Felix Gall is the new Austrian Emperor of the Alps

[RedheadDane]

This really shows the flaws of the Ignore System...
@Red Rick, can you merge the two threads?

 

[Netserk]

This really shows the flaws of the Ignore System...
@Red Rick, can you merge the two threads?

What is there to merge? There is no content here, so better just lock this one.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

There is only the obviously superior thread title. But that would get lost after merging anyway, as the older title would remain.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yes, I like this title. The connections to Kohl are obvious.

KOM jersey, another stage and top 5 on Saturday. Bring it home lad.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I did bring up the same thing as the thread title in the original Gall thread.
This is a nice and hilarious variation on the Van Wilder thread issue we had before, though. Very ironic.
Edit: I definitely prefer this title over constantly drawing parallels to Bernhard Kohl‘s incredibly extensive 4-year pro career.

 

[tobydawq]

At least you hasn't posted in the other thread, so you didn't pull a toby.

What's a toby?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

What's a toby?

Usually, it’s short for Tobias.

 

[RedheadDane]

What's a toby?

You know, the thing that led to The Dot.

 

[tobydawq]

You know, the thing that led to The Dot.

What's that now?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Best of the rest today, they're all just lucky that they don't have to deal with 4th week Gall.

 

[Gigs_98]

Far and beyond the best performance by an Austrian cyclist since Kohl. I still cannot quite believe it. I cannot believe an Austrian might actually become a genuine gt gc contender. And all this by someone who was off everyones radar just a few months back...man...Kohl really is the perfect comparison. Oh well, let's just all hope today is where the similarities end.

And on another note, I find it such a nice coincidence that one of the forums most active posters just happens to be from the same little Tyrolean valley as Gall. What a time to be a cycling fan from the Pustertal haha.

 

[Netserk]

Unfortunately, he only went full Kohl from the neck down. Would have loved to see him plant Ciccone.

 

[Bolder]

Gall is a very interesting rider. I haven't seen anyone climb with such a high cadence since prime Froome. He continued to improve throughout the Tour, too, which bodes well. O'Conner seems to be back to his inconsistent ways (although I wouldn't totally write him off as a GT leader yet), so Gall is Citroen's best hope.

Work on his TT and tactics (just what, exactly, was he doing today again?) and unleash him on the Tour next year. (no point in Giro/Vuelta, Citroen can be happy with a solid Top 10/5 in the Tour every year as a French team)

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Gall is now as good as Kohl, and Georg Totschnig.

I however could imagine that Gall will become even better than Kohl and Totschnig.

And:

Denmark was robbed of their TdF victory, without any sense, when Rasmussen got thrown out. Later, Vingegaard made it a happy ending.

Austria was robbed of their Tour podium, without any sense, when Kohl was thrown out. Will now Gall make it a happy ending?

 

[Cookster15]

I cannot believe an Austrian might actually become a genuine gt gc contender.

Curious why we say this? Is cycling not popular in Austria?

Austria has perfect geography for producing GC contenders. If Denmark can I don't see why Austria couldn't?

 

[Cookster15]

Denmark was robbed of their TdF victory, without any sense, when Rasmussen got thrown out.

Nonsense. Please take that to the Clinic.

 

[tobydawq]

Gall is now as good as Kohl, and Georg Totschnig.

I however could imagine that Gall will become even better than Kohl and Totschnig.

And:

Denmark was robbed of their TdF victory, without any sense, when Rasmussen got thrown out. Later, Vingegaard made it a happy ending.

Austria was robbed of their Tour podium, without any sense, when Kohl was thrown out. Will now Gall make it a happy ending?

Kohl was not thrown out.

 

[ppanther92]

Curious why we say this? Is cycling not popular in Austria?

Austria has perfect geography for producing GC contenders. If Denmark can I don't see why Austria couldn't?

I very much agree and sometimes wonder myself as Austrian. Also cycling in the mountainous areas is reasonably popular as sport but elite cycling as sports to follow and watch is really not. So probably thats the problem. Austria even struggles to organize the Tour of Austria properly and each year.

 

[Peter von]

I very much agree and sometimes wonder myself as Austrian. Also cycling in the mountainous areas is reasonably popular as sport but elite cycling as sports to follow and watch is really not. So probably thats the problem. Austria even struggles to organize the Tour of Austria properly and each year.

A bit weird. Is it a tv thing?

If the broadcasters have just been really bad at selling the product it can be tough.

 

[ppanther92]

A bit weird. Is it a tv thing?

If the broadcasters have just been really bad at selling the product it can be tough.

Yep. Like 10-15 years ago they at least would show it on TV but nowadays not even that anymore.

 

[Peter von]

Yep. Like 10-15 years ago they at least would show it on TV but nowadays not even that anymore.

Makes it hard to compete with other sports for the talent.

 

[Cookster15]

I very much agree and sometimes wonder myself as Austrian. Also cycling in the mountainous areas is reasonably popular as sport but elite cycling as sports to follow and watch is really not. So probably thats the problem. Austria even struggles to organize the Tour of Austria properly and each year.

Thanks, makes sense. Your comment reminded me of when Cadel Evans was at Telekom in 2004 he was relegated to riding the Tour of Austria as a consolation for not being selected for the TdF as that was big Jan’s role. As Australians (not to be confused with Austrians😉) it was frustrating, but I have wondered since then why cycling in Austria wasn’t as popular as it was in the rest of Western Europe.

As Austria is well known for your Alpine skiers, I suppose football (soccer) is the most popular summer sport?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

His performances on Loze and yesterday confirm that he's the real deal. He'll be treated as a podium candidate in any GT he enters from now on.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

His performances on Loze and yesterday confirm that he's the real deal. He'll be treated as a podium candidate in any GT he enters from now on.

Exactly…

And probably has still lots of potential to still improve.

His contract at Ag2R runs until end of 2025, I think. Probably now some of the biggest teams will want to buy him out of his contract.

Gall was perhaps the biggest positive surprise of this Tour. And it was his Tour debut. Before the Tour, his season was already a big success. And now, at the Tour, his results were incredible. Crazily, he was with Pog and Vinge at the last hard mountain of the Tour. Gall showed no problems at all to maintain this super shape until the very end of the Tour.

He‘s modest and shows awe; he knows from his first pro years what can go wrong. This mindset, combined with apparently huge talent, can produce great things in future.

Lavenu now certainly will want to offer Gall a contract which runs far beyond 2025…

 

[Gigs_98]

Curious why we say this? Is cycling not popular in Austria?

Austria has perfect geography for producing GC contenders. If Denmark can I don't see why Austria couldn't?

I think Austria being mountainous has exactly the opposite effect one would innitially expect. Yes, people who live in the mountains and go cycling will probably be good climbers (which is why proportionally Austrian cyclists tend to be very strong in that regard) but the problem is that there aren't too many cyclists to begin with.

Going from A to B with a bycicle just isn't that easy when there is a few hundred meters of alitutde gain in between. There is a reason so many top cyclists are from flat countries like Denmark, Belgium,...
That even goes for gc riders. I think the best climbers probably aren't necessarily people starting to ride high passes at a young age but any young cycling talent which turns out to have the right physical characteristics.