Wiggins Discussion thread.

[airstream]

a shame this year's tour doesn't has a stage like gardeccia, it would be enough to put wiggins out of contention.

what about la toussuire for scarponi or any abstract climb with av. gradient 6%, uh? unfortunately, they stand no chance to meet on gardeccia or zoncolan but they can do that on la toussuire! i dont like to compare incomparable but wiggins' climbing lever seems a bit higher.

 

[Ferminal]

There has been enough doping talk going on here lately... please take further discussions to The Clinic.

 

[Havetts]

As long as wiggins thinks he is in a positive spiral I guess his performances will continue to impress. Lets hope for him he doesnt lose that vibe.

 

[Hawkwood]

And re: the Wiggins video - well of course the journalists will clap and put up a brave front, what choice do they have? But Wiggins still comes off as arrogant and "aloof" to me. Ever athlete gets asked stupid questions now and again. The smart athlete answers every one of them as if it's interesting and original anyway though.

The video of the interview appears to have been cut and edited, so we
are not seeing it as it happened. Wiggins appeared to be having a laugh with the journos. Not sure why anyone has to answer a stupid question, journalists are paid to ask intelligent questions, not stupid ones.

 

[The Hitch]

The video of the interview appears to have been cut and edited, so we
are not seeing it as it happened. Wiggins appeared to be having a laugh with the journos. Not sure why anyone has to answer a stupid question, journalists are paid to ask intelligent questions, not stupid ones.

Not sports journalists. they are just paid to get the athlete to talk. if possible try and get them to say something controversial.

 

[Swede1]

His motivation this year is incredible. It seems like he is extremely focused on his training and specific training work, like finding his weaknesses and fixing them. Basically if Andy schleck was that motivated he would be unstoppable. So i'm actually starting to believe that Wiggins can really do something come July.

 

[movingtarget]

His motivation this year is incredible. It seems like he is extremely focused on his training and specific training work, like finding his weaknesses and fixing them. Basically if Andy schleck was that motivated he would be unstoppable. So i'm actually starting to believe that Wiggins can really do something come July.

He will certainly go into the race more motivated and more confident than at any previous Tour. Obviously it's will be the mountains for him. Like Evans if he can minimise his losses on the climbs he is looking good. I am having doubts about Schleck ever winning the Tour after the great chances he missed in the past two years. Both times outridden by riders with more determination and will to win and TT ability.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

He will certainly go into the race more motivated and more confident than at any previous Tour. Obviously it's will be the mountains for him. Like Evans if he can minimise his losses on the climbs he is looking good. I am having doubts about Schleck ever winning the Tour after the great chances he missed in the past two years. Both times outridden by riders with more determination and will to win and TT ability.

It will be interesting to see how Schleck rides now there will be no Contador and with Frank riding the Giro. It might work in his favour in that he attacks more. Last years tour should have at least given him confidence that he can attack on his own.
If he and some of the other climbers keep attacking Wiggins and Evans it could get very interesting...

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

It will be interesting to see how Schleck rides now there will be no Contador and with Frank riding the Giro. It might work in his favour in that he attacks more. Last years tour should have at least given him confidence that he can attack on his own.
If he and some of the other climbers keep attacking Wiggins and Evans it could get very interesting...

belive me after this years tour we will all remember the Schleck/Kiserlovksi attacks

 

[movingtarget]

It will be interesting to see how Schleck rides now there will be no Contador and with Frank riding the Giro. It might work in his favour in that he attacks more. Last years tour should have at least given him confidence that he can attack on his own.
If he and some of the other climbers keep attacking Wiggins and Evans it could get very interesting...

Yes, that's their only hope of winning. They only have to crack on one stage in the mountains to lose big time. But Evans is a tough competitor and Wiggins has been impressive this year. Should be a good race.

 

[Jan the Man]

Although I am not Wiggins' biggest fan, I do not get the hate for him.

I see him as an athlete who is absolutely getting the maximum potential out of his career without having any regrets.

There have been many riders with his riding characteristics in the past.
He is a quircky character, but cycling needs these.

In respect of the Tour, I would be surprised if he won, but not altogether surprised if he podiumed. Both him and Sky are ridding to their strenghts in races- and Sky has a very strong team (if not for the very toughest mountain stages).

In terms of the Tour I see the Vosges stages and the Pyrenees as decisive. The Vosges do not suit his punchy style and the Pyrenees stages are the most selective.

I actually appreaciate the fact that Wiggins is entering every race with the intention of winning it. It is a different strategy to some of the other GT contenders which merely treat those races as preparation.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I actually appreaciate the fact that Wiggins is entering every race with the intention of winning it. It is a different strategy to some of the other GT contenders which merely treat those races as preparation.

This is winning me over too!

 

[B_Ugli]

This is winning me over too!

But if it were a game of poker I would possibly say he is showing his hand too early. Impressing as it is, Sky showing their stage race stragegy/showing their strength for all their July competitors to see in advance could backfire by July.

Cancellara is testement to the fact that if you continually show your strength your competitors eventually wise up, leave you to make the race and then smoke you in the finale.

 

[uphillstruggle]

Cancellara is testement to the fact that if you continually show your strength your competitors eventually wise up, leave you to make the race and then smoke you in the finale.

