Bert is going to LBL
by rbjhan on Mar 17, 2010 3:05 AM EDT
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Moi, I am very excited, needless to say.
And of course jurnos have to make the headline something like "Contador is going to face off you know who in CI", bah.
anyways, CN story here.
like everybody around here, I like Jens!, but who else cares about CI....I certainly don't. LBL and Fleche Wallonne on the other hand....
of course, Bert has zero finishing speed (would be interesting to see him and Basso in a sprint though), methinks he might do well, but not win.
note to self: do NOT jinx your vds team.
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woohoo!
great to see him ride some races like this. Hopefully he’ll be trying to win, which seems to usually be his style.
Absolutely
but I think he needs good teamsupport to get him to the bottom of the climb in the right position. Even with that he needs to ride more actively/aggressively than normally and I don’t know if he has it in him? (As in, I really don’t know either way because I haven’t seen him try)
this is what i'd like to see,
is him trying to develop some new skills and tactics. In tours he does well in the time trial, carefully picks his spots on some big climbs – and tries to make sure he hangs in and doesn’t screw anything up the rest of the time. He’s good at that and i love seeing him climb, but as some people complain about – it is very predictable. Seeing him try to win some races like this will be fun to watch. And i appreciate when a rider tries to branch out like Boonen recently with his time-trialing abilities.
agree that it's great to see him trying something new
but I don’t find him climbing away from everybody else boring…..
no, i don't either,
but i can see how others do – or at least it’s always the same formula for winning the tours. Of course it’s exactly what he should do, but it’s nice to see him try something else.
Before his sudden transformation as a TTer
he always was a attacking rider. Needs an incline, of course.
sudden transformation
now where is that from?
you just want to force me to dig out old results, don’t you?
right, there you go....
2002, 2nd in Circuito Montañés ITT
2003, 1st in Poland ITT.
2004, 5th in Paris Nice ITT.
2005, 1st in Pais Vasco ITT.
2006, 4th in Paris Nice ITT.
there are more, but I think this is enough…he was 20 in 2002.
unfortunate quote in retrospect
“"It was a real pleasure working with someone as progressive as Manolo Saiz.”
In 2003 the Tour of Poland wasn't PT..
So field would be crappy.. But he was a better TT than I thought..
you go girl
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
All right,
not sudden at all. Just seemed that way to me because I hadn’t paid attention to his other TT results before he won the 2007 TdF out of the blue.
Yeah this is great, already my favourite race and now it got even better. And hey, A. Schleck doesn’t have any finishing speed either ;)
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
Imagine Bert & Andy getting away together in L-B-L
on that climb that Gav can’t remember the name of, (the one before Saint Nicholas)
Imagine Andy, Bert, and Ivan in a 3 way sprint for the win
You’d swear your video was running backwards.
"Woof, woof, woof! That's my other dog imitation."
I dunno...
he seems to have an affinity for unclipping from his pedal when he is going fast
by Vlaanderen90 on Mar 17, 2010 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Will Contador be able to ride in LBL without mixing it up at the front?
Would it be possible that he is just going to lend support for his team mates. He has always said that he wouldn’t be going for the win, if he went to these races. He is going to be counting on these same guys in the Tour so why not go and help them achieve their best results. And hope they remember that deed during the Tour and dig a little deeper for him.
Velonation has a story regarding Astana and the decision not to ride Paris – Roubaix, it was their choice apparently to not compete this year. I can’t help but wonder if ASO wanted Bert to race in Corsica to raise the Criterium International’s profile. (I cant help but speculate if maybe Astana isn’t trying to bend over backwards to help the ASO in exchange for letting Vino race the Tour this year.)
Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. Louis J. Helle, Jr.
They would be smart to do all kinds of bending over...
drop the soap bar…
squeal like a pig, etc…
to get Vino in the Tour.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Sounds like you've had experience. :-D
So you think they should bend over forwards instead of backwards?
Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. Louis J. Helle, Jr.
C'mon now
forwards bending over is asking for favors, they gotta flex that spine and get on all fours to get Vino in.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Well they were trying to avoid that by opting out of P - R and bringing
their marquis stud to the revamped Criterium International. That’s got to help bring in viewers and sponsors as a result. Will will be impressed that Contador has become a cash cow, MOO.
Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. Louis J. Helle, Jr.
My take on this.
Bert had to work his ass off for the PN victory, and he’s tired. Two more week long stage races in the spring would have been a bit much.
Swapping CN for Catalunya and Castilla y Leon for Pais Vasco = 5 less days of racing. I doubt Armstrong’s CN participation even factored into the equation.
Maybe he was planning on Fleche and LBL all along, but now he can go into those with only 3 days off between the end of Leon (18th) and Fleche (21st). Dude is going to be on form.
I bet he intends to ride for Vino, but will obviously go for victory if he stumbles.
