Paris Nice Stage 8: Nice → Nice 124 km

[The Hitch]

Richie Porte finished 22nd overall, definitely one to watch in the Grand Tours this season.
Or maybe not.

Of course not. He was being touted as a favourite for this race before hand. This is a race far far more suited to his abilities than any grand tour ever will.

 

[joy118118]

No one forces you or others to read these posts, you can still have race related discussions. Forums are for opinions, deal with it.

When half of the posts of a page are all debates, it is not that easy to find race related discussions. And always debates are much more words than the race discussions.

Well, you are right every one has the right to express himself. But sometimes I just really want to enjoy 2hr of no such dispute.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The fact is that the debate interrupted others watching and discussing races especially when the races were on.

If you dont like it, going out and openning a new thread to discuss it is better. At least not at the time all others want to enjoy the race.

Samu!! being your debate contribution?

I thought the whole idea of a debate was to have differing viewpoints.
Did any GC contender attack the leader, after the ITT, or did we just experience two tough stages, where they all stayed in file?

If expressing negative statements about this apparent stalemate is somehow inappropriate during race discussion, or is more offensive than say a personal attack on a fellow forum member, it needs to be addressed in the forum rules.

 

[Andy99]

I assume this is directed at me.
What Libertine has already pointed out, goes for me.
Followed the sport for decades.
Maybe that's the problem. Becoming a grumpy old bloke.
For me, this race has consistently been the season stage event highlight.
It is simple a comparison.
This year simply failed to deliver the level of racing seen in '07, '08, '09 and '10.
Also, Dutchsmurf makes a valid point. You don't risk a decent placing by taking a gamble that has little chance of success.

Nah - directed at no one in particular, apologies if it appeared as if it was. I actually hadn't read any of the previous posts...

Guess I was just mardy after 5hrs on the bike in the rain

 

[Jamsque]

I missed seeing the last two days live because of social life, glad to see my prediction that Wiggo would drop off the podium was false. That's solid points towards Team GB at the worlds right there.

Tony Martin really did ride well to take the win, he didn't let the race get ahead of him and he kept his cool even when he was low on team-mates.

The race wasn't as animated in the mountains as it has been, but I still think it was great viewing. The final stage confirmed that P-N 2011 was the Race to the Thomas, we had TV getting his seconds stage and GT pulling the head of the favourite's group for half of the day.

 

[El Pistolero]

1 Tony Martin Team HTC-High Road 34u03'37"
2 Andreas Klöden Team RadioShack + 0'36"
3 Bradley Wiggins Sky ProCycling + 0'41"
4 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis + 1'10"
5 Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel-Euskadi + 1'13"
6 Jean-Christophe Peraud AG2R-La Mondiale + 1'24"
7 Janez Brajkovic Team RadioShack + 1'34"
8 Levi Leipheimer Team RadioShack + 1'36"
9 Bauke Mollema Rabobank + 2'04"
10 Maxime Monfort Team Leopard-Trek + 2'26"


Bolded ones should be banned for 2 years for being complete useless cyclists.

Oh, and Samu best descender? My ***.

 

[The Hitch]

Oh, and Samu best descender?

Nah.

Hes second to the Canc

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=8723

 

[El Pistolero]

Nah.

Hes second to the Canc

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=8723

Thor Hushovd= best descender. The fact he isn't even in that poll makes it even more stupid.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I actually agree with el pickle. Samu is very overrated on descents. Been a long timevsince I've seen him destroy one. In recent years certainly not.

 

[The Hitch]

Thor Hushovd= best descender. The fact he isn't even in that poll makes it even more stupid.

The people hath spoken

 

[El Pistolero]

The people hath spoken

Be glad I didn't bold Samu

 

[The Hitch]

Be glad I didn't bold Samu

psss. You dont have the balls. You didnt even bold Mollema

TGBM should not have finished ahead of TGBMM

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

the great belgian maxime monfort?

 

[El Pistolero]

the great belgian maxime monfort?

He's a domestique. Bolded ones are leaders. I didn't bold Bauke because he's still so young. Same for Peraud and Taramae.

I would have bolded Samu, but he attacked. Wasn't impressive or anything, but at least he did something. And didn't get caught at least.

 

[El Pistolero]

why does kelly say Samu gets a bonification

It's not like he ever won the race.

 

[Ryaguas]

Well great for Das Panzerwagen... very well deserved victory!

Are we going to discuss again who is the best descender in the whole universe again?

 

[The Hitch]

He's a domestique. Bolded ones are leaders. I didn't bold Bauke because he's still so young. Same for Peraud and Taramae.

I would have bolded Samu, but he attacked. Wasn't impressive or anything, but at least he did something. And didn't get caught at least.

Rubens question was whether TGBMM stands for The great Belgian Maxime Monfort, not why TGBMM is bolded. He is correct, though originally it stood for "Thr's great Belgian Maxime Monfort".

but if you need to attack to avoid El pistoleros hall of shame then what did Tony MArtin do

Also Samu attacked 3 times this race. First time he lost out in the sprint. Second time he got a small gap on the chasing group after Remy won. Third time today.

