Rafal Majka discussion thread

[damian13ster]

I can confirm that. He said he feels tired after TdF prep, then injury, then training again for TdP and riding the race itself. Doesn't have energy to go for GC

 

[Durden93]

Kinda torn on Majka. Part of me feels he could win a GT, but my logical side thinks stage hunting and minor stage races is the way to go. Entertaining rider either way.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Kinda torn on Majka. Part of me feels he could win a GT, but my logical side thinks stage hunting and minor stage races is the way to go. Entertaining rider either way.

No, entertaining rider one way, one hell of a boring rider the other way..

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Yesterday's interview with Majka:
- I was 100 % prepared for TdF;
- After TdP I took a rest;
- Now I'm not so confident about my shape;
- I still remember my Tdf crash and I'm afraid of descents;
- First week of Vuelta says me if I can challenge GC or should focus on stage wins..........

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Yesterday's interview with Majka:
- I was 100 % prepared for TdF;
- After TdP I took a rest;
- Now I'm not so confident about my shape;
- I still remember my Tdf crash and I'm afraid of descents;
- First week of Vuelta says me if I can challenge GC or should focus on stage wins..........

Would be great to see Majka v Barguil going head to head for KOM and stage wins

If Majka is not confident then he wont podium and anything less would be less than he has already achieved....couple of stage wins and KOM would be a nice competetion

 

[damian13ster]

After stage 4 he said he hasn't slept for two days because of some major stomach problems. Today either he didn't sleep for third night or decided to ship time, and then go for stages once he recovers

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Congratulations Rafał, it was amazing victory!
Maybe more impressive than Risoul!
And I must apologize you, I didn't believe you can win..

 

[mikii4567]

Yep, a great win after that solo ride up the Pandera. Personally I thought he showed his class more on Pla d'Adet, where a) he destroyed the KOM classification and b) he had to attack more often after not getting into the main breakaway. I think that for him GT GC could be the way to go, but someone must tell him to set a hard tempo and wear others out rather than try and jump. Had he done that at Xorret de Catí, I'm pretty sure he could've easily dropped Alaphilippe and won there, too

 

[Tonton]

GC bid gone wromg, but at least he won't leave the Vuelta empty handed. Nice win. The KOM is possible.

 

[Red Rick]

Very impressive. Majka is definitely the best mountain stage hunter in the world right now. He's won stages from breakaways that nobody thought would survive. Now he needs that Giro stage.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

Very impressive. Majka is definitely the best mountain stage hunter in the world right now. He's won stages from breakaways that nobody thought would survive. Now he needs that Giro stage.

Agree. Usually the break need at least three minutes with 12kms of mountain climbing to go, but Rafal is an incredible diesel climber. He was super strong.

I think he can do better than a Giro stage. He could be on the podium at next year's Giro, and be an outside contender for pink. Froome, Dumoulin and Nibali are all likely to skip the Giro, and who is left? Landa, who has suffered plenty of bad luck before, and still only has an equal best GT GC result to Majka. Aru will probably ride it, but Majka's best is not much behind him. There will probably be another handful of riders at around Majka's level (Zakarin, someone from Orica etc), so if the planets align he could win it.

 

[hayneplane]

Its one of the great paradoxes in current cycling that Majka is a fabulous climber and very entertaining when stage hunting and riding for the mountains jersey but a wheel sucking bore when he goes for GC results in grand tours.

Normally I would suggest he is not quite elite enough in any individual department to win a grand tour but Aru has won one so it cant be unrealistic for Majka to match that if things fall into place.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re:

Yep, a great win after that solo ride up the Pandera. Personally I thought he showed his class more on Pla d'Adet, where a) he destroyed the KOM classification and b) he had to attack more often after not getting into the main breakaway. I think that for him GT GC could be the way to go, but someone must tell him to set a hard tempo and wear others out rather than try and jump. Had he done that at Xorret de Catí, I'm pretty sure he could've easily dropped Alaphilippe and won there, too

Yes, at Xorret it was just bad tactics.
As you said he should either set hard, constant tempo or go full gas just once let say 1-2 km from the summit.
But it was obvious too late, after a few unsuccessful attacks.

 

[bosfor]

Re:

Normally I would suggest he is not quite elite enough in any individual department to win a grand tour but Aru has won one so it cant be unrealistic for Majka to match that if things fall into place.

This much. I never felt he is good enough for the top tier GC-wise but with few enough top tier conteders, shape of his life and some Nibali-like voodoo it is not unconceivable that he could pull off a big one. And frankly he should when Aru won but he was scared shitless back then and probably unable to dig as deep into the red as Aru did.

 

[HelloDolly]

Majka does nto ahve the tenacity of Aru nor the ability to attack....Majka will not win a GT

He is better and more entertaining riding for stages and mountain jerseys
Mind you I also dont think

Yates bros
Chaves
Barguil
Kelderman

will win Grand Tours

 

[bosfor]

Majka does nto ahve the tenacity of Aru nor the ability to attack....Majka will not win a GT

He is better and more entertaining riding for stages and mountain jerseys
Mind you I also dont think

Yates bros
Chaves
Barguil
Kelderman

will win Grand Tours

I'm not defaulting on this until he is like 35 although you're obviously right, this year he couldn't lose George Bennett or Alaphilippe, with all due respect to both, and his previous attacks were always halfarsed, like he himself realized he went too far out of his zone to sustain them.

He is pure diesel with no punch so basically only TdF suits him on most of the climbs but then again it is TdF so the field is going to be the strongest possible and any realistic chance for him would come within 1 or 2 years of interregnum after Froome and before the Colombians/Mas/Costa/Gaudu maturation. And his TT would have to become more reliable at not sucking mightily AND he would have to hope MAL stalls.

So still, with the perfect astrological star alignment I can see it happening but it is borderline astrological.

And no worries, I am a homer, even for the unlikable Majka, but I've been watching them bike races for 20 years so it is hard for me to get my head unscrewed because of someone being a guy with my flag. Those five you mentioned are not winning indeed.

 

[telencefalus]

have to say that majka season was ruined by that crash at letour , he podium at lavuelta 2 years ago , like keldermann and zakarin he can co another podium but not win a gt

 

[damian13ster]

Solid ride. Probably wanted to test himself with GC contenders. Will need to go to attack to win though. Afraid breakaways won't be let go anymore because of the pace being driven up

 

[HelloDolly]

Might have a problem with descents after his crash at the Tour

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/froome-was-unable-to-follow-as-our-group-split-36108107.html

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Ups..
It not so easy, but.. according to Rafał Majka he has just changed his approach and will attack.. and so on... and so on..

 

[klintE]

He said before today stage he is strong, maybe strongest in career
Then he should quit GC hopes immediately and start hunting for stages
Sad but true

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

There were 15 to 20 guys better than him uphill. That does not paint a pretty picture

 

[klintE]

Yes.
Majka was never good after rest day; he looks better in comparison to others on tough week ending stages, especially in hot weather
But, still truth is You can't podium TdF with such narrow way to the target.
Long term endurance in mountains is necessary condition but it's not enough.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Fun rider to watch, but never a true GC guy.

 

[Cookster15]

He he does not have that last 5% of sustained watts to be a true GC contender. KoM is his realm. He lost my respect when he went off chasing his KoM points a few years back when he should have been supporting his fallen team leader - Contador.