Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

[Forever The Best]

Re:

He is so extremely unlucky its surreal. If its not crashing, its a teammate suddenly finding superlegs. He is always finding himself in an unfortunate situation in GT's, the guy can't catch a break. Not one time has he hit the mountains without having bled time, crashed or finding himself in a luxury domestique role.

Ffs. Along with Pinot, it was the guy who really could do something IMO.

Fully agreed. However at some point it's not luck anymore (except finding himself in a domestique role maybe).
He has the syndromes of a very pure climber, susceptible to lose time on stages like this and time trials.

Hopefully he won't be slaving for Quintana and go for long-range attacks like a pure climber.
#Landismo <3

 

[tobydawq]

How was it not bad luck today???

 

[Valv.Piti]

Today had nothing to do with skill or whatever you want to call it, it was just plain unlucky. How can he guard himself against something like that? He made the split...

Feeling sad for him and the race. On the other hand, he will now be even more aggressive than usual, Hopefully he, Fuglsang and the other guys who lost time will try to claw some time back now. In the Pyrenees, stage 15 looks the best for that, since stage 12 is too easy and Tourmalet is most likely just coming down to brute force.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

How was it not bad luck today???

Hang on a second, Barguil crashed to him? I thought he crashed on his own as I didn't watch the stage. That's awful luck then.
However, he lost lots of time in San Marino TT in Giro, he crashed on cobbles last year, and almost every GT he rides he loses lots of time before the mountains.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

Today had nothing to do with skill or whatever you want to call it, it was just plain unlucky. How can he guard himself against something like that? He made the split...

Feeling sad for him and the race. On the other hand, he will now be even more aggressive than usual, Hopefully he, Fuglsang and the other guys who lost time will try to claw some time back now. In the Pyrenees, stage 15 looks the best for that, since stage 12 is too easy and Tourmalet is most likely just coming down to brute force.

Yeah I didn't know Barguil crashed to him. Sorry
The route looks awful for long-range attacks though, especially for a pure climber like Landa.

 

[Valv.Piti]

There's Mur de Peguere and then theres the Alps. But no really great stage to do it, unfortunately. Its not the Giro.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

There's Mur de Peguere and then theres the Alps. But no really great stage to do it, unfortunately. Its not the Giro.

Peguere, Izoard and Iseran maybe. But none of these climbs are, say, Gavia, Manghen or Mortirolo.
And I don't think no climbs before Iseran and an extremely short stage helps Landa that stage either because the Sky doms would be very fresh before Iseran.
Peguere and Izoard look like the best option.

 

[Valv.Piti]

No matter what it will be extremely important for these potential mountain raids to put riders up the road. Its not stages where one guy can fend of an entire team like an attack on Colle San Carlo or Mortirolo in the Giro. Relatively shallow gradients and a decent amount of flat/false flat between the climbs.

Roseland/Thorens could also be a possibility, but its just made a lot harder by the route desing and having to deal with Ineos.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

No matter what it will be extremely important for these potential mountain raids to put riders up the road. Its not stages where one guy can fend of an entire team like an attack on Colle San Carlo or Mortirolo in the Giro. Relatively shallow gradients and a decent amount of flat/false flat between the climbs.

Roseland/Thorens could also be a possibility, but its just made a lot harder by the route desing and having to deal with Ineos.

I agree with you. But Roselend is extremely far from finish with lots of flat between. And once again a junior length mountain stage. That stage is all about the final climb I think.
And yes, Movistar should send riders in front like they did in many stages of Giro. It would be excellent if Valverde can get onto one of those breaks.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yes, its a huge problem the stages are so short and the one long Alpine stage is pretty meh with Galibier from Briancon.

 

[mariposa]

Really gutted for Mikel what does he need to do to get a break?

 

[durtyfat7]

Such a bad luck! It would be great if they give him the same time as Barguil who finished in the first group, considering he's the one who caused his fall. I know it's part of the race but come on, there's no way in hell somebody can avoid this fall.

And for the people who are saying that he should support Quintana from now on, i completly disagree with that. I wouldn't be surprised if he finish ahead of Quintana at the end of the Tour

 

[gmedina]

Re:

Such a bad luck! It would be great if they give him the same time as Barguil who finished in the first group, considering he's the one who caused his fall. I know it's part of the race but come on, there's no way in hell somebody can avoid this fall.

