other countries know who rules

[El Pistolero]

Same is true of a lot of countries, take Gilbert aways from Belgium and they slip from 3rd to 8th. France without Tommy V slip from 4th to 8th. Only really Spain and Italy can boast proper strength in depth.

Take Gilbert away and we still would have won the Ronde, Roubaix, Paris-Tours, Gent-Wevelgem, a mountain stage in the Giro, a mountain stage at the Tour, 2 top tens in the Vuelta(with one coming of injury), etc

And all this with our second best cyclist having an absolutely horrible year.

 

[sublimit]

the problem with gb though is they have basically one major top rider cavendish, also wiggins and perhaps froome can be strong. but netherlands has in numbers more subtopriders and big talents that can score a lot of points even if gesinks sucks majorly hard as this year

This is it. dont know how many Dutch riders in PRT, Pro Conti teams but it must be many more than Britain have hence the Dutch getting within 300 points on CQ.

Gesink, Molleama have a lot of potential but thats about it at the moment.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

And all this with our second best cyclist having an absolutely horrible year.

Boonen's done.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

I think the article is typical Cav bombast - playing up to the British media who are convinced that the Olympic RR will be Copenhagen mk. 2. Shouldn't be taken too seriously, and I don't think any of the other nations will be losing sleep over whether they 'know the rules or not'!

Watch out for Kennaugh. This may be where he prospers rather than the predicted GTs.

This is what annoys me about GB cycling, particularly as Sky and British Cycling are so closely linked. Thomas, imho, has the potential to win both P-R and RVV one day, yet despite having his best season on the road this year, is going back to the track for the Olympics. Kennaugh is a great talent, yet I'm not totally sold on Sky's ability to nurture his potential.

 

[Havetts]

Boonen's done.

No sir, Boonen will destroy P-R next year .

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen's done.

As is Cavendish: it's the Kittel show from here on now

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Wiggins is a top, top rider. He's confirmed that this year. I'd certainly put him up in the world's top 10 riders, no question.

Elsewhere, we have plenty of 'subtopriders'. Froome, Swift, Millar, Thomas, Stannard, Cummings, Dowsett. You don't control a WC race without that.

As has been pointed out, the only area where the Dutch have a clear advantage is the hilly classics.

wiggins top ten rider? maybe in few more years if he confirms. thomas is butop the others are not. naming dowsett and stannard made me laugh out loud btw, thank you

 

[theyoungest]

the problem with gb though is they have basically one major top rider cavendish, also wiggins and perhaps froome can be strong. but netherlands has in numbers more subtopriders and big talents that can score a lot of points even if gesinks sucks majorly hard as this year

Majorly hard suckage didn't stop Gesink from still scoring the most points for the Netherlands though. Yes, Holland have the numbers, there are more Dutch pros so it's likely that more of them score points as well. But if the Ardennes are the only field where the best Dutch rider isn't worse than the best British one, and we're not great in the Ardennes to begin with, you know that Britannia rules the wheels.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

wiggins top ten rider? maybe in few more years if he confirms. thomas is butop the others are not. naming dowsett and stannard made me laugh out loud btw, thank you

Depends on your definition, re: Stannard, Dowsett and others.

Wiggins is a top 10 rider by any definition, though. Contador, Cavendish, Cancellara and Gilbert, certainly above him. Evans too. Martin, EBH, Hushovd, maybe. I'm running out of names of riders I'd rather have in my team.

 

[El Pistolero]

Depends on your definition, re: Stannard, Dowsett and others.

Wiggins is a top 10 rider by any definition, though. Contador, Cavendish, Cancellara and Gilbert, certainly above him. Evans too. Martin, EBH, Hushovd, maybe. I'm running out of names of riders I'd rather have in my team.

I'll make a thread, can fuel some discussions in here

 

[theyoungest]

Depends on your definition, re: Stannard, Dowsett and others.

Wiggins is a top 10 rider by any definition, though. Contador, Cavendish, Cancellara and Gilbert, certainly above him. Evans too. Martin, EBH, Hushovd, maybe. I'm running out of names of riders I'd rather have in my team.

Andy Schleck? Vincenzo Nibali? Denis Menchov (last year's, not this year's... same goes for Nibali, actually)?

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Andy Schleck? Vincenzo Nibali? Denis Menchov (last year's, not this year's... same goes for Nibali, actually)?

I'm not talking about palmares. Else Menchov, Petacchi, Boonen and a whole host of other guys would be above Wiggins. If you had a choice of any of them to ride for your team, right now, would you choose any of yours over Wiggins. Schleck, maybe. The other 2? Not likely.

 

[theyoungest]

I'm not talking about palmares. Else Menchov, Petacchi, Boonen and a whole host of other guys would be above Wiggins. If you had a choice of any of them to ride for your team, right now, would you choose any of yours over Wiggins. Schleck, maybe. The other 2? Not likely.

