Tour de Romandie 2012

[hrotha]

I don't think it's a stretch to point out Froome's form in Romandie was far better than anything else he's shown this year.

Of course. That's what LS was saying.

 

[Kokoso]

Good choice mate, fair play.

It was bold bet, chances weren't big but I think Roman fought well Sadly now for most of the Giro I'll have this Twiggins avatar. At least one with short hair

 

[hatcher]

Of course. That's what LS was saying.

He was of course implying something by saying it. Chris Froome performing as a good domestique in no way fits with that implication.

And it would be tremendous if he'd leave it in the clinic.

 

[hrotha]

He was of course implying something by saying it. Chris Froome performing as a good domestique in no way fits with that implication.

And it would be tremendous if he'd leave it in the clinic.

It's all in your head. The idea is that Froome and Cobo suck this season.

 

[Richeypen]

It's all in your head. The implication is that Froome and Cobo suck this season.

It really really isnt

 

[hrotha]

It really really isnt

Of course LS doesn't buy Froome's performances any more than he buys Cobo's, but that's besides the point. They're both hilarious.

 

[Froome19]

Why nobody expects anything from Cobo this year? I can't see it

a) Because he wants to peak for the tour
b) Because he then wants to work for Valverde at the tour
c) He has mental problems he has been dealing with for years, concerning dealing with the pressure and only shrugged them off for the Vuelta before retreating back
d) He hasnt shown anything this year to suggest he is winning his battles against his phsyche, especially as there is much more pressure on him. And it seems he just wants to fade back into obscurity as he hasnt shown anything this season to suggest he will ever return to that, I know it is a bit premature but...
e) Where is he supposed to show anything? I get the feeling the only place he will impress is in a GT, the tour is too TT based and he will be working for Valverde and the Vuelta has Contador and whilst the climbing suits him the type of climbing wont, and thats considering that he actually will recuperate from the tour which is unlikely considering that most of the top contenders last year in the Vuelta were bashed out from the previous Giro!
f) He had a mare previously with Movistar(caisse d'epargne) and would have never have gone there if there were any other teams who had spaces available and were willing to accomadate him (asides from UHC)

 

[BillytheKid]

Wiggins for the Tour this July. Perfect TT position even on the climb.

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-romandie/photos/stage-05/#012-RTR31DNC-r.jpg

If you wanted climbing you got it today… except they had the pleasure of another 8Ks over a long false flat and rolling terrain to the finish. No BS about the lack of climbing. The profile misleads. Compute the rise over run and you get close to 10%. Someone posted it was officially 9.5%. The most adaptive and skillful of the talented won the day.

lol on all the purists here who won't talk about the TT position which is the most important aero factor by itself yet so many won't adapt.

Look at every shot of LL Sanchez from the following moto and you can see arms and elbows. I think he guessed on his TT position instead of knowing it. Sure sign of not really working on it.

Wiggins does have that advantage of coming from the track.

PO'd about the U.S. having only one slot for the ITT at the Olympics. Discount
the old guys and you still have Talansky, Tejey and Phinney. Phinney another track guy. No pursuit on the track for Phinney and possibly no chance to
compete.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Wiggins for the Tour this July. Perfect TT position even on the climb.

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-romandie/photos/stage-05/#012-RTR31DNC-r.jpg

If you wanted climbing you got it today… except they had the pleasure of another 8Ks over a long false flat and rolling terrain to the finish. No BS about the lack of climbing. The profile misleads. Compute the rise over run and you get close to 10%. Someone posted it was officially 9.5%. The most adaptive and skillful of the talented won the day.

lol on all the purists here who won't talk about the TT position which is the most important aero factor by itself yet so many won't adapt.

Look at every shot of LL Sanchez from the following moto and you can see arms and elbows. I think he guessed on his TT position instead of knowing it. Sure sign of not really working on it.

Wiggins does have that advantage of coming from the track.

PO'd about the U.S. having only one slot for the ITT at the Olympics. Discount
the old guys and you still have Talansky, Tejey and Phinney. Phinney another track guy. No pursuit on the track for Phinney and possibly no chance to
compete.

