Does Zabriskie have a realistic shot at yellow? - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

The Borg · 07-11-2006, 05:16 PM

New to cycling...and don't know all the strategies etc.

Am trying to catch as much as I can at nights regarding the Tour, so,for those more informed than I... does Zabriskie have any realistic shot at capturing the overall yellow before this thing is over?

creekster · 07-11-2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Borg

New to cycling...and don't know all the strategies etc.

Am trying to catch as much as I can at nights regarding the Tour, so,for those more informed than I... does Zabriskie have any realistic shot at capturing the overall yellow before this thing is over?

IMO, none whatsoever.

Archaea · 07-11-2006, 05:18 PM

agreed.

He doesn't climb with the big boys.

I think CSC is going with Sastre of Spain.

Right now I have no idea, but believe it might favor Landis.

The Borg · 07-11-2006, 05:21 PM

How do the different riders get selected to be 'the one' that tries to win the race? Some are there to lead the charge and pull the other to victory...who's to say who is the "puller" and who is the "pull-ee"?

Can this change in the course of the tour? If one is riding stronger than the others...does that person suddenly become "the man" and the rest of the team tries to help him win?

I'm befuddled.

Archaea · 07-11-2006, 05:30 PM

creekster is more sophisticated, as are bluegoose and steelblue, but

the teams know who is strong at what because you don't arrive at the Tour unknown.

Your abilities are known. Sprinters almost never win, because they only win by a small amount, so cumulative time can never be very great.

Zabriskie is a time trialist. There are only two this Tour.

The big winners are hybrid climbers and sometimes pure climbers, little skinny guys with big lungs.

The pullers, or domestiques, break wind, saving the protected rider about 40 percent of his energy. He will select times late in a stage to break away to gain time on rivals.

Yes the selected one can change depending on fitness or illness during a race, but the teams generally know from training and other races who is their stronger GC contender.

bluegoose · 07-11-2006, 06:35 PM

Good info from Archaea.

At the beginning of most grand tours, the team already has their riders generally classified according to their specialty.

Domestiques are the grunts - they do all the hard work for the big dogs and get little credit, aside from the occasional thankful superstar.

Lieutenants are the middle men, and are more mobile in terms of their role on the team. George Hincapie last year is a good example of this.

Then there is the captain. See Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso or Jan Ullrich as prime examples of "has-been" captains.

Further classification within a team has guys listed as sprinters, climbers, time trialists or general contenders. The CG guys are typically good overall riders, although they almost always avoid the melee on the mad dash group sprints, so we don't usually know if they are good sprinters or not. Vinokourov was the glaring exeption last year, as he was a strong GC guy who took the most prestigious sprint in the tour into grand ole Paris.

Zabriskie is a strong TT guy, but for some strange reason is not very strong in the mountains. He body geometry is right (about 5'10" <150lbs), and his physiology would seem right, he just can't get it done on the climbs. As a result he is not considered by anyone to be a serious contender for the yellow.

Some teams are in a position at the start of a tour to leave their captains role open, waiting to see who is "feeling it" once the race really gets interesting. Team Discovery is in that position this year, as their manager Johan Bruneel has never named who their yellow guy is. In all likelihood, he hasn't figured that out yet. Several other teams are in the same position this year due to suspensions and injuries.

SHould make for an interesting tour.

The Borg · 07-11-2006, 09:38 PM

I am really liking following the Tour this year and learning more about it.

07-11-2006, 05:16 PM	#1
The Borg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 533	Does Zabriskie have a realistic shot at yellow? New to cycling...and don't know all the strategies etc. Am trying to catch as much as I can at nights regarding the Tour, so,for those more informed than I... does Zabriskie have any realistic shot at capturing the overall yellow before this thing is over?

07-11-2006, 05:18 PM	#3
Archaea Assistant to the Regional Manager Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Orgasmatron Posts: 24,338	agreed. He doesn't climb with the big boys. I think CSC is going with Sastre of Spain. Right now I have no idea, but believe it might favor Landis. __________________ Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα

07-11-2006, 05:21 PM	#4
The Borg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 533	Please expound? How do the different riders get selected to be 'the one' that tries to win the race? Some are there to lead the charge and pull the other to victory...who's to say who is the "puller" and who is the "pull-ee"? Can this change in the course of the tour? If one is riding stronger than the others...does that person suddenly become "the man" and the rest of the team tries to help him win? I'm befuddled.

07-11-2006, 05:30 PM	#5
Archaea Assistant to the Regional Manager Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Orgasmatron Posts: 24,338	creekster is more sophisticated, as are bluegoose and steelblue, but the teams know who is strong at what because you don't arrive at the Tour unknown. Your abilities are known. Sprinters almost never win, because they only win by a small amount, so cumulative time can never be very great. Zabriskie is a time trialist. There are only two this Tour. The big winners are hybrid climbers and sometimes pure climbers, little skinny guys with big lungs. The pullers, or domestiques, break wind, saving the protected rider about 40 percent of his energy. He will select times late in a stage to break away to gain time on rivals. Yes the selected one can change depending on fitness or illness during a race, but the teams generally know from training and other races who is their stronger GC contender. __________________ Ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα

07-11-2006, 09:38 PM	#7
The Borg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 533	Thanks Blue...some good info there I am really liking following the Tour this year and learning more about it.

07-11-2006, 06:35 PM	#6
bluegoose Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,919	Good info from Archaea. At the beginning of most grand tours, the team already has their riders generally classified according to their specialty. Domestiques are the grunts - they do all the hard work for the big dogs and get little credit, aside from the occasional thankful superstar. Lieutenants are the middle men, and are more mobile in terms of their role on the team. George Hincapie last year is a good example of this. Then there is the captain. See Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso or Jan Ullrich as prime examples of "has-been" captains. Further classification within a team has guys listed as sprinters, climbers, time trialists or general contenders. The CG guys are typically good overall riders, although they almost always avoid the melee on the mad dash group sprints, so we don't usually know if they are good sprinters or not. Vinokourov was the glaring exeption last year, as he was a strong GC guy who took the most prestigious sprint in the tour into grand ole Paris. Zabriskie is a strong TT guy, but for some strange reason is not very strong in the mountains. He body geometry is right (about 5'10" <150lbs), and his physiology would seem right, he just can't get it done on the climbs. As a result he is not considered by anyone to be a serious contender for the yellow. Some teams are in a position at the start of a tour to leave their captains role open, waiting to see who is "feeling it" once the race really gets interesting. Team Discovery is in that position this year, as their manager Johan Bruneel has never named who their yellow guy is. In all likelihood, he hasn't figured that out yet. Several other teams are in the same position this year due to suspensions and injuries. SHould make for an interesting tour.