Esteban Chaves Discussion Thread

[PremierAndrew]

Even if Froome is shockingly bad by third week, I can't see him losing more than two and a half miutes on Angliru, and Froome will most likely be able to gain that on Chavito in the TT alone, let alone all these minor gaps he's eeking out on everyone in this first week slowly but surely

 

[dirkprovin]

Re:

Even if Froome is shockingly bad by third week, I can't see him losing more than two and a half miutes on Angliru, and Froome will most likely be able to gain that on Chavito in the TT alone, let alone all these minor gaps he's eeking out on everyone in this first week slowly but surely

Agree, that barring a complete blow-up from Froome or being taken out by an accident, there is no way that Chaves or anyone else for that matter will win this race.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Hoped and expected a little more, after Andorra I thought it would be dificult to drop Chavito uphill, but as it turns out he lacks the last bit due to his unusual season (I assume) and Froome is riding on an incredibly high level after winning the Tour.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Even if Froome is shockingly bad by third week, I can't see him losing more than two and a half miutes on Angliru, and Froome will most likely be able to gain that on Chavito in the TT alone, let alone all these minor gaps he's eeking out on everyone in this first week slowly but surely

On paper everything looks ideal for Froome.

 

[Taxus4a]

Chaves was stronger than Contador last year and this year the difference will be more.

If everything is normal in the ITT Froome will make there the difference, but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but Froome is a complete rider.

Chaves has a better team than Froome, so in la Vueta Team SKY is not the problem, but Froome.. who is the first time he goes to la Vuelta even with altitude training.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

Chaves was stronger than Contador last year and this year the difference will be more.

If everything is normal in the ITT Froome will make there the difference, but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but Froome is a complete rider.

Chaves has a better team than Froome, so in la Vueta Team SKY is not the problem, but Froome.. who is the first time he goes to la Vuelta even with altitude training.

Are you saying that chaves is a better climber than froome? :surprised:

 

[Escarabajo]

Where exactly did Taxus say that?
I fail to see what you see.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

Where exactly did Taxus say that?
I fail to see what you see.

He already said that in other thread.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

Chaves was stronger than Contador last year and this year the difference will be more.

If everything is normal in the ITT Froome will make there the difference, but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but Froome is a complete rider.

Chaves has a better team than Froome, so in la Vueta Team SKY is not the problem, but Froome.. who is the first time he goes to la Vuelta even with altitude training.

Escarabajo: "but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but froome is a complete rider". Here he is clearly insinuating that a pure climber (like chaves according with taxus) can take time on froome in the high mountains.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

Chaves was stronger than Contador last year and this year the difference will be more.

If everything is normal in the ITT Froome will make there the difference, but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but Froome is a complete rider.

Chaves has a better team than Froome, so in la Vueta Team SKY is not the problem, but Froome.. who is the first time he goes to la Vuelta even with altitude training.

Escarabajo: "but anyway a pure climber has enough mountain to has his chances, but froome is a complete rider". Here he is clearly insinuating that a pure climber (like chaves according with taxus) can take time on froome in the high mountains.

Well... yes, he can.

 

[Escarabajo]

Portugal, that's not how I understand it. He said as a pure climber he'll have his chances in the mountains. Which I agree. He has no choice anyway. It doesn't mean that he is better than Froome in the mountains. Could be down to fatigue, strategy, miss-calculation, etc.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Let's not kid ourselves, Froome will easily win this Vuelta with no competition at all.
Anyone else thinking something different is either blindly optimistic or has not accepted this fact yet.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Let's not kid ourselves, Froome will easily win this Vuelta with no competition at all.
Anyone else thinking something different is either blindly optimistic or has not accepted this fact yet.

I dont agree. Chaves and Nibz still stand a chance, but theres no doubt Froome will be incredibly hard to overcome. If Poels keep riding like trash he will only have Nieve in the high mountains when the pace is high and that could inspire Orica. But that will mean Adam and Simon have to help Chaves 100% whatever that means. And Nibali, you never know man. Ask Stevo.

 

[portugal11]

I really think froome will crack in the third week. He can't be this good throughout all vuelta.

 

[May0maniac]

And yesterday wasn't really that bad for him, in 2015 he lost 57 seconds to Froome on the same climb and we still have to see relevant climbs that are actually over 15min long, so Chaves and Nibali still have a shot.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Let's not kid ourselves, Froome will easily win this Vuelta with no competition at all.
Anyone else thinking something different is either blindly optimistic or has not accepted this fact yet.

I agree with you on the bolded.

 

[Robert5091]

Sydney Morning Herald on "All For One" - the Gerry Ryan/ Orica team story

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment...am-with-gerry-ryans-help-20170828-gy5h2e.html

 

[Gigs_98]

No way in hell I could have imagined him only being 9th after seeing how great he was in Andorra. Back then most people thought he would be the biggest threat to froome

 

[telencefalus]

poor esteban but this was a very particular season form him , he will be back next year to contend for gt victory that's for sure

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well with that ITT you are not going to do anything in a GT. But it also confirms Chaves is losing energy. He was already 'going bad' the last few stages

 

[yaco]

An awful TT - He can throw in some awful TT's as evidenced in the first ITT of the 2016 Giro - Chaves thought he was at 100% but is probably riding at 90% of his true capacity - He will have a better 2018.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Will be a good base for the next year, but what a horrible, horrible GT for Orica given their circumstances. Much worse than Movistar's Tour considering Valverde crashed. At this point he doesn't really care about GC (he shouldn't at least) so I expect some early attacks from all the Orica guys, including Haig which they apparently thought was best served by sitting next to Chaves and nothing more.

 

[Escarabajo]

He is usually not the best climber in the race. So his high GC's in Gt's will be always compromised if they put longer TT. He will have to rely in long range attacks. Last year it worked fine because Berto's team was weak. He has to do it all over again. It will be harder this time because some teams will be doing Froome's job by defending their lower GC placings.

 

[dirkprovin]

The TT basically bore out what we have seen from Chaves at this race; he is significantly below his level of 2016 and arguably below his 2015 Vuelta. Good enough probably for a top 10 finish but that's probably it; where exactly in the top 10 .... maybe he can overtake a couple who are marginally ahead of him but I doubt his capacity to mount anything major or finish off any team moves.

Realistically, that was probably the least favourable TT course for a rider of his characteristics as he will never possess the outright power. On his best, he may've trimmed 1min - 1min20 from that 4min deficit. Shorter TTs, he can largely limit losses reasonably; uphill TTs = he can be legitimately competitive.

Hopefully Orica WILL learn from their 2017 mistakes:

- Do not screw with routines what have been working for someone like Chaves unless necessity requires it. Promotional PR riding the early season races in AUS does not anywhere appoximate a sound reason for doing so let alone necessity

- Whichever savant who forumulated the genius theory of sending all 3 GT riders to the same GT should be fired as high as the moon !! It has played out just as I expected ..... a total fizzer due to an unbalanced line-up.

Can Chaves ever win a GT ? Possible .... but contingent on these key circumstances. That he be on his very best form and remain healthy throughout. There be minimal ITT (and that TT have a significant uphill quotient). That his team sends the right team mix to support him. Realistically, parcours along those lines will only come along once every few years so the liklihood = not particularly high. Podiums .... probably a far stronger bet if his form and reasonably friendly parcours align.

 

[telencefalus]

Chaves season is not finished this year grand tour season was bad , but last year he was the first colombia to win a monument , so the guy has potential ,