Farrar takes his 2nd vattenfall classic

[turtlesoup]

with another classics win and multiple lack luster performances at the tour, should he focus on being an early seasons rider and peak for the giro, then come back for the vuelta? Not saying he cant win vs cav but he really has awesome cobble potential winning ( he won Scheldepris and Omloop) gent and others. He always does well in the short stage races like Eneco. Why the desperate need to focus on tour victories?

 

[pedaling squares]

with another classics win and multiple lack luster performances at the tour, should he focus on being an early seasons rider and peak for the giro, then come back for the vuelta? Not saying he cant win vs cav but he really has awesome cobble potential winning ( he won Scheldepris and Omloop) gent and others. He always does well in the short stage races like Eneco. Why the desperate need to focus on tour victories?

Probably because the sponsors need a big presence, ie a stage winner, in the biggest bike race of all. I assume this is even more true for American teams. I agree with your assessment of his talent, and I wouldn't be surprised if he won a TDF stage victory or two per year. If he can stay healthy he might be the 2nd fastest sprinter right now. Now for my personal bias - I would love to see him focus on the races you mentioned because I think they're the most exciting races on the schedule and he would greatly add to the quality of the field.

 

[GoGarmin]

with another classics win and multiple lack luster performances at the tour, should he focus on being an early seasons rider and peak for the giro, then come back for the vuelta? Not saying he cant win vs cav but he really has awesome cobble potential winning ( he won Scheldepris and Omloop) gent and others. He always does well in the short stage races like Eneco. Why the desperate need to focus on tour victories?

Multiple lackluster performances at the tour?

You do realize he was in line to win stage 1 before his back wheel was taken out, right? And that a broken wrist significantly limited his sprinting ablity in other stages?

It's unfortunate because I think his battles with Cav would have been pretty good. Something to look forward to at the Vuelta.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Vattenfall is a typical sprinters classic (although you must be able to survive a hill)
It's only logical a sprinter wins.

His 5th in Flanders is a bit 'overestimated'. He wasn't actually part of the 5 strongest guys in the race. Probably not the best 20.
But like always in Flanders, when the best riders are gone, the chasing group comes to a completely stand still, a larger group comes back, and Farrar won the sprint of that large group.

He should still focus on sprints, always. If he doesn't get unlucky like in this years Tour, he can win multiple stages in Giro, Tour and Vuelta.
If he focusses on classics, he is at risk at losing his sprint speed AND not being good enough to compete with the Boonens and the Cancellaras of this world, leaving him to be top in nothing... And stop winning at all.

I hope for Farrar he won't make that mistake.

 

[taiwan]

...he really has awesome cobble potential winning ( he won Scheldepris and Omloop) gent and others.

He won the Omloop? Nope. I think he has to ride the Tour because Garmin need to show him there, and he's one of the riders who most merits being matched up with Cav. Not sure the Vuelta is worth peaking for. Now that he has Giro stages, it's basically a Tour stage, MSR or the Worlds that he'll want, I think. Let's not call him a classics specialist yet, he only won the Scheldeprijs so far, and I think he got into a move like once this spring.

 

[The Hitch]

I know i shouldnt be looking around a cycling forum when i dont know the results to a race, (through no fault of my own i might add) and i decided earlier that i was going to risk it, and it wouldnt be too big a problem if i found out the result by accident.

However its such a shame when we can get around huge races without independent "Basso wins 2nd Giro" , "Cancellara wins his 2nd P-R" threads, immediately after the race, for the perfectly logical reason that these things are discussed in the race threads themselves anyway. I guess unlike the aforementioned races the Vattenfall classics is just too important

 

[hrotha]

Farrar is not a GC guy, he's a sprinter and he doesn't need to sacrifice the rest of his season in order to ride the Tour with chances of being successful. I don't see any problem here.

 

[David Suro]

I think Vaughters is smart to go for a TdF stage win with Farrar.

For those of you not in the US, there is no other race than the TdF for anyone who is not a relatively serious cyclist themself. It's a bummer, but that's just the way it is.

So to get an American company to fund cycling, there has to be a TdF result.

It's a shame that he could sweep the classics, win the rainbow, and rack up a dozen victories in each the Giro and the Vuelta and the general American public would care less about that than a single TdF stage win. But that's how it is here.

 

[erader]

Multiple lackluster performances at the tour?

You do realize he was in line to win stage 1 before his back wheel was taken out, right? And that a broken wrist significantly limited his sprinting ablity in other stages?

It's unfortunate because I think his battles with Cav would have been pretty good. Something to look forward to at the Vuelta.

right.

i mean yeah right .

erader

 

[theswordsman]

Just tossing in a reminder that the wrist was so painful that Farrar abandoned the TdF in Stage 12.

I don't even want to think about the stage finish when he got hurt.

 

[simo1733]

Hills

If Vattenfall is a sprinters race despite the hills, won't the worlds be the same. Most people on the forum think the sprinters will be shelled out at the worlds

 

[taiwan]

If Vattenfall is a sprinters race despite the hills, won't the worlds be the same. Most people on the forum think the sprinters will be shelled out at the worlds

Different hills.

NEXT!

 

[Old School]

Man, there is no other glory than getting that Green Jersey! Farrar is too fast now to "FOCUS" on classics....and the Tour is where the dough is, and the sponsors want that publicity.

Win in THE Tour, above all else.

