# Giro 2020 SPOILERS !!



## Adam4868 (24 Oct 2019)

I'll start the thread early,as there's not much else going on !

View: https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1187385682488111104?s=19


----------



## Adam4868 (24 Oct 2019)

Looks a great route aswell.

View: https://twitter.com/cyclist/status/1187405765797208066?s=19


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2019)

It's just a short 7 months away too, Adam, don't despair!


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2019)

Bora must be keen to sell extractors in Italy if they're willing to let Peter flog himself over those hills for la maglia ciclamino. Might affect his TdF performance. The gap between them is smaller due to the Olympic road race iirc


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2019)

rich p said:


> Bora must be keen to sell extractors in Italy if they're willing to let Peter flog himself over those hills for la maglia ciclamino. Might affect his TdF performance. The gap between them is smaller due to the Olympic road race iirc


Could there actually be a change for the green jersey in the Tour ? Was almost thinking he might aswell have it tattooed on him ! The Giro glancing at it looks tough,final day TT into Milan also.


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> Could there actually be a change for the green jersey in the Tour ? Was almost thinking he might aswell have it tattooed on him ! The Giro glancing at it looks tough,final day TT into Madrid also.


Madrid?


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2019)

rich p said:


> Madrid?


Duh ! Sorry Milan


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2019)

Deco Nick sending Evenepoel https://lessportsplus.dhnet.be/cycl...urrait-faire-le-giro-5db1f2af9978e218e3702167


----------



## mjr (26 Oct 2019)

Route preview

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVQ88Uvlg8


----------



## mjr (1 Dec 2019)

Bernal wants the Giro-Tour double. https://www.lesoir.be/264092/articl...visage-de-disputer-le-giro-et-le-tour-en-2020


----------



## Adam4868 (2 Dec 2019)

mjr said:


> Bernal wants the Giro-Tour double. https://www.lesoir.be/264092/articl...visage-de-disputer-le-giro-et-le-tour-en-2020


Plenty to choose from at Ineos next year,Carapaz,Thomas and if Froomes fit enough for the Tour I'm sure he'll be happy for Bernal to "help him"


----------



## Adam4868 (27 Jun 2020)

So Sagans riding his first Giro this year.

View: https://twitter.com/petosagan/status/1276501132177743872?s=19


----------



## mjr (12 Jul 2020)

Evenepoel recon includes two giro stages. Report in French https://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf2020...naissance-sur-deux-etapes-importantes-du-giro


----------



## Adam4868 (12 Jul 2020)

I like the poster for the Giro this year.


----------



## Adam4868 (29 Sep 2020)

So the Giro starts Saturday.Amongst the favourites are Thomas,Yates,Kruijswijk,Fuglsgang.Lopez and Vlasov are riding for Fulgsang.Suprised Lopez is riding straight after the tour,look a good team though.As for the points/fast men Gaviria,Demare,Matthews and Viviani and Sagan.
Be hard to look past Ganna for the first days TT.😁 When's the odds out !


----------



## themosquitoking (29 Sep 2020)

I looked the other day 11/10 for Thomas to win.


----------



## Adam4868 (29 Sep 2020)

themosquitoking said:


> I looked the other day 11/10 for Thomas to win.


Must admit he does look good and I'd love him to win.But those odds are confident !


----------



## beastie (30 Sep 2020)

Even odds on Thomas is just stupid. One puncture, one crash, one bad day and he’s never gone well at the Giro apart from once when he crashed out. However I hope he smashes it!!! Or Yates!!! Or Nibali!!


----------



## Milzy (30 Sep 2020)

beastie said:


> Even odds on Thomas is just stupid. One puncture, one crash, one bad day and he’s never gone well at the Giro apart from once when he crashed out. However I hope he smashes it!!! Or Yates!!! Or Nibali!!


Betting is a mugs game the best of times and is even worse in cycling. I think Yates will be out climbing GT.


