Scanlon next year

GlennaMaddy

I've been watching Scanlons progress in this year Tour, for somebody riding their first Tour he's showing great potential

Stage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Class 63 63 36 28 48 53 53 50 55 52 90 88 108 97 98 90 91

Roche had a similar stage finishing profile in his first Tour
If he can survive todays last mountainous stage he'll go all the way.

Judging by the performane on his debut, I'd expect him to do better next year, but will he be the next Stephen Roche or the next Martin Earley?

Genghis

How do you think he will do at the Olympics? Not much recovery time, is there?

uberwolf

Scanlon will never really do more than survive the mountains I think, whilst a good stage racer the really proper climbs that you don't get in sligo will remain beyond him. He's closer to a pre-cancer Lance than a post cancer Lance, decent sprint out of a small group, but a hard man able to suffer, a rouleur I think the french call his kind. But ultimately too thick set too prosper on the ascents.

Fantastic debut tour all the same, he'll have another go in 2ms stage I'd say, which isn't as mountainous.

Lennoxschips

If he's going to be a great cyclist (and very few make it) he's more likely to be a Sean Kelly than a Stephen Roche.

How about Vladimir Karpets though, he seems to be getting better every year...

uberwolf

this article pilfered from irishcyclingDOTcom actually makes a good point made by the man himself, he's in the top 90 riders, meaning that 100ish riders are being dropped daily before him, which in your first tour is a good performance from a non-climber. So maybe I was being unfair?

__________
Mark Scanlon's last major test of his debut Tour De France begins today with the mountain stage from Boug D'Oison to Grand Bornon.

Speaking before the Tour, Scanlon was worried about the climbs of the Col Du Glandon (27kms long) and the Col De Madeleine (19kms) which are tackled in quick succession just after the start of today's stage. "With the Glandon and the Col De Madeleine coming so early in the stage, it's going to be tough for anyone who is dropped early on to make the time limit" he said.

After yesterday's time trial up Alpe D'Huez, the Sligoman was a bit more confident. "I did a pretty decent time on the mountain without killing myself and I now realise I'm climbing in the top 90 or so riders in the Tour. Every day there have been about 100 guys dropped before me, so hopefully I'll be able to finish in a big group tomorrow and make the time limit."

sabiki2

I didn't know about it myself but someone told me he was on NewsTalk FM one evening earlier in the week for at least 15-20 mins.

Apparently he was quite impressed with Armstrong who made an effort to chat to him as they were rolling along, offering him encouragement and advice on how to handle the tour to the finish.

Pity I missed that....anyone else hear it?

klong

plus the fact that he slipped further down the rankings as the tour wore on *should* indicate that hes clean- see also mr c.boardman esq.

Pherekydes

klong wrote:

plus the fact that he slipped further down the rankings as the tour wore on *should* indicate that hes clean- see also mr c.boardman esq.

Or just that he was exhausted. I know from experience that when I started training after a lay-off, the tiredness would gradually build and build, even over a number of weeks, until, ping!, it's gone. The body adapts. Riding the tour would be like starting from scratch.

da_deadman

I would also reckon Scanlon would be more similar to Kelly than Roche. He has a good sprint, can do a decent time trial, and has a bit of power. Definitely sounds more like Kelly.
I doubt he will ever finish in the main contenders of a major tour, he seems more well suited to the one-day races and maybe week long stage races, like Paris-Nice or the Tour of Denmark (where he was 3rd overall last year), that dont go up the huge mountain passes in the Alps or Pyrenees.
I hope he has some form after the Tour for the Olympics and World Championships. The Tour of Denmark starts today and might give an indication that he has good form or not.