 

[Ferminal]

If Vattenfall is a sprinters race despite the hills, won't the worlds be the same. Most people on the forum think the sprinters will be shelled out at the worlds

The Worlds has over 3,000m of climbing, Cyclassics has 500-1,000m.

I wonder if Farrar will make the bunch sprint at MSR next season...

 

[flicker]

I think Vaughters is smart to go for a TdF stage win with Farrar.

For those of you not in the US, there is no other race than the TdF for anyone who is not a relatively serious cyclist themself. It's a bummer, but that's just the way it is.

So to get an American company to fund cycling, there has to be a TdF result.

It's a shame that he could sweep the classics, win the rainbow, and rack up a dozen victories in each the Giro and the Vuelta and the general American public would care less about that than a single TdF stage win. But that's how it is here.

Farrar is the best American Pro Cyclist. How many American sports fans know who Farrar is or that Garmin has a cycling team?

 

[turtlesoup]

I know i shouldnt be looking around a cycling forum when i dont know the results to a race, (through no fault of my own i might add) and i decided earlier that i was going to risk it, and it wouldnt be too big a problem if i found out the result by accident.

However its such a shame when we can get around huge races without independent "Basso wins 2nd Giro" , "Cancellara wins his 2nd P-R" threads, immediately after the race, for the perfectly logical reason that these things are discussed in the race threads themselves anyway. I guess unlike the aforementioned races the Vattenfall classics is just too important

The intention was to focus on his potential and what he should try for in the future based on another good classic result. He obviously has found a way to have good/decent form all season. I wanted to see if others shared my opinion that he could be a strong contending cobbles/classic rider.

To fix my original post he was 3rd at Omloop. I think hes a tad heavy to go for some of the longer races with hills. Cav was 73kg at his heaviest, according to the garmin site farrar sits about 74kg. With that said cancellara goes around 80kg.

 

[Oldman]

Farrar is the best American Pro Cyclist. How many American sports fans know who Farrar is or that Garmin has a cycling team?

Very few, even in his home state. Unfortunately a Tour stage is the only thing that would make the local news, here. That or the World Championship or Olympics. If he's a pro he does what his sponsors want and spend his retirement guessing what he could have done.

 

[flicker]

Very few, even in his home state. Unfortunately a Tour stage is the only thing that would make the local news, here. That or the World Championship or Olympics. If he's a pro he does what his sponsors want and spend his retirement guessing what he could have done.

Farrar needs some spin-doctors and promoters. It has helped Levi,George,Greg Lance. Garmin needs to do that. Really soon because Farrar is a major talent.

 

[Oldman]

Farrar needs some spin-doctors and promoters. It has helped Levi,George,Greg Lance. Garmin needs to do that. Really soon because Farrar is a major talent.

He's a reasonably good interview on TV. He's young enough now to fit in with the X Games level of athelete and create a broader base. Good note.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If Vattenfall is a sprinters race despite the hills, won't the worlds be the same. Most people on the forum think the sprinters will be shelled out at the worlds

there is a big difference between the waseberg which is basically 600m sprinting on 12%, and actual hills that matter, such as in geelong.

 

[Jamsque]

Farrar is the best American Pro Cyclist.

You know, I've never really thought of that before, but you are very much correct. I don't think there's another US rider whose 2010 palmares come even close. It's a shame that nothing but a stage win at the Tour would really make him a bit more famous in his home country.

 

[Anonymous]

and even when he wins you cant have a farrar headline without the word "second" in it

 

[kurtinsc]

You know, I've never really thought of that before, but you are very much correct. I don't think there's another US rider whose 2010 palmares come even close. It's a shame that nothing but a stage win at the Tour would really make him a bit more famous in his home country.

Well... Chris Horner's may come close this year. Not as many wins... but stage racers rarely do have as many as sprinters. Still... won Pais-Vasco and a stage in the race, 2nd in Sardegna, top 10's in the Tour de France, Crit Internationale, Amstel Gold, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Dauphine Libere and Tour of California.

I always find it hard to compare sprinters and GC guys. I guess I'd still give it to Farrar with his wins in Vattenfall, Scheldeprijs, two Giro stages, 2 tour stage podiums, top 5's in the Omloop and RVV and Zeeland win. He'll definitely have it by the end of the season unless Horner pulled a shocker at Lombardia.

 

[Oldman]

Well... Chris Horner's may come close this year. Not as many wins... but stage racers rarely do have as many as sprinters. Still... won Pais-Vasco and a stage in the race, 2nd in Sardegna, top 10's in the Tour de France, Crit Internationale, Amstel Gold, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Dauphine Libere and Tour of California.

I always find it hard to compare sprinters and GC guys. I guess I'd still give it to Farrar with his wins in Vattenfall, Scheldeprijs, two Giro stages, 2 tour stage podiums, top 5's in the Omloop and RVV and Zeeland win. He'll definitely have it by the end of the season unless Horner pulled a shocker at Lombardia.

And knowing Tyler and his work ethic he'd probably give the tip to Horner. The ranks thin from there, though and it'll probably wait until all Lance related damage is totalled to know who will actually race. I'd expect some retirements that would make Tyler more visible.

 

[Chuffy]

and even when he wins you cant have a farrar headline without the word "second" in it

That's cruel. But funny.

I'd like to see him bag a Tour stage or two, for him and the team.