Bradley wiggens tour de france

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Totally agreed. He has been a superb ally as have all the Sky boys this year. Just look at Cav going back and doing the super domestique bit dishing out water bottles last week. I'd just have been very interested to see how Brad would have coped if Froome had let rip approaching some of those summits where he clearly held back under team orders.

Yeah i do agree as Froome looked like he had loads left in the tank and was Wiggins struggling or just knew he'd done enough. In some ways it would have been more interesting if Nibali had beaten them in the time trial as then they would have had to attack more to try and get the extra time the needed like last year with Schleck having to atack as he knew Cadel would beat him on the TT, but its still been good. Next year might have more climbs so be more suited to Froome.

 

[Triggaaar]

Froome must be gutted. He could have pissed this race if he'd been 'allowed' to. I like Brad a lot, but the best cyclist won't be winning this years tour.

I doubt the best cyclist wins many.

 

[Norman Potting]

all I know is that on Sunday (fingers crossed a little) - the achievement of Brad will eclipse
any England football moment since 1966 I know of - any of Chris Hoy's victories , England's rugby World Cup
etc etc.

I tend to agree, whatever your views on the sport I think you must admire the sheer physical effort involved. I believe he is then off to the Olympics to try and win some medals there.

 

[severnside gull]

Don't understand why people think Froome will be gutted - he has set himself up for life over the last three weeks and ensured, as far as it's possible to do so, that he will win a Tour next year or the year after. Wiggins has promised to support him when his turn comes. I suspect he will be very happy with his Tour.

"The Best Cyclist" is an interesting phrase ................... best on which day/which week/fortnight/three weeks/year?......................... Cycling is a team sport and you earn the right to the support of your team. Without that support you don't stand a cat in hell's chance of enduring a Tour let alone winning it. Wiggins has earned his right as the current best all round cyclist to lead the way into Paris on Sunday (although it will be Cavendish who will be" best" on that particular day for his 23rd stage win).

I don't particularly follow cycling or even the whole of the Tour de France. I love the Pyrenees stages......been down to see them live and driven the route (past cycling it) up over Tourmalet and Peyresaude and the others and I love it. Not enough mountain stages this year but fingers crossed for a tougher Tour in 2013 and another (drug free) English winner.

 

[pottert]

As much as I think there are to many tactics involved I really hope he wins.

I think the way he reacted to slow the race down when many of his rivals got punctures due to some idiot throwing tacks over the road makes him a worthy winner

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

To suggest that the best cyclist isn't going to win is a bit unfair on Wiggins, given not just his achievements in this Tour but also across his whole career. its going to take Froome a long time, if ever to match his track as well as road racing titles.

Regarding this Tour I suspect the ground Wiggins would have lost on the two stages when Froome looked like he could cycle away in the latter moments would have been offset by Wiggin's advantage on the time trials. Could have gone either way.

 

[essbee]

I think that, perversely, slowing down for Cadel to catch up etc - actually worked against Cadel
psychologically........and might have been the day we all realised it was Brad'sTour (including
Evans).

 

[pottert]

I think that, perversely, slowing down for Cadel to catch up etc - actually worked against Cadel
psychologically........and might have been the day we all realised it was Brad'sTour (including
Evans).

How did slowing down to let him catch up work against him.

I think it might have been interesting to see what Bradley would have done if he was 2min behind rather than 2min ahead.

 

[jackanada]

Froomdog and Wiggo have not actually raced each other at any point. Froome has the explosive acceleration on the mountains to 'gap' Wiggo but this in no way guarantees he could open up any significant time advantage if he attacked early. Brads climbing style is to keep churning out the tempo, but he has beaten specialist climbers to the top and if froome had attacked early on a climb it is still possible wiggo would have overhauled him by the end.
The idea that Froome is clearly better is frankly ridiculous. He might be better, my educated guess is that for this years course at least, with equal teams behind them, bradley would edge it.

What isn't in doubt is that Sky are an awesome team, they crushed the rest of the peleton this year, and whoever is their team leader next year another team will really need to step up to have a tighter competition

 

[Pevenseagull]

just take it as read that as a team they have been f***ing brilliant

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm curious:-

a) Why start this thread, when you know about the other one?

b) Why are there so many people one here with an opinion that haven't said hello, over there?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

just take it as read that as a team they have been f***ing brilliant

We never seem happy when our guys win. Maybe it would be better for some people if Wiggins came a galant 2nd?

