Ian Stannard Thread

[coinneach]

Whats with the positivity on here about a Sky rider, very strange.

Nothing strange about it at all.....

If all of Sky rode like Stannard, they'd have a lot more respect from the neutrals.

Yates mark2.

Respect!

 

[postmanhat]

He might end up babysitting for Eissel and Thomas. But yeah would be probably the strongest rider again in that one given a chance.

Would be a horrible mixture of annoyance and surprise if that happened! Eissel has no chance at P-R.

 

[sublimit]

Would be a horrible mixture of annoyance and surprise if that happened! Eissel has no chance at P-R.

Me too, having said that Eisel is usually solid like finishing top 10 a couple of years back, and some other decent rides.

 

[Dead leaves]

Whats with the positivity on here about a Sky rider, very strange.

It's strange, what's the big deal about a sixth place? I just don't get it.... Yeh put him in as a captain in P-R and a new sixth place is coming your way team Sky...

 

[El Pistolero]

Me too, having said that Eisel is usually solid like finishing top 10 a couple of years back, and some other decent rides.

Eisel won't be leader at Roubaix, but most likely will be leader at G-W and E3 Harelbeke. Important races as well and maybe Stannard needs to try and win races of that status before he's ready for Roubaix.

He did well today, but I think everybody noticed already he's great in horrible weather. It's not a coincidence he performed well today and in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2010. Let's wait and see how he does in the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. I hope for good weather.

 

[zalacain]

Stannard is well suited for P-R. I wish him well.

 

[Roderick]

Having Stannard as team leader for let's say RvV or P-R would be pretty stupid by Sky, since he is by no means a winner and I don't think Sky is the kind of team that rides for a 5th place.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Having Stannard as team leader for let's say RvV or P-R would be pretty stupid by Sky, since he is by no means a winner and I don't think Sky is the kind of team that rides for a 5th place.

and who might be better for the job?

Eisel, Thomas, EBH or Swift?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

and who might be better for the job?

Eisel, Thomas, EBH or Swift?

These riders have something in common; they're quite fast finishers. Stannard, to me, is like Flecha or Hoste - super strong, but he needs to arrive at the finish line alone to have a chance of winning.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

These riders have something in common; they're quite fast finishers. Stannard, to me, is like Flecha or Hoste - super strong, but he needs to arrive at the finish line alone to have a chance of winning.

Swift and EBH will be nowhere near the business end when it matters. Who cares about sprinting for 11th place.

Eisel in a sprint? Can't see it. Let him continue with the bottle service and a bit of road captaincy. Why pretend he is suddenly a leader?

That leaves Thomas who is about as unproven as Stannard in these races.

 

[JRanton]

To me Stannard is the best man on Sky for RVV and P-R.
They should ride 100% for him.

RVV is far too hilly for Stannard. It's much more for Thomas.

 

[JRanton]

Not yet convinced he has a 'finishing move' so to speak, but certainly there was no one stronger today, and no one else in the finale spent earlier stages of the race on the front as a domestique so I'd certainly agree he looks a good bet for having all the watts needed to stay at the front.

That's what I think about Thomas too. They'll both likely be right there in the mix in Roubaix and Thomas in Flanders* but I can't really see a realistic scenario whereby they beat Sagan, Cancellara, Boonen and Phinney (Roubaix).

* I'm not convinced Thomas is good enough on the bergs to survive the new Flanders final.

 

[Pentacycle]

That's what I think about Thomas too. They'll both likely be right there in the mix in Roubaix and Thomas in Flanders* but I can't really see a realistic scenario whereby they beat Sagan, Cancellara, Boonen and Phinney (Roubaix).

* I'm not convinced Thomas is good enough on the bergs to survive the new Flanders final.

Phinney is suddenly one of the top Roubaix contenders? Maybe the first step for him is the top 10, he finished almost 5 minutes down last year.

Stannard and Thomas are way better than Phinney atm., especially in terms of endurance and climbing. Then there's Chavanel, Boom, Langeveld, Flecha, Vansummeren, Hushovd who are a step ahead on cobbles as well. I don't exclude Phinney from doing well with his cobbled reputation form the U23, but one MSR performance isn't a direct indication for Roubaix success.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Swift and EBH will be nowhere near the business end when it matters. Who cares about sprinting for 11th place.

