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Old 07-10-12, 02:35 PM
  #15  
prettyshady
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Originally Posted by cthenn
These questions should have been asked in 2009. Before 2009, he raced 4 grand tours, finishing no higher than ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THIRD! Then in 2009, he's 4th? That's the year I questioned his "dramatic" improvement. You don't go from being 123rd to 4th in a few years normally... His results over the past few years have been consistent, but that jump in 2009 was crazy. And saying "he lost 6 or 7 kilos" and/or "he had to transform himself from a track rider to road racer" doesn't mean you go from pack fodder to Jersey contender. I'm not saying it's not possible, but it's one of the most astonishing rises from one disclipine to another.
Nice question, My answer would be 2008 was an Olympic year where he won gold. Before he was a prolog rider like chris boardman and occasionally going for breaks. For some reason (self belief?) he lost 6kg before the 2009 TDF and tried to ride for the overall. He got lucky as the other riders did not try to hard to lose him as he was not a threat main 3 riders, lance, andy or alberto, see the ventoux stage for example of him hanging on right at the back. His training this winter has been extremely hard and scientific, lets see if it works.

To all the forum members who see a rider ride well and think, must be drugs. Stop watching cycling,
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