Tour Match Up: Gesink v Van Den Broeck

[Libertine Seguros]

Urán rode the Giro AND the Vuelta last year. He was regularly Arroyo's final helper (on Monte Grappa and the Mortirolo) as well as finishing 7th to Kronplatz, after losing a huge amount of time in week 1. He moved into the top 10 of the Vuelta after finishing 5th to Vallnord Sector Pal, but lost a lot of time after being involved in Antón's crash, eventually finishing 32nd.

Tejay van Garderen rode the Vuelta last year. He was in the top 10, dropping to 10th on Xorret del Catí, but dropped out of the 10 the following day to Alcoy when Jean-Christophe Peraud was in a break that went the distance. He eventually finished 34th after running out of steam in the final week.

 

[Matty_Tucks]

hilarious

Bet you were laughing a lot in 2009 then.

 

[boomcie]

Bet you were laughing a lot in 2009 then.

Probably crying because of the way Astana suffocated that Tour, which enabled Wiggins to almost reach the podium.

 

[theyoungest]

Bet you were laughing a lot in 2009 then.

I'm sure both VDB2 and Gesink are lying awake at night, frightened by the thought of having to face the great Bradley Wiggins in the upcoming Tour.

Oh wait, they already faced him last year. Out the back on the first MTF.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Bet you were laughing a lot in 2009 then.

I was laughing at the 09' course yes, it was an utter joke.

Wiggans will get owned in the mounatians this year.

 

[jens_attacks]

I was laughing at the 09' course yes, it was an utter joke.

Wiggans will get owned in the mounatians this year.

i know it's freaking easy to make fun of wiggins.still,if you check his performances from the mountains of le tour 2009,that's not laughable,check verbier fuccin insane wattage a la armstrong in his best days.so if he'll come close in power,endurance and recovery compared to 2009,the brit can break the top 5 yet again.it's not something i will bet against.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Bet you were laughing a lot in 2009 then.

where Wiggins lost 3 minutes in the only mountain stage that can be taken seriously
Verbier and Arcalis were a joke after all. And on Ventoux they even softpedalled up.

2009 lol

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador said they climb way harder in the mountains during the Tour than in the Giro. So, I really doubt the claims of soft pedaling here. Besides there's only one person who can follow Contador on a climb when he's soft pedaling up a mountain.

 

[hrotha]

Contador said they climb way harder in the mountains during the Tour than in the Giro. So, I really doubt the claims of soft pedaling here. Besides there's only one person who can follow Contador on a climb when he's soft pedaling up a mountain.

Contador can say whatever he wants, that doesn't change the fact that he was waiting for Armstrong on Mont Ventoux, just like Andy was waiting for Fränk.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador can say whatever he wants, that doesn't change the fact that he was waiting for Armstrong on Mont Ventoux, just like Andy was waiting for Fränk.

So, the Giro 2011 is also the soft pedalling Tour? I think you just proved my point.

He waited for Rujano at Grossglockner, he waited for Tiralongo, he probably didn't go full gas at Zoncolan, etc

 

[theyoungest]

The pace is obviously higher on the Tour mountains, because they're not as steep. I think the main difference lies in the flats, which are raced much faster in the Tour. It's a different kind of exhaustion, more suited to the time trial type tempo climbers.

Although this year's Giro seems to have been different, Johnny Hoogerland said he had hoped for tranquilo days after the break went away, but that hope was in vain.

 

[El Pistolero]

The pace is obviously higher on the Tour mountains, because they're not as steep. I think the main difference lies in the flats, which are raced much faster in the Tour. It's a different kind of exhaustion, more suited to the time trial type tempo climbers.

Although this year's Giro seems to have been different, Johnny Hoogerland said he had hoped for tranquilo days after the break went away, but that hope was in vain.

True, Contador also said that. And I agree that it probably doesn't hold up for this year's Giro as they rode a lot faster on the flat and undulating stages than they normally do.

 

[jens_attacks]

there was no softpedalling in 2009 tour,not at all.of course you had a lot of guys most of them big surprises riding at the same insanely high level.if gesink or van den broeck can pop wiggins's numbers from 2009 then they will have a podium place.
i remember that cyclismag said that armstrong's 2009 watts were at the same level of 2003 and 2005.so you have to realize the power and speed those guys were having in 2009.out of this world.but yes it was mostly because of the route,a very poor one.this year,we are gonna see the same high performances because the mountains come just after almost two weeks,exactly like in 2009.they will be fresh and deadly like the spanish cucumbers.

 

[The Hitch]

Has someone brought Contador into a totaly non Contador discussion again?

Sigh.

Besides Pisti, the Contador quote you bring up doesnt reffer to the 2009 Tour specifically does it?

He says they climb harder in the Tour than the Giro. ok, Hes ridden many Tours.

How does that prove that the 2009 Tour specifically wasnt soft pedaled?

 

[El Pistolero]

Has someone brought Contador into a totaly non Contador discussion again?

Sigh.

Besides Pisti, the Contador quote you bring up doesnt reffer to the 2009 Tour specifically does it?

