Purito - Joaquim Rodriguez thread

[Arredondo]

Absolutely agree with that and I think that would be good for his overall season as well, but do you really think that will happen?

I think he's still too self-eager to just focus himself on stage wins. If he still says he's got a chance of winning a GT, you know he still doesn't understand the fact cycling (and competition) has changed the past year, and not in the favour of him.

But i think a lot of decisions he has made in the past 2 years, are purely made by his team, and not by himself. So i think Katusha is trying to put pressure on him riding for a anonymous 6th place in the Tour, if Purito self thinks he's better of chasing stage wins.

So no, i think the chance is below 10% he will ride the Tour just for stage wins

 

[Angliru]

I never said they weren't. I just said he's been on a steady decline since 2012 and I don't think anyone disagrees with that.

I think you might find more than a couple of folks that do not agree with you.

 

[Netserk]

I think he's still too self-eager to just focus himself on stage wins. If he still says he's got a chance of winning a GT, you know he still doesn't understand the fact cycling (and competition) has changed the past year, and not in the favour of him.

But i think a lot of decisions he has made in the past 2 years, are purely made by his team, and not by himself. So i think Katusha is trying to put pressure on him riding for a anonymous 6th place in the Tour, if Purito self thinks he's better of chasing stage wins.

Agree with that, I alluded to the same in my post as well. The 'good' thing for him is that his GC could very well be over before the first mountain stage. In that case I don't see him trying to hang on to the others on every mountain stage.

 

[Arredondo]

Agree with that, I alluded to the same in my post as well. The 'good' thing for him is that his GC could very well be over before the first mountain stage. In that case I don't see him trying to hang on to the others on every mountain stage.

Agree, the guy is 35, he has to know what to do in a situation like that. I hope.

It will also depends on how he will ride in the races before the Tour. If he just gets a 4th/5th of 6th place in the next races the following months, perhaps he will arrive the Tour with different ambitions (stage wins).

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I think you might find more than a couple of folks that do not agree with you.

If you know any of these, ask them if they think that his 2013 was as good as his 2012.

 

[Kwibus]

I hope he can get this one big win this year. Liege or a GT, allthough I seriously doubt he will.

Last year I allready thought he was past his prime, but I can only hope he will be a competitor at the Tour. I so like the guy.

 

[movingtarget]

In 2012 he had a great year, so near but so far to win two GTs. I can't see him regaining that sort of GT form and if he does he won't be up against Hesjedal and De Gendt or an underdone Contador. I still can't believe he lost the 2012 Vuelta. He was clearly the strongest rider in the race. He has a much better chance of winning stages and some of the classics.

 

[Squirbos19]

IMO his last shot at winning a GT is this years Vuelta but he can only win it if he either doesn't ride the Tour or just rides hard to win 2-4 stages and forgets about GC.
I had hoped that he hadn't declined too much this year but Oman was a bit worrying. He should be able to win some World Tour stages and perhaps a couple of classics.

 

[Arredondo]

IMO his last shot at winning a GT is this years Vuelta but he can only win it if he either doesn't ride the Tour or just rides hard to win 2-4 stages and forgets about GC.
I had hoped that he hadn't declined too much this year but Oman was a bit worrying. He should be able to win some World Tour stages and perhaps a couple of classics.

Let's just begin with one

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

If you know any of these, ask them if they think that his 2013 was as good as his 2012.

Though he might not have been as successful, I don't really think he was significantly weaker in 2013 compared to 2012. His competition in the GT's in 2012 was much weaker compared to 2013. I think the Rodriguez that podiumed the TDF against a top shape Froome and Quintana is just as strong as the one that managed to lose the Giro to Hesjedal and the Vuelta to an out of shape Contador. In the last mountain stages of the 2013 TDF he rode away from Froome together with Quintana.

It's only normal that he will decline at his age, but from 4th in the Vuelta last year to absolutely nothing in Oman is a bit too much for just declining due to old age in my opinion.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Though he might not have been as successful, I don't really think he was significantly weaker in 2013 compared to 2012. His competition in the GT's in 2012 was much weaker compared to 2013. I think the Rodriguez that podiumed the TDF against a top shape Froome and Quintana is just as strong as the one that managed to lose the Giro to Hesjedal and the Vuelta to an out of shape Contador. In the last mountain stages of the 2013 TDF he rode away from Froome together with Quintana.

It's only normal that he will decline at his age, but from 4th in the Vuelta last year to absolutely nothing in Oman is a bit too much for just declining due to old age in my opinion.

That's mostly accurate when we take the whole years.
Although I believe that he was in the form of his life at the Vuelta in 2012, much stronger than in the Giro and a good bit stronger than in the Tour 2013.
He had strong opponents and the way he bombed up those climbs - no matter how steep - was remarkable. That Purito would have soundly beaten Quintana at the Tour 2013.

I mean he was not weaker in 2013 compared to 2012 when we take the whole year including classics. Just the Vuelta sticks out.

 

[bala v]

Though he might not have been as successful, I don't really think he was significantly weaker in 2013 compared to 2012. His competition in the GT's in 2012 was much weaker compared to 2013. I think the Rodriguez that podiumed the TDF against a top shape Froome and Quintana is just as strong as the one that managed to lose the Giro to Hesjedal and the Vuelta to an out of shape Contador. In the last mountain stages of the 2013 TDF he rode away from Froome together with Quintana.

It's only normal that he will decline at his age, but from 4th in the Vuelta last year to absolutely nothing in Oman is a bit too much for just declining due to old age in my opinion.

