Tour de Romandie 2012

[Parrulo]

Parrulo- its not what you are saying - its the absolute certainty with which you (and others) say it.

Wiggins has done a pretty good job of managing to do what the CN forum says he cant over the last 12 months and it just comes across as being in denial.

i have never said he couldn't do well in 1 week races, i may not cheer for him but i know he is a big danger, mostly when they are TT oriented like PN was and romandie is and the dauphine will be this year.

but until he manages to perform very well on a multiple mountain stage on the third week of a GT he won't be proving me wrong cus that's what i think he can't do, and if he can't do that he can't win a GT either.

 

[FF'Wilco]

Jakob is still riding with a broken bone.

I thought he fully recovered already.
Anyway...

Jakob Fuglsang ‏ @jakob_fuglsang
Nice to be back in the bunch today. Was a fast day on the Swiss roads and small climbs. Sat up with 10k to go...part of the plan! #Giro

Looks like he knows whats he doing.

 

[will10]

Lagutin abandoned and not Westra, officials were wrong, VCD twittered it themselves that Westra finished the stage ...

Ah, cheers for that.

 

[Azabael]

Nevermind that the biggest Rabobank bashers are Dutch.

I didn't say they didn't ride the last 30 km. I'm talking about the finale. I didn't say they did the wrong thing - as others have said, Mollema and LLS are not exactly slow either. I just said I found it WEIRD that, in a group with 60 Leukemanses, the finale was undistinguishable from the preparation for a real bunch sprint, including how convinced the Rabo guys were when they chased Madrazo, as if they had a strong sprinter.

So, quit the defensive knee-jerk reactions based on making huge assumptions about someone else's posting habits. I could say they show your unintelligence, if I thought insulting people out of the blue was justified.

This is exactly what you said:

"What I find weird is that, in a large group apparently with no sprinters, Rabo was so keen on forcing a bunch sprint, instead of going wild off the front and trying to get a split or a breakaway."

You mention nothing about the finale, let alone the mere final 4km, in which they didn't try to get a break-away or split. Because from 30km to go till 4km to go, they tried that literally constantly.

So you don't understand they try to make it a bunch sprint with guys like Sanchez and Mollema during the last 4km, when they've seen a dozen attempts fail during the 26km before that? Really?

Let's just say there are different team managers with different opinions that can all work, hence there are also people with different visions on what's wise or weird in a certain situation. There is no right or wrong in this case, thus no further discussion possible, as we will never know what would have happened if they didn't take initiative for a bunch sprint the last 4k.

 

[hrotha]

This is exactly what you said:

"What I find weird is that, in a large group apparently with no sprinters, Rabo was so keen on forcing a bunch sprint, instead of going wild off the front and trying to get a split or a breakaway."

You mention nothing about the finale, let alone the mere final 4km, in which they didn't try to get a break-away or split. Because from 30km to go till 4km to go, they tried that literally constantly.

So you don't understand they try to make it a bunch sprint with guys like Sanchez and Mollema during the last 4km, when they've seen a dozen attempts fail during the 26km before that? Really?

Let's just say there are different team managers with different opinions that can all work, hence there are also people with different visions on what's wise or weird in a certain situation. There is no right or wrong in this case, thus no further discussion possible, as we will never know what would have happened if they didn't take initiative for a bunch sprint the last 4k.

I didn't mention the finale, no. I didn't mention we were talking about the Tour de Romandie either. What's your point? That's what I was talking about, whether you like it or not.

And I already explained what I meant, so go read it again or something.

 

[The Hitch]

everybody dissing Rabo again.....

At least they managed to win something today? how about the other world tour teams?

nr 3 and 4 in GC, lets see you guys do it better.

All so called rabo bashing comes from rabo fans. then the rabo fans complain about it and we get yet another thread about rabo rather than the team or rider who won.

 

[patrick767]

It wasn't really a bunch sprint. Wiggo pretty much hit the front and rode everybody off his wheel with about 500m to go. He was more in IP mode, rather than sprinting.

It was a remarkable display. No one with any sprinting chops could suck his wheel and shoot past him at the line. He just rode away from everyone.

 

[Angliru]

Is this just fantasy?

Nice Queen reference. Was just listening to an interview with one of the band's members the other day on NPR about that very same song.

