Is Fabian Cancellara past his prime?

[hrotha]

He kind of sucked in the second half of the season but in the first half he was probably stronger than ever. I just don't think being a superdomestique and winning yet another ITT WC motivates him. He needs to find himself a new team.

 

[El Pistolero]

He kind of sucked in the second half of the season but in the first half he was probably stronger than ever. I just don't think being a superdomestique and winning yet another ITT WC motivates him. He needs to find himself a new team.

I wouldn't say he looked stronger than in 2010. Chavanel had no problems of following Thor in the Ronde and Thor had no problem at Roubaix.

 

[hrotha]

I wouldn't say he looked stronger than in 2010. Chavanel had no problems of following Thor in the Ronde and Thor had no problem at Roubaix.

Chavanel had no trouble following Canc? I saw it differently, until Canc tanked. And in PR there were many tactical factors and a motorbike involved. What we know is that his spring results were otherworldly.

 

[The Hitch]

His performance in RVV this year was better than anything hes shown before.

Either way he still has a chance at the worlds and I dont think hes gone from hero to zero just yet. Theres still many special moments left in him.

 

[Maxiton]

time to face the facts fab

Love it.

Too soon to write his obituary. I'll be interested in hearing what he has to say, and seeing where he lands next year or in 2013 if he's stuck at BrAndy-Trek next year.

 

[Parrulo]

His performance in RVV this year was better than anything hes shown before.

I didnt see the race today. The report says he set the fastest splits then almosgt crashed. Is this true, or was he just beaten by a vastly superior rider on the day?

Either way he still has a chance at the worlds and I dont think hes gone from hero to zero just yet. Theres still many special moments left in him.

martin was much superior today no doubt about that. he was already 56 secs down on martin on the last split before he almost crahsed

 

[Maxiton]

His performance in RVV this year was better than anything hes shown before.

I didnt see the race today. The report says he set the fastest splits then almosgt crashed. Is this true, or was he just beaten by a vastly superior rider on the day?

Either way he still has a chance at the worlds and I dont think hes gone from hero to zero just yet. Theres still many special moments left in him.

He did almost crash, but by then he was already soundly beaten. But I agree that he's far from finished.

 

[El Pistolero]

Chavanel had no trouble following Canc? I saw it differently, until Canc tanked. And in PR there were many tactical factors and a motorbike involved. What we know is that his spring results were otherworldly.

Yeah, Canc instead of Thor lol.

Stil Canc looked imo stronger in 2010, not that it matters much.

 

[Maxiton]

Cannot picture him winning an Ardenne classic.

I don't know, maybe it's my fanboyism run amok, but I fully expect to see him win LBL. I think he can do it.

 

[Cimber]

time to face the facts fab

LMFAO

To OT: no I dont think he is past his prime at all. TBH I dont think he was that motivated for this TT. He didnt even test the course a few days before as most of his competitors did.

 

[Old School]

Who is the new "Boss" for you?

Gilbert, Evans, Contador, Tony Martin?

I'd have to go with Evans right now...having done it all (WC, Tour winner) I respect his "viewpoint" on so called "dangerous" issues vs. a TT/Classics rider.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Cancellara is still great, but he's no longer untouchable. This is not because he is necessarily worse, but the guy who was looking like becoming his greatest threat in the future is no longer a future threat, he's a present threat. Now Martin and Cancellara might just be much of a muchness against the clock, so if Cancellara is ill/has a minor injury/is off form/times something badly/isn't feeling good on the day, then he can no longer wing it and still get the victory - he will be defeated.

Let's not forget that with the Worlds in Switzerland in 2009, he will have had top level motivation to win there, and the Swiss certainly made as sure as they could that they'd see a home victory (they did the same in the Tour de Suisse of course. Make it winnable and he'll have the motivation on home soil).

But really, does Cancellara need another TT rainbow jersey? It's easy to see him not being all too fussed by it, especially with an eminently winnable road race for him and his at-the-moment-up-in-the-air pipe dreams of winning all 5 monuments.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Apart from Martin getting better I DO believe Cancellara got worse in time trials. Especially notably this year.

