Tour Match Up: Gesink v Van Den Broeck

[Spine Concept]

JVDB has said he is still considering the Vuelta... The doctors said he couldn't ride a bike for 2 months. The Vuelta starts August 20th. If he starts he won't have any preparation. I wonder if he can actually do anything there, if he can actually start. How can he keep his basic form? I'm sure there will be excercices he can do within a few weeks but...

I hope he can start, but i have no idea what he could actually achieve. Top 10?



I still tought Contador was favorite to win the Tour, no?

That's too bad, in top form he can win the Vuelta - depending on the contenders.

Regarding the Contador bit, I thought you were talking about Gesink. My bad.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I figured as much after reading your post again. No sweat.

 

[theyoungest]

That's too bad, in top form he can win the Vuelta - depending on the contenders.

The Vuelta will be quite hotly contested this year... Anton, Scarponi, Nibali, Rodriguez, Menchov, Kruijswijk (), all riders who will not only start but really appear in top form and with motivation. Then you have the Tour dropouts (Horner? Brajkovic? Wiggins? VDB??) and the Tour leftovers (Schlecks, Gesink)

Could be quite interesting. Or they could all fail and we'll end up with a Vuelta like last year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nicolas Roche wins the Tour, that much is clear

 

[Kwibus]

The people who voted for Mollema seem to lose as well. In the end the bet on Gesink looks best

170 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:07:00

He is either bad or is intentionally losing time so that the GC contenders will let him go in the mountain stages. For a stage win or a useful domestique for Gesink.

 

[Barrus]

The people who voted for Mollema seem to lose as well. In the end the bet on Gesink looks best

170 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:07:00

He is either bad or is intentionally losing time so that the GC contenders will let him go in the mountain stages. For a stage win or a useful domestique for Gesink.

he was caught up behind several crashes, dropped and did a load of work for Gesink. I believe he was in the second peloton a few days ago with the crash that took out Wiggins, this ensured that he already lost several minutes

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema yesterday: "I feel fresh and really good. I look forward to the mountains. The GC is unimportant for me"

Obviously, he is saving himself. You don't say you are good and lose 7 minutes the next day because you are bad??

 

[Franklin]

Mollema yesterday: "I feel fresh and really good. I look forward to the mountains. The GC is unimportant for me"

Obviously, he is saving himself. You don't say you are good and lose 7 minutes the next day because you are bad??

A lot can happen in one night.

 

[Midnightfright]

A lot can happen in one night.

Especially if he spent that night with Andy Schleck and Stuart o'grady.

 

[Franklin]

Especially if he spent that night with Andy Schleck and Stuart o'grady.

Well, Bauke is still young, I'm sure Stuart can teach him well

 

[Bala Verde]

A lot can happen in one night.

Apparently so:

'Hij is níet fit', zei technisch directeur Erik Breukink aan de streep in Carmaux. Mollema voelde zich dinsdag 'wat grieperig'.

source

 

[El Pistolero]

Tjalingi also had a crappy day.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I hope that flu doesn't get to the rest of the team. That would be fitting for Rabobank's tour. if LL Sanchez and Gesink would get sick now.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I hope that flu doesn't get to the rest of the team. That would be fitting for Rabobank's tour. if LL Sanchez and Gesink would get sick now.

lol yep.

anyway gesink felt pretty good today.
Mountains will be fascinating.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mollema yesterday: "I feel fresh and really good. I look forward to the mountains. The GC is unimportant for me"

Obviously, he is saving himself. You don't say you are good and lose 7 minutes the next day because you are bad??

What TGBM is really saying is: "I am going to make things interesting in this tour by giving all the others a head start so things aren't so easy for me to win"

 

[Bala Verde]

VDB2 presser
http://vtm.be/nieuws/sport/69654-livestream-het-nieuws

could have finished already (17:00 Brussels time). Silverlight isn't working for me, so I can't see it.

