Tony Martin and GC

[unsheath]

Big talk by the German after his Paris Nice win. Looks like the focus on the season is a good GC result at the TDF.

I've seen nothing to suggest that he can keep up with the Fly Weights on the big HC climbs. Cancellara couldnt do it, what makes him think he can?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I agree, but I also see him as a better climber then cancellara

 

[Christian]

I would say with the right parcours and in top form he could get a Top-10, but certainly not with this year's parcours

 

[taiwan]

If he ignores the bigs and rides his own pace on the climbs, he could pull back into the top 10 in the final TT. He may be allowed into breaks to climb the standings. Like Roche or LLS last year but with a better chrono.

 

[Ferminal]

Look where Peter Velits got in the Vuelta!

He is never going to be a true podium contender at that weight, but a solid top10 might be possible if there are long enough TTs. On a TdF or strong Giro field it's probably too hard to crack the top10-15.

Keep the weight, stick to being a TT specialist and go to stage races which suit your abilities. Not everyone needs to be a GT GC contender, he shouldn't throw away what he has now just so one day he might be able to say he finished 5th in July.

 

[El Pistolero]

I agree, but I also see him as a better climber then cancellara

Perhaps, but even Cancellara could have won this Paris-Nice if he cared and had the top form(I don't think he has either at the moment actually, but he'll be ready for La Primavera)

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Since he will most likely be busy preparing sprints and just isn't good enough on the climbs, I don't see how he thinks he can win a GC. Top 10 if he gets lucky, but even that would be hard.

 

[Tuarts]

You'd think he'd make a great domestique for some one like Velits or Hesjdal in a GC but not for himself. Top 20 position maybe.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

As things stand with GCs becoming strictly about going up mountains and ignoring the merits of those who can chrono or descend, he's got no chance.

If parcours design reverts during his career, he'll be back in with a sniff.

 

[movingtarget]

Top 15 or 20 at best this year. He is yet to prove he can handle the hard climbs over three weeks. Peter Velits has a different build and I think he could finish ahead of Martin based on his Vuelta performance as long as he does not have to work too much for others. How could Cancellara ever be a GC contender ? He cannot even handle the hilly stages of the Tirreno Adriatico. I am not even convinced he can win the hillier one day classics.

 

[rantanplan]

Look where Peter Velits got in the Vuelta!

He is never going to be a true podium contender at that weight, but a solid top10 might be possible if there are long enough TTs. On a TdF or strong Giro field it's probably too hard to crack the top10-15.

Keep the weight, stick to being a TT specialist and go to stage races which suit your abilities. Not everyone needs to be a GT GC contender, he shouldn't throw away what he has now just so one day he might be able to say he finished 5th in July.

Even in Vuelta 2011 I can´t see hin in the 10 top, Ancares, Farrapona and Angliru are too much for him face to a single TT no very long.

If Indurain´s times routes come back (2 long ITT, TTT, prologue) he has a chance to be even in the podium

 

[The Hitch]

Tony Martin? Gc.

lol good one

Seriously that was really funny

Hes got about as much chance as Richie Porte.

Which is....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoqTD0mOKF4

 

[taiwan]

You'd think he'd make a great domestique for some one like Velits or Hesjdal in a GC but not for himself. Top 20 position maybe.

Van Garderen? Or Pinotti?

 

[Michele]

He's a true contender for short stage races as he proved in the last years and being just 26 allows him to have still time to improve his climbing cause as for now he's still kind of massive rider to match up with skinner guys.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Tony learned a lot from his mistakes last season.

Anyway, I don't see him up there with 1st class climbers like AC or AS.
I see him more as a new kind of Menchov if he stays consistent.

 

[ingsve]

If he does go for GCs in GTs then he will certainly be of the defensive steady pace type which means we'll rarely see him do anything other than trying to hang on.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Tony Martin? Gc.

lol good one

Seriously that was really funny

Hes got about as much chance as Richie Porte.

Which is....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoqTD0mOKF4

I wouldn't write of any young rider who showed some potential.
They are still learning, you know. Yes, I know you know because I know your age.

btw, whats your problem with Richie ? I see you laughing about him really often. Or are you just laughing because of a user who likes Richie ?

His Giro performance was outstanding. Must be just me.

First sign for beeing grown up is when you admit that you were wrong and did some mistakes. Tony reached this point now.
Looking forward to you hitchie.

 

[kurtinsc]

Look where Peter Velits got in the Vuelta!

He is never going to be a true podium contender at that weight, but a solid top10 might be possible if there are long enough TTs. On a TdF or strong Giro field it's probably too hard to crack the top10-15.

Keep the weight, stick to being a TT specialist and go to stage races which suit your abilities. Not everyone needs to be a GT GC contender, he shouldn't throw away what he has now just so one day he might be able to say he finished 5th in July.

I'd play with the weight a bit if I were him. Slowly drop and see if you can find a sweet spot where you keep your power but at a reduced weight to help on the climbs.

I haven't seen much reduction in Brad Wiggins road TT ability since he's lost his weight.

 

[Ryaguas]

Nah Das Panzerwagen... dont burn yourself... just keep it short... you cant handle a GT... keep it up with P-N, Dauphine and others short stage races... a low GC spot in a GT doesnt worth it...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The 2009 parcours came 2 years early for Tony. Maybe he can sneak a 9th or 10th if there isn't much attacking (it's the Tour, so there probably won't be). On the 2011 GT parcours I don't see him being any GC threat, and I hope if he's somewhere in the 15th-20th area in the final week he attacks in one of the breaks that gets to go, like Plaza and Horner did last year. That's his best shot imo, there's already too many riders who can do good chronos and who will hang on as well as if not better than him in the really long, high mountains, and who won't have had to use up energy leading out sprints.

He's like Luís León Sánchez but with a much better chrono. Probably too heavy for the high mountains unless the race is defensive, but a good enough climber to stick with all but the best in the shorter stage races.

 

[Mellow Velo]

No chance of the Giro or Vuelta, but given the parcours of a "soft" gradient/ heavy ITT Tour, anything is possible.
It won't be pretty, though.

 

[Kwibus]

bla bla bla bla.

Really, I've rarely seen anyone behaving as mature as you do. I have so much respect for you it's incredible...

On topic:
Winning Paris - Nice is something different then winning an GT. Specially the P-N we had last week which wasn't very hard regarding the climbs and was suited for a TT man. A tailormade course for Tony.
He might just hang on(top20) the first, maybe second stage as well on the long HC climbs in the TdF, but eventually he will break bigtime and lose over 10 minutes.
He's too big for the real mountains.

 

[El Pistolero]

He has about as much chance as Cancellara winning LBL. Cero comma cero cero cero cero cero cero cero cinqo

 

[Kwibus]

He has about as much chance as Cancellara winning LBL. Cero comma cero cero cero cero cero cero cero cinqo

I think you forgot some 'cero's' there.

 

[skidmark]

While I agree that he probably can't just take off on top GC contenders on HC climbs and probably can't aim higher than about 5th-10th, I think people might be selling him a bit short. I mean, at 23 he hung in hard, held off the break, and just missed re-catching Garate on the Ventoux. That doesn't bode too poorly for his climbing prospects, in my opinion.