Tom Danielson

[Ripper]

put more on the line? ......this is bike racing we are talking about, not black hawk down.

best line of the day!

 

[Ripper]

Pre stretched?

Well, you know that could mean so many things ...

(just saying ...)

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Stay on topic guys.

As to this year's TOC, I don't see Tom winning it. If history is a judge, I see him having a joux sans, putting in some good days, but coming away either about 4th, or a DNF with some strange excuse.

I don't see him ever winning Dauphine, Suisse, Basque, Romandie or any of the other big 1-week tours. He may have the style for it, but he's only raced at that level for a few days in his entire life, and at 32, I don't see a big change.

 

[Ripper]

Stay on topic guys.

As to this year's TOC, I don't see Tom winning it. If history is a judge, I see him having a joux sans, putting in some good days, but coming away either about 4th, or a DNF with some strange excuse.

I don't see him ever winning Dauphine, Suisse, Basque, Romandie or any of the other big 1-week tours. He may have the style for it, but he's only raced at that level for a few days in his entire life, and at 32, I don't see a big change.

C'mon Alpe, you just gotta believe! (channel max JV ... NOW!)

 

[blackcat]

Stay on topic guys.

As to this year's TOC, I don't see Tom winning it. If history is a judge, I see him having a joux sans, putting in some good days, but coming away either about 4th, or a DNF with some strange excuse.

I don't see him ever winning Dauphine, Suisse, Basque, Romandie or any of the other big 1-week tours. He may have the style for it, but he's only raced at that level for a few days in his entire life, and at 32, I don't see a big change.

jour sans?

Danielson won or podiumed in Route de Sud last year?

I think Danielson could podium in a GT, with Bruyneel. Two top 10's in the Vuelta, wins Georgia over Landis, does not a mediocre rider make. I think if he had the ambition like Levi to push the edges of his medical program, he would make the podium of the Vuelta.

 

[BroDeal]

I think TD may have turned the corner last season. He finished the Giro. He nearly won the Vuelta a Burgos. It appears he lost out on that win by being too aggressive when responding to Valverde in the last stage; he only got gapped in a last kilometer surge by Valverde. He was riding very well at the Vuelta, not well enough to podium, but well enough to easily place in the top ten. There is no reason to think that he could not win a major week stage race if he was allowed to target it.

 

[blackcat]

thanks Flock of Bros, I conflated Burgos with Route de Sud. I knew it was a Spanish or south of France/Basque race.

 

[Potomac]

We can only judge a rider by his results.

JV's comments concerning TD in the article make very interesting reading, and makes me want to keep an eye on TD. However, JVs job (from a sponsors pov) is to make us want to keep an eye on riders in that uniform.

So, I will applaud JV for having done a good job in creating some interest in a rider that has been a bit short on his results.

 

[Rominger]

TD has good numbers in tests and in one off hill climbs but just can't seem to put them together consistently, kindof a bit like JV himself really. Both are/were really good riders who didn't have that extra few percent when it was most needed, I figure Dan Martin for Garmin's climber now rather than TD.

 

[Oldman]

TD has good numbers in tests and in one off hill climbs but just can't seem to put them together consistently, kindof a bit like JV himself really. Both are/were really good riders who didn't have that extra few percent when it was most needed, I figure Dan Martin for Garmin's climber now rather than TD.

And potentially another contributing factor: neither JV or TD approached the level of PED's of their direct competition?
JV rode the entire pro field into embarrassment as a junior at the Mammoth Stage Race uphill TT. It became his coming out party, more or less. The group he beat included a bunch of Russians that ended up very competitive in GT's at a later date. JV struggled against the same riders when he made it to Europe.
Having said that I think their mutual frailties probably represent their natural limits.

 

[theyoungest]

And potentially another contributing factor: neither JV or TD approached the level of PED's of their direct competition?

Why? Because they speaka de English, so no taka de doping?

 

[Oldman]

Why? Because they speaka de English, so no taka de doping?

No reason and I certainly don't know, just asking the question. JV struggled and admitted taking some stuff after he retired. Neither had any monumental improvement that could be attributed to taking alot of juice. But, no; not because they're not Spanish or Italian or whatever dialect you're immitating.