Road Cycling
-
@Chris-B A battle of wits, but they’re all B list contenders at best. Nibali’s best days are behind him, and have been for some time. My only hope is that a young thruster seizes his chance like Hirschi or Pogacar did in the TdF. Don’t really know who that might be though. Geoghan Hart got dropped yesterday but is only a couple of minutes back on GC. Ineos have a relatively strong team and might be able to do something with him. They’ll also be looking for at least a couple more stage wins in the TT stages via Ganna or Dennis.
-
@scribe said in Road Cycling:
@Chris-B A battle of wits, but they’re all B list contenders at best. Nibali’s best days are behind him, and have been for some time. My only hope is that a young thruster seizes his chance like Hirschi or Pogacar did in the TdF. Don’t really know who that might be though. Geoghan Hart got dropped yesterday but is only a couple of minutes back on GC. Ineos have a relatively strong team and might be able to do something with him. They’ll also be looking for at least a couple more stage wins in the TT stages via Ganna or Dennis.
From a SA perspective, Louis Meintjies is still there and only 1:59 back.... but:
- he is not really young anymore
- I haven't seen him look like the rider who finished in the Top 10 oif the TDF and Vuelta a good few seasons back
Not holding my breath...
-
@antipodean it wasn’t a painted line. He hit a Bahrain Merida bidon that was one of two I saw in the clip, rolling across the road.
-
@scribe said in Road Cycling:
@antipodean it wasn’t a painted line. He hit a Bahrain Merida bidon that was one of two I saw in the clip, rolling across the road.
I didn't see that the first time - just looked like he'd it the paint.
-
@scribe I guess if you're looking for a young thruster then Joao Almeida wouldn't be a bad bet at present.
But, I think it will come down to a battle of the old guys - with the caveat that I don't think Yates is out of contention. I'd like there to be some explanation for his fade though and it doesn't seem like they have one. Michelton Scott pretty clearly rode in expectation that he could win the Stage.
A podium of Fuglsang, Kruiswijk and Nibali wouldn't surprise me.
Thomas has a broken pelvis and has withdrawn.
-
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/54441571
Italy's Luca Wackermann was taken to hospital after a helicopter "flying too low" caused a crash near the end of stage four of the Giro d'Italia.Vini Zabu-KTM's Wackermann and Etienne van Empel both fell in the incident.
Dutch rider Van Empel was able to get back up but his teammate was less fortunate.
"Wackermann was sent to the hospital, he was barely conscious," team boss Andrea Citracca told Italian TV station RAI2.
"The helicopter was flying too low, the movement of the air blew up the barriers. It is not clear if he has broken his pelvis. The barriers were not tied properly."
Vini Zabu-KTM later confirmed that Wackermann had abandoned the race with a broken nose and has a suspected broken back, along with multiple cuts and bruises.
-
@scribe said in Road Cycling:
@Chris-B yesterday’s events have already turned the Giro into a yawn fest for me. I’ve now got 10 days or so of waiting to watch arguably the two in form superstars (Van Aert and Van der Poel) smash each other at the Tour of Flanders and then a week later, Paris Roubaix (my favourite race of the year).
P-R has been canned.
Upsurge in cases in the north and Lille metro area locked down. Judged too risky to hold race.
If there is virus around it is probably a good decision. Can't control people lining tracks through paddocks and the D'Arenburg is so packed it's like being at the rugby.Apparently first time a year has not had a PR race since 1942 (must look that up). Hopefully back in sequence in April.
-
Simon Yates had to pull out of the Giro - positive Covid test. Might explain his lacklustre climb on Mt. Etna if he was starting to sicken.
Three flat stages and then a mountain stage last night. A small amount of shuffling among the major contenders. Wilco Kelderman seems to be going very well.
May be 10 guys in with a chance of winning at present.
-
Steven Kruiswijk, Michael Matthews and the remainder of Yates' Michelton Scott team have all withdrawn from the Giro due to positive covid tests.
-
@Chris-B on the positive side, Peter Sagan won for the first time in 15 months with typical Sagan panache. Eurosport commentators rated it as one of the best in his 120ish win palmares. Not sure about that but it was hugely impressive from a breakaway. No one-handed wheelie to cross the finish line though ...
