Exhausted Wiggins now knows he can win the Tour

[TheArbiter]

I do not see Wiggo winning the tour

I can understand that reaction. To those who don't know Wiggins it looks like he just had a good year in special circumstances and will be well out of it next time. I can see where you are coming from.

But you are wrong. He only ever focused on the time trial bits of the Tour in previous years, and everything was about building up to the track. But now the focus is the road, and I'm telling you this is going to be the next Armstrong. The simularities are striking

 

[scribe]

Nor do I see him winning.

Call me crazy, but he doesn't seem to have the rugged constitution necessary to make it all the through the tour. I mean, he did already, but maybe he won't get all the through the next one while pressing at the top of the GC board.

 

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"It would be interesting to ride for someone like Lance but Andy Schleck is going there. And after this Tour I've reached the point where I need to be the leader. I've gone up to another level – of Tour contender status – and once people wave chequebooks at you it changes a lot. I'm quite happy where I am and I've had success here. But we'll see what happens once my contract [with Garmin-Slipstream] ends next year."

This is an interesting bit. He has it figured Andy Schleck is going to Da Shack?

 

[dblueroom]

i think he posted in the transfers thread , not your fault kinda hard to detect that kinda post

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on the topic itself, I predict wiggo will never win the tour. He might podium one day, but i'm not so sure he will ever better his 4th place

I totally agree with you. I think i posted somewhere that "i see he and Frank Schleck are the two sides of the same losing coin - one cant do ITT and the other cant do the mountains." sure they'll improve, so does anyone else.

 

[dblueroom]

This is an interesting bit. He has it figured Andy Schleck is going to Da Shack?

love your quote of cadel evans... was that a quote of wiggins saying schleck going to radio shack? i feel that's quite dumb of him to even mention something as stupid (i know there are rumors). first of all, schleck is a step above wiggins, and andy has better chance at ever winning the tour than him. 1 or 2 million a year salary doesnt make a difference for someone that can win the tour, and the real important question is why would andy ever ride as a domestique for armstrong?

 

[scribe]

love your quote of cadel evans... was that a quote of wiggins saying schleck going to radio shack? i feel that's quite dumb of him to even mention something as stupid (i know there are rumors). first of all, schleck is a step above wiggins, and andy has better chance at ever winning the tour than him. 1 or 2 million a year salary doesnt make a difference for someone that can win the tour, and the real important question is why would andy ever ride as a domestique for armstrong?

A few not so random things....

-I love the way Cadel says it matter-of-fact in passing.
-That Wiggen's quote was strange indeed.
-Wiggins can potentially lay down a better ITT and minimize mountain losses ala Indurain. He could win it if he can put it all together and keep it together.
-Andy might not prefer to run as domestique to Armstrong, but there are definite strength advantages to riding in an all star bunch. A group like that is what will be needed to undo Contador.
Just because Contador couldn't handle the idea of not being the 'chosen one' on the team, doesn't mean someone else wouldn't fit in and emerge as leader when the race runs thin. Many seem quick to point out that Armstrong couldn't handle playing second fiddle. I just think he was wary of supporting Contador's singular ambitions. Contador strikes me as more an individual than a teammate. I will watch the future with interest to see if I am correct.
OR
You are right and no one in their right mind would be able to usurp Armstrong before he retires for good.

 

[runninboy]

I think Wiggins can win just from the fact that this is his first year climbing at this weight. You could see him fighting back on the climbs. I doubt that the riders were slowing so much as he was gradually increasing his speed to narrow the gap. I would therefor conclude that the reason he did not go with the accelerations is he was not sure if he would blow up. Eventually he was able to make up the ground, so there could be a margin in there where he could go with the moves and not blow.
With another year of specific training at this weight and becoming more comfortable with it I would imagine his margin of improvement will be much better than Andy's who has not had the drastic change that Wiggins has had.
Maybe not enough to catch Contador next year but i would imagine he will pass Andy and maybe Lance as well

 

[180mmCrank]

You don't win Olympic Gold medals in any sport without having something special. I tend to agree with those that have posted suggesting Wiggo is only going to get better. I don't know if he can win the Tour but I would bet money that he will be there or there abouts again. He's still learning his craft.