He says they climb harder in the Tour than the Giro. ok, Hes ridden many Tours.

How does that prove that the 2009 Tour specifically wasnt soft pedaled?

4 Tours, you call that many? That's actually very little compared to most other men in the peloton of the same age.

And yes I brought him into this discussion to give the guy who rode all GTs his insight. He knows better than you Hitch, no matter what you may think. It's easy to call the '09 Tour the soft pedaling Tour, you know, behind your computer.

The 09' Tour wasn't ridden slower on the mountains than any other GT especially not the Giro or the Vuelta. But keep believing that Who knows, you might have won if you were there!

 

[hrotha]

4 Tours, you call that many?

And yes I brought him into this discussion to give the guy who rode all GTs his insight. He knows better than you Hitch, no matter what you may think. It's easy to call the '09 Tour the soft pedaling Tour, you know, behind your computer.

What about Wiggins? Because he pretty much admitted it was softpedalled.

 

[El Pistolero]

What about Wiggins? Because he pretty much admitted it was softpedalled.

Wiggins was high because there weren't many mountains that Tour(that doesn't mean they were being soft pedaled) and he gained a lot of time in the time trials. You can always find some fluke in a top 10 of a GT. I just don't find it evidence that said GT was soft pedaled. And if it was soft pedaled than why didn't Wiggins win it? Let me guess, didn't want to go full gas?

 

[hrotha]

Wiggins was high because there weren't many mountains that Tour(that doesn't mean they were being soft pedaled) and he gained a lot of time in the time trials. You can always find some fluke in a top 10 of a GT. I just don't find it evidence that said GT was soft pedaled. And if it was soft pedaled than why didn't Wiggins win it? Let me guess, didn't want to go full gas?

What does that have to do with what I said.

 

[The Hitch]

4 Tours, you call that many? That's actually very little compared to most other men in the peloton of the same age.

And yes I brought him into this discussion to give the guy who rode all GTs his insight. He knows better than you Hitch, no matter what you may think. It's easy to call the '09 Tour the soft pedaling Tour, you know, behind your computer.

You havent brought in his insight on the subject though have you?

I say the 09 Tour was soft peddaled compared to other editions. He says the Tour is generally ridden fast.

Those are not 2 opposing opinions.

Him saying that the Tour is ridden quick in general does not adress whatsoever the specific issue of the 2009 Tour.

So I, sitting behind my computer screen, am yet to be disproved by your "insightful pro" but hey, you got to bring Contador/Gilbert into another discussion so who's counting

Besides Alberto " I didnt give the stage to Rujano" Contador is well known for lying over even the most trivial things anyway.

 

[jens_attacks]

What about Wiggins? Because he pretty much admitted it was softpedalled.

looooool bradley said that just to defend his numbers from the climbs and his incredible transformation.if you tell me that the route was incredibly poor in mountains i believe you.but no way that was softpedalling,especially verbier.remember?bradley wiggins 6,6 watts/kg.

 

[El Pistolero]

You havent brought in his insight on the subject though have you?

I say the 09 Tour was soft peddaled compared to other editions. He says the Tour is generally ridden fast.

Those are not 2 opposing opinions.

Him saying that the Tour is ridden quick in general does not adress whatsoever the specific issue of the 2009 Tour.

So I, sitting behind my computer screen, am yet to be disproved by your "insightful pro" but hey, you got to bring Contador/Gilbert into another discussion so who's counting

Besides Alberto " I didnt give the stage to Rujano" Contador is well known for lying over even the most trivial things anyway.

He didn't use the word generally, he was talking about always. Tour wasn't soft pedaled if you look at some of the numbers these guys were pulling out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVr481vCIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eYOAp0lrOE

Sure looks like soft pedaling right there! They're sprinting up these mountains for crying out loud.

And the only reason Contador said he didn't gave the victory to Rujano is because he respects other people unlike Armstrong with his gift to Pantani.

 

[boomcie]

Besides Alberto " I didnt give the stage to Rujano" Contador is well known for lying over even the most trivial things anyway.

An affliction better known as the tenderloin syndrome.

 

[hrotha]

looooool bradley said that just to defend his numbers from the climbs and his incredible transformation.if you tell me that the route was incredibly poor in mountains i believe you.but no way that was softpedalling,especially verbier.remember?bradley wiggins 6,6 watts/kg.

It's easier to have high watt numbers if the stage has been easy up to that point. Verbier and (partially) Le Grand Bornand were exceptions to what we saw throughout the whole Tour.

 

[jens_attacks]

anyway you have to give it to the hitch.watching it live,le tour 2009 was a borefest indeed even in the mountains.that's how it looks in the front on the tv.but when you're timing the ascents and see the numbers they were popping,le tour 2009 was one of the highest of the decade.

 

[El Pistolero]

anyway you have to give it to the hitch.watching it live,le tour 2009 was a borefest indeed even in the mountains.that's how it looks in the front on the tv.but when you're timing the ascents and see the numbers they were popping,le tour 2009 was one of the highest of the decade.

Yes, boring it was, but still not soft pedaling.