Luis Leon Sanchez - what on Earth has happened???

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I hope he adapts sooner rather than later. I can understand the need to adjust, however, he cannot hide behind that excuse forever.
What role was he assigned for the tour anyway? I'm not too confident that he'd work for Gesink. He's an unpredictable character.

Rabobank seem convinced the tour team is around the absolute leader Robert gesink. I thought earlier in the year they had said he could go for top 10 also, but I haven't seen anything of that nature lately.

 

[The Hitch]

Freire and Flecha have done okay outside Spanish teams.

I cant believe our good friend Pisti hasnt taken this opportunity to bring Contador into the discussion.

Rabobank seem convinced the tour team is around the absolute leader Robert gesink. I thought earlier in the year they had said he could go for top 10 also, but I haven't seen anything of that nature lately.

I doubt Lulu would make the top 10 anyway.

 

[Spine Concept]

I doubt Lulu would make the top 10 anyway.

Not even in top form? He is the Spanish time trial champion and he can climb well, though not a top tier climber. He's a bit like Wiggins in that regard and people are talking about a podium spot for Wiggins. Or am I overrating him a bit?

 

[El Pistolero]

I cant believe our good friend Pisti hasnt taken this opportunity to bring Contador into the discussion.




I doubt Lulu would make the top 10 anyway.

I thought Denmark and Kazachstan were colonies of Spain?

 

[The Hitch]

Not even in top form? He is the Spanish time trial champion and he can climb well, though not a top tier climber. He's a bit like Wiggins in that regard and people are talking about a podium spot for Wiggins. Or am I overrating him a bit?

Dont get me wrong, I rate lulu. I just dont think hes a GT guy. His chances were earlier and later in the year but if hes riding the Tour he should be domestiquing for Gesink.

I thought Denmark and Kazachstan were colonies of Spain?

Yes but the USA is not.

 

[El Pistolero]

Dont get me wrong, I rate lulu. I just dont think hes a GT guy.



Yes but the USA is not.

ex colonies count as well

 

[The Hitch]

ex colonies count as well

Well contador won the spin the shoe at Sidi, so he was quite succesful there. What country is that

 

[theyoungest]

Not even in top form? He is the Spanish time trial champion and he can climb well, though not a top tier climber. He's a bit like Wiggins in that regard and people are talking about a podium spot for Wiggins. Or am I overrating him a bit?

Wiggins is a much better time trialist and (if he somehow finds that 2009 form again) also a much better climber than LLS. The latter's wins come mostly from clever rather than strong riding, getting away on a descent and that sort of thing. He could be an able helper for Gesink, and maybe grab a stage win, but in principle he's not a top-10 rider.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well contador won the spin the shoe at Sidi, so he was quite succesful there. What country is that

Italy. Also owned by Spain in the past

 

[El Pistolero]

Wiggins is a much better time trialist and (if he somehow finds that 2009 form again) also a much better climber than LLS. The latter's wins come mostly from clever rather than strong riding, getting away on a descent and that sort of thing. He could be an able helper for Gesink, and maybe grab a stage win, but in principle he's not a top-10 rider.

He can do a top 10 in the Tour in good shape. Will it involve some free time from breakaway? Probably, but he can do it. There's nobody saying you're not allowed to get some free time

Last year he was 11th at the Tour and 10th at the Vuelta for example.

 

[Spine Concept]

Wiggins is a much better time trialist and (if he somehow finds that 2009 form again) also a much better climber than LLS. The latter's wins come mostly from clever rather than strong riding, getting away on a descent and that sort of thing. He could be an able helper for Gesink, and maybe grab a stage win, but in principle he's not a top-10 rider.

He can do a top 10 in the Tour in good shape. Will it involve some free time from breakaway? Probably, but he can do it. There's nobody saying you're not allowed to get some free time

Last year he was 11th at the Tour and 10th at the Vuelta for example.

That's what I was thinking about. If he can finish 11th at a tour, why couldn't he finish 10th? With a bit of luck. However, you were right in saying that in principle he isn't a top 10 GT rider. It is definitely possible though.

 

[Spine Concept]

Dont get me wrong, I rate lulu. I just dont think hes a GT guy. His chances were earlier and later in the year but if hes riding the Tour he should be domestiquing for Gesink.

