Phil Liggett's Tour Top 5 (and other things)

[Benotti69]

Hes an idiot. I dont know why anyone even tries to take him seriously.

+1...............

 

[maltiv]

Bare in mind that Richie Porte rides for Bjarne Riis. If Riis wants Porte to be in ridiculously good shape in TDF (if contador isn't riding), he will be up there for sure. Let's quote Nick Nuyens "There is something special about Bjarne Riis..."

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Phil Liggett has forgotten more about cycling than most of us will ever know.

The problem is, he's forgotten more or less everything about cycling.

 

[sublimit]

Clearly Ligget is an idiot but Porte is a very talented rider. I reckon he has more potential than Dan Martin or Roche any day of the week. Time will tell.

more top 10 than top 5 though.

 

[minessa]

Saying that Richie Porte will beat Sanchez Gonzalez and Bob Gesink is one of the stupidest things ive ever heard.

What abaut Sagan beating Evans. "Merckx, while saying the Europeans are still a force, likes what he sees, especially from Australia. Albeit, he suspects the best chances of Cadel Evans becoming Australia's first Tour winner might have passed after twice placing second to Spanish riders – in 2007 to Alberto Contador and in 2008 to Carlos Sastre. Evans is now 33.

Contador's likely absence due to his doping issue aside, Merckx lists Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, Italians Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali, the Czech Roman Kreuziger and Slovakia's Peter Sagan as better chances of winning the Tour.

"He has a good team [now]," Merckx says of Evans's Swiss BMC team. "The structure is good. Everyone will ride for him. But I don't know if he can beat Schleck, Contador, Basso, Kreuziger, Nibali and Sagan. I hope for him, but it will not be easy. At 33, to compete against riders who are 25 or 26 is not so easy; but he is still a champion. For sure."http://www.smh.com.au/sport/still-hungry-after-all-these-years-20110211-1aqio.html

 

[hrotha]

Never listen to anything Merckx says. He's... okay, he's an idiot. Sorry.

 

[ScottyMuser]

Never listen to anything Merckx says. He's... okay, he's an idiot. Sorry.

true, he seems to predict a Liquigaz 3 out of top 5, which while possible (just not with Sagan) is unlikely. Would be SO cool if true though

 

[luckyboy]

Not to bring up an old argument, but he even said Evans has a good team.

 

[theyoungest]

Not to bring up an old argument, but he even said Evans has a good team.

Of course, a lot of riders on BMC are Anglophone, hence they're great.

 

[The Hitch]

Hahaha, Cav + Porte.

Also that Tour podium is pretty out there - Evans, Andy then AC

Looks like the Anglos are going to have a good year

Come to think of it, last year was the first time since 1997 that there was no anglophone rider on the TDF podium

Sorry, does he work only on GT's or on other races too?

I dont think he works on the Giro or VUelta hence my comment about whether hes actually seen Richie Porte whose best performance was at the 09 Giro, in the second week when Ligget was busy trying to sabotage the Giro with his "Cali is new gt" talk.

He does though do the future Gts - Cali and TDU (which he reffered to as the 4th most important race in the world, though with Cali 2nd one wonders what the 3rd is), and the WOrld RR.

 

[El Imbatido]

Sorry, does he work only on GT's or on other races too?

I believe the races Liggett and Sherwen commentate on are:

Grand Tours
Tour de France

Stage Races
Tour Down Under
Tour Of California
Paris-Nice
Criterium du Dauphine

One day Races
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris-Roubaix
Amstel
Fleche
Leige
Worlds

Although I am not sure if they commentate on all (Paris-Roubaix and Ronde definitely) the one day races live (as they seem to mostly work for Versus these days and they don't seem to show much live, possibly some delayed highlights) which could be commentated on in the studio afterwards and also for the WCP dvds.

 

[BroDeal]

I believe the races Liggett and Sherwen commentate on are:

Grand Tours
Tour de France

Stage Races
Tour Down Under
Tour Of California
Paris-Nice
Criterium du Dauphine

One day Races
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris-Roubaix
Amstel
Fleche
Leige
Worlds

Thank Jeebus Ligget will be doing the ToC instead of the Giro!

He has always talked up English speaking riders, but it gets worse and worse every year.

 

[movingtarget]

Kreuziger is a much better climber than Porte is at this point. Have you followed Porte a little this year? He's rarely among the 30 strongest guys uphill. How on earth do you expect him to make the top-10 in the Tour de France?

Kreuziger and Porte have done little this year, so far. Andy Schleck is obviously setting himself only for the TDF. Basso has not been doing much either. Early form can be misleading. Kreuziger is not the time triallist Porte is, either. Barring illness or injury, I think Porte will be ready for a good ride. VDB and Gesink have kicked on and showed improvement last year but I would be surprised to see Kreuziger in the mix at the TDF. Top 10 at best. Obviously if Contador rides, everything changes for Porte. Maybe Phil Liggett is expecting Contador to be banned ? If I were Andy Schleck I would not be making space on the mantlepiece just yet.

