- Mar 10, 2009
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LIQ paced the peloton to the 1.5K and then they noticed they had run out of people?!?
Speed drops, cancellara attacks, Kreuziger comes of the front, someone chases cancelara down. Lars boom starts to get up to speed (who already talked with Bos about a forming train for him) to launch Freire, but obviously can't do 700m. Freire has to move over to another sort of train to the right of the road and finds out he is done...
Farrar beats Gilbert in a sprint...
crazy... crazy...
Speed drops, cancellara attacks, Kreuziger comes of the front, someone chases cancelara down. Lars boom starts to get up to speed (who already talked with Bos about a forming train for him) to launch Freire, but obviously can't do 700m. Freire has to move over to another sort of train to the right of the road and finds out he is done...
Farrar beats Gilbert in a sprint...
crazy... crazy...
- Mar 11, 2009
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Cancellara chaos. All bar Farrar went for his wheel and were left for dead when he sat up.
Farrar "flies" in at 59kph.........Gilbert 2nd in the bunch sprint, says a lot.
He's not slow, but.......
3-time world champ Freire to retire at end of 2010
MURCIA, Spain (AP)—Three-time cycling world champion Oscar Freire will retire after his contract with Rabobank expires in 2010.
Freire says in Wednesday’s El Mundo newspaper that “next year I will retire. My contract will be finished and the best thing would to be not to continue. … I’ve sacrificed myself for many campaigns and everything has its limit.”
The 33-year-old Freire will go for a record fourth world title this month in Mendrisio, Switzerland. He won in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Only Eddy Merckx, Alfredo Binda and Rik Van Steenbergen have won three times.
The Spanish sprint specialist said “that would be a perfect way to round off my career.”
During the Tour de France in July, he was shot in the leg by what his team thought was an air rifle, but he finished the stage.
Farrar "flies" in at 59kph.........Gilbert 2nd in the bunch sprint, says a lot.
He's not slow, but.......
3-time world champ Freire to retire at end of 2010
MURCIA, Spain (AP)—Three-time cycling world champion Oscar Freire will retire after his contract with Rabobank expires in 2010.
Freire says in Wednesday’s El Mundo newspaper that “next year I will retire. My contract will be finished and the best thing would to be not to continue. … I’ve sacrificed myself for many campaigns and everything has its limit.”
The 33-year-old Freire will go for a record fourth world title this month in Mendrisio, Switzerland. He won in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Only Eddy Merckx, Alfredo Binda and Rik Van Steenbergen have won three times.
The Spanish sprint specialist said “that would be a perfect way to round off my career.”
During the Tour de France in July, he was shot in the leg by what his team thought was an air rifle, but he finished the stage.
- Mar 18, 2009
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Good on Farrar. That is a great result for him that is a long time coming. It is a great result for Garmin, which might be able to notch more than the occasional time trial victory.
Only caught the very last part of the stage.
Is there anything earlier that is worth watching?
Only caught the very last part of the stage.
Is there anything earlier that is worth watching?
- Jul 8, 2009
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Freire only cares about the Worlds
As a Rabobank fan, I've watched Freire coast across a lot of finish lines this year. I'm pretty sure it's not his legs but rather his desire that is gone.
He's never been a great outright speed sprinter, more an awesome bike handler who can navigate a chaotic final 200 to be on the right wheel. Don't get me wrong, he still had the outright speed to kick into the win, but always did best in complicated finishes where trains were neutralized. This year he doesn't seem to have the desire to fight for those wheels that he did in the past. Look at his uncharacteristically dismissive comments about the sprinters who only win with big leadouts (as quoted in the article on his retirement).
Interestingly, Rabobank tried for just about the first time this year to give him a lead out today. Unfortunately, Boom left early, blew up, and it cost Freire the sprint by forcing him to accelerate and jump across. By the time he found a wheel, it was too late...
