I’ve been resisting the urge, but with today’s record setting 8th(!!!) victory, Petacchi has, once and for all, supplanted Cipo. He’s been better than Cipo for the last couple of years, but. . .It took a lot to dislodge Cipo as king. There can be NO doubt at this point. . .except “How many grand tour stages will he win this year?” 8 freakin stages!!! Does anyone have any idea how freakin hard that is to accomplish? And he’s even “handicapped” with his main leadout man on injured reserve! Freakin rocket. I can’t believe NO ONE has the answer to him. . . I think Cipo would have been lucky to have stolen even one of these from him. . .Can I say it again? Damn!
Yes, but Cipo is cool.
He is style king. Period.
-Luker unite, rule the world!
Granted.
I don’t see Petacchi being able to pull off the “Muscle” skinsuit. . .let alone this year’s LionSuit. . .
Thank goodness…Cipo has caused me to gag for years. Just something about him makes me want to run screaming in the opposite direction. Of course, he’s probably saying that had he not been forced to abandon after that finish sprint crash, he would have been ahead of Petacchi and had all the victories himself.
Yeah…maybe a pointthere footballmom, about what Cipo’s thinking. Then again. . .even the biggest ego has to know when the end has come. I guess that’s what I’m saying. I think, finally, even Cipo must give up the ghost. He may yet get another win or two, but the crown is firmly wrested from his clutching paws. . .
And are you serious? A woman who isn’t ga ga over Cipo? I had no idea those existed. Good on ya fer goin against the stream!
did anyone catch the brief mention of the OLN cameras spying Jan training on L’Alpe duiz (sp?) and his guys making them turn off the cameras?
Hmmmmm. . .wonder why? Why would anyone be surprised if he were there training? Maybe he’s on some super-secret bike. . .then again, I can’t imagine how they could improve on the current bike. . .what? put Lightweight wheels on it? He’s already used those. Bora G3s? Would those be secret? Hmmmmmm… what could we possibly glean from a few moments of camera coverage that the other contenders could somehow use to their advantage?
i’d be willing to bet that he’s in terrific shape, but that he’s been dropping out of races to play possum. odds are that he was flying up the alp, but his ds thought it’d be counter-productive for word to get out that jan is, in fact, a threat.
of course, i doubt that lance and johan have fallen for it. an attack by jan will be responded to the same, whether he’s been winning all spring or playing dead.
I didn’t say he wasn’t a great cyclists, that I fully agree on. I just don’t go for those greasy Italian types. Years ago he publically proclaimed himself the “handsomest man in cycling” which immediately turned me off. Great sprinter though.
he’s not particularly handicapped this year. if anything, this is the first year that the entire squad has been all about petacchi. no fassa riders with gc aspirations this year at the giro with frigo, gonzalez, and vandenbroucke all absent.
maybe he is struggling and doesn’t want anyone to know how hard a time he is having dragging his fat ass up and down the mountain…
The guy is a machine. Unbelieveable.
But I’m still sour over how he bitched out of LeTour last year. Cipo’s whining after the Tour of Georgia wasn’t the classiest thing either.
I think that’s the opening (leaving the big races early) that guys like Petacchi and Cipo give to their critics. . .Especially when Zabel drags his exhausted ass over the mountains of every race he enters.
I tend to liken these guys to top-fuel dragsters. . .they’re a bit cranky and demand perfect conditions. . .otherwise blown engine or tires up in smoke. . .There isn’t a lot of room for error when the race comes down to the last 20 seconds. . .
I guess that’s my way of saying I have some toleration for their finicky behaviour.
I think you are dead on vidae. . .Jan will come full on ready to kick ass. . .and even if he isn’t, Lance will race the race against him. . .
Personally, with Jan, I’m reaching the point I reached with Cipo today after Petacchi’s win. I’ve been hemming and hawing, hoping Cipo would find his form. . .but alas, it appears his form is what it is and he’ll be scratching and clawing for any more wins. . .No longer can I watch and assume he’s the fastest. . .
With Jan, I believe, after watching 96 and 97, that he truly is
potentially the best cyclist on the planet right now. . .but if he gets another 2nd I’m going to have to reevaluate that statement. . .I mean, I can believe the best cyclist might lose one, two or even three times, but 5? Somewhere along the line one will do what it takes. . .Pure talent is not the only ingredient in making a great racer. If it were, perhaps JV might have fared better. He had awesome talent, but never really confirmed.
Sign me. . .one huge Lance fan who will not be overly disappointed if Jan happens to win this year. . .
Sprinters have that peak power that is just unreal. I think the dragster analogy is a good one. Though my heart lies with the climbers. I’m always more impressed with a loooong sustained climb than watching the winner emerge from a bunch sprint. Though a sprint is always exciting and very impressive to watch, a grueling climb separates the men from the boys. I know it’s not a fair thing to say, but I’m always under the impression that people are born good sprinters, but good climbing is more a product of will.
You never hear a TdF climber dropping out of the race because the sprints were just too hard.
As for Jan… God I hope he has a great race this year. No whammies!!
Too bad Cipo is out as it would have made things a lot more heated so far. It looks like Robbie will lose at least 10of 10 sprints, Freddie might beat Pettachi 1/10, i figure with his train Cipo would have had to take 2/10 away.
I do have to give Marco Velo a big hand for his work and feel sad for poor Lombardi out there doing leadouts for no one that can even stay on his wheel. Man I think the P man is great, but it sure would have been cool to see the two trains pulling into the station, than to see how many ways Robbie can lose a sprint. G