Tirreno-Adriatico 2013 *SPOILERS*

1…1718202223…27

Comments

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Perhaps some long forgotten MTB skillz returned for Nibbles...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    Cracking stage. And regardless of what Michele Acquarone I don't think it was too extreme. Professionals ought to be able to cope with a 27% gradient without dismounting, even in the rain. I can only assume that they were massively over-geared but even so, I enjoyed watching them weaving up the slope like that. It reminded me of me riding the race up Doi Inthanon.

    Heroic ride by Phinney but, as big a fan of him as I am, no way should he be allowed to ride today.

    Oh, and according to Cadel's diary, the reason he was chasing so hard was because he was trying to drag Hushovd up to the leaders for the win.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Does anyone know if any other riders finish outside of the limit yesterday? Like you say it was a heroic ride so i wonder if the peleton in general would be sympathetic to him being allowed to finish the race?
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    No other riders.
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Oh, and according to Cadel's diary, the reason he was chasing so hard was because he was trying to drag Hushovd up to the leaders for the win.

    Thanks.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Without question one of the most impressive rides in this race is by Wout Poels. Chapeau that man
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    LutherB wrote:
    Does anyone know if any other riders finish outside of the limit yesterday? Like you say it was a heroic ride so i wonder if the peloton in general would be sympathetic to him being allowed to finish the race?


    Maybe but not up to them. Race jury's decision.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Without question one of the most impressive rides in this race is by Wout Poels. Chapeau that man

    Indeed, and (off topic) a further kick in the teeth for one Andy Schleck...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    LutherB wrote:
    Does anyone know if any other riders finish outside of the limit yesterday? Like you say it was a heroic ride so i wonder if the peloton in general would be sympathetic to him being allowed to finish the race?


    Maybe but not up to them. Race jury's decision.

    Ah, OK thanks.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    DeadCalm wrote:
    Cracking stage. And regardless of what Michele Acquarone I don't think it was too extreme. Professionals ought to be able to cope with a 27% gradient without dismounting, even in the rain. I can only assume that they were massively over-geared but even so, I enjoyed watching them weaving up the slope like that. It reminded me of me riding the race up Doi Inthanon.

    Heroic ride by Phinney but, as big a fan of him as I am, no way should he be allowed to ride today.

    Oh, and according to Cadel's diary, the reason he was chasing so hard was because he was trying to drag Hushovd up to the leaders for the win.

    I think its incredibly harsh to not let Phinney finish.. although I guess you'd be a bit annoyed if you were finished the stage yesterday within the limit but miss out on a good placing in the TT because Phinney is there.

    Nice riding by Cade thoughl.. Surprised Hushovd was still there!
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Mad stage. Re the guys walking, at that gradient and in the wet its a matter of physics that if you have to stop, there's little chance of getting going again. Could be gearing, wheel slip, another rider blocking you etc that caused them to stop in first place. I'm sure they'd all have got up there if they had the room to maintain momentum.

    Great ride by Phinney, really brave and good to see. He's got the plaudits now, though, and seems to appreciate that rules are rules. Also impressed to see Alex Dowsett finish that stage - not the greatest climber by his own admission, suggests that he's made some improvements there over winter. Hope to see him put in a strong TT today.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    BigMat wrote:
    Mad stage. Re the guys walking, at that gradient and in the wet its a matter of physics that if you have to stop, there's little chance of getting going again. Could be gearing, wheel slip, another rider blocking you etc that caused them to stop in first place. I'm sure they'd all have got up there if they had the room to maintain momentum.

    Great ride by Phinney, really brave and good to see. He's got the plaudits now, though, and seems to appreciate that rules are rules. Also impressed to see Alex Dowsett finish that stage - not the greatest climber by his own admission, suggests that he's made some improvements there over winter. Hope to see him put in a strong TT today.


    Good comment about Dowsett, he did really well yesterday
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Some quotes taken from Sky Sports

    - Alberto Contador (finished seventh): "The hill was incredible. Sometimes you believe it is not possible on the bike."

    - Rigoberto Uran (60th) on Twitter: "I think a one month to recover from today, I'm almost dead."

    - Jurgen Roelandts (eighth) on Twitter: "Never did a climb on asphalt where my back wheel start slipping, even though it was raining."

    - Taylor Phinney (disqualified) on Twitter: "Probably the most trying day I've ever had on a bike. When I wanted to stop, I thought about my Dad and I didn't quit. I made it, 37min down."

    - Fabian Cancellara (68th) on Twitter: "I have just to say today's stage has nothing to do with bike racing. All the steep climbs we done you find in the area. I call it #sadomaso"

    - Daryl Impey (22nd) on Twitter: "Gave today everything I had. One climb too many at the end. Glad it's over now. That was a crazy hard day."

    - Joaquim Rodriguez (third): "People will remember this stage for a long time."

    - Maarten Wynants (82nd) on Twitter: "What a day, one off the hardest stages I ever had."

    - Cadel Evans (18th) on Twitter: "Tough day at the office; 'character building' - an old friend would say."

    - Dan Martin (40th) on Twitter: "Epic day of racing. Guys will hate me for saying it but loved every minute #mything"

    - Michal Kwiatkowski (16th) on Twitter: "For stages like today we need two-wheel drive on this slippery steep climb!"