Actually, yes. I'd pick Denis Menchov. I think he's more talented as a GC rider than Wiggins.

 

[Richeypen]

Actually, yes. I'd pick Denis Menchov. I think he's more talented as a GC rider than Wiggins.

Wiggins is more than a GC rider though. Can pick up TT wins in flat races and the WC showed how good he is at controlling a race.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Actually, yes. I'd pick Denis Menchov. I think he's more talented as a GC rider than Wiggins.

He may well be, just, albeit a fading one. I'd certainly argue that Wiggins offers a lot more in 1 week races, time trials and as a domestique, either pulling back breaks or, on occasions, early on in a lead out train. Each to their own, though.

 

[The Hitch]

Menchov can pick up a tt win too.

Wiggins would be very good at 1 week races if he did more of them. Ill give him the Dauphine, he was very good there. but Paris Nice was extremely tt heavy this one year.

He doesnt do the other ones.

Menchov doesnt do much either but he did come 3rd in Romandie 2010, and that was not just by defending the tt gains but by getting into an impressive 3 man escape with Valverde and Spillack - later Anton too, which held off the peloton, on the last stage.

He also does well in some lesser ones like Murcia, Castilla Leone, Austria.

Has a big 1 week win in pais Vasco though that was a lot longer ago.

But because of his GT ability I would take Menchov for this season. If it was for longer maybe Wiggins because he is 2 years younger.

 

[briztoon]

Altough a quite cocky comment, but atleast he's bigging up his team more than himself. Be had of said I showed at the world championships I can rule a course like that they I would of found it more irritating. Tbh if were talking just with regards to that worlds and Olympic race then what he's said is probably true.

Ah what? Even without a broad Scotish accent, I can not make heads or tails of this statement.

 

[Angliru]

Ah what? Even without a broad Scotish accent, I can not make heads or tails of this statement.

I thought I was the only one.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I just have two simple questions:
1-)What does Cavendish accomplish with his commentaries?
2-)Does he think the entire cycling community will begin to "fear" British cycling, because of his WC title?

1) cycling in the news in Britain, Mark Cavendish being talked about
2) no, because cocky and sometimes foolish in the spur of the moment though he may be, he's not a complete simpering dolt. But he enjoys laying down a challenge and giving the press what makes good copy

As is Cavendish: it's the Kittel show from here on now

What about Guardini?

 

[Fus087]

What about Guardini?

Guardini right now is better than the Cavendish of 2007, but not yet at the Cavendish of 2008.
I mean, his non-existing climbing skills are so cliché it isn't even funny anymore.
Awesome sprint, but apart from that... well.
If Guardini can improve his strength on hills (heck, if he can develop any sort of strength on hills), there may be something about the talk.

And the same goes for Kittel, really.

 

[Hawkwood]

Hilly classics will go to the soon to be nationalised Colombians on team sky.

if there is something us Brits are great at in sport it is claiming foreigners as our own when they start winning. Froome, Rusedski, half the England cricket team

I doubt you'd need to look far back in Froome's ancestry to find English/British blood, as Froome is a English/British surname. Otherwise I agree with your point, Rudsedki's hardly a British name.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Guardini right now is better than the Cavendish of 2007, but not yet at the Cavendish of 2008.
I mean, his non-existing climbing skills are so cliché it isn't even funny anymore.
Awesome sprint, but apart from that... well.
If Guardini can improve his strength on hills (heck, if he can develop any sort of strength on hills), there may be something about the talk.

And the same goes for Kittel, really.

OK, that's fair. But in a couple of years' time, all it takes is one crash, slip, or injury to Cavendish and his former domination is weakened. And I can see Kittel and Guardini being ones that could compete in such an eventuality (note caveat, as I agree that at present an on-form Cavendish is pretty much untouchable and he has many years at the top left in him).

But yes, Guardini's climbing is woeful and right now he could be dropped by Angelo Furlan and Danilo Napolitano on bikes from the 1890s.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

OK, that's fair. But in a couple of years' time, all it takes is one crash, slip, or injury to Cavendish and his former domination is weakened. And I can see Kittel and Guardini being ones that could compete in such an eventuality (note caveat, as I agree that at present an on-form Cavendish is pretty much untouchable and he has many years at the top left in him).

But yes, Guardini's climbing is woeful and right now he could be dropped by Angelo Furlan and Danilo Napolitano on bikes from the 1890s.

He's that bad ? I knew he sucked but cmon

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I doubt you'd need to look far back in Froome's ancestry to find English/British blood, as Froome is a English/British surname. Otherwise I agree with your point, Rudsedki's hardly a British name.

froome could also be a dutch/african name. that's what I thought at first

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He's that bad ? I knew he sucked but cmon

He lost four minutes on this:

That was whilst wearing the leader's jersey and after 143 riders out of 160 in the race contested the sprint.