2013 Pro-cycling season thread

He's been doing other stuff before the races, no? Workmate said he was doing TT training or something and then riding the stage. These races hold no value to Wiggo. Totally training.

what andyp says

Probably, but notably different to last year where winning was made a habit and he did every race in earnest.

Was Wiggo actually at ToO last year?

Doesn't look like it. Neither was Froome.

Doping Training on some island..

Probably, but notably different to last year where winning was made a habit and he did every World Tour race in earnest.

Fixed. Remember he rode Algarve in support of Porte.

Fixed. Remember he rode Algarve in support of Porte.

Yes, but he won the TT and finished 3rd overall.

My only point is that I liked the approach last year where they got used to doing what is necessary to win throughout the season. It makes you tough and tactical enough when it comes to the crunch. Compare that to the Schleck approach where Andy doesn't compete to win year round, and isn't sufficiently battle hardened come the tour.

The Tour that he won in 2010? He must know what to do to get close - perhaps long periods of high intensity doesn't work for him?

http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20120422T16&p0=1248&msg=Since+Andy+Schleck+last+finished+a+race

Yes, but he won the TT and finished 3rd overall.

My only point is that I liked the approach last year where they got used to doing what is necessary to win throughout the season. It makes you tough and tactical enough when it comes to the crunch. Compare that to the Schleck approach where Andy doesn't compete to win year round, and isn't sufficiently battle hardened come the tour.

My thoughts were that he'd at least be trying to involve some sort of racing if he's going for the Giro or whatever this season
Although his training before might make sense, didn't know about that

Wiggo abandoned the Tour of Catalunya when it snowed a bit last year, he didn't start winning, or trying to win until P-N, which he has swapped for T-A this year as prep for the Giro. I guess there we'll see him start to take it seriously, and also an idea of the Giro squad Sky are going to unleash

Paris-Nice was before Catalunya.

May I go on the record as saying I don't think TOO is indicative of form or otherwise for Wiggo at the moment.

Saw Contador finished 4th on today's stage. Did he duke it out in the sprint?

Where/how are you watching it?

twitter :-)

check ToO's youtube this evening for a recap

http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20120422T16&p0=1248&msg=Since+Andy+Schleck+last+finished+a+race

I did a LOL.

May I go on the record as saying I don't think TOO is indicative of form or otherwise for Wiggo at the moment.
Saw Contador finished 4th on today's stage. Did he duke it out in the sprint?

Or anyone else's form..

Cadel was second the other day. Methinks the GC boys are just up front keeping out of trouble because they can.

Or DFL for the same reason presumably

Was Wiggo actually at ToO last year?

They weren't sure Tour of med was going to go ahead this season so dropped it off the plan and chose ToO for warm weather/hills/training

Nice life eh?

easy peasy

TV, thought the taking race seiously early last season was to get wiggins used to leading races, being the marked man, and all the attendant fuss and bother that comes with that pre and post race..

Now he's won the biggest of them all, and held yellow for so long, he knows what needs to be done, and what comes with being the leader of a stage race. He doesn't need to win now to gain that experience Froome does. Wiggins is looking to get into racing shape, nothing more, nothing less.

I'm glad that riding races as training will definitely be over 9 days from now

provisional startlist for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - no Sagan/Cannondale which I find surprising

To be fair, what makes you think teams are less likely to be 'racing as training' in the lesser-rated one day races than in the lesser stage races? In fact isn't it more common to do exactly that in preparation for the classics?