S*** Small Races 2024
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When you think how Pog only just made it back for last year's Tour after less significant injuries (albeit his crash was a few weeks later in the season) it is really hard to see JV being there. Looks like Kuss may be stepping up to be the main man for Visma, would be interesting to see how he does with the pressure of leadership if that does happen.
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I thought the collapsed lung sounded scary but Dr Google suggests that it should sort itself out fairly rapidly so long as the excess pressure around it has been drained properly and he avoids scuba diving. Even Sports Dr Google seems to offer an encouraging prognosis for competition.
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Cake is just weakness entering the body0 -
True, but were it not for the eventual televising of a camera in the peloton, which captured Vingegaard trying to kick his bike out of the way, we would all have been left wondering….
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Once again, I read many armchair experts using hindsight to criticise the organisers for not anticipating a problem with that corner.
Few seem to be listening to Pello Bilbao and other local riders, who have been at pains to point out that the peloton chose to ride that penultimate climb tranquillo.
This in turn led to an almost entire peloton taking the descent, on mass.
Then factor in the fight for the front and that teams often use speed to try and split the peloton on descents (it is, after all, a legitimate tactic) and you have the root cause of yesterday’s incident.
If folks wish to play the blame game, then riders cannot be exempt from the pointing finger.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
IIRC Rowe and Thomas talked about this in the latest Watts Occurring. They said when Sky were in their pomp they led descents at a reasonably steady pace but these days they were finding that teams (think UAE were mentioned) were pushing the pace on descents
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Kim Andersen (Trek's DS) has a similar opinion - he said that according to Trek riders they were on the front taking it easy on the descent when Landa and Remco steamed past and increased the speed.
Now I'd thought that Landa was leading because he knew the descent - other Basque riders had pointed out that it was known the corner was dodgy due to tree roots causing bumps - but I don't know why he took it so fast. They weren't really attacking or trying to put pressure on as far as I could see.
As for the organisers, it was clearly a fast wide road corner, there were some clear dangers (concrete culvert, boulders) on the side, and local riders knew it was sketchy. There should have been a warning of some sort and some protection.
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I have read elsewhere that the organisation had put up a warning sign before the bend, but yeah regarding the boulders and culvert, although I am not sure what would have sufficed to make them safe.
Hay or padding would certainly been better than nowt.
Anyhow, today’s stage is underway with a couple of non starters.
Now as for apportioning blame, the organisers have put an iconic, last visited in 2011 climb, at 80kms in, which is well before live coverage.
Bad form, given the later climbs should ensure another bunch sprint of sorts.
It was a really poor parcour this year, before yesterday’s calamity.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Skjelmose made the point that because of the parcour there were no real time differences, so everyone wanted to be at the front, making it more of a battle for position.
It really is nuts that they don't have a single summit finish this year
Also, re Skjelmose, I think he might be cursed :-( If he wins the GC his two biggest wins will be races remembered only for horrific accidents
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Been another crash with more abandoning: Mikel Landa, Gil Gelders and Gonzalo Serrano
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Accidents like this makes you think whether Armstrong and Froome had a point in limiting their racing to a few appearances, in order to focus on being healthy for the Tour.
Less than 3 months to fully recover, probably less than 2 months of training and maybe only a few weeks of proper training… very difficult to see JV as a contender.
left the forum March 20231 -
Gonna put a tenner on Ben Tullet winning this year's tour.
"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago1 -
Line came 70m too late for Carlos Rodriguez, thought he had it with 200m to go.
Gregoire takes it in a reduced sprint despite Carlton deciding it was Buchmann who finished a minute or so later. He also had a massive hard on for Hayter, decided he wanted him to win and called any Ineos rider near the front as him. He was even arguing with the official result until seeing the photo finish for himself.
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Yeah, a bit of a Weston for Carlton there: Tao apparently did a great job for Skjelmose despite being 2 and a half minutes back up the road.
Good to hear Brian contradict him when he thought that tomorrow would be an easier day for Trek to control.
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Cake is just weakness entering the body2 -
Never understand these complete outsider bets. Yes the upside would be huge, but it practically never happens. Pogacar will beat him with one leg even after doing the Giro. And Roglic is still in the running as well. He wouldn't even be number 3 or 4 in the depth chart.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20231 -
Jorgenson maybe along or ahead of Kuss now for Jumbo I'd guess.
PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Did you actually watch the stage?
TGH did do a great job for Skjelmose, he set the pace up the final climb, and was only dropped when the GC riders started attacking, then got back on after the descent and went back to the front to close down a late attack by McNulty. Once that was closed down and it was clear it was going to finish in a reduced bunch sprint, he sat up and rolled in.
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LOL
Ethan Hayter is now in a better GC position than he could manage in that stage sprint: 11th overall.
I would have thought that Isaac del Toro would have been closer to the pointy end, too, but he was active all stage.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Yep, Tao did a solid bit of work there, very important
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Or possibly, flying. I remember when Paul Mullin (Wrexham FC) had a collapsed lung pre season in the US, he wasnt able to fly back for a couple of weeks. Maybe more.
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Yes I did but Carlton was calling it about 3 ks from the end when he was long blown.
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Cake is just weakness entering the body0 -
Wait, what? Based on Carlton’s comments?
I didn’t watch it either but….😂😂😂
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
What's the viewing order today?
Both Basque and Paris Roubaix Femmes are 2-5pm so priority will have to be to one over the other
Unless..... I put one on via the FireStick and another on the tablet
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Femmes definitely priority in my house!
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Double screen for me, I think. Femmes is a must-watch, but My Man & Local Hero Skjelmose is in the leaders jersey on the last stage, and it's very, very tight. The race, not the jersey.
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22 riders up the road with a lead of 3 and a half minutes.
Kuss being the most noticeable.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Poor Skjelmose is going to get worked over badly here
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Break down to 10 - Soler at 47" closest GC - Peloton just over a minute behind. Trek have done OK here, but might not have much help left, Tao was already pulling
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Oscar Onley going solo atm.
Carlos Rodriguez puts Skelmose into difficulty.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Ayuso takes the title and Ineos, with Carlos Rodriguez take the stage. Could be that he and Skelmose are split by fractions for the runner up spot.
Edit: Rodriguez gets second by a second.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Rodriguez and Ayuso played that very well. Rodriguez gets Ineos's first win of the year, Ayuso gets his first stage race win. Skjelmose defended bravely, ends up 3rd on GC (Rodriguez 2nd - can thank Soler for that, who sprinted to 3rd on the stage in from of Skjelmose)
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