 

[blaxland]

Ritchie Porte top 5 TDF?dont think so.but maybe top 10?Correct me if im wrong but didnt porte win the Baby Giro as a junior?

 

[The Hitch]

Ritchie Porte top 5 TDF?dont think so.but maybe top 10?Correct me if im wrong but didnt porte win the Baby Giro as a junior?

No. Once again, he only won the time trial


A pattern seems to be emerging.

Euro riders have to win races to be considered big threats.

Porte only has to win a stage, or have a day in the leaders jersey in races to be touted as the next big thing.

 

[theyoungest]

Kreuziger and Porte have done little this year, so far. Andy Schleck is obviously setting himself only for the TDF. Basso has not been doing much either. Early form can be misleading. Kreuziger is not the time triallist Porte is, either. Barring illness or injury, I think Porte will be ready for a good ride. VDB and Gesink have kicked on and showed improvement last year but I would be surprised to see Kreuziger in the mix at the TDF. Top 10 at best. Obviously if Contador rides, everything changes for Porte. Maybe Phil Liggett is expecting Contador to be banned ? If I were Andy Schleck I would not be making space on the mantlepiece just yet.

As a time trialist, Porte is stronger than Kreuziger, you're right about that. But as a climber, no way. Kreuziger hasn't been at his best due to illness, but he still outclimbed Porte comfortably in Paris-Nice. The only reason Porte could do better than Kreuziger in the Tour is the fact that Kreuziger focuses on the Giro, and only enters the Tour to help Vino.

Porte is very talented, and it's actually strange that he's so good at time trialing and so mediocre at climbing... with his build you'd expect the opposite. He can develop his climbing skills, but he'll need to develop them pretty fast if he wants to do a top-5 at the Tour this year. Impossibly fast.

 

[Sasquatch]

Bare in mind that Richie Porte rides for Bjarne Riis. If Riis wants Porte to be in ridiculously good shape in TDF (if contador isn't riding), he will be up there for sure. Let's quote Nick Nuyens "There is something special about Bjarne Riis..."

Bordering on clinic material there.

 

[Sasquatch]

Liggert is probably on a couple million. He won't be retiring any soon on that sort of salary. He'll be on big money.

 

[sublimit]

As a time trialist, Porte is stronger than Kreuziger, you're right about that. But as a climber, no way. Kreuziger hasn't been at his best due to illness, but he still outclimbed Porte comfortably in Paris-Nice. The only reason Porte could do better than Kreuziger in the Tour is the fact that Kreuziger focuses on the Giro, and only enters the Tour to help Vino.

Porte is very talented, and it's actually strange that he's so good at time trialing and so mediocre at climbing... with his build you'd expect the opposite. He can develop his climbing skills, but he'll need to develop them pretty fast if he wants to do a top-5 at the Tour this year. Impossibly fast.

I think top 10 is more realistic sometime in the future. He can TT but has to find a way of hanging on in the climbs. He's light which helps but maybe its about self belief whether he can do it or not.

 

[greatking88]

Clearly Ligget is an idiot but Porte is a very talented rider. I reckon he has more potential than Dan Martin or Roche any day of the week. Time will tell.

more top 10 than top 5 though.

I really don't argree with you on that, Dan Martin is pure class, obviously lacks in the TTs but he can climb with the best for sure.

 

[sublimit]

I really don't argree with you on that, Dan Martin is pure class, obviously lacks in the TTs but he can climb with the best for sure.

Martin can climb no question and is obviously a quality rider. Porte seems to have a hard edge to him, very solid.

 

[movingtarget]

I think Porte and Daniel Martin have the talent to improve a lot. Others I would include are Velits, Sicard, Matthews and Sagan. Not sure how old Tony Martin is but I think he also has a bright future. I expect Matthews and Sagan to feature more as classics riders. Taylor Phinney obviously has plenty of talent but it's a bit early to predict what he can do.

 

[movingtarget]

No. Once again, he only won the time trial


A pattern seems to be emerging.

Euro riders have to win races to be considered big threats.

Porte only has to win a stage, or have a day in the leaders jersey in races to be touted as the next big thing.

The only pattern emerging is commentators making statements that are wrong. I remember Harmon, the commentator from Eurosport, stating that Porte won the overall. Not that I bothered to check as it means little now.

 

[hfer07]

I honestly haven taken seriously Phil & Paul since the last 10 years- Paul even makes more sense than Phil , and there is this constant lapses of acknowledging what is really happening on the road & the bias BS-all together has just become unbearable. I just hope he could take a secondary role, as a writer or perhaps a special guest, but to continue to make himself a mockery is unjust-not only to his long career but also to the fans that keep getting tortured by his commentaries...

 

[movingtarget]

Yeah, the talk about bird nests, canals and castles matters little to the races but the general viewers probably don't mind it. For the real fans it gets frustrating at times. On long flat stages it's okay. I think they both still have insights into the racing. Sean Kelly's matter of factness also grates after a while but he does stick to the racing. I think him and Harmon are pretty good because they are so different.