Tirreno - Adriatico 2021 ***Spoilers***

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Comments

  • gregster04
    gregster04 Posts: 1,756
    The collapse off his bike is about the only feature his riding shares with my own.

    What a race. Milan-San Remo is going to be tremendous fun.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The defining stage of the race.
    Everybody bar Pocacar looked dead in the saddle
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Nice of Pogacar to gift him the win, that'll come in handy for the tour defence
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Pogacar looks like he's going to own this sport for years. He looks head and shoulders above everyone else.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,313
    IT really is a new level. We might have thought Pogacar got lucky last year but he, MvdP, van Aert and Alaphillipe are all pushing the envelope. Even Ganna can take a huge pull and next day smash a TT.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    It's not so much that he took 3 minutes out of MvdP in about 13kms, but the fact that he took over 2 minutes out of everybody bar WVA who were in the lead group.
    Also he finished looking fresh as a daisy while they all looked as if they had just experienced a bombardment in a first world war trench.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    The thing I like with this crop of riders is the range of races they look capable of winning. WVA, MvdP and Ganna are unlikely to win a GT but they look capable of anything else. Pogacar (and Roglic albeit he's obviously older) could win any of the Monuments other than maybe P-R, although I don't think it's completely out of the question, as well as GTs. Then we've got the likes of Evenepoel and Pidcock who who haven't had much chance to see yet. It's exciting times.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Pross said:

    The thing I like with this crop of riders is the range of races they look capable of winning. WVA, MvdP and Ganna are unlikely to win a GT but they look capable of anything else. Pogacar (and Roglic albeit he's obviously older) could win any of the Monuments other than maybe P-R, although I don't think it's completely out of the question, as well as GTs. Then we've got the likes of Evenepoel and Pidcock who who haven't had much chance to see yet. It's exciting times.

    Yep. It really is a golden age
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    That was an excellent stage, and a decent ride by MVDP, but in my mind, he won that stage yesterday. No way would he have been given such leeway if he wasn't so far down on GC.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    No Victor salute across the line . Gave everything
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Today's final road stage certainly isn't flat, but it's not as tough as last year, which was won by.........MvDP.




    Best guess is a rather reduced bunch sprint.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    During Comms Kirby suggested MVDP was on the attack to get in training 'for the Ardennes'.

    There was a slight pause from Lloyd - presumably as he was working out how to politely suggest the reigning RVV champ was probably much more interested in upcoming MSR & cobbled races - who came back with something like 'well probably all the classics really'.

    Kirby really is a plank.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    This three times on the finishing circuit looks interesting:



    (From https://www.ciclismointernacional.com/tirreno-adriatico-2021-stage-6-preview/ )

    I don't think the climb on the circuit looks tough enough to get rid of any sprinters. Any attacks on it might burn off some of the lead out trains though, but I think only Deceunink have one of those and also a sprinter left in the race.

  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,205
    Pross said:

    The thing I like with this crop of riders is the range of races they look capable of winning. WVA, MvdP and Ganna are unlikely to win a GT but they look capable of anything else. Pogacar (and Roglic albeit he's obviously older) could win any of the Monuments other than maybe P-R, although I don't think it's completely out of the question, as well as GTs. Then we've got the likes of Evenepoel and Pidcock who who haven't had much chance to see yet. It's exciting times.

    Hopefully we see less 'specialisation' and more riders have a go at anything they fancy.....
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    andyrac said:

    Pross said:

    The thing I like with this crop of riders is the range of races they look capable of winning. WVA, MvdP and Ganna are unlikely to win a GT but they look capable of anything else. Pogacar (and Roglic albeit he's obviously older) could win any of the Monuments other than maybe P-R, although I don't think it's completely out of the question, as well as GTs. Then we've got the likes of Evenepoel and Pidcock who who haven't had much chance to see yet. It's exciting times.

