Because my boy can't stay on his frickin' bike! :P I really like Tyler, but he's gonna have to alter his position on the bike if he ever expects to avoid/survive a crash. He's got the heart and the skills, but he lacks that crucial aspect of the mechanics and, if he doesnt change it, he'll never win the TdF.

Sorry for the "controversial" tone, but I figured this would be a heated conversation anyway, so why hold back? :D

Well, seeing as he's 33, it'd be tough for him to be the next great hope for America.

You gotta look younger.

It must be hard for him to be called the next great hope for America, and get beaten by Armstrong, the current representative. Some of the stages he's been looking really strong, and then just fell back too. Maybe he's just more of an opportunist rider, and that opportunity hasn't yet arisen...

Haha Laggard :) His face always fools me and I forget he's older then I am :p

Cadence, I think he's actually not an opportunity rider. I think he has the skills, etc. What he lacks is (1) decisiveness/belief in himself and (2) ad inability to avoid/survive a wreck. I'm not sure how engaged his mind is on the road, but he's just not there when he needs to be. He's a "domestique" (not in the literal meaning of the word) with the *ability* to lead but not the mentality to do so. I like him a lot and wish he could pull it off, but unless he gets a hell of a lot more tough and actually stays on his bike, he's not gonna pull off a Tour win, which makes me sad :(

I'm always surprised by his age too.

Because my boy can't stay on his frickin' bike!

I've been saying that forever. He has a mental block and crashes out in crucial races. He doesn't have a champion's mentality.

I agree... I think if Tyler could stay upright, he'd be a contender every race.. but the guy seems to have the worst luck

jeff

I've been saying that forever. He has a mental block and crashes out in crucial races. He doesn't have a champion's mentality.

Come on folks - look @ the situation! Last year's crash, and this year's crash were both unavoidable. When the field stacks it up in front of you, you crash. Some got lucky and walked away, while Tyler got hurt both times. I would have to say that he's more a victim of bad luck than anything else. No?????

Because my boy can't stay on his frickin' bike! :P I really like Tyler, but he's gonna have to alter his position on the bike if he ever expects to avoid/survive a crash. He's got the heart and the skills, but he lacks that crucial aspect of the mechanics and, if he doesnt change it, he'll never win the TdF.

Sorry for the "controversial" tone, but I figured this would be a heated conversation anyway, so why hold back? :D


I conquer

Sh1t, Tyler handles a bike even worse than a triathlete! He even has a low centre of gravity ( read: He's a short arse ) too so you'd think at least that would be an advantage. Seems not.

Maybe a few weeks at a Mountain Biking training camp would help? :P

Next great hope for American cycling in the Tour? Floyd Landis or Tom Danielson.

I would have to say that he's more a victim of bad luck than anything else. I would agree if it weren't for the fact that he seems to crash in every single race he enters. It's easier to count the races where he HASN'T crashed :D

G'day,

I've just taken the 'training wheels' off my 6 Y.O daughters bike, cos she can balance on 2 wheels now. In order to help Tyler out, we volunteer to:

1/ lease him the training wheels so that he can stay upright

2/ have my daughter give him lessons in balancing on 2 wheels, seeing as she hasn't fallen off (yet)

cheers,

Hitchy

The answer to the question is age. If LA decides not to go for #7 by concentrating on something new that leaves a "old" Tyler having to mix it up with Ullrich who should have a peak year or 2 left and young guns like Basso and Cunego who will only get better.

He does crash an awful lot too........

This was his year but even if he hadn't crashed (again) he couldn't have beaten LA. Too strong an individual and way too strong a team to be up against.

:beer: