Great ride and very impressive, but it does take the shine of the win that he was towed to the top. The only downside is the scary thought of how much tv-time the french producers will throw at him in the future. Good-bye watching other riders.. =)
- Mar 10, 2009
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Antianti said:
Haha yeah! At least it's not Hincapie, though.
It could always be worse.
I'm starting to think that Rolland will be Europcar's GC leader next year, and that Tommy V will exit the GC stage just as he ascended the stairs. I hope to see a frenchman on the podium in Paris by 2013, though I fear he may need more time to fully develop.
- May 25, 2010
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Damn, missed the boat with this thread. 
Might start a "The Official Pierre Rolland Super Domestique" thread.
Epic ride by him, was very happy at the end of the Alpe.
Link about the tactics for the day
Might start a "The Official Pierre Rolland Super Domestique" thread.
Epic ride by him, was very happy at the end of the Alpe.
Link about the tactics for the day
No dishounour in this stage win, Sanchez was stronger, or at least a reasonable assumption to make when someoen catches you after you had a 50 second headstarrt, he knew it and played the cards that he'd been dealt. If Sanchez knew how early they'd catch Contador I think he'd have ridden differently and forced rolland onto the front.
It's not like Sanchez rode everyone but Rolland off his wheel from the base and then in the last 100m was outsprinted.
It's not like Sanchez rode everyone but Rolland off his wheel from the base and then in the last 100m was outsprinted.
- May 5, 2011
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Wonder how this will aftect tdf form. Would love to see him do Giro/Vuelta, rather than a giro/tour double
Vino attacks everyone said:
I agree and he can spend some time after the giro trying to improve his time trial
- Jan 27, 2012
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Vino attacks everyone said:
He will do the Tour with Voeckler without a doubt.
Dan Craven will take care of the Vuelta for Europcar. Add Gautier perhaps.
- Jan 27, 2012
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senatorrick said:
His time trial will likely never work well. A bit like Schleck in this area imo.
Don't think he can get into a good aero position and still push big numbers. Just my opinion.
Anyway lets see what he can do in the MTT on a normal bike climbing against the clock.
- Jul 12, 2012
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Big Doopie
BANNED
- Oct 6, 2009
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- May 23, 2009
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One thing I've always liked about Rolland has been how he uses his team as well. Preparing for his attack two days ago with two men up the road was brilliant and Thurau rode out of his skin to establish that break.
He also pulled a great move on de Gendt a couple of years ago at the TdF when they were both going for Mountain points in the second week. Rather than marking de Gendt himself when he got into the break of the day, Rolland sent Arashiro and Reza up the road, who tagged him on every climb and reduced the damage.
I suspect he'd make a good DS in retirement.
He also pulled a great move on de Gendt a couple of years ago at the TdF when they were both going for Mountain points in the second week. Rather than marking de Gendt himself when he got into the break of the day, Rolland sent Arashiro and Reza up the road, who tagged him on every climb and reduced the damage.
I suspect he'd make a good DS in retirement.
He is typical of those strong diesel/resistant rides who are penalised by today's cycling : he can climb long and hard, but he is not explosive.. in today's cycling where teammates pull everybody to the 2 kms mark on the last climb, he just can't make great results.. But give him a race where hard riding starts earlier, where it is about keeping a strong rythm for 20 minutes or more, not bursting for 5 minutes, and he becomes a lot better.
His cycling abilities would have been so much more tailored for the 80s.. Too bad really. As a result he can only ever be a follower if he where to stick with the strategy of waiting for the last k... Rather than doing this, he attacks from further away, which is great.
His cycling abilities would have been so much more tailored for the 80s.. Too bad really. As a result he can only ever be a follower if he where to stick with the strategy of waiting for the last k... Rather than doing this, he attacks from further away, which is great.
Good to see someone giving it a go from further out rather than waiting for the last part of the climb. Admittedly he does have an advantage in that he loses a lot of time in time trials and he isnt the best of the climbers so the GC favourites can give him a bit of leeway. Plenty of climbing left though to make up time. A fan here
- Mar 11, 2010
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I like him: Courageous, great style, elegant.
The Danish commentator (on stage 14 or 15) said something like "Rolland seems to waste a lot of effort in breakaways that don't pay off. Then Rolf Sorensen replied: "When you win stages like La Toussuire or Alpe d'Huez every now and then, then it's worth it, isn't it?"
The Danish commentator (on stage 14 or 15) said something like "Rolland seems to waste a lot of effort in breakaways that don't pay off. Then Rolf Sorensen replied: "When you win stages like La Toussuire or Alpe d'Huez every now and then, then it's worth it, isn't it?"
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