Danielson sick AGAIN

[BikeCentric]

No surprise to any long-term follower of the sport:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/danielson-out-of-vuelta

What the heck is wrong with this guy? Should he only do one-week stage races or what?!

 

[tranny granny gear]

I hear you. What a disappointment. Seemed like he had it going on there for a bit at the beginning, but, to no avail. I can't imagine he'll be ok for worlds. Especially with all the guys flying right now...cunego, ebh, and the like.

i said it before, and, I'll say it again...Maybe next year is his year. I just know it.

 

[Ripper]

No surprise to any long-term follower of the sport:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/danielson-out-of-vuelta

What the heck is wrong with this guy? Should he only do one-week stage races or what?!

To be concise - yes.

IMO, Danielson does not have the consitution to be a GT threat. He always seems to get sick or hurt. He has talent, but recovery and sturdy constitution are not part of his talent!

 

[BikeCentric]

To be concise - yes.

IMO, Danielson does not have the consitution to be a GT threat. He always seems to get sick or hurt. He has talent, but recovery and sturdy constitution are part of his talent!

Absolutely he has talent, when he's on form (which is rarely) he can go uphill in a very rapid manner. The guy has to have some of the worst luck of any pro and in addition at this point I have to agree with you that he must have some kind of immune system problem. On top of that, I don't know how you deal with all the setbacks he has had without developing mental insecurities which are of course deadly (not literally obviously) for a bike racer.

 

[forty four]

yeah i like him but he just seems soft physically and mentally for a pro rider at the highest level. hes no sean kelly when it comes to physical constitutions that is certain.

 

[burritogirl]

dope dope

 

[craig1985]

Deadset how many ladders he walked under since 2007?

 

[cromagnon]

Maybe the seeming increase in infections (in the pro peloton in general) is down to not being able to boost things like growth hormmone/testosterone aftificially. We're seeing who is naturally resilient and who falls apart with a lot of racing. Maybe.

Or maybe there's more autologous stuff going on more invasive methods are required and that's leading to more infections. I prefer options A.

 

[elapid]

What is funny to me is that Tommy D did well in a single GT (and the Tour of Georgia) and now everyone expects him to be the next big thing. Same with Hincapie when he won a single mountain stage of the 2005 TdF - he was going to be the leader of Discovery and win the TdF in 2006. Too many expectations with no real reasoning to support those expectations. I feel sorry for him in many ways because he has had to live up to something that he never was. He can climb, sure. But he cannot race consistently at the pointy end of the race. He either gets sick or dropped. Maybe the one week stage racers should be his target, but I think it is unfortunate he was considered the next big thing when everyone was clammering for some American to assume Lance's throne. Like him or not, Lance will by like Eddy. Americans will search in vain for many years to find the next Lance. Tommy D is not that man.

 

[Anonymous]

What is funny to me is that Tommy D did well in a single GT (and the Tour of Georgia) and now everyone expects him to be the next big thing. Same with Hincapie when he won a single mountain stage of the 2005 TdF - he was going to be the leader of Discovery and win the TdF in 2006. Too many expectations with no real reasoning to support those expectations. I feel sorry for him in many ways because he has had to live up to something that he never was. He can climb, sure. But he cannot race consistently at the pointy end of the race. He either gets sick or dropped. Maybe the one week stage racers should be his target, but I think it is unfortunate he was considered the next big thing when everyone was clammering for some American to assume Lance's throne. Like him or not, Lance will by like Eddy. Americans will search in vain for many years to find the next Lance. Tommy D is not that man.

Both were fingered by The Uniballer as the next American star (cause he convinced Hincapie he could win the TdF)...guess he can win races, but I wouldn't take his line on this weekend's football games.

 

[Izoard]

What is funny to me is that Tommy D did well in a single GT (and the Tour of Georgia) and now everyone expects him to be the next big thing. Same with Hincapie when he won a single mountain stage of the 2005 TdF - he was going to be the leader of Discovery and win the TdF in 2006. Too many expectations with no real reasoning to support those expectations. I feel sorry for him in many ways because he has had to live up to something that he never was. He can climb, sure. But he cannot race consistently at the pointy end of the race. He either gets sick or dropped. Maybe the one week stage racers should be his target, but I think it is unfortunate he was considered the next big thing when everyone was clammering for some American to assume Lance's throne. Like him or not, Lance will by like Eddy. Americans will search in vain for many years to find the next Lance. Tommy D is not that man.

