Most disappointing riders so far

[greenedge]

All the sprinters except for Cav and Greipel, Cav doing 3gts won a minor classic, he had a slow start last yr too, Greipel for the fact he's stronger and has worst team for leadouts.
A. Shleck has gone ok and is focusing on TDF.
rabobank have just won German race with Michael matthews and have been consistent.
Katusha, have no focus.
Lampre other than Scarponi suck.
Leipheimer i thought podiumed in a race and is focusing on TOC
EBH for injury
GBR on world tour rankings
Some stage races for not aggresive riding and no mountains.

 

[Archibald]

Flecha - Supposed to be Team Sky's Classic rider, yet out done by Gee Thomas

that, if more for him curtailing Thomas' chance at a result at RvV than him being pants. I really didn't expect much from him... you know, like what you'd expect from BMC so far this season... (excluding T-A )

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

hushovd
rogers
cavendish
samuel sanchez
lovkvist (I know he's overrated but this is ridiculous)
sergei ivanov
farrar
haussler
luis leon sanchez (also overrated but seems to be worse than ever)
devolder (LOL)
boasson hagen
phinney

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Friere hasn't been great either.

Haussler was disappointing in the spring.

freire actually did his best springseason ever. I think he's never been stronger than this year except verona 2004

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

freire actually did his best springseason ever. I think he's never been stronger than this year except verona 2004

form is different then results. Agree he did well in the ardennes considering the rider he is, but he hasn't got a lot of success.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

hushovd
rogers
cavendish
samuel sanchez
lovkvist (I know he's overrated but this is ridiculous)
sergei ivanov
farrar
haussler
luis leon sanchez (also overrated but seems to be worse than ever)
devolder (LOL)
boasson hagen
phinney

no soler ?

anyway a bit harsh on ebh and phinney as they have been injured. Might as well add breschel to the list otherwise.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

breschel I expected as the guy at age 25 already had/has chronic kneeinjury's will be one big misbuy and I think I already said that last year in transfer topic.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

freire actually did his best springseason ever. I think he's never been stronger than this year except verona 2004

I fail to see how this possibly could be Freires best (or second best) spring season ever in terms of results?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I fail to see how this possibly could be Freires best (or second best) spring season ever in terms of results?

probably because ryo only thinks uphill races count, and thus thinks friere's decent performance in the ardennes are much more impressive then say... a spring including
MSR win, brabantse pijl win, Trofeo Mallorca win and 3rd @ GW

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I fail to see how this possibly could be Freires best (or second best) spring season ever in terms of results?

I wasn't saying he had the best season in results. but that he's never been this good, especially ardennes this year

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I wasn't saying he had the best season in results. but that he's never been this good, especially ardennes this year

Alright. In terms of strenght I guess it's a matter of opinion. It's just that you said that he "...did his best springseason ever." which seems to imply that he got better results than ever before which certainly isn't true.

 

[hrotha]

Flecha outdone by Thomas?

Oh wait, Geraint is British.

 

[Archibald]

Flecha outdone by Thomas?

Oh wait, Geraint is British.

he was doing far better at RvV til Flecha told him back off

 

[hrotha]

he was doing far better at RvV til Flecha told him back off

He looked stronger at RvV and then worked for his team leader (which, by the time the finale came around, I thought was a mistake by Sky's DS, since Thomas is faster). But RvV is but one race. There are others, and on the whole Flecha has been better.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Flecha has been disappointing regardless although expectations for Sky riders seem to diminish by the year. Most other riders have their biggest targets ahead of them. I think he needs to stop framing his year around the cobbled classics

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Flecha has been disappointing regardless although expectations for Sky riders seem to diminish by the year. Most other riders have their biggest targets ahead of them. I think he needs to stop framing his year around the cobbled classics

yeah and do what?? winning a grand tour?

 

[Eyeballs Out]

yeah and do what?? winning a grand tour?

He has roughly the same chance of winning a grand tour as he has of winning Paris-Roubaix or Tour of Flanders. He can't compete in terms of power with Boonen or Hushovd let alone Cancellara and none of those are going away any time soon. This year he couldn't even compete with Ballan.

