Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

[mrhender]

That said, the free role seems only to exist on teams with no GC captain.

 

[hazaran]

I think people saying he has disappointed when he was the leader of his team are a bit unfair. He got sick in 2016 and had a crash in 2017. He might have won both races if that hadn't happened. Ofc thats pure speculation but we now know exactly as much about how useful he is as a gc rider in gt's as we knew before those races.
That said it's quite funny that his two best gt results are a 3rd and a 4th place and both come from years in which he rode the race as a helper.

It's not the Japanese Railroad, no ones standing around handing out excuses for guys "done in by bad luck". You get GT leadership in a team like Sky without a GvA free-spirit or some sidejob sprinter you are expected to perform and screwing that up twice is a black mark on any career.

Lots been written on the pharmacological enhancements of he-who-shall-not-be-named but winning 7 consecutive Tours without a GT ending crash even once is not all just "luck". You could say Dan Martin was unlucky to be hit by the Porte projectile or you could point at Froome being prepared and doing the descent by leading on the front..

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Having the ability to win a GT is not the same as being a likely Tour winner. Landa may or may not develop into the latter. Despite the fantasies of some of his fans, there's not enough evidence available to have a firm plan. But he already is in the former category. If you can podium the Giro and top 5 the Tour, you can win a Giro or Vuelta with a favourable route and opponents without improving at all.

There's also a broader point to consider - people are always saying about one rider or another that he's just not quite good enough to win a GT, while forgetting some of the riders who have won GTs. There are 30-40 riders who could win a Vuelta if they arrived in their best ever form and got lucky with all of the parcours, field and race events. Most of those riders will never get lucky in that way, of course. But before you write off someone as a potential future GT winner, you should ask yourself if you are really confident that he can't be as good as a Cobo, Horner or Hesjedal.

 

[glassmoon]

I think if it wouldn't come to 1 seconds, nobody (Landa included) would give 2 rats about it. And frankly, this 1s difference is just coincidence anyway. And don't get me started about those 20s penalty jury decided to withdraw - those could actually make Uran to attack maybe?
Mikel, just get over it already, sign to some solid team that can provide adequate support during the GT and prove you can win/perform under the pressure. You're bit overdue in that aspect imho. Good luck.

 

[Gigs_98]

I think people saying he has disappointed when he was the leader of his team are a bit unfair. He got sick in 2016 and had a crash in 2017. He might have won both races if that hadn't happened. Ofc thats pure speculation but we now know exactly as much about how useful he is as a gc rider in gt's as we knew before those races.
That said it's quite funny that his two best gt results are a 3rd and a 4th place and both come from years in which he rode the race as a helper.

It's not the Japanese Railroad, no ones standing around handing out excuses for guys "done in by bad luck". You get GT leadership in a team like Sky without a GvA free-spirit or some sidejob sprinter you are expected to perform and screwing that up twice is a black mark on any career.

Lots been written on the pharmacological enhancements of he-who-shall-not-be-named but winning 7 consecutive Tours without a GT ending crash even once is not all just "luck". You could say Dan Martin was unlucky to be hit by the Porte projectile or you could point at Froome being prepared and doing the descent by leading on the front..

Is getting sick and crashing because another rider hit a motor bike really screwing up?

 

[hazaran]

Is getting sick and crashing because another rider hit a motor bike really screwing up?

These guys spend 6 hours a day riding and the other 18 obsessing over not getting sick, so yes, of course it is. And you don't hit that motor riding at the front..

 

[Gigs_98]

Is getting sick and crashing because another rider hit a motor bike really screwing up?

These guys spend 6 hours a day riding and the other 18 obsessing over not getting sick, so yes, of course it is. And you don't hit that motor riding at the front..

Oh c'mon that crash could have happened to anyone. Froome doesn't ride 100% of the time at the front of the peloton as well. It's harder to argue against your sickness argument since I have no way to prove that it wasn't his fault, but I just claim that this is also something that could happen to everyone. After all a viral disease doesn't just appear from nowhere. Someone else must have infected him or most likely he ate something bad and in both cases it's not entirely his fault.

 

[sienna]

Is getting sick and crashing because another rider hit a motor bike really screwing up?

These guys spend 6 hours a day riding and the other 18 obsessing over not getting sick, so yes, of course it is. And you don't hit that motor riding at the front..

Oh c'mon that crash could have happened to anyone. Froome doesn't ride 100% of the time at the front of the peloton as well. It's harder to argue against your sickness argument since I have no way to prove that it wasn't his fault, but I just claim that this is also something that could happen to everyone. After all a viral disease doesn't just appear from nowhere. Someone else must have infected him or most likely he ate something bad and in both cases it's not entirely his fault.

I think this is sarcasm but you can never be sure on this forum.

 

[Gigs_98]

Is getting sick and crashing because another rider hit a motor bike really screwing up?

These guys spend 6 hours a day riding and the other 18 obsessing over not getting sick, so yes, of course it is. And you don't hit that motor riding at the front..

Oh c'mon that crash could have happened to anyone. Froome doesn't ride 100% of the time at the front of the peloton as well. It's harder to argue against your sickness argument since I have no way to prove that it wasn't his fault, but I just claim that this is also something that could happen to everyone. After all a viral disease doesn't just appear from nowhere. Someone else must have infected him or most likely he ate something bad and in both cases it's not entirely his fault.

I think this is sarcasm but you can never be sure on this forum.

Why should this be sarcasm?