    Hopefully we see less 'specialisation' and more riders have a go at anything they fancy.....
    Yep, I'd meant to add a comment along those lines. I started watching cycling just before specialisation really started so it would be nice seeing the best riders competing all year.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Simon Carr takes a header into a street sign but seems to be miraculously unhurt
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    I think it is unrealistic to expect riders to be competitive in different types of events all year round.

    The younger guys mentioned above might find their niche a bit with a bit of time. Different events have different demands which require slightly different training, plus maintaining top form all year round isn't really possible anyway.

    Although obviously it is nice to see the GC and one day riders mixing it up in Strade etc.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    Christ, he hit that hard, but with his shoulder. Getting back on his bike - incredible.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953

    I think it is unrealistic to expect riders to be competitive in different types of events all year round.

    The younger guys mentioned above might find their niche a bit with a bit of time. Different events have different demands which require slightly different training, plus maintaining top form all year round isn't really possible anyway.

    Although obviously it is nice to see the GC and one day riders mixing it up in Strade etc.

    I thought the notion of peaks and troughs in form was largely a relic of the doping days when it would be so much harder to remain at your "peak" all year round? Obviously it's not just his doing, but one of the things Kerrison was supposed to have brought with him from swimming was the notion that you could sustain your peak throughout the year.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    A bunch of riders including the Green Jersey have broken away in the last few km and gained a whopping 3.15 on the peloton with 34 to go.

    Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert),
    Simone Velasco (Gazprom-RusVelo),
    Mads Würtz Schmidt (Israel Start-Up Nation),
    Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal),
    Nelson Oliveira (Movistar)
    Emils Liepins (Trek-Segafredo)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    20 to go, 2.45

    peloton appear to give up as they go through the line again. Think after yesterday there's a few people happy to have a rest before the TT tomorrow.

    Landa has gotten off the back somehow and is chasing back on with team mates. The lull in the pace will let him get back on (as I type, he is back on)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Interesting comparison to yesterday.
    Landa needed a bike change with the bunch chasing the break at 20kms to go.
    Bunch sat up and now look unlikely to make the catch.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    phreak said:

    I think it is unrealistic to expect riders to be competitive in different types of events all year round.

    The younger guys mentioned above might find their niche a bit with a bit of time. Different events have different demands which require slightly different training, plus maintaining top form all year round isn't really possible anyway.

    Although obviously it is nice to see the GC and one day riders mixing it up in Strade etc.

    I thought the notion of peaks and troughs in form was largely a relic of the doping days when it would be so much harder to remain at your "peak" all year round? Obviously it's not just his doing, but one of the things Kerrison was supposed to have brought with him from swimming was the notion that you could sustain your peak throughout the year.
    Periodisation of training is used across almost all sports (including swimming, random article I found https://www.proswimminguk.co.uk/2016/10/24/the-importance-of-periodization-in-swim-training/ - but you just need to listen to anything with the Olympic team talking about their training cycles). Maybe not something like football, I guess, but I expect they probably do something with the off season too.

    Highly cited review paper on the topic: https://umh1617.edu.umh.es/wp-content/uploads/sites/546/2015/04/New-Horizonts_Issurin.pdf

    I'd put almost any amount of money on the vast majority (if not all) pro riders following some kind of periodisation in line with their target events.

    Apart from anything else doing the kind of training needed for peak form is enormously mentally demanding and people need a mental break from it. Also would probably lead to overtraining and stagnation if it was kept up with year round.

    TrainingPeaks on periodisation in cycling: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/macrocycles-mesocycles-and-microcycles-understanding-the-3-cycles-of-periodization/
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    The race is very much not on here though.

    Lots of small teams trying very hard to win 7th place...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    1.5 to go. Break to contest the finish
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    edited March 2021
    Mads Wurst takes it in green*

    *Which is not the Green Green...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    edited March 2021
    Oliveira set that up by riding strong through the last 1.5km - made it more straightforward for Wurtz Shmidt. Not sure why. Impressive finish though.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Cor that was ordinary
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.