Soldato
What a result from when G crashed out and everyone wrote off the team with no options but to go for stages. As you say an amazing story and a great race, the Giro delivers again as one of the most unpredictable grand tours
Pro Cycling Discussion 2020
- Thread starter Roady
- Start date
Incredible. That's some performance especially after the time he shipped in those first 3 days supporting geraint Thomas. No doubt some people will say it was a win ahainst a weak field but you can only beat what's put in front of you and if a number of big riders didn't turn up (nibali, fuglsang) you can't mark him down for that.
Ganna's performance was unbelievable yet again. Going to win every tt he enters for the foreseeable surely.
Ganna's performance was unbelievable yet again. Going to win every tt he enters for the foreseeable surely.
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For his first GT that really was something special. 15 days in the Pink jersey wasn't it? Pretty remarkable for a team like DQS really to have a team like that able to suddenly do so well supporting a GC contender late into a 3rd week, while still having a massive impact in the shorter/sprint stages. Maybe didn't quite get the stage results they deserved or where capable of either. The riding that final stage was pretty awesome too, counted at one point they had 4 riders after things had been split apart (admittedly some of them dropping back from breakaway(s)). Mega ride by Ballerini, you see when he got caught from behind and seemed to drop, yet minutes later he was back up and riding for Serry. "Hi lads, I'm back!" - almost as if he'd gone back for a bottle and they just casually caught them back up & straight to the front!
Agreed, unlucky for him it didn't work out but think the better of the 2 Sunwebs got the 2nd place. Incredible riding and a name for the future. Kelderman has had some rubbish luck his whole career which is a shame really.
I've not seen pictures of it before, did they show the video footage? Heard a rumour there was some, or maybe it was pictures immediately afterwards. They on highlights? Think I'm going to watch the Vuelta next through ITV4 highlights while it's there. Then back to Racepass for the one day races.
Did watch 3-4 days of full coverage of stages in the latter part of the Giro, Stelvio and Sestriere where great watches. Must go back and watch Sagans win on stage 10 I think it was. TT I started watching long highlights which where ok but wanted more of the footage so running out of time before they covered Hindley & Tao GH switched to full coverage and skipped ahead. Worked well!
'Race highlights' on GCN racepass app work well below the actual full stage coverage so easy to find, 'Long' around 1 hour quite well structured but not great 'catchup' type commentary like others (ITV was great example of this). But the actual footage buffers loads for me over Googlecast, like long 30s buffers sometimes. Turning off cast it plays perfectly on phone, then cast again and away it goes back on TV. Anyone else running it the same? Full footage doesn't have any issue, so it's not my internet.
I was quite surprised how much bad luck he had trying to get that on... Obviously not something he's done much of in WA - rain jackets in the cold and wind! Funny to see Kelderman have similar issues and just bin the jacket. Understand the frustration but these guys know how catching a chill can impact you the next day/two, worth losing a few seconds over...! Thought 'He'll regret that' just before commentary said the same. 'dexterity of a hippo' made me lol. Stupid really, as think that may have really cost him some top end form for the final stages...? Considering that brutal solo ride, he rode well the latter part of the final stage really well, allowing the group to come up and them riding was actually closing the gap quite well so unlikely the cold/chill had affected him still then.
Would be interesting to see how Jai's and the Ineos jackets differed. All Castelli, but same model/zips? Probably just unfamiliarity for him, but I know I for sure won't look at Craft jackets when next after one...
Hahaha, yeah, or even doubled the stage and said 'anyone not finishing gets a DQ'
To be fair the CPA stepping in was the right thing to do, but using an excuse to boost riders immune systems was a bit lame after everything they've been through already. Also really why they left it so long/late is beyond me. Weather forecasts are generally pretty accurate a few days ahead these days. Plus it was only 'extended' 7km (nothing for the riders) over a long flat stage, so they shouldn't use that. Really looks like the weather was the decider (should have been notified at least a day or so before that it might possibly be shortened?) and the extension possibly the 'trigger' after whatever closed door talks with organisers failed (for them to do a complete U turn on the actual morning!).
Should've put money on that! Wasn't it 32s or something lol
Agree. Amazing result considering his position after the first stage or two (over 100th down?!).
