Author Topic: paris nice  (Read 5107 times)


Re: paris nice
« Reply #26 on: 11 March, 2012, 01:46:50 pm »
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'Something....something.... Something about racing bicycles, but really a profound metaphor about life itself.'  Tim Krabbé. Possibly

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
paris nice
« Reply #27 on: 11 March, 2012, 07:43:31 pm »
Really impressed by Westra's performance today, but there was never really any doubt about what the result would be. Brad went into the race as favourite and rode like it from start to finish, backed up by some fine work from his lieutenants and tactical nous from the team bosses. A very well deserved victory and another huge feather in his cap. Chapeau!

Roll on July...

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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #28 on: 11 March, 2012, 07:46:10 pm »
That would probably be considered his most significant win on the road. Nice one Wiggo!  :thumbsup:
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: paris nice
« Reply #29 on: 11 March, 2012, 07:46:22 pm »
Roll on July...

I just hope he doesn't overdo it inbetween, thinking he can win every race ...  ::-)
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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #30 on: 11 March, 2012, 08:38:36 pm »
Roll on July...

I just hope he doesn't overdo it inbetween, thinking he can win every race ...  ::-)

I'd say he's looking for an early season peak in form, then maybe taper a bit and aim for another peak in time for the TdF/Olympics, so he and the team management should be carefully picking the races.

The other way to do it is to be pretty anonymous in the first part of the season, then use the Giro d'Italia and the Critérium du Dauphiné as a springboard for le Tour.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Re: paris nice
« Reply #31 on: 11 March, 2012, 09:42:50 pm »
The green jersey was an unexpected bonus to the stage and overall.

I wonder if Westra is regretting his easing off and freewheeling to the line on his stage win.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: paris nice
« Reply #32 on: 11 March, 2012, 10:16:25 pm »
The green jersey was an unexpected bonus to the stage and overall.

I wonder if Westra is regretting his easing off and freewheeling to the line on his stage win.

He wouldn't have made up 8 seconds though..
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: paris nice
« Reply #33 on: 12 March, 2012, 06:32:47 am »
Really impressed by Westra's performance today, but there was never really any doubt about what the result would be.

When Westra crossed the line about 30 seconds ahead, with Wiggins 2 seconds down at the split, I was worried.
"Il veut moins de riches, moi je veux moins de pauvres"

Re: paris nice
« Reply #34 on: 12 March, 2012, 07:35:01 am »
I wonder how much aerodynamic difference the filling in of the ventilation slots on the Team Skyt helmets made. Was it a deciding factor? It's something you can do in the cooler weather of early season, but not so much in July.

Re: paris nice
« Reply #35 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:01:02 am »
Not sure, but they didn't seem that bothered about being super areo as most of them were on road bikes with clip ons.

All this talk of it being close - correct me if I'm wrong, but surely as Wiggins went last he would have had his directeur bellowing in his ear all the way up, so he just rode more or less to Westra's pace giving it just enough to beat him at the end. Had Westra gone even faster, Wiggins would have just gone faster too (assuming he could) so there was no need to bust his balls when all he needed to do was stay within a few seconds of him...
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: paris nice
« Reply #36 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:03:22 am »
Shameful omission of reporting this triumph in BBC breakfast news tv sports report. Looking at the list of past winners, Brad has joined an elite list of big names, many unfortunately tarnished by drugs involvement
#makewattsnotwar

Re: paris nice
« Reply #37 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:06:34 am »
Great for Bradley, but I still suspect the changes in speed on the TdF stages will be his undoing.  He has a great engine but doesn't seem to be able to respond when those nearby up the pace a bit, even if for only a short time.  Fingers crossed though as I would really like to see him win this year.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
paris nice
« Reply #38 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:07:09 am »
All this talk of it being close - correct me if I'm wrong, but surely as Wiggins went last he would have had his directeur bellowing in his ear all the way up, so he just rode more or less to Westra's pace giving it just enough to beat him at the end.

Quite. It was an impressive effort by Westra but there was never any doubt about what the result would be.

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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #39 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:16:37 am »
Would have been nice if he got a mention on the BBC news.
Iirc he looked good last year and went into the TDF on very good form. I am trying to think how to word this properly, I reckon it must take two years or so to get a team built around someone. I wonder how much time Brad has lost out on by crashing last year when it comes to winning the TDF.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: paris nice
« Reply #40 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:26:04 am »
He has gone now from believing that he might do quite well, to believing that he might make the podium (until his crash), to now believing that he can win. And with this years course ideal for him (apart from one or two very steep sections), he must now rank as one of the favourites.

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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #41 on: 12 March, 2012, 08:36:00 am »
Wiggins was interviewed by, unsurprisingly, Sky and was asked if he knew he was behind at the timing point. He did, not only because he was fed the information but also because of the 'huge' sign.  But it was all about riding to his own schedule.  He didn't say if he'd had to up his pace to match Westra’s unexpectedly good performance, but there was only the one intermediate timing point, and I doubt, however good Sky’s preparation and implementation was, that they could be confident, to the second or even handful of seconds, where he was in relation to Westra’s time.

