This years unsung hero's

[shouldawouldacoulda]

My other favorite is Ryder Hesjedal, Mountain Biking Champion turned Top notch Roadie!
Good Going, eh?

Ryder is my pick. Fantastic tour, he's raced really well and shown a lot of grinta. And he has carried himself really well in the media.

Even Axel Merckx is conflicted over Ryder and VdB

 

[nowhereman]

I'm really not sure VDB's time trial prowess is enough to overhaul over a minute on a Sánchez. I'm sorry, I'm just not. Sánchez has vastly improved against the clock and beat all the GC contenders at the Vuelta - which included a couple of people like Evans and Valverde who I'd back to beat VDB against the clock more often than not. Yes, VDB beat Sánchez over a similar distance at the Dauphiné, but Sánchez wasn't peaking for the Dauphiné.

Okay, you make good points. But I've still enjoyed watching VDB come into his own. Venga, Venga para Sanchez! y Contador tambien!

 

[El Pistolero]

Most of the cyclists named here aren't unsung hero's...

My choice is Mario Aerts.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Most of the cyclists named here aren't unsung hero's...
My choice is Mario Aerts.

Where does one draw the line between sung hero and unsung hero?

 

[RedheadDane]

Of those not mentioned above, Chris Anker Sørensen.

Ooh... he's been sung a lot. In Denmark!

Chris Horner - 39 years young, doing domestique work for Amrstron even though hes ahead of him.

Naah... he's "only" 38...

 

[El Pistolero]

Where does one draw the line between sung hero and unsung hero?

The amount of attention they're getting during and after a race among other things.

Vino is clearly not an unsung hero.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

The amount of attention they're getting during and after a race among other things.

Vino is clearly not an unsung hero.

My list was not exactly serious - well, except for navarro, and one could say he has been sung as well.

ymmv

 

[theyoungest]

I'm really not sure VDB's time trial prowess is enough to overhaul over a minute on a Sánchez. I'm sorry, I'm just not. Sánchez has vastly improved against the clock and beat all the GC contenders at the Vuelta - which included a couple of people like Evans and Valverde who I'd back to beat VDB against the clock more often than not. Yes, VDB beat Sánchez over a similar distance at the Dauphiné, but Sánchez wasn't peaking for the Dauphiné.

Completely right. I don't think even VDB2 himself thinks he'll overtake Sanchez. Currently I'd rate Sammy quite a lot higher on the TT than Jurgen.

 

[The Hitch]

Completely right. I don't think even VDB2 himself thinks he'll overtake Sanchez. Currently I'd rate Sammy quite a lot higher on the TT than Jurgen.

that and he has a 2 minute gap to vdb. I dont think Cancellara will take 2 minutes on sanchez yet alone vdb.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

OK, so how is it that everyone has skipped over Jurgen Van den Broeck?
He has had an outstandingly quiet tour for the 5th place he is currently occupying. This man was all but invisible on the Discovery Channel Squad. (Johan could have used him this year) Then had to suffer in the shadows of the more popular Cadel Evans, and Phillipe Gilbert most of last year. But this year he looks to be coming of age, and this Tour de France result is showing just that. And with his ITT skills I feel he has an outside chance of snatching 4th place from Samuel Sanchez (when Menchov puts him off the podium in the final ITT).

My other favorite is Ryder Hesjedal, Mountain Biking Champion turned Top notch Roadie!
Good Going, eh?

What ITT skills?

Yes, he was a junior world champion, but also yes, he has regressed horribly in that area.
His TT is on the level of Gesink (a good Gesink, not the Suisse Gesink), around 15-30 in placing.
Last year Vandenbroeck was 31th in the final TDF ITT. His best TT results are around 15th place.

He is never going to take time on Sanchez, who WINS TIMETRIALS (in the Vuelta)

 

[nowhereman]

What ITT skills?

Yes, he was a junior world champion, but also yes, he has regressed horribly in that area.
His TT is on the level of Gesink (a good Gesink, not the Suisse Gesink), around 15-30 in placing.
Last year Vandenbroeck was 31th in the final TDF ITT. His best TT results are around 15th place.

He is never going to take time on Sanchez, who WINS TIMETRIALS (in the Vuelta)

Okay, VDB sucks, my mistake! I didn't mean to nominate someone who so many people think is absolutely unworthy. I don't know what I was thinking! Was I okay with Ryder??? I mean I love burrito's too. I'm not Canadian, but I can still like him too, can't I???

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Navarro as remarked earlier
Evans for not giving up even though he has got no GC and a fractured elbow
jurgen vandewalle for attacking a lot

 

[turtlesoup]

David Millar, I believe he is the garmin rider with the broken ribs, very well done, velonews had an article how he rode 180km alone on stage 9 over the mountains after falling the day before.

 

[RedheadDane]

Well... stage 9 was after the first rest day, during which Millar had been on a drinking trip... so maybe he was also nurturing a hangover...

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

Well... stage 9 was after the first rest day, during which Millar had been on a drinking trip... so maybe he was also nurturing a hangover...