He's flown under the radar quite well since joining Sky/Ineos after quite a bit of hype before he did. Quality rider and really hope he gets more opportunities going forwards. Although that may mean him leaving for another team if they keep Bernal there...
Wiggins gushing made me cringe. Anyone else!?
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Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2013
- Posts
- 2,632
Wiggins isn’t a natural pundit - more football style commentary of “the boys done good” than the excellence from Pete Kennaugh
Absolutely. The open letter thing he played on his podcast which he was proclaiming as private a few days before was quite sad as it was quite a nice message that shoudl have stayed private. Although his rant about people moaning about too many TT miles a few weeks before when Thomas was still in play, saying it's up to everyone else to get better not to moan about the TT miles, why should talented riders like Dumoulin, Froome, Thomas etc be marked down because tey can time trial. it's up to the pure climbers like Quintana, Lopez etc to just get as good as they can on a TT bike, yes they won't ever get to that top level, but you look at a lot of these guys and realise they hardly ever train on a TT bike or make their position as good as it can be.
Just realised RacePass is now available in browser which makes it so much easier to watch and a notably better quality than casting it.
Just realised RacePass is now available in browser which makes it so much easier to watch and a notably better quality than casting it.
Yeah noticed this last week and thought THANK GOODNESS.
Being limited to it on a phone was doing my head in.
Now I can Zwift, with spotify on AND watch bike racing
Soldato
He was good on the motorbike riding along with the riders. But he's not a studio pundit no.
I've been casting. But it's annoying. Need to sort out my old pc for zwift really.Yeah noticed this last week and thought THANK GOODNESS.
Being limited to it on a phone was doing my head in.
Now I can Zwift, with spotify on AND watch bike racing
Think slightly telling that jumbo visma had Bennett and kuss in the break today, perhaps indicating roglic doesn't have the form to last until the end of the vuelta and they're starting to hunt stages. Either that or just wanting ineos t o put some work in today.
Ineos used all but one rider. If it had kicked off on the last climb they had two up the road for Rog to bridge to.
Neither seemed interested in the stage, or they didn’t have the legs to go on the last climb... Kuss shipped too much time but showed an outside interest in KOM jersey.
Neither seemed interested in the stage, or they didn’t have the legs to go on the last climb... Kuss shipped too much time but showed an outside interest in KOM jersey.
True, it was a perplexing tactic, and I'm unsure as to the reasoning behind it, makes the race interesting that's for sure. Dumoulin pulled today not got the form to help it seems.
Vuelta gonna Vuelta 
Totally odd/crazy/fun stage for goodness knows why but it's the reason the Vuelta has the best racing of the GT's.
When Mike Woods totally crapped on that break it was awesome. They all thought he was a scumbag and nobody would ride and then he done them over anyway. some of the best breakaway trolling we will ever see
Totally odd/crazy/fun stage for goodness knows why but it's the reason the Vuelta has the best racing of the GT's. When Mike Woods totally crapped on that break it was awesome. They all thought he was a scumbag and nobody would ride and then he done them over anyway. some of the best breakaway trolling we will ever see
Soldato
Love watching breaks like Woods did the other day, even short breaks like his.
The bunch sprint finishes are so dull (relatively speaking). Ride for 100+ miles, being sheltered the whole way, to win by a few centimetres. Pah!
The bunch sprint finishes are so dull (relatively speaking). Ride for 100+ miles, being sheltered the whole way, to win by a few centimetres. Pah!
Rog and Carapaz looked miles better than anyone else when it got down to it. They are the only grand tour winners in the race there to compete for the win? (besides Valverde who won Vuelta what a decade ago maybe?)
Tom D abandon and was support, Froome support only, don’t think anyone else in the race has a GT?
https://www.strava.com/activities/4255003483#2756576255178878994
I've not watched the stage yet but that climb looks insane. Ended up finding that ride from Harry Tanfields (who is a great follow if not done already) and Robert Gesink (another great follow).
Edit: Check Sepp elevation total for the year.
Yeah, he's good for some of his insights and the on the bike stuff was great, but for commentary and studio really not.
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