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Julian Alaphilippe

How Alien is Julian Alaphilippe?

  • Contador/Nibali (almost plausible)

    Votes: 45 34.9%
  • Geraint Thomas (pushing it)

    Votes: 35 27.1%
  • Armstrong/Froome (over the top)

    Votes: 18 14.0%
  • Chris Horner (glows in the dark)

    Votes: 24 18.6%
  • Vino

    Votes: 7 5.4%

  • Total voters
    129
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Cookster15 said:
Red Rick said:
Still more believable than Froome

Please explain? 2011 is a long time ago.
Alaphilippe has actually done decent ITTs before and was already world class in another specialisation.

Froome was bang average at best at like 2 things, garbage at the others, then proceeded to become a world beater overnight at just about everything.

Agreed. He has beaten Thomas about four times out of 10. It’s not unsuspecting on that course. The bots are outraged though. Cycling has been clean since 2012 and now it’s dirty again :cool:
 
Re: Re:

Cookster15 said:
Red Rick said:
Still more believable than Froome

Please explain? 2011 is a long time ago.

Well when you look at Alaphilippe's performances in isolation he only looks like a ridiculously doped up rider. Chris Froome though looks like he's getting pedal assist on his e-bike. Then again Chris Froome is not even the top Chris on the list.

To be fair none of them can compare to Cancellara on Muur, several people estimated his output at ~1200-1500 watts.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Cookster15 said:
Red Rick said:
Still more believable than Froome

Please explain? 2011 is a long time ago.
Alaphilippe has actually done decent ITTs before and was already world class in another specialisation.

Froome was bang average at best at like 2 things, garbage at the others, then proceeded to become a world beater overnight at just about everything.

Uphill bunch sprint - check
Murito uphill sprint - check
35 minute itt - check

all in the same season - check
 
Alien Jalaphillipe.

The obvious aside, he still has to pedal the bike. Yes, "super"human to smash a field that is already the pointiest tip of the spear, and to get off it and not just collapse but bounce around like that in jubiliation.... well I haven't seen that kind of bounce since Ricardo Ricky and Floyd Landis had their glowing moments.

I'm keen to see how a lot of riders go tomorrow. Sure it is not the Alps we know it's "just" the Pyrenees so it's still a trying stage but I would like to see if anyone went too deep into the Red Zone today
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Cookster15 said:
Red Rick said:
Still more believable than Froome

Please explain? 2011 is a long time ago.
Alaphilippe has actually done decent ITTs before and was already world class in another specialisation.

Froome was bang average at best at like 2 things, garbage at the others, then proceeded to become a world beater overnight at just about everything.

Hey, cut the plagerism out, that's Wiggo's excuse.
 
Jul 29, 2016
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Re:

ice&fire said:
As believable as Jalabert. In 1994 he won a bunch of Vuelta stages, including a MTF at Lagos de Covadonga from the break. In 1995 he was 4th at the Tour and won the Vuelta.

You a bit underestimate Jalabert - Vuelta 1995 - he won everything - GC, points and mountain classification.
 
Sestriere said:
Danskebjerge said:
chuuurles said:

:surprised: And as Fuglsang said after the race, Alaphilippe didn't even look tired when he crossed the line.
He was same time as Vos up that ramp and 2 seconds faster in the final km than her.
1 km banner → finish line

1:27 - Alaphilippe
1:36 - Thomas
1:41 - Bernal

so she should be smashing the men other than Julian? or conditions weren't the same?
 
There should be something between Thomas and Froome/Armstrong which is where I'd put Alaphilippe. This isn't the ITT by it's self. This is a combination of the ITT, the entire first week AND not even looking like he had raced a TT at the end. Not believable, but not yet in the category of Froome/Armstrong. That could change.
 
Re:

scapewalker said:
Would this be the most unexpected tour win in recent history?
Not counting Pereiro...


Long way to go, and if he blows up tomorrow then it kind of explains the extreme dominance today.

But very interested to see

I'd like to see Yates go hard from the start tomorrow to see if the top 5 can go with him. I want to know how many pennies the top GC riders might have already spent. 4 minute breaks so early is crazy

I hope the race doesn't become one of those every one stays together until 2 or 3 stages before the end, and every day we're saying "today might be the sage it breaks open"
 
Just been reading the stage reports in the French press. They are full of insistent sceptical questioning as to how a puncher with only 3/30 victories being TTs can beat the best in the world, not by a couple of seconds but by handfuls, after being at the front of the Tour for 8 days, and beating the worlds best climbers every time and jump off the bike at the end looking like he hadn't just ridden up a 500m 17% climb faster than anyone else. They are being every bit as challenging as they have for Wiggins, Froome, and Thomas (more so in fact, because they couldn't abide the possibility of a French cheat) and arent just accepting Alaphilippe's lame excuses as would be expected from the British press. No eulogising here just because he is French, no favoritism, just pure journalistic integrity.

Its refreshing.
 
Let's just wait till today's finish to decide how alien he really is. JA has won short TT's before. OK, this one wasn't that short, and he never had the opposition he had today, but he never climbed a HC climb (or even a proper 1st cat) with the best. Even on La Planche des Belles Filles he was beaten by Thomas.
 

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