Twitter username: FitTechEric
I love Castilla y Leon
That’s when I saw AC taking his first stage wins (there and P-N) and attacking anything that resembled an incline. But also attacking the roads when he broke free and almost crashing into a rocky cliff and showing some amazing recovery skills on the bike. A brave rider he is. But hey, one must take sides.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
That's a good video of it.
That could have been real real ugly with the pole and rocky cliff. And he just clipped back in and started hammering again.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
I'm not sure this is from the Castilla y Leon,
but it certainly demontrates that the guy has some bike handling skilz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzNFnOx-RA
Twitter username: FitTechEric
by The Team Chef on Mar 17, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions
P-N I believe.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Yeah, I think you're right.
That area is just to the north of Madrid, where Bert is from.
Twitter username: FitTechEric
by The Team Chef on Mar 17, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course, CN = Criterium International
Doh! In my defense, it used to be the Criterium National (only French riders could participate) prior to 1979.
I can’t remember where I put my car keys, but I can remember shit like this. Go figure.
Twitter username: FitTechEric
by The Team Chef on Mar 17, 2010 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Ride for Vino? Seriously think he'd do that?
by JustJoshinYa on Mar 18, 2010 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I do.
Help a mate who’s already demonstrated he can win LBL, in return for complete loyalty in the Tour.
Twitter username: FitTechEric
by The Team Chef on Mar 18, 2010 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions
he rode for levi at castille y leon last year
a race that conta in 2007 and 2008
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
If he was in top form you still wouldn't entertain the notion.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Astana not at P-R, part deux
What I find most interesting there is that the Astana DS says that next year they will have a full cobbles team. So you have to ask yourself is who will not be on the team next year since they need to get rid of some riders in order to add some cobbles guys. Hmm. Maybe Bert already knows where he is going next year?
I see AC as motivated to keep a lot of power wherever he ends up.
He has it now – he seems happy in his team situation. And all the other teams courting him are happy enough to pace him back with their cars if he flats, so that helps, too.
It’s most realistic to rule out Astana, except that the whole concept of the Kazakh Capitol city pro bike team with foreign riders is insane anyways, and the athletes always go for the money, so some possibility he stays for bigger $ than he can get elsewhere.
Barring the unforeseen, which is coming, right now he is on top of the bike world without peer, headed to a nice contract following another huge season and likely TDF win – his ability is more than others and he looks to have enough ability to take multiple jersies in a single grand tour.
If he already knows where he is going, will they let him go early enough to ride the Vuelta for the new team? Neva gonna happen? $ can grease a lot of skids.
by rubesANdbabes on Mar 17, 2010 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
moi, i like your way of thinking ;-)
by rbjhan on Mar 17, 2010 6:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Bert and Alonso will team up and create a team
that is if Fernando has overcome finishing runner-up in the F! championship to Vettel*
*pending Red Bull mechanics get their head out of their collective asses.
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
if Alonso can get santander into cycling
that would be great.
by rbjhan on Mar 17, 2010 9:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Astana apparently doesn't have a problem coming up with a team for Flanders.
I’m just saying.
Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. Louis J. Helle, Jr.
Iglinskiy and Bazayev can at least dream of competing in the Ronde.
by Mr 60 Percent on Mar 17, 2010 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Iglinsky: this year's Ivanov.
Two good single day riders, both called selfish by their former boss, Johann Bruyneel. Both go on to have immediate success that they ever had under Johan. Meanwhile Johan’s Classics teams continue to underperform as they use Grand Tour strategy to win one day races.
Catalunya must be frustrated.
I mean last week at this time they were looking forward to their new dates which are designed to get more high profile riders. They were expecting two big draws in Contador and Valverde. Now: aw crap!
I heard he's going to take up the harmonica
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
AC could win if he wants
The field in the Ardennes is as depleted as the cobbles are deep. Valverde, DiLuca, Rebellin (and even Pfannberger) out in one year. The youngsters who were supposed to replace Bettini, Boogerd and company mostly got themselves suspended (Ricco, Schumi, Dekker).
Who’s left? The Schlecks, JRod, Cunego, maybe Evans and Gesink. Ivanov, Kroon, Kolobnev and Gerrans are in the picture. Not an empty cupboard but no one to be scared of.
Then again, maybe it’s not in him. Last time he rode was 2006 and, in his own words, he did not do well.
I see Bert competing well at La Fleche
punchy climber he isn’t exactly seeing he’s a true mountain goat but the acceleration he has can be unmatched, question is if he will time it correctly and be in the right place heading into the bottom of the Mur, Liege seems out of his range at the moment.
Proud member of Thuggetz nation.
Are these climbs long enough though for him to really take it...
…he is an excellent TT though too. At first, I thought no shot…but after typing this, why not?
by JustJoshinYa on Mar 18, 2010 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that if Schleck won, Contador can win. The difference with Schleck was the dominant team…but who knows, it’s not so weird to imagine a scenario in which Vinokourov tries to get away a few times and can’t, then Contador gives it a go and it sticks, and he’s got V. and Iglinsky working for him.
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Mar 18, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
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