Geraint Thomas, the next british hope

[Irondan]

Re:

he won jnr roubaix

Not much climbing in jnr roubaix. The transformation is from Classics type (real roubaix) to climber in 6 weeks. That's what I have problem with...

 

[zlev11]

if this race had another TT Thomas would almost certainly end up 3rd and maybe even 2nd

disgusting

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Definitely the second strongest in the race. On a sensible course he would podium easily.

With a proper TT he would also.

A sensible course would have a proper TT.

 

[Singer01]

do we really see thomas taking 2.30 ish out of valverde with a time trial included? i've always thought he wasn't as good at long time trials as he should be. maybe because he has rarely needed to push himself.

 

[Jagartrott]

This guy is freaking me out.
Always seems at ease, does domestique duties and is the third or second best climber in this race, even after 18 stages. If someone like Sagan would suddenly do this, alarms would go off everywhere. Now, it seems like journalists don't even notice that something very strange is happening here - right in front of their eyes.

 

[goggalor]

Re:

This guy is freaking me out.
Always seems at ease, does domestique duties and is the third or second best climber in this race, even after 18 stages. If someone like Sagan would suddenly do this, alarms would go off everywhere. Now, it seems like journalists don't even notice that something very strange is happening here - right in front of their eyes.

Because it has happened before several times with Sky. Questioning Thomas is questioning Froome, and even worse, Wiggins, and no one wants to question Wiggins.

 

[Lyon]

ConcernedSkyFan wrote:

I don't understand what the problem is with Thomas. Certainly Hincapie used to do this for Armstrong? Granted, I haven't followed cycling for a number of years but surely it cannot have changed that much?

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

This guy is freaking me out.
Always seems at ease, does domestique duties and is the third or second best climber in this race, even after 18 stages. If someone like Sagan would suddenly do this, alarms would go off everywhere. Now, it seems like journalists don't even notice that something very strange is happening here - right in front of their eyes.

Sky transmuting riders into Grand Tour gods at regular intervals has become the norm.

 

[The Carrot]

Re:

This guy is freaking me out.
Always seems at ease, does domestique duties and is the third or second best climber in this race, even after 18 stages. If someone like Sagan would suddenly do this, alarms would go off everywhere. Now, it seems like journalists don't even notice that something very strange is happening here - right in front of their eyes.

The Journos notice alright, but they can't say anything or they won't be journos for very long. Journalism is a relativity small world with very few places at the trough, rock the boat and you are scuppered for life. The course that boat's on at the moment is that cycling is the new 'big thing', no journalist is going to challenge that narrative. Oh and who are Sky sponsored by? That's right, a rather large media empire who will fck your *** up if you challenge them. My point is that people naively believe that the media deliver unbiased reporting, journalists are controlled like everyone else.

 

[IndianCyclist]

He's done it in Paris Nice and then the TdS. So nothing strange for TDF. But he is certainly not better than most climbers in the race. He is a 3rd string climber at max & top 10 GT material as of now. This TDF he is simply lucky to be 4th as of now bcos Contador, Nibali, Pinot, Purito, Uran, Porte are malfunctioning. Does not have the acceleration but more of a diesel climber good as pacing domestique.

 

[Ruudz0r]

For the record, this is the list of Paris Roubaix Junior winners:

2003 Anthony Colin (FRA)
2004 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
2005 Michael Bär (SWI)
2006 Raymond Kreder (NED)
2007 Fabien Taillefer (FRA)
2008 Andrew Fenn (GBR)
2009 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL)
2010 Jasper Stuyven (BEL)
2011 Florian Sénéchal (FRA)
2012 Mads Würtz Schmidt (DEN)
2013 Mads Pedersen (DEN)
2014 Magnus Bak Klaris (DEN)

Spot the odd one out!

You're going to look really stupid when Michael Bär podiums the Tour next year.

Only if he signs with Sky.

Last years winner Magnus Bak Klaris is actually a climber as well. It's mainly about having a motor in the junior ranks, a lot of big guys climb well there (phsyical advantage), but some smaller guys like Bak Klaris do have a motor and even though they are climbers can do well on the cobbles.

 

[carton]

Re:

This TDF he is simply lucky to be 4th as of now bcos Contador, Nibali, Pinot, Purito, Uran, Porte are malfunctioning. Does not have the acceleration but more of a diesel climber good as pacing domestique.