He's been pretty consistent over the past few years in saying his main goal has been to win a fourth (and record-setting) WC. I think he's putting all his eggs this year in that particular basket. It'll be interesting to see if he can survive the hilly course, and whether the Spaniards can outdo the Italians with team tactics. They got soundly beaten last year.
Moondance said:
As a Rabobank fan, I've watched Freire coast across a lot of finish lines this year. I'm pretty sure it's not his legs but rather his desire that is gone.
He's never been a great outright speed sprinter, more an awesome bike handler who can navigate a chaotic final 200 to be on the right wheel. Don't get me wrong, he still had the outright speed to kick into the win, but always did best in complicated finishes where trains were neutralized. This year he doesn't seem to have the desire to fight for those wheels that he did in the past. Look at his uncharacteristically dismissive comments about the sprinters who only win with big leadouts (as quoted in the article on his retirement).
Interestingly, Rabobank tried for just about the first time this year to give him a lead out today. Unfortunately, Boom left early, blew up, and it cost Freire the sprint by forcing him to accelerate and jump across. By the time he found a wheel, it was too late...
He's been pretty consistent over the past few years in saying his main goal has been to win a fourth (and record-setting) WC. I think he's putting all his eggs this year in that particular basket. It'll be interesting to see if he can survive the hilly course, and whether the Spaniards can outdo the Italians with team tactics. They got soundly beaten last year.
ptensioned said:
Freire would say that, of course. Because like McEwen he is a sprinter who thrives in disorganized finishes, not because they are good bike handlers or whatever (all sprinters are), or they know how to navigate (all top sprinters do. If all you have is elite speed you win nothing, ask Haedo), but because McEwen and Freire (and about a third of the sprinters around, but these two are the most famous examples) win based on their turn of speed, their acceleration, not their top speed.
When the sprint is organized, it is much faster. They cannot hope to compete as their top speed is quite a bit lower than sprinters such as Petacchi or Cipollini who have the two fastest sprint speeds recorded.
Ever seen Boonen win a disorganized sprint? Never. Because he, unlike Freire or McEwen, can't reach his top speed unless the sprint starts at a high speed, launched by helpers. So he loses, even though his top speed is higher than Freire's or McEwen's
- Jun 16, 2009
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auscyclefan94 said:
Almost picked it. Moncoutie, Gilbert and Hoogerlands all gave it a pretty good go. I'll admit to wanting Farrar to start celebrating prematurely and getting himself pipped at the line.
Did anyone pick Farrar for that win? That performance will have to increase his odds for MSR next year. It seemed like Greipel, Benatti and Freire had spent all their bullets getting over the hills and had nothing left for the sprint.
- Mar 10, 2009
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craig1985 said:
Somehow he feels that instead of continuing the Vuelta to maybe win another stage and having a shot at the green jersey, it's better to skip that to prepare for a race where he has no chance at all whatsoever.
I'll never understand why over 100 riders per season choose to prepare especially for the worlds so they can "get a good result" when they quite obviously have no chance at all.
It's just stupid. Yet dozens and dozens do it every year. WTF.
Bala Verde said:I wish it was friday already... stupid rest day
Daddy, daddy, are we there yet? are we there yet?
- Jun 22, 2009
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Bala Verde said:I wish it was friday already... stupid rest day
I know... I can't wait. Gonna be an epic weekend (already told everyone theres no way im going out this w.e
) Seeing it's a rest day, shouldn't we get another basso article?
- Mar 10, 2009
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Farrar
The winjing little prat Farrar. Any rider including CAV. who races for sprints and then quits Stage races "when the terrain doesn't fit my riding style" doesn't belong in cycling. I hope he gets smoked in his next race. I will personally have a word with him when he gets to the tour of California. Garmin no longer has my stock.
What happened to the real men? I mean all around competitors.
The winjing little prat Farrar. Any rider including CAV. who races for sprints and then quits Stage races "when the terrain doesn't fit my riding style" doesn't belong in cycling. I hope he gets smoked in his next race. I will personally have a word with him when he gets to the tour of California. Garmin no longer has my stock.
What happened to the real men? I mean all around competitors.
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