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

Brutal route this year,anyone interested here it is.Looks like two queen stages.Cant wait.
https://echelons.wixsite.com/website/amp/giro-d-italia-route-preview-1?__twitter_impression=true


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

beastie said:


> Even odds on Thomas is just stupid. One puncture, one crash, one bad day and he’s never gone well at the Giro apart from once when he crashed out. However I hope he smashes it!!! Or Yates!!! Or Nibali!!


Slightly unfair as he's probally rode the Tour 9/10 times and the Giro ? He's looking good,especially after that last TT he rode.Deserved favourite I'd say,look at the team he has for it.
- Geraint Thomas
- Rohan Dennis
- Jonathan Castroviejo
- Filippo Ganna
- Tao Geoghegan Hart
- Jhonatan Narvaez
- Salvatore Puccio
- Ben Swift


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Looks like Velogames aren't doing a fantasy thingy  THey did last year but I can't find one this year.


https://www.velogames.com/italy/2020/entryform.php


----------



## mjr (30 Sep 2020)

Does @Adam4868 hold the record for most Giro 2020 threads started in the same forum section?


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

mjr said:


> Does @Adam4868 hold the record for most Giro 2020 threads started in the same forum section?


Sorry did I start another one ?


----------



## mjr (30 Sep 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Sorry did I start another one ?


Two that I've noticed so far, both in the "Similar threads" box at the bottom of this page: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/giro-2020.263703/ and https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/giro-2020.254471/


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

mjr said:


> Two that I've noticed so far, both in the "Similar threads" box at the bottom of this page: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/giro-2020.263703/ and https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/giro-2020.254471/


Not that I noticed .. One which I started today with Spoilers added.Is this a record ? I do hope so.


----------



## mjr (30 Sep 2020)

Relatedly, which Giro team will set the record for creating a team with the most GC leaders? Movistar as usual? Or will Jumbo try their Tour plan again?


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

mjr said:


> Relatedly, which Giro team will set the record for creating a team with the most GC leaders? Movistar as usual? Or will Jumbo try their Tour plan again?


Astana have three possibles.Fulglsang the chosen one but Lopez and Vlasov are worthy aswell.Saying that im not to sure how fast Lopez has recovered from the tour yet.


----------



## matticus (30 Sep 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Slightly unfair as he's probally rode the Tour 9/10 times and the Giro ? He's looking good,especially after that last TT he rode.Deserved favourite I'd say,look at the team he has for it.
> - Geraint Thomas
> - Rohan Dennis
> - Jonathan Castroviejo
> ...


Now I've got round to reading the other rosters, you have to say he's got by far the best backing. Definite favourite, but the form-book is so unreliable this year I think _Evens_ is a bit strong!


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

matticus said:


> Now I've got round to reading the other rosters, you have to say he's got by far the best backing. Definite favourite, but the form-book is so unreliable this year I think _Evens_ is a bit strong!


If we're talking just odds I agree,but who ever backs a favourite in cycling ? To many unseens for not enough profit 😁 But he's a worthy favourite as far as I'm concerned.


----------



## beastie (30 Sep 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Slightly unfair as he's probally rode the Tour 9/10 times and the Giro ? He's looking good,especially after that last TT he rode.Deserved favourite I'd say,look at the team he has for it.
> - Geraint Thomas
> - Rohan Dennis
> - Jonathan Castroviejo
> ...


I’m not arguing about G’s status as favourite, but against odds so short. Evens in a race with so many pitfalls is just ridiculous.


----------



## matticus (30 Sep 2020)

So now we have two threads, is this the NO SPOILERS thread??

From the old thread:
"





"
That's very nice - it feels quite japanese to me.


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

My fault @mods can you just merge the giro threads I started.Sorry !


----------



## rich p (30 Sep 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> My fault @mods can you just merge the giro threads I started.Sorry !


Can you add SPOILER to the title Adam, to save all that shite bollox in the Tour thread?