ROTLMAO... oh man that was good. Jeez there are some really funny people on the forum today. Thanks for this.

 

[Ryaguas]

Have to be Dani Navarro... Well for me is not surprise, I already knew him cuz I'm AC's fan and Dani is one of the riders who is always with him, but when you saw him in Morzine - Avoriaz you were like WTF??? WHO IS THAT GUY?? HE IS A BEAST

My list will be:
Dani Navarro
Kiriyenka
Ryder
VdB
Samu Sanchez (nobody put him in his top 5 before The Tour)
maybe Chavanel at the beginning of the tour...

 

[Rob_Roy]

As a lot others I have to mention Navarro,he was the man to break everyone in the Madeleine climb!,except AS and AC of course.

Ryder too has impressed me a lot.
I have a feeling that he is a lot better than Rodriguz and Gesink in ITT.I wonder if it is enough to take him even higher in the overall cassification after the ITT tomorrow.

Kiriyenka is always close to LLS when he isnt on the move,yesterday up the Tourmalet,today the first one to back off when LLS punctured.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Have to be Dani Navarro... Well for me is not surprise, I already knew him cuz I'm AC's fan and Dani is one of the riders who is always with him, but when you saw him in Morzine - Avoriaz you were like WTF??? WHO IS THAT GUY?? HE IS A BEAST

My list will be:
Dani Navarro
Kiriyenka
Ryder
VdB
Samu Sanchez (nobody put him in his top 5 before The Tour)
maybe Chavanel at the beginning of the tour...

Your getting the meanings of unsung and surprising mixed up. VDB, Sanchez, Chavanel, and even Navarro all received plenty of praise for their performances. Kiriyenka is a good pick though/

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

As a lot others I have to mention Navarro,he was the man to break everyone in the Madeleine climb!,except AS and AC of course.

Ryder too has impressed me a lot.
I have a feeling that he is a lot better than Rodriguz and Gesink in ITT.I wonder if it is enough to take him even higher in the overall cassification after the ITT tomorrow.

Kiriyenka is always close to LLS when he isnt on the move,yesterday up the Tourmalet,today the first one to back off when LLS punctured.

Facts disagree with you
CQ ranking head-2-head
Individual time trial

[NED] GESINK Robert 7 - 3 [CAN] HESJEDAL Ryder

1 3/07/2010 [Fra] Tour de France, Prologue : Rotterdam (Ned) I.T.T. 56. 37.
2 12/06/2010 [Sui] Tour de Suisse, Stage 1 : Lugano I.T.T. 48. 45.
3 10/04/2010 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Orio - Orio I.T.T. 15. 18.
4 5/09/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 7 : Valencia I.T.T. 28. 127.
5 29/08/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Assen I.T.T. 30. 146.
6 7/07/2009 [Fra] Tour de France, Stage 4 : Montpellier T.T.T. 11. 2.
7 4/07/2009 [Fra] Tour de France, Stage 1 : Monaco I.T.T. 30. 43.
8 11/04/2009 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Zalla - Zalla I.T.T. 8. 49.
9 15/03/2009 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Loreto - Macerata I.T.T. 6. 24.
10 13/08/2008 [Chn] Olympic Games (Beijing) - I.T.T. 10. 15.

Note that gesink even had some top 10 placings while Hesjedals best TT was actualy a TTT with Garmin (number 6 on the list)

And Rodriguez isn't much worse either


Rider 1: Rider 2:
[ESP] RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin 6 - 10 [CAN] HESJEDAL Ryder

1 3/07/2010 [Fra] Tour de France, Prologue : Rotterdam (Ned) I.T.T. 115. 37.
2 12/06/2010 [Sui] Tour de Suisse, Stage 1 : Lugano I.T.T. 20. 45.
3 10/04/2010 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Orio - Orio I.T.T. 7. 18.
4 22/03/2010 [Esp] Volta a Catalunya, Stage 1 : Lloret de Mar I.T.T. 13. 12.
5 5/09/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 7 : Valencia I.T.T. 98. 127.
6 29/08/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Assen I.T.T. 140. 146.
7 15/03/2009 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Loreto - Macerata I.T.T. 63. 24.
8 1/06/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 21 : Cesano Maderno - Milano I.T.T. 138. 45.
9 26/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 16 : San Vigilio di Marebbe - Plan de Corones I.T.T. 37. 48.
10 20/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 10 : Pesaro - Urbino I.T.T. 58. 88.
11 10/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 : Palermo T.T.T. 14. 1.
12 16/03/2008 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Macerata - Recanati I.T.T. 40. 19.
13 9/09/2006 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 14 : Cuenca I.T.T. 134. 28.
14 26/08/2006 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Malaga T.T.T. 999. 17.
15 15/05/2005 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 8 : Lamporecchio - Firenze I.T.T. 157. 101.
16 7/05/2005 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Prologue : Reggio Calabria I.T.T. 193. 18.