Those sky helmets seem very smart. Often riders look down in TT exposing their helmets totally to the wind. This can'T happen with those helmets.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He was of course implying something by saying it. Chris Froome performing as a good domestique in no way fits with that implication.

And it would be tremendous if he'd leave it in the clinic.

The fact of the matter is, until this point in the season he had achieved literally nothing. This week, he's been better. Cobo actually finishing a race while riding for Abarcá Sports is noteworthy because he couldn't do it in 2010.

There was not a clinic implication to what I was posting - more sarcastically applauding two guys who've achieved nothing this year after big finishes to last season, and who people expected results from. I've been doing a running tally on Cobo's 0 CQ points for the year and have commented on it a few times. Since Froome's been in the same point, it would be churlish to mention one and not the other.

I've been massively cynical of Chris Froome many a time before, but this wasn't one of those times.

 

[Richeypen]

The fact of the matter is, until this point in the season he had achieved literally nothing. This week, he's been better. Cobo actually finishing a race while riding for Abarcá Sports is noteworthy because he couldn't do it in 2010.

There was not a clinic implication to what I was posting - more sarcastically applauding two guys who've achieved nothing this year after big finishes to last season, and who people expected results from. I've been doing a running tally on Cobo's 0 CQ points for the year and have commented on it a few times. Since Froome's been in the same point, it would be churlish to mention one and not the other.

I've been massively cynical of Chris Froome many a time before, but this wasn't one of those times.

My mistake

 

[Richeypen]

Wiggins for the Tour this July. Perfect TT position even on the climb.

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-romandie/photos/stage-05/#012-RTR31DNC-r.jpg

If you wanted climbing you got it today… except they had the pleasure of another 8Ks over a long false flat and rolling terrain to the finish. No BS about the lack of climbing. The profile misleads. Compute the rise over run and you get close to 10%. Someone posted it was officially 9.5%. The most adaptive and skillful of the talented won the day.

lol on all the purists here who won't talk about the TT position which is the most important aero factor by itself yet so many won't adapt.

Look at every shot of LL Sanchez from the following moto and you can see arms and elbows. I think he guessed on his TT position instead of knowing it. Sure sign of not really working on it.

Wiggins does have that advantage of coming from the track.

PO'd about the U.S. having only one slot for the ITT at the Olympics. Discount
the old guys and you still have Talansky, Tejey and Phinney. Phinney another track guy. No pursuit on the track for Phinney and possibly no chance to
compete.

LLS used to be a very good TTer though. He just didnt seem bothered today and that gearing for such a hard climb was pathetic

 

[BillytheKid]

Those sky helmets seem very smart. Often riders look down in TT exposing their helmets totally to the wind. This can'T happen with those helmets.

Yep, the seconds add up. You can also push the helmet up exposing more forhead. You look goofy otherwise, but it helps if you want the longer back. Cunego lost the Suisse on that along last year. Went with the long helmet, but kept droping his head down.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

The fact of the matter is, until this point in the season he had achieved literally nothing. This week, he's been better. Cobo actually finishing a race while riding for Abarcá Sports is noteworthy because he couldn't do it in 2010.

There was not a clinic implication to what I was posting - more sarcastically applauding two guys who've achieved nothing this year after big finishes to last season, and who people expected results from. I've been doing a running tally on Cobo's 0 CQ points for the year and have commented on it a few times. Since Froome's been in the same point, it would be churlish to mention one and not the other.

I've been massively cynical of Chris Froome many a time before, but this wasn't one of those times.

But why the sarcasm? Froome has been/is ill. Both are aiming for the Tour. Would it be also be churlish to mention that Froome hasn't even ridden for himself yet this season?

 

[filipo]

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-romandie/photos/stage-05/#012-RTR31DNC-r.jpg

...

lol on all the purists here who won't talk about the TT position which is the most important aero factor by itself yet so many won't adapt.
...
Look at every shot of LL Sanchez from the following moto and you can see arms and elbows. I think he guessed on his TT position instead of knowing it. Sure sign of not really working on it.

Wiggins does have that advantage of coming from the track.

