Giro 2014 - Stage 6 - Sassano-Montecassino * Spoiler *

tailwindhome

Anyone think it would have panned out differently had the pink jersey gone down?

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

So he came to the Giro with broken ribs. Heavyweight. If he was with Sky prolly would be in bed for a few months.

Yep, it's terrible how badly some teams treat their riders. Katusha should be ashamed of themselves.

Pross

It seems that the only people not bothered by riders continuing to press after a crash of the riders themselves including those worst affected. Maybe we should take a hint from them?

frenchfighter

Pross wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

So he came to the Giro with broken ribs. Heavyweight. If he was with Sky prolly would be in bed for a few months.

Yep, it's terrible how badly some teams treat their riders. Katusha should be ashamed of themselves.

Do you think if they told him to sit it out he would have said yes sure, thanks, where is my pina colada?

Pross

I think if they had told him to sit it out and his ribs were causing him trouble he would have sat it out and saved himself for the Vuelta (which is always his best hope). I just think sports teams in general are too keen to get everything out of their 'assets' while they can irrespective of the long term damage. Cycling does this in a highly visible way but it will be prevalent in all professional sports but I think that was discussed in the Tramadol thread. There seems to be a catch 22 here - you need to ride injured so you take tramadol which in turn is alleged to result in more crashes and more injuries requiring more tramadol!

tuneskyline

ThomThom wrote:

Just caught up with lasts km + the crash. Can't be bothered to read all the pages in here but anyone calling for Evans and BMC to actually stop and wait are a bit silly, really. Not even in the junior races would that happen. Sit in front and increase the chances of a bit of luck to be heading your way. That's what happend to Evans.

One of the biggest scandals in modern cycling - almost on level with the drug cheats - was when Cancellara stopped a whole stage because of his captain's technical skills - of lack of..

This thing with cancelling races has to got to stop. We saw it last in year's Giro as well when the peolton didn't want to descend a perfectly normal and safe descent. Making a joke of a whole mountain pass..

I even heard that someome had a go at Evans and compared his attitude from the situation in the Tour when the race was sabotaged with tacks. Yes, sabotaged.. If one can't tell the difference between the elements riders have to deal with during a race such as rain, slippery roads, crashes etc. and tacks, well then...

Very well posted, agree 100%. Cadel has been looking strong so far. I don't understand how so many of you underestimate such a great rider. At his best he can climb with anyone. He has had more than his bad share of injury's and bad luck in GT's. He does not ride with the flair of Contador but he can be aggressive and has been aggressive which makes for exciting racing.
If he was on top form no one here would threaten him for GC, crash or no crash.

thomthom

Philippe Maertens ‏@philmaertens
1 Oh a rider crash/ 2 Let's steal bottles & helmet / 3 Nobody sees me? / 4 Oh TV! Let's hurry and run away.



Hehe, sneaky bastard. But come on.. Posting it on Twitter and all..?

Pross

I don't think anyone underestimates him. That said, you keep saying 'at his best'. He hasn't been at his best since 2011 and he's 37 now. I certainly wouldn't rule him out of winning but he'll be relying on days like yesterday to help him. He snuck into 3rd last year. It wasn't exactly a who's who of GT talent but this year is similar I guess and more so with J Rod out and others out of contention. He's definitely one of the favourites for a podium place.

tailwindhome

Who was the rider with the great save just as the crash happened - just behind the Astana rider- looked to me like the Norweigan national jersey but could have been Garmin?

graeme_s-2

TailWindHome wrote:

Who was the rider with the great save just as the crash happened - just behind the Astana rider- looked to me like the Norweigan national jersey but could have been Garmin?

Norwegian National Champion is Hushovd for BMC, but he's in California.
Could be Finnish national champion Jussi Veikkanen for FDJ?

tuneskyline

Pross wrote:

I don't think anyone underestimates him. That said, you keep saying 'at his best'. He hasn't been at his best since 2011 and he's 37 now. I certainly wouldn't rule him out of winning but he'll be relying on days like yesterday to help him. He snuck into 3rd last year. It wasn't exactly a who's who of GT talent but this year is similar I guess and more so with J Rod out and others out of contention. He's definitely one of the favourites for a podium place.

I just would like to see him back to his best as it seems Contador is.I hold out hope. I had a virus and it really can have a huge effect. I am hoping he will get back to his best. But most I want to seen Andy Schleck dancing on his pedals and dropping everyone and I want a giant malteser the size of a football.

jerry3571

I think in past the gc guys would sit behind the team pulling on the front with maybe another rider to take the wind off but a lot of teams seem to have copied BMC with a whole team surrounding their main rider. There's simply not enough space for all gc guys to do this. I think this tactic of wet nursing riders is a problem.

Nice to see Dan Lloyd been going to a few French Lessons. ;-)

Pross

tuneskyline wrote:

Pross wrote:

I don't think anyone underestimates him. That said, you keep saying 'at his best'. He hasn't been at his best since 2011 and he's 37 now. I certainly wouldn't rule him out of winning but he'll be relying on days like yesterday to help him. He snuck into 3rd last year. It wasn't exactly a who's who of GT talent but this year is similar I guess and more so with J Rod out and others out of contention. He's definitely one of the favourites for a podium place.

I just would like to see him back to his best as it seems Contador is.I hold out hope. I had a virus and it really can have a huge effect. I am hoping he will get back to his best. But most I want to seen Andy Schleck dancing on his pedals and dropping everyone and I want a giant malteser the size of a football.

