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the better GT rider?

So who makes a better GT rider?
A excellent Climber who has to improve his TT?(Contador)
or
A excellent Time Trialler who has to improve his Climbing?(Indurain)
Just something i have been thinking about over the last few years.I think its easier to develop Climbing ability than TT,but thats just my thought.
 
Aug 14, 2009
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yeah i think the example you should have used instead of Contador is ANDY SCHLECK!

but I think it's easier for a climber to improve his TT.

The guys who are killer at TT's are usually on the heavier side, and there is all this weight loss involved that can prove to be detrimental to strength.
 
Jun 19, 2009
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ViaPagliano said:
yeah i think the example you should have used instead of Contador is ANDY SCHLECK!

but I think it's easier for a climber to improve his TT.

The guys who are killer at TT's are usually on the heavier side, and there is all this weight loss involved that can prove to be detrimental to strength.

Ultimately the ability to recover from the event that stresses you is the most important quality. Say what you will about LA, but he didn't seem to have many bad days. Lemond fought back from the dead when he was clearly not the best climber. Indurain probably did the same, just didn't look as wasted. Unless the Tour edition has several really long & steep mountaintop finishes the TT'er should have the advantage. Power over climbing.
 
I would prefer to watch a climber who can defend in the TT's rather than a TT'er who can defend on the climbs.

For me there is nothing better than seeing a nuthouse climber winning a GT with a crazy attack on a queen stage (look at Sastre '08 TdF for the most recent example).

That is what makes for exciting racing.
 
Jan 30, 2010
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Time trialler becoming a better climber is more interesting for me... maybe not as entertaining for the fans tho..

Pure class seeing the Tour winner prove his worth by winning the final TT in the yellow jersey.
 
Nov 17, 2009
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blaxland said:
So who makes a better GT rider?
A excellent Climber who has to improve his TT?(Contador)
or
A excellent Time Trialler who has to improve his Climbing?(Indurain)
Just something i have been thinking about over the last few years.I think its easier to develop Climbing ability than TT,but thats just my thought.

An example of a climber who has to improve TT skills would be Andy or Frank Schleck.

Contador has always been a good TT rider. He won a TT in the tour de pologne in 2003, his first year as a pro. Won one in Pais Vasco in 2005.

He's a lot better then he was, but Contador was never a poor timetrialist. He was never even average... he's always been very good. When he first won the tour, he finished 5th in the final time trial. Cancellera was 12th.
 
Feb 3, 2010
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For me, GT are more interesting if a excellent climber is a bad time trailer, so he need to make crazy attack in mountain stage.

If a excellent climber is also a excellent time trailer (like Contador), GT aren't interesting, he will win for sure!

With this Contador, Andy (or others "only" climber) will never win a Tour...


Sorry for my english :eek:
 
Sep 2, 2009
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ViaPagliano said:
yeah i think the example you should have used instead of Contador is ANDY SCHLECK!

but I think it's easier for a climber to improve his TT.

The guys who are killer at TT's are usually on the heavier side, and there is all this weight loss involved that can prove to be detrimental to strength.

I think the general perception used to be quite the opposite. at least in the nineties.
Bradley Wiggins is the most recent example on this.

Which is more likely:

heavy powerfull guy loses weight, and becomes better in the moantains?

or a skinny guy putting on muscles and becomes better in the TT?

I think the first scenario is more likely, but Honestly I don't know, you could also point out that Basso fits your theory (at least before Operation Puerto).
 

buckwheat

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Oldman said:
Ultimately the ability to recover from the event that stresses you is the most important quality. Say what you will about LA, but he didn't seem to have many bad days.

Really, from '93 to 96 he didn't have many bad days?

What kind of day is it when you abandon?
 

buckwheat

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Oldman said:
Ultimately the ability to recover from the event that stresses you is the most important quality. Say what you will about LA, but he didn't seem to have many bad days. Lemond fought back from the dead when he was clearly not the best climber. Indurain probably did the same, just didn't look as wasted. Unless the Tour edition has several really long & steep mountaintop finishes the TT'er should have the advantage. Power over climbing.

LeMond was sick in '84 when he came in 3rd at 23 yrs of age.

He was toying with the field and gifting a win in '85.

In '86 he was fighting off mutinies and dominating after $hitting himself.

All this before any magic potions and while he was at and before the immature age of 25.

At that point in Armstrong's career he was celebrating finishing in 36th more than an hour down. LeMond was ****ed when he didn't win @ 23 and 24.

This talk of Indurain and Armstrong is tiring and ill informed.

At this point in time, no one can pinpoint for sure the origins of any great ability to recover which is the huge problem with pro cycling.
 
Jun 23, 2009
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Contador is a natural born climber. He was thirteen when he was able to leave his brother Fran behind him by using a bike made of steel. But he was also a good time trialist when he was a young rider. He won the national championship as a junior.
 

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