Wiggins: So aero-pro he doesn't use tape on his bars; so vain he won't chop that stupid un-aero hobbit haircut.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Wiggins: So aero-pro he doesn't use tape on his bars; so vain he won't chop that stupid un-aero hobbit haircut.

He's preparing for the Tour. A bit of extra resistance is good training. He'll turn up in July with a crew cut. Marginal gains, innit.

 

[BillytheKid]

LLS used to be a very good TTer though. He just didnt seem bothered today and that gearing for such a hard climb was pathetic

I don't think he could use the TT bars much. Too low, as if set up for a prolouge.

To me, Wiggins justs looks well practiced and relaxed. Not metion his form at the moment.

 

[BillytheKid]

Wiggins: So aero-pro he doesn't use tape on his bars; so vain he won't chop that stupid un-aero hobbit haircut.

It did look pretty bad today. Nice podium shot. Where's his stylist?

 

[Winterfold]

yes - thanks for sharing the link to those pics - the electronic shifting 'sprint' buttons on the aero bars must be pretty handy when using a road bike as it means you can shift from both positions

I bet the weight advantage of a road bike overcame the aero advantage of a TT bike on that course

Perhaps added together they make up for the loss of time from dropping the chain from those slappy chain rings

Also, Wiggo was totally ****ed by that effort, his change in attitude over the last two years is as impressive as any other change in what he does - as he said himself a few years ago today would have ended up in a bike toss, instead a win by 0.7s (marginal gains anyone?)

Good effort by Talansky, very impressive.

Feck that race needed a HT finish though.

 

[will10]

Wiggins: So aero-pro he doesn't use tape on his bars; so vain he won't chop that stupid un-aero hobbit haircut.

He saves his haircut for Le Tour.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

But why the sarcasm? Froome has been/is ill. Both are aiming for the Tour. Would it be also be churlish to mention that Froome hasn't even ridden for himself yet this season?

Just because you're not riding for yourself doesn't stop it being surprising when you don't even finish a race until the end of April. Just like Cobo in 2010. There may be extenuating circumstances, but I would have expected guys of their apparent calibre to have managed SOMETHING, even if it's just a minor result in a small race. The illness goes partway to explaining it, for sure.

 

[Kokoso]

a) Because he wants to peak for the tour
b) Because he then wants to work for Valverde at the tour
c) He has mental problems he has been dealing with for years, concerning dealing with the pressure and only shrugged them off for the Vuelta before retreating back
d) He hasnt shown anything this year to suggest he is winning his battles against his phsyche, especially as there is much more pressure on him. And it seems he just wants to fade back into obscurity as he hasnt shown anything this season to suggest he will ever return to that, I know it is a bit premature but...
e) Where is he supposed to show anything? I get the feeling the only place he will impress is in a GT, the tour is too TT based and he will be working for Valverde and the Vuelta has Contador and whilst the climbing suits him the type of climbing wont, and thats considering that he actually will recuperate from the tour which is unlikely considering that most of the top contenders last year in the Vuelta were bashed out from the previous Giro!
f) He had a mare previously with Movistar(caisse d'epargne) and would have never have gone there if there were any other teams who had spaces available and were willing to accomadate him (asides from UHC)

It's strange for GT champ not want to be succesful na GT again...don'd get it even if, as you say, main problem is his psychic.

 

[Richeypen]

I would think Sky's marginal gains would include fitter mechanics to push Wiggins for longer

2 mechanics are better than 1

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to Wiggins. Nice ride by Talansky as well. However there was no difficult stage this year so that was a let-down.
Surprised by LLS being that bad.

 

[BillytheKid]

Just because you're not riding for yourself doesn't stop it being surprising when you don't even finish a race until the end of April. Just like Cobo in 2010. There may be extenuating circumstances, but I would have expected guys of their apparent calibre to have managed SOMETHING, even if it's just a minor result in a small race. The illness goes partway to explaining it, for sure.

Another possible is a nagging knee problem. A tendon problem can keep reoccuring. You may still be able to ride, but have to refrain from hard acceleration.

Possible. My knees are like that all the time now.

Just ruined them completely. I am working on getting them fixed.