I agree. I just hope he can stick to his assigned role seeing as the stories I have read about his ''domestique work'' for Valverde do not speak volumes of his dedication in that regard. I'm probably reading too much into them though. They seem to be confident about it at the Rabo camp. We'll see come July.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

yeah including breakaways, that makes him about as good as gt rider as friggin axel merckx, kurt vd wouwer and michael boogerd

 

[Spine Concept]

yeah including breakaways, that makes him about as good as gt rider as friggin axel merckx, kurt vd wouwer and michael boogerd

...so you don't rate the guy. That's fine as well.

 

[hrotha]

yeah including breakaways, that makes him about as good as gt rider as friggin axel merckx, kurt vd wouwer and michael boogerd

So pretty decent then.

You make it sound like you should hang yourself if you're not top 5 material.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

T-Mobile used to be the same - Savoldelli, Botero, Julich, Evans to name just a few.

exactly, also add lampre, especially for young talents and francaise des jeux and bmc/phonak

 

[The Hitch]

lulus 11th last year did come from a breakaway though.

Movistar put all their eggs into the lulu basket on that epic Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne stage where Guti and Christophe worked all day to set Lulu up for the Madeline.

First of all he didnt show himself too well as a gt contender by not blowing it up on the Madeline like Sella would do, but instead merely hanging on to a post Giro Cunego (who had had to work to get into the break in the first place) and Casar and Charteau. Hardly GT guys (maybe Cunego but as i said he was tired). A top 10 contender should be dropping that, if not on the climb, then using Lulus noted descending skills on the descent.

Second of all while Contador and Schleck made up all the time including on the flat so he finished with them, the time back to Menchov, Gesink VDB those guys was around 2-2 and a half minutes, and thats before you get to the Hejsedals and Horners and Roman Kreuzigers and Levi Leipheimers of this world.

Lulu will have got about 4 or maybe more minutes on some of these guys so that is time from a breakaway, even if Horner got more back on another stage.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Noooooo not De Cauwer! Are there any good guys left in this world?

Anyway, if you heard this from some anonymous guy on a cycling forum, it's like a fart in the wind.

are you serious?? I thought it was pretty wide known what de cauwer did with the youth

 

[theyoungest]

are you serious?? I thought it was pretty wide known what de cauwer did with the youth

You're the absolute king of not understanding sarcasm.

 

[Spine Concept]

lulus 11th last year did come from a breakaway though.

Movistar put all their eggs into the lulu basket on that epic Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne stage where Guti and Christophe worked all day to set Lulu up for the Madeline.

First of all he didnt show himself too well as a gt contender by not blowing it up on the Madeline like Sella would do, but instead merely hanging on to a post Giro Cunego (who had had to work to get into the break in the first place) and Casar and Charteau. Hardly GT guys (maybe Cunego but as i said he was tired). A top 10 contender should be dropping that, if not on the climb, then using Lulus noted descending skills on the descent.

Second of all while Contador and Schleck made up all the time including on the flat so he finished with them, the time back to Menchov, Gesink VDB those guys was around 2-2 and a half minutes, and thats before you get to the Hejsedals and Horners and Roman Kreuzigers and Levi Leipheimers of this world.

Lulu will have got about 4 or maybe more minutes on some of these guys so that is time from a breakaway, even if Horner got more back on another stage.

That much is true, hence my ''with a bit of luck'' and ''in principle not a top 10 GC rider'' part of the comment. Would you say he was in top form at that tour though?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I;m sorry where I'm from sarcasm is supposed to be funny or at least put a smile on your face

 

[theyoungest]

I;m sorry where I'm from sarcasm is supposed to be funny or at least put a smile on your face

You seem the kind of guy that likes fart jokes... there's one of those in there as well.

 

[Spine Concept]

I;m sorry where I'm from sarcasm is supposed to be funny or at least put a smile on your face

Not always though. It depends on whom the sarcasm is directed at. If it is directed at you than it wouldn't be that humorous because it is like a verbal slap. Sarcasm is an ill-intended comment disguised as humor. Either that or you simply didn't understand the sarcasm.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Not always though. It depends on whom the sarcasm is directed at. If it is directed at you than it wouldn't be that humorous because it is like a verbal slap. Sarcasm is an ill-intended comment disguised as humor. Either that or you simply didn't understand the sarcasm.

it wasn't directed at me but at someone commenting about de cauwer, anyway doesn't matter, my bad

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

So pretty decent then.

You make it sound like you should hang yourself if you're not top 5 material.

no but you should hang yourself as a team if you overpay such a rider

did you know michael boogerd earned 1.2 million a year and for what? 2 tour stages spread across 6 years, 3 top 10's and wins in the brabantse pijl and 1 amstel gold race.. jesus f. christ

ll sanchez probably gets close to or over 1 million a year too