Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/21/2013 02:14 PM |
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http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rodriguez-tipping-bigger-things-for-sagan |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/21/2013 02:16 PM |
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GC, GC, GC...bigger things?
Sagan's indicated he's for moment not interested in GCs and focused squarely on the classics.
It doesn't get much bigger than that, what's so hard to understand about this :-) |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 08/21/2013 03:52 PM |
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| I think he's still lost in time. If he'd taken just a little more pot-belge, Freddy coulda been a GC guy too. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 08/21/2013 04:51 PM |
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I still find it hilarious that everyone is up in arms about Froome's dominance in July, but cheer a sprinter who can attack at the top of a Cat 2 mountain and drops some of the best climbers in the business.
A little intellectual consistency, please?
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/21/2013 05:05 PM |
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Sagan a sprinter? Come on, he wasn't close the matching the real sprinters in the TdF. He's a guy who gets over moderately hard climbs well and who has a fast finish. Besides, the hills in Colorado aren't that hard (steep), we even had Horner scoff at that a little.
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 08/21/2013 05:27 PM |
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I view Sagan as being close to another Merckx. Less all day (slow-twitch) power, more fast-twitch, but not radically different. Huge engine, huge will to win. Very versatile. I think we will see him crossing the line first in many different ways and types of races.
Ben |
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BikeCzar
Posts:53
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| 08/22/2013 01:13 PM |
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Correction, the hills that they are climbing in this race aren't that hard. We have some of the steepest hardest climbs anywhere.
Also, for not being interested in GC Sagan sure is being mindful of the overall time gaps in the Pro Challenge. I'd say he's thinking it's a possibility. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/22/2013 03:09 PM |
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BC - Bet he'll be outside top 10 after today and tomorrow.
Having ridden in your neck of the woods I'd agree that the course is not as challenging as it could be. Good or bad, I don't know. But back to the theme of the OP, it is a good course for Sagan to prep for the hilly Worlds and I think that is why he's testing himself to stay as short at possible. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 08/22/2013 05:05 PM |
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| OC, don't diss those CO interstate grades until you try them. The elevation changes everything. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/22/2013 05:47 PM |
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ahem, maybe you missed my July week of fun. At my speed the elevation does not change a thing. It was Horner doing the dissing on the VN site a few weeks back.
http://www.velonation.com/Forums/aff/9/aft/493/afv/topic.aspx
http://www.velonation.com/Forums/aff/9/aft/497/afv/topic.aspx
http://www.velonation.com/Forums/aff/9/aft/504/afv/topic.aspx
http://www.velonation.com/Forums/aff/9/aft/478/afv/topic.aspx
(or instead of trying to click all those links, look under "Ride Spot") |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 08/22/2013 06:26 PM |
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| Ummm. OK.
Diss away! |
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pabiker
Posts:80
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| 08/22/2013 08:29 PM |
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OC look'in cavalier with that helmet cocked askew.
Tighten'er up.
We'd miss you around here. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/22/2013 10:02 PM |
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PA - I'm a lefty so I gotta protect the right side of my brain. The stupid thing is snug enough but when I put 'er on by feel sometimes she ends up a little askew, too much hair is the problem. The main trick is to keep your head away from obstacles to begin with, after 10yrs wearing a lid I still hate it with a vengance.
This thread is having a hard time staying on topic, Sagan having no interest in GC. And heck I don't even see it as being feasible at moment, once he becomes competetive in things like LBL, then that's a discussion to be had.
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Entheo
Posts:317
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| 08/23/2013 08:17 AM |
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Posted By Bike Czar on 08/22/2013 01:13 PM
We have some of the steepest hardest climbs anywhere.
BC, are you talking about CO? granted the climbs can be long and hard due to the elevation, but i've not encountered anything like the 20+ km / 8%+ HC euro climbs here in the US. |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 08/23/2013 10:33 AM |
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| East Portal Road, Black Canyon = brutal |
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Entheo
Posts:317
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| 08/23/2013 12:13 PM |
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Posted By Jim Laudolff on 08/23/2013 10:33 AM
East Portal Road, Black Canyon = brutal
CP, this one?
