Pro Cycling 2021

[F-Red]

Ah fair enough, haven't looked at the finish. The stage looks as boring as could possibly be though, just one straight line from start to finish Praying for crosswinds and some echelons.

Yep , it's not one to tune in until the last 10-20km. Some cross tailwinds towards the end of the stage, and the last 100m to the line is exposed to the wind.

 

[Kasper]

Banter stage whoever designed that Must be a record for least degrees of curves on a GT stage that`s not a prologue or ITT?

 

[Ainu]

Not sure it's that technical. There are several turns in the last three kilometers but the final of those turns is just after the 1 km mark, so it's probably about 800-900m straight before the finish. It's enough to derail sprint trains and positioning will be crucial, but the actual sprint shouldn't be technical. Boring stage otherwise, I'll try to tune in for the final 5 km and that's that.

 

[Ainu]

I take back what I said, in hindsight those final kilometers were just too chaotic and dangerous.

 

[Kasper]

Probably just unlucky but honestly, an extremly boring and uneventful parcours for 95% of the stage and then a random technical final that has a contender crashing out topped by incredible moronic camera work in the sprint finish where you couldn`t see shit.
I sometimes really wonder if it`s really that much to be asked in 2021 to avoid these things.

 

[F-Red]

Yeah very odd choice of stage, messy sprint in the end. Landa & Sivakov going out of GC is probably the biggest news from this stage.

 

[Kasper]

Bernal! Smoked them!
Was kinda hating this stage because of the boring weak gradients of the climbing but fair play, that last 2k gravel section up to the finish was nice.

 

[Eendracht maakt macht]

Evenepoel is something else. I love this era of cycling. Van der Poel, Alaphillipe Van Aert, Pidcock, Pogacar, Evenepoel and some more. Roglic although he is not as spectacular as the other guys. Good times ahead.

 

[F-Red]

Bernal! Smoked them!
Was kinda hating this stage because of the boring weak gradients of the climbing but fair play, that last 2k gravel section up to the finish was nice.

Really? I enjoyed today's stage, one of best so far. Absolute full gas from start to finish.

Bernal looked very strong today, no sign of his back problems either. Amazing to think that this is his first stage win at a Grand Tour.

 

[RobinLFC]

Looking forward to Wednesday with the Strade Bianche stage and then of course Saturday with the mythical Zoncolan Let's hope a flat tyre doesn't take a contender out of the race on the gravel sections either.

Impressive from Bernal yesterday, but we know what he can do and how mightily strong and explosive he is on a finish like that. Apparently Evenepoel lost a few places due to an error (by himself or someone from Ineos) in the tunnel, so strong performance as well to finish in 10" considering the position he was in when Bernal attacked.

 

[Kasper]

Really? I enjoyed today's stage, one of best so far. Absolute full gas from start to finish.

Bernal looked very strong today, no sign of his back problems either. Amazing to think that this is his first stage win at a Grand Tour.

I worded my take badly, what I meant was that before the stage I looked at the climbs and was like "Meh, low gradients apart from the end, probably see a boring break away and an Ineos train all the way similar to saturday" but then the stage turned out better than I expected, so indeed one of the best so far!

Looking forward to Wednesday with the Strade Bianche stage and then of course Saturday with the mythical Zoncolan Let's hope a flat tyre doesn't take a contender out of the race on the gravel sections either.

Impressive from Bernal yesterday, but we know what he can do and how mightily strong and explosive he is on a finish like that. Apparently Evenepoel lost a few places due to an error (by himself or someone from Ineos) in the tunnel, so strong performance as well to finish in 10" considering the position he was in when Bernal attacked.

I think in terms of overall form this week has been brilliant from Remco. He`s a bit up and down on tactical positioning and reacting to attacks and he doesn`t have the punch of Bernal but his legs seem very good. Stage 4 lost the wheel when the accelerations happened but then was the only one pacing in that second group and kept the gap at 10 seconds. Stage 6 this time reacted very well and was right on Bernals wheel each time of his accelerations - but didn`t have the abilities to outsprint him at the end despite Bernal pacing in strong headwind up to the line so he really seems more of a motor guy. Stage 9 bad positioning and looked like he was struggling when Moscon upped the pace for Bernal but then clawd his way right back (probably did the last 800m in the same time as Bernal? Just from way back) overtaking plenty of GC contenders.

