Random HTC GC hotshots Velits & Pinotti

[bicing]

During the Giro I was baffled by Pinotti's top 10 in the Giro. His form prior in stage races was just time trial wins.

Now Velits is 4th and almost outclimbing Sastre, Schleck, Moncoutie and Tondo on the climb. His palmares also shows nothing prior to this that would suggest such a strong showing.

All I can say is "WTF" and "bravo".

How could anyone have seen this coming?
Was their major season objective this race?
How does HTC get off setting completely unproven riders for races like this, and have them perform?
Did they show stage race ability ever before?
Has this happened with other riders?
Is this better discussed in The Clinic?

 

[roundabout]

Well Peter Velits was one of the best juniors in the world and an U23 World Champion

 

[Pharazon]

come on; it's not as if HTC have been signing nobodies... they've got the finest collection of young riders in the peloton..

the Velits brothers have been very highly touted for quite a while. Pinotti was more of a surprise, i'll admit.. don't really know where that came from

 

[Sophistic]

I think its more baffling that Pinotti hasnt produced such a result before, guy put out some crazy watts in ITTs weighing less than 70kgs.

 

[AtletiSK]

Velits has a lot of talent and is still very young but in Milram it was difficult for him, hopefully he gets more support in HTC he would deserve it

 

[Frosty]

Velits finished about 30th in the tour last year only losing big time on the stage to Grand Bornand (maybe doesnt bode that well for tomorrow). Was he allowed to do his own thing or was he working for Ciolek and Gerdemann?

Wasnt that surprised to see him do well on the early stages but had thought he would start sliding back through the order by now.

 

[Mambo95]

I think its more baffling that Pinotti hasnt produced such a result before, guy put out some crazy watts in ITTs weighing less than 70kgs.

This is Clinic material really. But Pinotti has always been a resolutely clean rider and no doubt still is. (He even once wrote a letter to this website's letters page about it http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/letters/?id=2006/07-31letters1#I ). So him doing well is a good sign for cycling.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

With Peter Velits, it was only a matter of time. When will he break through.
It seems to be this Vuelta.
I'm not baffled or anything, just happy he is finally showing it actually.

As for Pinotti, he already showed he was a decent 1-week stage racer. But in previous GT he always faltered on 1 really bad day. This year he avoided or masked his bad days better

 

[Bumeington]

Both were proflic as juniors. Velits is just breaking through now, he's only 25 don't forget. Pinotti was duking it out with Di Luca in the junior ranks, but obviously wasn't up there in the GTs, until a strong ride in this years giro. Also did well in some 1 weekers in 08 and 09. Definitely a great sign for cycling to see that he's up there now

 

[online-rider]

During the Giro I was baffled by Pinotti's top 10 in the Giro. His form prior in stage races was just time trial wins.

Now Velits is 4th and almost outclimbing Sastre, Schleck, Moncoutie and Tondo on the climb. His palmares also shows nothing prior to this that would suggest such a strong showing.

All I can say is "WTF" and "bravo".

How could anyone have seen this coming?
Was their major season objective this race?
How does HTC get off setting completely unproven riders for races like this, and have them perform?
Did they show stage race ability ever before?
Has this happened with other riders?
Is this better discussed in The Clinic?

I'm never that surprised to see a time-trialler do well in a GT. I mean look at Indurain or Ullrich or Gonzalez de Galdeano. Having a slight build for climbing is over-rated what you need is massive seated power and you will climb as well as the skinny guys hence tt riders ftw........And as said above, Columbia are stacked with talent.

 

[bicing]

Thanks to all for their contributions. But I believe after Velits' performance in the TT, the Clinic's Vuelta thread is the best answer to my questions about Velits.

 

[Michele]

During the Giro I was baffled by Pinotti's top 10 in the Giro. His form prior in stage races was just time trial wins.

Now Velits is 4th and almost outclimbing Sastre, Schleck, Moncoutie and Tondo on the climb. His palmares also shows nothing prior to this that would suggest such a strong showing.

All I can say is "WTF" and "bravo".

How could anyone have seen this coming?
Was their major season objective this race?
How does HTC get off setting completely unproven riders for races like this, and have them perform?
Did they show stage race ability ever before?
Has this happened with other riders?
Is this better discussed in The Clinic?

31° at Tour and 12° at Tour de Suisse in 2009 for Velits.

 

[hrotha]

Top-10 in ITT for Velits:
Vuelta 2010, stage 17: 1st
Basque Country 2010, stage 6: 10th

That's it, actually.

 

[auscyclefan94]

yes the velits bros. have been promising but to win a time trial against menchov and cancellara on a dead flat windy circuit?

I could be very unfairly pointing blame at velits but I thought he was just a strong climber and not a tt guy

 

[Frosty]

yes the velits bros. have been promising but to win a time trial against menchov and cancellara on a dead flat windy circuit?

I could be very unfairly pointing blame at velits but I thought he was just a strong climber and not a tt guy

Hm, thought he was the proverbial jack of all trades and master of none. Ive compared his split times to the guys around him (Schleck, Roche, Danielson, Tondo, Sastre) and they show that the time differences increased roughly in proportion to the distance suggesting that any favourable wind conditions would have resulted in all these guys finishing higher up than would otherwise have happened. Sastre did particularly well i thought but no-one nearly as good as Velits so im not sure that this happened. Luis-Leon Sanchez set off earlier on and did a good time - he has a 7th place in a tour TT last year though so, although impressive, that maybe is to be expected.

 

[marcopinotti]

interesting read!

 

[L'arriviste]

interesting read!

The Real Marco Pinotti has struck again!

Get on your bike and do some kms, Marco, stop reading these forums. We know you're no longer doing the Worlds, but that's no excuse!

 

[marcopinotti]

The Real Marco Pinotti has struck again!

Get on your bike and do some kms, Marco, stop reading these forums. We know you're no longer doing the Worlds, but that's no excuse!

You are right! I will take the advice.
Thanks. Bye bye

 

[auscyclefan94]

You are right! I will take the advice.
Thanks. Bye bye

Welcome to the forum Marco but it would of been nice to see you down in Melbourne!

 

[icefire]

I must confess I had not followed the evolution of Velits as a GC rider, but by the looks of his Vuelta performance he's the natural heir of Levi Leipheimer

 

[0091paddy]

I don't doubt Velits performace, as previously mentioned he's a very talented rider, and with Menchov/Canc not being riding at their best on a course with continual wind change, it all adds up to someone whose in form getting the win. Good on him!

As for Pinotti, he's a class act - look at his palmares.

Ciao