There is some element of that, but dude has been reeling in Quintana, probably the second best climber in the world right now. He also put in a lot of work before the mountains. And then a lot of work in the mountains. I'd guess he's put out more watt-hours than anyone in the race by a wide margin. Not a jour sans yet. Three days from Paris, if he were to race again next year, on this performance, I'd rate his odds just south of the fab four. Higher than Barguil/Talansky/Bardet/Mollema. Somewhere in the Gesink/Uran/Pinot/VanGarderen/Valverde/Aru range.

 

[Rollthedice]

Well, we all knew what Froome is capable of so those 6.1 kg/W for 45 minutes was not a big surprise. But Thomas? He is the biggest shock of this Tour. The ridiculous 1-2 with Richie in PN is nothing compared with what he has done so far here. I mean he kept Quintana and the other loosers like Contador, Nibali plus a few other wannabes in check on multiple mountain stages, day in day out.

One month ago after stage 5 tour de suisse Rettenbach Glacier he says:
It was certainly going into the unknown. I'd never raced up a climb like that before. I'd always done a job and sat up.

 

[dwyatt]

Re:

Well, we all knew what Froome is capable of so those 6.1 kg/W for 45 minutes was not a big surprise. But Thomas? He is the biggest shock of this Tour. The ridiculous 1-2 with Richie in PN is nothing compared with what he has done so far here. I mean he kept Quintana and the other loosers like Contador, Nibali plus a few other wannabes in check on multiple mountain stages, day in day out.

One month ago after stage 5 tour de suisse Rettenbach Glacier he says:
It was certainly going into the unknown. I'd never raced up a climb like that before. I'd always done a job and sat up.

I expected it as soon as read this http://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/...grand-tour-team-leader_sto4802052/story.shtml

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re: Re:

I expected it as soon as read this http://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/...grand-tour-team-leader_sto4802052/story.shtml

Agreed.

The pattern was established with the "soon clean riders will beat doped riders" press release.
It is now confirmed with the "Thomas deserves GT leadership" press release.

I'll be watching for similar press releases from now on. They are incredibly predictive.

 

[AICA ribonucleotide]

Its pretty simple. After 4 years with Team Sky he became a super responder to the exact same marginal gains in his fifth year.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

This guy is freaking me out.
Always seems at ease, does domestique duties and is the third or second best climber in this race, even after 18 stages. If someone like Sagan would suddenly do this, alarms would go off everywhere. Now, it seems like journalists don't even notice that something very strange is happening here - right in front of their eyes.

His transformation from middling classics rider to one of the best was bad enough, but this? This is nuts. I can't remember a cobbles specialist climbing like this - ever. The closest would probably be De Vlaeminck or Kelly.

Sure Hinault won at Roubaix, but that was purely out of spite

 

[matter]

This guy is already the second best rider this Tour in his first year riding in the 'unknown'. Imagine what he can do for his second year, not working for froome, unleashed and exploring the realm beyond the unknown (We haven't even seen him go fullus retardus yet, with exception perhaps of plateau de beille)

 

[gazr99]

Re:

This guy is already the second best rider this Tour in his first year riding in the 'unknown'. Imagine what he can do for his second year, not working for froome, unleashed and exploring the realm beyond the unknown (We haven't even seen him go fullus retardus yet, with exception perhaps of plateau de beille)

Not sure he's second best. Since he has got to the mountains he has lasted surprisingly long but every time someone attacks 8 times out of 10 he has to work his way back up to the group.

 

[SeriousSam]

So perhaps he cannot cope with changes of paces that well. That doesn't matter if his average pace is the second best.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re:

So perhaps he cannot cope with changes of paces that well. That doesn't matter if his average pace is the second best.

Exactly like Wiggo, the other pursuiter turned GT / pro road force of domination.

 

[Gung Ho Gun]

More like third best anyway, Thomas hasn't dropped Quintana yet
But yeah, third best is probably right, perhaps on par with Valverde

 

[gazr99]

Re:

More like third best anyway, Thomas hasn't dropped Quintana yet
But yeah, third best is probably right, perhaps on par with Valverde

Look at how much time Valverde has gained on Thomas going up hill. I would say tie for fourth with TJ but Nibali & Contador (as they should) are looking stronger as well

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re:

More like third best anyway, Thomas hasn't dropped Quintana yet
But yeah, third best is probably right, perhaps on par with Valverde

Consider putting Thomas behind all the riders in Team Sky, you know, as the protected rider, like the riders you are comparing him to.

Now do you see why he is considered the second best rider in the race?

 

[Gung Ho Gun]

I see the point yes, but I doubt he'd outclimb Quintana based on what we've seen so far, even with full team support