Richie Porte Discussion Thread.

[SeriousSam]

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

 

[Vino's Mum]

Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

I wonder if he is going to attack and isolate Contador all out on Saturday. I'm sure Astana is going to make the race harder for contador. Aru is going to attack like crazy saturday. Dunno, how contador can hold his handle bar while climbing with shoulder injury... It's a shame that it's not going to be a fair game...

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

I wonder if he is going to attack and isolate Contador all out on Saturday. I'm sure Astana is going to make the race harder for contador. Aru is going to attack like crazy saturday. Dunno, how contador can hold his handle bar while climbing with shoulder injury... It's a shame that it's not going to be a fair game...

There is no doubt that Astana will drill it but it's early days for Porte. The main thing for him is not to lose time or only a little. The TT will be to his advantage and Aru knows that. Not good for Contador and he will be very sore for a few days I think.

 

[DBotero]

Re: Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

I wonder if he is going to attack and isolate Contador all out on Saturday. I'm sure Astana is going to make the race harder for contador. Aru is going to attack like crazy saturday. Dunno, how contador can hold his handle bar while climbing with shoulder injury... It's a shame that it's not going to be a fair game...

There is no doubt that Astana will drill it but it's early days for Porte. The main thing for him is not to lose time or only a little. The TT will be to his advantage and Aru knows that. Not good for Contador and he will be very sore for a few days I think.

I'm not sure about that ITT,you can't bet on it.A bad day there or some mechanicals and he's done.Porte needs to attack,he won't win anything by defending and defending for ever.He might be good at ITT but he's no Brad.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

I wonder if he is going to attack and isolate Contador all out on Saturday. I'm sure Astana is going to make the race harder for contador. Aru is going to attack like crazy saturday. Dunno, how contador can hold his handle bar while climbing with shoulder injury... It's a shame that it's not going to be a fair game...

There is no doubt that Astana will drill it but it's early days for Porte. The main thing for him is not to lose time or only a little. The TT will be to his advantage and Aru knows that. Not good for Contador and he will be very sore for a few days I think.

I'm not sure about that ITT,you can't bet on it.A bad day there or some mechanicals and he's done.Porte needs to attack,he won't win anything by defending and defending for ever.He might be good at ITT but he's no Brad.

I agree but Porte's problem has always been riding a strong three weeks so I think he will be a bit conservative in the mountains unless he is feeling like an android. Aru looks pretty good so far and no one knows how Uran and Contador are going to go on the harder stages with one struggling so far and the other now injured.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Porte is now the clear favourite for the Giro.

I wonder if he is going to attack and isolate Contador all out on Saturday. I'm sure Astana is going to make the race harder for contador. Aru is going to attack like crazy saturday. Dunno, how contador can hold his handle bar while climbing with shoulder injury... It's a shame that it's not going to be a fair game...

There is no doubt that Astana will drill it but it's early days for Porte. The main thing for him is not to lose time or only a little. The TT will be to his advantage and Aru knows that. Not good for Contador and he will be very sore for a few days I think.

I'm not sure about that ITT,you can't bet on it.A bad day there or some mechanicals and he's done.Porte needs to attack,he won't win anything by defending and defending for ever.He might be good at ITT but he's no Brad.

I agree but Porte's problem has always been riding a strong three weeks so I think he will be a bit conservative in the mountains unless he is feeling like an android. Aru looks pretty good so far and no one knows how Uran and Contador are going to go on the harder stages with one struggling so far and the other now injured.

i guess we will found out next week. Starting this weekend, they have raced pass 7 days. Richie has proven to be flawless in one week long race this year. We shall see if his private RV has affect on his recovery. So far, I'm seeing him very strong, not a pinch of weakness.

 

[DBotero]

I don't expect anything from Porte today given the new Sky approach.So far so good he's in contention,probably today he'll follow the others.I hope he's ready for Aru' s accelerations.

 

[Carols]

I don't expect anything from Porte today given the new Sky approach.So far so good he's in contention,probably today he'll follow the others.I hope he's ready for Aru' s accelerations.

Surely Lil' Richie will go in for the kill, no? It's time to turn the screw. Both he and Aru should be totally on the offensive, this is their opportunity to get rid of the biggest threat.

