Tony Martin to win classics?

[Gloin22]

doesn't really show any winning potential does it?

He's no classics rider, I think that is simple as that. And yeah, he should focus clearly on one week stage races and various races including a TT.

 

[William H]

I think I recall reading somewhere a few years ago that HTC thought Martin could do really well at Roubaix, but that he preferred to focus on being a stage racer.

 

[Parrulo]

He's no classics rider, I think that is simple as that. And yeah, he should focus clearly on one week stage races and various races including a TT.

seems like we agree on this one then

 

[Gloin22]

seems like we agree on this one then

aye aye

Though I think Martin will be an asset in the OPQP in 'some' classics. In race like Gent Wevegelem he should do a grand job for Bonnen's leadout and other classics that aren't hard enough helping to catch a break or trying something himself. Although for me its simple that when the hills come, he simply isnt the rider for them.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Even Bavarianrider has come to the conclusion that Martin is not going to win an Ardennes classic, Lombardia or the like (though given his performance on the queen stage at Paris-Nice it mightn't be too far out of his reach if the racing is timid and the field weak).

I don't know that I see him for Roubaix, but de Ronde might be more to his liking, especially at OPQS - same as Devolder a couple of years ago.

 

[Bavarianrider]

You guys shouldn't forget that no one gives a **** about the classics in Germany. So even if he would do well here it would not really give him that much public credit. So i doubt Tony will try to become a classics hunter. He'll settle for TT smaller stage races and stage wins at the GTs. And in 2 or 3 years he'll give it ago at the Tour classification again.

 

[El Pistolero]

You guys shouldn't forget that no one gives a **** about the classics in Germany. So even if he would do well here it would not really give him that much public credit. So i doubt Tony will try to become a classics hunter. He'll settle for TT smaller stage races and stage wins at the GTs. And in 2 or 3 years he'll give it ago at the Tour classification again.

Until a German actually wins a big classic. If Cancellara was German, the Germans would care.

 

[Thomsena]

You guys shouldn't forget that no one gives a **** about the classics in Germany. So even if he would do well here it would not really give him that much public credit. So i doubt Tony will try to become a classics hunter. He'll settle for TT smaller stage races and stage wins at the GTs. And in 2 or 3 years he'll give it ago at the Tour classification again.

Germans og just you?...

 

[sultanofhyd]

You guys shouldn't forget that no one gives a **** about the classics in Germany. So even if he would do well here it would not really give him that much public credit. So i doubt Tony will try to become a classics hunter. He'll settle for TT smaller stage races and stage wins at the GTs. And in 2 or 3 years he'll give it ago at the Tour classification again.

He will only compete for the lanterne rouge if he focuses only on his TTs for 2 years and then suddenly wants to go for the GC.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Until a German actually wins a big classic. If Cancellara was German, the Germans would care.

What do you think, in Germany, how many % know the guy on the left ?

For the masses, it has to be a Tourwinner. In Belgium it's the other way around.

 

[William H]

Until a German actually wins a big classic. If Cancellara was German, the Germans would care.

Did they care about M-SR when Zabel was winning it?

 

[El Pistolero]

Did they care about M-SR when Zabel was winning it?

Yes, they did.

 

[El Pistolero]

What do you think, in Germany, how many % know the guy on the left ?

For the masses, it has to be a Tourwinner. In Belgium it's the other way around.

How many chance do you think you have of winning the Tour? How much % chance do you have of ever winning a major classic?



Even in Belgium the Tour is the biggest by far.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Anyway, at least for the cobbled classics, we have some more other guys to come who are better suited than Tony, and also want to do well there.

And I don't really understand why someone opens a TM-classics thread, shortly after the guy became TT worldchampion.
Great opportunity for biggest TM fans to write him down shortly after one of the greatest wins in his career and destroying everyone.

 

[Cobblestoned]

How many chance do you think you have of winning the Tour? How much % chance do you have of ever winning a major classic?



