Critérium du Dauphiné 2012 stage 4, 53.5km, Villié-Morgon-Bourg-en-Bresse, ITT

[dlwssonic]

Really I just think wiggins is overrated for GTs.
Thats just my opinion.
Im willing to take an avatar bet that wiggins won't win the tour.

 

[Parrulo]

You forgot stage 17.

And who, realistically, can keep pace with Bert and Andy punching on a climb?

Wiggo kept his own rhythm and was there when it mattered.

And in better form today.

Mentally... he's very strong too.

You don't become Triple Olympic Champion by fretting in cubicles.

he is talking about stage 17.

wiggins lost over 3 minutes on that stage.

he is looking like a favorite for the tour atm but if the pure climbers really really go for it i could see him struggle a lot over multiple climb stages

i also think he might be too strong too soon.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Just what I was thinking. JVDB did well by his standards, but losing more than 2 minutes in the Dauphiné means he'll probably lose around 3.5 to 5 minutes in the Tour, and he'll never manage to take back that much time. Top 5 is the best he can hope for.

Overall though, this was one of the more exciting time-trials I've watched so far

So who are these other guys that are definitely going to be in front of him with two long ITT's on the menu? Gesink? Nibali? You think Martin will survive the mountains? Is Schleck going to lose less time than JvdB in the ITTs? Were Menchov and Vino just pretending? JvdB was merely half a minute behind Evans today, the so called TDF favorite. He was 3rd of GC guys unless we have to start counting Kelderman as one as well. But a top 5 is the best he could hope for? Tell that to De Gendt, who was supposed to be happy to get a top 20 spot. This line of thinking is what creates boring races. People defending their 8th place in the GC, instead of attacking and going for podium.

I think it's very easy really. If Wiggins survives the mountains, it's all over for everybody including Evans. Then the other GC contenders are riding for a podium spot, and going by todays ITT, JvdB has just as much chance as Nibali, Menchov, Evans, Gesink... That would mean he could just as well come in 3rd, or come in 9th. If Wiggins cracks, it's wide open for Evans, Gesink, Nibali, JvdB etc... who knows, maybe even the Schlecks aren't to be completely discarded.

Not to mention that JvdB said he hadn't trained as hard as last year, and likely has a nice margin for improvement yet.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Really I just think wiggins is overrated for GTs.
Thats just my opinion.
Im willing to take an avatar bet that wiggins won't win the tour.

That's mighty brave of you, offering even money on a shot that is already comically short at 2-1.

 

[The Chicken]

Martin
Menchov
Westra

Wiggins to drop his chain.
Andy to crash on start ramp.

LOOK AT MY PREDICTION

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

IT always makes me laugh when people discuss 2009 as if it is remotely relevant to Wiggins in 2012. Serriously, are people really that ignorant?

 

[Trunnions]

he is talking about stage 17.

wiggins lost over 3 minutes on that stage.

he is looking like a favorite for the tour atm but if the pure climbers really really go for it i could see him struggle a lot over multiple climb stages

i also think he might be too strong too soon.

Or Ventoux.

But you're forgetting; Bert and Andy will be out of it this year, so losing 3 minutes to them +then+ is not relevant today, is it?

Since when has an English rider been favourite for the Tour de France?

Now that really is hyperbole.

 

[TeoSheva]

So who are these other guys that are definitely going to be in front of him with two long ITT's? Gesink? Nibali? You think Martin will survive the mountains? Is Schleck going to lose less time than JvdB in the ITTs? Were Menchov and Vino just pretending? JvdB was merely half a minute behind Evans today, the so called TDF favorite. He was 3rd of GC guys unless we have to start counting Kelderman as one as well. But a top 5 is the best he could hope for? Tell that to De Gendt, who was supposed to be happy to get a top 20 spot. This line of thinking is what creates boring races. People defending their 8th place in the GC, instead of attacking and going for podium.

I think it's very easy really. If Wiggins survives the mountains, it's all over for everybody including Evans. Then the other GC contenders are riding for a podium spot, and going by todays ITT, JvdB has just as much chance as Nibali, Menchov, Evans, Gesink... That would mean he could just as well come in 3rd, or come in 9th. If Wiggins cracks, it's wide open for Evans, Gesink, Nibali, JvdB etc... who knows, maybe even the Schlecks aren't to be completely discarded.

+1

IMO, Wiggins is the only guy that has something more than the others...

for the 2nd place, everything is open, even for Andy! (apart form Menchow that is overrated...)

 

[Lanark]

IT always makes me laugh when people discuss 2009 as if it is remotely relevant to Wiggins in 2012. Serriously, are people really that ignorant?

Yep, we should base our predictions on hope, not on past results.

 

[dlwssonic]

So who are these other guys that are definitely going to be in front of him with two long ITT's on the menu? Gesink? Nibali? You think Martin will survive the mountains? Is Schleck going to lose less time than JvdB in the ITTs? Were Menchov and Vino just pretending? JvdB was merely half a minute behind Evans today, the so called TDF favorite. He was 3rd of GC guys unless we have to start counting Kelderman as one as well. But a top 5 is the best he could hope for? Tell that to De Gendt, who was supposed to be happy to get a top 20 spot. This line of thinking is what creates boring races. People defending their 8th place in the GC, instead of attacking and going for podium.

