Paris-Nice

[blaxland]

Consistently, this has been the most exciting stage race of the year.
The reason?
Other than the parcours, the omission of a top heavy ITT, IMO.

Mustn't forget that we have the MP Eroica (strade bianche) as an apperitif, on Saturday.

Agreed Mellow Velo Paris-nice is the most exciting race of the year.......

 

[Cerberus]

agreed, IMO the biggest factor seperating andy and Frank is the ITT.

In terms of this race and riding for fugslang, well paris-nice has only 8kms of tt'ing anyway, it's foolish to suggest frank rides for anyone.
As a matter fo fact, Frank FTW!!

Also Fuglsang says he's not in great shape right now.
http://sporten.tv2.dk/cykling/article.php/id-28975076.html (Danish)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Also Fuglsang says he's not in great shape right now.
http://sporten.tv2.dk/cykling/article.php/id-28975076.html (Danish)

They all say that!

 

[Moondance]

5th place at last year's tour de france (would have come 3rd if he could hold his own in the ITT) and you think he should be a domestique to Fugslang?
I 'Pffft' that notion !

edit: mollema to get a top 5 *optimistic > realistic

Hating on poor Jakob again Timmy? What did this guy ever do to you? Love affair gone wrong, perhaps?

Although you are right of course, Schleck the Elder should obv. be the captain

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

haha good times Nope I think JF will have a excellant season, should have gained a lot of experience from last year's vuela anyway... he's still no gesink dammit

 

[Moondance]

He's still no gesink dammit

While i defintely think that Gesink is better, right now:

Fuglsang's wins > Gesink's wins

 

[Angliru]

I think some of you may have missed my point (not surprising in Hog's case ). Think back to stage 17 in last year's Tour, AC went with the brothers Schleck, Kloden couldn't come near matching that effort. Fast forward to Algarve, when AC attacked the only one that could come close to matching his effort was Machado, even ahead of LL. It's possible LL and Kloden aren't in top form yet, but Machado was still there. This doesn't indicate that Machado is a grand tour contender, but he could make a valuable mountain domestique, possibly more so than Kloden. In a couple years, he could develop to a GT contender because, contrary to Hog's effort to diminish Machado's achievements, the dude can climb and judging from the special colors he wears while time trialing, he's not a bad time trialist either. He could possibly be this season's big surprise (think Wiggo).

I can't wait to see him in Paris-Nice.

I too can't wait to see him and everyone else in Paris-Nice but my point was that you're jumping the gun a bit (well more than a bit) in this sudden lofting of Machado over Kloden. Way too early to be dismissing Kloden based on someone's performance in an inconsequential early season 3rd tier stage race.

Edit: After reading the preceding responses, I'm obviously late to the party.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

While i defintely think that Gesink is better, right now:

Fuglsang's wins > Gesink's wins

meh Tour of Slovenia, denmark and some junior titles.
I'm sure had gesink rode those races he could have won too. I admit gesink hasn't won a lot, but his placings in certain races outdo JF results on a whole, including his wins.

Vuelta 6th (x2) podium at a classic (AGR), 4th F-w, 4th at Dauphe (x2) and so on (and with a bit of luck.. or rather exclusion of bad luck... he could have had a GT podium and a paris-nice title...) are more impressive.

 

[Moondance]

meh Tour of Slovenia, denmark and some junior titles.
I'm sure had gesink rode those races he could have won too. I admit gesink hasn't won a lot, but his placings in certain races outdo JF results on a whole, including his wins.

Vuelta 6th (x2) podium at a classic (AGR), 4th F-w, 4th at Dauphe (x2) and so on (and with a bit of luck.. or rather exclusion of bad luck... he could have had a GT podium and a paris-nice title...) are more impressive.

YAWN.... I'm getting rather tired of Gesink's habital missing out. He'd better win something big this year. A couple of nice Top 5/10s are all well and good, but wins, in the end, are all that really matters.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I do agree, I think it's high time he starts getting results in.
It's a shame he will waste his GT season at the tour, I'd like to see him tackle the vuelta again, along with the giro, but woteva.

