Author Topic: Wiggins - third day in red!  (Read 13208 times)

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #50 on: 06 September, 2011, 02:01:01 pm »
The spectators were a bit more mental than usual on the steep bits. I think I saw several of the riders get a bit of crowd assistance at times.

There used to be a lot of nationalism around the Vuelta in Fascist days, since Franco used it as a demonstration of his people's and system's superiority (which is why there were some very strange results and tactics until 1978, not to mention routine shoving of home riders - the book Viva la Vuelta that Ned and Matt were plugging gives chapter and verse on this).

Nowadays it's regionalism, with the Basques in particular and, it seems, the Asturians, going bananas when their local heroes go by, in the Vuelta and, in the case of the Basques, the TdF.

Compare the empty roads further south (but then would you stand around all day in 40C in the middle of nowhere to watch a bike race take 20 mins to go by, especially after an excess of aguardiente?
The journey is always more important than the destination

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #51 on: 07 September, 2011, 09:22:36 am »
On Twitter..
Quote
@bradwiggins
How do you play it? Conserve 3rd or throw everything at winning at the risk of loosing all? stupid or brave? What would you do?
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #52 on: 07 September, 2011, 10:01:01 am »
On Twitter..
Quote
@bradwiggins
How do you play it? Conserve 3rd or throw everything at winning at the risk of loosing all? stupid or brave? What would you do?

He's 31 and of his few top level road wins the biggest so far is the Dauphine. He should definitely go for it.
a great mind thinks alike

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #53 on: 07 September, 2011, 11:43:21 am »
Asking 100000 armchair DS's theor tactics for the vuelta... Methinks he likes a reaction rather than the content.

Froome: "I wouldn't want to be defending the red jersey on a stage finish like today" - Yeah, right. Given the option I'm sure he'd take first over second.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #54 on: 07 September, 2011, 11:45:19 am »
I'm assuming both Wiggo and Froome's comments were rhetorical, a thinly veiled statement of intent. Looks like it could be an exciting day's racing...

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #55 on: 07 September, 2011, 11:56:21 am »
The thing Team Sky have done really, really well is to build up a great relationship with the public. Through the Sky rides (and TV adverts featuring people just enjoying riding their bike, many helmetless) and the openness of the race team, it has built a strong following. I'd reckon their 'interactiveness' probably eclipses the majority of the rest of the world tour put together.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #56 on: 07 September, 2011, 12:03:23 pm »
True. It's great that much of what Wiggo posts on Twitter isn't cycling related, makes him seem more human, like "one of us".

Especially when it's things like getting rumbled by Cath for buying a scooter without telling her and trying to hide it.  ;D

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Justin(e)

  • On my way out of here
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #57 on: 08 September, 2011, 01:51:41 am »
Sorry David, I find your 'guilt by association' argument hard to stomach. Presumably you condemn performances by another Saunier Duval rider (a Mr Millar) equally irredeemable?

The guilt by association works especially well for Millar.  He rode with dopers and therefore there was suspicion that he doped.  Lo and behold - he actually did!

Just because he is a Brit, most Brits seem to have this blind spot for him. Admirable loyalty, but he is still a doper.

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #58 on: 08 September, 2011, 09:49:54 am »
Sorry David, I find your 'guilt by association' argument hard to stomach. Presumably you condemn performances by another Saunier Duval rider (a Mr Millar) equally irredeemable?

The guilt by association works especially well for Millar.  He rode with dopers and therefore there was suspicion that he doped.  Lo and behold - he actually did!



... and since then he's become a fierce anti-doping campaigner, put lots of his money into an anti-doping team and, so far as anyone can tell, ridden clean.

Nothing to do with blind spots - as far as anyone (including WADA and the UCI) can tell he's a changed man. Have you seen his TV interview?
The journey is always more important than the destination

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #59 on: 08 September, 2011, 10:51:55 am »
Just in from our GlassHalfFull correspondent:

We got through 2 weeks of this race before the topic was taken over by doping talk. Well done everyone!


[About Millar:
branding him a 'a doper' for life is rather like not letting Australians come back to england.]
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Justin(e)

  • On my way out of here
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #60 on: 08 September, 2011, 01:01:09 pm »
Have you seen his TV interview?

I watched that and I thought it should have been called SOFTtalk.

All he did was blame others for his moral failures (he was angry at other people for allowing him to make a choice to cheat)

At no stage did he accept responsibility for his actions.

I remember cheering for him when he stages in the Vuelta and believed in him when he said that he was clean.  It was people like him who have done the most damage to cycling.  I hope he is clean now, but I also wish we had seen the back of him.  I applaud sky for not touching tainted riders like Millar.  Those teams that rush to sign cheaters when they come off their ban are bottom feeders.

My view extends to DS's as well.  Get rid of all the smelly ones like Riis, including Anderson who has a whiff about him as well.

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #61 on: 08 September, 2011, 05:16:34 pm »
Have you seen his TV interview?

I watched that and I thought it should have been called SOFTtalk.

