Rafal Majka discussion thread

[Jakub]

Re:

Mark my words. He is the strongest rider uphill in the Giro.

It seems he lacks a bit stamina though.

 

[Arked]

Re: Re:

Mark my words. He is the strongest rider uphill in the Giro.

It seems he lacks a bit stamina though.

When did he show lack of stamina?

I agree with sucotash. He might surprise some people on hardest mountain stages.

I also agree with *** the quick that even great climbing form might be not enough due to race design (which rather favours Valverde in my opinion).

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Mark my words. He is the strongest rider uphill in the Giro.

It seems he lacks a bit stamina though.

When did he show lack of stamina?

I agree with sucotash. He might surprise some people on hardest mountain stages.

I also agree with **** the quick that even great climbing form might be not enough due to race design (which rather favours Valverde in my opinion).

Maybe hell of a climbing form might be not enough when one just follow wheels of others.

 

[Arked]

Of course. But without great climbing form following wheels is the best you can do

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

I also agree with **** the quick that even great climbing form might be not enough due to race design (which rather favours Valverde in my opinion).

Third week favors the best climber.
Unless the best climber never attacks obviously.

 

[Miburo]

Yes another GT where he wheelsucks the entire time. The new levi i guess? At least he had a good ITT to back it up, this is just...

It's even dumb, he might have gotten away since he's a bit behind.

 

[Pantani_lives]

In the Tour 2014 we saw Majka as a rider with an aggressive style who liked the cameras. Will we see that side of him again?

 

[bajbar]

Re:

Yes another GT where he wheelsucks the entire time. The new levi i guess? At least he had a good ITT to back it up, this is just...

It's even dumb, he might have gotten away since he's a bit behind.

Ok, I get it, he doesn't like downhills, he would never stay away today. He usually attacks 1 or 2 km to go on a MTF (last years Vuelta basically). But the problem is there is only one real MTF this year - Risoul. So he will have to attack at one point, surely... Unless he can gain more than a minute on the mountain time trial

(or not )

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, its mostly in the Giro design. There are no gaps, and on these stages, where groups get away instead of solo riders, you don't get much action when everyone is so close

 

[dick the quick]

Today, I saw Majka sprinting at the finish line. Now, I can die in hapiness and in peace.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Today, I saw Majka sprinting at the finish line. Now, I can die in hapiness and in peace.

Hue hue.

As Miburo noted, nothing wrong with riding passively when you have a huge ITT, but Majka doesn't and almost rides even more conservatively than Leipheimer.... sad.

 

[blackmamba]

Today, I saw Majka sprinting at the finish line. Now, I can die in hapiness and in peace.

Hue hue.

As Miburo noted, nothing wrong with riding passively when you have a huge ITT, but Majka doesn't and almost rides even more conservatively than Leipheimer.... sad.

Im glad you agree that riding passive when you dont have a huge ITT is sad. I assume the same goes for your beloved Quintana aswell or

 

[Valv.Piti]

Today, I saw Majka sprinting at the finish line. Now, I can die in hapiness and in peace.

Hue hue.

As Miburo noted, nothing wrong with riding passively when you have a huge ITT, but Majka doesn't and almost rides even more conservatively than Leipheimer.... sad.

Im glad you agree that riding passive when you dont have a huge ITT is sad. I assume the same goes for your beloved Quintana aswell or

I have said whats need to be said about Quintana numerous times in that thread and I frankly don't want to get into a discussion with you again. But you can post that in the Quintana-thread and see if anyone takes the bait.

 

[blackmamba]

You agree that riding passive when you dont have a good ITT is sad atleast thats something and honestly the bone of the discussio. Nothing else needs to be said about that matter indeed Ive said my part aswell.

However what a disgusting wheelsucker Majka have been so far

 

[Banana_Joe]

I don't even understand the whole discussion.

For Majka as an ok descender it wouldn't make a lot of sense to attack in a stage like today. For what? Testing the opponents could be one reason, but it's kind of waisting energy....

If he stays riding like this even in MTF I said nothing, but up to now I really understand his style of riding.

 

[daking123]

you guys are a disgrace to the whole cycling community.
Calling him at wheel sucker, these climbs obvious does not suit him, he is the strongest climber in this giro and he will prove this in the mountain ITT and in the last week of the giro.
you should all be ashamed of yourself.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

you guys are a disgrace to the whole cycling community.
Calling him at wheel sucker, these climbs obvious does not suit him, he is the strongest climber in this giro and he will prove this in the mountain ITT and in the last week of the giro.
you should all be ashamed of yourself.

