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Oh my, seems like you got the dictionary page wrong and looked up "wheelsucker" instead.Alexandre B. said:What is the definition of a rouleur-grimpeur? Tejay Van Garderen.
Wishful thinking. He's destined to be 5th behind Valverde and G.DBotero said:Impressed by TVG today,still there.He needs to keep fighting and at the end he might be on the podium in Paris.
"I knew Sky had a really strong team and they were going to kind of neutralise all the dangerous guys, so when they were jumping I just sat behind Sky to make sure that they could pull them back. Hopefully those guys keep doing that so they can waste a few of their bullets, and then in the third week they might pay the price.
"There were a few guys that I needed to mark, guys who are close to me on time, and I feel like I did a pretty good job staying close to them, and staying within my limits. So, yeah, it’s all going to plan.
SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
Second place is not good. The Great Alberto ContadorPsalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
Because you don't get to be 2nd DURING the TdF that easily or often. Every year is different. Next year you miss out on a cross wind stage. You have a mechanical that loses you minutes. You may crash in May during preparation. You get ill, have a bad day... New talented riders come along. Older talented riders return/focus. The future is NOW.
But his goal is racing for third. That's our best from the USA now? That's who we are now? Not getting 3rd, RACING for 3rd. It's. Totally. Demoralizing. May I remind you (not the movie version, the real one):
"Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans." - Patton
Psalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
Because you don't get to be 2nd DURING the TdF that easily or often. Every year is different. Next year you miss out on a cross wind stage. You have a mechanical that loses you minutes. You may crash in May during preparation. You get ill, have a bad day... New talented riders come along. Older talented riders return/focus. The future is NOW.
But his goal is racing for third. That's our best from the USA now? That's who we are now? Not getting 3rd, RACING for 3rd. It's. Totally. Demoralizing. May I remind you (not the movie version, the real one):
"Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans." - Patton
Carols said:Tejay sure is hanging in there but dude you have to make a Move! Just about everyone in the top group made an attack today except the guy in 2nd! Like I said he is white bread. This Tour he has put on some butter and jam, but it's time to show us the goods. Take It to Them, Go For It!
Son of Amsterhammer said:Carols said:Tejay sure is hanging in there but dude you have to make a Move! Just about everyone in the top group made an attack today except the guy in 2nd! Like I said he is white bread. This Tour he has put on some butter and jam, but it's time to show us the goods. Take It to Them, Go For It!
I'm not sure about this line of thinking. He doesn't have the explosiveness of the others in the group, how on earth was he going to ride away from them in the wind today? Zero chance. May as well just tuck in and conserve. He'll get a chance at some point and I'm sure he'll give it a go, today wasn't the day. It could very well be that he's thinking the first 2 weeks are about conserving and managing, then give it a go in week 3. He was an outside chance for a podium at the start of the race, let's not be unreasonable about expectations here, he's still the same rider.
+1.SeriousSam said:Psalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
Because you don't get to be 2nd DURING the TdF that easily or often. Every year is different. Next year you miss out on a cross wind stage. You have a mechanical that loses you minutes. You may crash in May during preparation. You get ill, have a bad day... New talented riders come along. Older talented riders return/focus. The future is NOW.
But his goal is racing for third. That's our best from the USA now? That's who we are now? Not getting 3rd, RACING for 3rd. It's. Totally. Demoralizing. May I remind you (not the movie version, the real one):
"Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans." - Patton
There is nothing wrong with racing for third when you know your limitations. Getting third would be a huge success for him. Given that the chance he wins the Tour is less than 1%, it makes sense to target an objective that he could actually achieve.
That said, it's also not clear that Tejay doing one of those "attacks" that we saw Nibali or Contador do today makes him more likely to win the Tour. If anything, he might have blown up. Tejay can't do changes of pace as well as the others.
I get it, you want to see him attack. Most of all, many might want to see him do his part to bring down Froome.
But TJ riding as he does makes perfect sense given that he craves a Tour podium. All you guys are basically either saying "TJ, why aren't you 10 times stronger than you are! Bah" or "TJ, why don't you give up riding for the podium to entertain us? Bah!"
Escarabajo said:SeriousSam said:Psalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
+1.
He knows his limitations. Once he makes it to the podium, next year could be another objective and different strategy. As for now he is set to ride like that.
It could very well happen. Riders like Pinot and TJ could be of more fragile minds than Froome, Contador or even Quintana. But it does not stop them of shooting high.Psalmon said:Escarabajo said:SeriousSam said:Psalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
+1.
He knows his limitations. Once he makes it to the podium, next year could be another objective and different strategy. As for now he is set to ride like that.
Like Pinot?
I agree, today it made sense for him to sit tight, but that won't be the case for all future stages. It wouldn't surprise if sitting tight is all he will do, even if he is sitting in 4th place in GC.SeriousSam said:There is nothing wrong with racing for third when you know your limitations. Getting third would be a huge success for him. Given that the chance he wins the Tour is less than 1%, it makes sense to target an objective that he could actually achieve.
That said, it's also not clear that Tejay doing one of those "attacks" that we saw Nibali or Contador do today makes him more likely to win the Tour. If anything, he might have blown up. Tejay can't do changes of pace as well as the others.
I get it, you want to see him attack. Most of all, many might want to see him do his part to bring down Froome.
But TJ riding as he does makes perfect sense given that he craves a Tour podium. All you guys are basically either saying "TJ, why aren't you 10 times stronger than you are! Bah" or "TJ, why don't you give up riding for the podium to entertain us? Bah!"
Oooch! That hurts!Psalmon said:Escarabajo said:SeriousSam said:Psalmon said:SeriousSam said:What's with all the disapproval for TJ? He's doing the right figh to accomplish his objective of making it onto the podium of the Tour de France.
+1.
He knows his limitations. Once he makes it to the podium, next year could be another objective and different strategy. As for now he is set to ride like that.
Like Pinot?