Has Wiggins peaked too early?

[Froome19]

no he hasnt peaked too early, contador used to win the paris nice or do well before going on to do well in the tour

You cant really use that as an argument as contador won them well within his top fitness whilst wiggins seems to currently be riding at his very highest level he has ever ridden. (though there doesnt seems to be any reason why he cant reproduce this form or even better at the tour).

 

[Poursuivant]

To be fair, Wiggins podiumed this race last year and was still good in August.

 

[BillytheKid]

Has Wiggins peaked too early?

I would say no if he dials it way down for four-six weeks or so. PN is early and short enough not to tax beyond long-term recovery.

Interestingly Leipheimer also is flying here, and last month in Argentina, but both may not reappear until a May for a build up. The Cali is a training ride until or if can gain WT status.

No else though considering other GC riders here.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Of course he can peak again but his comments about him being in the best form of his career would please his rivals imo.

This.

Several times he's stated that he is in the shape of his life. If that's the case, good luck in sommer.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Brad has talked about gradually building up throughout the season, leading up to the Tour. I take that to mean that he's nowhere near peak yet and will improve throughout his schedule - Catalunya, Romandie and Dauphine, I believe.

He's looking impressive though. People were talking about 3 perceived weakness - short steep finishes, back to back HC climbs within a stage and form in week 3 of a GT. I think yesterday showed that he'd made some progress in the first of these. If he's made some progress in the latter 2, he's going to be very tough to beat in July. Right now, given where he is and what we know about him, I think I'd have him as 2nd favourite.

 

[theyoungest]

Of course he can peak again but his comments about him being in the best form of his career would please his rivals imo.

As long as he smashes it in the time trials, he can afford to look like my grandpa on some of these climbs. It's not like Cadel Evans would have done much better yesterday.

Brad has talked about gradually building up throughout the season, leading up to the Tour. I take that to mean that he's nowhere near peak yet and will improve throughout his schedule - Catalunya, Romandie and Dauphine, I believe.

Then why did he say he's in the form of his life? I think he's approaching top form right now, as a test case.

 

[hatcher]

Also, his "best form of my life" comments are probably "best form of my life at this point of the season".

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Then why did he say he's in the form of his life? I think he's approaching top form right now, as a test case.

Because he IS in the form of his life. Doesn't mean to say he can't still keep on getting even better up to July.

 

[simoni]

Also, a lot of riders don't go all out every race. Wiggin's is treating Paris-Nice seriously and was aiming to win from the start.

Theres a difference between "form" and racing well. The chances are he'll get a good kicking (by accident or design) at some point in the next month or two. This doesn't necessarily mean that his background "form" is declining. Just that he'll be at a point of the cycle where race performance isn't as important so he won't be motivated and rested sufficiently to give it his all.

 

[Caruut]

With so much serious racing to be done in the second half of the year, has Wiggins peaked too early, or can he continue to improve as the year progresses?

We can't know what the peaks are until we look back over the season as a whole, surely? It's like saying "you should sell your house when the market is highest", but you have no idea when that is going to be until after the fact.

 

[will10]

Wiggins 2012 = Contador 2007

 

[patrick767]

Wiggins will be fine for Le Tour. Also, good for him for going for the win in Paris-Nice. It seems, as is often the case, that some other top Grand Tour riders came into the race in terrible form and/or don't care about it.

I figured Leipheimer would be competitive, but he targets one week stage races. He'll force Wiggins to stay strong through the final time trial.

 

[ferryman]

Wiggins will be fine for Le Tour. Also, good for him for going for the win in Paris-Nice. It seems, as is often the case, that some other top Grand Tour riders came into the race in terrible form and/or don't care about it.

I figured Leipheimer would be competitive, but he targets one week stage races. He'll force Wiggins to stay strong through the final time trial.

I think this pretty much sums up the situation. Wiggins wants to win this and so is in shape for it. Leipheimer also which means both will have to be honest up Eze.

Valverde won't be a factor but impressive all the same.

As for Brad peaking too early. Too early for what? He needed to be in shape for this. Plenty of down and up time before July. I think he had it right last year and can't see why he can't get it right again this year. Forget the Olympics, the Tour is his No 1 this year which is likely to be his one and only chance of winning it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If you can be in peak form for the Giro and the Vuelta (you can), you can be in peak form for Paris-Nice and the Tour. They are four months apart. Wiggins isn't exactly going to be a big threat in the Ardennes and will probably not ride anything to win in May, so he'll have two peaks; this could be part of the first, the second will undoubtedly be the Tour.

