Taylor Phinney signs with BMC Racing Team

[steve]

BMC is obviously investing in the future, seems like a good move. When do you think Phinney will win the Tour de France?
 
Taylor Phinney signs with BMC Racing Team
 
Taylor Phinney has signed his first professional contract with the BMC Racing Team, choosing the squad over the RadioShack team with which he is currently on trial.
 
The contact between the 20 year old and the team has been ongoing for quite some time but, following his win in the US Elite time trial championships on Saturday, the deal was finalised yesterday.
 
Phinney had been expected by many to sign a full pro contract with the RadioShack team. However he started discussions with other squads, reportedly because he was concerned that the team has just one year of guaranteed backing left.
 
Link: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/5750/Taylor-Phinney-signs-pro-deal-with-BMC-Racing-Team.aspx

 

[slovakguy]

pretty much should be the death knell for radioshack. bmc has grabbed a good one in securing phinney. and a bit of irony in that he drops radioshack like he dropped slipstream. seems phinney has a focus on his career.

 

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by slovakguy .

pretty much should be the death knell for radioshack. bmc has grabbed a good one in securing phinney. and a bit of irony in that he drops radioshack like he dropped slipstream. seems phinney has a focus on his career.

By all accounts Phinney is a superb talent.
Good move by BMC.
 

 

[tonyzackery]

Yeah, he chose his parents well. He's done some pretty good things thus far. However and IMO, the cycling media-types (in N. Amer. especially) are hyping him to the be second-coming - and I'm kinda tired of it...well, any media darling in any facet of life sends me in the other direction...
 
For whatever reason, perhaps my ignorance, he reminds me so much of a Boonen, but without the baggage...will be a good/great one-day guy, but his bandwagon is getting awfully crowded...

 

[swampy1970]

 

Originally Posted by tonyzackery .

Yeah, he chose his parents well. He's done some pretty good things thus far. However and IMO, the cycling media-types (in N. Amer. especially) are hyping him to the be second-coming - and I'm kinda tired of it...well, any media darling in any facet of life sends me in the other direction...
 
For whatever reason, perhaps my ignorance, he reminds me so much of a Boonen, but without the baggage...will be a good/great one-day guy, but his bandwagon is getting awfully crowded...

 
But when you can ride the kilo in just a tad over 1 minute, win gold at the 4km pursuit at the worlds and rack up one of the fastest 4km times ever, beat guys like Leiphimer in a trial and win the amateur Paris Roubaix two years on the trot then maybe there's something to that hype.
 
He's a big lad - something like 6ft3 and 180lbs, so he'll probably never be a Tour winner, unless he gets on the Indurain diet of 'herbal infusions' but with his speed from the track (1:01 kilo - 4:16? 4km) he could very well be the one to slay Spartacus, especially in the prologue... The big question would be does the kid have Fabians bike handling skills?

 

 

[Chapeau!]

 
With his statistics (180lbs) I can't see him winning the Tour (or any Tour). There usually won in the mountains.
 
Hes in the land of Cancellara where it seems more bodyweight = better results on the flat.
 
Trying to figure that one out.
 
 

 

[Andrija]

 

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
With his statistics (180lbs) I can't see him winning the Tour (or any Tour). There usually won in the mountains.
 
Hes in the land of Cancellara where it seems more bodyweight = better results on the flat.
 
Trying to figure that one out.
 
 

 

 
It's about inertia and momentum... Rider's ability to produce and maintain high momentum. With high momentum you can accelerate easier (like in run-up). Especially significant in situation where big momentum can overcome obstacles on the road.
Bike handling is equally important in maintaining momentum. By choosing the right path, less energy will be spent on additional accelerations.
 

 

[Chapeau!]

I think your pretty much spot on.
 
If you can sustain the power & strength to propel the body & bike forwards, the extra bodyweight seems to create more momentum hence more speed.
 
Getting into the mountains/short drags though & it all becomes a burden (apart from decents).
 

Originally Posted by Andrija .


 
 
It's about inertia and momentum... Rider's ability to produce and maintain high momentum. With high momentum you can accelerate easier (like in run-up). Especially significant in situation where big momentum can overcome obstacles on the road.
Bike handling is equally important in maintaining momentum. By choosing the right path, less energy will be spent on additional accelerations.
 

 

[pennstater]

 

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
With his statistics (180lbs) I can't see him winning the Tour (or any Tour). There usually won in the mountains.
 
