Most overambitious rider?

[Siriuscat]

I know you've already made up your mind about Schleck, and that's what's bothering me.
He's lazy, and I didn't like him very much either until recently. But seeing that he comes back from a serious injury and that he's very motivated for 2013 I'll support him this year. And someone who won LBL at 24 years, and finished 2nd in the TdF three times in row when he was 26 has imo the right to aspire taking yellow home, even with a horrible 2012 behind him.(and even with horrible TT skills )

I keep saying it...when he shows us something of that exceptional god given talent of his, i'll show some respect, until then it's wasted. I honestly think every time he opens his mouth he's being over ambitious, at times he's simply pathetic, Gap in 2011 as a prime example.

My views everyone, we are all allowed them.

 

[Gloin22]

would be hilarious to see a PR without the cobble specialists but with only gc riders at the start.

PR, the battle between Contador, Henao, Evans, Hesjedal, Wiggins, A Schleck etc etc

Considering Wiggins got 25th at PR at Garmin. I'd think he'd ace it

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Does anyone think Cancellara's ambition to win LBL and Lombardia is overambitious? He mentioned these goals couple of times.
Several years ago I thought it wasn't unfounded if he starts riding and studying them, but now I think it's overambitious.

If Cancellara starts to target these, i.e enter them perhaps we can talk about having ambitions. For now its just empty talk.

 

[serfla]

If Cancellara starts to target these, i.e enter them perhaps we can talk about having ambitions. For now its just empty talk.

You're right. It's not even overambitious, it's just empty talk.
I thought, at the time, it's genuine ambition. He sounded sincerely.

 

[trevim]

This is a great thread. I would like to mention Frank Schleck when he talked about riding Flanders. Sometimes I think I was dreaming when I read that. I'm a huge fan of Frank but come on...

 

[zbranko]

I thought this would be easy when i learned that Fuglsang would be aiming for a top-10 in this year's TDF, but then Intxausti announced that he would target a top-3 at the Giro. Course, I'd still pick Fuglsang as the most overambitious between the two of them.

Intxausti at least was 6th last year just a few days from the end when he came down with a lung infection. If it's madness you're looking for Capecchi wants a top 3. Yes in the Giro.

And if I wanted to be mean I'd say Rojas and Ciolek insisting on trying to be sprinters

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Contador, "I can win three GTs in a season."

 

[The Cobra]

Surprised no one's mentioned Bradley 'I'm going for Giro-Tour double' Wiggins yet

 

[serfla]

Surprised no one's mentioned Bradley 'I'm going for Giro-Tour double' Wiggins yet

That's because we're frozen by thought that he might win it.

 

[Magnus]

Fuglsang climbed at a good level in that Dauphine, but hasn't been able to replicate that. His TT has improved to the detriment of his climbing. That's how he got those results in the Tour of Switzerland, by relying on his TT. It helps that that race doesn't have grueling mountain stages.

He was sort of consistent in the Vuelta, but other than that... he didn'tt impress in the mountain stages, let's put it that way.

So what is a realistic TdF gc goal for Fuglsang in your opinion?

 

[Forunculo]

So what is a realistic TdF gc goal for Fuglsang in your opinion?

Andy Schleck
Froome
Contador
Evans
Valverde
Rodriguez?
Van der Broeck
Gesink
Pinot
Hesjedal
Van Garderen
Rolland


Perhaps he has improved but still we don't see it.

Top 15 will be a good goal for him.

 

[ElChingon]

Fuglsang has finished 3rd and 4th in TdS, 6th in Dauphine, 11th in Vuelta Espana.
Won several minor stageraces.

How is a top-10 in TdF overambitious?
Rather pathetic, i understand. Overly ambitious? Not so much.

Agree with Magnus andcineteq, Fuglsang by a country mile or Kilo. Some of the riders listed are only overabitious in select fan's eyes they are not singing that song like Fuglsang.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Steegmans had some serious ambitions for awhile. Back to earth now it seems.

 

[Housoe]

Last year i would have said Hesjedal was overambitious when he said he could win the giro.

Don't really think Fuglsang is over ambitious he talking about gt top tens, i don't think that's is out of range og his potential.

Hesjedal Giro win last year also shows that it's not necesseraly a bad thing to be over ambitious if the right circumstances appear.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

So what is a realistic TdF gc goal for Fuglsang in your opinion?

Top 20 maybe, if everything clicks and he is consistent throughout. Kitzbuheler Horn proved to me that his climbing is still lackluster. I actually expected a bit of an improvement, but not so. If he's all of a sudden a top-15 climber in the world's biggest race, that would be a tad bit suspect to me.

You could compare Fuglsang to Monfort. Monfort has the much better track record as far as GTs are concerned. He got 6th in that same Vuelta.

 

[theyoungest]

Fuglsang was climbing really well in his first pro year. I've never seen him at that level again.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Devolder was hilarious. He really believed he could win the TdF

 

[MagnusMagnussen]

Kris Boeckmans.

 

[jens_attacks]

Fuglsang was climbing really well in his first pro year. I've never seen him at that level again.

i always like to make a little fun of jakob. and people rightfully do so too
the truth is that i think he's extremely talented but probably suffers from the "too cute to suffer" syndrome just like di luca did until 2005.
fuglsang has in him a future grand tour contender and i don't mean just top 5,i mean podiums

 

[roundabout]

I don't know. Even in 2009, he didn't really seem like a natural climber.

 

[Flamin]

Kris Boeckmans.

What about him?

 

[theyoungest]

I don't know. Even in 2009, he didn't really seem like a natural climber.

More like a natural climber than anything else, I would say.

 

[Pentacycle]

More like a natural climber than anything else, I would say.

He's a typical mountain biker, very good in individual efforts over shorter distances and classics, but he lacks endurance and recovery in a GT. You can compare him with Kessiakoff, a very good time trialist with decent climbing. They both have good classics results, but in GT's they're done after a week or two.