Thursday, June 14 - Tour de Suisse, Stage 6: Wittnau - Bischofszell, 198.5 km

[TatryTour2013]

Sagain

Look at 1:50 in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBUgHt8jxsA

and then at the rundabout 1km to go ... suddenly 4th place from nowhere ...

 

[PeterB]

Sagan was dropped like a stone as soon as the rubber hit the first centimeter of Verbier on stage 2.

Yeah, but in reality, each time Sagan is dropped it seems that it is only because he decides to drop himself

 

[tomorrow]

Look at 1:50 in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBUgHt8jxsA

and then at the rundabout 1km to go ... suddenly 4th place from nowhere ...

well, his MTB skills come handy from time to time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItBV9CVJEoo

do you recognize the similarity to 0:44 with stage 3 win?

there was also very nice video on youtube with peter and juraj doing quite high jumps in the woods near ziline, unfortunately, i can't find it

 

[la.margna]

Sagan was dropped like a stone as soon as the rubber hit the first centimeter of Verbier on stage 2.

He was not dropped, he deliberately shifted to an easy riding pace. That's a tremendous difference.

 

[la.margna]

I'm not sure if only problem is courses design...Missing contenders riding Dauphine in "same" time is another relevant thing.They (organizers) can not desing race just beacause for or against one (any) rider.

So who riding the Dauphine should have been able to beat #fenomeno #fuoriclasse Sagan in his current form, please?

 

[la.margna]

Oh, you are counting the prologue as well.

There was no prologue in this year's TdS. The short ITT in Lugano was stage 1. They changed this a few years ago in the TdS.

 

[roundabout]

There was no prologue in this year's TdS. The short ITT in Lugano was stage 1. They changed this a few years ago in the TdS.

I don't know why, but I automatically assume that every opening stage TT under 8km in length is a prologue.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

there was also very nice video on youtube with peter and juraj doing quite high jumps in the woods near ziline, unfortunately, i can't find it

Here you go (Sagan part from 7:40): http://vimeo.com/3210792

 

[El Pistolero]

So who riding the Dauphine should have been able to beat #fenomeno #fuoriclasse Sagan in his current form, please?

One reason that can explain Sagan's domination right now is because the old guard is out of it for some reason.

Oscar Freire, who usually is very good at these kind of stages, is getting old and will retire soon.

Fabian Cancellara crashed during the Ronde and is still far away from his best shape. Remember the Tour de Suisse 2008? Now that was truly impressive.

Philippe Gilbert has been bad all year. I don't know why, but he's out as well this year for some reason...

Tom Boonen seems to have his mind on 3 races this season: the Belgian nats, the Olympics and the WC. Back when he was young he always raced to win.

Edvald Boasson Hagen could have definitely challenged Peter Sagan here, but he rode the Dauphiné instead. He seems to be stuck on domestique duty most of the time anyway, what a waste of talent.

Thor Hushovd has been crap all year as well, but last year he could still challenge Sagan on stages like this. Like Oscar Freire, he's also getting old.

Valverde isn't the same anymore after his doping ban. Will he ever return to his old level? Only time will say.

He's also the first super star of a new generation. Just like Boonen was in 2005. We all thought he'd dominate for years, but then came Fabian Cancellara, Filippo Pozzato, etc Who knows, Sagan's biggest rival may be lurking behind the corner as we speak.

 

[c&cfan]

One reason that can explain Sagan's domination right now is because the old guard is out of it for some reason.

Oscar Freire, who usually is very good at these kind of stages, is getting old and will retire soon.

Fabian Cancellara crashed during the Ronde and is still far away from his best shape. Remember the Tour de Suisse 2008? Now that was truly impressive.

Philippe Gilbert has been bad all year. I don't know why, but he's out as well this year for some reason...

Tom Boonen seems to have his mind on 3 races this season: the Belgian nats, the Olympics and the WC. Back when he was young he always raced to win.

Edvald Boasson Hagen could have definitely challenged Peter Sagan here, but he rode the Dauphiné instead. He seems to be stuck on domestique duty most of the time anyway, what a waste of talent.

Thor Hushovd has been crap all year as well, but last year he could still challenge Sagan on stages like this. Like Oscar Freire, he's also getting old.

Valverde isn't the same anymore after his doping ban. Will he ever return to his old level? Only time will say.

He's also the first super star of a new generation. Just like Boonen was in 2005. We all thought he'd dominate for years, but then came Fabian Cancellara, Filippo Pozzato, etc Who knows, Sagan's biggest rival may be lurking behind the corner as we speak.

pozzato came earlier/same time. same thing with canc.

we all know why boonen did not dominate as much as 2005 again.. his biggest rival was himself.

also sagan is showing much more...

 

[El Pistolero]

Pozzato broke through in 2006, Boonen in 2004/2005. Cancellara also broke through in 2006.

Boonen had a knee injury that saw him miss most of the 2003 season though, so you can't just look at results. Sagan on the other hand still has to podium a Monument.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Nah, I'm not buying that.

Grindelwald ring a bell?
The weekend's profiles aren't that tough.
Depends how hard they have at it, as said.

