Mitsubishi-Jartazi training camp: VDB cracked team mates at Tiegemberg

[cyclingheroes]

Mitsubishi-Jartazi training camp: VDB cracked team mates at Tiegemberg

07.01.2008/ The Belgian Jartazi team will race under the name Mitsubishi-Jartazi in 2008. The team is no longer a continental team but has a Pro-Continental status in the current season. The team signed Frank Vandenbroucke, Geert Verheyen, Hans Dekkers, Stefan van Dijk and other strong riders.
http://www.cyclingheroes.info/id1073.html

 

[limerickman]

Mitsubishi-Jartazi training camp: VDB cracked team mates at Tiegemberg

07.01.2008/ The Belgian Jartazi team will race under the name Mitsubishi-Jartazi in 2008. The team is no longer a continental team but has a Pro-Continental status in the current season. The team signed Frank Vandenbroucke, Geert Verheyen, Hans Dekkers, Stefan van Dijk and other strong riders.
http://www.cyclingheroes.info/id1073.html

I really hope that this isn't another false dawn for VDB.

 

[cyclingheroes]

I really hope that this isn't another false dawn for VDB.

Hope so too. I will have an interview with Frank later this month.

 

[limerickman]

Hope so too. I will have an interview with Frank later this month.

Ch : looking forward to reading that interview.....and thanks for the update re VDB.

 

[Powerful Pete]

I hope so also, but we must face reality on this one. Every year or so we have another "VDB has turned the page and will be a professional this time". A wasted talent.

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

I am rooting for VDB. I don't think he will ever get to where he was or where he could have been. He is a troubled guy and I hope his troubles are behind him. Just seeing him on the bike is great. Seeing him near the front would be awesome.

 

[Bro Deal]

I hope so also, but we must face reality on this one. Every year or so we have another "VDB has turned the page and will be a professional this time". A wasted talent.

+1

VDB has had more second chances than I can remember. He has blown every one of them. It is fantasy to think it will end different this time.

 

[earth_dweller]

+1

VDB has had more second chances than I can remember. He has blown every one of them. It is fantasy to think it will end different this time.

Why does he get all these second, third,... tenth chances? Is he that good of a rider?

 

[Bro Deal]

Why does he get all these second, third,... tenth chances? Is he that good of a rider?

He used to be--ten years ago. At that time it looked like he could be a Valverde-like rider.

 

[Bro Deal]

A little on VDB (before his 2007 comeback ).

http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2006/12/pro-with-capital-o.html

 

[cyclingheroes]

Why does he get all these second, third,... tenth chances? Is he that good of a rider?

He still is a star in Belgium. Sponsors get a lot of publicity with him in the team. And they all hope he will come back on a higher level for even more pr.

 

[Wayne666]

Why does he get all these second, third,... tenth chances? Is he that good of a rider?

Because when the EPO was free flowing he was the ****. He was the heir-apparent of Bartoli, able to ride the finale of races like LBL and Flanders and even gave some indication he could have been a stage race protagonist as well. Roubaix was probably the only race beyond his reach.

Then he got caught and became a head case. That underlying class has to still be there somewhere.

 

[cyclingheroes]

.................................................................... That underlying class has to still be there somewhere.

I hope so...

 

[Wayne666]

I hope so...

I recall at least once if not a couple times during his never ending series of comebacks when he showed a slight glimmer of his old self but then it was quickly downhill again.

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

Why does he get all these second, third,... tenth chances? Is he that good of a rider?

Yeah. He was that good.

Somebody will correct me if I have my facts wrong. He raced the world championships one year as Belguim's designated leader. Spent most of the summer sleeping on a teamates couch and hardly ever training. During the race, he crashed and broke his wrist. His team waited for him and brought him back to the bunch. In the finale, he crashed and broke the other wrist. Again he came back to the leading group. So, you have this guy who hasn't trained with two broken wrists. He can't put weight on his hands so he can't sprint. Still he takes something like 7th place.

Sure he was on every drug known to man EPO (and his dog), Pot Belge, you name it. So was everybody else. The guy has tons of natural talent. He was just never able to apply it.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Yeah. He was that good.

Somebody will correct me if I have my facts wrong. He raced the world championships one year as Belguim's designated leader. Spent most of the summer sleeping on a teamates couch and hardly ever training. During the race, he crashed and broke his wrist. His team waited for him and brought him back to the bunch. In the finale, he crashed and broke the other wrist. Again he came back to the leading group. So, you have this guy who hasn't trained with two broken wrists. He can't put weight on his hands so he can't sprint. Still he takes something like 7th place.

Sure he was on every drug known to man EPO (and his dog), Pot Belge, you name it. So was everybody else. The guy has tons of natural talent. He was just never able to apply it.

I suppose the great thing about following guys like VDB [though I've not seen him back when he was at his best] is that you never know when he might do something miraculous. When you follow a rider who is completely disciplined and always getting 100% of their potential, you know that you are not going to see anything unusual in performance, even if they do well.

That's a wussy post.

 

[helmutRoole2]

1999 La Redoute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJintCgzG5o&feature=related

Watch as he owns an over reaching Bartoli.

 

[cyclingheroes]

1999 La Redoute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJintCgzG5o&feature=related

Watch as he owns an over reaching Bartoli.

Thanks for that one!

 

[cyclingheroes]

Mitsubishi-Jartazi with Estonian license and great ambitions
http://www.cyclingheroes.info/id1159.html