Ian Stannard Thread

[Jelantik]

Thats not the Classics squad though is it - thats the stage race and GT squad(s)

They should do something in LBL, if they send Wiggo, Henao, Uran , Froome and dont get a podium minimum it will be a similar amount of fail

I think they will send Froome and Wiggo. (I read somewhere in interview wiggin and Froome are going to be racing LBL). So I'm assuming they will send their best domestique to join too. Maybe Porte as well.

 

[rghysens]

I guess sky's science method forgot to calculate that training in warm weather and race in under freezing cold don't add up. . Maybe their next step for next year is training in North Pole to acclimate with the freezing weather of belgium

And next year it will be 25°C early april

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Maybe next year.

 

[JRanton]

I honestly don't think Tenerife had anything to do with it. It's not like these same riders have produced results in the past. Just way overhyped really and nowhere near the best (Cancellara, Boonen, Sagan).

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

I agree that their riders aren't good enough but it would have helped if they hadn't sent Hayman on a suicide mission given that he was probably their best chance of a reasonable ride. Good enough effort by Bernie but even he got caught out tactically in the end. That said, neither of them could have done better than be involved in the sprint for 3rd and even that is optimistic. Boasson Hagen should just not bother with classics in the future, he doesn't have the endurance for them and he never will. Stannard clearly wasn't at his best, if he gets a couple of bad weather Roubaixs during his career, anything is possible.

 

[Roderick]

I agree that their riders aren't good enough but it would have helped if they hadn't sent Hayman on a suicide mission given that he was probably their best chance of a reasonable ride. Good enough effort by Bernie but even he got caught out tactically in the end. That said, neither of them could have done better than be involved in the sprint for 3rd and even that is optimistic. Boasson Hagen should just not bother with classics in the future, he doesn't have the endurance for them and he never will. Stannard clearly wasn't at his best, if he gets a couple of bad weather Roubaixs during his career, anything is possible.

What about his 2nd place in the worlds?

He's just not made for cobbles

 

[williamp78]

What about his 2nd place in the worlds?

He's just not made for cobbles

I dont agree with them but people will say that the worlds was too easy a race to take any conclusions from

 

[postmanhat]

Stannard punctured apparently and then crashed while trying to get back on (nasty looking leg wound). Hopfully explains a most un-Stannard-like perfomance of being on the front (but a bit lacksadasical), then struggling at the back five minutes later after Cancellara's intiial dig.

 

[maltiv]

What about his 2nd place in the worlds?

He's just not made for cobbles

This. If the endurance were the problem, he'd be good in E3, G-W etc which are shorter. But he isn't.

The problem is that he is incredibly uncomfortable on cobbles. Just look at him, he looks like a fish on land. He doesn't have anywhere near the flow that e.g. Cancellara or Vanmarcke have.

It's just a major mystery that he thinks he can do well in this race. His record in hilly races is downright incredible compared to his record in cobbles, yet he doesn't even want to ride them. In the last 3 hilly races of last year he was 1st GP Plouay, 5th GP Montreal, 2nd worlds. In his last 3 cobbles races he has been 47th, 17th and 20th...

 

[burning]

I think EBH should evolve into a Voeckler type rider with posessing much more skill than him, but he insists on riding cobbles, which doesnt look convincing so far

 

[JRanton]

This. If the endurance were the problem, he'd be good in E3, G-W etc which are shorter. But he isn't.

The problem is that he is incredibly uncomfortable on cobbles. Just look at him, he looks like a fish on land. He doesn't have anywhere near the flow that e.g. Cancellara or Vanmarcke have.

It's just a major mystery that he thinks he can do well in this race. His record in hilly races is downright incredible compared to his record in cobbles, yet he doesn't even want to ride them. In the last 3 hilly races of last year he was 1st GP Plouay, 5th GP Montreal, 2nd worlds. In his last 3 cobbles races he has been 47th, 17th and 20th...

The worst thing is the team (Arvesen and co) haven't noticed this. What do they say in the Norwegian media about his cobbles performances?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

The worst thing is the team (Arvesen and co) haven't noticed this. What do they say in the Norwegian media about his cobbles performances?

I haven't seen much, most media don't care about cycling, but the little I've heard concentrates on Sky failing rather than EBH failing. Cycling journalists are even more biased than CN forum members (), and they still think he's going to win just about every race there is.

 

[wiggos sideburn]

Need to work out how this turned into a thread about EBH

 

[Frosty]

This Giro would have been perfect weather for Stannard. Probably sent him into some sort of hyperdrive resulting in him winning up the Galibier.

 

[brilleaben]

Navardauskas is the new Stannard. Before he even got old.

 

[Bushman]

Navardauskas is the new Stannard. Before he even got old.

Nah, Navardauskas kan sprint and actually win some races.

 

[Gloin22]

I said it last year when opening this thread.. it didn't come off.

I'll say it this year again

''Dark horse for Paris Robuaix imo.''

 

[saneguy]

Great race indeed for him and team sky. Super result!

 

[will10]

I said it last year when opening this thread.. it didn't come off.

I'll say it this year again

''Dark horse for Paris Robuaix imo.''

If it rains he's a favourite.

 

[vedrafjord]

Fair play to Stannard, I'm not a Sky fan but I'm glad he got the win today. He reminds me of Boxer the workhorse from Animal Farm, he's a bit naive but he's a very hard worker. He's only 25 so lots more to come from him before he's sent off to the glue factory.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He couldn't follow the strongest in any of the moves on the cobbles on the hills, he was just behind though. Got away on the flat in the end.

Won't be enough for Roubaix. Unless he can suddenly follow the strongest on the cobbles (unlike today)
Hagen is still a better bet judging by todays race, even though it sounds weird if you just see the result

 

[manafana]

He couldn't follow the strongest in any of the moves on the cobbles on the hills, he was just behind though. Got away on the flat in the end.

Won't be enough for Roubaix. Unless he can suddenly follow the strongest on the cobbles (unlike today)
Hagen is still a better bet judging by todays race, even though it sounds weird if you just see the result

Its Paris Roubaix though its flat, he kept up with best just about on the Muurs, flat cobble sections he is among the best for it, will be good in San Remo again anyway and as we have said copes so well with bad weather.

 

[LugHugger]

6 weeks is a longtime to hold your form. I'd love to see him win PR but wonder if this is his peak, he won't be able to hold on. Good for him though today. Cracking start to the proper season.

 

[jens_attacks]

“They’re just hard, aren’t they? They suit me for one, they’re normally hard races in hard weather and I enjoy the hell out of them,” Stannard said of his love of the cobbles. “Banging around Flemish roads is fun.”


gotta love the guy

me too, i don't think he is the caliber of cancellara,sagan,boonen or vanmarcke. but with a little bit of luck, he could win roubaix. podium definitely possible even this year

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

even on flat cobble sections he couldn't follow the best 3/4

So still think that's a major problem in Roubaix, were you can expect Boonen/Cancellara to be strong as well, and probably race harder than Vanmarcke on cobbles today.
He might win it like O'Grady though, but then again that involves luck