Lol, good day to you too mate.

I agree though, Majka is receiving a lot of flack for attacking the same amount as Kruiswijk, Chaves, Zakarin, and some other in the top 10

 

[Gigs_98]

Hue hue.

As Miburo noted, nothing wrong with riding passively when you have a huge ITT, but Majka doesn't and almost rides even more conservatively than Leipheimer.... sad.

Im glad you agree that riding passive when you dont have a huge ITT is sad. I assume the same goes for your beloved Quintana aswell or

Vuelta 2015, stage 20. Quintana was the only one who attacked on the last climb but one rider followed. It was Majka who firstly only wanted to neutralize the attack, but Purito who was Majka's direct rival for 2nd place in gc didnt follow so suddenly Majka had more than enough reason to ride together with Quintana. But no, instead of trying to become 2nd in a gt he decided that it's probably too dangerous to get dropped by a rider who was the worse climber in the race, who didnt even want to drop Majka but only wanted to work with him. So he just sucked Quintana's wheel for the whole climb and at the end only got 3rd place.
Of course I mention this race because it fits in the discussion about Majka and Quintana, just because IMO it shows that Quintana is still far more aggressive than the Pole, but this was also the point where I really started to dislike him. I actually liked him when he won the Polka dot jersey 2014, but whenever he rides a gt as a leader he is simply boring. I would like to be proven wrong, but I just don't expect him to attack tomorrow although he seems to be extremely strong

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

you guys are a disgrace to the whole cycling community.
Calling him at wheel sucker, these climbs obvious does not suit him, he is the strongest climber in this giro and he will prove this in the mountain ITT and in the last week of the giro.
you should all be ashamed of yourself.

Lol, good day to you too mate.

I agree though, Majka is receiving a lot of flack for attacking the same amount as Kruiswijk, Chaves, Zakarin, and some other in the top 10

Apples and oranges

Majka has done this wheelsucking multiple times in pretty much any GT he races for a GC. He already has an established record in GT's unlike these other guys too.

And Kruiswijk/zakarin actually attacked so it's a really bad example.

I think Majka might be the best climber here, if he's in topshape he prob is but he needs to attack. Wheelsucking won't get him anywhere besides the last 2 stages might be cancelled

 

[Arked]

@Gigs_98

Did it ever crossed your mind that he was at his limits just holding Quintana wheel? All this requiring aggressiveness and attacking style of riding is ridiculous when you ignore rider capabilities and current shape. For whole 2015 he was under form comparing to 2014. He said he was seriously overtrained after winter preparations (some coaches lost their jobs after it) and I think he didn't reach his full potential for the whole year. I suppose there is big chance he is stronger now than in last year Vuelta. This should give him possibility to attack. Maybe not tomorrow but at one of two stages with MTFs he might show something interesting.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

@Gigs_98

Did it ever crossed your mind that he was at his limits just holding Quintana wheel? All this requiring aggressiveness and attacking style of riding is ridiculous when you ignore rider capabilities and current shape. For whole 2015 he was under form comparing to 2014. He said he was seriously overtrained after winter preparations (some coaches lost their jobs after it) and I think he didn't reach his full potential for the whole year. I suppose there is big chance he is stronger now than in last year Vuelta. This should give him possibility to attack. Maybe not tomorrow but at one of two stages with MTFs he might show something interesting.

Did he really look like he was at his limit, to you?

 

[damian13ster]

He is not going to attack on a stage where there is still a decently sized group and there is a downhill plus 5km of flat with headwind. That would be plain stupid. He will go 5km from the finish in Risoul and only risk more after MTT. That was pretty obvious that there won't be significant attacks today, and I don't expect any tommorow either

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

He is not going to attack on a stage where there is still a decently sized group and there is a downhill plus 5km of flat with headwind. That would be plain stupid.

This. Maybe not plainly stupid, we don't know how it would pan out at the end, but risky for sure.

 

[hrotha]

"He's not going to take risks" - Now on that we all agree.

 

[damian13ster]

Yeah. Not going to take risks on first serious mountain stage on stage 13 in Giro with harder stages, MTF, and MTT to come.

The way I see it, there are three scenarios for him.

If he gets about same time as Nobali in MTT, he should attack on stage 16 (if its raced hard and domestiques are tired).

If he is within 20-30s of Nibali in GC after MTT, it is perfectly fine to wait until stage 19 when the domestiques will be tired already.

If he loses time in MTT, then he is just not strong enough