Hes in the land of Cancellara where it seems more bodyweight = better results on the flat.
 
Trying to figure that one out.
 
 

 

 
I would have to agree with you, especially since there is hardly any time trialing in GTs which would defininelty be his wheel house. I didn't know he was that large, but he is about the same size as Indurain (a bit bigger), perhaps he can pull it off and TT as well as perform in the mountains. We'll have to wait and see, but it does look like he would revel in the classics.
 

 

[swampy1970]

Quote:Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

I think your pretty much spot on.
 
If you can sustain the power & strength to propel the body & bike forwards, the extra bodyweight seems to create more momentum hence more speed.
 
Getting into the mountains/short drags though & it all becomes a burden (apart from decents).
 






Wow... Your lack of knowledge never ceases to amaze...

Power to front area. In general, big guys put out more power and in general it's more common for the big guys to get down low...

Just to implant a bit of knowledge in that pea sized brain of yours - Phinney is only 4 pounds heavier than Indurain. One could surmise that his bike is about the same weight lighter than Miguels old trusty steed...

 

[pennstater]

Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

Wow... Your lack of knowledge never ceases to amaze...

Power to front area. In general, big guys put out more power and in general it's more common for the big guys to get down low...

Just to implant a bit of knowledge in that pea sized brain of yours - Phinney is only 4 pounds heavier than Indurain. One could surmise that his bike is about the same weight lighter than Miguels old trusty steed...

I think Chapeau's point about him not doing well in the mountains because of his size has some validity, which seems pretty obvious. Of course we don't know until we see him trying to power his way up a pyrenean climb two weeks into the tour, but there aren't many big men who can do what Indurain did - that is, climb great in the mountains along with having near flawless time trials. In the 1994 Tour, Indurain rode 118km of ITT and 66 k in the TTT. Phinney is not going to have that luxury.

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by pennstater .





I think Chapeau's point about him not doing well in the mountains because of his size has some validity, which seems pretty obvious. Of course we don't know until we see him trying to power his way up a pyrenean climb two weeks into the tour, but there aren't many big men who can do what Indurain did - that is, climb great in the mountains along with having near flawless time trials. In the 1994 Tour, Indurain rode 118km of ITT and 66 k in the TTT. Phinney is not going to have that luxury.

Eddy Merckx was over 6ft and he wasn't too shabby in the hills if I recall. Not the lightest chap either. Didn't he win 5 Tours, 5 Giro and a Vuelta...
 
Frank and Andy Schleck are around 6ft 1" and they're 130 and 150lb respectively (if wiki can be believed)... then again, Andy probably can't do a 1:01 for a Kilo either. One wonders if when Taylor focuses more on the road than the track if his weight will drop. He certainly doesn't look 180lbs. One thing to favour the modern riders is the anemic way that Tour attacks are launched - ie wait until the last hill and have a go. Even in Indurains day this was rarely the case with riders willing to put Indurain through the ringer over several Cols.
 
Then again if you win Paris Roubaix, Flanders and wear yellow for a while in the Tour, maybe you can focus on those rather than a three week GT.
 

 

[Chapeau!]

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

Wow... Your lack of knowledge never ceases to amaze...

Power to front area. In general, big guys put out more power and in general it's more common for the big guys to get down low...

Just to implant a bit of knowledge in that pea sized brain of yours - Phinney is only 4 pounds heavier than Indurain. One could surmise that his bike is about the same weight lighter than Miguels old trusty steed...
 
Another night on the booze.  /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif
 
"big guys put out more power" - Reiterating pretty much what I just said.
 
Your comparing generations (Merckx-Indurain-Shlecks), big mistake. Apples & oranges.
 
The "general" emphasis is that big guys can't hang in the mountains in todays peleton, hence it's very unlikely to see the likes of Cancellara, Phinney, Boonen etc contending a GT.
 
 

 

[swampy1970]

 

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
 
Another night on the booze. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif
 
"big guys put out more power" - Reiterating pretty much what I just said.
 
Your comparing generations (Merckx-Indurain-Shlecks), big mistake. Apples & oranges.
 
The "general" emphasis is that big guys can't hang in the mountains in todays peleton, hence it's very unlikely to see the likes of Cancellara, Phinney, Boonen etc contending a GT.

In general big guys don't do well in the hills and that's not something that limited to just todays peloton, I ain't gonna argue that as it's a well known fact. More weight without the extra power to get you up there means that you'll be slower.
 