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

I've asked mods to just merge them...my fault.Shoot me.


----------



## Adam4868 (30 Sep 2020)

mjr said:


> Does @Adam4868 hold the record for most Giro 2020 threads started in the same forum section?


You happy now the threads have been merged...I feel like Froome now my record is in danger of going


----------



## nickyboy (30 Sep 2020)

It's an epic route this year so I expect the best climber will win the overall

Either Yates or Nibali....probably Yates

Ineos have picked a load of rouleurs, not sure how much help they will be to Thomas at the pointy end of things


----------



## mjr (1 Oct 2020)

Previews:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0-6ke2ONyA



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXNj-tqd3u0



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmNYYvAQhS8


----------



## Adam4868 (1 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's an epic route this year so I expect the best climber will win the overall
> 
> Either Yates or Nibali....probably Yates
> 
> Ineos have picked a load of rouleurs, not sure how much help they will be to Thomas at the pointy end of things


Three TTs, I think Ineos have a strong squad.Hes a worthy favourite and I'm sure he'll be up for it.Hes going to be thinking "you should of had me in the Tour !" 
Yates ? Why not,but Nibali as much as I like him just can't see it.
Looking at the course it's the toughest of the three GT this year I think.Thats without the bad weather.


----------



## mjr (1 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Vlasov is Russian. He laughs at toughness and bad weather. He was born on the tundra in an abandoned Soviet tractor factory and innocently and inadvertently ingested radioactive PEDs with his mother's milk. Probably
> 
> (And he's in my fantasy team)


You've been watching Top Gear too much!


----------



## matticus (1 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I don't think I've ever seen an entire episode of Top Gear, so I missed your point.


That's about all you missed.


----------



## mjr (1 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I don't think I've ever seen an entire episode of Top Gear, so I missed your point.


Overuse of lazy nationalist stereotypes, as often used on that show. You're off form today: Maglia Nera for you! @Adam4868 will have to choose whether to send @matticus to push you up the hill, or leave you to take your chances in the groupetto today!


----------



## Adam4868 (1 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Vlasov is Russian. He laughs at toughness and bad weather. He was born on the tundra in an abandoned Soviet tractor factory and innocently and inadvertently ingested radioactive PEDs with his mother's milk. Probably
> 
> (And he's in my fantasy team)



Great rider,Think he's favourite for the young rider comp this year.
Backed him quite a few times this year so he still in favour with me


----------



## Adam4868 (1 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Overuse of lazy nationalist stereotypes, as often used on that show. You're off form today: Maglia Nera for you! @Adam4868 will have to choose whether to send @matticus to push you up the hill, or leave you to take your chances in the groupetto today!


Give me some odds or I'll leave em to take their own chances.


----------



## rich p (1 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> It's an epic route this year so I expect the best climber will win the overall
> 
> Either Yates or Nibali....probably Yates
> 
> Ineos have picked a load of rouleurs, not sure how much help they will be to Thomas at the pointy end of things


Nicky! If Nibali, the carp of Medina, wins this I'll drive all the way up north (Covid restrictions notwithstanding) to buy you a pint of Magic Rock of your choice!
Thomas or Yates to fight it out for the win, with Fuglsang and Kelderman scrapping for the bronze medal!
Thomas should have the edge with ITTs


----------



## BrumJim (1 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Nicky! If Nibali, the carp of Medina, wins this I'll drive all the way up north (Covid restrictions notwithstanding) to buy you a pint of Magic Rock of your choice!
> Thomas or Yates to fight it out for the win, with Fuglsang and Kelderman scrapping for the bronze medal!
> Thomas should have the edge with ITTs



No one that old wins GTs these days. We need to write off anyone above the age of 25 (23, probably). Tao Geoghegan Hart is looking like a better bet, but even he is getting a bit long in the tooth these days.


