Is Fabian Cancellara past his prime?

[Archibald]

These...

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 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.

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.

hammer, nail and where which struck what.



Then comes this...

Yes, he's done. Got crushed by Martin today in the TT. Now, hopefully, he will lose his voice as the "Leader" of the groupo. Still think he punked out when he neutralized the stage in the Tour when his "teammate" couldn't stay upright.

Alas, no sitting up when Contador crashed on the "slick" cobbles later in the race and Andy was chugging along at the front. Hypocrit to say the least.

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

 

[The Hitch]

I think this will make it even more entertaining when Cancellara regains his dominance. It was getting quite boring watching him win every tt. Still greatest ever in the discipline imo.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I agree. Fabian hasn't passed his prime, he just needs some love. He would be the number 1 rider on most rosters, but instead has to work for the spoilt Schleck boys. I'd be fed up and a little tired as well...

I agree, you and hog are right with the assessments. Fabian is more of an 'artiste'..he needs his surroundings and trappings to be equal to the show. He's such a monster on the TT bike...but he's tired!

Think of all the work he put in for the Shlecks this season..powering the peloton up the road until they drop, leading the group as far up the mountains as he can until he blows...
whew. Not enough time to recharge and focus.

NEXT year he'll get it back! ..hopefully on a team of his choosing.

 

[Eric8-A]

I think this will make it even more entertaining when Cancellara regains his dominance. It was getting quite boring watching him win every tt. Still greatest ever in the discipline imo.

Really? I loved seeing him win. I would actually laugh for some reason when he would ride a time trial because of his dominance.

However, the short time that Froggy Martin has been the dominant one in the TT, I have gotten sick of seeing him win.

 

[BroDeal]

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.

 

[cineteq]

I agree. Fabian hasn't passed his prime, he just needs some love.

Agree! He'll get some love @ BMC!

 

[usedtobefast]

its time boys.

after coming second in M-SR, second on the ronde and fifth in roubaix last year tommeke had the right to have a couple of this type of threads. the canc is no exception.

second in M-SR, the ronde and roubaix and now third at the worlds. also got beaten by martin in both the tour and the vuelta itt's.

the guy is clearly past it

oh yeah. way past it.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I agree. Fabian hasn't passed his prime, ...

Part of what I was wondering is how much of his lack if success, if you want to call it that, was partly because hes a marked man in the peloton and is not allowed any freedom. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Eric8-A]

Part of what I was wondering is how much of his lack if success, if you want to call it that, was partly because hes a marked man in the peloton and is not allowed any freedom. Any thoughts on that?

That might be it. I noticed that alot of riders who had great seasons last year, had mediocre ones this year. Roche, Anton, Basso, etc.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I don't think he's past his prime at all. He's still only 30 so he'll have quite a few good years left.

His time trialing might have declined a bit, but I don't think anyone can hold it against him, that he doesn't focus as much on that discipline as previous. Besides Tony Martin has improved a lot so it's only natural that the gap between the two would be closing.

Fabian still finished second in PR, third in RVV and second in MSR. Hardly past it. He was arguably the strongest in RVV.

His season does lack a big result though, and I'm worried that he's focusing too much on helping the Schlecks.

 

[Eric8-A]

His season does lack a big result though, and I'm worried that he's focusing too much on helping the Schlecks.

That should be Jens' job

 

[Marcuccio]

I wouldn't say he's past it just yet, well it's hard to say, depending on how you measure it.

Look at the year he had last year - and yeah, based on that, you'd say he fell some what short this year, for various reasons.

I'm sure he'll bounce back - and unless he has a Boonen-esque run of bad luck, I'd say he'll still be a contender for the classics etc.

Spartacus rocks!

 

[Maxiton]

Agree! He'll get some love @ BMC!

BMC? That would be FANTASTIC! What a team that would make. Let's hope it happens.

It would be interesting to see how Gilbert and Canc work together, and how the two of them divvy up the spoils of the Spring. Like two great armies going to war together.

