Majka

[doperhopper]

Rafal Majka

No Rafal thread yet?

Giro, Tour, hopefully no Vuelta, that would be too much even for clinicians.

Don't want be bad prophet, but how about vroom-style revolution in TinSax? Fortunately for Dirtie, Raf is not Russki.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

No Rafal thread yet?

Giro, Tour, hopefully no Vuelta, that would be too much even for clinicians.

Don't want be bad prophet, but how about vroom-style revolution in TinSax? Fortunately for Dirtie, Raf is not Russki.

So what exactly is it about a climbing specialist with a steady history of progression, that's not contending for GC, and that took it it as easy as possible the day before, winning a mountain stage with a slower final climb than the GC leaders, that is so alarming for you to warrant their own thread?

If you need a cream recommendation can I suggest you are in the wrong section.

 

[burning]

We saw this story in last 2 years as well (Voeckler,Costa), I don't think that his performance is really shocking considering the fact that he finished in groupetto apart from 3 stages.

 

[sniper]

does Riis have any friggin idea what his riders are and aren't taking?
kreuziger gets popped, but it clearly doesn't stop saxo from charging sumptuously.
it's an odd scenario.

 

[Netserk]

does Riis have any friggin idea what his riders are and aren't taking?
kreuziger gets popped, but it clearly doesn't stop saxo from charging sumptuously.
it's an odd scenario.

Kreuziger's suspicious values were from his Astana time. Riis knows how not to test positive. Rogers also got off. Contador also was before his time on Tinkoff.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

does Riis have any friggin idea what his riders are and aren't taking?
kreuziger gets popped, but it clearly doesn't stop saxo from charging sumptuously.
it's an odd scenario.

What's old is your ignorance. What team exactly was Roman riding on when his allegedly irregular values occurred?

May a recommend another swift inhale through Nibs chamois before taking an early night?

 

[nuvolablu]

"Since my return from Italy I have not trained much, I was very tired and still feel the effects of this 3-week race. I do not feel ready to compete in the Tour de France"




He loses 40 minutes in the first two mountain stage, then Contador he's out and suddendly Majka he's one of the best climber in the race behind Nibali and maybe Pinot,Peraud
Dirtiest performance of 2014 tdf

 

[del1962]

Not having seen the race today, I falsely assumed looking at the results and this thread that he had ridden Nibali off his wheel, so he won from a break, not sure the performance warrents a new thread in the clinic

 

[sniper]

Not having seen the race today, I falsely assumed looking at the results and this thread that he had ridden Nibali off his wheel, so he won from a break, not sure the performance warrents a new thread in the clinic

what is perhaps interesting is the simultaneous rise of two polish elite cyclists, where there were none before.
jaskula i think the only polish guy to win a tdf stage before majka.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

"Since my return from Italy I have not trained much, I was very tired and still feel the effects of this 3-week race. I do not feel ready to compete in the Tour de France"

He loses 40 minutes in the first two mountain stage, then Contador he's out and suddendly Majka he's one of the best climber in the race behind Nibali and maybe Pinot,Peraud
Dirtiest performance of 2014 tdf

He's a young established and improving grimpeur with his own GT ambitions and race plan, called up to the tour at the last minute to perform a support role for a leader who subsequently crashed, and now he is more prominent on some of the few mountain stages having now been given a free role, and you're calling that dirty?

Logic is as logic does.

He has always been an outstanding grimpeur talent just like Pinot who is way ahead in GC. Start a thread for every specialist grimpeur that shows ability relative to their speciality why not.

 

[sniper]

Kreuziger's suspicious values were from his Astana time. Riis knows how not to test positive. Rogers also got off. Contador also was before his time on Tinkoff.

yeah good points thanks.
perhaps he'll come to regret not putting a leash on majka though.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

what is perhaps interesting is the simultaneous rise of two polish elite cyclists, where there were none before.
jaskula i think the only polish guy to win a tdf stage before majka.

There are far more than three (Poljanski is also one to watch), and there is also considerable political and economic mitigation for the increase in Polish passport carrying presence in sport. I suggest you do some research about polish talent in all sport under other nationalities.

Ban me Susan but at what point is a discussion a farce due to the complete ignorance of the participants? Is the forum still a venue for verbal dribble conceived without an iota of though? If so it really serves no purpose at all beyond being a mouthpiece for venom, insecurity and emotionally fuelled accusation.

 

[nuvolablu]

He has always been an outstanding grimpeur talent just like Pinot who is way ahead in GC. Start a thread for every specialist grimpeur that shows ability relative to their speciality why not.

He was never an outstanding grimpeur talent in the U23 races, he became a good climber only at Saxo-Tinkoff. Pinot was already a great climber in his junior days

 

[roundabout]

He was never an outstanding grimpeur talent in the U23 races, he became a good climber only at Saxo-Tinkoff. Pinot was already a great climber in his junior days

Exactly.