----------



## Adam4868 (1 Oct 2020)

BrumJim said:


> No one that old wins GTs these days. We need to write off anyone above the age of 25 (23, probably). Tao Geoghegan Hart is looking like a better bet, but even he is getting a bit long in the tooth these days.


You won't be saying that when Froome is stood on the top step in the Vuelta


----------



## rich p (1 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> You won't be saying that when Froome is stood on the top step in the Vuelta



Here's one when he was on the top step from some time ago!!!!


----------



## nickyboy (1 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Nicky! If Nibali, the carp of Medina, wins this I'll drive all the way up north (Covid restrictions notwithstanding) to buy you a pint of Magic Rock of your choice!
> Thomas or Yates to fight it out for the win, with Fuglsang and Kelderman scrapping for the bronze medal!
> Thomas should have the edge with ITTs


Quoted for confirmation of post-Giro expensive pint at Magic Rock


----------



## Faratid (1 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I don't think I've ever seen an entire episode of Top Gear, so I missed your point.



Top Gear. A TV program aimed at, and presented by, people who aren't old enough (chronologically or emotionally) to hold a driving license.


----------



## mjr (1 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Here's one when he was on the top step from some time ago!!!!
> 
> 
> View attachment 550107


There's clearly someone three steps higher than him!

Anyway, it's better to be inside the caravan peeing out... oh no, it's not: that's a failed dope test, isn't it?


----------



## rich p (1 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> There's clearly someone three steps higher than him!
> 
> Anyway, it's better to be inside the caravan peeing out... oh no, it's not: that's a failed dope test, isn't it?


He's up to speed with the new Covid regulations - severe asthmatics don't need to wear masks..


----------



## Adam4868 (1 Oct 2020)

WTF...EF new kit for the Giro ?


----------



## mjr (1 Oct 2020)

Shouldn't Vaughters get a fine for bringing cycling into disrepute?

View: https://twitter.com/Vaughters/status/1311703388497866753


and the back:

View: https://twitter.com/John77smith1/status/1311728984980426762


Behind the scenes at the design meeting:

View: https://twitter.com/Trajan_mut/status/1311717076156002307


----------



## BalkanExpress (1 Oct 2020)

Some top quality branding bollard speak in the press release that cycling news appear to have cut and pasted. The bikes look much better than the Kit

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ef...nondale-race-bikes-ahead-of-the-giro-ditalia/


----------



## Adam4868 (2 Oct 2020)

EF kit has grown on me,quite like it now 
So rather than who will win the opening stage TT, looks mostly downhill.I think it should be more how fast can Ganna go downhill !


----------



## BalkanExpress (2 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> EF kit has grown on me,quite like it now
> So rather than who will win the opening stage TT, looks mostly downhill.I think it should be more how fast can Ganna go downhill !



Grown on me as well, I think I was a bit hacked off that my collection of “so bad they are great” Jerseys (le Groupement, Fagor, tonton tapis) now looks staid in comparison.

Have you seen 5he TT helmet? It is literally ducking mad,


----------



## Adam4868 (2 Oct 2020)

BalkanExpress said:


> Grown on me as well, I think I was a bit hacked off that my collection of “so bad they are great” Jerseys (le Groupement, Fagor, tonton tapis) now looks staid in comparison.
> 
> Have you seen 5he TT helmet? It is literally ducking mad,


I draw the line at the helmet...it's fecking ridiculous !


----------



## matticus (3 Oct 2020)

Ducktastic!

Now I'm a fan ... at least for 3stages ...


----------



## bitsandbobs (3 Oct 2020)




----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

I've read that Fuglsang (it means birdsh*t, you know) has only ever had one top 10 finish in a GT.

That's my 2 quid down the swanee then


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I've read that Fuglsang (it means birdsh*t, you know) has only ever had one top 10 finish in a GT.
> 
> That's my 2 quid down the swanee then


Go with Vlasov


----------



## matticus (3 Oct 2020)

bitsandbobs said:


>



Who owns this terrible haircut?


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

Let's hope there's no crosswinds today !!