 

[Insider]

I'm sorry that I didn't read whole thread but seems that he is complaining that he was not allowed to sail away on Izoard (stage 18) and get few seconds to secure podium but he should have hold Contador's wheel on stage 13 and not lost 2" to Barguil. Doing that he would have been on podium by 1"

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I'm sorry that I didn't read whole thread but seems that he is complaining that he was not allowed to sail away on Izoard (stage 18) and get few seconds to secure podium but he should have hold Contador's wheel on stage 13 and not lost 2" to Barguil. Doing that he would have been on podium by 1"

I read that too. He was not happy with the team. Well, He is on the way out anyway!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/landa-it-hurt-to-sacrifice-myself-with-no-reward-for-the-team/

 

[Red Rick]

Hopefully he'll be back with a revenge next year.

 

[Matteo.]

I think it's time to turn the page and talk less.
What is done is done: go to the movistar, guide the team to the Giro and win

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

I think it's time to turn the page and talk less.
What is done is done: go to the movistar, guide the team to the Giro and win

The win will be very, very complicated..

 

[Taxus4a]

Landa is not that way, he is not a rider to make a prediction, but he is a rider to let him free when he is in his best form, becouse he has that magic talent to make the impossible possible. So, with him is not to say, go to the Giro and win.. and of course if he has a good route and he is good in shape and heath he with at least deliver a brilliant performance.. but I dont mind if he is 1 or 5, I want to see him make spectacular things.

He has won In Gorla, Bondone, Andorra hard stage, Neila, Aia, in that stage close to his house when he was out of shape, Madonna di campligio, Aprica after Mortirolo, Piancavallo, all of them great victories to remerber for cycling fans, he has something special. I just want to go on watching him doing those things, to destroy a race and blow up all. He has potential to win a Tour with some circuntances, and of course a Giro, but that is not the important.

 

[Matteo.]

Sorry taxus, but how is not important: winning a GT is all. Apart from my conviction, but it's the one of mikel. Just read his interviews where he wants to be the captain. He does not want to lead the team to win only some stages. But this is also your conviction: you are often regret about giro 2015!

 

[Matteo.]

I exaggerated ( provocation) with the imperative to win. But with a little luck finally and with the right shape can win. It's realistic, he's talented

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Landa is not that way, he is not a rider to make a prediction, but he is a rider to let him free when he is in his best form, becouse he has that magic talent to make the impossible possible. So, with him is not to say, go to the Giro and win.. and of course if he has a good route and he is good in shape and heath he with at least deliver a brilliant performance.. but I dont mind if he is 1 or 5, I want to see him make spectacular things.

He has won In Gorla, Bondone, Andorra hard stage, Neila, Aia, in that stage close to his house when he was out of shape, Madonna di campligio, Aprica after Mortirolo, Piancavallo, all of them great victories to remerber for cycling fans, he has something special. I just want to go on watching him doing those things, to destroy a race and blow up all. He has potential to win a Tour with some circuntances, and of course a Giro, but that is not the important.

He has a potential, that's for sure, a huge one. But without a GT win, or some significant GT results, he will never fulfill that potential. He's exciting rider, but not something special, at least not yet. If you want something special you should've watched Alberto Contador

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Sorry taxus, but how is not important: winning a GT is all. Apart from my conviction, but it's the one of mikel. Just read his interviews where he wants to be the captain. He does not want to lead the team to win only some stages. But this is also your conviction: you are often regret about giro 2015!

Yes, of course, he want to win, all cyclist want to win, especially TdF . no doubt.
I just said I dont really mind the result if he tried and he do magic stages.

In his case more than to win it is important how. He need to be leader to have that freadom.

But he is in a problem now. He want to be leader acording the route of the GT wich suts better to him in teams as Movistar or SKY. If next year is Tour the best route for him, it will be a problem. With Quintana he could do a good team againts sky, but looking for the team, not just one of them. That is not the same than to be on a train.

I hope anyway to see Landa here in Burgos in a week and to talk about that.

 

[Red Rick]

Aaaany chance he goes to the Vuelta?

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Valverde who?

Landa to do three GTs and be arguably the best climber in all of them!

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Re:

Aaaany chance he goes to the Vuelta?

No he's doing prep for his favorite monument which, according to google translate, "He has not lost [it] since 2011".

 

[hfer07]

Landani wrapped up Burgos with ease

What's next for him? the Italian Classics & Lombardia?

 

[Ruby United]

So, it's confirmed. He's going to Movistar.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mikel-landa-signs-two-year-deal-with-movistar/

Overall, I am very disappointed.
a) As a Sky fan.
b) I really, really don't like Movistar. My least favourite team.
c) In my opinion, Landa is a better bet for a Tour victory than Quintana. Though not as good on mountains, he is a much more complete rider. But Movistar won't let him lead at the Tour (assuming Narito stays at Movi).

 

[Movitrain]

So, it's confirmed. He's going to Movistar.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mikel-landa-signs-two-year-deal-with-movistar/

Overall, I am very disappointed.
a) As a Sky fan.
b) I really, really don't like Movistar. My least favourite team.
c) In my opinion, Landa is a better bet for a Tour victory than Quintana. Though not as good on mountains, he is a much more complete rider. But Movistar won't let him lead at the Tour (assuming Narito stays at Movi).

How is Landa "much more complete?" I personally viewed them more as similar riders, both very strong in the mountains, weaknesses on the flat and in the ITT (though Landa made some strides there this year, at least at the TdF)