So it was slightly more impressive than you think. More than vdb anyway.

Which reminds me. What did Buffalo SOldier say about how VDB should win a stage Dekker correctly pointed out that you cant expect that from someone who is yet to get a win, and i agreed.

It's not like he ever won the race.

So. Explain to me since when 4th place gets time bonifications.

 

[El Pistolero]

Rubens question was whether TGBMM stands for The great Belgian Maxime Monfort, not why TGBMM is bolded. He is correct, though originally it stood for "Thr's great Belgian Maxime Monfort".

but if you need to attack to avoid El pistoleros hall of shame then what did Tony MArtin do

Also Samu attacked 3 times this race. First time he lost out in the sprint. Second time he got a small gap on the chasing group after Remy won. Third time today.

So it was slightly more impressive than you think. More than vdb anyway.

Which reminds me. What did Buffalo SOldier say about how VDB should win a stage Dekker correctly pointed out that you cant expect that from someone who is yet to get a win, and i agreed.


So. Explain to me since when 4th place gets time bonifications.

Tony Martin was in the lead and he's not even a climber! Why should he attack? The others should have, he was in the lead and just had to suck wheels. Contador would have done the same if he was in yellow at that point of the stage.

They basically gifted it to Tony and that's not Tony's fault now is it. That's why I didn't bold him.

And I basically called Sean Kelly an idiot, that's what I was saying in pretty words anyway.

And VDB's win at P-N was way more exciting than Samu (you could have expected that one to be honest)
I didn't expect VDB2 to win anything this P-N, but I did expect him to do better then this, but apparently he's sick. Who am I to say if it's an excuse or the truth.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

And VDB's win at P-N was way more exciting than Samu (you could have expected that one to be honest)
I didn't expect VDB2 to win anything this P-N, but I did expect him to do better then this, but apparently he's sick. Who am I to say if it's an excuse or the truth.

same home sickness (tour) that andy gets I think

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Which reminds me. What did Buffalo SOldier say about how VDB should win a stage Dekker correctly pointed out that you cant expect that from someone who is yet to get a win, and i agreed.

He really seemed to be in great form before, i think my claim wasn't that unfounded.

I believe he was really sick. That TT was just terrible (couln't get his hart rate up, apparently)

 

[B_Ugli]

I watched the last 40 kms on Europort yesterday.

All I can say is apart from Tommy V's stage win the race for overall (or was it a procession) the stage was boring defensive boring defensive, boring boring boring.

I thought that Geraint Thomas and Mick Rogers were lining it up ready for a stinging attack from Wiggo to be countered by Kloden but no! Instead 2nd and 3rd road a nice little club run up the Col D'Eze and down into Nice.

Play it safe preserve your g.c standing

ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

1 Tony Martin Team HTC-High Road 34u03'37"
2 Andreas Klöden Team RadioShack + 0'36"
3 Bradley Wiggins Sky ProCycling + 0'41"
4 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis + 1'10"
5 Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel-Euskadi + 1'13"
6 Jean-Christophe Peraud AG2R-La Mondiale + 1'24"
7 Janez Brajkovic Team RadioShack + 1'34"
8 Levi Leipheimer Team RadioShack + 1'36"
9 Bauke Mollema Rabobank + 2'04"
10 Maxime Monfort Team Leopard-Trek + 2'26"


Bolded ones should be banned for 2 years for being complete useless cyclists.

Oh, and Samu best descender? My ***.

I was thinking much the same myself. Except that I was a bit torn as to whether to include Wiggins or not. My instinct is to say, 'Not' but then is that because he's a fellow countryman and I am naturally biased? Or is it because 3rd for Wiggins is an excellent result from an excellent field. Given that Sky did nothing last year when the roads went uphill, blowing a good podium wasn't really an option with no plan B for the team if Wiggins had any problems.

Radioshack on the other hand, had Plans B AND C. Why couldn't Brajkovic and Leipheimer go on the attack? What did they have to lose? Kloden obviously had to look after his placing.

So you're half right in my opinion.


P.S. As for the best descender award, Tony Martin has set up Pinotti for the ToB and set himself up for the Paris-Nice due to his descending prowess, so he gets it for me.

 

[hrotha]

What about Rabobank? They came here to win this race and a 9th place for Mollema is nice but hardly great for him, let alone for the team. They could have shaken things around a little.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

LL Sanchez simply failed.

What's even more funny, they've sent nearly all climbers here...to help LL Sanchez, and then Gesink, in the leaders jersey in the Tirreno, is isolated 20km from the finish, having a team around him of mainly cobbled classic guys...

Mismanagement?

 

[Jamsque]

Everyone sends their classics squad to Tirreno, I don't think Rabo can be blamed for that. If anything they should have sent Gesink to P-N.