View: https://twitter.com/EiselBernhard/status/1312335411889528832?s=19
Edited to say feck...

View: https://twitter.com/taogeoghegan/status/1312334562215833600?s=19


----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

Did Dowsett have a prang?


----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

Poss mechanical, Brfian Smith said


----------



## Supersuperleeds (3 Oct 2020)

G's on the road.


----------



## Foghat (3 Oct 2020)

Good grief, couldn't Eurosport find someone other than the bullschitting triamcinolone druggist in a smoker's fatsuit to provide analysis?


----------



## BalkanExpress (3 Oct 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> G's on the road.



Third, i’m Calling this very smart, he can rest up/lie down rather than having to Sut in that hot seat for an hour and a half .

Dennis said or was windy as hell so he eased of a fraction and took no risks. However wind may be dropping so we could see quicker times


----------



## Grant Fondo (3 Oct 2020)

Here we go... too rainy to ride, just right for sofa with some quality cycling on!


----------



## BalkanExpress (3 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Let's hope there's no crosswinds today !!
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/EiselBernhard/status/1312335411889528832?s=19
> Edited to say feck...




Ganna on the road, when you see that chainring in context it is unreal![/QUOTE]


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Grant Fondo said:


> Here we go... too rainy to ride, just right for sofa with some quality cycling on!


Yeah. Shame it's a time trial and in Welsh.

Commentary just helpfully said the pic of a static Ganna was a technical problem. You know, just in case we thought he'd decided to show off an epic trackstand on the long straight!


----------



## matticus (3 Oct 2020)

BalkanExpress said:


> Third, i’m Calling this very smart, he can rest up/lie down rather than having to Sut in that hot seat for an hour and a half .


The hot seat is a ridiculous thing. Always has been. The leader should get some benefit, not be the most uncomfortable rider at the venue, only to be sheepishly deposed when Pog crushes their time in the last 2 minutes of play!


----------



## BalkanExpress (3 Oct 2020)

Ganna 22 seconds up and into first


----------



## BalkanExpress (3 Oct 2020)

Haga just had an AG2R your shorts moment, foot down but stayed upright,


----------



## Eziemnaik (3 Oct 2020)

58.8 avarage speed
Faster than my scooter


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

BalkanExpress said:


> Haga just had an AG2R your shorts moment, foot down but stayed upright,


Recovered to 13th at +44s

So what top picks still to come in the next 40min?


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Recovered to 13th at +44s
> 
> So what top picks still to come in the next 40min?


As far as top spot goes...race over


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> The hot seat is a ridiculous thing. Always has been. The leader should get some benefit, not be the most uncomfortable rider at the venue, only to be sheepishly deposed when Pog crushes their time in the last 2 minutes of play!


I like it...love that look of dissapointment/fake happy.


----------



## Foghat (3 Oct 2020)

The needle on my Hatch's-affected-pronunciation-ometer is off the scale today.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (3 Oct 2020)

proper crash by Lopez there.


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Lopez hit a distance arch! One of the metal ones, not an inflatable. Just seen replay but none the wiser as to cause of the bike bucking.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (3 Oct 2020)

Bugger, I picked him in my team.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (3 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Lopez hit a distance arch! Just seen replay but none the wiser as to cause of the bike bucking.



Looked like he was adjusting his position for the turn and hit a bump which threw him up in the air and then he lost balance and went down


----------



## roadrash (3 Oct 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> proper crash by Lopez there.



yeah thats my fault for picking him in my fantasy team .....b@st@rd


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> How did they figure out the start order?


It looks like a ballot or ranking to decide order of teams, which seems to repeat, then teams deciding who got each of their slots.


----------



## matticus (3 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I like it...love that look of dissapointment/fake happy.


So it's basically the Antiques Roadshow moment of Pro Cycling.


----------



## BalkanExpress (3 Oct 2020)

Looked nasty, hope he is okay


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> yeah thats my fault for picking him in my fantasy team .....b@st@rd


Started like he did in the Tour.


