Giro 2021:- Stage 9: Castel di Sangro – Campo Felice 158 km **Spoilers**

124

Comments

  • Bernal wins from Ciccone and Vlasov
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,877
    Great work from Moscon to set up Bernal to blitz the last km.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    That was impressive
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,877
    Bernal leads GC by 15 secs from Remco, & 21 secs from Vlasov.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    Enjoyed watching Bernal flick the switch at the end there - it was like the moto had said something he'd taken exception to.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    Ciccone looked surprised with himself . Bernal different level . Can he hang on . Got the team . Hugh did ok . Yates under the radar still .
    "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: 21,741
    It was only a short gravel section, but I think it will have made a few DSs ponder the 35kms of it on Wednesday's stage.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,249
    Good to see his back issues seem to be resolved.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Great to see Bernal back in form
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646

    It was only a short gravel section, but I think it will have made a few DSs ponder the 35kms of it on Wednesday's stage.

    You could lose the giro there for sure
    "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
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132

    It was only a short gravel section, but I think it will have made a few DSs ponder the 35kms of it on Wednesday's stage.

    You could lose the giro there for sure
    Chance for Bernal to put a lot of time into his rivals there. With the team he has, especially.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200

    It was only a short gravel section, but I think it will have made a few DSs ponder the 35kms of it on Wednesday's stage.

    You could lose the giro there for sure
    Chance for Bernal to put a lot of time into his rivals there. With the team he has, especially.
    Hmm.... I'd expect Quickstep to be able to ride gravel
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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132

    It was only a short gravel section, but I think it will have made a few DSs ponder the 35kms of it on Wednesday's stage.

    You could lose the giro there for sure
    Chance for Bernal to put a lot of time into his rivals there. With the team he has, especially.
    Hmm.... I'd expect Quickstep to be able to ride gravel
    Bernal stayed with the absolute best at strade bianche. He might not put time into them, but he could. Someone will probably struggle.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    The difference between the freshish legs of the jersey group and the leaders once they hit that gravel was ridiculous. Unless the time gaps were wrong beforehand I don't think I've ever seen a one minute gap disappear so quickly. I thought Bernal was taking a risk getting out of the saddle on the final kick but he controlled his back wheel with real skill.

    He still needs to gain enough time over Remco for the final TT but then Remco's already beyond his tried and tested range so anything could happen.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Bernals first GT stage win apparently.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    Pross said:

    The difference between the freshish legs of the jersey group and the leaders once they hit that gravel was ridiculous. Unless the time gaps were wrong beforehand I don't think I've ever seen a one minute gap disappear so quickly. I thought Bernal was taking a risk getting out of the saddle on the final kick but he controlled his back wheel with real skill.

    He still needs to gain enough time over Remco for the final TT but then Remco's already beyond his tried and tested range so anything could happen.

    The breakway legs must have felt they were pedalling through sticky tar . They parked up .
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    Remco is going to fade ... I base that on nothing but gut feeling . Ciccone looks fresh still . ..
    "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
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    With Bernal in particular, I suspect that DS will be less worried by the gravel than the fact that he kicked off on the steepest part and immediately dumped everyone. Plus Ineos rode in stereotypical fashion to put him there to do it.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    edited May 2021
    Don't forget, Bernal's route in to pro cycling was via mountain biking, so he has decent off road skills.

    Watch him crash out on the sterrato now.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Apparently Bernal didn't know he had won the stage when he crossed the line.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    I assumed he was just getting every second and / or wasn't risking it on the dodgy surface but was surprised there wasn't at least one arm raised as he crossed the line.
  • huret
    huret Posts: 62
    Savoie between the Glandon and the Madeleine.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Yeah he said something about touching wheels with an Ineos rider on Twitter or Instagram (forget which), which put him out of position for the gravel bit.

    Sounded like excuses to me, his posts often come off a bit like that. But from the sound of it he is under a lot of pressure from the domestic press, so perhaps feels the need to be defensive.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Mohoric fine. No broken bones and minor concussion + headache.

    I'd love to see a photo of the helmet.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    It's weird how the hardest of crashes often have a lesser impact than some of the innocuous tumbles.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Pross said:

    It's weird how the hardest of crashes often have a lesser impact than some of the innocuous tumbles.

    adopt geeky work voice:

    a lot of it is to do with the big ones being massively unexpected so you remain all relaxed and literally bounce along, small ones you see coming you tense up and so the compressive forces travel smack into ypur body breaking and shredding and ripping and tearing things apart.

    its why if you see something about to happen you should just chill and go for the ride - its a big thing for motorbike racers - don't fight it, just slide along.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152

    Enjoyed watching Bernal flick the switch at the end there - it was like the moto had said something he'd taken exception to.

    I love that bit where he goes from little to big ring.
    Look down, check the chain is on and boom, see ya later.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538

    Yeah he said something about touching wheels with an Ineos rider on Twitter or Instagram (forget which), which put him out of position for the gravel bit.

    Sounded like excuses to me, his posts often come off a bit like that. But from the sound of it he is under a lot of pressure from the domestic press, so perhaps feels the need to be defensive.

    I just watched the English version - I'll paraphrase, but he said than an Ineos rider nearly caught Bernal's wheel, which meant that both him and Bernal went backwards a bit.
    It didn't come across as an excuse, more just explaining what had occurred.
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  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,628

    Bernals first GT stage win apparently.

    He was unfortunate with the abandoned stage in the 2019 Tour - although he may have let Yates have it for sharing the work.