Wiggins Discussion thread.

[TheEnoculator]

Wiggins reminds me of Sastre. He has never been much of a GT rider. All this talk about him climbing better was just BS. Last year he had the luxury of a great team pampering him through the mountains. Happy to see Wiggins being exposed as a mediocre GT rider. Kudos to Uran.

 

[Red Rick]

Wiggins reminds me of Sastre. He has never been much of a GT rider. All this talk about him climbing better was just BS. Last year he had the luxury of a great team pampering him through the mountains. Happy to see Wiggins being exposed as a mediocre GT rider. Kudos to Uran.

How does this remind you of Sastre, who had like 10 or more top 5 placings in Grand Tours

 

[whittashau]

I feel he just has a thin skill-set. If the parcours are exactly to his liking and with a team like Sky he can obviously win GTs, but too much descending, too many steep climbs, not enough TT miles then he's just not good enough.

 

[TheEnoculator]

How does this remind you of Sastre, who had like 10 or more top 5 placings in Grand Tours

Sastre won the Tour once in 2008, only because he had the Schlecks at his disposal. He never won before and never won again.

Besides, Wiggins can still have high placings on the GTs he participates. Top 5? Sure. But he doesn't have the stuff to win it all, like Sastre. TT is about the only thing Wiggins is good at.

 

[del1962]

He's own borgs have turned against him.

He's not very good. Very lucky to win last year.

He'll never win another GT again. I'm sure he'll tell he can.

How was he lucky to win last year, did he win by a few seconds?

for all his talk he is not as strong this year, however is they designed the tour on similar lines to the early eighties he could win quite a few (that won't happen though).

He could still podium here though, but I winning is beyond him.

 

[TheEnoculator]

How was he lucky to win last year, did he win by a few seconds?

for all his talk he is not as strong this year, however is they designed the tour on similar lines to the early eighties he could win quite a few (that won't happen though).

He could still podium here though, but I winning is beyond him.

He was lucky to win last year because there were very few summit finishes and lots of TT. He literally won the Tour with 100km of TT. He had a great team chaperoning him in the mountains, he just had to sit back and let his teammates tow him along. The guy is a wheelsucker. He doesn't attack. Now he doesn't have the same team, he immediately loses time in the first mountain finish. So yeah, he was lucky last year.

 

[maxmartin]

He was lucky to win last year because there were very few summit finishes and lots of TT. He literally won the Tour with 100km of TT. He had a great team chaperoning him in the mountains, he just had to sit back and let his teammates tow him along. The guy is a wheelsucker. He doesn't attack. Now he doesn't have the same team, he immediately loses time in the first mountain finish. So yeah, he was lucky last year.

Nibali said it all " Wiggins' climbing does not impress me"

 

[the asian]

Don't be ridiculous, Sir Wiggins will outclimb his rivals

You will see

Failed in the first hurdle.

 

[del1962]

He was lucky to win last year because there were very few summit finishes and lots of TT. He literally won the Tour with 100km of TT. He had a great team chaperoning him in the mountains, he just had to sit back and let his teammates tow him along. The guy is a wheelsucker. He doesn't attack. Now he doesn't have the same team, he immediately loses time in the first mountain finish. So yeah, he was lucky last year.

He did win the tour in the TT, but that is executing his considerable TT abilities, not luck. There is nothing wrong with 100k of TT in a grand tour, in the tour in the early eightiers there would often be 5 stages of timt trials (team and individual).

 

[wwabbit]

He was lucky to win last year because there were very few summit finishes and lots of TT. He literally won the Tour with 100km of TT. He had a great team chaperoning him in the mountains, he just had to sit back and let his teammates tow him along. The guy is a wheelsucker. He doesn't attack. Now he doesn't have the same team, he immediately loses time in the first mountain finish. So yeah, he was lucky last year.

To be fair to Wiggins, take away the three TTs and he would still have won, but only because of Froome's mechanical in the first stage.

 

[thehog]

How was he lucky to win last year, did he win by a few seconds?

for all his talk he is not as strong this year, however is they designed the tour on similar lines to the early eighties he could win quite a few (that won't happen though).

He could still podium here though, but I winning is beyond him.

Last year was a gift from ASO to Britain.

It was the weakest Tour victory in living memory.

I'd choose to watch paint dry and then peel than watch that borefest again.

It was a disgrace that Wiggins has GT to his name.

How can a rider who is scared decending and can't climb be a GT winner?

Give me the Dawg any day.

 

[Gloin22]

He's own borgs have turned against him.

