Riders tactics and styles - NO DOPING COMMENTS

[neil69cyclist]

Watching the Dauphine I was impressed with Evans attacks on the last stages and really felt that he showed some nuts, I was a little disappointed by Valverde and Contador working together (even though the are both Spaniels).

I think that Contador has a style that is very elegant and he shows little effort on the whole, very smooth.

All 3 of the protagonists had little support from their respective teams much of the time.

 

[anubisza]

Like we'd say anything about doping.. Tut.

So, what are your opinions of Lance Armstrong...?

 

[neil69cyclist]

Like we'd say anything about doping.. Tut.

So, what are your opinions of Lance Armstrong...?

Thanks that is pretty much the 1st laugh I have had ... except the trolling that I do.

BUT lets get back to the point of the thread, I think that Armstrongs face was always amazing he had that haunted expression when he rode that showed both determination and pain.

 

[BroDeal]

I am impressed with Armstrong's doping. The retrospective testing of 1999's samples showed that he was using more EPO than anyone else in the race. That is impressive.

I am also impressed by trolls.

 

[neil69cyclist]

Come on Bro fight the urge, give me something else, what did you think of the fight between Evans, Contador and Valv, do you think that Contador was soft pedaling so he could help valverde or do you think he could have jumped away at any time and been 1st on the podium

 

[Amsterhammer]

I am impressed with Armstrong's doping. The retrospective testing of 1999's samples showed that he was using more EPO than anyone else in the race. That is impressive.

I am also impressed by trolls.

The size of your inflated ego is very impressive

I am also impressed by the fact that you could not even respect the topic-starter's expressed wish and leave your psychotic fixation out of at least one topic here.

Your post total is also very impressive, since it clearly identifies you as head flamer around here. Yes indeed, watching you in action is a deeply impressive experience.

 

[Deagol]

It may already be too late but …this thread has some possibilities of being really good and hopefully avoiding the name-calling and doping tangents common in most others. Anyway, I like the style of Jens Voight: reckless in many ways, not as calculated as most, risky, ballsy, maybe even slightly comic. I also admired Cancellara’s attacks in the TDF when he “stole” that stage from the sprinter’s in last years TDF. I like it when riders gamble and there is a high probability of failure, but if they don’t fail, then the payoffs are huge. I guess this goes along with NOT having race radios? I do have to admire riders like Voeckler, who always seems to try to get in a break. He held tough for quite a while in the TDF a few years back, in the yellow jersey for longer that, I believe, most thought he would. That may not be “tactics” per se, but it is ”style”. I have to admire the tactics of Menchov in the Giro this year, and it took a lot of style to be able to match all of those attacks by DiLuca. I don’t care for, as many others have also said, the calculated train that allows a break to dangle of the front for many kilometers then “reels it back in” just in time for a bunch sprint to the finish line. I would like to see those willing to gamble to be rewarded with the payoff. I’m thinking maybe less “tactics” and more luck/chaos/skill…

 

[neil69cyclist]

Yeah I have always loved Jens style he attacks hard and never gives up, I think his palmeres (sic...need to see another thread on the relative merits of spelling) is really impressive but he seems almost sidelined. I am torn on Menchov as I think he did sit in a little in the Giro, but Sastre is a different matter, a rider who has a very distinctive style the way he really shows the effort on his face.

I can't remember the stage or the rider but in the Dauphine where valverde and the liquigas rider were on that killer steep finish and the liquigas rider just seem to stop, but jumped back and passed Valv for the win was that a double bluff !!!

There is a whole thread alone on 'the break' and how this fails or succeeds !!

 

[anubisza]

I am impressed with Armstrong's doping. The retrospective testing of 1999's samples showed that he was using more EPO than anyone else in the race. That is impressive.

I am also impressed by trolls.

You make me smile. I like smiling.

I however, have no opinion on trolls.

Let it never be said that I do.

 

[Amsterhammer]

It may already be too late but …this thread has some possibilities of being really good and hopefully avoiding the name-calling and doping tangents common in most others. Anyway, I like the style of Jens Voight: reckless in many ways, not as calculated as most, risky, ballsy, maybe even slightly comic. I also admired Cancellara’s attacks in the TDF when he “stole” that stage from the sprinter’s in last years TDF. I like it when riders gamble and there is a high probability of failure, but if they don’t fail, then the payoffs are huge. I guess this goes along with NOT having race radios? I do have to admire riders like Voeckler, who always seems to try to get in a break. He held tough for quite a while in the TDF a few years back, in the yellow jersey for longer that, I believe, most thought he would. That may not be “tactics” per se, but it is ”style”. I have to admire the tactics of Menchov in the Giro this year, and it took a lot of style to be able to match all of those attacks by DiLuca. I don’t care for, as many others have also said, the calculated train that allows a break to dangle of the front for many kilometers then “reels it back in” just in time for a bunch sprint to the finish line. I would like to see those willing to gamble to be rewarded with the payoff. I’m thinking maybe less “tactics” and more luck/chaos/skill…

Pretty much agree with all of this. I'm particularly looking forward to the Rabo-Saxo-Astana battles we're likely to see on the last climbs. I was never really impressed by Menchov till this Giro, but if he's managed to keep his form he'll be a serious contender. He's certainly got the strongest team ever around him and Breukink is no mug.

