Road Cycling
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It is an odd climb, because the really steep bits are mixed with some very gentle parts. Downhill even. The 24% was only a tiny bit and the average, even for the last three km, was a lot lower..
The first guys over the line looked absolutely blown and made it look totally brutal. When Roglic went over he didn't look anything like that though.
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@Chester-Draws said in Road Cycling:
It is an odd climb, because the really steep bits are mixed with some very gentle parts. Downhill even. The 24% was only a tiny bit and the average, even for the last three km, was a lot lower..
The first guys over the line looked absolutely blown and made it look totally brutal. When Roglic went over he didn't look anything like that though.
That’s a very fair point, I think the mist made it look even more hellish.
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There's some awful ones on the Tour of Turkey, e.g....
Roglic closes to within 5 seconds of O'Connor.
I think Ben is doomed - but, he may hold onto the jersey for another couple of days.
Mas and Carapaz also looming - both able to put a minute on him today - so BOC may do well to hold onto a podium place.
George shedding big minutes - which hopefully means he's going to have a crack at a stage win. Stages 18 and 19 look like stages that might suit him if he got away in break.
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Meant to say yesterday that I thought last night's stage might have been one for Corbin Strong - since Wout Van Aert has withdrawn - especially if Corbin got over the mountains and Kaden Groves didn't.
Kaden did - and won - Corbin got beaten by several others in any case.
Got to think Corbin has the tools to win a Grand Tour stage at some point.
BOC keeps the red jersey and probably a decent chance of doing the same tonight - though five seconds is a wafer thin margin. Looks like a couple of small climbs at the end tonight that might let Roglic gap him. They might also suit George in a breakaway - though I think tomorrow (Stage 19) might suit George in a breakaway more - 8km steep climb to a mountain finish.
Stage 20 will be a killer - 7 climbs - 3 Category 1.
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@gt12 Only been following the reports.
Sounds like Del Toro and Carapaz played a crazy game and gift wrapped it for Yates.
Spend three weeks grinding your way around Italy and then run some sort of medieval vendetta - "don't care if I lose as long as you don't win!"
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I've followed all of the Giro stages (using SBS and a VPN). It started as boring and ended quite phenomenally.
I think Del Toro was just blown, rather than out-played. There were lots of riders able to keep up with him at the end, which should not be happening on a final mountain stage like that if you are a grand tour winner.
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@Chris-B said in Road Cycling:
@gt12 Only been following the reports.
Sounds like Del Toro and Carapaz played a crazy game and gift wrapped it for Yates.
Spend three weeks grinding your way around Italy and then run some sort of medieval vendetta - "don't care if I lose as long as you don't win!"
Good learning for the youngster. He got dragged up the hill by Carapaz (refusing to help) then still expected Carapaz to help him make up 2 minutes.
I’m not sure he could go, but once Yates got ahead that far Del Toro didn’t seem to realize that for Carapaz there isn’t much difference between 2nd and 3rd.
It was really up to Del Toro to close it down and he either couldn’t (I guess) and wouldn’t try as he was on the verge of cracking. Those are the same thing I guess.
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TDF fun to watch but no one can get near Pog, and following that no one can challenge Jonas for 2nd (yet at least), so the fun is really seeing who’ll get third.
When Almeida went down I thought it might be interesting to see what would happen to Pog either way less help, but he doesn’t need it. And, when Visma had the numbers they couldn’t use them, especially Yates didn’t have the legs to help Jonas which questions whether they should have set him free to get the stage last week (I think they had already given up tbh). If all were fit and supporting Jonas maybe he wouldn’t be 4 minutes behind. Can’t see him getting closer so it’ll be interesting to see how the fight for the podium shakes out.