One to watch me thinks

 

[Boeing]

I do not see wiggo wining the tour

biatch

 

[Boeing]

Nor do I see him winning.

thanks for teh spell check fga

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wow, Wiggins is a doper. He's on LSD, peyote, or some other hallucinogenic. This year's Tour had one real mountain stage, the one to La Grand Bornand, and that was not even a mountain top finish. He got killed on that one. Two of the expected and long proven contenders (Sastre and Menchov) did the Giro and were not in form, one (Evans) was either sick or depressed, and another (Leipheimer) crashed out. In addition, Wiggins got a large boost from an outrageous team time trial.

Unless the ASO once again designs the course for a has been who should be wearing Depends, Wiggins has not got a chance. He will benefit from a more usual number of ITT kilometers, but that won't make up for three or four true mountain top finish stages.

I have to agree with you there. WIggins has a lot to prove in the future as a some of the gc contenders had terrible tours and will be back next year way more hungrier to win or do better. I don't think wiggins is a cheat as he seems innocent and a honest guy but i could esily be wrong!

 

[auscyclefan94]

love your quote of cadel evans... was that a quote of wiggins saying schleck going to radio shack? i feel that's quite dumb of him to even mention something as stupid (i know there are rumors). first of all, schleck is a step above wiggins, and andy has better chance at ever winning the tour than him. 1 or 2 million a year salary doesnt make a difference for someone that can win the tour, and the real important question is why would andy ever ride as a domestique for armstrong?

Evans didn't say that. Wiggins did

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I disagree. This was his first year focusing on the GC and he hadn't even checked out the mountain stages like all the other GC contenders. He will have learnt so much from this experience and will be much better next year. He could easily be second.

he will never outclimb schleck, and andy's time trialing will only improve. And others will improve time trialing too and are near the same level (if not more potential) of climbing... Gesink, Nibali, kruziger... Wiggins amy improve, but most will.

 

[dblueroom]

With another year of specific training at this weight and becoming more comfortable with it I would imagine his margin of improvement will be much better than Andy's who has not had the drastic change that Wiggins has had.
Maybe not enough to catch Contador next year but i would imagine he will pass Andy and maybe Lance as well

I do not know what your "Andy has not had the drastic changes Wiggins had" was based on. Andy is a climber, and he has improved a lot on the ITT. He trailed close to 4 minutes last year Tour, and this year 1:40 (though course a bit shorter this year). I dont think you could actually compared them or their improvements on two different specialties. However, they're not all rounders yet!! This year was only a revelation that Wiggins probably could manage keeping up evetually, but can he launch repeated attacks in the mountains? And you probably have heard this these time trialists do not handle well the acceleration and deacceleration in the mountains, but that is how the tour is won.

 

[DenisMenchov]

i think he posted in the transfers thread , not your fault kinda hard to detect that kinda post

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on the topic itself, I predict wiggo will never win the tour. He might podium one day, but i'm not so sure he will ever better his 4th place

Why not he`s better climber than Evans, Pereiro, Vandevelde and maybe even Kloden. Surely only Evans can TT like him and still Evans was 2nd, Pereiro 1st, Vandevelde 4th and Kloden 2nd, so why can`t Wiggins do it???

 

[dblueroom]

A few not so random things....

You are right and no one in their right mind would be able to usurp Armstrong before he retires for good.

- I like Evans because he's not the political correct type of person striving to be media darling, though i discovered him wearing pro Tibet socks
- Actually I find Andy Schleck might even admire armstrong, but he gave an interesting pre Ventoux interview shutting down Versus reporter "I think LA should worry more about me than me about him" quite French to me this guy.

- I dont think one should be distracted by "riding to win" and "riding with stars". I think Andy has established himself as a legitimate contender, he should focus on a team that will serve his purpose, unless he's retiring peut- tetre an all star team will be a consolation.

