Richie Porte Discussion Thread.

[the asian]

He will win the Giro and Vuelta next year. After that he will demand leadership at the Tour and when he doesn't get it he will join OGE.
There, he will become a mere mortal once again as he will lose the marginal gains of Team SKY.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

He will win the Giro and Vuelta next year. After that he will demand leadership at the Tour and when he doesn't get it he will join OGE.
There, he will become a mere mortal once again as he will lose the marginal gains of Team SKY.

he'll have to domestique for Weening if he goes to OGE, maybe Weening can learn him a thing or two about gearing, to make up for those marginal gains

 

[jsem94]

Sky to 1-2-3 every single GT this year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

he'll have to domestique for Weening if he goes to OGE, maybe Weening can learn him a thing or two about gearing, to make up for those marginal gains

Weening will Sergey Gontchar himself to a podium in the Giro and Tour this year

 

[the asian]

Weening will Sergey Gontchar himself to a podium in the Giro and Tour this year

LOL. He seems the best Dutch hope though.

 

[the asian]

If he stays with SKY, he will attempt to be a Triple Gold Medalist at the 2016 Olympics. Mens RR, Mens ITT and Mens Triathlon.

Tim Kerrison will be his swimming coach, and because apparently he's a very good endurance runner there will be no need of a athletics coach.

 

[mortand]

No way Porte's going to do the triple. He's talented, but not that talented. He'll win the double, though. Starting already this year, with Tour and Vuelta. In 2014, he'll do the Giro-Tour double, before taking the next step and winning the Giro-Vuelta in 2015. From there, who knows? Depends on which team he'll be riding for, I suppose.

 

[the sceptic]

Im hoping for some Sky power struggle at the tour this year since its the only thing that can make it interesting.

Porte has gotten the taste of winning and knows he is as strong as Froome, so is he really gonna settle down and let Froome win? Also, Wiggins will be greedy after his giro win and maybe he wants to do the double. And of course Froome is unstoppable after already have been robbed of two GTs.

Maybe im just dreaming here and everyone will do what Sir Dave says but one can hope.

 

[martinvickers]

I avoid the clinic. All that talk about the shape of jaws and heads and court cases is too depressing. They should lighten up and watch a bike race. Avoid the Contador thread too. It's like a funeral in there.

The Clinic has its own 5 stages of grief...

Earnestness
Anger
Sarcasm
Disillusion
Humour

Once you'er at 5, you're home and soft pedalling. The threads become a kind of surrealist comedy; a version of the Four Yorkshiremen sketch...

Of course, most of them get stuck in a 2 -> 4 feedback loop, but stick with it, it's worth it!

 

[BYOP88]

Im hoping for some Sky power struggle at the tour this year since its the only thing that can make it interesting.

Porte has gotten the taste of winning and knows he is as strong as Froome, so is he really gonna settle down and let Froome win? Also, Wiggins will be greedy after his giro win and maybe he wants to do the double. And of course Froome is unstoppable after already have been robbed of two GTs.

Maybe im just dreaming here and everyone will do what Sir Dave says but one can hope.

That will be the only action at the Tour.

So who's going to win the Tour de Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse for Team Sky?

 

[Lanark]

Your ignoring the fact that potential top 10 riders aren't going to chase those positions when they are 10 minutes down.
They instead go for stage wins brekaways, domestique roles etc.

so the breakaway limits the top positions to those who made it and a handful of gc riders. To simply take away the 12 minutes from each rider who was in the break and assume that's what the final gc would look like is silly.

It also ignores the fact that riders like porte wouldn't have an entire team behind him pacing him stage after stage.

Yes. It's important to keep in mind that the 2010 Giro was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Porte. He was in the first echelon in the stage to Utrecht, he was in the first echelon in the stage to Middelburg, lost very little time in the stage to Montalcino, and after all that, he finished in the Aquila breakaway. That's pretty much the luck usually spread over an entire career combined in one race.

At the time I was almost certain that Porte would never get a better result in a GT in his career, showing only modest climbing potential. I could never have imagined what would happen after he joined Sky.