Having said that, the performance of the team was just about faultless. There was

-   Wiggins’ stunning prologue result (considering the conditions and necessary caution)
-   the attention which enabled Wiggins and Thomas to be in the front echelon on the decisive first stage, and also for them to help drive it home allowing the rest of the team to take it easy while others were busting a gut
-   Richie Porte and co keeping the pace high on the final climbs to dissuade the more explosive climbers from attacking effectively.
-   Wiggins ‘delivering’.

With Cav, Wiggins, Boassen-Hagen and Richie Porte all winning it’s been a stellar start to the season.  Not that it really matters but I see that Sky are now top of the team rankings after Paris-Nice.

Great for Bradley, but I still suspect the changes in speed on the TdF stages will be his undoing.  He has a great engine but doesn't seem to be able to respond when those nearby up the pace a bit, even if for only a short time.  Fingers crossed though as I would really like to see him win this year.

The counter-argument to this was his performance in the Dauphine last year, when on the harder climbs he was dropped.  But he gradually upped his pace, Indurain-style, and managed to catch up the hares.

Innr ring's views on trhe suject here: http://inrng.com/2012/03/can-bradley-wiggins-win-the-tour-de-france-2/

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: paris nice
« Reply #42 on: 12 March, 2012, 09:06:18 am »
Great for Bradley, but I still suspect the changes in speed on the TdF stages will be his undoing.  He has a great engine but doesn't seem to be able to respond when those nearby up the pace a bit, even if for only a short time.  Fingers crossed though as I would really like to see him win this year.

Cadel Evans can't respond to changes of pace on steep climbs and he won it. Of the two best riders at that style of riding (who are also GC contenders), one is banned and the other can't time-trial and this year's Tour has quite a lot of TT km's.

Wiggo has the pedigree to be up there - 4th in the 2009 TDF, won the Dauphine in 2011, 3rd in the Vuelta in 2011, 2nd in World TT champs in 2011, and now winner of Paris-Nice.
a great mind thinks alike

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: paris nice
« Reply #43 on: 12 March, 2012, 09:39:27 am »
The other standout team performance of Paris-Nice was Vacansoleil. Three different stage winners, team prize, mountains prize and lots of exposure for the sponsors. I wonder if Westra is happy with 2nd or disappointed that he was so close..

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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #44 on: 12 March, 2012, 09:43:41 am »
but there was only the one intermediate timing point, and I doubt, however good Sky’s preparation and implementation was, that they could be confident, to the second or even handful of seconds, where he was in relation to Westra’s time

Maybe, but I doubt the Sky bods would have overlooked the fact that all they needed was a man with a pen and paper to write down Westra's times at any point on the road and pass those back to the team. I guess we'll never know...
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: paris nice
« Reply #46 on: 12 March, 2012, 05:05:33 pm »
but there was only the one intermediate timing point, and I doubt, however good Sky’s preparation and implementation was, that they could be confident, to the second or even handful of seconds, where he was in relation to Westra’s time

Maybe, but I doubt the Sky bods would have overlooked the fact that all they needed was a man with a pen and paper to write down Westra's times at any point on the road and pass those back to the team. I guess we'll never know...
I thnk Bobb's right, in that there is no reason they couldn't have done this (barring odd local geography, or regs, possibly). They even do this at lowly UK Championships - I think it was Dangerfield's coach who I heard speaking on this.

But I have a personal pet theory here; Wiggo knows all about pacing, and his own TTing ability. He didn't need to save anything for Monday, he could give it everything - so maybe he could just do his own ride? Personally I'd find that mentally easier - rather than being told "You're 5 seconds down!" and be expected to speed up, or similar. Anyhoo, he's riding the things, not me!
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

Re: paris nice
« Reply #47 on: 13 March, 2012, 09:14:56 am »
I would put money on Sky having staff at, at the most, half km intervals, collecting data on every contender. They would be in radio contact with Yatesy in the car, and with staff with a computer in the bus.

Even back in the 70's, when I was there with ANC, we had staff and others we "collected" all the way up with spare wheels and watches (Joe McLoughlin was up in the young rider category).

Re: paris nice
« Reply #48 on: 13 March, 2012, 11:05:43 am »
I stand corrected.  I'm happy to think that at least some of my Murdoch pounds are going towards stopwatches and timers, and not all to corruptible Met officers, seedy journalists, celebrity pay-offs, and curvaceous (and surprisingly erudite) girls from Essex.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: paris nice
« Reply #49 on: 13 March, 2012, 10:50:44 pm »
I stand corrected.  I'm happy to think that at least some of my Murdoch pounds are going towards stopwatches and timers, and not all to corruptible Met officers, seedy journalists, celebrity pay-offs, and curvaceous (and surprisingly erudite) girls from Essex. /b]

That would be Peta then?
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes