Giro, Grande Boucle and Vuelta

[BaronZbimg]

Hi Guys,

when I read some of the different diaries, I had the impression that to win the GC of a grand Tour, you have to be 80% for the whole Tour.

Then How do some of you have sometimes the same leaders in top form for both the TDF and the Vuelta.
How many peaks can they sustain? I went with aroda's advice to limit my best riders at 7 peaks, is this an error?

[Coup2Jaja]

My leader will be at 80% for all stages of Vuelta, except first and last. The point is that he did not do anything else at the top in the season, except the Vuelta a Pais Vasco. So he isn't tired at all... and will be a little at the end of the season, but he'll rest at the beginning of the next one, until Giro or something like that...

I hope a little that the great leaders of the big team will be a bit more tired than my leader on this Vuelta. Dujardin (Team Robot), for instance, have participated in Giro and TDF at the top...

To answer your questions, my main rider have 7 peaks.

[roza007]

Im having touble selecting my leader for the grand tours, either MO 71 TT 72 REC 64 or MO 73 TT 71 REC 68 or MO70 TT 71 REC 72 or finally MO 70 TT 70 REC 70. Ideas?

[Papy]

I hope a little that the great leaders of the big team will be a bit more tired than my leader on this Vuelta. Dujardin (Team Robot), for instance, have participated in Giro and TDF at the top...

Dujardin has also won the Tour de Romandie and the Dauphine Libre. But with the massages that could be given at the start of the season, he can still race the Vuelta at the top... Now it would not be possible. Anyway, I'm sure Dujardin will be at the top for the Vuelta.

[Papy]

Im having touble selecting my leader for the grand tours, either MO 71 TT 72 REC 64 or MO 73 TT 71 RES 68 or MO70 TT 71 RES 72 or finally MO 70 TT 70 REC 70. Ideas?

What about the REC ?
I would choose the second.

[Solaya]

Should there be a few teams forcing the pace to create gaps in the peloton ? How does it happen?

Est ce qu'on peux cree des bordes dans le peloton est quelqu'un a une idee comment faire ?

[Cyclemad]

Hi Guys,

when I read some of the different diaries, I had the impression that to win the GC of a grand Tour, you have to be 80% for the whole Tour.

Then How do some of you have sometimes the same leaders in top form for both the TDF and the Vuelta.
How many peaks can they sustain? I went with aroda's advice to limit my best riders at 7 peaks, is this an error?

My strongest rider, Grant Parsons won the Dauphine Libre, Tour d'Helevetie, third in the TL Tour de France and won the Vuelta a Espana taking 2 stages and a second place. He didn't race much at the start of the season, I think he peaks twice at Paris Nice, but I stuffed up the tactics, and then was at level 6 for Pais al Vasco.
I only decided to use massages at the middle of the season after I slid down to around 200th. At that point I put Grant at peak for 2 stages of the Dauphine Libre and Tour d'Helevetie, and then he peaked at all the stages and the stage of the TL Tour de France.
He rested until the Vuelta a Espana, and then peaked for all the and stages.

In the first half of the season massages gave HUGE gains is fatigue reduction, but that has changed now. I only got the benefit for Dauphine Libre and Tour d'Helevetie, but Dujardin would have had the benefit, which meant he could ride all 3 GT's at super fitness. He won't be able to this season.
I would say that you can peak 7-10 times, depending where the peaks are. If you want to do that, you would have to use massages, and all 50! I use the fitness pro, which allows me to see if I get below the 10% fitness mark, which is key for me. I want all my riders to do that at least once in the season. That way they are fully refreshed at least 1 time per season, which means they will still be valuable to me the next season.

[Cyclemad]

Im having touble selecting my leader for the grand tours, either MO 71 TT 72 REC 64 or MO 73 TT 71 RES 68 or MO70 TT 71 RES 72 or finally MO 70 TT 70 REC 70. Ideas?

What about the REC ?
I would choose the second.

I agree with Papy, though it does depend on your REC. I would say you need a guy with at least 69REC to be truly competitive throughout a long stage race.

[Cyclemad]

Should there be a few teams forcing the pace to create gaps in the peloton ? How does it happen?

If a number of teams all pile on the pace at the same time on a stage, then those riders who are weak in that area ( , or ) will suffer, and could be dropped off the pace.
I can work well if you have tour riders on a stage, as they are often weak in that area, and, lets say 6 teams with strong riders forcing the pace over a area could cause a split and drop the tour riders. Likewise on any of the other terrain.

[JayD77]

Should there be a few teams forcing the pace to create gaps in the peloton ? How does it happen?

If a number of teams all pile on the pace at the same time on a stage, then those riders who are weak in that area ( , or ) will suffer, and could be dropped off the pace.
I can work well if you have tour riders on a stage, as they are often weak in that area, and, lets say 6 teams with strong riders forcing the pace over a area could cause a split and drop the tour riders. Likewise on any of the other terrain.

This doesn't really make sense if we're talking about a real world comparison. When was the last time you saw a GT rider get dropped on a hilly stage? On a mountain stage if the rider is not on form, then yes I could see a tour rider being dropped before the final climb/finish line. Are you saying that a GT rider that is not supported by a reasonable complement of riders that have good rating can be dropped? Or are you saying that a GT rider who is not on peak form, or supported by the wrong complement of riders can be dropped? Hopefully the latter.