Is Fabian Cancellara past his prime?

[El Pistolero]

Martin will probably continue to be the man in itt.
I think canc. has done in all in regards to the itt, so big deal.

He is mistaken in regards to classics imo.

Big deal, only a second Olympic gold medal huh.

 

[Angliru]

Cancellara had an unlucky spring and lackluster form during the latter half of the season. All he needs for next spring is the same strength as this year, less arrogance, and more tactical smarts. He is often tempted to show off his strength. When it works it, is spectacular. When it doesn't, he loses races even though he is the strongest man in the race. Without that temptation he would have been world champ instead of Evans.

This is the change that I've seen in Cancellara over the past 2 years. When a rider starts talking smack to his opponents through the media about them needing to be prepared to strap in because the plane is about to take off (paraphrased) and then after he fails, references his nickname in saying that he was like a gladiator with his opponents massed against him, yet he held his head high (or something to that effect), a season like he's just had is just the slap in the face that he needs to get back to simply competing and riding his bike. He had gotten a bit too self-involved and full of himself and his self-appointed role as the peloton's patron. He can return to something similar to his previous level but with many young guns rising he won't be dominating as he did in the past.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

This is the change that I've seen in Cancellara over the past 2 years. When a rider starts talking smack to his opponents through the media about them needing to be prepared to strap in because the plane is about to take off (paraphrased) and then after he fails, references his nickname in saying that he was like a gladiator with his opponents massed against him, yet he held his head high (or something to that effect), a season like he's just had is just the slap in the face that he needs to get back to simply competing and riding his bike. He had gotten a bit too self-involved and full of himself and his self-appointed role as the peloton's patron. He can return to something similar to his previous level but with many young guns rising he won't be dominating as he did in the past.

What you and BroDeal say explains how he seems to be a marked man in the group. A guy who just keeps his mouth shut, acts humble, and just rides might get less attention. The best way for a guy to inspire the bunch against him is to smack talk or show other forms of arrogance. I would like to see him start acting like a humbled man, but it will be interesting to see if it is too late to make any difference.

 

[just some guy]

What you and BroDeal say explains how he seems to be a marked man in the group. A guy who just keeps his mouth shut, acts humble, and just rides might get less attention. The best way for a guy to inspire the bunch against him is to smack talk or show other forms of arrogance. I would like to see him start acting like a humbled man, but it will be interesting to see if it is too late to make any difference.

How do you go back though.

Call yourself out in the media and return to Saxo I guess, then keep the mouth shut - but people have memories

 

[Thomsena]

Martin is just ****ing fast, but he doesn't look like a champ on the bike (yet).

Didn't you see the ITT yesterday. Incredible to watch his position on the bike. Looked like a champ from first pedal stroke.

 

[Old School]

These...



I think he's looking to other things. Not sure about a new team, but his targeting the WC Road Race isn't exactly a secret. Nor is his desire for taking out classics.



hammer, nail and where which struck what.



Then comes this...



biggest crock of cr@p in this thread, because apparantly the neutralising of that stage was all Cancellara's idea and had nothing to do with Riis telling him what to do, nor the agreement Riis made with other DS's...
either way, get over it already

So that's why there were about 10 other riders trying to go for the stage win while Fabian sat up front and tried to tell them not to? Seems to me that if there was an "agreement" that wouldn't have happened no? Sheeeet, 1 + 1= 2....something didn't add up when that happened.

 

[Andre.J]

He is not going to win as much since they took away his special bike.

 

[issoisso]

I'd love to be past my prime and ride like Cancellara did in the classics. After April certainly his form has always seemed to be somewhat off, but we've seen this from him before (like in the spring of 2009, where he had a terrible classics run and even quit the Giro on the day of the time trial).

2009 is quite simple. He was out injured for a while so his form was late. This year he has no such excuse.

 

[El Pistolero]

2009 is quite simple. He was out injured for a while so his form was late. This year he has no such excuse.

This year he wasn't out of shape at the Spring classics. That's like saying Phil wasn't in shape at the Spring classics of 2009...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

How do you go back though.

Call yourself out in the media and return to Saxo I guess, then keep the mouth shut - but people have memories

Tough question to answer. It would be tough because of the memories of so many others in the group. Hard thing to fix damage between 200 other guys. A few guys could succeed keeping him on a short leash in one race, but there may still be 190 other guys still feeling the need to show him who's boss in the next race, and the next race after that, and so on. It could be years to overcome if all he did was to just shut his mouth. I think he has to go beyond that, maybe as you suggest by calling himself out in the media. But more importantly show respect to the others and give props to those work against him, give props to his team, and never bring up the "I" word unless it's to say he's not as good as the others. Meh, now I need to shut up... I'm sounding like a freakin psychotherapist.

 

[movingtarget]

In the TT, Martin is already as good as Cancellara while some of the other riders like Bobridge, Porte and Phinney will keep improving. The problem is bigger in the classics because he is so closely marked now after his previous dominant wins. Teams know how to ride against him and play the tactical games. The only way he can win is by trying to ride away from the bunch on his own and rely purely on his strength. The tactics could work in favour of his team mates but Cancellara I don't think is finished. He is still young for a classics rider. Maybe we got to used to some of his previous amazing form. The same thing will happen with Gilbert. Close marking and tactics and Gilbert cannot be in winning form all year round like this year. Sooner or later he will start losing for various reasons. At the moment though he seems unstoppable on a suitable course. Having Riis as his DS is also an advantage he no longer has.