Strange to see the line about him being an outstanding talent coming from a person who complains about other people's "ignorance".

 

[ciranda]

what is perhaps interesting is the simultaneous rise of two polish elite cyclists, where there were none before.
jaskula i think the only polish guy to win a tdf stage before majka.

Szmyd, Niemiec, Wadecki, Marczynski, Rutkiewicz, Spruch etc.

I don't even understand what you mean, that they are drugged up from age eleven? Poland has always had good riders, a lot of races and media interest. Just a lack of opportunities for cyclists since there's no larger teams. Cycling has a long tradition in Poland, much unlike Great Britain for example.

But yeah, I find Majka massively suspicious, so much better than he's ever been in the Giro or btw in the Vuelta where he had total freedom last year.

There is a giant jump in performance.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

He was never an outstanding grimpeur talent in the U23 races, he became a good climber only at Saxo-Tinkoff. Pinot was already a great climber in his junior days

How you train and what races you're put up for are not always the same, and overall results at that level rarely reflect a grimpeur speciality. Check you facts and Majka's history more thoroughly. He arrived at Saxo specifically as a young grimpeur talent, and got a contract based on his grimpeur talent after training with and against the team. Since joining the mission has been to improve his all round abilities for eventual GC contention.

Basically you are saying he was a non talent, because he certainly wasn't above average in any other cycling department, and definitely not as a rouleur.

 

[sniper]

There are far more than three (Poljanski is also one to watch), and there is also considerable political and economic mitigation for the increase in Polish passport carrying presence in sport. I suggest you do some research about polish talent in all sport under other nationalities.

Szmyd, Niemiec, Wadecki, Marczynski, Rutkiewicz, Spruch etc.

I don't even understand what you mean, that they are drugged up from age eleven? Poland has always had good riders, a lot of races and media interest. Just a lack of opportunities for cyclists since there's no larger teams. Cycling has a long tradition in Poland, much unlike Great Britain for example.

But yeah, I find Majka massively suspicious, so much better than he's ever been in the Giro or btw in the Vuelta where he had total freedom last year.

There is a giant jump in performance.

interesting, thanx.

i noticed majka is from krakow and they do have impressive mountains there.

 

[roundabout]

Lombardi was/is his manager and he arranged Majka to come to the training camp.

Considering the awful 2011 team, I don't think it was that hard to get a contract.

Small risk - big reward.

Heh, Wadecki, that's a blast from the past. Aside from going full *** in 1 very weird TdS and a win in Paris-Nice from a break, I don't think he really qualifies as an elite level rider.

 

[roundabout]

Then again, someone like Izagirre went practically at Pinot speed despite being in the break all day.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

Lombardi was/is his manager and he arranged Majka to come to the training camp.

Considering the awful 2011 team, I don't think it was that hard to get a contract.

Small risk - big reward.

Heh, Wadecki, that's a blast from the past. Aside from going full *** in 1 very weird TdS and a win in Paris-Nice from a break, I don't think he really qualifies as an elite level rider.

Lombardi is the agent for many Italian based riders, but you are right, Bjarne was so desperate he phoned him up and begged him for any old dross he could spare irrespective of what they were good at… It's what Bjarne has always done, beg for kids willing to work for free and hope they are good at something…

Do you even read what you write before hitting the button?

 

[ciranda]

interesting, thanx.

i noticed majka is from krakow and they do have impressive mountains there.

What, is this sarcasm? I agree that he's super suspect, don't agree that it's strange that Polish cyclists do well.

 

[roundabout]

Lombardi is the agent for many Italian based riders, but you are right, Bjarne was so desperate he phoned him up and begged him for any old dross he could spare irrespective of what they were good at… It's what Bjarne has always done, beg for kids willing to work for free and hope they are good at something…

Do you even read what you write before hitting the button?

He did sign Margaliot so rolleyes right back at you.

 

[sniper]

What, is this sarcasm?

nope. they have great mountains there.

I agree that he's super suspect, don't agree that it's strange that Polish cyclists do well.

i never said it's strange. i said it's interesting.
it's difficult not to notice that cycling is growing more popular in poland by the day.
otoh, if you're from poland you'll agree that the country's infrastructure for cyclists is still far from ideal.
(not saying good cycling infrastructure is a sine qua non for good cyclists to surface, but still it can come in handy).

 

[Le Baroudeur]

He did sign Margaliot so rolleyes right back at you.

Margaliot allegedly paid to be signed with sponsor approval… The team also had another pay to ride sponsor deal the year before… and one the year after iirc...

Majka did not…

 

[ciranda]

nope. they have great mountains there.
i never said it's strange. i said it's interesting.
it's difficult not to notice that cycling is growing more popular in poland by the day.
otoh, if you're from poland you'll agree that the country's infrastructure for cyclists is still far from ideal.
(not saying good cycling infrastructure is a sine qua non for good cyclists to surface, but still it can come in handy).

Oh cool, I thought you meant *interesting*.