 

[El Pistolero]

I wasn't saying he had the best season in results. but that he's never been this good, especially ardennes this year

He was 11th at LBL last year iirc.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I take back the snide Rabob!tches comment, since I like Gesink and Freire quite a bit.

And all these other wins...
25/04/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 1.1 Rund um Köln
9/03/2011 Rabobank 2.WTs Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 1 : Marina di Carrara T.T.T.
4/03/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 2.1s Vuelta a la Region de Murcia, Stage 1 : San Pedro del Pinatar - Alhama de Murcia
26/02/2011 LANGEVELD Sebastian 1.HC Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
24/02/2011 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar 2.1s Vuelta a Andalucia / Ruta Del Sol, Stage 5 : Cordoba - Antequera
23/02/2011 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar 2.1s Vuelta a Andalucia / Ruta Del Sol, Stage 4 : La Guardia de Caen - Cordoba
20/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1 Tour of Oman
19/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 5 : Bander Al Jissah I.T.T.
18/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 4 : Al Khoudh - Jabar al Akhdhar (Green Mountain)
17/02/2011 BOS Theo 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 3 : Sur - Sur
15/02/2011 BOS Theo 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 1 : Al Sawadi - Al Seeb
6/02/2011 BOOM Lars 2.1s Tour of Qatar, Prologue : Doha I.T.T.
20/01/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 2.WTs Tour Down Under, Stage 3 : Unley - Stirling

Very Dissapointing!

With all the Hype and Money Taylor Phinney by a long way

You would be stupid to expect much from him this year, especially after his injuries. He's barely strung two races together

 

[El Pistolero]

Flecha has been disappointing regardless although expectations for Sky riders seem to diminish by the year. Most other riders have their biggest targets ahead of them. I think he needs to stop framing his year around the cobbled classics

Yeah, he won Züri-Metzgete which translates loosely to the Zürich Butcher/massacre or something. He can get over those hills as that's one tough race. Sad it's gone.

 

[El Pistolero]

And all these other wins...
25/04/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 1.1 Rund um Köln
9/03/2011 Rabobank 2.WTs Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 1 : Marina di Carrara T.T.T.
4/03/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 2.1s Vuelta a la Region de Murcia, Stage 1 : San Pedro del Pinatar - Alhama de Murcia
26/02/2011 LANGEVELD Sebastian 1.HC Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
24/02/2011 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar 2.1s Vuelta a Andalucia / Ruta Del Sol, Stage 5 : Cordoba - Antequera
23/02/2011 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar 2.1s Vuelta a Andalucia / Ruta Del Sol, Stage 4 : La Guardia de Caen - Cordoba
20/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1 Tour of Oman
19/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 5 : Bander Al Jissah I.T.T.
18/02/2011 GESINK Robert 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 4 : Al Khoudh - Jabar al Akhdhar (Green Mountain)
17/02/2011 BOS Theo 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 3 : Sur - Sur
15/02/2011 BOS Theo 2.1s Tour of Oman, Stage 1 : Al Sawadi - Al Seeb
6/02/2011 BOOM Lars 2.1s Tour of Qatar, Prologue : Doha I.T.T.
20/01/2011 MATTHEWS Michael 2.WTs Tour Down Under, Stage 3 : Unley - Stirling

Very Dissapointing!


You would be stupid to expect much from him this year, especially after his injuries. He's barely strung two races together

Bolded victories have nothing to do with spring classics. And compared to last year, they've been disappointing.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He was 11th at LBL last year iirc.

my god you are blind?

 

[El Pistolero]

No, his season last year was better. He has done good in the Ardennes classics before. It's no surprise.

Perhaps this year he decided to focus on it more because of the bad luck at San Remo, the infection before G-W, etc

He had more energy left at the end of the spring classics this year compared to last year. But no way was he stronger.

 

[hrotha]

About Flecha: his first few years with Relax he was shaping up to be a stage racer/climber wannabe. Of course he can get over some hills when in form, but anyway, he's pretty consistent and has podiumed P-R and RvV. This is like suggesting 2010 Nuyens should have given up and focused on stage hunting. I just wish he'd develop some tactical sense - at 34, you'd think it's about time.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Bolded victories have nothing to do with spring classics. And compared to last year, they've been disappointing.

Where does it say that it has to be for only spring classics?