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> So it's basically the Antiques Roadshow moment of Pro Cycling.


I prefer to think of it more Bullseye...look what you could of won.


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Geraint thinks he did 94km/h on the descent!


----------



## matticus (3 Oct 2020)

Thinks? Did he have a Garhoo this time?


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Geraint thinks he did 94km/h on the descent!


Ganna was 106kmh apparently


----------



## roadrash (3 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Ganna was 106kmh apparently


----------



## roadrash (3 Oct 2020)

bet his arse cheeks was tighter than a scotsmans pocket


----------



## roadrash (3 Oct 2020)

not looking good for lopez


----------



## Eziemnaik (3 Oct 2020)

GT already to pull away from other contenders?
Yates lacklustre, Nibali already 46s down, maybe only Kruijswijk to challenge him?


----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

Eziemnaik said:


> Yates lacklustre,


I thought Yates rode a good TT. Only 23s down on the favourite and 4th in the Worlds


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

Can't believe anyone thinks it's over after first day.Surely the Tour has taught us that...
Big gaps make for a better race,makes for some good attacking.


----------



## Eziemnaik (3 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I thought Yates rode a good TT. Only 23s down on the favourite and 4th in the Worlds


With two more TT he is likely to loose some more time to GT, but compared to the rest of the field he rode very well indeed.


Adam4868 said:


> Can't believe anyone thinks it's over after first day.Surely the Tour has taught us that...
> Big gaps make for a better race,makes for some good attacking.


No arguments about that, especially as Giro is usually a more unpredictable race than TDF.


----------



## Adam4868 (3 Oct 2020)

Eziemnaik said:


> No arguments about that, especially as Giro is usually a more unpredictable race than TDF.


Froome 2018 😁


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Lopez under observation in hospital.

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/AstanaTeam/status/1312398291682947078


----------



## Eziemnaik (3 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Froome 2018 😁


Was it me or Roglic tried this year to spin away on that short gravel segment Froome style?


----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Froome 2018 😁


I remember him. He used to be quite good, didn't he?


----------



## mjr (3 Oct 2020)

Watched the highlights. No Orla! Don't like this new guy much. Seems like he should be doing youtube. His speech is completely unsynchonised with the video inserts, helpfully describing the course about 5 seconds after it has passed by on screen. And Rob Hatch's interpreting is annoying, talking over the top of someone talking in another language! Please just let them talk and use subtitles, or say the translation afterwards - or if we must have interpretation, turn the volume of the original down!

No, itv4 have no worries about their highlights show format being eclipsed yet.


----------



## Mike_P (3 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Watched the highlights. No Orla! Don't like this new guy much. Seems like he should be doing youtube.


He does on GCN.


----------



## rich p (3 Oct 2020)

"Nibali’s disappointment was obvious when he crossed the finish line, though he struck a more upbeat note in a statement released by his Trek-Segafredo team an hour or so later, declaring himself “satisfied” with a performance that he adjudged to be “in line with the expectations we have.”
Bloody hell, he's easily satisfied and expectations are low!


----------



## Adam4868 (4 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> "Nibali’s disappointment was obvious when he crossed the finish line, though he struck a more upbeat note in a statement released by his Trek-Segafredo team an hour or so later, declaring himself “satisfied” with a performance that he adjudged to be “in line with the expectations we have.”
> Bloody hell, he's easily satisfied and expectations are low!


There's allways the "we came here for stage wins," to fall back on.


----------



## Adam4868 (4 Oct 2020)

4000$ fine for EF.Not registering their new kit on time apparently.UCI really should focus on other things for me.Its a bit of fun,talking point ? Who really gives a feck.


----------



## Shadow (4 Oct 2020)

Roils is roolz innit.
Actually I agree to a certain extent but the UCI does need the cash (CHF, $, € or even £)!
And EF will get much more than $4000 worth of publicity for their kit so are prob not too bothered.