That out of shape Contador beat Froome with 10 minutes. Vuelta 2012 is Purito's highest level in GT

 

[Arredondo]

That out of shape Contador beat Froome with 10 minutes. Vuelta 2012 is Purito's highest level in GT

That Vuelta he could do wat he likes the most: waiting, following someone else and put in a really fast last km on a steep wall.

In that Tour, he attacked from far out on Alpe d'Huez and even rode the whole Semnoz climb at his own tempo with Froome and Quintana on his wheel.

 

[Dr. Juice]

That Vuelta he could do wat he likes the most: waiting, following someone else and put in a really fast last km on a steep wall.

In that Tour, he attacked from far out on Alpe d'Huez and even rode the whole Semnoz climb at his own tempo with Froome and Quintana on his wheel.

IMO he could have attacked earlier in the Vuelta 2012 . And he might have dropped everybody such was his form. Froome in the first week and Contador in the whole Vuelta did some hard and consistent attacks and Purito was not even suffering (once grimacing on stage 16 when Contador attacks).
But considering the type of climbs that the Vuelta offers...and the situation in the GC (everything under control) ..he didn't need to.

In that same form he would have dropped Quintana by 20 seconds inside the last 2 km at Alpe d'Huez. He was in mediocre form in the Pyrenees and got better. He came into good form in the third week but not in 100% tip top shape like in the Vuelta 2012.

 

[Arredondo]

IMO he could have attacked earlier in the Vuelta 2012 . And he might have dropped everybody such was his form. Froome in the first week and Contador in the whole Vuelta did some hard and consistent attacks and Purito was not even suffering (once grimacing on stage 16 when Contador attacks).
But considering the type of climbs that the Vuelta offers...and the situation in the GC (everything under control) ..he didn't need to.

In that same form he would have dropped Quintana by 20 seconds inside the last 2 km at Alpe d'Huez. He was in mediocre form in the Pyrenees and got better. He came into good form in the third week but not in 100% tip top shape like in the Vuelta 2012.

He was really good in that Vuelta, but he couldn't drop Contador in especially the stages to Lagos and Cuitu Negru. In the stage to Cuitu, he countered Contador at 500 meters to go, but Alberto followed him and Purito had to stop, because otherwise he would really blown himself up.

So i don't think he could have dropped Contador by more then 10 seconds per stage that Vuelta. But on the other hand, he was not really in any trouble following him and should have won that Vuelta.

If you look at that Tour, perhaps we saw the best Quintana yet. I mean, i dont' think Nairo was stronger in the Giro of '14 then in the final Tour week of 2013. So the fact that Purito was on par with him in the Alps, makes me think he was as good in the last week in that Tour comparing the Vuelta 2012.

 

[oliveira]

The form on Oman was not good but as his objectives for 2015 are Ardennes, Tour and Vuelta probably he just knows that a very hard rush from February to Liege wouldn't do well to his 1st week Tour ambitions. In 2013 he could only find his form in Tour's last week after a hard run like that!

 

[ray j willings]

Purito is not the unbeatable steep climb master he once was. IMO he has faded.
It would be great to see him get back to his best. I do think he seems to lack a bit of confidence and does not have the winning mind-set/self belief of a Contador or Nibali.
Lets be honest. He's had some real disasters.,,,Looooooooser

 

[Arredondo]

PURITO!!

He's back. Great 3rd place after such a horrible Tour of Oman.

He will win Catalunya and LBL for sure now!

 

[Netserk]

I haven't seen today's stage yet, but from what I've read he wasn't very impressive. However I agree that he'll win (/be the favourite for) Catalunya, given that the route suits him perfectly. I very much doubt he will be among the strongest in Liege.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

I haven't seen today's stage yet, but from what I've read he wasn't very impressive. However I agree that he'll win (/be the favourite for) Catalunya, given that the route suits him perfectly. I very much doubt he will be among the strongest in Liege.

IMO he seems to have better form than he usually has at this time of the year,he will be a big favourite for catalunya and ardennes.

 

[Netserk]

Huh? He was quite good here in Tirreno in '12 and '13. If he was near the same form he had those years, he should've attacked on the stage Poels won.

 

[Kwibus]

It's a step up again for Purito. He will be up there again when it matters, but it's not likely he will win the Tour or Liege.

I do hope he will though

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

I haven't seen today's stage yet, but from what I've read he wasn't very impressive. However I agree that he'll win (/be the favourite for) Catalunya, given that the route suits him perfectly. I very much doubt he will be among the strongest in Liege.

IMO he seems to have better form than he usually has at this time of the year,he will be a big favourite for catalunya and ardennes.

Hmm, why do you think that?

In 2014 he was 4th overall in Oman.
In 2013 he was 4th Oman and 5th in TA.
In 2012 he was 7th in Oman and 6th in TA.

This year he was nowhere to be seen in Oman and will likely finish 9th or something in TA.

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Huh? He was quite good here in Tirreno in '12 and '13. If he was near the same form he had those years, he should've attacked on the stage Poels won.

In Tirreno '12 he was dropped by more then 6 riders on the climb to Chieti, on a climb which suits him for 150%.

And he was dropped by guys like Pozzovivo, Kreuziger and co. on Prato di Tivo, while this Tirreno he finishes with guys like Contador, Uran and Pinot on Terminillo, on a climb which doens't suit him that much, and only Quintana was way better (Mollema not imo).

Only in 2013 he was better in Tirreno, but this Tirreno he is definitely better then he was in 2012.

 

[Netserk]

His stage win in 2012 was much more impressive than what he has done this year.