Indurain constistently posted times on Alpe Dhuez as fast as what been done on the Alpe in recent visits. Same with Alex Zulle... although he was a dopemeister. Kloden is 6ft and his times have only been bettered on the Alpe by Ulrich, Armstrong and Pantani... All faster than a tired looking Contador could manage in the Dauphine this year (Contador that looked about as lack-lustre in this years Tour). Climbing speeds aint that much faster (possibly slower) than during the reign of Indurain and Armstrong...
 
You could say that Indurain won the Tour when a EPO'd to the gills Pantani was flying up the hills - so it's not impossible for a big guy to keep up - nor is it impossible to smash the little guys on some of the flatter harder stages.
 
But all of this is conjecture - it may be that Phinney Jr would rather keep on doing what he's doing - track and focusing mainly on one day races. You don't have to win the Tour to carve out a great and profitable career as a racing cyclist. Maybe he doesn't want to follow Wiggo on the starvation diet taken one step too far to performance doom.

 

[roadhouse]

Glad to hear he didn't sign with RS.

 

[Chapeau!]

 

Originally Posted by swampy1970 .
 
But all of this is conjecture - it may be that Phinney Jr would rather keep on doing what he's doing - track and focusing mainly on one day races. You don't have to win the Tour to carve out a great and profitable career as a racing cyclist. Maybe he doesn't want to follow Wiggo on the starvation diet taken one step too far to performance doom.

 
The rewards for a Phinney or Cancellara just do not add up to all the sacrifices they would have to make to contend a GT. IMO Phinney/Cancellara should not try to become GT contenders. I think it is much more favourable for them to continue doing what there doing, winning classics, winning TT's and wearing prestigious jerseys, instead of changing diet, training, etc, and having the prospect of failing miserably and ending 24th in a GT.
 
I also think they would lose a lot of there TT form without even getting close to the climbing ability needed to contend a GT.
 
Not worth it IMO.

 

[pennstater]

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
 
The rewards for a Phinney or Cancellara just do not add up to all the sacrifices they would have to make to contend a GT. IMO Phinney/Cancellara should not try to become GT contenders. I think it is much more favourable for them to continue doing what there doing, winning classics, winning TT's and wearing prestigious jerseys, instead of changing diet, training, etc, and having the prospect of failing miserably and ending 24th in a GT.
 
I also think they would lose a lot of there TT form without even getting close to the climbing ability needed to contend a GT.
 
Not worth it IMO.

Wait. Who brought up Cancellara winning a GT? No chance.

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
 
The rewards for a Phinney or Cancellara just do not add up to all the sacrifices they would have to make to contend a GT. IMO Phinney/Cancellara should not try to become GT contenders. I think it is much more favourable for them to continue doing what there doing, winning classics, winning TT's and wearing prestigious jerseys, instead of changing diet, training, etc, and having the prospect of failing miserably and ending 24th in a GT.
 
I also think they would lose a lot of there TT form without even getting close to the climbing ability needed to contend a GT.
 
Not worth it IMO.

The fact of the matter is that we don't know how young Phinney will last in a long stage race. His track and TT ability is just freaking awesome. He's great on the one day events too - although, when it comes to something like the Pro version of Roubaix or something as taxing as the Pro road race at the Worlds that could be another thing entirely.
 
The kid is an awesome talent and has the capability of doing a lot in the sport...
... and he really doesn't look 180lbs. I wonder if he jumped on the Lance Armstrong scales that he used to use for "self reported weight". /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif
 

 

[limerickman]

It will be interesting to see if Phinney will succeed on the road.
I for one hope that he does, because it will help maintain US interest in the sport.
 
In relation to weight/power, Canc as a big rider can't stay with the goats.
No more than Indurain could stay with Pantani.
 
In Indurains case, it was a matter of just managing to stay within a reasonable distance of Pantani.
I remember being at the 1995 TDF on Alpe D'Huez stage and Guize Neige stages.
Pantani blasted the field to pieces but Big Mig going all out kept the gap manageable between him and Pantani.
(Indurain in the chasing group on the Alpe was something to behold : boiling hot day, MP flew up the climb and Mig, jersey stuck to him
you could see his ribcage expanding/contracting as he bellowed by us with Zulle & Co)
 
Canc would need to lose a lot of weight to try to match Alberto/Schlecks in the climbs.

 

[roadhouse]

 

Originally Posted by Chapeau! .

 
 
Another night on the booze. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif
 
 

Ah sh!t, my sides are hurting from laughing so much!