    - Greg van Avermaet (33rd) on Twitter: "Hard day in Tirreno, bad weather, too many steep climbs and 210km. "

    - Manuel Belletti (91st) on Twitter: "Impossible stage."

    - Rinaldo Nocentini (93rd) on Twitter: "A gruelling stage, maybe too much!"

    - Chris Froome (19th) on Twitter: "Killer stage today. We emptied ourselves out there to try retain the lead but this time it wasn't enough."

    - Peter Sagan (first): "Today was a very hard parcours"

    - Mark Cavendish (DNF) on Twitter: "It was truly grim today in #TirrenoAdriatico"
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Some quotes taken from Sky Sports
    ......
    - Dan Martin (40th) on Twitter: "Epic day of racing. Guys will hate me for saying it but loved every minute #mything"

    Hehehe - Dan's The Man!
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Some quotes taken from Sky Sports

    - Alberto Contador (finished seventh): "The hill was incredible. Sometimes you believe it is not possible on the bike."

    - Rigoberto Uran (60th) on Twitter: "I think a one month to recover from today, I'm almost dead."

    - Jurgen Roelandts (eighth) on Twitter: "Never did a climb on asphalt where my back wheel start slipping, even though it was raining."

    "

    Jurgen has obviously never ridden on Michelen rubber for any length of time.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    LutherB wrote:
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Some quotes taken from Sky Sports
    ......
    - Dan Martin (40th) on Twitter: "Epic day of racing. Guys will hate me for saying it but loved every minute #mything"

    Hehehe - Dan's The Man!

    Good to hear that someone thought it was a good day, nice to know that some racers enjoyed it.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Squirrelpie
    Squirrelpie Posts: 78
    I think there will be an unexpectedly large difference today's TT times.
    I also think the top ten will have four or five unexpected names in it.
    I predict it will be those who did not go too deep or slept well who will best perform.
    I can imagine some dead legs today.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Good stage, enjoyed that! Nice when a race is turned upside down. Looks like the way to beat the Sky train is to hope it rains!

    Interesting to see Evans working on the front of the 2nd chase group yesterday. Was this just to try and bring Hushovd back to the front of the race and maybe win the stage? Think the time differences were too big for this, so I wonder what he was doing.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,182
    LutherB wrote:
    Does anyone know if any other riders finish outside of the limit yesterday? Like you say it was a heroic ride so i wonder if the peloton in general would be sympathetic to him being allowed to finish the race?

    Although everyone is sympathetic, allowing Phinney through could deny someone else a win, and perhaps more importantly WT points.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Cheers - i can understand it with it being a TT today, and as Squirrelpie says it could be a bit of a topsyy-turvy TT
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    So...anyone care to have a shot at predicting the top 5?
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    I reckon Canc to beat the Panzerwagon today, then Froome, Castroveijo and Kwiatowski................or none of the above.
  • Ed_tron
    Ed_tron Posts: 23
    It was a long list of DNF yesterday - but I suppose some of the riders may have dropped out yesterday as its one final TT stage today, so they put in their shift helping their GC or whatever and now they are not needed as such.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    I'm going for - in no particular order -

    Martin
    Froome
    Kwiatkowski
    Dowsett
    Contador
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    LutherB wrote:
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    Some quotes taken from Sky Sports
    ......
    - Dan Martin (40th) on Twitter: "Epic day of racing. Guys will hate me for saying it but loved every minute #mything"

    Hehehe - Dan's The Man!

    Good to hear that someone thought it was a good day, nice to know that some racers enjoyed it.

    Yeah but the (40th) and #mything don't really tally up!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Phinney was the only one outside the limit.

    Only 109 finished.

    And I never knew Pozzovivo was racing. He even came home in the 50secs down group.

    Rambo came in 20th.

    Pozzo was in the second group on the queen stage.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Pross wrote:

    Yeah but the (40th) and #mything don't really tally up!

    Your right I would have thought that one long climb in those conditions would have suited him better.

    But I do like the fact that he was being positive about the stage as I have seen quite a few tweets from riders further up the board on the day who were moaning (might not be the right word but it will do). After all these are pro riders and its their paid job to ride, same as most people I guess we all have somethings in work that we dislike but at least Dan was looking for the positive.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    Pross wrote:

    Yeah but the (40th) and #mything don't really tally up!

    Your right I would have thought that one long climb in those conditions would have suited him better.

    But I do like the fact that he was being positive about the stage as I have seen quite a few tweets from riders further up the board on the day who were moaning (might not be the right word but it will do). After all these are pro riders and its their paid job to ride, same as most people I guess we all have somethings in work that we dislike but at least Dan was looking for the positive.

    I thought it was a little tongue in cheek, but good to see someone being positive about it. Seeing them crawl will make me feel a little better as i crawl up Fulmer Hill a bit later
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,436
    Great ride by Hushovd.

    Great to see him getting form back.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I'm going for - in no particular order -

    Martin
    Froome
    Kwiatkowski
    Dowsett
    Contador

    Boom?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I'm going for - in no particular order -

    Martin
    Froome
    Kwiatkowski
    Dowsett
    Contador

    Boom?


    Ooh...good shout....

Categories