I think it's very easy really. If Wiggins survives the mountains, it's all over for everybody including Evans. Then the other GC contenders are riding for a podium spot, and going by todays ITT, JvdB has just as much chance as Nibali, Menchov, Evans, Gesink... That would mean he could just as well come in 3rd, or come in 9th. If Wiggins cracks, it's wide open for Evans, Gesink, Nibali, JvdB etc... who knows, maybe even the Schlecks aren't to be completely discarded.

Are you sure logic is your friend??
More like your enemy.

I really feel like laughing at you. Really easy for wiggins to win the tour??
LOL I can't wait for the high mountains to come in the tour.

 

[labratty]

Just had a chance to see the results and story. Was it very windy?

Evans is surely big enough and skilled enough to keep control of a deeper profile rim than he used if all the other top guys were able to do it OK. That is quite an advantage to give away for 50+km

 

[dlwssonic]

That's mighty brave of you, offering even money on a shot that is already comically short at 2-1.

Money? I don't bet on cycling.
Lol the odds don't mean **** you know.

 

[Arnout]

IT always makes me laugh when people discuss 2009 as if it is remotely relevant to Wiggins in 2012. Serriously, are people really that ignorant?

So what has changed?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

This will be a good year for the brits..bradley and i think they will win the euros.

 

[tinga1]

I don't think Wiggins was really quite as dominant as suggested. He went for his full normal front TT wheel, evans for something tiny. The tri-spoke also is very fast (but not very stable) in a crosswind. After getting close enough for Evans's cars to be pulled out, he stopped making up any time on Evans. So either he faded, or Evans lifted his effort - looking against Martin I'd say the later. Which suggests that Evans wasn't actually on a max effort (could simply be motivation as opposed to going easy deliberately, but he'll be motivated in the tour) Wiggins and Martin could've both faded similarly of course.

Martin is probably not at his best, he's not been back that long, so I'm not convinced it was a completely faithful example of their true ability.

The wheel thing is interesting - last year in the Dauphine Evans used what looked like a small rim in the TT and did not use the new BMC TT bike (which other BMC riders were using). He finished 1:20 behind Martin on a shorter & hillier TT. This year he was 1:09 down on Martin again using a shallow front wheel. I think he likes to know he has something up his sleeve for the tour.
Last year he did the Tour TT 1:07 faster than he did it in the Dauphine (same course) so he has proven that he can improve plenty.
No need to panic.

 

[wirral]

Can English natives please indicate what's wrong with the grammar in this sentence, because it doesn't sound right, but I can't put my finger on it.

"a torrent downloading" is a participle clause. It has the same meaning as "a torrent which is downloading". You have ended the sentence with the present participle, "downloading". This is permissible but less usual. "-ing words" can also be gerunds. Gerunds are formed from verbs but act as nouns. Because there is nothing after "downloading" in your sentence, your brain may want to process "torrent downloading" as a compound noun like "door handle" or "butter knife" rather than the participle clause that it actually is.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Money? I don't bet on cycling.
Lol the odds don't mean **** you know.

I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but you do understand what odds mean, right?


Even though Wiggo is favourite, the odds say he probably won't win, and everybody agrees.

You offered an even money bet on that result, which is why nobody is going to take you up.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

What are the chances that Froome proves to be the strongest Sky rider in the Tour after doing most of the donkey work ?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

+1

IMO, Wiggins is the only guy that has something more than the others...

for the 2nd place, everything is open, even for Andy! (apart form Menchow that is overrated...)

Yes, we need a new Marco. We are getting hammered in cycling. lol

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

So what has changed?

You seriously believe that he hasn't improved in 3 years? Jesus christ.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Are you sure logic is your friend??
More like your enemy.

I really feel like laughing at you. Really easy for wiggins to win the tour??
LOL I can't wait for the high mountains to come in the tour.

Are you sure you can read? Really? I really feel like laughing at you as well, but honestly, that's not a first with all the biased bullcrap that comes out of your mouth.

 

[Morbius]

"a torrent downloading" is a participle clause. It has the same meaning as "a torrent which is downloading". You have ended the sentence with the present participle, "downloading". This is permissible but less usual. "-ing words" can also be gerunds. Gerunds are formed from verbs but act as nouns. Because there is nothing after "downloading" in your sentence, your brain may want to process "torrent downloading" as a compound noun like "door handle" or "butter knife" rather than the participle clause that it actually is.

99% of the people that understand this will not have English as their first language

 

[Zam_Olyas]

"a torrent downloading" is a participle clause. It has the same meaning as "a torrent which is downloading". You have ended the sentence with the present participle, "downloading". This is permissible but less usual. "-ing words" can also be gerunds. Gerunds are formed from verbs but act as nouns. Because there is nothing after "downloading" in your sentence, your brain may want to process "torrent downloading" as a compound noun like "door handle" or "butter knife" rather than the participle clause that it actually is.

Are you Mrs. B ?

 

[Trunnions]

I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but you do understand what odds mean, right?


Even though Wiggo is favourite, the odds say he probably won't win, and everybody agrees.

You offered an even money bet on that result, which is why nobody is going to take you up.

Enough talk about filthy lucre: Only losers gamble.

 

[dlwssonic]

Are you sure you can read? Really? I really feel like laughing at you as well, but honestly, that's not a first with all the biased bullcrap that comes out of your mouth.

Please I might be a bit biased.
But your views are way more biased and absolutely blind.
Have you ever seen me say this years tour will be really easy for evans.
Please wake up to reality. wiggins is not contador.