 

[DBotero]

Same game for Richie,a weak acceleration and that's it.I'm starting to believe he can't do more and he's betting the house on that ITT.

 

[rm7]

Same game for Richie,a weak acceleration and that's it.I'm starting to believe he can't do more and he's betting the house on that ITT.

To be honest his attacks aren't weaker than what we've seen earlier this year, but the difference is that his competition on the climbs isn't the likes of Kwiatkowski, G. Thomas, Costa etc. anymore. This is the first time this year he is facing A-level competition, and he just isn't better. He is still very very good obviously, but he isn't better than Contador or Aru on the climbs.

Still think he'll get in trouble on the steepest parts if Contador is going to get better.

 

[SeriousSam]

Richie is emerging as the a chessmaster of the Giro. He is clearly employing advanced tactics to subdue and outmaneuver his opponents

-Instructed his team to save themselves so they are ready at key moments like today:

“People have been asking questions about the team but we haven’t had to ride, it wouldn’t have made sense. They’ve been taking care of themselves until now,”

-Masterful ability to remain aware of his opponents and accurately deduce their intentions:

“We saw Alberto was isolated there. Astana had the numbers but Landa was up the road, I’m not sure what that was all about.

-Cunningly trying to manipulate Contador and Aru into not paying him too much attention:

Obviously there’s Rigoberto as well, who’s back from whatever was wrong the other day and he can time trial as well, so if they [Contador and Aru] are just looking at me, they’ve got a bit of a shock coming,”

-Sowing the seeds of discontent amonst his enemies to engineer an advantage:

s“A stage like today everybody was marking one another but tomorrow could just be a full-on war again. It’s obvious that Astana smell a bit of blood and they’re going to go for him [Contador], and I’m happy to sit back and profit from that.”

I would not be surprised if there is a secret war room inside Richie's mobile marginal abode in which he and Dave conceive of a brilliant tactical gambit for tomorrow.

 

[rm7]

Well his attacks doesn't look that strong at all. Maybe he is not going allout, but he surely wouldn't attack with limited power?

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Well his attacks doesn't look that strong at all. Maybe he is not going allout, but he surely wouldn't attack with limited power?

With the pace Astana was riding, none of the attacks looked strong except Landa's and they let him go. It makes no sense for Porte to kill himself for a few seconds with two weeks to go. I think he is the most comfortable tactically. Aru has to attack as he is the weakest TT rider of the 4 and the others know this. Aru might be in fourth place after the TT. Porte and his team know there is a long way to go and I don't really see much between the top 3 in the mountains. I think the TT is going to be critical as it is a long one and if someone has an off day they will lose big time especially Aru. Contador looked to be in a bit of trouble but was gritting his teeth and did very well. Aru was the loser on the stage as far as GC. He would have been disappointed not to get some time on the others.

 

[Cookster15]

Richie profited the most of the Pink jersey contenders today. Entrenched his podium chances by putting time into Uran. While Aru and Contador are less likely to form as alliance against Porte later in the Giro after today's "sprint gate".

 

[SeriousSam]

Yeah I think the Giro is going quite well for Porte. For a pure climber and time trialler like him, these early skirmishes are all about not losing touch with his opponents. The real Giro starts with the his beloved time trial, and then the serious mountains afterwards.

 

[rick james]

things are going ok for Porte, i expect team Sky to get much stronger after the TT and they will start showing their faces more at the front of the race

 

[DBotero]

Re:

Richie profited the most of the Pink jersey contenders today. Entrenched his podium chances by putting time into Uran. While Aru and Contador are less likely to form as alliance against Porte later in the Giro after today's "sprint gate".

Porte didn't won anything by distancing Rigo,he consider him a friend,they might have helped each other.Uran closer in GC would have added more pressure on Aru and Contador because of that ITT.I'm sure that Contador and Aru will form an alliance against Porte later,today sprint won't matter.Ok till now Porte is good,very good but he need to keep it up and not lose time until the ITT.Then who knows,but Contador looks like a rock at the moment will be hard to budge.

 

[MatParker117]

Same game for Richie,a weak acceleration and that's it.I'm starting to believe he can't do more and he's betting the house on that ITT.

