Carlos Betancur discussion thread

[42x16ss]

Let's hope this form continues, Betancur could disrupt the Sky train if he keeps things up.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Betancur was the cycling version of a penny stock at the beginning of this season, but Movistar's investment looks set to pay off big time.

 

[jaylew]

His thighs! It's amazing he can climb so well with those tree trunks.

 

[pastronef]

Re:

His thighs! It's amazing he can climb so well with those tree trunks. Never realized he was so short.

Carthy's and the Movistar tall guy's legs are amazing, not Betancur

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

His thighs! It's amazing he can climb so well with those tree trunks. Never realized he was so short.

Carthy's and the Movistar tall guy's legs are amazing, not Betancur

I think Betancur's thighs are actually wider than his shoulders.

 

[proffz]

bananito has always been built like that.
he always had thighs like a sprinter not a grimpeur.
he was like that when he won the giro bio

 

[staubsauger]

Just like Cunego

 

[Moviestar]

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/05/class-over-kilos-the-promising-return-of-carlos-betancur/

Interesting article on Betancur. In november 2015 he had an overweight of 20 kgs. With his return in Europe, by the end of March, he worked hard on a special program and before the Ardennes he overweighed 7 kgs. Now at the start of the Giro, he still weighs 5 kgs too much which means we will probably see a Betancur in optimal condtion at the end of the Giro.

The plan is to get him as fresh as possible for the Vuelta.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/05/class-over-kilos-the-promising-return-of-carlos-betancur/

Interesting article on Betancur. In november 2015 he had an overweight of 20 kgs. With his return in Europe, by the end of March, he worked hard on a special program and before the Ardennes he overweighed 7 kgs. Now at the start of the Giro, he still weighs 5 kgs too much which means we will probably see a Betancur in optimal condtion at the end of the Giro.

The plan is to get him as fresh as possible for the Vuelta.

Those numbers can't be quite right can they? I can't find the 20 kg figure in the article.

Still though, an interesting account of his career so far.

(The part about turning his phone off for weeks on end when he was skiving off and eating bandejas paisas instead of training makes me wonder if he might suffer from depression. There are lots of other reasons why someone might behave self-destructively of course, but that is the kind of thing some depressed people have been known to do).

 

[Beech Mtn]

Re: Re:

His thighs! It's amazing he can climb so well with those tree trunks. Never realized he was so short.

Carthy's and the Movistar tall guy's legs are amazing, not Betancur

I think Betancur's thighs are actually wider than his shoulders.

 

[Kokoso]

If he's training properly he would win this TT and Giro no doubts. One burrito a day less woud suffice.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/05/class-over-kilos-the-promising-return-of-carlos-betancur/

Interesting article on Betancur. In november 2015 he had an overweight of 20 kgs. With his return in Europe, by the end of March, he worked hard on a special program and before the Ardennes he overweighed 7 kgs. Now at the start of the Giro, he still weighs 5 kgs too much which means we will probably see a Betancur in optimal condtion at the end of the Giro.

The plan is to get him as fresh as possible for the Vuelta.

Those numbers can't be quite right can they? I can't find the 20 kg figure in the article.

Still though, an interesting account of his career so far.

(The part about turning his phone off for weeks on end when he was skiving off and eating bandejas paisas instead of training makes me wonder if he might suffer from depression. There are lots of other reasons why someone might behave self-destructively of course, but that is the kind of thing some depressed people have been known to do).

+1.
I think there could be an issue related with his mental strength.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Back in the off season, we had discussion like this

The guy is totally a lost cause.
I love him

Now I am really, really impressed by the turnaround he's made. He seems to be in a really good place right now. Seems well supported and motivated.

I want to see Betancur on a Froome diet one day, just to see a Ragnarok like season

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I just had to laugh when earlier today during the ITT one of the TV commentators had said that Betancur had an "unusual physique" for a bike rider, and then he went on and on about how many kg Betancur is overweight...

Come on, Carlos (my fave rider right now), fight for us "fatties"!

 

[staubsauger]

He ain't overweight at all anymore.

 

[gerundium]

Re:

He ain't overweight at all anymore.

