Is Gilbert playing poker?

[Marco Pantani]

After todays stage, I'm sure he is.

He wasn't that bad in Febuary at the Haut-Var and Nieuwsblad, therefore he should have been able to at least compete for a top 10 finish today, three weeks later on a very suitable finish for him.
Concidering his quality, he should be able to do that with maybe 80/85 per cent of his topform.

So i think, the way he's ridden so far, it's been more more a tactical thing, to take some pressure off him before the big races and leave the rivals in the dark.
He might build up more smoothly, but still he's playing that game.

 

[El Pistolero]

Nah, I'm sure he didn't went into the red zone today, but he's just looking for a slower build up than last year. Brabantse Pijl, mark that date on your calender.

 

[Fetisoff]

I don't think there's a point for him to "play poker". Regardless of his early form, he's gonna be a marked man in the ardennes, just like Cancellara was at R-V and P-R last year

 

[Richeypen]

I don't think there's a point for him to "play poker". Regardless of his early form, he's gonna be a marked man in the ardennes, just like Cancellara was at R-V and P-R last year

Exactly, Gilbert will be a marked man whatever his form.

 

[El Pistolero]

He won't be marked at Milan-San Remo

A newspaper asked the peloton's opinion about Gilbert's chances at San Remo. If he truly is sandbagging, which I doubt, then it definitely worked.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Sure, but there would be a huge difference, for example at milan-san remo, if he arrives there, having already won strade bianche and one or two stages at tirreno. That could just be the slight advantage he needs for that race.

 

[Fetisoff]

He won't be marked at Milan-San Remo

He will be, if Pozzato is still there

 

[Panda Claws]

Keep in mind that in 2011 he was going for the GC in Tirreno-Adriatico.

There was no need to push himself today. He knew he couldn't win.

 

[Lanark]

No poker. He even texted to Dirk de Wolf that he is really bad.

Could be finish a little bit better today? Probably, but that doesn't change the fact that his shape was never this bad during the entire 2011 season. I don't think there's any chance he'll be ready for MSR and the Ronde.

 

[cineteq]

What kind of question is that, doesn't he live in Monaco?

 

[Panda Claws]

Gilbert is probably still suffering from his tough last season. We saw this with Boonen as well.

EDIT: Gilbert will be 100% during the Ardennes, WC and Lombardia.

Also, he will be good enough to challenge MSR. He won't be 2011 april form there, but still.

 

[El Pistolero]

No poker. He even texted to Dirk de Wolf that he is really bad.

Could be finish a little bit better today? Probably, but that doesn't change the fact that his shape was never this bad during the entire 2011 season. I don't think there's any chance he'll be ready for MSR and the Ronde.

2009 says hi.

 

[Lanark]

2009 says hi.

2009, the year he won his first race at the end of may? I didn't expect you to be so pessimistic.

 

[Afrank]

Gilbert dominated in 2011, if he has the current form to do so again he would, he's not the type of rider to sandbagg or the type to try to trick others about his current form. And even if he id doing that there is no way the other riders won't be marking him.

 

[jens_attacks]

yes,i want to believe that he is.

 

[hrotha]

I don't think he's taking it easy to confuse his rivals, but he might be taking it easy because that's how he planned it. Of course, he might have overdone it.

 

[El Pistolero]

2009, the year he won his first race at the end of may? I didn't expect you to be so pessimistic.

Where he was third in the Ronde

 

[roundabout]

Saying 3rd means little when it was from a sprint of 30 plus riders behind Devolder.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'd like to see you do it It wasn't his only good result that spring, he clearly turned a bad early season shape into his best results in Monuments at that point. He also won the Cauberg sprint for example that year.

If third doesn't mean getting ready in time for the Ronde then I don't know what it does mean?

 

[Panda Claws]

Am I the only one looking forward to Gilberts upcoming 2009-like late season domination.

 

[roundabout]

OMG, he is going to win the Ronde!one1111one!111

Edit: OMG, he is going to win the Worlds, Milano-Torino, Piemonte, Emilia, Sabatini, Beghelli and Paris-Tours!one1111one!111

 

[Panda Claws]

OMG, he is going to win the Ronde!one1111one!111

Edit: OMG, he is going to win the Worlds, Milano-Torino, Piemonte, Emilia, Sabatini, Beghelli and Paris-Tours!one1111one!111

Thanks for helping me hype.

 

[roundabout]

You're welcome. Of course there's also the possibility that something went wrong with the prep so the history won't repeat itself.

But the chances of that are smaller than the chances of Cameron Meyer winning the Tirreno-Adriatico, right?

 

[Lanark]

I'd like to see you do it It wasn't his only good result that spring, he clearly turned a bad early season shape into his best results in Monuments at that point. He also won the Cauberg sprint for example that year.

If third doesn't mean getting ready in time for the Ronde then I don't know what it does mean?

You think Farrar is a favorite as well? He had 0 chance to win De Ronde that year, Vlaanderen often ends in a semi-bunch sprint behind the people who made the race, but that doesn't mean those people could win (because the race never actually ends in a bunch sprint). If Gilbert only has his spring-2009 shape, he won't win a single classic. Luckily, I'm not as pessimistic as you are, still 1.5 month to Liege.

 

[Flamin]

Considering the Worlds, it's obvious he will be looking more for a peak in specific races and consuming less energy in other smaller races. But I doubt getting dropped in the ttt and finishing 41th in Chieti is all just part of the plan.