-
The Giro grinds on - a time trial in which Almeida extended his lead slightly over Wilco Kelderman and a bit more signficantly over most of the other contenders (picking up a minute on people like Nibali, Pozzovivo, Majka).
And last night - a mountain stage where Kelderman clawed back almost all of Almeida's advantage. Covid permitting, it looks like Kelderman's to lose to me.
Almeida is still in the jersey, but WK is just 15 seconds back. Australia's Jai Hindley is up to 3rd, but 2.56 behind - with Geoghegan-Hart, Bilbao, Majka, Nibali and Pozzovivo all within a minute of third place.
Since I'm doubtful that Almeida will manage to hang on with three mountain stages to come, it will only take Kelderman to have a bad day and any of these guys and a few others, could still grab victory.
But, it's all a bit supporting cast....
Meanwhile Van der Poel and Van Aaert went Head to Head in the Tour of Flanders - with VdP a bit surprisingly getting the better of Van Aert in a sprint. Julian Alaphilippe was contending with these two, but hit a motorbike, flipped and has broken his arm/wrist/hand (?) something like that.
The Vuelta starts in the next couple of days and Jumbo Visma are rolling out most of their TdF team - Roglic and Dumoulin as leaders, Sepp Kuss, George and Robert Gesink - along with Paul Martens, Lennard Hofstede and Jonas Vingegard. They look easily the strongest team, presumably making Roglic the favourite - depending on how he bounces back from the Tour.
Ineos has Froome and Carapaz. Movistar has Valverde, Mas and Soler.
WtW's Flying Mullet is riding for DQS and Dion Smith for Michelton-Scott.
-
good ride from Bennett in opening stage of Vuelta overnight - last rider dropped from front group so ended up in 9th place. Dumoulin was dropped well before that.. great result as he thought he was overweight and still had shit form..
most painful watch was the end of Froome.. got dropped early, he was about 3 metres off hte back for AGES and he just couldn't close the gap.. quite unreal to watch, then even worse only about 10m off hte back going over hte second to last climb, and he lost loads more time on the downhill - usually a strength - looked super nervous. Stick a fork in him, he's done!
-
Even better day for George in Stage 2.
He got dropped just before the summit of the final climb by the lead group of about 10, but got back on during the descent and then did most of the chasing of Soler for Roglic to limit any damage.
Wonder whether it might have been an even better day for him if he'd managed to get back to the leaders before Soler attacked? He might have been sent forward with Soler and had a chance to fight for the stage.
George is up to 8th overall - with teammates Roglic and Kuss ahead of him. Dumoulin lost a chunk of time and is no longer a factor.
-
@Chris-B said in Road Cycling:
Meanwhile Van der Poel and Van Aaert went Head to Head in the Tour of Flanders - with VdP a bit surprisingly getting the better of Van Aert in a sprint. Julian Alaphilippe was contending with these two, but hit a motorbike, flipped and has broken his arm/wrist/hand (?) something like that.
VdP raced in the 3 Days of De Panne yesterday (1 day race) and crashed at speed into a ditch 16km from the finish, in the lead group. Quite windy so there were echelons and he got squeezed and ran out of road. Took an age for him to move and he was really unsteady on his feet afterwards. He’s so dominant though and has an aggressive riding style where he is quite often happy to be on the front and just ride guys off his wheel. I love it! Other riders probably like it less so as more often than not if they are with him when the final selection is made, they’ve got little show of winning.
-
@WillieTheWaiter said in Road Cycling:
good ride from Bennett in opening stage of Vuelta overnight - last rider dropped from front group so ended up in 9th place. Dumoulin was dropped well before that.. great result as he thought he was overweight and still had shit form..
most painful watch was the end of Froome.. got dropped early, he was about 3 metres off hte back for AGES and he just couldn't close the gap.. quite unreal to watch, then even worse only about 10m off hte back going over hte second to last climb, and he lost loads more time on the downhill - usually a strength - looked super nervous. Stick a fork in him, he's done!
Sad with Froome. He’s a positive guy but I think he’s done as well. Seems to be a changing of the guard a bit this year; Nibali is another example.
