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Gesink Discussion Thread

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Re:

46&twoWheels said:
if a seventh or a eight place (top 10) with 200 riders in the competition aren't meaningful it follows that roughly 190 riders are useless...let's make a tour where there are only 3-4 riders

.........useless is going from 150th to 149th,there's a big difference between 7th and 8th, It's a matter of personal pride
Both Gesink and Nibali are fighting for something. The value of that "something" is set by them

The general disapproval of defending minor GC places does not stem from the view that only the GC win or podium are important and nothing else about the race matters. It stems from the view that riders who are no longer in the running for the win should be fighting for stage wins or even taking big risks to take a small chance of moving back into contention for the win rather than forgoing any chance at a stage win to protect 7th. Or

As a fan, I generally agree with this disapproval - incentivising the protection of minor GC places incentivises defensive riding, while incentivising stage hunting in theory creates more exciting racing. My only quibble is with people who blame individual riders for responding to structural incentives. The value they place on minor GC placings isn't set by them or their personal pride. It's set primarily by cold, hard economics and secondarily by a culture in the sport that sees a rider who can finish in the Tour top 10 as more important than a rider who can win a stage.
 
Jul 14, 2015
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Of course I prefer it when riders look for a stage win or a GC win. However, with 21 days of racing and 3 jerseys a maximum of 24 out of the 200 individual riders can actually get a win. The others either ride for a second place or ride for somebody else.
A grand tour is a test of endurance and recuperation. That is why certain riders who are well equiped to win smaller stage races don't do well in a GT. After the many miles a GT is long, a top 10 position is regarded as a great feat by many teams and sponsors. For riders a top 10 finish seems to be just as important, as only apparent GC guys who have lost sight of a top 10 classification seem to be interested in stage wins.
We fans might not enjoy a rider protecting his GC when we deem it meaningless (let's say places 6 to 198), for a rider it may be one of the few chances they get. If you are not the fastest sprinter, not the best climber, not a puncheur et cetera but you do have great endurance and recuperate fast, you still have a chance of a top 10 GC and that is the best that rider can do. No point in not respecting a rider doing the best to his own ability.
 
Re:

Red Rick said:
Gesink is gonna finish minutes behind Nibali anyway
I doubt that. Nibali since his bad day took:
1 minute because of Gesink flatting
20 seconds on Mende (after attacking almost collapsing back to the group w/ Gesink)
28 seconds on Manse mainly because of the downhill and nobody really willing to ride in the group behind.

I have yet to see if Nibali can sustain a serious effort on a longer hard climb this Tour. Very sceptical.
 
In other news, AWWWWW LOOK HOW CUTE!

CKX2W8-WUAAcpFE.jpg
 
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Re: Re:

SafeBet said:
Dekker_Tifosi said:
Nibali is going to pass him and Thomas/Contador are going to stay ahead I think. So 7th.
Thomas could crack hard in one of the next stages.
And if Nibbles/Contador go on a kamikaze attack they could lose minutes too (although I hope they succeed of course).
Agreed, we've seen Gesink losing time on Froome and the riders who were able to follow Froome, but we've also seen Gesink win time over Nibali and Contador. Gesink has proven to be in good form and it might prove difficult for Nibali to overtake him in the GC. Then again, if Nibali overtakes Gesink in the GC, all will be well in the world :p
 
Behind Froome/Quintana again one of the strongest. Says enough he catches Contador, Bardet and Valverde by riding own pace, while they blow. And then they all stay in his wheel again until the final km.

It's really to bad Gesink lacks the ability to deal with accelerations. He is just one big diesel.
 
Dekker_Tifosi said:
Behind Froome/Quintana again one of the strongest. Says enough he catches Contador, Bardet and Valverde by riding own pace, while they blow. And then they all stay in his wheel again until the final km.

It's really to bad Gesink lacks the ability to deal with accelerations. He is just one big diesel.
It is possible that he still beats contador in the GC and finish in top 5?
 
May 2, 2014
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Gesink looks a bit heavier than his 2009/2010 years (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70QdOWkP2Awe). His arms especially look like they could shrink down a few centimeters.
I have a bodybuilding background, and know it should be possible for him, with the proper dietary advice and exercise, to lose some more weight in the right places. If he could do that I can see him becoming a podium contender still.
 
Aug 9, 2009
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DBotero said:
SergeDeM said:
DBotero said:
Good ride today.If he keeps going like this he's got the chance to move up at least one more place in the GC.Some of the guys in front of him are looking worse than him.
Some? Name one.

Lol see the post date :rolleyes: One of them is already gone today,the other 2 were towed by Gesink to the line today.
Yeah, I assumed it was from today because the thread was on the front page.
Thomas, gone. Lasted longer than expected.
I like Gesink, but the day Valverde and Contador get dropped by him on a race they target is not something i'll hold my breath for. 6th is a great accomplishment for him.
 
SergeDeM said:
DBotero said:
SergeDeM said:
DBotero said:
Good ride today.If he keeps going like this he's got the chance to move up at least one more place in the GC.Some of the guys in front of him are looking worse than him.
Some? Name one.

Lol see the post date :rolleyes: One of them is already gone today,the other 2 were towed by Gesink to the line today.
Yeah, I assumed it was from today because the thread was on the front page.
Thomas, gone. Lasted longer than expected.
I like Gesink, but the day Valverde and Contador get dropped by him on a race they target is not something i'll hold my breath for. 6th is a great accomplishment for him.

It might happen though,very hard stage tomorrow despite it's shortness :D Slim chances i know.
 
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That was a very strange day though. Those temperatures are not something you can prepare much for. You can simply withstand them or not.
Things have gotten closer to normal and Gesink has since slipped back to a more accurate position regarding his skill.
 

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