• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

Page 63 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Nov 29, 2010
2,326
0
0
Visit site
To be fair I did say he was similar to Porte in the sense of inconsistency and not riding qualities. Porte is the stronger climber however Thomas should be able to conserve energy better on flatter days.
 
Re: Re:

HelloDolly said:
deValtos said:
therealthing said:
HelloDolly said:
So what is this about then ?

https://twitter.com/oskarguinea/status/858601376523399170

If ever a man was on the market for a new team

Thing was if he had stayed with Astana he would be sole leader at the Giro
They are taking a big risk not having Landa as sole leader. I would use Thomas as a tactical card. Landa has proved his worth over 3 weeks, Thomas less so and he has never led at a GT. Also Landa is defintely a better pure climber

It really doesn't cost too much to have two leaders. I think it would be a mistake for Sky to pick one over the other before the race.


Ordinarily I would agree but everyone knows what will happen...Thomas will take an early lead, Landa will be roped in to protect that and then Thomas will fade but by thnbe Landa will have blown his chances ....
exactly
 
Nov 29, 2010
2,326
0
0
Visit site
Listening to the latest episode of the cycling podcast and apparently someone from sky said "Landas problem is that he's so talented that he doesn't expect his legs to hurt, cycling doesn't normally hurt his legs and he gets worried and freaked out when they do." :lol:
 
Jul 14, 2015
708
0
0
Visit site
Not sure why Landa is so ungrateful. They gave him full support and unconditional leadership and he doesn't even frikken finish the race, dropped on the climbs in stages prior before his final climb into the team car. Now he's co-leader and pissy, and that's going to be his audition for another team?! What team wants a guy who can't spell teamwork or finish his targeted GT?
 
Re: Re:

HelloDolly said:
deValtos said:
therealthing said:
HelloDolly said:
So what is this about then ?

https://twitter.com/oskarguinea/status/858601376523399170

If ever a man was on the market for a new team

Thing was if he had stayed with Astana he would be sole leader at the Giro
They are taking a big risk not having Landa as sole leader. I would use Thomas as a tactical card. Landa has proved his worth over 3 weeks, Thomas less so and he has never led at a GT. Also Landa is defintely a better pure climber

It really doesn't cost too much to have two leaders. I think it would be a mistake for Sky to pick one over the other before the race.


Ordinarily I would agree but everyone knows what will happen...Thomas will take an early lead, Landa will be roped in to protect that and then Thomas will fade but by thnbe Landa will have blown his chances ....
If that happens, Landa has only himself to blame as he could have just attacked on Etna then.
 
Re: Re:

HelloDolly said:
deValtos said:
therealthing said:
HelloDolly said:
So what is this about then ?

https://twitter.com/oskarguinea/status/858601376523399170

If ever a man was on the market for a new team

Thing was if he had stayed with Astana he would be sole leader at the Giro
They are taking a big risk not having Landa as sole leader. I would use Thomas as a tactical card. Landa has proved his worth over 3 weeks, Thomas less so and he has never led at a GT. Also Landa is defintely a better pure climber

It really doesn't cost too much to have two leaders. I think it would be a mistake for Sky to pick one over the other before the race.


Ordinarily I would agree but everyone knows what will happen...Thomas will take an early lead, Landa will be roped in to protect that and then Thomas will fade but by thnbe Landa will have blown his chances ....

That is indeed a likely scenario. Both are honestly no 100% bets though so they have to spread their chances.
 
thehook said:
If Landa does not bury G. In the early stages of the race (Etna). He would be a fool. IMHO

Guy is to talented to let any opportunity slide by.

Trying to bury G on the first two MTFs and burying G on the first two MTFs are two different things. I think G will be there or there abouts on Etna and will probably lose slightly more serious time on Blockhaus (maybe a minute) and then recoup his losses in the time trial (although I'm pretty sure Landa has improved his TT skills). Landa attacking reasonably early (on Etna 3-4kms out, on Blockhaus earlier) could actually play into G's hands, since he just has to follow wheels.

I think that the most likely scenario is G being ahead of Landa coming into the final week, but Landa turning out to be Sky's best podium chance.
 
I can see both of them end up in the top5 GC, but it depends on if Gin-Tonic takes the maglia rosa along the way. As stated by several in this thread it's much more likely that Landa at some point has to slave for Thomas than the other way around, but as of now the pair both stand to benefit from their dual leadership.
 
Big props to the team that apparently only cares about Thomas, in particular Deignan, but also Henao, altho that was a bit of a slow change. It was great to see they sacrificed the two riders they had in the group with Thomas to get Landa back. He looked spent once he got up to the group, but thats only natural, it was a huge effort.

Will be riding into the sunset with Nairo on his wheel to Blockhaus, Aupa Mikel!
 
Re:

Rollthedice said:
First he has to get there and then without being 10 min. down. Anyway interesting comments coming from Shefer.
Shouldn't be a problem, I think he will lose at 3, maybe 3 and a half minutes at maximum to Dumoulin or whoever proves to be the strongest (hello Jungels) on the TT on stage 9. He can think about the flat time trial in the last week.

But interesting comments. Landa, Kruijswijk, Nibali and Quintana at 100% in the last week would be a nice watch. Especially Landa as a) he needs time and b) is a joy to watch at his best.
 
I just noticed that Astana really screwed up as a team for gc riders. They gave away Nibali and Landa, Aru hasn't had a good performance since 2015 (which is mainly because he has only ridden the tdf since then where he had one very bad day, but still not a good sign) and let's see what Lopez will do in the future, but I must say that it's worrying that he is still inured.

In 2015 they had 3 of the strongest gc riders and one promising prospect, in 2017 they have one underperforming gc rider and one promising prospect
 

TRENDING THREADS