No he looks lean now. I think the 7 kg overweight quote is being mistranslated. I think he was talking 7 kg fat mass leading to a fat percentage around 10% or so for his height / weight. Which would mean he could lose 2 or 3 kg's more to get to a fat percentage of like 6-7% and be highly competitive also in GC of a GT.

I think he can reach that level again near the end of this Giro, and we should see him flying in the last mountain stages. Spotted him today on stage at the start and he looks good to me.

 

[SeriousSam]

No, seems to 7kg for real.

FranReyesF

I'd say he was speaking of being 7kg above his ideal weight, plain and simple. Bear in mind I spoke at length with him before Vuelta a Castilla y León - he is probably in better shape now, after +20 days of training and racing.

 

[Jancouver]

Re: Re:

He ain't overweight at all anymore.

No he looks lean now. I think the 7 kg overweight quote is being mistranslated. I think he was talking 7 kg fat mass leading to a fat percentage around 10% or so for his height / weight. Which would mean he could lose 2 or 3 kg's more to get to a fat percentage of like 6-7% and be highly competitive also in GC of a GT.

I think he can reach that level again near the end of this Giro, and we should see him flying in the last mountain stages. Spotted him today on stage at the start and he looks good to me.

No he looks lean now.

Hahaha, well ... perhaps he already lost some weight but he is not lean. Not yet. At least not by cycling standards.

 

[Starstruck]

Re: Re:

His thighs! It's amazing he can climb so well with those tree trunks. Never realized he was so short.

Carthy's and the Movistar tall guy's legs are amazing, not Betancur

I think Betancur's thighs are actually wider than his shoulders.

Monster pistons pushing a small frame, if he can get it together. I get the impression cycling has taken a back seat to his family. If that's the case I can't really blame the man. Maybe he thinks his credibility is against the wall now so he's rededicated himself to fully participate in the WWCF, for the sake of his family (paychecks). Who knows...

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

Monster pistons pushing a small frame, if he can get it together.

http://postimage.org/

http://postimage.org/

http://postimage.org/

Do you think he would be better at track?

Honest question, btw. No harm intended.

 

[gospina]

Re: Re:

Monster pistons pushing a small frame, if he can get it together.

http://postimage.org/

http://postimage.org/

http://postimage.org/

Do you think he would be better at track?

Honest question, btw. No harm intended.

He is an enigma on the bike. We know what he can do on the classics. In my mind, there are two past events that show he is meant to be on the road (he isn't a sprinter, so he wouldn't be good in the track. Gaviria, Avila are much better). First event is his Paris-Nice wins, back to back stages & gc. He was overweight there, pretty obvious, but it showed his engine and desire. The second is that 2013 Giro. The queen stage, stage 20. He has a mechanical, the lead group leaves him. I know that he had two teams helping him, (AG2R & Coldeportes) but even then it was so impressive how he clawed himself back and eventually was part of the colombian chase group (Uran, Duarte, Betancur) to Nibali. Fabio Aru did really good there too, but IMO Betancur had the best climb considering he had to catch the group. That is Betancur at his best. Paris-Nice was NOT him at his best but still above the rest (although it was a "lighter" group of riders that year).

 

[ILovecycling]

+1:11 loss in stage 4
Positioning/Bad shape/Abandoning GC ?

 

[DNP-Old]

+1:11 loss in stage 4
Positioning/Bad shape/Abandoning GC ?

He probably did some work for Valverde, and had no GC to race for anyway. Bananito's time will come somewhere in the last week, since he still has some weight to lose. Before the Giro he said his goal was to win a stage, not to fight for a GC. So this is nothing but expected.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I was disappointed by him today considering he has done very good so far en hilly terrain this year. I don't think he will be at very much help in the high mountains if his recent results are anything to go by. He has been very lacklustre in the 2 MTF's so far

But GC was always out of question

 

[Jspear]

+1:11 loss in stage 4
Positioning/Bad shape/Abandoning GC ?

Did his earlier stage wins really give you hope for a big race like the Giro? I wouldn't expect anything big from him here. Anything he does here should be viewed as a wonderful surprise...imo.