Tirreno - Adriatico Stage 4, Narni -> Prati Di Tivo, 173 kms (09/03/2013)

[Dazed and Confused]

Lol I hope so but no I can't see it happening. 2 months ago in San Luis he was **** and he's still ****. Didn't improve one bit. And it's not like Tirreno is just a training race for him. I'd say that after TDF it's his biggest goal of the season. I feel sad for Alberto, he really wanted to win this. Time is running out, it's not like he has years left. Maybe two at most, IF he improves. If he wants this race on his palmares it should've happened now. He isn't going to get any better over the years, he'll only get worse. I just hope he wins Crit. Int. and pais Vasco and get some confidence back (I could see him losing to someone random though ) and after that he should take a long break and do some serious altitude training and train on maintaining his attacks. Then face Froome in either dauphiné or Suisse to see where they both stand and then create a plan of attack for tdf. That is the only way I can see this season not becoming a total joke.

Too risky for Contador to go all in now, but he will do it in the tour. Same with Rogers, but they need additional help from inform Schleck to get the Sky train derailed.

 

[Kokoso]

I am just mocking you
I will never forgive Kreuziger for waisting 2 of precious Astana years by hoping he will win something

Astana management would have to be more clever to allow him win something last year They sent him as a leader to far to much races last year in short time and thus probably tired him. At least he won Giro stage.

 

[rghysens]

Too risky for Contador to go all in now, but he will do it in the tour. Same with Rogers, but they need additional help from inform Schleck to get the Sky train derailed.

On which "mountain stage"?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Too risky for Contador to go all in now, but he will do it in the tour. Same with Rogers, but they need additional help from inform Schleck to get the Sky train derailed.

You mean he isn't going all in now he is, he's just not good enough

 

[movingtarget]

first sign is increased will to fight on. Hopefully going to Catalunya and get it done and then be somewhat competitive in LBL.

That would indicate he will be ready for the Tour imo.

J-Rod will do the Tour - Vuelta double, he is still not in form, certainly not 2012 form. Last year was perhaps a special year, we will see.

Rodriguez will want to hit form in the Ardenne classics. Not sure why there is all of this negativity about Contador and others. Fans were saying the same thing at the beginning of the Vuelta. A one week race in March can't be compared to a grand tour in July. One thing is certain, Sky have the best grand tour squad as if there was any doubt. Contador fans just have to accept defeat sometimes and move on.

 

[phanatic]

I don't know, maybe this is the only way he can attack. Get dropped, catch the attackers and counter attack immediately. He did it in la Vuelta, in Oman and now here.

Wasn't that Carlos Sastre's trick? He usually did it without the training wheels, although his biggest success came in 2008 when he was flanked by old fog and mirrors.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I just hope he wins Crit. Int. and pais Vasco and get some confidence back (I could see him losing to someone random though )

LOL @ the thinly-veiled Froome hate

Contador has been getting his *** beat by other riders than him / Sky alone. This will likely continue in both those races.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Wasn't that Carlos Sastre's trick? He usually did it without the training wheels, although his biggest success came in 2008 when he was flanked by old fog and mirrors.

no, Sastre's biggest wins came from long range solo attacks.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Rodriguez will want to hit form in the Ardenne classics. Not sure why there is all of this negativity about Contador and others. Fans were saying the same thing at the beginning of the Vuelta. A one week race in March can't be compared to a grand tour in July. One thing is certain, Sky have the best grand tour squad as if there was any doubt. Contador fans just have to accept defeat sometimes and move on.

that's hard to accept though when this seems to become another lost year. That makes 6 lost years out of 11. Right

 

[LaFlorecita]

LOL @ the thinly-veiled Froome hate

I'm sorry, I don't see any Froome hate in my post?

Contador has been getting his *** beat by other riders than him / Sky alone. This will likely continue in both those races.

That was my point

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I'm sorry, I don't see any Froome hate in my post?



That was my point

My bad then. I thought you were being sarcastic with the "someone random"

Froome is scheduled to ride both races.