And for the people who are saying that he should support Quintana from now on, i completly disagree with that. I wouldn't be surprised if he finish ahead of Quintana at the end of the Tour

He is becoming the next Porte....seems he always makes a mistake or has extremely bad luck when in a position to lead. I am sure he'll go on the attack, gain some time back but at this point for what? A 5-10th place? Meh... Movistar should just put all the team behind Quintana if there is any chance to challenge GT/EB and maybe we'll get an interesting TdF

 

[Scarponi]

People had zero faith in actual climbers and GT winners Froome and Contador that they could make a mark on the tour after the Giro but it seems with Landa it was a given he was going to fly away at some point in this race? Second GT in a row, 3 mins down on G with a TT to come it’s all over.

 

[Bolder]

People had zero faith in actual climbers and GT winners Froome and Contador that they could make a mark on the tour after the Giro but it seems with Landa it was a given he was going to fly away at some point in this race? Second GT in a row, 3 mins down on G with a TT to come it’s all over.

Yeah, sadly agree but I thought he might have come into the Tour with enough in the tank to challenge, especially given that early attack on LPDBF.

I still think Landa will take a stage, and I hope in spectacular fashion. I like the guy more and more, mostly because he looks so great on a bike. At first I thought he was sort of a drama queen but I get that at Sky and now at MS he's never really been the featured star, though he clearly has the talent to do so.
And who really predicted Carapaz would shoot up one or two levels at the Giro? I do fear that he'll be remembered as a Porte-type rider who couldn't quite connect all the dots.

 

[jaylew]

Seems he's really in bad spirits:

"I got up this morning feeling OK, although one arm took a knock, but I've got very low morale," Landa told reporters. "Once again, I have to try to bounce back and I don't know how I'm going to handle this year's Tour.

"I will try to get motivated again, but right now I see very little to be motivated about. My form's good, but I'm feeling down."

 

[Serpentin]

He should go for Vuelta now.

 

[perico]

People had zero faith in actual climbers and GT winners Froome and Contador that they could make a mark on the tour after the Giro but it seems with Landa it was a given he was going to fly away at some point in this race? Second GT in a row, 3 mins down on G with a TT to come it’s all over.

Yeah, sadly agree but I thought he might have come into the Tour with enough in the tank to challenge, especially given that early attack on LPDBF.

I still think Landa will take a stage, and I hope in spectacular fashion. I like the guy more and more, mostly because he looks so great on a bike. At first I thought he was sort of a drama queen but I get that at Sky and now at MS he's never really been the featured star, though he clearly has the talent to do so.
And who really predicted Carapaz would shoot up one or two levels at the Giro? I do fear that he'll be remembered as a Porte-type rider who couldn't quite connect all the dots.

Difference is that Landa has GT podiums and stage wins. Porte has Willunga Hill.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

He should go for Vuelta now.

Go for the Vuelta or go to the Vuelta and dom for Valverde?

 

[PremierAndrew]

People had zero faith in actual climbers and GT winners Froome and Contador that they could make a mark on the tour after the Giro but it seems with Landa it was a given he was going to fly away at some point in this race? Second GT in a row, 3 mins down on G with a TT to come it’s all over.

Yeah, sadly agree but I thought he might have come into the Tour with enough in the tank to challenge, especially given that early attack on LPDBF.

I still think Landa will take a stage, and I hope in spectacular fashion. I like the guy more and more, mostly because he looks so great on a bike. At first I thought he was sort of a drama queen but I get that at Sky and now at MS he's never really been the featured star, though he clearly has the talent to do so.
And who really predicted Carapaz would shoot up one or two levels at the Giro? I do fear that he'll be remembered as a Porte-type rider who couldn't quite connect all the dots.

Difference is that Landa has GT podiums and stage wins. Porte has Willunga Hill.

Landa's palmares don't come close to this

 

[Ludwigzgz]

Porte's palmares don't come close to Cavendish
I thought we are talking about GT contenders

 

[Joomla10]

Mikel stay, Nairo go from Movistar.

Realy nice stage for Landa.

 

[durtyfat7]

What a bad tactical error when they dropped Soler to help Quintana. Instead, if they continued the hard pace, i think Landa would have won.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

What a bad tactical error when they dropped Soler to help Quintana. Instead, if they continued the hard pace, i think Landa would have won.

I agree that they should have continued with Soler in hopes that Landa would still be able to do something. Although at that point I would have told Valverde not to set the pace after Soler as at that point they needed him to try to do what he could to limit his losses for the day.

 

[yaco]

At the end of the day, the team gave their riders the best chance - Landa was good and Quintana poor.