We are truly in bizarro world when a race report's title includes the words "Wiggins" and "sprint".

 

[classicomano]

Rabo commented that they set up the sprint for Lulu but he had a flat in the final kilometers.

 

[Morbius]

Three things impressed me about this win
1) He clearly wanted the win from a long way out. At one point Evans was on his wheel as he moved up the field, but he didn't bother contending
2) In the last 5-10K he positioned himself on his own with no team support
3) He seemed to have a second kick - perhaps he's been taking lessons from Cav

 

[will10]

It was a remarkable display. No one with any sprinting chops could suck his wheel and shoot past him at the line. He just rode away from everyone.

To be fair, there weren't many guys in that group you'd describe as sprinters, or even "fast".

 

[Azabael]

I didn't mention the finale, no. I didn't mention we were talking about the Tour de Romandie either. What's your point? That's what I was talking about, whether you like it or not.

And I already explained what I meant, so go read it again or something.

When I say it's a nice ride by rider A and you ask what the hell I'm talking about as he dropped 40k before the finish, and I then tell I meant another race, I can't blame you for not understanding I meant another race. That's my point.

You can mock that I should have known you were talking about the finale, and then make me look ridiculous by saying you didn't mention you didn't mention Romandie either, but it's obvious that the term finale isn't 1+1=2 in the first place. For one, looking at how this race developped I consider the last 30k to be the finale, not just the last 4k, while you might think of that differently.

So my point is that you should have mentioned is, how else is a discussion possible if you leave no room for feedback on what you posted. People can't respond in depth if one doesn't even make clear what he exactly means. Cause then you will spend the first 4 responds in both directions trying to clear up what it's exactly about instead of the race itself, just like us.

Fun, isn't it?

 

[kanari]

It is a bit shocking that in a group of 59 riders to the finish there's not a single "sprinter who can climb" type... I see Davis and Meersman in a group 11s behind, but that's it.

 

[hrotha]

When I say it's a nice ride by rider A and you ask what the hell I'm talking about as he dropped 40k before the finish, and I then tell I meant another race, I can't blame you for not understanding I meant another race. That's my point.

You can mock that I should have known you were talking about the finale, and then make me look ridiculous by saying you didn't mention you didn't mention Romandie either, but it's obvious that the term finale isn't 1+1=2 in the first place. For one, looking at how this race developped I consider the last 30k to be the finale, not just the last 4k, while you might think of that differently.

So my point is that you should have mentioned is, how else is a discussion possible if you leave no room for feedback on what you posted. People can't respond in depth if one doesn't even make clear what he exactly means. Cause then you will spend the first 4 responds in both directions trying to clear up what it's exactly about instead of the race itself, just like us.

Fun, isn't it?

Well, sorry, but in a context where me and everyone else were talking about how bizarre the sprint was, I don't think it takes much deductive skills to conclude I was talking about the sprint, and that finale=last few kilometers, where the sprint is prepared.

 

[ruswilks]

Was it a slightly downhill finish today? Just rewatched it, and by my reckoning Wiggins does the last 400m in 20-21 seconds, so about about 70km/h average, pretty impressive as he sat back on the saddle and had a look round at 200 to go...

 

[Catwhoorg]

A BBC cycling story that isn't about the track 2 days running ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/17847697

Must say I do like the photo, Wiggo, G, and Cav.
National jersey, leaders jersey, worlds jersey, obviously fairly early on in the race day.

Seeing teammates in completely different get-ups must be confusing for the non-fans

 

[El Pistolero]

It is a bit shocking that in a group of 59 riders to the finish there's not a single "sprinter who can climb" type... I see Davis and Meersman in a group 11s behind, but that's it.

Meersman was recovering from a knee injury after the Amstel Gold Race, so he's a little bit behind on schedule at the moment.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Regardless of what this means for his GT-winning ambitions, this does mean there's a strong chance that Wiggins will bogart the leaders' jersey all the way here just like in Paris-Nice. Maybe he can win the ITT here too - depends on how he handles the steep parts of the climb compared to the climbers, but he should definitely have plenty to take on the flat second half. I think it suits him fairly well and we could have a mirror image of Paris-Nice.

Of course, it does mean that the next three days might be a bit more controlled than I'd have liked, but you can't blame UK Postal for being strong I guess.