It would be good but I think he is past his best now. As for Andy, again it would be great but I really can't see it happening - I think he is mentally finished. The giant Malteeser is a more probable wish. I'll settle for Bertie / Nibs / Froome this year and then hopefully Quintana taking them on next year when Kwiatowski will also hopefully be a contender. Problem is, to get all the main contenders in one race means the Giro will have an even more weakened field.

Pross

jerry3571 wrote:

I think in past the gc guys would sit behind the team pulling on the front with maybe another rider to take the wind off but a lot of teams seem to have copied BMC with a whole team surrounding their main rider. There's simply not enough space for all gc guys to do this. I think this tactic of wet nursing riders is a problem.

Nice to see Dan Lloyd been going to a few French Lessons. ;-)

It's something I don't see the point of either, quite often the bulk of a team gets taken out in a single crash. If you have most of your team behind they are well placed to help you out if you have a problem.

slim_boy_fat

Finished work early, 20 degrees outside and sunny so went for a ride rather than watch the stage. Worth watching the highlights or not?

Pross

Stage 6 or today's stage? Not really for either. Yesterday maybe so you can take an informed stance on the 'should Evans have sat up' debate. Today looked like it might be exciting 20km out but turned into another damp squib.

slim_boy_fat

Pross wrote:

Stage 6 or today's stage? Not really for either. Yesterday maybe so you can take an informed stance on the 'should Evans have sat up' debate. Today looked like it might be exciting 20km out but turned into another damp squib.

lol, wrong thread. Watched yesterday's stage live so already have an opinion on 'crashgate'. Sounds like I didn't miss much today, quite a few damp squibs so far, hope it improves soon. Cheers for the heads up.

mulletmaster

If I was Evans I would have done exactly the same, not a doubt about it.
The irony about riders complaining about rain and crashes in Ireland and then getting more of each in italy but with about 25% of the crowds.

tailwindhome

Graeme_S wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Who was the rider with the great save just as the crash happened - just behind the Astana rider- looked to me like the Norweigan national jersey but could have been Garmin?

Norwegian National Champion is Hushovd for BMC, but he's in California.
Could be Finnish national champion Jussi Veikkanen for FDJ?

Guy at the bottom left - the one in the jersey which looks nothing like the Norwegian jersey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... uGHSuPbUaE

thomthom

It does a bit, though. At 0:06

Paul 8v

jerry3571 wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042zb4t

This is a series of programmes where Tim Moore rides the worst Giro course, the 1914 Giro where he rides on a bike and wears clothes from that period. Quite a nice programme.

Excellent, I will check this out. I do love a bit of radio 4, must be getting old!

iainf72

Pross wrote:

I don't think anyone underestimates him. That said, you keep saying 'at his best'. He hasn't been at his best since 2011 and he's 37 now. I certainly wouldn't rule him out of winning but he'll be relying on days like yesterday to help him. He snuck into 3rd last year. It wasn't exactly a who's who of GT talent but this year is similar I guess and more so with J Rod out and others out of contention. He's definitely one of the favourites for a podium place.

When you say he "snuck a third" do you mean he should've finished 2nd if everyone had sat up for him when he suffered a mechanical on the 2nd last stage?

jerry3571

This is my most memorable Giro crash where AGAIN some olio di oliva had been dispersed on the road at a critical point, this time at the finishing line. This type of crash seems to be an Italian speciality. :?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeB9_VmkNc

Anonymous

Pross wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

So he came to the Giro with broken ribs. Heavyweight. If he was with Sky prolly would be in bed for a few months.

Yep, it's terrible how badly some teams treat their riders. Katusha should be ashamed of themselves.

A couple of months ago, FF was criticizing sky for trying to make Stannard take of his race cape in the rain, saying they saw only robots, no care for humans, now he's criticizing them for resting injured riders. He really is a foolish man.

frenchfighter

More great photos here:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/05/ ... ino_328110

frenchfighter

delete

frenchfighter

@janibrajkovic · 23h
Any experts that can predict recovery time on this?


@janibrajkovic · May 16
1/2 When your team mates get watery eyes when they see you, It means more than any word. Thank you @enrigasparotto , @MicheleScarponi
@janibrajkovic · May 16
2/2 @BorutBozic Andrey, LaPanda

@janibrajkovic · May 16
I also hear I missed fair play at its best yesterday...

@janibrajkovic · May 14
They say no big transfers at Giro this year.... Because we do them on bikes... It could always be worse tho

frenchfighter

From another race:

“This is anti-sporting,” an angry Valverde told Spanish radio at the line. “Sky went to cut the peloton, which is within their rights and I understand it, but what you cannot do is go to make an abanico and cross right in the middle of the road. What happened? They were the ones who caused the crash. And later they do not have the balls to stop.”

“I heard a big crash and I thought we were going to stop, but no one waited and there were echelons quickly forming,” [Rodriguez] said. “We decided to collaborate because in the abanicos, it’s always to be better to be inside than out. Later, Intxausti came up to me and said that Valverde was back and that’s when I took the decision for our team not to collaborate. I do not criticize the decision of the others, but that’s what I decided to do.”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/08/ ... wag_235266

thomthom

Is Brajkovic always such a whiner?

tailwindhome

frenchfighter wrote:

“This is anti-sporting,” an angry Valverde told Spanish radio at the line.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11337 ... ntion.aspx