 

[Bob!]

I'm curious:-

a) Why start this thread, when you know about the other one?

b) Why are there so many people one here with an opinion that haven't said hello, over there?

because 'that' thread seems to be for people who know cycling well, this is asking a question that would have got lost over there

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

This is what Wiggins has been working towards for years especially since this years TdF route is more suited to his strengths. Hopefully Froome will take over his mantle and give us years of success ahead. Having said that perhaps the French will opt for a much harsher route to suit their own climbers?

It will be interesting to see the dynamics within Team GB in the Olympic road race as it's an all or nothing single 'stage' so can't afford to concentrate as much on team tactics. In theory Cav should be the main man but wonder if the Box Hill course might take the sting out of his sprint finish. It would be the ikcing on the cake to see him take Gold but maybe unlike the TdF there will be less team orders so as to create opportunities for other Team GB riders?

 

[Woodchip]

because 'that' thread seems to be for people who know cycling well, this is asking a question that would have got lost over there

We don't bite though. If you want to ask questions ask away.


Anyway, this whole "Best Cyclist" thing...

For those that are questioning if Wiggins is the better of the two cyclists you may want to check out his Palmares for this year.

3rd overall in the Tour of Algarve (Overall)
10th of the 3rd stage of the Tour of Algarve (Castro Marim - Malhao (Loulé))
1st of the 5th stage of the Tour of Algarve (Lagoa - Portimao CLM Ind.)
first overall in the Paris Nice (Overall)
2nd of the first stage of Paris Nice (Dampierre-en-Yvelines - Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse)
11th of the 2nd stage of Paris Nice (Mantes-la-Jolie - Orleans)
20th of the 3rd stage of Paris Nice (Vierzon - The Vassivière Lake)
10th of the 4th stage of Paris Nice (Brive-la-Gaillarde - Rodez)
3rd of the 5th stage of Paris Nice (Onet-le-Chateau - Mende)
1st of the 8th stage of Paris Nice (Nice - Col d'Eze Ind. CLM)
16th of the 2nd stage of Tour of Catalonia (Girona - Girona)
11th of the first stage of the Tour de Romandie (Lausanne Prologue)
of the first overall in the Tour de Romandie (Overall)
1 of the 2nd stage of the Tour de Romandie (Morges - La Chaux-de-Fonds)
18th of the 5th stage of the Tour de Romandie (Bulle - Sion)
1 of the 6th stage of the Tour de Romandie (Crans-Montana CLM Ind.)
first overall in the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Overall)
2nd in the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Grenoble - Grenoble)
9th of the 3rd stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Lamastre - Saint-Félicien)
1 of the 5th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Villié-Morgon - Bourg en Bresse CLM Ind.)
4th to the 7th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Saint-Alban-Leysse - Morzine)
19th of the 8th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Morzine - Châtel)

Compared to Froome...

4th overall in the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Overall)
15th of the 3rd stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Lamastre - Saint-Félicien)
6th of the 5th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Villié-Morgon - Bourg en Bresse CLM Ind.)
6th of the 7th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Saint-Alban-Leysse - Morzine)
11th of the 8th stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere (Morzine - Châtel)

Wiggins has been IMMENSE this year and fully deserves his maillot jaune.

 

[Norman Potting]

I'm curious:-

a) Why start this thread, when you know about the other one?

b) Why are there so many people one here with an opinion that haven't said hello, over there?

I think it is for the benefit of people like me who don't even ride a bike, know diddley squat about competitive cycling but are interested in how Bradley Wiggins is faring and want to know more about it.

 

[OzMike]

All well and good but what's with the side burns

 

[The Large One]

I'm curious:-

a) Why start this thread, when you know about the other one?

b) Why are there so many people one here with an opinion that haven't said hello, over there?

This is the TDF JCL thread.

 

[Wardy]

I'm curious:-

a) Why start this thread, when you know about the other one?

b) Why are there so many people one here with an opinion that haven't said hello, over there?

My main reason for not saying hello in the other thread was that when I noticed it, there was about 30 pages and did not want to post something that had already been discussed to death.

 

[The Large One]

All well and good but what's with the side burns

Smart.