Miguel Ángel Lopez Discussion Thread

[tobydawq]

What a pity that Superman had the bad day on the Col de Marie Blanque and Pogi lost time in the cross-winds. Without those two incidents, Jumbo would have been less in control and the race would have been much more open.

 

[Escarabajo]

That's true but the fact that Lopez came into the race a little under-cooked is helping him now IMO.

 

[tobydawq]

Will he ride the Vuelta as well?

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations on wining the queen stage.

 

[movingtarget]

The only way he wins a grand tour is by being more aggressive in the mountains. One good stage win isn't enough against riders like the Slovenians who can also ride a great TT. The Vuelta is the race he should win and he should have done better there last year. Podium is still a good result for him.

 

[Red Rick]

The only way he wins a grand tour is by being more aggressive in the mountains. One good stage win isn't enough against riders like the Slovenians who can also ride a great TT. The Vuelta is the race he should win and he should have done better there last year. Podium is still a good result for him.

Well it's the Tour, where trains make it so it's harder to be aggressive. MAL was also simply unable to attack in the Pyrenees. So yeah, as far as missed opportunities go, there's stage 18 and that's probably it.

 

[SafeBet]

The only way he wins a GT is by being the best climber throughout the race. Which is basically the only way everybody win a GT these days.

He was far from being the best climber in this Tour.

 

[movingtarget]

Well it's the Tour, where trains make it so it's harder to be aggressive. MAL was also simply unable to attack in the Pyrenees. So yeah, as far as missed opportunities go, there's stage 18 and that's probably it.

I suppose, the pattern has pretty much been like that since 2012 Although Nibali was just dominant in 2014 after Froome and Contador crashed out. He might have still won the race even with them in. But Nibali also had a strong team. Quintana back in the day was really the only one to seriously threaten Froome in the Tour. Uran was never going to beat him. Trouble is Quintana got worse after 2016 and Froome was more conservative in the mountains relying more on his TT to open up time gaps. Still hard to win grand tours these days without a good TT. Yates managed it but his TT isn't too bad on it's day and like Roglic he has the kick at the finish to pick up bonus points in the mountains.

 

[topcat]

The only way he wins a GT is by being the best climber throughout the race. Which is basically the only way everybody win a GT these days.

He was far from being the best climber in this Tour.

Not the best climber by far.

 

[Escarabajo]

He was 1:27 minutes far from the best climber.

 

[topcat]

He was the best climber in the best stage of the tour. Let us say he was the queen of the climbers.

 

[yaco]

Lopez was ready for the TDF and has made the most of a suitable route.

 

[Oliver]

I think he needs more higher mountains then this year. But i’m happy with his first tour de france performance, better then expected actually.

 

[Red Rick]

I think he needs more higher mountains then this year. But i’m happy with his first tour de france performance, better then expected actually.

What he needs is to be on his best climbing day of the race every day. And he never does.

 

[roundabout]

I still think the problem is inconsistency. When he is consistent, he gets the podiums. But maybe this Tour will be different in this regard and he will podium despite being only in the 3rd group in Laruns.

 

[F_Cance]

San Marino TT incoming tomorrow

 

[tobydawq]

San Marino TT incoming tomorrow

 

[Rollthedice]

Better climber than Landa, similar inconsistency but compared to Mikel, always free.

 

[Red Rick]

Seriously MAL wouldn't even be fit to oil the chains of 2015 Landani

 

[Escarabajo]

Oh dear!!

We are going to keep living in the fictitious world!!!!!

 

[SafeBet]

He was 1:27 minutes far from the best climber.

Considering how conservatively the mountain stages were ridden, 1'27" is pretty far honestly.

Lopez has yet to show me he can consistently be the best climber in a 3 weeks race. The moment he does that, he wins a Grand Tour. It's pretty simple, really. There's nothing stopping a great climber from winning a GT nowadays.

 

[Red Rick]

Considering how conservatively the mountain stages were ridden, 1'27" is pretty far honestly.

Lopez has yet to show me he can consistently be the best climber in a 3 weeks race. The moment he does that, he wins a Grand Tour. It's pretty simple, really. There's nothing stopping a great climber from winning a GT nowadays.

Laughs in Bernal

 

[SafeBet]

Laughs in Bernal

You don't think Bernal was the best climber in last year's Tour?

 

[Red Rick]

You don't think Bernal was the best climber in last year's Tour?

He was the best climber without freak injury

 

[Skele]

I'm not even sure Bernal was the best overall last year.
The tour was still pretty open when that landslide sealed the deal.