 

[maltiv]

Did Froome attack too late? The way he blew past everyone and shattered the race suggests to me that he could have attacked earlier - maybe even going with Contador or Nibali before breaking free in a solo move - and really put a lot of time into his rivals.

After initially getting a big gap, he didn't really extend it at all to Santambrogio. So that suggests that Froome wasn't that strong. Attacking earlier would've been stupid when he had a super strong Uran pacing him anyway.

 

[LaFlorecita]

My bad then. I thought you were being sarcastic with the "someone random"

Froome is scheduled to ride both races.

He is? Didn't know that oh well

 

[argyllflyer]

The present Sky tactic of 'ride tempo to 1km to go, don't break it even if others attack, then and only then does leader launch his only attack of the day' worked a treat at P-N and T-A.

It's really difficult to see how it can be matched just now, unless other teams work in the same way. If Contador and Nibali had not gone on the attack themselves, they might have had the legs to stay with a fresh Froome. Doesn't matter who the domestique is, Sky have got a range of guys who can sit on the front, ride to their threshold then drop off to come in way down the order, be it Suitsou, Lopez, Cataldo, Kiryenka, Kennaugh, Henao, Porte or Uran, or Boswell, or Dombrowski... it goes on. Wiggins in the Tour this year as well? He did it in Oman. The depth of climbing talent the have is frightening and they don't have to worry about where these guys come in so there's no issue of conserving energy for the dash to the line.

Horner was probably the canniest rider yesterday - he hitched a lift on the back of the train and bridged with Froome across to the 3 leaders.

To beat Sky riders have to keep their cards as close to their chest as possible, either by riding in their own train on the front (which requires a hell of a lot of work in training) or restricting attacks to save energy. Froome himself has said he kept himself fresh until all the others had made their failed attacks.

 

[The Hitch]

I watched the 2 hour highlights of this stage straight after live P-N action and came straight here to find the expected lol.

It's been fun reading the tears, accusations and "cycling is dead i'm quitting watching cycling forever" comments.

It seems like Sky working as a strong team to get Froome the win is proof that Sky are not legit but riders like Chris Horner, santambrogio and Kwiatowski are "Chapeau!" and "Fabulous fabulous ride!"

I think Sky have been working hard on there fitness and each rider knows what exactly needs to be done and each riders knows when to peel off and it seems they got there tactics spot on today with Froome putting in his own single attack at the right time tot ake this stage.

Unless you can provide some sort of proof that Sky are not legit suck it up and deal with it

so kwiatkowski, is doping but froome isn't?

 

[wwabbit]

The present Sky tactic of 'ride tempo to 1km to go, don't break it even if others attack, then and only then does leader launch his only attack of the day' worked a treat at P-N and T-A.

I think the mountain train works well against long ranged attacks that Contator was famous for. I've noticed that in many case when a strong climber goes on the attack, the rivals end up looking at each other instead of organizing a chase, which only helps the attacker. No one really wants to work for the other rivals to do the chasing. This all goes away in the presence of climbing domestiques that are willing to burn themselves for their leader in the chase.

Horner was probably the canniest rider yesterday - he hitched a lift on the back of the train and bridged with Froome across to the 3 leaders.

I thought Santambrogio did even better than Horner, pretty much wheelsucking the entire way up before breaking clear of Nibali at the end.

 

[Parrot23]

No longer a live Eurosport stream in English on weekends?? "Live on Eurosport 2 except on the weekends"
See bottom of this page. http://www.steephill.tv/tirreno-adriatico/#live

Yesterday, could just Italian/RAI, poor quality stream.

Anyone got an English stream (or in half an hour)?

 

[Cyivel]

Nah won't be one, just have to hope the RAI one is fine, quality was alright for me yesterday, only problem was when it cut out and I had to find another one.

 

[argyllflyer]

I thought Santambrogio did even better than Horner, pretty much wheelsucking the entire way up before breaking clear of Nibali at the end.

If Santambrogio had done what Horner did, he might have seen Froome off though? He had more than Horner.