I do think he could win some races this year though, T-A he's gotta be a chance, F-W suits him like no other classic and he will be up there (shame he missed out last year due to injury) and maybe a high place at the tour will do him some justice.

time will tell, but like I said I agree it's time he gets some wins under his belts.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I too can't wait to see him and everyone else in Paris-Nice but my point was that you're jumping the gun a bit (well more than a bit) in this sudden lofting of Machado over Kloden. Way too early to be dismissing Kloden based on someone's performance in an inconsequential early season 3rd tier stage race.

Edit: After reading the preceding responses, I'm obviously late to the party.

Better late than never.....

I think you're right. I get excited about riders and seem like a total fanboy for about a week. Eventually, that enthusiam wanes, but the interest is still there. The same thing happened with Haussler this time last year. It's just the way I am; call it youthful exhuberance

 

[Angliru]

Better late than never.....

I think you're right. I get excited about riders and seem like a total fanboy for about a week. Eventually, that enthusiam wanes, but the interest is still there. The same thing happened with Haussler this time last year. It's just the way I am; call it youthful exhuberance

I'm the same way about young or new riders that burst on the scene with a fine performance. I've kind of learned to do my best to keep it to myself until they prove its more than just a flash in the pain otherwise you'll get baptised on this forum as a result.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I'm the same way about young or new riders that burst on the scene with a fine performance. I've kind of learned to do my best to keep it to myself until they prove its more than just a flash in the pain otherwise you'll get baptised on this forum as a result.

Yeah I've noticed...several times.

 

[blaxland]

meh Tour of Slovenia, denmark and some junior titles.
I'm sure had gesink rode those races he could have won too. I admit gesink hasn't won a lot, but his placings in certain races outdo JF results on a whole, including his wins.

Vuelta 6th (x2) podium at a classic (AGR), 4th F-w, 4th at Dauphe (x2) and so on (and with a bit of luck.. or rather exclusion of bad luck... he could have had a GT podium and a paris-nice title...) are more impressive.

Is Gesink becoming the new Poulidor/Evans of the peloton?

 

[battery89]

I think Gesink @ his current age (23?) has done very well so far and with a bit of luck could have had some major wins/even better results.

Hopefully he steps up this year. Can see him taking FW (fastest recorded ascent in 08? I think) and having a strong showing (top 10 easily imo) at the tdf - as long as he stays on his bike , as well as opportunities at TA and DL.

From what I've seen of him the talent is there and the willingness to attack is there (vuelta 09 only person willing to attack along with mosquera, as well as showings at PN and DL). Hopefully he can turn it into results this year. Love watching him race.

 

[Moondance]

Is Gesink becoming the new Poulidor/Evans of the peloton?

Well, he is only 23; he has some growing to do,might be a bit premature. But for someone whose only been in the peleton 2 years he has an awful lot of near misses, most notably of course his f@ck up in Paris-Nice. I would expect and hope that he doesn't.

Also, while Poulidor might have missed out a couple of times at the Tour and the Worlds, let's not forget that he won the Vuelta, Milan-Senremo and Paris-Nice. Probably a couple of more big races too. It's not as if he never won anything.

 

[blaxland]

I think Gesink @ his current age (23?) has done very well so far and with a bit of luck could have had some major wins/even better results.

Hopefully he steps up this year. Can see him taking FW (fastest recorded ascent in 08? I think) and having a strong showing (top 10 easily imo) at the tdf - as long as he stays on his bike , as well as opportunities at TA and DL.

From what I've seen of him the talent is there and the willingness to attack is there (vuelta 09 only person willing to attack along with mosquera, as well as showings at PN and DL). Hopefully he can turn it into results this year. Love watching him race.

Agree.I like watching him race..........just hope he gets some good wins this season.......................

 

[van nelle]

I think Gesink @ his current age (23?) has done very well so far and with a bit of luck could have had some major wins/even better results.

Hopefully he steps up this year. Can see him taking FW (fastest recorded ascent in 08? I think) and having a strong showing (top 10 easily imo) at the tdf - as long as he stays on his bike , as well as opportunities at TA and DL.

From what I've seen of him the talent is there and the willingness to attack is there (vuelta 09 only person willing to attack along with mosquera, as well as showings at PN and DL). Hopefully he can turn it into results this year. Love watching him race.