To be honest his attacks aren't weaker than what we've seen earlier this year, but the difference is that his competition on the climbs isn't the likes of Kwiatkowski, G. Thomas, Costa etc. anymore. This is the first time this year he is facing A-level competition, and he just isn't better. He is still very very good obviously, but he isn't better than Contador or Aru on the climbs.

Still think he'll get in trouble on the steepest parts if Contador is going to get better.

He dropped both of them on La Molina, as for his Giro he should be in pink after the TT.

 

[rm7]

Same game for Richie,a weak acceleration and that's it.I'm starting to believe he can't do more and he's betting the house on that ITT.

To be honest his attacks aren't weaker than what we've seen earlier this year, but the difference is that his competition on the climbs isn't the likes of Kwiatkowski, G. Thomas, Costa etc. anymore. This is the first time this year he is facing A-level competition, and he just isn't better. He is still very very good obviously, but he isn't better than Contador or Aru on the climbs.

Still think he'll get in trouble on the steepest parts if Contador is going to get better.

He dropped both of them on La Molina, as for his Giro he should be in pink after the TT.

Did Porte dropped them or what? I dont seem to remember that.

 

[Cookster15]

Same game for Richie,a weak acceleration and that's it.I'm starting to believe he can't do more and he's betting the house on that ITT.

To be honest his attacks aren't weaker than what we've seen earlier this year, but the difference is that his competition on the climbs isn't the likes of Kwiatkowski, G. Thomas, Costa etc. anymore. This is the first time this year he is facing A-level competition, and he just isn't better. He is still very very good obviously, but he isn't better than Contador or Aru on the climbs.

Still think he'll get in trouble on the steepest parts if Contador is going to get better.

He dropped both of them on La Molina, as for his Giro he should be in pink after the TT.

Did Porte dropped them or what? I dont seem to remember that.

I don't think that matters much now. It seems Sky and Porte had a deliberate plan to ride conservatively and save energy until the TT - when little Richie can take Pink. Then for the 3rd week in the big mountains his Sky team will need all the energy they can muster. By then Astana and TS may have used up their bikkies and it will be mano e mano .

I still think Contador and Aru will prove too strong on mountains like Mortirolo but it will be interesting to see how things actually pan out. But Porte has not expended as much energy compared to the other big 2. The biggest question about Porte remains his recovery into the 3rd week. But so far he looks very good.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Ahh I think Porte will still be behind Contador after the TT and there's no way he'll drop him... it's not looking so good for richie imo.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Richie profited the most of the Pink jersey contenders today. Entrenched his podium chances by putting time into Uran. While Aru and Contador are less likely to form as alliance against Porte later in the Giro after today's "sprint gate".

Porte didn't won anything by distancing Rigo,he consider him a friend,they might have helped each other.Uran closer in GC would have added more pressure on Aru and Contador because of that ITT.I'm sure that Contador and Aru will form an alliance against Porte later,today sprint won't matter.Ok till now Porte is good,very good but he need to keep it up and not lose time until the ITT.Then who knows,but Contador looks like a rock at the moment will be hard to budge.

Yep Aru and Contador will form an alliance to distance Porte. Except, this time Contador will return the favor to Aru by attacking him after he is agreed to pace contador on the climb (just like Froome in Vuelta). Pay back time

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Ahh I think Porte will still be behind Contador after the TT and there's no way he'll drop him... it's not looking so good for richie imo.

I'm not so sure Flo, if Porte continues to follow the Sky models of Wiggins 2012 and Froome 2013 he is going to go nuclear in this very long TT.

I'm sure Porte will be quietly pleased by Aru's actions in the sprint, it just adds a tiny bit more spice to the mix and perhaps next time Contador won't be on the same page as Aru.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Ahh I think Porte will still be behind Contador after the TT and there's no way he'll drop him... it's not looking so good for richie imo.

I'm actually very curious what will happen in sky camp if lil' richie doesn't drop contador in ITT? From their interview, looks like that Sir Dave and lil' Richie has been planing to have the tasmania wearing pink after ITT, and then sky will ride hard up front on the last week. Panic all around Sky?