Going by 2010, recent time trials, Rodriguez improved drastically and beat Hesjedal in the last 3 serious longer time trials (Prologue isn't his forté)

 

[Rob_Roy]

Facts disagree with you
CQ ranking head-2-head
Individual time trial

[NED] GESINK Robert 7 - 3 [CAN] HESJEDAL Ryder

1 3/07/2010 [Fra] Tour de France, Prologue : Rotterdam (Ned) I.T.T. 56. 37.
2 12/06/2010 [Sui] Tour de Suisse, Stage 1 : Lugano I.T.T. 48. 45.
3 10/04/2010 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Orio - Orio I.T.T. 15. 18.
4 5/09/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 7 : Valencia I.T.T. 28. 127.
5 29/08/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Assen I.T.T. 30. 146.
6 7/07/2009 [Fra] Tour de France, Stage 4 : Montpellier T.T.T. 11. 2.
7 4/07/2009 [Fra] Tour de France, Stage 1 : Monaco I.T.T. 30. 43.
8 11/04/2009 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Zalla - Zalla I.T.T. 8. 49.
9 15/03/2009 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Loreto - Macerata I.T.T. 6. 24.
10 13/08/2008 [Chn] Olympic Games (Beijing) - I.T.T. 10. 15.

Note that gesink even had some top 10 placings while Hesjedals best TT was actualy a TTT with Garmin (number 6 on the list)

And Rodriguez isn't much worse either


Rider 1: Rider 2:
[ESP] RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin 6 - 10 [CAN] HESJEDAL Ryder

1 3/07/2010 [Fra] Tour de France, Prologue : Rotterdam (Ned) I.T.T. 115. 37.
2 12/06/2010 [Sui] Tour de Suisse, Stage 1 : Lugano I.T.T. 20. 45.
3 10/04/2010 [Esp] Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 6 : Orio - Orio I.T.T. 7. 18.
4 22/03/2010 [Esp] Volta a Catalunya, Stage 1 : Lloret de Mar I.T.T. 13. 12.
5 5/09/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 7 : Valencia I.T.T. 98. 127.
6 29/08/2009 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Assen I.T.T. 140. 146.
7 15/03/2009 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Loreto - Macerata I.T.T. 63. 24.
8 1/06/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 21 : Cesano Maderno - Milano I.T.T. 138. 45.
9 26/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 16 : San Vigilio di Marebbe - Plan de Corones I.T.T. 37. 48.
10 20/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 10 : Pesaro - Urbino I.T.T. 58. 88.
11 10/05/2008 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 : Palermo T.T.T. 14. 1.
12 16/03/2008 [Ita] Tirreno - Adriatico, Stage 5 : Macerata - Recanati I.T.T. 40. 19.
13 9/09/2006 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 14 : Cuenca I.T.T. 134. 28.
14 26/08/2006 [Esp] Vuelta a España, Stage 1 : Malaga T.T.T. 999. 17.
15 15/05/2005 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Stage 8 : Lamporecchio - Firenze I.T.T. 157. 101.
16 7/05/2005 [Ita] Giro d'Italia, Prologue : Reggio Calabria I.T.T. 193. 18.

Going by 2010, recent time trials, Rodriguez improved drastically and beat Hesjedal in the last 3 serious longer time trials (Prologue isn't his forté)

Nice information,I really had no clue at all about Rodriguez and Gesink was terribly in TdS.
With 2 minutes on Ryder they should be pretty safe then.

Thank you for the info!

 

[goggalor]

Kiriyenka! Love that guy.

Where's Ignatiev, btw?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

True Rob, but that was an incident, as it was Gesinks worst time trial since he became a professional. Even as a 20 year old he placed top 30 in most longer time trials.

 

[theyoungest]

...

No doubt Gesink will utterly suck again tomorrow, which leaves you with a year of explaining that Gesink really can do a decent time trial

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No doubt Gesink will utterly suck again tomorrow, which leaves you with a year of explaining that Gesink really can do a decent time trial

I know

But people NEVER check on results by a guy and only go by what they've last remembered or seen, or worse, by what they hear from the pundits. (most pundits are terrible)
No offense meant.

Am I the only results-checking freak?
It sometimes feels that way. And even though Rodriguez and Gesink are not that horrible tt-ers as pundits suggest, it'll get ignored by those 1 or 2 exceptionally bad time trials.

Grr

 

[theyoungest]

I know

But people NEVER check on results by a guy and only go by what they've last remembered or seen, or worse, by what they hear from the pundits. (most pundits are terrible)
No offense meant.

Am I the only results-checking freak?
It sometimes feels that way. And even though Rodriguez and Gesink are not that horrible tt-ers as pundits suggest, it'll get ignored by those 1 or 2 exceptionally bad time trials.

Grr

Well, I guess both J-Rod and Bobby G will get their a$$es kicked tomorrow, but so will VDB, who's somehow seen as a good time trialist (?? based upon his world title as a junior, I guess). A fierce headwind expected, 50 k on a straight flat road... our climber friends will be all over the place. But as long as they all suck equally, there'll be no changes in GC.