Sunday, June 17 - Tour de Suisse, Stage 9: Näfels[LinthArena] - Sörenberg, 215.8km

[FabulousCandelabra]

Go Franky this is your year!! Little bro is out of the picture, time to man up and defend the family name! You can do it!

 

[Trofinios]

Fränk's domestiques will need to deliver today and make it a hard day for Costa. Fuglsang is the strongest domestique at the moment and he could play a very crucial role. If Costa get dropped on Glaubenberg, Fränk will probably need Fuglsang with him over the top to be able to hold the pace on the flat before Sörenberg, otherwise Costa, with help from Valverde, will probably catch Fränk before the last climb.

I'm not sure at all that Fränk can wait until the Sörenberg to try to drop Costa. The climb doesn't seem to be especially hard and with Valverde with Costa it will be hard to take much time on him.

Anyhow, it will interesting to see what happens.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

well frank would benefit from some help with rabo.

 

[Christian]

well frank would benefit from some help with rabo.

Yes that's what I'm thinking ... they have one of the strongest teams and if they want to win it they must also drop Costa before the Cat2

 

[Lexman]

If Frank wins, will this be the first RSNT win of the year??????

didn't they win the Tour de Luxembourg?

 

[Froome19]

If Frank wins, will this be the first RSNT win of the year??????

With your username you should know better

 

[theyoungest]

Is there a connection between this race being so good and Wiggins not being in it? Just saying...

It would have been interesting to see Wiggins on a climb like yesterday's, which really doesn't suit him. There wasn't a climber of Fränk Schleck's calibre in the Dauphiné, so we still don't know if Wiggo can really go with the best uphill.

I mean, there's a difference between Richie Porte making the pace, or Fränk Schleck. With all due respect.

 

[ilrumne]

It would have been interesting to see Wiggins on a climb like yesterday's, which really doesn't suit him. There wasn't a climber of Fränk Schleck's calibre in the Dauphiné, so we still don't know if Wiggo can really go with the best uphill.

I mean, there's a difference between Richie Porte making the pace, or Fränk Schleck. With all due respect.

Wiggins, Evans, Van Den Broeck, ... In my opinion, there were more potential top-10 riders in the Dauphiné then the TDS. I mean, Nieve and Leipheimer, those are not the biggest names in climbing and were able to follow Schleck...

 

[Trofinios]

Well, I count on Rabo doing some work with RSNT. However, Fränk's domestiques didn't impresse that much yesterday and since it's long day with several climbs they will need to step up because Fränk can't trust that Rabo alone will have the strenght to do it for him.

Rabo will of course try to at least get Gesink on the podium. And if he is there in the end he might snatch some bonus seconds and pass Leipheimer. I would like that.

 

[Trofinios]

It would have been interesting to see Wiggins on a climb like yesterday's, which really doesn't suit him. There wasn't a climber of Fränk Schleck's calibre in the Dauphiné, so we still don't know if Wiggo can really go with the best uphill.

I mean, there's a difference between Richie Porte making the pace, or Fränk Schleck. With all due respect.

Wiggins was 3rd on Mende, a similar climb, in Paris-Nice this year, ahead of several strong climbers, Fränk being one of them. He would do fine imo.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Wiggins, Evans, Van Den Broeck, ... In my opinion, there were more potential top-10 riders in the Dauphiné then the TDS. I mean, Nieve and Leipheimer, those are not the biggest names in climbing and were able to follow Schleck...

But on the other hand Zubeldia, Pieter F-U-CKING Weening and Vasil Kiryenka, top notch climbers, were able to finish in the front group of the Dauphine with Wiggins. Also, a 22-year old neo-pro won the hardest mountain stage by riding away from the sky + others guys..

So what do you want to tell us? Dauphine level was higher? Doubt it.

 

[theyoungest]

Wiggins, Evans, Van Den Broeck, ... In my opinion, there were more potential top-10 riders in the Dauphiné then the TDS. I mean, Nieve and Leipheimer, those are not the biggest names in climbing and were able to follow Schleck...

Nieve has the Giro in his legs, a huge bonus. Leipheimer dropped Fränk Schleck in Suisse last year, as a climber (on a good day) he's certainly no worse than Wiggins.

There certainly were more Tour top-10 riders in the Dauphiné, of course there were, but I don't know if this was reflected in the level of climbing over there. I'm almost sure that a group with Weening wouldn't have been able to drop Gesink uphill

 

[Trofinios]

But on the other hand Zubeldia, Pieter F-U-CKING Weening and Vasil Kiryenka, top notch climbers, were able to finish in the front group of the Dauphine with Wiggins. Also, a 22-year old neo-pro won the hardest mountain stage by riding away from the sky + others guys..

So what do you want to tell us? Dauphine level was higher? Doubt it.