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Black-Canyon-Gunnison-Rim-Drive&qryMountainID=15118
that would maybe be a cat 2 in europe. |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 08/23/2013 12:46 PM |
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Entheo, that's it. Yeah it's about 1500ft gain, not a stunner by any measure but the bulk of it is sustained 16-20% and it's become my standard of measuring climbs (I haven't done any of the climbs in the NE yet). If you can climb that one without doing the paperboy you can climb just about anything. At least that's what I tell my friend who gets nervous about certain climbs and I just remind her that she did that one. We did have to stop a few times on the way down to cool our rims and rest our braking fingers.
Probably can't race it except as a TT because it is a dead end road that ends at the bottom. And what would it prove to have a race there? It is an anomaly in my experience of riding Colorado roads but one you should try to do if you are in the area. |
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Entheo
Posts:317
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| 08/23/2013 02:01 PM |
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| CP, the climbbybike profile doesn't do it justice then, with 9 km at 6% average. if there are multiple kilometers at 16-20% my hat's off to you sir! |
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pabiker
Posts:80
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| 08/23/2013 02:38 PM |
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We have several 2 mile climbs at 10% and some 3 & 4 mile ones at 6 or 7%.
A nice one is Reddish Knob near Harrisonburg, VA - 9 miles of 6% 2633 feet total.
Skyline Drive has some long climbs, but they are just not that steep. |
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BikeCzar
Posts:53
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| 08/23/2013 04:05 PM |
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SuperFlag, Magnolia, Sugarloaf, Gold Hill, Sunshine, SuperJames, Lee Hill + Deer Trail, Left Hand to Brainard via Ward, St. Vrain Canyon
and those are just a few I can ride from the garage |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/23/2013 08:18 PM |
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While I haven't ridden the NE yet (hint hint), I have ridden a good number of parts of US. To date, the Santa Cruz mountains have thrown the biggest challenge, some wicked steep stuff if you know to find it.
In Colorado I certainly found Sugarloaf to throw a bigger challenge than Mt Evans, steepness trumps elevation. Or maybe it was cause Evans was ride day 2 and Sugarloaf was on day 5.
On my own little training hill (12.5k @ 7%) for first half at least I can pretend to be on Alpe, same grades, then it gets easier, that's why it is only a Cat 1, not an HC. But if I can ride that one with two fingers up my nose I know I'm ready for anything, perfect little hill. Percentages on km basis: 6% 11% 10% 8% 10% 5% 8% 10% 3% 5% 10% 5% 8%). Today I did not make the cut. After several weeks of no serious riding I got spat out at km 7 (hunger bonk, cramping legs) and had to point the nose downhill. End of June I was dancing up it. My training hill is harsh and does not lie.
Next spring break I might ride in FL but I don't anticipate setting any new records.
I generally find climbybike a good site to gauge the toughness of a hill but on that particular climb it lacks detail (a profile). Only 2 stars tho 
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mahoba
Posts:12
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| 08/28/2013 12:50 PM |
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I met Orange Crush for a beer in Boulder after his Colorado climbing jaunt. His tick list of climbs was impressive and I agree with him. The grades here in Colorado are not consistently steep on most well traveled roads. (Were there any HC climbs in the Pro Cycling Challenge?) Of course there are many exceptions like what you listed in Boulder County, BikeCzar. And on his last day he rode from Nederland down Canyon and back to Nederland via Sugarloaf. That was the one he said worked him the hardest.
As an aside BC, I've become a fan of 4mile to Switzerland Trail (town of Sunset?) to Gold Hill and down Sunshine Canyon. I'm averaging maybe two rides of any kind per month these days and I'm exceptionally slow. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 08/28/2013 12:53 PM |
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Hey OC, As you relish the steep stuff, consider going a little further north for your spring break into the southern appalachians. Lots of Euro steep but not as long.
Here's one:
http://www.vacycling.org/2013/flyers/wintergreen.pdf It's gentle for the first part, then unrelenting, but nothing compares with the real beast of the east, Mt. Washington. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/28/2013 01:15 PM |
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LSD - I wish but already booked - Orlando (mrs OC found some really sweet deals) - Disneyworld (or is it land?) and there seems to be some Potter stuff too + her sister in Jacksonville, this one is for them and I will oblige.
Trying to indoctrinate kids that steep is fun - last weekend 17k of the hardest hiking to be found on north shore.
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pabiker
Posts:80
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| 08/28/2013 09:09 PM |
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Now that's hiking!
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