 

[Bala Verde]

-He remembers the crash, fell into a bit of a ravine/side of the road.
-Vino was on top of him, fell over him (?)
-Continued instantly after the crash, didn't want to lose time, and only then noticed he was injured. He couldn't breath (collapsed lung)
-Was looking forward to getting to the mountains.
-He thought he was in a great position, he felt great but also because many contenders crashed out.
-He was very well protected, he hadn't wasted any energy up till that point in the race.
-He needs full rest for (x??) weeks. He hopes he can make the Vuelta. He would have decent basis condition, perhaps too little to be a real contender. He hopes he can participate because that would save his season a bit.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What TGBM is really saying is: "I am going to make things interesting in this tour by giving all the others a head start so things aren't so easy for me to win"

Well it turned out TGBM has caught an illness. He has been bad yesterday, today was slightly better, but he doesn't think he will do well in the mountains the coming days
Poor TGBM smited by illness, his kryptonite!

Gesink has no idea where he stands at the moment and will take the first mountain stages conservatively. He says he 'almost certainly' won't attack unless he feels really well. He has no idea how it will go in the mountains after all the energy-zapping stages last week when he was injured.

 

[Spine Concept]

Well it turned out TGBM has caught an illness. He has been bad yesterday, today was slightly better, but he doesn't think he will do well in the mountains the coming days
Poor TGBM smited by illness, his kryptonite!

Gesink has no idea where he stands at the moment and will take the first mountain stages conservatively. He says he 'almost certainly' won't attack unless he feels really well. He has no idea how it will go in the mountains after all the energy-zapping stages last week when he was injured.

Meh, I did not expect Gesink to fare well anyway, at least not in the first week of mountains. It's such a shame he will not be able to display the form he has worked so hard to obtain.

 

[The Hitch]

I think Gesink will go well. Weve seen the likes of Hamilton podium Grand Tours with horrid injuries. Samu took time out of Menchov on the TOurmalet with a broken wrist, Not saying Gesink isnt in pain and hes got balls to continue, but its been a week now since his accident, probably less severe than the one he had last year and he still came 6th.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah, got to make the switch from riding for podium, to ride for, top 10? top 15? + white jeresy..

It will be a mystery. If it really doesn't go well then maybe go for stage hunting.
Much will depend on how he is mentally I think.

He's got to believe he can hang on.

 

[Spine Concept]

I think Gesink will go well. Weve seen the likes of Hamilton podium Grand Tours with horrid injuries. Samu took time out of Menchov on the TOurmalet with a broken wrist, Not saying Gesink isnt in pain and hes got balls to continue, but its been a week now since his accident, probably less severe than the one he had last year and he still came 6th.

Be that as it may, I have never witnessed Gesink being so negative about his state after a crash before. Thus, I remain adamant on my hunch that he will not really figure in the first week of mountains.

 

[theyoungest]

Yeah, got to make the switch from riding for podium, to ride for, top 10? top 15? + white jeresy..

It will be a mystery. If it really doesn't go well then maybe go for stage hunting.
Much will depend on how he is mentally I think.

He's got to believe he can hang on.

He just has to stop watching Tour du Jour, which apparently they did in the bus before the Super-Besse stage, and which really ****ed him off.

That show (and more specifically Danny Nelissen) will be responsible for Gesink's imminent failure

 

[Spine Concept]

He just has to stop watching Tour du Jour, which apparently they did in the bus before the Super-Besse stage, and which really ****ed him off.

That show (and more specifically Danny Nelissen) will be responsible for Gesink's imminent failure

I partially agreed with Nelissen to be honest. I understand the need to be honest with yourself and others, however, I have never heard him being so negative before. The mind is a powerful thing. Look at how he recovered as the days passed by whilst I was all for him quitting the tour and going for the Vuelta after his comments.

 

[The Hitch]

Be that as it may, I have never witnessed Gesink being so negative about his state after a crash before. Thus, I remain adamant on my hunch that he will not really figure in the first week of mountains.

Its likely that he wont, but at the same time, the negative attitude which followed was long ago (well Sunday) replaced by a very positive attitude.