Paris-Nice 2012 - Stage 5; Onet-le-Chateau - Mende (178.5 km)

[DominicDecoco]

Porte is in some form as well isn't he.

 

[Frosty]

Richie Door kept going to finish 13th

http://www.letour.fr/2012/PNC/LIVE/fr/500/classement/index.html

Ah, thought i was looking at the english version but it seems that google automatically translated the french version...

 

[mewmewmew13]

Valverde!

I wish it were Tejay in there instead of LL.

and props to Wiggins

 

[Pippo_San]

wait for Le Tour and see Sky pulling a US Postal up every mountaintop finish

 

[insideout leadout]

Westra couldn't care less about the GC the last 100m. He won the queen stage and he enjoyed it. Tomorrow he will think about GC.

 

[hatcher]

Yeah, Wiggins looked weaker than I expected. Still, Sunday is another day.

I think 3rd on that finish was pretty bloody good for Wiggins.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sky are very impressive.

But ultimately will be beaten by the one Beast from Frisia

 

[classicomano]

But ultimately will be beaten by the one Beast from Frisia

As good a time as any to start a hype thread.

 

[Fetisoff]

Hmm, another ****ty performance by the enigmatic Pope.
Wonder if he's trying to conserve energy for the time trial, or his form is just ****

 

[Frosty]

If he puts in that performance on Sunday then he wont need to worry about a few seconds.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yeah, Wiggins looked weaker than I expected. Still, Sunday is another day.

I didn't think Wiggins looked that weak, just that Westra looked so much stronger than everyone else.
So much so, I almost expected a pistol bang celebration.

 

[Frosty]

As good a time as any to start a hype thread.

Looked like a definite tour winner to me

 

[theyoungest]

wait for Le Tour and see Sky pulling a US Postal up every mountaintop finish

And see someone from the flattest land imaginable, Frisia, take the win.

 

[hatcher]

What was Westra's previous best climbing performance? I know I've seen him there or thereabouts in some good groups before.

 

[spalco]

Yeah, Wiggins looked weaker than I expected. Still, Sunday is another day.

Compared to whom? It's not like he's trying to peak at this point. In fact, I'm almost a bit concerned that his training plan seems to be so different from all the other potential Tour contenders.

 

[roundabout]

I think 3rd on that finish was pretty bloody good for Wiggins.

I mean he didn't really look that great in the last few hundred meters before the climb flattened out weaving around a bit. He still did bloody good and the others could only follow him, but Westra was quite a bit better.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Wigans looked so done at the end - did he do his warming/cooling down routine?

 

[DominicDecoco]

Westra couldn't care less about the GC the last 100m. He won the queen stage and he enjoyed it. Tomorrow he will think about GC.

This comment dosn't make sense.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Westra has quite a decent kick. He might be able to get in yellow before the TT

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What was Westra's previous best climbing performance? I know I've seen him there or thereabouts in some good groups before.

None really. He was 3rd in Algarve last year largely thanks to the TT. And 2nd in a hilly time trial in PN.

But real climbing performances like these no. Some top 20's at 40/50 seconds was his previous best. I thought today was about limiting the damage and lose 30/40 seconds...But he won. I'm as perplexed as you are

 

[theyoungest]

This comment dosn't make sense.

He's right, though. I think at no moment Westra thought about GC, otherwise he wouldn't be soft-pedaling.

Regarding Westra's climbing: he was climbing very well last year in Paris-Nice, but in long breakaways, so nobody noticed. But of course this is better than anything he's ever shown, the only explanation I have is that he moved to Spain (other than clinic stuff, of course).

 

[roundabout]

I didn't think Wiggins looked that weak, just that Westra looked so much stronger than everyone else.
So much so, I almost expected a pistol bang celebration.

Yeah, I agree with that. However I honestly was expecting Wiggins to be the best even if he probably wouldn't have got a gap because of the zero kick that he has.

 

[hatcher]

I mean he didn't really look that great in the last few hundred meters before the climb flattened out weaving around a bit. He still did bloody good and the others could only follow him, but Westra was quite a bit better.

I'd bet they were all close to done at that point. They would have responded to Westra if they weren't.

Westra was just head and shoulders above today.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Westra couldn't care less about the GC the last 100m. He won the queen stage and he enjoyed it. Tomorrow he will think about GC.

yeah and that's very stupid. not exatcly the mind of a winner. still impresisve win which doesn't surprise me to be honest. I always felt he would'v ebeen a gc rider within a few years because of the lifestyle he ahd before hie will have much margin left to still grow and he is physically superb

 

[hrotha]

In other news, now we can say Valverde (and his amazing conservative tactics) is truly back.