Vuelta 2018, Stage 6: Huércal-Overa > San Javier. Mar Menor - Stage 6 - 155,7 km *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    It did all look a bit naughty though, if I were a DS of a rider who lost time I would be looking to take a bit of revenge should one of those team leaders were to puncture or crash at an inopportune moment.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    Nah. The pace was already high before the crash, red jersey was in the front group, multiple teams kept the pace going.

    It’s a race, they were racing.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    lettingthedaysgoby wrote:
    Nah. The pace was already high before the crash, red jersey was in the front group, multiple teams kept the pace going.

    It’s a race, they were racing.
    While I have some sympathy with that argument I can also understand why the affected teams would feel aggrieved and may seek revenge even though I suspect their ire would be more rightfully directed at the organisers who were culpable for the crash and subsequently made matters worse by allowing the TV bike to tow the front group away from the chasers.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Richard T. Biscuit wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    ...
    Majka lost over 3 minutes which is nuts, given it was Bora who kept the hammer down.
    Poor old Rafal. About as much love from Sagan as Bouhanni has for his DS.
    I think probably more a case of Bora switching GC focus to Buchmann and Majka being free to go for stages or to play a support roll later.
    The Bora GC focus has been Buchmann from the start. The Bora hope is to have him finish in the top ten.
    Majka's role from the start has been - go for stage wins, help Buchmann if necessary on the climbs and, as an experienced GT rider, be available to give tactical guidance during critical stages.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    edited August 2018
    moved to s7 thread
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    lettingthedaysgoby wrote:
    Nah. The pace was already high before the crash, red jersey was in the front group, multiple teams kept the pace going.

    It’s a race, they were racing.

    Don't get me wrong I would be happy for races to take advantage of misfortune but given the split was caused by a crash I'd have thought the unwritten rules they normally abide by would dictate easing up - there was still a fair way to go. The wind was the complicating factor and yes they may claim that they were just maintaining their position in a cross wind rather than trying to distance GC riders but even so I'd be looking for a chance to even the score.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    lettingthedaysgoby wrote:
    Nah. The pace was already high before the crash, red jersey was in the front group, multiple teams kept the pace going.

    It’s a race, they were racing.

    Don't get me wrong I would be happy for races to take advantage of misfortune but given the split was caused by a crash I'd have thought the unwritten rules they normally abide by would dictate easing up - there was still a fair way to go. The wind was the complicating factor and yes they may claim that they were just maintaining their position in a cross wind rather than trying to distance GC riders but even so I'd be looking for a chance to even the score.
    If they’d been taking it easy before the crash then I think any pickup of the pace would have been a bit iffy - but they were hammering at that point and had been for several km. Likewise if the red jersey had been caught back in the second group, the unwritten rules would come into play.

    As it was, I’m less sure. Between the crash and the crosswinds it all just fell apart and some people lost time. That’s bike racing as they say.

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