Still, before week 3 all these small differences seem a bit irrelevant, biggest questions will be how Remco performs on longer climbs in a third week of a GT and if Bernals back will hold up (he`s still having issues he said which doesn`t bold well to me).

 

[RobinLFC]

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[RobinLFC]

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Evenepoel closing that gap on Ganna. Just wow.

 

[F-Red]

Sagan

 

[RobinLFC]

Just put some money on Vermeersch to finish top 3 today. Let's go Stradeeeeee

 

[Ainu]

Really looking forward to today's stage. I'm not sure I like this as part of a grand tour, because luck becomes a significant factor on such terrain, but feck it, it'll be great to watch.

 

[Kasper]

Ganna just TTed everything apart on that first sector But I think its gonna come together again, Ineos dont have enough in that first group and there`s still a long way to go.

Edit: Hmm or maybe not, Movistar also with lots of people in the front group, should help them if they want to move up places in GC.

2nd edit: Okay, Vlasov and Carthy also in the 2nd group, eough helpers to get them back together.

 

[RobinLFC]

Fecking hell, disaster avoided for Evenepoel. Gonna need to take a bit more risks if you wanna follow Ganna/Bernal on those gravel sections.

 

[Kasper]

Remco`s positioning often very weird, you never know if he`s struggling, just way too casual or just really really bad at manoevering within the group.

 

[RobinLFC]

Remco`s positioning often very weird, you never know if he`s struggling, just way too casual or just really really bad at manoevering within the group.

I hate that, makes me fecking nervous all the way through. Just get in Bernal’s wheel and follow that to the finish line ffs

 

[Kasper]

I hate that, makes me fecking nervous all the way through. Just get in Bernal’s wheel and follow that to the finish line ffs

I think he`s probably really nervous on these gravel roads and the descents after his big crash last year. Seems to break really quickly and rides passively. Totally understandably for a 21 year old coming off a big injury but definitely not a nice position he`s putting himself in.
Maybe he`s also genuinely tired after the hectic work before, Yates also randomly hanging at the back of the group.

...or he`s just bluffing Amstrong 2001 style and will pull out the big attack at the end

 

[Kasper]

Okay, he`s definitely scared. Descending like my grandparents on a sunday trip. I think DQS will be very reliefed that this stage didn`t have an even nastier profile. Bernal on the flat right now won`t do much damage.
Another edit: He`s cooked.

 

[Kasper]

Sad for Remco, maybe he`s ill?

Lord Buchmann on the other hand looking juicy, right on Bernals wheel! After 2 years German commentators can finally be justifiedly hyped about him.

 

[Ainu]

Looks like a combination of bad legs and fear of riding on the gravel. Think this is the end of the pink dream for him, just try to aim for as high a GC finish as possible at this point.

 

[Kasper]

Buchmann!

EF the new Super Team? 3 riders in a group of 8

 

[F-Red]

This stage has separated the men from the boys today. Ineos look very strong.

 

[Ainu]

Bernal is in some form. Looking forward to what he can do in the real mountains. If his back holds up, he could do destroy the rest there.

 

[Kasper]

Crazy stage. People that were still up there were cracking on that final category 3 climb with no big gradients as if it was the Mortirolo, some big time gaps.

Remco actually limited his losses, I thought he would lose big time the way he looked at times but just over 2 minutes is bad not not completely horrible given that it really seemed like a mix of fear on that gravel sections and constant waste of energy closing these small gaps. On more straight forward stages with "normal" climbs I could see him come back to get the podium, only Bernal seems out of reach (if his back doesn't blow up).