Eisel in a sprint? Can't see it. Let him continue with the bottle service and a bit of road captaincy. Why pretend he is suddenly a leader?

That leaves Thomas who is about as unproven as Stannard in these races.

I never said any of these riders are going to win a monument. The point is that Stannard lacks the kick that wins races from a small group. That doesn't mean he can't win PR. After all, Servais Knaven and Johan Van Summeren have won PR

 

[HiCadence]

Someone needs to make a poll "How many GT's will Ian Stannard win?"

 

[Ferminal]

I don't think you can ride the Ronde or P-R with the mindset that you're going to control the final 100km and deliver a fast man to the finish. It's fine if you're racing for 3rd or 4th - but if you want to win, using your depth tactically would be a far better option.

 

[JRanton]

Phinney is suddenly one of the top Roubaix contenders? Maybe the first step for him is the top 10, he finished almost 5 minutes down last year.

Stannard and Thomas are way better than Phinney atm., especially in terms of endurance and climbing. Then there's Chavanel, Boom, Langeveld, Flecha, Vansummeren, Hushovd who are a step ahead on cobbles as well. I don't exclude Phinney from doing well with his cobbled reputation form the U23, but one MSR performance isn't a direct indication for Roubaix success.

Personally I think he is yes. He's made huge progress over the last 12 months and I think at Roubaix that translates to him being a top favourite. He has the engine of Tony Martin but handles cobbles well and has a very good sprint on him. That is a top Roubaix contender in my book. Wait and see...

 

[movingtarget]

Mighty ride by Stannard at MSR but a disaster for the team re the fall.

 

[jens_attacks]

yes i was very curious of how thomas would have done on the poggio

thanks tyler farrar

 

[JRanton]

yes i was very curious of how thomas would have done on the poggio

thanks tyler farrar

Yates tweeted about five minutes before the crash predicting that Thomas would be on the podium. He was looking very ''easy'' on the bike before the Cipressa and Sky were obviously riding for him so it's logical that he would have been in contention.

 

[will10]

I don't think you can ride the Ronde or P-R with the mindset that you're going to control the final 100km and deliver a fast man to the finish. It's fine if you're racing for 3rd or 4th - but if you want to win, using your depth tactically would be a far better option.

+1

Boonen may have won many classics but it's very rare there's not a Quickstep guy up the road covering a move before the final. They use numbers better than anyone in those races.

 

[Roderick]

Ofcourse EBH would be the best pick as team leader for the classics. He is by far the best rider of the Sky-gang, with Thomas as a good second. If it wasn't for Gilbert, EBH was already WC last year.

And besides, what is all the fuzz now with Stannard? The guy did one good race in extremely bad weather, which is pretty much a Stannard-special. The last years he was nowhere close to a good result in the classics. He was still on his way to the finish when the first three guys were already washed and put on the podium.

 

[Richeypen]

Ofcourse EBH would be the best pick as team leader for the classics. He is by far the best rider of the Sky-gang, with Thomas as a good second. If it wasn't for Gilbert, EBH was already WC last year.

And besides, what is all the fuzz now with Stannard? The guy did one good race in extremely bad weather, which is pretty much a Stannard-special. The last years he was nowhere close to a good result in the classics. He was still on his way to the finish when the first three guys were already washed and put on the podium.

He was 100 metres away from winning gent wevelgem, 3rd in KBK and 4th in Paris Tours. No big results yet but a lot of promise

 

[maltiv]

He was 100 metres away from winning gent wevelgem, 3rd in KBK and 4th in Paris Tours. No big results yet but a lot of promise

EBH has won Gent-Wevelgem though.

Stannard should be the leader for P-R, but G and EBH are better bets for the other classics imo.

 

[Roderick]

Almost 75% of the peloton was only 100 meters away from a big victory once. Being close doesn't count. KBK was something special due to the extreme weather. And he did get beaten by Traksel and Flens, not really the biggest names of the current peloton to say the least. P-T 2011 is probably the race with the weakest field of contestants of the last 10 years.