Pierre Rolland discussion

[42x16ss]

I think he has a right chance to finish on the podium. If he doesn't do it on the TDF parcours, he can forget about it.

It is Vitally Important that he doesn't lose time on the cobbles.

Vitally Important.

I'd say Rolland has as good a chance as any one outside of the main 4, Purito and Valverde but his major issue is always the first week. If he didn't have to go chasing time at this years Giro, he almost certainly would have made the podium but he was a couple of minutes down before the mountains even started.

I have to agree on his climbing style, great to watch. I also think that he's one of the most tactically astute riders getting around as well. The way Rolland uses his team is often very clever.

 

[Michele]

What to expect from Pierro at this TdF?

 

[staubsauger]

Normally he should go for the polka dot jersey tommorow. But so does Kruijswijk, so does probably Pinot!

 

[Michele]

It looks like he's chasing a top10 so far.

 

[42x16ss]

Pretty much what he's done so far, ie: drop a stupid amount of time in the first week. Now he just needs to do something awesome to try and get time back and cement his top 10 placing and his job is complete

 

[Alexandre B.]

Pierre at the Garmin-Cannondale presentation video.
https://youtu.be/8Sh-Icl4JJQ?t=20m50s

 

[ray j willings]

I posted this in the Froome thread . More apt here.
Maybe his best days are yet to come
http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/01/news/vaughters-on-rolland-he-was-training-like-someone-was-training-in-1975_392667

 

[mr. tibbs]

Two stages down, a strong finish in an Ardennes sprint, and sitting at ST with Froome, Quintana, Aru, et al. Maybe a shot at the podium if his climbing diesel holds out through that brutal final week.

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

Re:

Two stages down, a strong finish in an Ardennes sprint, and sitting at ST with Froome, Quintana, Aru, et al. Maybe a shot at the podium if his climbing diesel holds out through that brutal final week.

Love watching the guy climb, but all this hype is unwarranted. He isn't podium material.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Two stages down, a strong finish in an Ardennes sprint, and sitting at ST with Froome, Quintana, Aru, et al. Maybe a shot at the podium if his climbing diesel holds out through that brutal final week.

Not a chance. And I like him. If he's smart, he'll lose a bunch of time before the Pyrenees, do all the breakaways after that, and Virenque the KOM. Otherwise, he won't be consistent enough, will lose a ton on the first ITT. I could be wrong, but I think that he's on the downslope, his high water mark was the '14 Giro. What a performance that was. And the ITT did him. He's messing with much bigger fishes here...

 

[Ramon Koran]

Would love to see him 1st of French, forgotten man by the media but a class rider who on form is second best in big climbing days behind pinot. Top 10 is probably best he can get (around 7-8th)

 

[manolo57]

He can do maybe 6-7th IMO. Thanks to his new team, he has improved a lot in his placement ! It's good for him.

 

[movingtarget]

I can't see him finishing ahead of Bardet or Pinot. He has always had talent but the three weeks has always tested him and reaching the podium or the top five has been a struggle. Top 8 at best I think.

 

[Alexandre B.]

TDF so far ->
________
________,
________
________

10th overall :surprised:

 

[BigMac]

Are we thinking the same?

Rolland went from grimpeur to sprinter.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Another early stage down and still no silly time lost.

 

[Anderis]

I would say he looked quite a bit more comfortable than many other top10 contenders today. Hopefully he will be not any worse in terrain that suits him even better.

Mountain support is kind of isssue, though. He was isolated quite early today. Any mechanical probelm with his bike could lose him a lot of time. I hoped Craddock would hang onto a bit longer.

 

[Popchu]

I would say he looked quite a bit more comfortable than many other top10 contenders today. Hopefully he will be not any worse in terrain that suits him even better.

Mountain support is kind of isssue, though. He was isolated quite early today. Any mechanical probelm with his bike could lose him a lot of time. I hoped Craddock would hang onto a bit longer.

Well, he always looks comfortable, no?

 

[BalearicBeats]

I would say he looked quite a bit more comfortable than many other top10 contenders today. Hopefully he will be not any worse in terrain that suits him even better.

Mountain support is kind of isssue, though. He was isolated quite early today. Any mechanical probelm with his bike could lose him a lot of time. I hoped Craddock would hang onto a bit longer.

Well, he always looks comfortable, no?

He has such a smooth riding style, gotta admire that on him.

 

[Anderis]

Well, he always looks comfortable, no?

Not really. I remember him from Dauphine or Romandie this year. He was up there in the mountains but struggled a lot trying to hang onto at the back of the group. Today he was in the first half of the group pretty much all the time.

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

Rolland, Vaughters and the pseudoscience of pro cycling

Vaughters declared Rolland had been "training like it's 1975" and suggested that Cannondale had made dramatic improvements in Rolland's position on the bike and so forth that would result in corresponding improvements in Rolland's performances. Rolland has looked about the same as past years even prior to the Tour.

Of course, few people and few journalists ever ask, "Where is the evidence?" when guys like Vaughters or cycling coaches make these sorts of unsupported declarations about training techniques, diet, chiropractory, pedal stroke, bike position, peloton positioning, et cetera.

With regards to training, 40 years later, Eddy's most famous advice is still probably the most reliable and with regards to diet, Tony Rominger's is probably still the best, certainly for we Fred's.

 

[Moviefan1203]

That was a nasty crash he was in. We'll never know what he might have done without it. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[HelloDolly]

He is not a GC man...his TT is atrocious ...

So much better for him to win MTF stages and KOM.....otherwise he is swimming against the tide

 

[jmdirt]

He was riding well until he hit the ground hard.

 

[chiocciolis_calves]

Re:

That was a nasty crash he was in. We'll never know what he might have done without it. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

His results prior to the Tour were about the same, perhaps less impressive, than past years. This sport is rife with people offering definitive advice that has little nor no scientific validation.