Road Cycling
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One of George's better rides last night.
A breakaway of seven riders (including Soler) mainly got caught just before the final climb.
Bruno Almirail, however, survived and made a solo attack to lead by about 25 seconds. George then attacked and was able to ride across to Almirail. Unfortunately, never got more than about 15 seconds ahead of the main group - but, sat at that distance towing Almirail for 4-5 kms.
When the big guns started to launch about 4kms from the finish they got swallowed up.
Eventually Almeida won on the line for UAE, from Quintana and Higuita - with Carapaz a few seconds back. Ben O'Çonnor cracked a couple of kms from home.
George rode on to finish 13th on the stage, but 43 seconds down. However, good to see him have a crack.
He's now 11th overall but 56 seconds down.
Quintana is the overall leader, but Almeida has the same time. Higuita is 6 seconds down - then a bunch of guys 17-26 seconds down including Ayuso, Poels, O'Çonnor, Martin and Carapaz.
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@chris-b said in Road Cycling:
One of George's better rides last night.
A breakaway of seven riders (including Soler) mainly got caught just before the final climb.
Bruno Almirail, however, survived and made a solo attack to lead by about 25 seconds. George then attacked and was able to ride across to Almirail. Unfortunately, never got more than about 15 seconds ahead of the main group - but, sat at that distance towing Almirail for 4-5 kms.
When the big guns started to launch about 4kms from the finish they got swallowed up.
Eventually Almeida won on the line for UAE, from Quintana and Higuita - with Carapaz a few seconds back. Ben O'Çonnor cracked a couple of kms from home.
George rode on to finish 13th on the stage, but 43 seconds down. However, good to see him have a crack.
He's now 11th overall but 56 seconds down.
Quintana is the overall leader, but Almeida has the same time. Higuita is 6 seconds down - then a bunch of guys 17-26 seconds down including Ayuso, Poels, O'Çonnor, Martin and Carapaz.
What's good is that UAE have a number of numbers in the top part of the GC and they will be able to work together to protect themselves until the next opportunity arises.
I'm liking the course settings this year where they all seem to have really interesting final stages that can disrupt the leaderboard. Emirates, Paris-Nice, and hopefully this one all fantastic last days with a bit in it for everyone.
I used to hate watching TdF in the days when you'd just get a procession after an early TT or one climb part way in would determine things. Maybe the final day traditions of TdF may get a shake up one day as well. -
@crucial Yeah - looked like very smart tactics by UAE yesterday.
They had Soler in the early break, so didn't have to chase.
Then they had George sitting out in front for most of the climb, so again others had to chase (mainly Ineos), so George wasn't pulling everyone else up the climb, but still setting the pace.
They've now got Almeida and Ayuso both in prime positions and George not completely discounted.
Pretty formidable TdF squad when they've got Pogacar to come in and options like Hirschi, Formolo, Majka, Trentin, Ulissi et al to draw on.,
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Flat stage overnight, but the big guns did more than just pedal along buried in the peloton.
Most notably, Almeida and Quintana ended up sprinting for time bonuses in an intermediate sprint. Almeida came third in the sprint - picked up a one second time bonus, which leap-frogged him into the overall lead.
After that, several riders tried their luck breaking away trying to win by avoiding the sprinters. Didn't work and eventually we got a sprint finish.
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@chris-b said in Road Cycling:
Flat stage overnight, but the big guns did more than just pedal along buried in the peloton.
Most notably, Almeida and Quintana ended up sprinting for time bonuses in an intermediate sprint. Almeida came third in the sprint - picked up a one second time bonus, which leap-frogged him into the overall lead.
After that, several riders tried their luck breaking away trying to win by avoiding the sprinters. Didn't work and eventually we got a sprint finish.
Long stage though. Energy expended could be a factor over the next two days. O'Conner has done a mountain by himself where he was breathing so hard it was scary followed by trying (and cracking) to hold his lead. Does he have more?
Everyone in the top ten is comfortable on hills so it will come down to what's left in the legs at the end. -
@crucial Getting O'Çonnor's breathing from a motorbike was impressive stuff. I'm thinking they must have been on an electric bike? I haven't seen/heard that before.
Actually, if I'm reading the stage profile right, last night's flat stage still had 2,760 metres of ascending - a well as being long - and more than on the last day, which is classed as "medium mountain".