 

[search]

It is a bit shocking that in a group of 59 riders to the finish there's not a single "sprinter who can climb" type... I see Davis and Meersman in a group 11s behind, but that's it.

Pietropolli is someone you could expect to win from a group like this, but maybe he was too tired or had to come back from too far behind

 

[will10]

A BBC cycling story that isn't about the track 2 days running ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/17847697

Must say I do like the photo, Wiggo, G, and Cav.
National jersey, leaders jersey, worlds jersey, obviously fairly early on in the race day.

Seeing teammates in completely different get-ups must be confusing for the non-fans

To make matters worse, Rogers was wearing the points jersey today.

 

[Frosty]

Rabo commented that they set up the sprint for Lulu but he had a flat in the final kilometers.

Ah, makes sense - he came in in one of the trailing groups but was given the same time as the leaders.

 

[Froome19]

I am really impressed by Wiggins and I think today furthered his credentials for the tour because even though he did not show any of the capabilities primarily needed to win the tour he is showing how his talents are very much that of a complete cyclist, which IMO is incredibly helpful if you want to win the tour.

Over the past year he has shown, a) with his perfomance in the nats where on a more hilly course that would not have been considered to suit him he prevailed as clearly the strongest (disconsidering the lack of competition)
b) the worlds rr where he was magnificent in preventing the world's best classics riders from attacking in the closing kilometres. c) his general TT ability whereas he has proven himself consistently in longer TT and prologues and on more mountaineous TT like in P-N d) his sprint today where he proved he can put on a turn of speed which is probably irrelevant due to no time bonuses in the tour it is still a factor which certainly can not harm. e) also his positioning today in the sprint was unbelievable for a rider who is not used to sprints and he is generally pretty good when postioning himself ,throughout stages ,in the peloton as he rarely seems to miss crucial splits (see paris nice).

My one concern is his downhilling but I think that it is better than people make it out to be and with his bike handling skills from TT and the track i think that if he requires a very good descent he is certainly capable of one.

The other thing about today's perfomance is whether this gives an insight as to whether Wiggins can counter accelerations executed by climbers like the Schlecks, seemingly Wiggins does have a certain burst of speed which he can use to counter such attacks yet he seems to prefer to ride tempo up the mountains which seems to be his best bet considering he is a brilliant TT and that guys like Evans willl also be riding tempo and as he has got a very strong team to pull him back. Furthermore accelerating up a mountain is totally different to accelerating on flat and it will probably put him into the red much quicker something which is irrelevant in a sprint. But never the less it is still something for Wiggins to consider and it could possibly give him the upper hand over tempo riders like Evans, who will be his main challengers considering that these riders are generally the good TTs who will be who Wiggins will be competing with in the mountains.

Something though that should be taken into consideration is Wiggins's strength on the flat as he showed us at Paris Nice where he was strong in pulling the break on the stage Boonen won and that indeed could be vital as the chances of there being splits in the peloton on at least one relatively flat day or mountaineous day which ends with some flat is very high. Also as mentioned his postioning will certainly be of help on those flat stages where due to his team who will certainly keep him out of trouble and towards the front (even with cav) and his tendency not to miss splits he may well get a big advantage without showing any strength on the bike.

 

[jens_attacks]

Was it a slightly downhill finish today? Just rewatched it, and by my reckoning Wiggins does the last 400m in 20-21 seconds, so about about 70km/h average, pretty impressive as he sat back on the saddle and had a look round at 200 to go...

bradley can do that uphill
it was a sprint for the cycling history books.

Oh man im getting a little frightened by UK Postal for the coming Tour.

wiggins is the guy with the most motivation i've seen since armstrong,he will be way stronger in july.he's doing everything by the book

that edition of 1998 tour de romandie will seem like an amateur race compared to this one.

tomorrow can cav hold on?if not,i hope wiggins will do it again

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Was it a slightly downhill finish today? Just rewatched it, and by my reckoning Wiggins does the last 400m in 20-21 seconds, so about about 70km/h average, pretty impressive as he sat back on the saddle and had a look round at 200 to go...

I don't know if it was downhill, but there was definitely a tailwind.

 

[Hawkwood]

Clip of last km

I missed the race, but managed to find this clip of the last km: http://www.videoportal.sf.tv/video?id=f9a129b3-9bc4-4606-82d7-3c8e7f44bbe4