 

[mewmewmew13]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-willing-to-talk-again-to-cancellara

Interesting bit here on cn about Bjarne open to 'talks' with Fabu.
I am just waiting til Fabian announces that he will go back with Saxo and home to Bjarne... He really seemed to do best there and I think Riis takes good care of him.

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-willing-to-talk-again-to-cancellara

Interesting bit here on cn about Bjarne open to 'talks' with Fabu.
I am just waiting til Fabian announces that he will go back with Saxo and home to Bjarne... He really seemed to do best there and I think Riis takes good care of him.

I wouldn't mind seeing him working for Contador

But probably not... Riis only signed one decent guy this transfer season, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[ramjambunath]

Tbh I am happy to see a not in top form (or past it) Cancellara especially in the TT. The ITT championships have been too predictable in the past few years. Still his spring form was too ominous to write him off. That he lost to Martin was not too much of a surprise but Wiggins beating him was unexpected methinks. How was his health, in the Velonation article he mentions he was not 100%. Does he mean mentally not on top form or physically in the build up he had a problem.

FrandyShack will have massive problems if Canc leaves for SBS, but doesn't he have a contract for next year with them or is it something that Riis is looking to buy out. They lost the only man who had any tactical sense in O'Grady and will be left with only Voigt.

 

[Angliru]

What you and BroDeal say explains how he seems to be a marked man in the group. A guy who just keeps his mouth shut, acts humble, and just rides might get less attention. The best way for a guy to inspire the bunch against him is to smack talk or show other forms of arrogance. I would like to see him start acting like a humbled man, but it will be interesting to see if it is too late to make any difference.

I'm wondering considering Nygard's area of expertise, did he have an influence on how Cancellara presented himself to the media? A lot of what Cancellara said was pretty over the top and quite dramatic. I can even recall his need to express his opinion about Boonen ("He's in crisis.") with no provocation that I can recall. Before this year I thought that they had a pretty healthy rivalry, with the road doing the talking and them exchanging respectful compliments.

 

[thehog]

When it doesn't, he loses races even though he is the strongest man in the race. Without that temptation he would have been world champ instead of Evans.

I would agree. Sometimes he attacks with his massive strength and I don't think even he knows the end result. He's become a one card trick. The other riders know what he's going to do and when he does they simply follow. He needs Riis to work that part of his mind - use that stregth once and once only and to win.

 

[Angliru]

Tbh I am happy to see a not in top form (or past it) Cancellara especially in the TT. The ITT championships have been too predictable in the past few years. Still his spring form was too ominous to write him off. That he lost to Martin was not too much of a surprise but Wiggins beating him was unexpected methinks. How was his health, in the Velonation article he mentions he was not 100%. [B]Does he mean mentally not on top form or physically in the build up he had a problem.FrandyShack will have massive problems if Canc leaves for SBS, but doesn't he have a contract for next year with them or is it something that Riis is looking to buy out.[/B] They lost the only man who had any tactical sense in O'Grady and will be left with only Voigt.

In that or another article he states that he wasn't mentally capable or ready to push himself when he realized he was struggling. His almost crash was evident of his head not really being in the game (so to speak) as it should have been.

Riis indicates in the cyclingnews article that he's not talking about or pursuing any riders that are under contract for 2012. Cancellara must not be one of those since he's openly stating that he's willing to take him back if he's interested, also dependent upon what occurs should they meet to discuss his return.

 

[El Pistolero]

Is that false hope to comfort yourself?
If you think that martin is going to continiously beat cancellara in the TTs now, you are sadly mistaken.

Erm, he's already doing just that

 

[ramjambunath]

Riis indicates in the cyclingnews article that he's not talking about or pursuing any riders that are under contract for 2012. Cancellara must not be one of those since he's openly stating that he's willing to take him back if he's interested, also dependent upon what occurs should they meet to discuss his return.

Yes he states that he won't go for Fuglslang because he has a contract, then why did Bruyneel say that they have him for next year. Seems stupid to make public something which isn't nailed on as a certainty. Or is Riis trying to coax a transfer for the future.

 

[thirteen]

Interesting bit here on cn about Bjarne open to 'talks' with Fabu.
I am just waiting til Fabian announces that he will go back with Saxo and home to Bjarne... He really seemed to do best there and I think Riis takes good care of him.

+1

I'm wondering considering Nygard's area of expertise, did he have an influence on how Cancellara presented himself to the media? A lot of what Cancellara said was pretty over the top and quite dramatic. I can even recall his need to express his opinion about Boonen ("He's in crisis.") with no provocation that I can recall. Before this year I thought that they had a pretty healthy rivalry, with the road doing the talking and them exchanging respectful compliments.

i agree as far as Boonen goes, but... there was that little episode in the Ardennes two years back at the TDF...

 

[max_powers]

I agree. Cancellara had/has something special about him when he's on top form; just a beautiful thing to watch him ride the bike, powering along on the straights, flying across corners with millimetre precision like a F1 race car keeping a perfect line without ever looking troubled in any way.

Martin is just ****ing fast, but he doesn't look like a champ on the bike (yet).

But why did he look so awkward on the world's TT? Appears to me that he raised the seat bit extra for more extension but lost his spin, something was off.

 

[cromagnon]

cecchini's the man

 

[Cycle Chic]

More to the Point - Has Cancellara had a NOSE JOB ?? YES !!

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AND PRE- 2011

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[taiwan]

More to the Point - Has Cancellara had a NOSE JOB ?? YES !!

Clinic.
........

 

[Cycle Chic]

He,s just had a bit of comestic sculpturing - its not Clinic info.