Rui Costa Discussion Thread

[BigMac]

Did Rui fell?
Didn't see the stage but just saw the results and he lost 17 min?

That was just a bug. He is at 1sec.

 

[Somar13]

thanx (10char)

 

[Kokoso]

I didn't get his "attack" yesterday. What did that suppose to be?

He's much weaker then I thought after Tour de Suisse.

I think he'll try to win a stage.

 

[Parrulo]

He said he wasn't feeling great yesterday so since a good GC placement was no longer possible anyway he decided to push a hard tempo for a small bit of time setting up Quintana's attack, which happened just a couple hundred meters after and then he rode the rest of the climb at recovery pace. Count on him to try and win a stage from the breakaway this week.

 

[Kokoso]

He said he wasn't feeling great yesterday so since a good GC placement was no longer possible anyway he decided to push a hard tempo for a small bit of time setting up Quintana's attack, which happened just a couple hundred meters after and then he rode the rest of the climb at recovery pace. Count on him to try and win a stage from the breakaway this week.

That was really really tiny bit Someone could think you confuse Costa with Velits

 

[TANK91]

He said he wasn't feeling great yesterday so since a good GC placement was no longer possible anyway he decided to push a hard tempo for a small bit of time setting up Quintana's attack, which happened just a couple hundred meters after and then he rode the rest of the climb at recovery pace. Count on him to try and win a stage from the breakaway this week.

Yes I think he should go all out on the Madaleine stage, it makes you think what could happen in another team if Mollema can be so high then so can Costa.

 

[Parrulo]

Well some say Costa is not the best team worker in the peloton so it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't gave it all on that push.

Either way i think tomorrow is his best bet as medium mountains have always been where he performed better. And while he has clearly improved on the big mountains, i don't think he is at Mollema's level.

I think the best he could have gotten this year was around the 8th to 10th range.

 

[BigMac]

You see, apart from Quintana the hole team is dead after the stage they had to try and pull Valverde back in the main group. It was a tremendous effort they all did, unfortunately, for nothing. Coindidence Valverde also failed in Mt.Ventoux and only Quintana managed to hold? After that he doesn't care anymore for a GC spot, he might even fall to 35+. Should definetly try a stage tho, as he won't be that much useful in the summit finishes where theoreticly he should aid Nairo.

 

[Kokoso]

You see, apart from Quintana the hole team is dead after the stage they had to try and pull Valverde back in the main group. It was a tremendous effort they all did, unfortunately, for nothing. Coindidence Valverde also failed in Mt.Ventoux and only Quintana managed to hold? After that he doesn't care anymore for a GC spot, he might even fall to 35+. Should definetly try a stage tho, as he won't be that much useful in the summit finishes where theoreticly he should aid Nairo.

Maybe, but than it has to psychologic, not by exhaustion. I think you mean that.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well some say Costa is not the best team worker in the peloton so it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't gave it all on that push.

Either way i think tomorrow is his best bet as medium mountains have always been where he performed better. And while he has clearly improved on the big mountains, i don't think he is at Mollema's level.

I think the best he could have gotten this year was around the 8th to 10th range.

He seems to have less than good recovery in comparison to others. But more probably also expanded too much energy in the echelon stage by slaving for Valverde

 

[Parrulo]

He seems to have less than good recovery in comparison to others. But more probably also expanded too much energy in the echelon stage by slaving for Valverde

I don't know about his recovery, but his form seems to be slipping away from him, he might have peaked too soon and is now losing form. It would certainly make sense considering he has been going progressively worse.

 

[l.Harm]

I think it's a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. He doesn't have the engine (or however you want to call it) for a three-week race, so he focusses on one-week races like Switzerland. The consequence is that he's now post-peak because he focussed on that race apparently (I can't see him beating other riders if he wouldn't have a peak there).

 

[BigMac]

I think it's a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. He doesn't have the engine (or however you want to call it) for a three-week race, so he focusses on one-week races like Switzerland. The consequence is that he's now post-peak because he focussed on that race apparently (I can't see him beating other riders if he wouldn't have a peak there).

Maybe if other riders also didn't peak in there?

I also think he peaked somewhere in Suisse or slighly before tho (not that he wanted because his main goal was clearly the TdF, he said it himself). He might have the engine for a three week, he just stopped focusing on GC after the echelon stage where he lost 10min wich might have caused physical damage, being the cause for him droping so easy in Mt. Ventoux. Even Valverde whom was less exposed on that stage failed to follow the rest.

 

[search]

Well some say Costa is not the best team worker in the peloton so it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't gave it all on that push.

if that's the case Quintana has to pray for Amador being strong in the Alps...

 

[IndianCyclist]

He lost his chance. He was equal to Mollema/Kreuziger in the TDS. could have got top 5

 

[Parrulo]

He didn't lose his chance. Valverde lost it for him when he decided to change a back wheel instead of simply changing bike

 

[theyoungest]

He lost his chance. He was equal to Mollema/Kreuziger in the TDS. could have got top 5

It seems pretty obvious to me that he peaked for the TDS, unlike Mollema/Kreuziger. Last year was the same. And it's a wise choice, winning the TDS looks good on your palmares, Mollema could still get 7th in the Tour which is a bit less impressive.

 

[Kokoso]

It seems pretty obvious to me that he peaked for the TDS, unlike Mollema/Kreuziger. Last year was the same. And it's a wise choice, winning the TDS looks good on your palmares, Mollema could still get 7th in the Tour which is a bit less impressive.

Exactly this. It seems he peaked to early. You can asses it by his TT, which was awful for him. And in the mountains he was worse than Kreuziger and Mollema also. He doesn't look so good TTer anymore as the hype goes. It's all about actual form.

 

[Parrulo]

Well if he peaked for Suisse, that was not what he wanted.

One bad itt and he became hyped for the itt's? That was fast. . .

 

[Afrank]

Nice one Rui!

 

[BigMac]

Great win.

 

[Parrulo]

I am glad he let go on Ventoux. This is much better than any top 20 placing

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Great win for Costa.

Congrats.

 

[oldcrank]

Great win for Costa, and another win for Pinarello.

 

[Forunculo]

Costa is going to take big money next year a la Gilbert