Stage racing is less tactical than 1 day racing. Usually the strongest rider wins. People can try to mark Contador all they want but he will still drop them on the climbs and win the race. Of course Wiggins isn't Contador, but if sky can keep the pace high most of the way up the final climbs and Wiggins can ride tempo to limit his loses he has a chance at placing well.

I am torn on this scenario, however, as it will make for dull race but I would quite like to see him win.

He will probably crack on a mountain stage however.

 

[virandociclista]

But if it were a game of poker I would possibly say he is showing his hand too early. Impressing as it is, Sky showing their stage race stragegy/showing their strength for all their July competitors to see in advance could backfire by July.

Cancellara is testement to the fact that if you continually show your strength your competitors eventually wise up, leave you to make the race and then smoke you in the finale.

Did You watch the TDF 1999-2005? All the same thing all the time but nobody could do nothing.

 

[therhodeo]

Did You watch the TDF 1999-2005? All the same thing all the time but nobody could do nothing.

I can't respond to this in this forum like I want to.

 

[hrotha]

I can't respond to this in this forum like I want to.

The way he got that superiority is irrelevant to the discussion though. What matters here is that he was superior, the other riders knew it, and they still didn't benefit from that one bit.

 

[B_Ugli]

Did You watch the TDF 1999-2005? All the same thing all the time but nobody could do nothing.

Yes I did but I dont reckon you can compare the Sky train to the USPS train or the way Wiggins climbs to Lance Armstrong. LA had a some real climbers in his train that really did set a blistering pace on some of the final/penultimate climbs which LA finished off with an explosive attack.

Sky is a lot more steady as is Wiggins and if they get Yellow too early on in the race they could be cooked by the 3rd week, particularly with all the work they have been doing in the warm up races.

 

[virandociclista]

Yes I did but I dont reckon you can compare the Sky train to the USPS train or the way Wiggins climbs to Lance Armstrong. LA had a some real climbers in his train that really did set a blistering pace on some of the final/penultimate climbs which LA finished off with an explosive attack.

Sky is a lot more steady as is Wiggins and if they get Yellow too early on in the race they could be cooked by the 3rd week, particularly with all the work they have been doing in the warm up races.

You was talking about hidding their tatics. I'm showing you that this not matter in a gt. I think that there is only two tatics nowdays:

1 - You have the strongest rider and a strong team: The team set a hard pace at the front in the climbs to launch the captain in the last kms and prevent attacks from other riders, protected their captain in flat stages, etc.
2 - You did not have a strong team: Just mark your rivals, like evans did last year. Make the difference in the last km of a climb or/and in the tt.

If you did not have the legs.. nether matters.

 

[Angliru]

Although I am not Wiggins' biggest fan, I do not get the hate for him.

I see him as an athlete who is absolutely getting the maximum potential out of his career without having any regrets.

There have been many riders with his riding characteristics in the past.
He is a quircky character, but cycling needs these.

In respect of the Tour, I would be surprised if he won, but not altogether surprised if he podiumed. Both him and Sky are ridding to their strenghts in races- and Sky has a very strong team (if not for the very toughest mountain stages).

In terms of the Tour I see the Vosges stages and the Pyrenees as decisive. The Vosges do not suit his punchy style and the Pyrenees stages are the most selective.

I actually appreaciate the fact that Wiggins is entering every race with the intention of winning it. It is a different strategy to some of the other GT contenders which merely treat those races as preparation.

I too share your respect for Wiggins' go for it approach to most of the races he enters but I've never thought of him as a punchy style of rider. More of a diesel or on his recent form a turbo-diesel.

 

[therhodeo]

I too share your respect for Wiggins' go for it approach to most of the races he enters but I've never thought of him as a punchy style of rider. More of diesel or on his recent form a turbo-diesel.

And I think we'll see in July that there are other diesels of at least equal quality in the peloton.

 

[happychappy]

And I think we'll see in July that there are other diesels of at least equal quality in the peloton.

I don't think anyone is saying otherwise. Anything could happen, there's so many variables for those aiming for a top5, or even top10. Some guy might have a real breakthrough ride like Froome and Cobo last year and smash all the "favorites".
But to discount Wiggins as a real contender after the way he's been riding would be a bit silly - even if you think he comes across as a **** in interviews and whatnot.

 

[LaFlorecita]

belive me after this years tour we will all remember the Schleck/Kiserlovksi attacks

now that would be awesome.

 

[LugHugger]

And I think we'll see in July that there are other diesels of at least equal quality in the peloton.

True. But few diesels can TT like Wiggins.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

But if it were a game of poker I would possibly say he is showing his hand too early. Impressing as it is, Sky showing their stage race stragegy/showing their strength for all their July competitors to see in advance could backfire by July.

Racing to win all season hasn't hurt Contador, Evans, Valverde...

In 2010, Wiggins tried the "stay on the down low and peak for the Tour" approach. He didn't ride anything to win except the Giro prologue. And that approach didn't work for him. It works for some people (Armstrong, Schleck, Menchov, Sastre), but other people need to build their form by racing hard and racing to win.

And if you're racing to win and you're good enough to win, then at least you've got something to point back to if you fail your season's goal - even had he been injured more seriously in the Tour and not been at the Vuelta, Wiggins would have had a good 2011 results-wise. And even if he crashes out of the Tour again, he's had a good 2012 results-wise.