 

[la.margna]

I don't know why, but I automatically assume that every opening stage TT under 8km in length is a prologue.

No, that's not the case. But I mean, I'm being just formalistic bureaucratic here. I also didn't like it when TdS started to call the prologue "stage 1", because it tastes, feels and looks like a prologue

 

[DominicDecoco]

Grindelwald ring a bell?
The weekend's profiles aren't that tough.
Depends how hard they have at it, as said.

We'll see. I think Sagan will get dropped quite easily once they go upwards.

 

[la.margna]

One reason that can explain Sagan's domination right now is because the old guard is out of it for some reason.

Oscar Freire, who usually is very good at these kind of stages, is getting old and will retire soon.

Fabian Cancellara crashed during the Ronde and is still far away from his best shape. Remember the Tour de Suisse 2008? Now that was truly impressive.

Philippe Gilbert has been bad all year. I don't know why, but he's out as well this year for some reason...

Tom Boonen seems to have his mind on 3 races this season: the Belgian nats, the Olympics and the WC. Back when he was young he always raced to win.

Edvald Boasson Hagen could have definitely challenged Peter Sagan here, but he rode the Dauphiné instead. He seems to be stuck on domestique duty most of the time anyway, what a waste of talent.

Thor Hushovd has been crap all year as well, but last year he could still challenge Sagan on stages like this. Like Oscar Freire, he's also getting old.

Valverde isn't the same anymore after his doping ban. Will he ever return to his old level? Only time will say.

He's also the first super star of a new generation. Just like Boonen was in 2005. We all thought he'd dominate for years, but then came Fabian Cancellara, Filippo Pozzato, etc Who knows, Sagan's biggest rival may be lurking behind the corner as we speak.

Summarised, probably it is only EBH from the riders that did the CD instead of the TdS, who could have challenged Sagan.

I am curious if Sagan will win Saturday's stage to Arosa as well or whether he might do a "Verbier" and just ride an easy pace and let the others go.

Sunday might just be a little bit too hard for him, but again as already mentioned, he won last year's queen stage to Grindelwald, but with the finish after a long descent, so Sunday pretty unlikely to see him on top again.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Hopefully EBH will get a few chances in the tour, that could make for some nice battles. I'd say stage 1, 3 and 12 look interesting.

 

[TatryTour2013]

PS

Look how he hold handlebars. He probably was not able to switch position because of he almost crashed in the last corner:
http://www.steephill.tv/players/eit...um&dashboard=tour-de-suisse&id=906067&yr=2012

 

[Normandy]

Sod all, knowing full well that today is the last day of "live" coverage of the ToS.
The guys opinion on the subject is worthless. It varies from rider to rider, depending on whether he likes or knows them or not.

Too true

Any one recall Harmon's stage long rant against Contador back in January at Tour of Qatar. I am sure he had not time to read up on that news before he delivered that attack. I am no Contador fan, but that was unprofessional even by Eurosports standards

 

[theyoungest]

Hopefully EBH will get a few chances in the tour, that could make for some nice battles. I'd say stage 1, 3 and 12 look interesting.

Battles with Sagan, you mean? I don't think EBH can beat him, actually.

 

[maltiv]

Battles with Sagan, you mean? I don't think EBH can beat him, actually.

Perhaps not. But what's interesting is that they've only ever done 1 stage race together - T-A this year. There they sprinted vs each other once and EBH came out on top. It's quite remarkable that two riders with approximately the same qualities race against each other so rarely. One explanation is perhaps that Liquigas send Sagan to races that suit him whilst Sky sends EBH to races that suit Wiggins.

 

[Winterfold]

Here you go (Sagan part from 7:40): http://vimeo.com/3210792

Now we just need ASO to put some offroad descents with huge gaps and drops in the Tour and Sagan will own that too

EDIT - also now I know why he is not so good uphill - he is too used to pushing a 40lb DH MTB up and using lifts and did not practice enough

 

[tomorrow]

Now we just need ASO to put some offroad descents with huge gaps and drops in the Tour and Sagan will own that too

EDIT - also now I know why he is not so good uphill - he is too used to pushing a 40lb DH MTB up and using lifts and did not practice enough

well, actually, that part of the video about junior world champion in cross country, that's sagan in it, and in crosscountry, if you want to go down, you must also go up, and look how powerfull seems sagan there in the uphill. In my opinion, he's very strong, and his current "probable" not so good ability to rise in long ascents is only caused by the fact, that he has never done it(needed it). Maybe, if he wanted, he could get better in that too. But I have the feeling of him, he is just doing exactly what he has fun in. If he gets bored in wining sprints, he may well try wining in GC. We'll see. Either that way or another, I think he will be great at what he decides to do.

 

[la.margna]

One explanation is perhaps that Liquigas send Sagan to races that suit him whilst Sky sends EBH to races that suit Wiggins.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Winterfold]

well, actually, that part of the video about junior world champion in cross country, that's sagan in it, and in crosscountry, if you want to go down, you must also go up, and look how powerfull seems sagan there in the uphill.

it was a joke