----------



## mjr (4 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> 4000$ fine for EF.Not registering their new kit on time apparently.UCI really should focus on other things for me.Its a bit of fun,talking point ? Who really gives a feck.


Let's face it: any reason to fine that kit will be OK by most people who see/suffer it!


----------



## Shadow (4 Oct 2020)

Anyway back to the race. Could be a good race today.
Matthews, Masada or who? Just wish I could watch it!


----------



## Foghat (4 Oct 2020)

Foghat said:


> The needle on my Hatch's-affected-pronunciation-ometer is off the scale today.



What sends the needle spinning wildly is when he switches from full-on Captain Bertorelli for Filippo Ganna et al, to his deadpan Anglicised RP delivery of "Wilco Kelderman". Surely, for accentual consistency, that should come in his best Stefan Van Der Haast Graacht.......


----------



## Adam4868 (4 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> View: https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1312739126333050882



Feck ! I had high hopes for him.Saw him puking at side of the road.☹️


----------



## Adam4868 (4 Oct 2020)

Fuglsang tonight....


----------



## Big John (4 Oct 2020)

I watched today's stage on S4C on my tablet. Makes for interesting viewing when you don't speak a word of Welsh. Highlights are on at 7pm on Quest (in English thankfully). Have you seen Mr Wiggins lately? I wondered who the hells angel biker was and then the penny dropped - it was Wiggo! 😳


----------



## Shadow (4 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Feck ! I had high hopes for him


Indeed. That's you, me, richp, dogtrousers and astana stuffed! Somehow its not affecting tfc19 too much.


----------



## Adam4868 (4 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> Indeed. That's you, me, richp, dogtrousers and astana stuffed! Somehow its not affecting tfc19 too much.


Forget fantasy I had real money on him 
Fulgsang will win the stage tommorow.....


----------



## Shadow (5 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Forget fantasy I had real money on him



Yebbut, are you not so far up with your winnings that you can afford an off day?!!


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> Yebbut, are you not so far up with your winnings that you can afford an off day?!!


I'm tight


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

Not watching live as at work but apparently G is down ? Par for the course...

View: https://twitter.com/YallaIsraelSUN/status/1313060688223522819?s=19
Hope he's ok !!


----------



## roadrash (5 Oct 2020)

yeah in the nuetral zone, hes back on his bike


----------



## rich p (5 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> yeah in the nuetral zone, hes back on his bike


_A few shots of Thomas in the peloton. He looks fine, sitting alongside teammate Ben Swift. He has a few small tears on his left shoulder, though._ 

He's been crying?


----------



## roadrash (5 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> He's been crying?



i think he will be now,....hes out the back


----------



## roadrash (5 Oct 2020)

italian commentators are saying one of their motorbike riders has seen G.T crash again , dont know if its right or not


----------



## nickyboy (5 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Nicky! If Nibali, the carp of Medina, wins this I'll drive all the way up north (Covid restrictions notwithstanding) to buy you a pint of Magic Rock of your choice!
> Thomas or Yates to fight it out for the win, with Fuglsang and Kelderman scrapping for the bronze medal!
> Thomas should have the edge with ITTs



@rich p getting my order in early


----------



## beastie (5 Oct 2020)

Poor G , what a disaster. I haven’t seen it today just read the stage report. What happened to Yates??
Also I don’t take any pleasure in saying I told you so.......but evens in a GT is just stupid odds


----------



## Eziemnaik (5 Oct 2020)

So what happened there? 12 min sounds like a proper boink


----------



## roadrash (5 Oct 2020)

well that has certainly shook things up a bit


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

Fecking gutted for Thomas,dropped bidon in neutral zone...gone for x-rays .I can't see him starting tommorow he looked in a lot of pain.