Well IMO - top 10 not easy for almost anyone this year (TdF), and definitely not for Robert Gesink. He is very strong, but never made it to the finish there yet (Vuelta is not a Tour) + the competition will be brutal. For me, if he makes it to the top ten, then it will be a succes for him (again not that he is bad, but as a realistic goal).

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Well IMO - top 10 not easy for almost anyone this year (TdF), and definitely not for Robert Gesink. He is very strong, but never made it to the finish there yet (Vuelta is not a Tour) + the competition will be brutal. For me, if he makes it to the top ten, then it will be a succes for him (again not that he is bad, but as a realistic goal).

I disagree. I think a top ten is well in his grasp and failure to make the top ten would be disappointing. At the vuelta no rider really outclimbed him (not to mention the heart he showed, and at the tour, that is something that can push a contender to another level), and it's on the cards at his age that he will only improve.
I agree it won't be easy, but he is very capable of getting a high finish.

Is Gesink becoming the new Poulidor/Evans of the peloton?

as mentioned he is still very young, and I agree with battery89 he has had a very impressive career thus far. One thing about Gesink is that he really has set his targets high, unlike say JF who has targeted smaller races as well as other races, Robert has always been peaking and competing in these tougher races. I'm certain Gesink could have had some nice smaller victories had he changed his schedule around a bit.

Time is on his side, it's not the enemy (though this thread makes it seem otherwise).

 

[ak-zaaf]

Is Gesink becoming the new Poulidor/Evans of the peloton?

Poulidor? Please! Awesome palmares

Evans? Gesink attacks a lot, so no.

I disagree. I think a top ten is well in his grasp and failure to make the top ten would be disappointing.

He'll podium. Maybe 4th. Just watch.

 

[van nelle]

He'll podium. Maybe 4th. Just watch.

No way! I know how it's very easy to see him high in GC - just go there, be strong when it's needed, climb with the best, make some strong TT's and ... that's it. Easy. All he can do. But somehow I'm more into A.Schleck/Nibali/Kreuziger etc. approach - first make it to the finish

But that's offtopic sorry.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He'll podium. Maybe 4th. Just watch.

I've had the same theory for quite sometime, but you can see how me making this claim could come of quite biased

Honestly, IMO, the only youngster who is better then gesink atm is AS.

 

[Angliru]

I've had the same theory for quite sometime, but you can see how me making this claim could come of quite biased

Honestly, IMO, the only youngster who is better then gesink atm is AS.

I would put Kreuziger equal to or above (overall) Gesink. He's a proven winner, he was getting stronger (likely due to his recovery from whatever ailed him) by the time the Tour reached the Ventoux stage, and he's better against the clock. Needless to say, it'll definitely be interesting to watch the race within the race between the young guns of Gesink, Kreuziger and Nibali. To a lesser extent Tony Martin, Daniel Martin, Fuglsang and Caisse d'Epargne youngsters of Rigoberto Uran and Rui Costa (depending on who they bring to the Tour).

 

[theyoungest]

I would put Kreuziger equal to or above (overall) Gesink. He's a proven winner, he was getting stronger (likely due to his recovery from whatever ailed him) by the time the Tour reached the Ventoux stage, and he's better against the clock. Needless to say, it'll definitely be interesting to watch the race within the race between the young guns of Gesink, Kreuziger and Nibali. To a lesser extent Tony Martin, Daniel Martin, Fuglsang and Caisse d'Epargne youngsters of Rigoberto Uran and Rui Costa (depending on who they bring to the Tour).

What's with all this Gesink talk in a thread about a race in which he doesn't even compete?

BTW, Rabo for Paris-Nice:
Bauke Mollema
Lars Boom
Dennis van Winden
Jos van Emden
Rick Flens
Tom Leezer
Bram Tankink
Joost Posthuma

That's right, a completely Dutch squad. Average age: 25.

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Fuglsangs season has just begun so it's too early

for him, according to Kim Andersen, Team Saxo Bank. As he's nowhere near the form he showed in last seasons race, Saxo Bank's only podium hope is F. Schleck.