-We will never in a position like Contador or someone that could win the Tour, so I can only imagine that "singular ambition" is what it takes to win the Tour. Dont forget Armstrong was even ruthless when he was winning his 7 titles (he didnt even pass the stage win to Kloden at le grand Bornard). So is it right that you prefer "singular ambition" in some but not others?

-For Wiggins to win - he has to demonstrate that he's an all rounder and his ability to attack in the mountain. Until then it is too premature to talk about his winning chances.

-And you're right too, no one in their right mind would be able to usurp Armstrong, who has much success at "attacking" in the media. NYmag had an approval matrix where it says about LA - "The King is dead, Long live Alberto Contador". I thought that was interesting.

 

[DenisMenchov]

-For Wiggins to win - he has to demonstrate that he's an all rounder and his ability to attack in the mountain. Until then it is too premature to talk about his winning chances.

What about attack on Verrbier when he droped Lance and Kloden and Sastre and Evans???

 

[dblueroom]

What about attack on Verrbier when he droped Lance and Kloden and Sastre and Evans???

yes mate, but where these riders stood after the race? Not one or two... He needs to attack maillot jaune if he wants to win the Tour, and he has do it consistently, not one day up in Verbier and the next dropped in le Grand Bornard...

 

[DenisMenchov]

yes mate, but where these riders stood after the race? Not one or two... He needs to attack maillot jaune if he wants to win the Tour, and he has do it consistently, not one day up in Verbier and the next dropped in le Grand Bornard...

This was his first BIG Tour he was just going for a best result he can get, in years to come he`ll come as a contender for the top of the podium. His team will work for him from day 1 to Paris, help when he`s in trouble TTT for him. Avoid splits and with a bit of luck he can win it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

What about attack on Verrbier when he droped Lance and Kloden and Sastre and Evans???

Sastre, evans and Kloden has a bad tour. Can't judge their potential to do better things than wiggins at grand tours. Armstrong had a bad day on Verbier. Can't say someone is better than somebody else bassed on 1 race or 1 stage.

 

[TRDean]

Sastre, evans and Kloden has a bad tour. Can't judge their potential to do better things than wiggins at grand tours. Armstrong had a bad day on Verbier. Can't say someone is better than somebody else bassed on 1 race or 1 stage.

In a grand tour you can...one bad day is one bad day too many!!!

 

[auscyclefan94]

In a grand tour you can...one bad day is one bad day too many!!!

Yes.. but you can't base claims or judge peoples ability on one bad day. You can't say that wiggins is better than Carlos on the climbs even though Carlos had a bad day.

 

[thehog]

Vaughters insists that "my goal is to be fighting for the 2010 Tour with Bradley Wiggins". For his part, double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador said he wishes to leave Astana, despite having a contract that runs to 2010. "Next year it would be better to change and I am going to try it," he said.

 

[Señor_Contador]

I think Wiggo will win it some day. He reminds me of Menchov, always seemingly about to crack but somehow always coming back. If he ever learns to hang in there in the mountain stages... I dunno... he's already got the TT skills.

I suspect that some of his success this year is due to the holly-crap-I'm-hanging-in-there-with-Lance! factor, but he does have the right attitude.

In my opinion, yes he can.

 

[BroDeal]

I think Wiggo will win it some day. He reminds me of Menchov, always seemingly about to crack but somehow always coming back. If he ever learns to hang in there in the mountain stages... I dunno... he's already got the TT skills.

I suspect that some of his success this year is due to the holly-crap-I'm-hanging-in-there-with-Lance! factor, but he does have the right attitude.

In my opinion, yes he can.

You guys need to put away the bong or share it with the rest of us. There was only one real mountain stage during this year's entire neutered TdF. Wiggins lost time on that one (to Le Grand-Bornand). In a normal Tour, with difficult stages in the Pyrenees and more than one in the Alps, Wiggins will lost big chunks of time. Andy Schleck was literally riding circles around him on Ventoux.

A lame course and riders like Evans, Menchov, and Sastre having a bad year has made Wiggins look a lot better than he is. Then we have the younger guys like Nibali, Kreuziger, etc. coming up...