Well, several of the strong climbers was Wiggos teammates: Froome, Rogers, Porte!

And honestly, you don't think Wiggo would have caught Quintana if he wanted? I'm certain of it. Wiggo had much more left in the tank.

Can't believe people keep doubting Wiggos climbing abilities. 4th in TDF, 3rd in Vuleta, and this year he looks stronger than ever and have an incredible team to support him.

 

[jens_attacks]

But on the other hand Zubeldia, Pieter F-U-CKING Weening and Vasil Kiryenka, top notch climbers, were able to finish in the front group of the Dauphine with Wiggins. Also, a 22-year old neo-pro won the hardest mountain stage by riding away from the sky + others guys..

So what do you want to tell us? Dauphine level was higher? Doubt it.

i think the level was higher in the dauphine.it's not sky's fault that quintana is a terrible good climber(only few had those kind of numbers at 22 years,the last being andy).weening will have to be watched at greenedge and kiry is always capable to pull those kinds of good days from the bag.

we'll see in the tour anyway.
frank,gesink and levi look ready for it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It was because of his climbing abilities he didn't finish higher than 3rd in the vuelta or 4th in the tour the only reason I see him as favorite in this years tour is the many time trial kilometers + not much difficult finishing climbs so he will hold on to his lead easily. On a course like last years he would have had no chance

but nevermind, this is the TdS thread. Lets hold that discussion somewhere else

 

[Trofinios]

It was because of his climbing abilities he didn't finish higher than 3rd in the vuelta or 4th in the tour

Not optimal preparations for Vuelta and still 3rd. First year he tried for the GC in a grand tour and he came 4th in TDF. Won DL two years in a row. And Wiggo is not one of the best climbers?

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Not optimal preparations for Vuelta and still 3rd. First year he tried for the GC in a grand tour and he came 4th in TDF. Won DL two years in a row. And Wiggo is not one of the best climbers?

please look again at the field of that particular Vuelta and the form of the other big names

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Not optimal preparations for Vuelta and still 3rd. First year he tried for the GC in a grand tour and he came 4th in TDF. Won DL two years in a row. And Wiggo is not one of the best climbers?

No he isn't. The fact he won ITT heavy stage-races doesn't change that.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Not optimal preparations for Vuelta and still 3rd. First year he tried for the GC in a grand tour and he came 4th in TDF. Won DL two years in a row. And Wiggo is not one of the best climbers?

*cough cough* Hahaha!!!! Wiggo one of the best climbers? LOL!!

 

[Froome19]

*cough cough* Hahaha!!!! Wiggo one of the best climbers? LOL!!

No.

It is certainly a possibility just he has never demonstrated anything to affirm such a supposition.
What he has shown very possibly suggests that he has improved enough to be one of the best climbers but it is not something which we can make a definitive decison on either way because he has not demonstrated enough since he has improved his GC riding to give us a proper indication that he is climbing isnt up to standard and vice versa.

 

[Trofinios]

No, I don't mean that Wiggo is up there with Contador and Andy in climbing abilities. Of course not. He is still a fairly big guy so the steeper climbs in Vuleta and Giro suit him less well, and it was logical that he suffered on Angliru. But if we are talkning climbs in TDF, 6-9 % climbs, Wiggo anno 2012 is I believe one of the stronger climbers, about the same level as Evans, Levi, Samu, Van den Broeck, Nibali.

 

[jens_attacks]

I believe one of the stronger climbers, about the same level as Evans, Levi, Samu, Van den Broeck.

at the moment i think he's stronger than all of the above.too bad he didn't show it on joux-plane.in the tour he won't hide his improved ability on climbing.and that improvement i think it's tremendous.the guy is a nutcase on how much he trained to reach this level.

 

[Red Rick]

But on the other hand Zubeldia, Pieter F-U-CKING Weening and Vasil Kiryenka, top notch climbers, were able to finish in the front group of the Dauphine with Wiggins. Also, a 22-year old neo-pro won the hardest mountain stage by riding away from the sky + others guys..

So what do you want to tell us? Dauphine level was higher? Doubt it.

You mean Pieter "54-11" Weening?

 

[Trofinios]

at the moment i think he's stronger than all of the above.too bad he didn't show it on joux-plane.in the tour he won't hide his improved ability on climbing.and that improvement i think it's tremendous.the guy is a nutcase on how much he trained to reach this level.

It sure looked like he had much more left in the tank. When he won DL 2011 he had to work hard for it, this year, well, it seemed like he didn't give it all on the climbs. Very curious to see what he can do in TDF when he gives it all.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It sure looked like he had much more left in the tank. When he won DL 2011 he had to work hard for it, this year, well, it seemed like he didn't give it all on the climbs. Very curious to see what he can do in TDF when he gives it all.

That is due to a worse course and lesser competition then anything else.