Il Lombardia, sunday, october 6th, 2013

[jaylew]

Hard to believe Valverde had never podiumed this. Yes, I know he never races at Lombardia, but it still seems a little strange.

 

[Pippo_San]

So you keep on losing Dumbverde huh? Smoked

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Dumbverde:
''How many times are y gonna try those silly GT's you Leprechaun?''



Again a pretty good season for Joaquim. Nice to see.

 

[manafana]

purito a class finisher for yrs he came 2nd so often doing plenty winning now, valverde must hate him at this stage, thought majka or valverde myself so close, another top10 for pellizotti.

 

[Netserk]

Dumbverde:
''How many times are y gonna try those silly GT's you Leprechaun?''



Again a pretty good season for Joaquim. Nice to see.

He got 1 win of note. Today.

For the rest of the season: 3 stage wins

 

[Kwibus]

He got 1 win of note. Today.

For the rest of the season: 3 stage wins

Haters gonna hate.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

purito a class finisher for yrs he came 2nd so often doing plenty winning now, valverde must hate him at this stage, thought majka or valverde myself so close, another top10 for pellizotti.

After Purito endured four years of being treated like Valverde's kid brother, I think Ally Vally will be gracious enough to accept the guy having a few moments of glory of his own. And Purito has way more experience of racing in Italy since Tirreno and the Giro were about the only races he got to ride for himself at Abarcá, resulting in the legend of Montelupone, the birth of Murito.

 

[Kwibus]

Re. Fleche Wallone, I believe the joke is that this route make the race basically a fleche wallone with a descent. Riders wait until the last moment and then the winning move goes away on the steep part of the last climb,

Sounds like most races are these days. Liege comes down to pretty much the same.

They should move the final climb further from the finish and put the hard part of the race between 50 to 20 km from the finish. Then a descent and flat, but not on big wide roads ofcourse.

 

[The Hitch]

What is it about Lombardia since the turn of the century that lends itself to 2 in a rows.

2002 Italy Michele Bartoli (ITA) Fassa Bortolo
2003 Italy Michele Bartoli (ITA) Fassa Bortolo
2004 Italy Damiano Cunego (ITA) Saeco Macchine per Caffè
2005 Italy Paolo Bettini (ITA) Quick Step-Innergetic
2006 Italy Paolo Bettini (ITA) Quick Step-Innergetic
2007 Italy Damiano Cunego (ITA) Lampre-Fondital
2008 Italy Damiano Cunego (ITA) Lampre
2009 Belgium Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Silence-Lotto
2010 Belgium Philippe Gilbert (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto
2011 Switzerland Oliver Zaugg (SUI) Leopard Trek
2012 Spain Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) Team Katusha
2013 Spain Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) Team Katusha

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

He got 1 win of note. Today.

For the rest of the season: 3 stage wins

Please endulge me and point me to a more consistent rider over the season.

 

[Netserk]

Please endulge me and point me to a more consistent rider over the season.

Nibali (an actual winner (before today) this year....)

 

[Kwibus]

Nibali (an actual winner (before today) this year....)

Nibali is awesome as well. A true warrior with big cojones.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Nibali (an actual winner (before today) this year....)

He had a nice season as well, just like Valverde. Just like Froome.

Point is, is Rodriquez season not good because he won just three races? How many races did Moreno [=teammate at Katusha] win because everyone was keeping an eye on Rodriguez?

 

[kingjr]

whoooooooosh

I had to read it three times to get the joke lol. Shame on me.

 

[SKSemtex]

I am just glad that Froome did get the title. Nothing agaist Froome. He is no doubt the best climber, but cycling should not be only power output in 4 climbs in July.

I do hope Froome will not become the second LA with "only the Tour matters" attitude.

 

[kingjr]

I am just glad that Froome did get the title. Nothing agaist Froome. He is no doubt the best climber, but cycling should not be only power output in 4 climbs in July.

I do hope Froome will not become the second LA with "only the Tour matters" attitude.

Have people really entirely forgotten the first half of this season?

Oman, podium @Tirreno, Criterium International, Romandie, Dauphiné, none of them take place in July

 

[Netserk]

He had a nice season as well, just like Valverde. Just like Froome.

Point is, is Rodriquez season not good because he won just three races? How many races did Moreno [=teammate at Katusha] win because everyone was keeping an eye on Rodriguez?

He didn't win three races. Only one. Stage wins =/= Race wins.

But I'll give ya that he was losing consistently over the season until today when he actually won a race.

 

[SKSemtex]

Have people really entirely forgotten the first half of this season?

Oman, podium @Tirreno, Criterium International, Romandie, Dauphiné, none of them take place in July

Partly. Selective memory. Sorry

 

[Pentacycle]

He didn't win three races. Only one. Stage wins =/= Race wins.

But I'll give ya that he was losing consistently over the season until today when he actually won a race.

He could've won FW and possibly LBL if it weren't for that crash in the Amstel, but bad luck is part of cycling. Nibali is experiencing that now.

Difference is that Purito doesn't have much time left to win LBL, a GT and/or Worlds, while Nibali has at least 5 more years to accomplish that.(+ he already has Giro + Vuelta in the bag)

 

[Flamin]

Yeah, the route needs to be changed asap. Damn, Lombardia is miles below the other monuments at this moment.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yeah, the route needs to be changed asap. Damn, Lombardia is miles below the other monuments at this moment.

de Ronde is actively trying to join it with its hideous new route. It seems to be suffering from the same problem as Lombardia with every favourite leaving it until 15k to go to do anything.

 

[MatParker117]

Please endulge me and point me to a more consistent rider over the season.

Froome: Oman, Crit International, Romandie, Dauphine, Tour, 2nd at Tirreno, 8 Stage Wins. Hell had the guy not forgotten to eat on the Alpe he's the first man since Merckx to win Yellow and Polka Dot.

Sagan: Gent, Montreal, Green, Too many stage wins to mention

 

[Red Rick]

I am just glad that Froome did get the title. Nothing agaist Froome. He is no doubt the best climber, but cycling should not be only power output in 4 climbs in July.

I do hope Froome will not become the second LA with "only the Tour matters" attitude.

I hope Froome keeps on doing that, I don't want to see him being ridiculous in every race

 

[willbick]

I am just glad that Froome did get the title. Nothing agaist Froome. He is no doubt the best climber, but cycling should not be only power output in 4 climbs in July.

I do hope Froome will not become the second LA with "only the Tour matters" attitude.

For as long as Froome keeps hitting the right numbers in Tenerife the Maillot Jeune will be his no.1 priority every year.

 

[movingtarget]

Good to see Rodriguez win. Carbon copy of last year's win. If the route stays the same he could win again next year. Once again the wet weather played a part. Good to see Majka get a podium but Rodriguez was just unstoppable.