Be nice to see George move into the Top 10 over the last two days, but that won't be a huge priority for UAE.
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@chris-b said in Road Cycling:
@crucial Getting O'Çonnor's breathing from a motorbike was impressive stuff. I'm thinking they must have been on an electric bike? I haven't seen/heard that before.
Actually, if I'm reading the stage profile right, last night's flat stage still had 2,760 metres of ascending - a well as being long - and more than on the last day, which is classed as "medium mountain".
Be nice to see George move into the Top 10 over the last two days, but that won't be a huge priority for UAE.
UAE ballsed things up today and Almedia lost the GC lead Higuita & Carapaz
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@gt12 Yeah - they surely did!!!
I was trying earlier to see exactly what happened, but like the guy in the video, NZ coverage only started with Carapaz and Higuita well up the road.
Apparently, Almeida wasn't having a good day regardless, because even though
Soler and Rui Costa were pacing the chase for him - he wasn't sitting in third wheel urging them on, but back near the back of the pack.Apparently when Platt, Carapaz and Higuita attacked the UAE boys were all well back in the bunch, so seems like he might have already been struggling a bit. However, he managed to hang in and less than a minute down so may have a chance to counterpunch tomorrow. Probably fucked it though.
Not sure what happened with George. He finished at the back of the Grupetto - 4th last. So whether he was chasing for UAE early on, rested to hunt a stage win tomorrow (my optimistic hope), sick or had no legs - haven't found out yet.
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@gt12 Yeah - I really enjoy it. Once you get to know the riders and have a few favourites, it's a lot of fun.
I'm a bit disturbed at how easily I've been able to give up my TJV allegiance and follow George to UAE. Maybe I'm getting the hang of pro sports!
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I believe George is straight into another race after this.
I assume UAE have training/racing plans mapped out for all their riders and maybe he was only meant to ride the first half of this.
Could be that once they screwed up he was told to save his legs for tomorrow but it’s not really a stage for him to shine either for himself or as support.
Stranger things have happened though -
@chris-b said in Road Cycling:
@higgins Might be the way of the somewhat distant future. The dominance some of the African countries have in distance running might carry over to road cycling if they start training numbers for it.
Looks like they may’ve crossed the start line. Girmay won Gent-Wevelgem today; one of the biggest one day classics in the world.
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Final day - did Sky show the first six days but not this one? Surely not?
Anyway, from youtube highlights it looked like lots of good racing. Higuita managed to cover everything, Carapaz and Almeida round out the podium. George finished 4+ minutes down on the day and nowhere on GC.
Meanwhile - I found this on Ayuso. I wondered where he'd sprung from. Looks like someone else we'll be seeing at the front with Pogacar and Remco for a few years....
'He thinks that his ceiling is to be better than Tadej': UAE-Team Emirates' wonderkid Juan Ayuso wows team and Tadej Pogačar during training camp
The Spaniard spent part of his childhood living in the United States
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George is supposed to be riding the Tour of the Basque country this week. He rode the ITT and Stage 2, lost quite a lot of time on Stage 2 and has apparently got bronchitis. Didn't start stage 3.
Jack Bauer is also riding it.
Roglic is the strong favourite, with other contenders including Alaphilippe, Evenpoel, Adam Yates, Vingegaard and Vlasov.
UAE sent an interesting team - wasn't clear who, if anyone, is/was the designated leader.
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@chris-b said in Road Cycling:
George is supposed to be riding the Tour of the Basque country this week. He rode the ITT and Stage 2, lost quite a lot of time on Stage 2 and has apparently got bronchitis. Didn't start stage 3.
Jack Bauer is also riding it.
Roglic is the strong favourite, with other contenders including Alaphilippe, Evenpoel, Adam Yates, Vingegaard and Vlasov.
UAE sent an interesting team - wasn't clear who, if anyone, is/was the designated leader.
Pog is playing around in Northern France trying to get a feel for the cobbles before the sections there in the TDF.
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George was down to ride the Amstel Gold Race, but not surprisingly didn't start. Finn Fisher Black did, but was a DNF - as were a big chunk of the field (mostly the domestiques).
Fleche Wallonne (20 April) and then L-B-L are next on the schedule for George, unless they decide on something else for him.
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No love for Patrick Bevin?
That was a great ride to win the second last stage.
Cancelling the last was annoying, but he would almost certainly have defended his lead. The men who were within reach both were less strong than him yesterday.