And leave us not forget Evans, either, who could greatly benefit by having the Wattage Cottage on the road with him.

 

[rhubroma]

Should we be saying the same thing about Contador? After his lackluster performance at the Tour?

Cancellara post-30 will probably witness his explosiveness and sustainability diminish as he gets older. He will have to, therefore, work on his tactics and rely more upon out foxing his competition. In the time trials this can't really take place, so either he is supper or he looses. He still can be the big favorite at PR, though, if his motivation doesn't wane.

Getting older is a real b!tch and fatal to a male cyclist, unless he were a GT champ, in which case he would have a few more good years if not mentally burnt out.

 

[Maxiton]

Should we be saying the same thing about Contador? After his lackluster performance at the Tour?

Cancellara post-30 will probably witness his explosiveness and sustainability diminish as he gets older. He will have to, therefore, work on his tactics and rely more upon out foxing his competition. In the time trials this can't really take place, so either he is supper or he looses. He still can be the big favorite at PR, though, if his motivation doesn't wane.

Getting older is a real b!tch and fatal to a male cyclist, unless he were a GT champ, in which case he would have a few more good years if not mentally burnt out.

Yep. All the more reason then to move away from ITTs and focus on road racing.

 

[just some guy]

BMC? That would be FANTASTIC! What a team that would make. Let's hope it happens.

It would be interesting to see how Gilbert and Canc work together, and how the two of them divvy up the spoils of the Spring. Like two great armies going to war together.

And leave us not forget Evans, either, who could greatly benefit by having the Wattage Cottage on the road with him.

Really I think it would be very boring unless there was coverage of the discussions in the team and on race day.

Thor and Fabian or Thor, Phil and Fabian deciding who will attack. Maybe rock, paper scissors

 

[spalco]

Really? I loved seeing him win. I would actually laugh for some reason when he would ride a time trial because of his dominance.

However, the short time that Froggy Martin has been the dominant one in the TT, I have gotten sick of seeing him win.

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).

 

[theyoungest]

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).

 

[Maxiton]

Really I think it would be very boring unless there was coverage of the discussions in the team and on race day.

Thor and Fabian or Thor, Phil and Fabian deciding who will attack. Maybe rock, paper scissors

Oh yeah, almost forgot about Thor . I can see how it might be boring, but why shouldn't all the best personalities/riders ride for each other? There's always the possibility that they might not mesh into a whole team, but if they did it would be an awesome thing to behold - like Spartacus on a good day.

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).

And I also agree. Cancellara in full flight, railing corners and nailing victories, is pure poetry, and something that makes me proud to count him among my species.

 

[dlwssonic]

They never come back.
Once supremacy is gne, it's gone forever.
He will have somemore decent yearsas a above average rider. But his prime days are over, he won't dominate anymore. Not inn TT not in the classics.

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.

 

[Eric8-A]

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

Especially with all that drooling he does.

 

[Midnightfright]

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.

I unfortunately actually agree with him about time-trials atleast. Theres no hiding its man against man and Tony has beat him numerous times this season comftably.

 

[dlwssonic]

I unfortunately actually agree with him about time-trials atleast. Theres no hiding its man against man and Tony has beat him numerous times this season comftably.

And cancellara was beating tony comfortably all the time before 2011. Cant judge so early just from this years performance. If he still wants to concentrate on his TT he will be back just as strong next year.

 

[Midnightfright]

And cancellara was beating tony comfortably all the time before 2011. Cant judge so early just from this years performance. If he still wants to concentrate on his TT he will be back just as strong next year.

Diffence being Martin was on the way up where as Canc seems to be on the way down. I mentioned a few times that he's been beaten the last 3 times Wiggans has faced him in TTs ad well also the gaps between him and Martin have been large so I don't think him just improving would be enough I believe Tony would need to regress a bit also. I hope I'm wrong because I would love to see competitve back and forth contests between the 2.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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.

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.