hammerhed]

Actually, I was thinking the exact same thing: If anyone looks as if he were riding dirty, Brad is the one, since he appears to be riding dramatically above his capabilities. But, I, too, have my blinders securely fastened, and I believe most of the riders have gotten the message: If you ride dirty, you will get caught, fined, fired, and suspended. It ain't worth it! It especially isn't worth it to Brad. He sees David Millar every day and hears what happens to cheaters every day. He doesn't have to cheat. That, along with the bio passport and with Garmin's internal program and Brad's sterling character makes me sure he is not dirty. That over with, why can't he continue with his current performance and snag a top five or maybe a podium step? Any young man who has a body like his who is not an AIDS victim deserves some major compensation in the self esteem category. So, he has the right body weight; he has the right power numbers; he nearly has the team structure especially sine Christian has ceded team leadership to him (at least that's how I interpreted CVV's post-race interview); and he has the plan (think about tomorrow only and forget about three days from now). Let's hope for the best from him.

 

[Pharazon]

seriously...

i think his legs have been replaced with two twiglets

 

[Parrot23]

Guess the issue is how much of his power has he retained. Believers think a lot; skeptics not. Verbier performance says a lot.

Other issue is whether he can maintain throughout a GC (he cracked after doing well in the initial climbs in the Giro this year). Hence, all his comments about "one day at a time..." after Verbier.

 

[elapid]

Any young man who has a body like his who is not an AIDS victim deserves some major compensation in the self esteem category.

What about Rasmussen? Now there was one skinny bloke.

 

[Alan Quay]

Wiggo is legit

I think the weight loss issue is more of a tipping point thing. No-one has any doubts about his engine, but when climbing if you are just off the pace then it's easy to fall back and save yourself for another day hoping for a lucky break or waiting for the time trial. If he now finds that he can match favoured riders then it's worth pushing himself that extra %. A genuine improvement but mental contributes as much as physical?

 

[PutneyJoe]

Attitude leads to weight loss leads to attitude.
Go Geezer!!