S*** Small Races 2023

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Celebrating a win too early fail in the Women's Tour of Lombardy
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 905
    FDJ start the tour of Luxembourg with both Pinot and Gaudu in their line up yet neither made it past the first 100k of stage 1.
    Anyone know why?
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,649
    Pinot had some stomach issues and bailed. Gaudu was still under par from covid, food poisoning and a training crash in August, was just a bit too much for him.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Pinot had some stomach issues and bailed. Gaudu was still under par from covid, food poisoning and a training crash in August, was just a bit too much for him.

    Or they looked at the weather forecast for todays stage! It's a bit soggy.....
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,547
    Ben Healy wins the queen stage in Luxembourg, attacking from distance and finishing solo. Think he takes yellow too.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 905
    He does, but can he Time Trial. 23km is fairly long for a 5 day race. Who's the favourite now: SKA?
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    wakemalcolm said:

    He does, but can he Time Trial. 23km is fairly long for a 5 day race. Who's the favourite now: SKA?

    Wasn’t he the Irish time trial champion.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 905
    webboo said:

    wakemalcolm said:

    He does, but can he Time Trial. 23km is fairly long for a 5 day race. Who's the favourite now: SKA?

    Wasn’t he the Irish time trial champion.
    .....checks PCS.....yes your right he was last year. Beat off a number of other WT pros (1's a number, right?). Also finished the Chrono des nations. Maybe there's more hope than I thought.
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Spends most of his time on a bike solo and holding everyone off to be fair. That said, riders like that quite often aren’t great time triallists for some reason.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,547
    Victor Campanaerts takes the stage win in Luxembourg today, ahead of Brandon McNulty.

    Marc Hirschi takes yellow from Ben Healy, who drops to third, 3 seconds behind, whilst McNulty moves up to second, two seconds back.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,227
    Not sure it's 'small' but Euro ME road race finish today was a good one. Less so having Wittermouth blethering on in the background all day.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Can never tire of a Jumbo 1-2-3.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,972
    Shame Ganna was caught out by a crash.

    Good finish, really thought he was going to get overhauled, but just had enough left to kick again.
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  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    Brilliant end to the today’s men’s Euro RR.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Pross said:

    Can never tire of a Jumbo 1-2-3.

    Only de Lie got in the way of a 1-2-3-4 Jumbo reunion.
    It’s getting a bit silly.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited September 2023
    Delete
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    WvA. Physiological superiority only gets you on the podium, but you’re gonna actually have to use your head a bit to win, Mr runner up.

    _
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    edited September 2023
    Yeah exactly that. He lost the race how he always loses races. Didn't take the (minor) risk of following Laporte at the time. Then expects everyone to always work for him, which they mostly do.
    Every now and again it all comes back together and he can sprint for the win or solo the last bit without risk, because others have already torn the race to bits.
    If that doesn't happen, he loses to the pure racers who are willing to take the calculated risks.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    rick_chasey said:

    WvA. Physiological superiority only gets you on the podium, but you’re gonna actually have to use your head a bit to win, Mr runner up.

    I still think he is physiological superior to most, just not to Pogacar, Van der Poel and (vintage) Alaphilippe. If he was racing (say) Klier, Ballan and Hoste his palmares would look quite different.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,554
    So he has to race smarter
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    I don't think there's much he can do. In the end it's just bad luck.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    edited September 2023
    arnuf said:

    I don't think there's much he can do. In the end it's just bad luck.

    If that is the extent of the analysis no one or nothing can ever get better; in sport or life. No offense intended.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,554
    I see Elia Viviani actually won a road race, stage 1 of the CRO Race!
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    m.r.m. said:

    arnuf said:

    I don't think there's much he can do. In the end it's just bad luck.

    If that is the extent of the analysis no one or nothing can ever get better; in sport or life. No offense intended.
    I'm not denying progress in any way. Even better, I would say in his first two years at Jumbo he improved more than any other rider of his generation.
    But when it comes down to the final climb in a 270K+ race no amount of progress or being smart will bridge the gap to the hypertalents.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473
    He lost to Laporte. Not a hyper talent.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,436
    Roglification at Giro dell'Emilia
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 905
    That's a quality top 10. Those late season Italian classics really are delivering these days.
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Pog just unable to drop the rest
    "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
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    Some finish by Roglic there - it's not like Pog was taken by surprise he just didn't have the acceleration to get on his wheel.

    Wonder if UAE are thinking they need to be a bit more creative tactically for Lombardy - or will the lack of an uphill finish make them more confident Pog has Roglic's measure should it come to a sprint.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    Famenne Ardenne Classic today - one of the craziest last few mtrs I’ve seen …

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