Giro Di Lombardia - 16th October

[Luis Ocaña]

I'd say Urán, Samu and possibly Nieve were pretty much dead. Nibali, Lastras and Fuglsang were good but they wouldn't have an overwhelming advantage in numbers, strength or determination. I'm a bit puzzled that Scarponi cooperated, knowing full well he couldn't win one-on-one.

Become 2nd and get some publicity in your home country or wheelsuck, get caught and end up 5th or something. Easy choice, I guess.

 

[The Hitch]

Isn't Gilbert getting more muscular? I thought he looked like a beast today compared to the slim figure of Scarponi.

Id say its the opposite. He looke a lot bigger to me last year.

 

[Luis Ocaña]

So after a bit of discussion on this thread, are we to conclude that the reason Samu, Nibali, Nieve etc didnt catch Gilbert and Scarponi is that Gilbert and Scarponi were riding such an insanely high pace that even with slipstream, the 6 chasers didnt have a chance.

Uh, what about a lack of belief, cooperation and/or strength. Or just the thought of losing to many energy and another rider (who did work less) taking away the victory...

 

[insideout leadout]

Id say its the opposite. He looke a lot bigger to me last year.

Oh my...I might send Scarponi a lunchbox then.

I think Gilbert's upperbody looks more pumped than ever but TV pics can be tricky sometimes.

 

[Arnout]

Id say its the opposite. He looke a lot bigger to me last year.

It was the weather. Did you read my post by the way?

 

[Anonymous]

(if this topic has already been broached, please disregard)

From the cyclingnews.com report:

:Gilbert admitted he heard Nibali crash and accelerated to make sure the Italian did not get back up to him.

"I didn’t see him crash but I heard it. I thought it was him because I didn’t see him and then Lastras told me.
I went hard so that he couldn't get back up to us. But that's all part of racing."

OMG!!!

HOW UNETHICAL!!! HOW IMMORAL!!!



Obviously Gilly didn't watch any 2010 Tour...or maybe he just decided there are too many sissy babies in the sport and attacked like a true hardman of yore would have. Can't control yer bike, tough luck, Nibs! Good on ya, Gilly!

bit naughty.. if it were any other rider it would get a thread of its own.

 

[The Hitch]

It was the weather. Did you read my post by the way?

Of course. If i felt you were wrong i would have responded. Take it as a compliment that i didnt

Edit: Oh wait. You meant the other post. Didnt see it.

 

[The Hitch]

Well, that's cycling.

You know, I know you're one of the guys that thinks all cyclists are dopers. Fine with me, we live in a free world.

But in a normal world, cycling is not maths. Cycling is not when one guy rides away, there are three others who will catch him without pain. Because they're superhuman. Because they all have internal engines. Cycling is about suffering. And I know they suffered all. I saw them, looked into their eyes. Exhausted, wasted, without anything left. I didn't saw unused engines because of some slipstream. I saw a bunch of worn-out riders, after a long season, a season with pressure from all directions. I saw them after a long and demanding race.

Most of all, I saw humans. Competing on a level you probably and I certainly will never reach. But that doesn't mean they're inexhaustible. I didn't see 6>2. I saw one rider being better than some others.

Isn't that exactly what cycling is supposed to be?

This has nothing to do with doping. And your right i do believe they all dope but thats for the clinic and it also means that i believe that the chasers were also doping but Gilbert beat them too.

Im not having a go at Gilbert. He was clearly the strongest and deserved it. Im not complaining that he won, he would have anyway. At amstel gold he instigated ANd chased down every attack and then still won the sprint. Im complaining that the chasers didnt make it interesting. As a cycling fan im wondering why. I dont know the answer. Im searching for it.

I was just surprised because in GTs you usually see slipstream making such a huge difference that people cant even attack out of the peloton and yet the second it becomes a 1 day race, people like Canc can do 50k tts against 5 people and GAIN a minute every 10 km.

 

[The Hitch]

bit naughty.. if it were any other rider it would get a thread of its own.

mmm Looking at this post and the one on the rider of the year thread, I denote a bit of anti Gilbert in you. Me as well. I got nothing against him and i like him, just compared to the all out Gilbert love fest on this forum, im impartial.

 

[Anonymous]

mmm Looking at this post and the one on the rider of the year thread, I denote a bit of anti Gilbert in you. Me as well. I got nothing against him and i like him, just compared to the all out Gilbert love fest on this forum, im impartial.

He just doesnt excite me. I dont know what it is, you know how sometimes you just dont like someone, I just dont feel anything from Gilbert. I respect him as a rider, but, I dunno, I just cannot get excited about him at all. Theres something a bit clinical about him, hes not the typical classics rider, cant put my finger on it. I dont dislike the guy, but im not going to get worked up about him.

Take him or leave him personally. Bit like Andy Schleck for me in that respect. Couldnt really give a monkeys about the guy either way, not going to cheer him on, not going to boo him. completely and utterly indifferent.

 

[auscyclefan94]

He just doesnt excite me. I dont know what it is, you know how sometimes you just dont like someone, I just dont feel anything from Gilbert. I respect him as a rider, but, I dunno, I just cannot get excited about him at all. Theres something a bit clinical about him, hes not the typical classics rider, cant put my finger on it. I dont dislike the guy, but im not going to get worked up about him.

Take him or leave him personally. Bit like Andy Schleck for me in that respect. Couldnt really give a monkeys about the guy either way, not going to cheer him on, not going to boo him. completely and utterly indifferent.

I guess watching team sky fail at lead outs all the time or wiggins doing absolutely jack **** makes you excited!!

Isn't Gilbert getting more muscular? I thought he looked like a beast today compared to the slim figure of Scarponi.

How homoerotic!