Imagine if somebody told you in early 2010 told you Porte and Froome would both be in the top-3 climbers of the world in 2013. Most people would have a good laugh, after they had looked up their names in the CQ-ranking.

 

[martinvickers]

That will be the only action at the Tour.

So who's going to win the Tour de Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse for Team Sky?

Romandie - Porte
Dauphine - Froome
Suisse - Henao

 

[martinvickers]

Im hoping for some Sky power struggle at the tour this year since its the only thing that can make it interesting.

Porte has gotten the taste of winning and knows he is as strong as Froome, so is he really gonna settle down and let Froome win? Also, Wiggins will be greedy after his giro win and maybe he wants to do the double. And of course Froome is unstoppable after already have been robbed of two GTs.

Maybe im just dreaming here and everyone will do what Sir Dave says but one can hope.

But your missing the strength of man management - FRoome should have won 2 GC's, but they've kept the 2013 tdF carrot in front of him - they'll do something similar for Porte...and then Henao...etc....etc

 

[BYOP88]

Romandie - Porte
Dauphine - Froome
Suisse - Henao

Sweet, any tips for the Ardennes classics?

 

[phanatic]

Columbia is 100% acceptable and correct in British english.

When French people refer to Angleterre it is not a mis-spelling.

Similarly, using a u follows the correct English derivation of the relevant individual's surname.

How upsetting several people around here find this fact is a source of some amusement.

This. Also lol at how this forum obsesses over correct spelling and pronunciation of non-English names, while the English language is butchered left and right without notice (other than the inexplicable hatred of noone and the random and stunning eloquence of Airstream).

 

[willbick]

But your missing the strength of man management - FRoome should have won 2 GC's, but they've kept the 2013 tdF carrot in front of him - they'll do something similar for Porte...and then Henao...etc....etc

are u saying he'd have beaten wiggins in last years tour if they'd let him ride for himself? that's hilarious

 

[martinvickers]

are u saying he'd have beaten wiggins in last years tour if they'd let him ride for himself? that's hilarious

That's exactly what I'm saying. If he'd been protected, he'd not have a lost a minute and half in a crash, he could have dropped Wiggins several times in the mountains and didn't - pulled regularly for him when he needn't - and yet was still 2 GC at less than four minutes...

 

[LaFlorecita]

I avoid the clinic. All that talk about the shape of jaws and heads and court cases is too depressing. They should lighten up and watch a bike race. Avoid the Contador thread too. It's like a funeral in there.

Wut, a funeral?

 

[martinvickers]

This. Also lol at how this forum obsesses over correct spelling and pronunciation of non-English names, while the English language is butchered left and right without notice (other than the inexplicable hatred of noone and the random and stunning eloquence of Airstream).

Columbia is correct - when you are discussing the personification of the Americas, Washington DC, Vancouver BC and Gran Columbia.

The country is Colombia. In English.

And if you want to argue the point, i suggest you have a look at the 60 year war over Éire/Ireland and let sleeping dogs lie!

 

[Carols]

No Vote....these choices are as stupid as the JTL poll

 

[jsem94]

Sweet, any tips for the Ardennes classics?

JTL to pick up some form, and sweep them all. Starting with Brabantse Pijl.

 

[serfla]

Wut, a funeral?

Don't pretend you're surprised.
You're playing the widow.

 

[BYOP88]

That's exactly what I'm saying. If he'd been protected, he'd not have a lost a minute and half in a crash, he could have dropped Wiggins several times in the mountains and didn't - pulled regularly for him when he needn't - and yet was still 2 GC at less than four minutes...

I'm with Martin on this. Froome could've won last years Tour with ease. He just needed to find his inner-Cunego/Aitor Gonzalez.

 

[BYOP88]

Don't pretend you're surprised.
You're playing the widow.

Hahaha an Andy Schleck fan giving a Contador fan 'abuse'. I've now seen it all.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

JTL to pick up some form, and sweep them all. Starting with Brabantse Pijl.

Sky not taking part in De Brabantse Pijl.

Voeckler will double up instead.