Giro del Trentino - SPOILERS

[themosquitoking]

More times than you would think. During my lifetime, off the top of my head, Tour de France only....

By choice: Merckx skipped '73, Armstrong retired after '05*. Not by choice: Pantani didn't race '99 (doping issues?), Lemond didn't race '87 (had been shot), Contador missed '08 (team not invited). Roche missed '88 (knee injury?) I'm sure there's a couple more but I can't be arsed to Wiki it.

*Technically no-one won that edition blah blah blah

I think out of that list Lemond wins best excuse. Was it drug related shenanigans the reason Contador's team wasn't invited to defend in 08?

 

[Hont]

Was it drug related shenanigans the reason Contador's team wasn't invited to defend in 08?

Yes, the fallout from Operation Puerto + Vinokourov's positive from 2007 iirc.

 

[oldroadman]

it was a tough break for wiggins having the mechanical issues, but throwing the bike away, riding straight to the bus at the end and then sneaking off in a car to avoid the press, well maybe it should be Brat Wiggins, not the best way to deal with a problem.

An uninformed comment. As a rider, if you have had problems at a critical time, the best plan is get away from the loony reporters immediately, because someone will stick a mic or voice recorder under your nose and ask a stupid or provative question just to get a response. Wrong response and it haunts you for ages. Much better to disappear and say nothing. Imagine some reporter in a footy dressing room trying it with players "why did you let that own goal (etc) in". More likely to get a black eye than an answer. Yet as riders we are expected to be available to these people seconds after a finish. That's how it is far a rider, and if you are mightily p'eed off, then best say nothing. That is not being a Brat (silly...), it's a sensible tactic.

 

[400bhp]

So really, Mercxx was the only skipper (snigger) by choice?

I should imagine there will be a lot of pressure by the current tour organisers to get the current winner to participate.

 

[thom]

So really, Mercxx was the only skipper (snigger) by choice?

I should imagine there will be a lot of pressure by the current tour organisers to get the current winner to participate.

Oh I don't know - they set up the route last year to be favourable to someone like Wiggins. It is different this year. ASO aren't so stupid as to be ignorant of the relative disadvantage this gives him and that even within his own team he would be unlikely to be the most successful rider.

 

[smutchin]

Seems to be certain Italian races have been attracting bigger and better fields than certain French races this year - eg Paris-Nice vs Tirreno-Adriatico - and races like Strade Bianche and Roma Maxima have raised their profile (or are actually new races, kind of, in the latter case) seemingly with the aim of competing with the Belgian one-day race season. It has also been suggested that this year's Giro route was designed with the aim of drawing Wiggins much like last year's TdF. This seems to have coincided with Acquarone taking over as organiser, but is no coincidence.

Don't know where they're getting the money from though - I thought Italy was broke.

 

[rich p]

Don't know where they're getting the money from though - I thought Italy was broke.

The reason given last year for the northern-based Giro was financial too but this year it is pan-Italian. They must have found some a load of old lire under the mattress.

 

[kedab]

An uninformed comment. As a rider, if you have had problems at a critical time, the best plan is get away from the loony reporters immediately, because someone will stick a mic or voice recorder under your nose and ask a stupid or provative question just to get a response. Wrong response and it haunts you for ages. Much better to disappear and say nothing. Imagine some reporter in a footy dressing room trying it with players "why did you let that own goal (etc) in". More likely to get a black eye than an answer. Yet as riders we are expected to be available to these people seconds after a finish. That's how it is far a rider, and if you are mightily p'eed off, then best say nothing. That is not being a Brat (silly...), it's a sensible tactic.

bradley does like to chuck his bikes about he was quite nice to that one. i've seen him pick up a bike that's had a mechanical and launch it in to a ditch! was it on the 2011 tour? i remember thinking oh bradders, just give it to me if you don't want it any more!

 

[Hont]

So really, Mercxx was the only skipper (snigger) by choice?

I should imagine there will be a lot of pressure by the current tour organisers to get the current winner to participate.

Well they weren't that fussed when Merckx skipped '73, but then everyone was fed up with him winning everything.

I forgot Ocana in '74 (without a team), Hinault in '82 and Fignon '84 (both injuries). The 80s were a bad time for knee injuries it seems.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

An uninformed comment. As a rider, if you have had problems at a critical time, the best plan is get away from the loony reporters immediately, because someone will stick a mic or voice recorder under your nose and ask a stupid or provative question just to get a response. Wrong response and it haunts you for ages. Much better to disappear and say nothing. Imagine some reporter in a footy dressing room trying it with players "why did you let that own goal (etc) in". More likely to get a black eye than an answer. Yet as riders we are expected to be available to these people seconds after a finish. That's how it is far a rider, and if you are mightily p'eed off, then best say nothing. That is not being a Brat (silly...), it's a sensible tactic.

Unfortunately the lad has got previous...

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVBoPY6wfrc
(near the end)

 

[smutchin]

Didn't he do something similar in the Tour of Romandie final stage time trial last year too?

 

[thom]

Didn't he do something similar in the Tour of Romandie final stage time trial last year too?

Au contraire, 36 secs :

It was notable for his lack of reaction in fact - i could not find an actual clip

 

[smutchin]

It was notable for his lack of reaction in fact - i could not find an actual clip

Thanks, I knew I remembered something happening but couldn't remember the details. Very interesting though... The fact that despite the mechanical mishap he went on to win that stage and the whole race suggests that perhaps he does better when he keeps his head.

In the Trentino, he seemed to burn himself out by frantically chasing down Nibali after he got back on his bike. Maybe if he'd kept cool and done his usual trick of closing the gap more steadily, it might have panned out differently for him. If only he had a power meter on his spare bike...

 

[thom]

Thanks, I knew I remembered something happening but couldn't remember the details. Very interesting though... The fact that despite the mechanical mishap he went on to win that stage and the whole race suggests that perhaps he does better when he keeps his head.

In the Trentino, he seemed to burn himself out by frantically chasing down Nibali after he got back on his bike. Maybe if he'd kept cool and done his usual trick of closing the gap more steadily, it might have panned out differently for him. If only he had a power meter on his spare bike...

I think the mental difference is he fears Nibali now the SKY team can't be counted on to dominate over the parcours of the Giro like they did at the tour last year. With 2 Italian stage race wins going into the Giro, Nibali is maybe in the equivalent position Brad was last year with respect to the TdF.

 

[rich p]

To be fair to Brad, giving your equal a minute start and on a bike with gearing too high, panic pedalling was his only option! shoot or bust, as the commoners say