Thing to remember with sky is for a lot of riders the end of season was screwed up by the vuelta withdrawal. Riders that planned to be on form left the vuelta etc. Gerrans as already said it messed up his worlds preparation. I think they did fine, someone in the breakaway, and had 3(?) riders finish out of a very small finishing feild

BMC did not race vuelta at al and we had an 8th place today!

it wasn't that bad, had evans featured i'm sure you wouldn't be crying so much.
I've seen better editions sure, but yeah you're taking it to far pal.

kudos to gilbert, I'm dissapointed he didn't win this with the rainbow jersey on his back

season starts late feb. for me

True, I had a bit too much too drink last night so I was a tad emotional!

 

[Ferminal]

At the end of the day it was a second rate field, Gilbert was the only one of the big hilly classics riders who showed up in top form. That's just how it is and it may have made the race a bit boring, I didn't mind it (once the stupid f***ing tennis finished).

 

[Anonymous]

At the end of the day it was a second rate field, Gilbert was the only one of the big hilly classics riders who showed up in top form. That's just how it is and it may have made the race a bit boring, I didn't mind it (once the stupid f***ing tennis finished).

In retrospect, the tennis was quite exciting.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess watching team sky fail at lead outs all the time or wiggins doing absolutely jack **** makes you excited!!
How homoerotic!
True, I had a bit too much too drink last night so I was a tad emotional!

Im actually considering putting you on Ignore till after the TdU

 

[auscyclefan94]

Im actually considering putting you on Ignore till after the TdU

Oh please do! then I won't have to read or respond to your drivel!

 

[Anonymous]

Oh please do! then I won't have to read or respond to your drivel!

No that would involve you putting me on ignore. If i ignore you, you can still see me numpty nuts.

Now stop stalking me, im not australian, nor do i have a big chin

 

[sublimit]

I'm so pleased that Arnout found it an such exciting race. Dont let The fact I was bored sh*tless watching the last 80 K change his/her mind.

The Worlds was a race but this seemed like a test of endurance in rubbish weather.

 

[Kwibus]

I'm so pleased that Arnout found it an such exciting race. Dont let The fact I was bored sh*tless watching the last 80 K change his/her mind.

The Worlds was a race but this seemed like a test of endurance in rubbish weather.

Well that's exactly what it was. a test of endurance.
I like to see those epic tests of endurance. When 2 riders are infront and a group of 6-8 riders behind them that are so incredible wasted that they can't get a chase going because they are done.. wasted.
It wasn't as exciting, but I certainly enjoyed it.

 

[sTTevie]

I guess you had to be Belgian to love this race ... I enjoyed every minute of it

only at 1.8k from the finish when we all tought Phil was pointing at a flat tyre ... instead it was the n°1 plate ... that all the other great riders apparently didn't bother about ... well, we didn't bother about them either




@TeamSkyFans ... Phil is probably one of the least clinical riders out there, last year when Tom Steels introduced a new training method at Lotto Phil never participated & did his own thing ... he actually confessed to a magazine once he doesn't even use a heart rate monitor when he's training ... it's all in the feeling he said .... Ardennes hard man

 

[simo1733]

'We had an 8th place today!' good one. I'm sure Evans would love too have someone like you on his team.

 

[Mellow Velo]

'We had an 8th place today!' good one. I'm sure Evans would love too have someone like you on his team.

When you have had only 4 wins all season, 8th place is a result to get excited about.

 

[Arnout]

This has nothing to do with doping. And your right i do believe they all dope but thats for the clinic and it also means that i believe that the chasers were also doping but Gilbert beat them too.

Im not having a go at Gilbert. He was clearly the strongest and deserved it. Im not complaining that he won, he would have anyway. At amstel gold he instigated ANd chased down every attack and then still won the sprint. Im complaining that the chasers didnt make it interesting. As a cycling fan im wondering why. I dont know the answer. Im searching for it.

I was just surprised because in GTs you usually see slipstream making such a huge difference that people cant even attack out of the peloton and yet the second it becomes a 1 day race, people like Canc can do 50k tts against 5 people and GAIN a minute every 10 km.

That's because in the Tour the best guns never attack with 50k to go and in the Tour there will never be an elite group with 50k to go. Riders just give it all earlier in classics, because the next day is not at stake.

By the way, I see people think I thought it was an exciting race. I simply don't know. I only saw a small part of the race on a screen and I saw the finish. And the only thing that I can say is that I saw the riders had all given it everything. That does not necessarily mean it was exciting. Although for me it was exciting yeah, because its not often I go to a finish of a major race.

By the way, Gilbert and Sanchez are not doping, you can see that clearly in their results, but let's not dwell on that here.

 

[Winterfold]

bit naughty.. if it were any other rider it would get a thread of its own.

In no way was it naughty.

If you fall off you are fair game. If you fluff a gear change when the race is on you are fair game.

If a moron steps out in front of you or you get a flat, the other guy should think about waiting.

Not that it made any difference today, Scarponi was cooked from chasing to get back on and 2nd a great result for the team.

Can't believe people don't find Gilbert exciting- he has been more exciting this year than ALL of Sky put together

 

[Leopejo]

I found a very exciting race at least in the last 65 km, true to its Classic of the Fallen Leaves name. When you see people losing the wheels on the flat, see Lastras and Scarponi being dropped by Gilbert, it means they all are really pushed to the limit. Exciting to see exactly those two later on the podium.

Those people who complain that the race was over too early should probably not watch Paris - Roubaix, which quite often has a similar grinding down and hopeless chase as yesterday's Lombardia.

 

[auscyclefan94]

'We had an 8th place today!' good one. I'm sure Evans would love too have someone like you on his team.

When only 34 riders finish and it is in a monuement. 8th place is a decent result.