He's not very good. Very lucky to win last year.

He'll never win another GT again. I'm sure he'll tell he can.

Are you high? Or outside clinic you have no idea of thing called - tactics?

Although I agree Wiggins never desereved to win GT in his life.

 

[the asian]

He did win the tour in the TT, but that is executing his considerable TT abilities, not luck. There is nothing wrong with 100k of TT in a grand tour, in the tour in the early eightiers there would often be 5 stages of timt trials (team and individual).

Yr. but the Mountain stages were also very long (250 Km +) Don't think Wiggins would have survived those.

 

[del1962]

Last year was a gift from ASO to Britain.

It was the weakest Tour victory in living memory.

I'd choose to watch paint dry and then peel than watch that borefest again.

It was a disgrace that Wiggins has GT to his name.

How can a rider who is scared decending and can't climb be a GT winner?

Give me the Dawg any day.

This makes me laugh, the time trial is the race of truth, where a man is on his own, where true champions shine, no place for wheelscukers in a 50k itt.

 

[slim charles]

Don't be ridiculous, Sir Wiggins will outclimb his rivals

You will see

They are certainly shaking after he outclimbed them today

I still don't think he's out, but I think it is quite obvious that he doesn't feel as good as he [and everyone else] expected.

 

[burning]

Wiggins reminds me of Sastre. He has never been much of a GT rider. All this talk about him climbing better was just BS. Last year he had the luxury of a great team pampering him through the mountains. Happy to see Wiggins being exposed as a mediocre GT rider. Kudos to Uran.

If he's clean, he's probably the best "clean" GT rider between 2002-2008

 

[airstream]

Failed in the first hurdle.

oddly enough your reasonings haven't still transformed into 'Froome has no chance in the Tour' and all that jazz.

 

[thehog]

This makes me laugh, the time trial is the race of truth, where a man is on his own, where true champions shine, no place for wheelscukers in a 50k itt.

You're right.

No place for tactics. Or road stages. Just make the GT's 3000kms of TTs.

Because that's the truth.

No place for tactics or anything else in cycling. Just each rider riding on their own.

Can't imagine why they haven't thought of this before.

 

[richwagmn]

You're right.

No place for tactics. Or road stages. Just make the GT's 3000kms of TTs.

Because that's the truth.

No place for tactics or anything else in cycling. Just each rider riding on their own.

Can't imagine why they haven't thought of this before.

I think they call this a Triathalon don't they?

 

[postmanhat]

He was lucky to win last year because there were very few summit finishes and lots of TT. He literally won the Tour with 100km of TT. He had a great team chaperoning him in the mountains, he just had to sit back and let his teammates tow him along. The guy is a wheelsucker. He doesn't attack. Now he doesn't have the same team, he immediately loses time in the first mountain finish. So yeah, he was lucky last year.

Everyone's a wheelsucker when the Sky A train are on the front. Like Nibali in last years tour who did nowt against Wiggins in the mountains.

This year Nibali is in fantastic shape, whilst Wiggo looks not much better than he did 3 years agao

 

[webvan]

He did win the tour in the TT, but that is executing his considerable TT abilities, not luck. There is nothing wrong with 100k of TT in a grand tour, in the tour in the early eightiers there would often be 5 stages of timt trials (team and individual).

Yes with his skill set he would have won several Tours in the late 70s and 80, and probably several Giro's too since there was very little climbing in those days (1984 Giro anyone?), but that was then and this is now...

He wasn't bad today but unlike what he claimed he still can't handle very steep sections and it's doubtful he ever will. Looking at the ITT it's possible he's not at his best yet though...we shall see. A valiant effort today and he seems to have recovered decent descending skills, at least when the weather is fair.

 

[williamp78]

You're right.

No place for tactics. Or road stages. Just make the GT's 3000kms of TTs.

Because that's the truth.

No place for tactics or anything else in cycling. Just each rider riding on their own.

Can't imagine why they haven't thought of this before.

They did think of this before. When the tour first started you weren't allowed to draft. Essentially it was two weeks of time trials; normally 300km a day.

(Also, defensive riding defending a lead from a TT is still a tactic; a very effective one in past years)

 

[the asian]

oddly enough your reasonings haven't still transformed into 'Froome has no chance in the Tour' and all that jazz.

Be patient. Wait till July.

 

[Carols]

If he's clean, he's probably the best "clean" GT rider between 2002-2008

Take it to the clinic......

 

[MartinGT]

Is it game over for Wiggins for the Giro?

He doesnt look right mentally IMO. Just doesnt seem to be in it at all.