 

[RobinLFC]

Maybe just a case of heavy legs after a rest day, not the first time that has happened. Didn't work out with obviously Bernal being a lot stronger and more comfortable on the gravel sections. I'm still pretty confident this was just a glitch and he's still good enough to end up top 5-10, maybe podium. And even if he doesn't - even Merckx only finished 9th in his first Giro

Also since it's Evenepoel, I'm not willing to rule out a 50k solo à la Floyd Landis.

 

[Ainu]

Nizzolo finally, FINALLY gets his Giro stage win! Years and years in the making this. Brilliant scenes, loads of emotion. Who could begrudge him this?

 

[F-Red]

The Giro starts today properly, Zoncolan finish will test everyone. Difficult one to call today.

 

[Kasper]

I feel today might end up a bit disappointing. I mean we'll definitely get some separation and see who's in good form or not. But overall the stage is pretty straight forward and on Zoncolan itself only the last 3km really matter. The usual break will happen but GC wise nothing will happen for 190km and then on Zoncolan the first 11km are perfect for an Ineos train. So I doubt anyone serious will attack before the final 3km (well maybe Ciccone ) , what's the point wasting your energy 20s ahead of the peleton with Moscon towing everyone along.
As for the end, Vlasov and Carthy will/should definitely attack, we saw on Angliru last year that this should suit them. If Bernal is dominant again this Giro could well be kinda over unless he or his back blows completely in the final week. If no one can touch him on this super steep stuff (which shouldn't suit him) then how does anyone expect to gain on these upcoming long 9% climbs especially in high altitude which is his terrain.

 

[Ainu]

Campenaerts winning a sprint, who would've thought! So happy for him, he's had to reinvent himself a little bit and his attacking intent has finally paid off.

 

[RobinLFC]

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Lotto left with 2 riders for the last week, that's brutal.

 

[F-Red]

Shortened stage by the looks of it due to the extreme weather - https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...d-and-climbs-taken-out-due-to-extreme-weather

 

[F-Red]

Bernal looking supreme today, barring an utter disaster between now & Sunday he should comfortably take the GC.

 

[Ainu]

Bernal looking supreme today, barring an utter disaster between now & Sunday he should comfortably take the GC.

Shame we got to see feck all of it. He's on another level to everyone else here. Only a top Pogacar and possibly Roglic (with sufficient ITT kilometers) would be able to keep up with this Bernal.

 

[Kasper]

Bernal incredible but let`s face it, this Giro has turned into a bit of a clusterfeck. Zoncolan was already a bit disappointing and then this "queen stage" today.
Firstly, Giro needs to make his head up how to deal with weather and how to plan stages. This is now the third year in a row that a stage had to be changed. How is this surprising? It`s May, shitty cold weather in the Alps is totally normal around that time of the year if you want to go above 2000. Either leave these kind of stages out (would be a shit idea), move to another month, maybe switch with the Vuelta(?) or tell all the teams clearly in advance that this is stuff to be expected and part of the game. And even if the weather is exceptionally bad, at least have some sort of alternative route available days in advance.
But yeah, not gonna happen because cities pay a lot of money to be the finish, same as today. There`s no reason why they could do one 2000+ mountain pass but not the other two from a safety or weather perspective, it`s not like they`re 3000m apart, they have the same conditions. Which brings me to my last point, the CPA that has no transparency on their process whatsoever. I`m definitely in favor of a union that represents the pro cyclists but everytime they`re demanding something it turns into a weird no one knows who requested what festival.
Lastly, the TV coverage. Seriously how can this be so bad? It`s the 21st century, we get pictures from a fecking rover on another planet yet its apparently impossible to have live pictures from a rainy stage in the Alps where people can broadcast whats happening through instagram on 4G. The maglia rosa soloes away with a great attack and no one can watch it

 

[F-Red]

Bernal finally looking human today

 

[Ainu]

Didn't see that coming, but so far it's not a big issue yet. The third week of a grand tour can do strange things, especially with a mountain stage immediately after the second day of rest. Fortunately for him, it's an easy stage tomorrow. Friday will show us if it's just a blip.