Look at the top 10s of Paris-Nice in the last few years; Contador, Valverde, Samuel Sánchez, Kreuziger, Rodríguez, Fränk Schleck, Gesink, Valjavec, Pellizotti... peaking for Paris-Nice most definitely does not constitute peaking too early.

 

[Mellow Velo]

LOL: The only folks peaking in early March are the Milan-San Remo squaddies.
Still, a third of the forum swallow Woodie's hater hook.

 

[auscyclefan94]

As long as he smashes it in the time trials, he can afford to look like my grandpa on some of these climbs. It's not like Cadel Evans would have done much better yesterday.
.

LOL. Do you actually watch Cycling? IF Evans was on top form he would have beaten Wiggins like a baby seal on the climb to mende. Evans is very good at these finishes.

 

[The Hitch]

LOL. Do you actually watch Cycling? IF Evans was on top form he would have beaten Wiggins like a baby seal on the climb to mende. Evans is very good at these finishes.

So is Valverde. Oh look who finished with Wiggins

 

[El Oso]

Interestingly Leipheimer also is flying here, and last month in Argentina, but both may not reappear until a May for a build up. The Cali is a training ride until or if can gain WT status.

Levi is always like that, he seems to always be at the same level, which is why he dominated Cali when it was in February, nobody else was in shape yet. But then the season catches up with him and then he he comes up short in the GTs.

 

[WindLessBreeze]

Brad'

He should grab what he can early on, then quiet down, and later try for stage podiums at the grand Tours (i.e. TdF). Bear in mind that SKY didn't sign Cav' in order to have him sit iddle at the grand Tours, but instead to grab the GREEN Points Jersey if possible. For that He'll need a train akin to the one which performed for him at HTC. Missing are Goss, Renkshaw, Martin, & Rasmussen. Capt. Eisel will have a hard time keeping him within time limits on the tough montani stages. So go for it. Paris-Nize

 

[ferryman]

LOL: The only folks peaking in early March are the Milan-San Remo squaddies.
Still, a third of the forum swallow Woodie's hater hook.

LOL back at you. So you win PN or TA by chance and not by being in peak early form. Hmmm.

 

[Ripper]

Of course he has not peaked too early (like most people have said). It does not confirm he can win le Tour, but it does not hurt either. July will see deeper competition, much longer climbs, and a couple of extra weeks of racing. Should be good

 

[will10]

LOL. Do you actually watch Cycling? IF Evans was on top form he would have beaten Wiggins like a baby seal on the climb to mende. Evans is very good at these finishes.

Hook line and sinker.

 

[DominicDecoco]

It's true though. Evans has proved that quite a number of times.

 

[The Hitch]

LOL. Do you actually watch Cycling? IF Evans was on top form he would have beaten Wiggins like a baby seal on the climb to mende. Evans is very good at these finishes.

It's true though. Evans has proved that quite a number of times.

Im not one to deny Evans's abilities on hills, he truly is one of the best.

But.

1 So is Valverde, better maybe even and he finished with Wiggins.
2 If wiggins is also "on top form", no he wouldnt.
3 Have we seen a top Wiggins face a top Evans on a hill? Wiggins has only ever been on top form in 2009 when he beat Evans in the mountains, Dauphine 2011 when they matched and in Vuelta 2011 when Evans wasnt there. We havent really seen Evans go against Wiggins on such a finish.
4 I think some of his mountain performances arent that different from a climb like Mende. Its what 2.5k? Thats not exactly Muur du hoy. Quite a bit longer.

 

[El Pistolero]

Im not one to deny Evans's abilities on hills, he truly is one of the best.

But.

1 So is Valverde, better maybe even and he finished with Wiggins.
2 If wiggins is also "on top form", no he wouldnt.
3 Have we seen a top Wiggins face a top Evans on a hill? Wiggins has only ever been on top form in 2009 when he beat Evans in the mountains, Dauphine 2011 when they matched and in Vuelta 2011 when Evans wasnt there. We havent really seen Evans go against Wiggins on such a finish.
4 I think some of his mountain performances arent that different from a climb like Mende. Its what 2.5k? Thats not exactly Muur du hoy. Quite a bit longer.

Valverde has been impressive so far this year, especially if you consider he was banned for 1.5 years, but he's still not at the same level as he was before his ban in my opinion.

I'd give Evans the benefit of the doubt over Wiggins any day though. He has won Flèche Wallonne, Tirreno-Adriatico, a hilly world championships, the Tour de France and a stage that finished on the Mur de Bretagne where he beat Contador and Gilbert, etc

That's a palmares any puncheur wants. Joaquim Rodriguez is considered one of the best cyclists in the world on steep walls, yet he has nowhere near the palmares Evans. Cotée de Laurent Jalabert is somewhere in the middle of a steep wall and a real mountain finish.