Teams & Riders Geraint Thomas

[Bushman]

Re: Re:

roughly during the Tour de Suisse

Thomas's climbing performance in Switzerland looks extremely modest now. On his current form you would expect him to have won that stage with ease.

That climb was very steep, more than 10% average. That will always favour lighter riders, and Thomas definitely won't follow Quintana on such a climb. The Tour climbs suit Thomas and Sky in general very well.

 

[fideluto]

After Wiggo and Thomas, should we look for the actual British 4 km champion, to discover the next big climber in Big Tours?

 

[dlwssonic]

so when is ben swift going to be a GC contender?

or how about myself?

dave brailsford and sky have the professionalism, dedication, skill to turn anybody into a GC contender anyway

 

[SlickMongoose]

 

[DBotero]

G.forcing.Despite Froome not looking too impressed,Thomas was certainly the strongest guy in the GC group.

 

[doperhopper]

Re: Gerraint Thomas v. Alberto Contador, et al.

Having watched Thomas for some long time now, I'm wondering when it was that he became a climber the caliber of Contador, Quintana, Valverde, or even Richie Porte? I thought he was one of those punchy riders, likely to win, for instance, Stage 13.

Or for that matter, the caliber of Armstrong at the height of his powers?

True story bro: G managed to beat LA time of 2002, into the headwind in the rain, all that while being a dom, working all the day and days before... and all that after successful classics campaign, being physically rather saganesque guy (same height, 3 lbs less). Just needs to survive some disease (cancer, badzilla) and the transformation is complete.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Reminds me of this:

 

[Taxus4a]

Thomas is 5th working in the flat and in the mountains, really impressive.
he is maybe the 3rd so far behind Froome and Quintana, similar to Valverde and Tejay. Today nobody was better than him.

He was good in the mountains in 2011, 25 in a stage as hard as Galibier one, but he has improve a lot in his second try to be a climber.

 

[Taxus4a]

Your have to compare with valverde, not with contador, Thomas is a complete rider as Valverde (number 1 cycling of the work). they can win in the cobbles (Valverde didnt try, but he has the potential and he did a good cobblestone stage), in hilly clasics, to be good in sprints, to be the best in climbs as Bretagne, to be good in ITT, to shine in GT, etc...) They are that kind of riders... people as well thought agan could be that way, I dont know, but obviously he has to lose weight for that.

Thomas came from the tracks as most of british riders and Valverde came from mountain races, that is what we has in Spain in juniors an amateurs...

The difference is that valverde improve withn hot and Thomas with rain...
anyway, Thomas is far of what valverde has got in cycling.

All this year he has been climbing as the best level. Algarve, Niza, Dauphiné...

In the past just in 2011 he was quite good in the clinmbs, he was working and he finished around 30, and he finished queen stage 25, helping Uran that got sick that day. He was at 7 minutes of Andy, but just 3 minutes of contador in that hard stage.

Anyway now, in his best age to perform, he is much better climber.

It is interesting to read this interview after Algarve.

http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/geraint_thomas_good_for_the_confidence/

he some years train for the track and forget climbing, but when he train for mountains, he get good progress.

Evans was that kind of rider that can perform in very different scenes as well, but he came form Mountain Bike, no for the track, and he prefered Ardennes as cobbles.

Riders that have the potential to clim very well but he started in the track get his best in the mountain late in his career, if we consider 28 years (now 29) as late, becouse is not very late.
I think anyway the only country with that kind of riders is GB, maybe australia as well, but not everybody started in the track. Maybe 1 of 10 riders that start in the track in countries with traidtion, has potential to climb, but anyway, you have to develop it and it supossed to lose weight and train diferent. I am not an expert in that, but of course they are profesional, and for sure SKy will have, becouse thay have money to help in that; nuritionists, phisiologists, trainers,...

Today he was as his pace, so it is not the same that attacks and stop, but he was one of the best of the stage, he didnt work a lot, becouse was Porte there before, but he finished with the same time of the best...

We will see, in TdS he showed as the end that he cant be with the best climbers. and the Tour is long, i have serious doubts he can finish in the top 5, but today he was a big problem for Movistar. He worked little time, but very important work.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Reminds me of this:

VDB was one of those talent that was able to perform in the cobbles, in the mountains, in all cycling.

I dont know if Thomas has so big talent, but he is his more similar rider with Valverde.

In this case there are something that are different comparing the pictures. VDB was far in GC in that Vuelta, so he was fresher than the rest of the riders, he just performed 3 days...but Thomas is 5th in GC, so in this case Thomas has more merit...so far... but in the other hand, VDB that day was working for Ulle, and at the end he won the stage very easy, it was more similar than when Froome worked for Wiggins. Today Thomas was strong, but no more than f¡Froome for sure and similar to Valverde or Quintana, even Contador. Thomas has put a pace, is more tired answer those attacksa t the moment... with hot weather he cant answer a Quintana attack... today yes.

I sit once in the Vuelta bus with Zarrabeitia, he was second that day in Avila, I asked him for that day, he attacked very strong in the cobbles.. he told me: I was really strong that day...but VDB passed me as a plane...

What a pity rider, he had a bad head...but big talent, drugs make him big damage...

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Gerraint Thomas v. Alberto Contador, et al.

Having watched Thomas for some long time now, I'm wondering when it was that he became a climber the caliber of Contador, Quintana, Valverde, or even Richie Porte? I thought he was one of those punchy riders, likely to win, for instance, Stage 13.

Or for that matter, the caliber of Armstrong at the height of his powers?