Even in Belgium the Tour is the biggest by far.

Can you detail all those "you" for me ?

You mean me ?
The Germans ?
Or algemeen ?

Look, in Belgium, Tour becomes the biggest or also most important, when someone does really well for some time, but they always care about the classics very much. Always big and its a real cycling nation focused on the classics. No matter who wins.

In Germany, people or masses, need a TdF Winner to really follow cycling with passion. Even a Zabel on peak was not good enough to activate the masses. What is going on right now, has nothing to do with clinic reasons, because people don't really care.

While Belgium will always celebrate at least the classics. We lose.

 

[El Pistolero]

Can you detail all those "you" for me ?

You mean me ?
The Germans ?
Or algemeen ?

Look, in Belgium, Tour becomes the biggest or also most important, when someone does really well for some time, but they always care about the classics very much. Always big and its a real cycling nation focused on the classics. No matter who wins.

In Germany, people or masses, need a TdF Winner to really follow cycling with passion. Even a Zabel on peak was not good enough to activate the masses. What is going on right now, has nothing to do with clinic reasons, because people don't really care.

While Belgium will always celebrate at least the classics. We lose.

You= the Germans

That's my point, in Belgium we'll always care about the classics even if we don't win anymore. In Germany they'll only care if they have someone winning the big classics regularly. Especially if that person has some charisma and wins some stages at the Tour while wearing the yellow jersey.

Besides, Tony is on a Belgian team now. And Belgians care very much about their cobbled classics

 

[Thomsena]

Anyway, at least for the cobbled classics, we have some more other guys to come who are better suited than Tony, and also want to do well there.

And I don't really understand why someone opens a TM-classics thread, shortly after the guy became TT worldchampion.
Great opportunity for biggest TM fans to write him down shortly after one of the greatest wins in his career and destroying everyone.

I pretty much wrote it in my comment didn't I? The fact that he beat a rider who happens to be one of the best on cobbles leaves a quite interesting question - why shouldn't Tony be able to the same. And that's what has been debated..?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Did they care about M-SR when Zabel was winning it?

Zabel was a huge star due to his succes at the Tour. Therefore people also appriciated him for his classics succes. But still, the vast majority new Zabel for his achievementst the Tour not
Milan -San Remo.
Weseman won the Tour of Flanders and really hardly any body outside the inner cycling world took notice. Every winterspots man who wins an ordinary wolrd cup gets 10 times the recognition that Weseman got,. That's what it is.

 

[Cobblestoned]

You= the Germans

That's my point, in Belgium we'll always care about the classics even if we don't win anymore. In Germany they'll only care if they have someone winning the big classics regularly. Especially if that person has some charisma and wins some stages at the Tour while wearing the yellow jersey.

Besides, Tony is on a Belgian team now. And Belgians care very much about their cobbled classics

No, they don't even know what a classics is, even when we won some or reached podium a few times.
Some know P-R and that it is ridden on cobbles.

About the chances. 50/50 algemeen
Chance for a German to win a classic - 33,3 %
Chances for winning TdF - 0 % at the moment

Tony will pull the sprints for Levi.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I pretty much wrote it in my comment didn't I? The fact that he beat a rider who happens to be one of the best on cobbles leaves a quite interesting question - why shouldn't Tony be able to the same. And that's what has been debated..?

But you aren't a Cancellara fan, are you ?

 

[Thomsena]

But you aren't a Cancellara fan, are you ?

Huh? No 'fan' of either. What's your point?

 

[greenedge]

I think the best race for Tony if he tried would be P-R. It's pan-flat and he could probably motor away. The tour of Flanders is maybe too hilly for him ( to keep up with Gilbert ) and i could not envisage him dropping people.

He could try Strade Bianche.

However he has now found a solid niche to achieve goals in. he should not bother focusing on the classics unless if he helps Boonen. Velits could maybe go well at a race like F-W/ L-BL