He didn't get beaten just by Martin this year. He got beaten a couple of times in prologues (normally he was untouchable there), he got beaten in some tome trials not only by Martin but also by 2/3 others. And today again. He's definately gotten worse in time trials.

But in classics, I've never seen him stronger than this year, even if he lost because others were racing against him.

 

[LugHugger]

For me Cancellara is still the man to beat at Paris Roubaix. He may not always win, but he's usually been the strongest riders over the last few years. I really hope that continues for another couple of seasons. Tactics may defeat him but I love to watch him ride that race.

 

[spalco]

Maybe, we'll see next year. It's not like he was bad this year, he just wasn't extraterrestrial (except a little bit in the spring).

Maybe Martin is just a stronger rider, how about that?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Apart from Martin getting better I DO believe Cancellara got worse in time trials. Especially notably this year.

He didn't get beaten just by Martin this year. He got beaten a couple of times in prologues (normally he was untouchable there), he got beaten in some tome trials not only by Martin but also by 2/3 others. And today again. He's definately gotten worse in time trials.

But in classics, I've never seen him stronger than this year, even if he lost because others were racing against him.

Well, what has he got left to achieve from his time trialling? His TT is still strong enough to make a difference in more or less any race that he wants to win that he has a reasonable chance of winning. He's worn the yellow and gold jerseys several times, multiple World championships, the Olympics, won his home Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and a few smaller races thanks to it - and unless he improves his climbing he isn't likely to be able to do any better than that solely from his ITT. But he does have some unfinished business in Classics season.

 

[pedaling squares]

Well, I didn't really see this thread coming a few months ago when Cancellara tore up Harelbeke, was an absolute monster at RVV, and had half the peloton marking him in PR. I guess you're either on top or you're on your way out the door. I say no - not yet past his prime. Martin destroyed him today, and Le Tour didn't exactly go his way, but that doesn't mean his best-before date has passed. I didn't see anything in the spring to suggest that Cancellara isn't still the best at his type of race.

 

[Aguirre]

it's time for cancellara to pass to other things: L-B-L, Lombardia, etc.

I predict Martin equaling him in Worlds (4) or surpass him.

By the way, I don't see martin for grand Tours (to much muscle in those legs)

 

[Afrank]

He got 2nd in milan-san remo, 2nd in roubaix, 3rd in flanders, and 3rd in the world TT championships; yeah he is never going to win a race again after such a terrible season. Come on people just because this season didn't match up against last season you assume he's past his prime. I can't wait to hear what you say next season when Gilbert doesn't win everything like he did this year.

 

[SHAD0W93]

By the way, I don't see martin for grand Tours (to much muscle in those legs)

Ullrich had huge muscles on his leg and was a GC guy. Martin just needs to work on his climbing I think and he will be fine.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think so (that he's past his prime) he's just... human. Sometimes you fly sometimes you fall.

 

[issoisso]

Obviously he's nowhere near finished. But he's 30, and for someone who turned pro as young as he did (straight out of juniors), that almost always spells the start of the decline, getting a slight bit worse every season.

There's no question he wasn't as strong this year as he was last year. Chances are he'll decline by just as much next year, and so on.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ah Isso...the age decline of cyanide has been reached so he goes down?

I still foresee some strong years, were he might get better in other parts of racing than time trialling.

 

[taiwan]

I can't wait to hear what you say next season when Gilbert doesn't win everything like he did this year.

You're right.

 

[issoisso]

Ah Isso...the age decline of cyanide has been reached so he goes down?

I still foresee some strong years, were he might get better in other parts of racing than time trialling.

He skipped junior and turned pro at 20. He's on his 12th pro season. It's par for the course. The guys who are still good at old ages are the ones who turn pro at a late age (Voigt, Ekimov, Leipheimer, Horner)

There's a very direct connection between how early you turned pro and how early you decline)