Sylvain Chavanel's experience is, in some ways, similar. He was hyped to be a GT contender and it just never was meant to be. What I don't understand with TD is that he continues to get hyped, but still either gets sick or otherwise derailed.

BTW - great point on GH. His "promotion" to GT threat was even funnier because he won a stage (via a breakaway) and he has been in the top 20. A bit of a leap to go from that to podium threat (JB must have been really convinced the 'training program' would have been more successful )

 

[BikeCentric]

What is funny to me is that Tommy D did well in a single GT (and the Tour of Georgia) and now everyone expects him to be the next big thing. Same with Hincapie when he won a single mountain stage of the 2005 TdF - he was going to be the leader of Discovery and win the TdF in 2006. Too many expectations with no real reasoning to support those expectations. I feel sorry for him in many ways because he has had to live up to something that he never was. He can climb, sure. But he cannot race consistently at the pointy end of the race. He either gets sick or dropped. Maybe the one week stage racers should be his target, but I think it is unfortunate he was considered the next big thing when everyone was clammering for some American to assume Lance's throne. Like him or not, Lance will by like Eddy. Americans will search in vain for many years to find the next Lance. Tommy D is not that man.

There is a little bit more than that to it Elapid - Tommy D. won his first pro race (Tour de Langkawi one-week stage race) by riding away from everyone on the final climbing stage. It was a dramatic entry to the pro scene and yes, raised expectations for a career that he has not been able to live up to.

I absolutely agree with all the rest that you say but I do think that he really did have potential and for whatever reason has not been able to realize it.

 

[slcbiker]

No question he's a strong climber. Holds the record for Mt. Evans and Mt. Washington I believe, as well as having beaten Armstrong's time on several of the European training climbs.

But he just doesn't seem to have the recovery or strong system needed for the GTs. That could be just how he is. Or maybe he's not doping to recover like everyone else. Or maybe he's doping too much.

At any rate, I've pretty much given up hope that he's ever going to podium in a GT.

 

[ridley]

There is a little bit more than that to it Elapid - Tommy D. won his first pro race (Tour de Langkawi one-week stage race) by riding away from everyone on the final climbing stage. It was a dramatic entry to the pro scene and yes, raised expectations for a career that he has not been able to live up to.

I absolutely agree with all the rest that you say but I do think that he really did have potential and for whatever reason has not been able to realize it.

But we can say the same of Cunego - he won a GT (Giro in 2004) and then won some smaller races after, but even marked as an overall GT contender, have not done so in the last 5 years. Although I like his style a lot ...

 

[ludwig]

Too bad

I wish Tommy D all the best--it did look like he would bag a Top 10 result here and its a shame he had to pull out.

I'd like to see him make a push for Georgia and Cali next season and then maybe another Fall run.

 

[flicker]

Never followed the guy. Seems like a consistent 5th place finisher.
However with the right coach the right, signeur, doctors, herb person, He could use acupuncture to strengthen himself up he might be someone awesome. Also yoga and pilades.

 

[cromagnon]

But he just doesn't seem to have the recovery or strong system needed for the GTs. That could be just how he is. Or maybe he's not doping to recover like everyone else. Or maybe he's doping too much.

Yeah that's the fallback, if your guy it useless = everyone else is cheating. The Kohl Factor, "I don't suck everyone else is cheating". imo you could argue just as easily that what results he did get were gotten dishonestly, and like David Millar without something in a syringe he is limited and will not do so well again. In fact this fits that pattern better than any other if you wanted to go there. His comment "I've shown I can stay with the best" regarding the Vuelta suggests he's venturing into clean riding for the first time.

 

[dirtybill]

danielson vs vaughters

who has more excuses?