All he did was blame others for his moral failures (he was angry at other people for allowing him to make a choice to cheat)

At no stage did he accept responsibility for his actions.

Eh? Did you watch the same programme as me?

He gave himself up to TPTB and admitted doping - years ago. He did his time. He's back with an anti-doping team he half owns.

In the interview he repeated his admission of doping. He described the pressures to dope and admitted to succumbing to those pressures. He did not blame anyone else.

And the reason Shy aren't interested is perhaps because he owns half a rival team? And if they did it'd hardly be a "rush to sign cheaters when they come off their bans" since he was reinstated five years ago.
The journey is always more important than the destination

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #62 on: 08 September, 2011, 05:46:00 pm »
Sorry, mattc - my fault for mentioning the Vaughters innuendo. But I'm assuming innuendo is all it is and just enjoying some fantastic bike racing, including some great performances by Cobo that have been a joy to watch.

Let's move on, shall we?

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #63 on: 08 September, 2011, 06:15:25 pm »
Sorry, mattc - my fault for mentioning the Vaughters innuendo. But I'm assuming innuendo is all it is and just enjoying some fantastic bike racing, including some great performances by Cobo that have been a joy to watch.

Let's move on, shall we?

d.

Yep.

Today's stage should have been a bit dull, but got very interesting.

What can anyone do to beat Cobo at this point? I've tried to think of something but come up with no answers.
The journey is always more important than the destination

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #64 on: 08 September, 2011, 09:52:21 pm »
What can anyone do to beat Cobo at this point?

Well, I hope Sky at least try and go on the attack rather than just giving in. Chase down any breaks and keep Froome at the front so he at least has a chance of getting some bonus seconds in the sprints/climbs/stage finishes. It's unlikely, but there are still over a minutes worth of bonus seconds up for grabs!
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #65 on: 08 September, 2011, 11:17:22 pm »
What can anyone do to beat Cobo at this point?

Well, I hope Sky at least try and go on the attack rather than just giving in. Chase down any breaks and keep Froome at the front so he at least has a chance of getting some bonus seconds in the sprints/climbs/stage finishes. It's unlikely, but there are still over a minutes worth of bonus seconds up for grabs!

There's no point in attacking unless there's an opportunity to split the peloton in the wind. The remaining hills aren't hard enough to cause much damage (I've ridden up some of them without too much trouble!) and are all too far from the finish.

Much though I'd love to see a Sky team time trial from 10km out, it wouldn't work.

Just zooming off the front, even as a team, is pointless because most of the field (especially Geox, Rabobank, Leopard-Trek, Liquigas) will chase and catch you because your success would disadvantage their top riders.

And you won't get any help chasing down breaks unless one of the top five in GC are in them.

Like I said, i've thought about this.
The journey is always more important than the destination

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #66 on: 08 September, 2011, 11:20:25 pm »
I know, but it will be more fun to watch if they try to do at least something, regardless of how futile it might be....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #67 on: 09 September, 2011, 12:04:46 am »
Well, the run in to Bilbao might be hard enough to allow something. It is really the last realistic chance.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #68 on: 09 September, 2011, 12:15:30 am »
A split in the peloton is always possible if you keep the tempo high enough, especially if it's windy. Question is whether Geox are daft enough to allow themselves to get on the wrong side of a split...

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

LEE

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #69 on: 09 September, 2011, 01:32:55 pm »
Watching Cobo & Froome "man it out" on the final 19% ramp to the finish was superb, I was pedalling the sofa at one point.

I thought Froome had broken Cobo but Chapeau to him for grinding his way back to Froome's wheel and double Chapeau to Froome for honking past Cobo in the final 20 metres.

I'm surprised neither of them puked-up.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #70 on: 09 September, 2011, 01:49:26 pm »
Here's a vid so you can watch it again and again and again...

<a href="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/7179624/metacafe.swf" target="_blank">http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/7179624/metacafe.swf</a>

Love the mental commentary.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #71 on: 09 September, 2011, 02:15:29 pm »
Watching Cobo & Froome "man it out" on the final 19% ramp to the finish was superb, I was pedalling the sofa at one point.

I thought Froome had broken Cobo but Chapeau to him for grinding his way back to Froome's wheel and double Chapeau to Froome for honking past Cobo in the final 20 metres.

I'm surprised neither of them puked-up.


Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #72 on: 09 September, 2011, 11:35:19 pm »
Lovely.

Great video Citoyen and commentary, except they seemed to have expended their excitement before the final overtake.  That final overtake by Froome was quite risky wasn't it?  Or maybe he called out to Cobo: 'Coming through on the left'.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #73 on: 09 September, 2011, 11:48:22 pm »
Shame that Sky haven't managed to get Froome into red but it is fantastic that we have (barring accidents etc. ) two british riders on the podium of a Grand Tour.

"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wiggins - third day in red!
« Reply #74 on: 10 September, 2011, 10:24:55 am »
Shame that Sky haven't managed to get Froome into red but it is fantastic that we have (barring accidents etc. ) two british riders on the podium of a Grand Tour.

+1. Bodes well for next season.
The journey is always more important than the destination