 

[anubisza]

On a serious note though, in the spirit of the thread's intention:
I was impressed with Cadel. He doesn't attack much, but he looked good here.
I wasn't impressed with Valverde. He shouldn't have been allowed to race. Period. With the stuff hanging over him, it shouldn't have been allowed.
And I'm disappointed with Contador because of him siding with Valverde.
I don't care if it comes out that he did nothing wrong, as it stands at the moment, he shouldn't be racing.
In my most humble opinion.

 

[Cobblestones]

I was a little disappointed by Valverde and Contador working together (even though the are both Spaniels).

Now that you got your racist comments out, just crawl back under the rock whence you came from.

 

[Amsterhammer]

I can't remember the stage or the rider but in the Dauphine where valverde and the liquigas rider were on that killer steep finish and the liquigas rider just seem to stop, but jumped back and passed Valv for the win was that a double bluff !!!

There is a whole thread alone on 'the break' and how this fails or succeeds !!

Who doesn't appreciate Voigt?

Valverde made a deal with him Szmyd (try spelling that in a hurry) that if he shared the work, he could take the stage as Valverde would gain the yellow. Szymd then missed a gear change with the result that he virtually stopped. Valverde honored their gentleman's agreement and 'waited' so that Szmyd could take the stage win.

 

[neil69cyclist]

On a serious note though, in the spirit of the thread's intention:
I was impressed with Cadel. He doesn't attack much, but he looked good here.
I wasn't impressed with Valverde. He shouldn't have been allowed to race. Period. With the stuff hanging over him, it shouldn't have been allowed.
And I'm disappointed with Contador because of him siding with Valverde.
I don't care if it comes out that he did nothing wrong, as it stands at the moment, he shouldn't be racing.
In my most humble opinion.

!!!! This almost includes the 'D' word talk about his tactics yeah but the other thing NO

 

[anubisza]

!!!! This almost includes the 'D' word talk about his tactics yeah but the other thing NO

No no, now you're pushing it! His tactics, and his competitors tactics are directly related to the other stuff going on.

THIS IS A FACIST THREAD!

FACIST!!

 

[neil69cyclist]

Now that you got your racist comments out, just crawl back under the rock whence you came from.

Hey cobblestones don't be a co*k it is in humor and if anyone is offended please tell me (except you) I do seem to remember many people using the word yanks ...... anyway what is racist about spaniels its just a play on words for spaniards. you want racist .....Bloo*y Northerners ....... I am really jsut joking

 

[neil69cyclist]

I have my Black Shirt on as we speak ..... it is a Rapha one though

 

[Anonymous]

I could never believe how Robbie McEwen could be seemingly invisible until the last minute and win sprints time after time.

 

[neil69cyclist]

Yeah I agree about Robbie, he didn't have a great lead out but was good at holding the wheel in front and defending his space, he could even be a little to aggressive at times (rode with his head down, what you don't see you can't be punished for eh!) but he didn't apologise about that tactic and was a great sprinter.

 

[neil69cyclist]

I hate to mention the 'son of satan' but I think he fundamentally changed the way many riders climbed with his fast cadence on the climbs (not like me grinding the F**k out of both my BB but also my knees !!!) and I do see more riders using this style.

I recently tried it as I am going to be climbing some big hills with a fully loaded touring bike and wanted to see if the granny climb helped ...... all I can say is that it felt very strange.

 

[Anonymous]

I hate to mention the 'son of satan' but I think he fundamentally changed the way many riders climbed with his fast cadence on the climbs (not like me grinding the F**k out of both my BB but also my knees !!!) and I do see more riders using this style.

I recently tried it as I am going to be climbing some big hills with a fully loaded touring bike and wanted to see if the granny climb helped ...... all I can say is that it felt very strange.

it's not as easy as it looks.. lol

i've learned to rider a high cadence on the flats but down a gear up in tempo doesn't seem to help me climb a bit.

Of course at my weight I'm not surprised.

 

[39*23t]

it's not as easy as it looks.. lol

i've learned to rider a high cadence on the flats but down a gear up in tempo doesn't seem to help me climb a bit.

Of course at my weight I'm not surprised.

i remember doing a U16 race once where the max gearing allowed was a 52 * 16 we had a massive tailwind coming into the finish and were trying to sprint at about 70 kph must have seem quite amusing to the spectators personally i thought Big Mig was the original high cadence man he use to ride between 90- 120 rpm.

 

[neil69cyclist]

i remember doing a U16 race once where the max gearing allowed was a 52 * 16 we had a massive tailwind coming into the finish and were trying to sprint at about 70 kph must have seem quite amusing to the spectators personally i thought Big Mig was the original high cadence man he use to ride between 90- 120 rpm.

Yeah I think your right there 39, except in the TT when he mashed a gear that plowed a furrow in the road and his TT style with the hunch back and his stomach looking like he was 6 months pregnant, but for a image of calm when he road he was way ahead of anyone else.

 

[39*23t]

Yeah I think your right there 39, except in the TT when he mashed a gear that plowed a furrow in the road and his TT style with the hunch back and his stomach looking like he was 6 months pregnant, but for a image of calm when he road he was way ahead of anyone else.

yeah the guy was an animal in the tt very much like fabs today. another rider i admired from the old school was gianni bugno. the guy used to crunch a big gear but made it look so easy. tour of flanders 94 sprinting against Johan Museeuw he didn't even look like he was trying.

 

[fergnago]

I remember watching museuw in the tour of flanders, what a huge attack at 40km to go! super to watch.