 

[scribe]

How about making excuses while winning? That really is the worst.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I think the reality is that Tom isn't, and never was, much better than another American - Scott Moninger. For those of you on the other side of the pond asking "who?" Scott stayed over in the US for most of his career, and won race after race, including both Mt. Evans and Mt. Washington, the Gila and many other small races. He could climb, but had a bit of a kick, sort of like Cunego or Valverde, so he won a lot.

But he never rode the Vuelta, didn't get any big TV airtime. Didn't have anyone say he's the next Lance. He just kept racing stateside on teams like Crest and Mercury, and winning. Tom's top climbing speed is faster than Scott, but Scott was much, much more durable.

The point I'm trying to make is their talent level isn't that different from one another. Only that Scott stayed over here and won more races than anyone ever imagined he would, while Tom got all the hype and couldn't deliver anything more than one disappointment after another.

 

[pmcg76]

I think the reality is that Tom isn't, and never was, much better than another American - Scott Moninger. For those of you on the other side of the pond asking "who?" Scott stayed over in the US for most of his career, and won race after race, including both Mt. Evans and Mt. Washington, the Gila and many other small races. He could climb, but had a bit of a kick, sort of like Cunego or Valverde, so he won a lot.

But he never rode the Vuelta, didn't get any big TV airtime. Didn't have anyone say he's the next Lance. He just kept racing stateside on teams like Crest and Mercury, and winning. Tom's top climbing speed is faster than Scott, but Scott was much, much more durable.

The point I'm trying to make is their talent level isn't that different from one another. Only that Scott stayed over here and won more races than anyone ever imagined he would, while Tom got all the hype and couldn't deliver anything more than one disappointment after another.

Why did Moninger never make it to a Euro team? I remember him being probably the top domestic stage race rider in the 90s. He won the first West Virginia race with Coors Light in 92 as well as most other US races, always wanted Coors Light team to race if a few European races like Navigators did later.

On Danielson, it was his victory at Langkawi that brought all the Lance comparisons, Fasso Bartolo was the wrong team for him then, he was good at Postal, Tour of Georgia, stage and Top 10 in Vuelta but has lost his way the last few seasons, he was never gonna be the next Lance. Remember Lance was always gonna be the next Greg LeMond but wasnt living up to that comparison until 99.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I honestly don't know why Scott didn't race more in Europe. Maybe because he didn't have the style to be a domestique, and didn't quite have the ability to be a team leader there. Remember, he was a very good climber, and a good sprinter, but not necessarily world-level at either. I compared him to Cunego in style, but obviously had he been on a PT team, he wouldn't have performed at Damiano's level. I would say he probably wouldn't have ever performed at the level of someone like Popovych, or David Arroyo for that matter.

Maybe Scott was happy doing what he did, and didn't want to move to Europe and carry water bottles for more money? There is something to be said for standing on the top spot of the podium, even if there's only 100 people watching; instead of rolling over the finish line with 20 other riders a few minutes after race leaders, and being ignored, regardless of the size of the arena.

 

[TRDean]

But we can say the same of Cunego - he won a GT (Giro in 2004) and then won some smaller races after, but even marked as an overall GT contender, have not done so in the last 5 years. Although I like his style a lot ...

What? Why all the crapping on Cunego...? TD can't even carry Cunego's jock strap...this is a bad comparison. When TD wins anything...let me know. Cunego is in a totally different class. Big difference between Langkawi and the Giro as well.

 

[350Watts]

I think the reality is that Tom isn't, and never was, much better than another American - Scott Moninger. For those of you on the other side of the pond asking "who?" Scott stayed over in the US for most of his career, and won race after race, including both Mt. Evans and Mt. Washington, the Gila and many other small races. He could climb, but had a bit of a kick, sort of like Cunego or Valverde, so he won a lot.

But he never rode the Vuelta, didn't get any big TV airtime. Didn't have anyone say he's the next Lance. He just kept racing stateside on teams like Crest and Mercury, and winning. Tom's top climbing speed is faster than Scott, but Scott was much, much more durable.

The point I'm trying to make is their talent level isn't that different from one another. Only that Scott stayed over here and won more races than anyone ever imagined he would, while Tom got all the hype and couldn't deliver anything more than one disappointment after another.

Agree with this completely, Tom may be a little faster but not nearly as durable.