True story bro: G managed to beat LA time of 2002, into the headwind in the rain, all that while being a dom, working all the day and days before... and all that after successful classics campaign, being physically rather saganesque guy (same height, 3 lbs less). Just needs to survive some disease (cancer, badzilla) and the transformation is complete.

Of course if you eliminate a parasitc that feed on red cells you are going to improve, that is for sure, but of course Lance didnt improve for eliminate cancer...that has no sense...read Hamilton book.

Froome did a very good first Tour, better than Contafor first Tour at the same age (Froome younger in terms of cycling live, and in a worse team, Contador had the best schol).

Lance is a very strong athlete, but has not the potential of Froome for GT.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Gerraint Thomas v. Alberto Contador, et al.

@Taxus4a
The point isn't his performance in general, it is that he became such a great climber out of nothing. When Di Luca suddenly was good in gt's after he was a classic rider it was surprising, but he was a hill classic specialist, so no improvement we haven't seen before. Thomas however was the big favorite for the cobbles classics this spring and noone would have ever had the idea to call him a climber. In your logic it wouldn't be surprising if Sagan suddenly wins the vuelta.

edit:
ups, I have no idea why I wrote @Eshner, just forget it

 

[SlickMongoose]

Re: Gerraint Thomas v. Alberto Contador, et al.

@Eshner
The point isn't his performance in general, it is that he became such a great climber out of nothing. When Di Luca suddenly was good in gt's after he was a classic rider it was surprising, but he was a hill classic specialist, so no improvement we haven't seen before. Thomas however was the big favorite for the cobbles classics this spring and noone would have ever had the idea to call him a climber. In your logic it wouldn't be surprising if Sagan suddenly wins the vuelta.

Thomas's improvement as a climber has actually been fairly gradual since he quit the track in 2012. He didn't get to show it much in 2013 after breaking his pelvis, but last year he did well in the tour, finishing 23rd, and winning Algarve earlier this year.

Of course, his current form is up a level from that.

 

[sir fly]

I think he won't manage to hold on all the way through the Alps.

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

I never think he'll reach the toplevel of Contador and Froome, but IF he can keep this up the entire Tour, then he can maybe beat Quintana, Nibali etc. in a GT, when he's captain.

But it's only talk right now. We'll never know until he have the pressure of a captain in a big GT. But he looks mentally strong, not like Porte.

He wont reach the level of Contador but might beat Quintana?
In terms of climbing Quintana is now only second in this tour.

Also, Why would you say Porte doesn't look mentally strong?

He has been demoted to 3rd mountain climber, crashed out of the Giro, is probably leaving Sky, didn't think he was racing the Tour, yet has kept his head down, work tirelessly for his leader without complaint, ridden himself into form and come second on the most decisive stage so far! That is not looking mentallly strong according to you ?

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

Thomas worked extremely hard for Froome in those classic stages. Just remarkable. Imagine him leading a team of his own: Might just be the second best climber after Froome.

Coupled with his classics success, we might just have a modern day Merxck or Hinault.

I think you overestimate his ability by quite a lot.

Modern day Merckx or Hinault, second best climber after Froome....

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

That is a brilliant picture!

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Thomas worked extremely hard for Froome in those classic stages. Just remarkable. Imagine him leading a team of his own: Might just be the second best climber after Froome.

Coupled with his classics success, we might just have a modern day Merxck or Hinault.

I think you overestimate his ability by quite a lot.

Modern day Merckx or Hinault, second best climber after Froome....

Euh. BY FAR the best guy in GW and E3. And was also really solid in RVV, maybe even the best, just bad strategy.

Easily the best climber besides froome, even with quintana.

Oh my bad, thought this was the clinic

 

[Walkman]

Re:

I just LOVE this!!

Froome is like: "Damn, am I becoming Wiggins?"
Quintana is like: "What the f*ck!? Is this a joke?""
Contador: *angry* "I am so pissed right now...!!"

 

[Taxus4a]

The picture anyway is really good !

 

[Cookster15]

Thomas showed climbing potential before 2013. In 2011 TdF on stage to Luz-Ardiden he was 2nd over the Tourmalet with Jeremy Roy. 4 Years later and 4 years into his prime age I see nothing surprising about today. It is normal progression.

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

Thomas " Sh4t I left the oven on"
Froome " I wonder if the baby's mine "
Quintana " I wonder if I am taller than Prince"
Contador: "oh look a squirrel"
Valverde " I am sexy baby""
TJ " I can win , I can win, attack now , I can't win"

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Thomas showed climbing potential before 2013. In 2011 TdF on stage to Luz-Ardiden he was 2nd over the Tourmalet with Jeremy Roy. 4 Years later and 4 years into his prime age I see nothing surprising about today. It is normal progression.

it is a normal progession considering how he has done his career, but it is not normal considering how people do his career.
He was better today with the rain.
Valverde, Quintana and Froome cant perform his best level with rain, the same Gesink, but anyway thay are still in advantage with this hot, just an strom is not going to change a lot. But for Nibali, Thomas, and even Contador this rain was a relief.
It is the level he has showed all this year anyway, the surprise in any case is not now.

last year Thomas 19 in Belle filles, is not bad, considering he was working for Porte. The progession 2011-2014-2015 is normal. He must have that potential inside... I think Stannard has not.. Kennaugh? I dont know, could be possible.

 

[Happy dude]

So Thomas has placed second up a few mountains. So does that mean if someone like hTheo Bos starts out sprinting kittel, is that seen as natural progression? Or is that in realistic?

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

So Thomas has placed second up a few mountains. So does that mean if someone like hTheo Bos starts out sprinting kittel, is that seen as natural progression? Or is that in realistic?

I dont know what you mean, but Boss is one of the best sprinters, and he can win to anybody. At least has the potential.