View: https://twitter.com/salxber/status/1313114965620994051?s=19


----------



## Eziemnaik (5 Oct 2020)

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...ia-stage-and-is-towed-to-hotel-by-fans-471632


----------



## Shadow (5 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I think my fantasy team will be reappraising and going for stage wins from now on.


So how is that different from 3 days ago?!!!


----------



## rich p (5 Oct 2020)

What a disastrous day for the Brits!
(And my fantasy team! Vlasov, Thomas and Yates) At least I aptly named it...rubbish in Italian


----------



## SWSteve (5 Oct 2020)

What on earth has happened to Ineos! 

Thomas was being braggadocious on his pod as well about their performance in the Tour, and sounded hopeful for a good result for the Giro.


----------



## beastie (5 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> What on earth has happened to Ineos!
> 
> Thomas was being braggadocious on his pod as well about their performance in the Tour, and sounded hopeful for a good result for the Giro.


You can’t legislate for bad luck like that though....


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> What on earth has happened to Ineos!
> 
> Thomas was being braggadocious on his pod as well about their performance in the Tour, and sounded hopeful for a good result for the Giro.


Thomas we know why,but WTF happened to Simon Yates ? Never saw that coming.


----------



## rich p (5 Oct 2020)

I'm surprised there aren't more bidon related accidents. They are pretty recklessly discarded sometinmes. Bouncing of a wall back into the road etc.
fark me, some of my bidons are ten years old and they chuck 'em away after a sip.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (5 Oct 2020)

Watching the highlights on Quest now and they think Thomas has forked his hip


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I'm surprised there aren't more bidon related accidents. They are pretty recklessly discarded sometinmes. Bouncing of a wall back into the road etc.
> fark me, some of my bidons are ten years old and they chuck 'em away after a sip.


Agree,seen quite a few bouncing of kerbs.This today wasnt thrown,bounced out of its cage CCC rider I think.Fecking bad luck though ☹️


----------



## Supersuperleeds (5 Oct 2020)

Gone I suggest that everyone who is partaking in the fantasy Giro go look at the current Cyclechat table, it's like the table has been flipped upside down


----------



## rich p (5 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Agree,seen quite a few bouncing of kerbs.This today wasnt thrown,bounced out of its cage CCC rider I think.Fecking bad luck though ☹


I've driven across Sicily. The roads are almost as bad as they are in Sussex


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I've driven across Sicily. The roads are almost as bad as they are in Sussex


They were motoring in the neutral zone aswell 
Probally worse as a full bottle so be a lot harder when you hit it ! The CCC rider in front of Thomas did well to bunny hop it...love to go there,never been.


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

No broken bones for Thomas and there going to see how he is in the morning as to continuing the race.


----------



## Cathryn (5 Oct 2020)

We finally got access to Eurosport so we can watch the Giro! I’m quite shocked at the quality of coverage...the footage is so shaky I feel a bit dizzy!! Poor Geraint though!


----------



## roadrash (5 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> No broken bones for Thomas and there going to see how he is in the morning as to continuing the race.



not much different to today i would think


----------



## mjr (5 Oct 2020)

Cathryn said:


> We finally got access to Eurosport so we can watch the Giro! I’m quite shocked at the quality of coverage...the footage is so shaky I feel a bit dizzy!! Poor Geraint though!


Situation normal: the Giro is shaky with unreadably-fast captions, but the Vuelta will be blocky with not enough captions.

It doesn't help that Quest "HD" broadcasts at about 9Mbps, unlike German HD channels at 14Mbps.


----------



## Foghat (5 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Agree,seen quite a few bouncing of kerbs.This today wasnt thrown,bounced out of its cage CCC rider I think.Fecking bad luck though ☹



From the footage upthread, you can see that there was a second bottle that rolled down after Thomas hit the first.

Seems likely it was the jolting from the raised cobbles section that led to the jettisoning. Which raises the question why, given how often riders have to dodge errant bottles, and given the peloton's presumed concerns about rider safety:

The teams don't use bottle cages with better retaining capabilities, given how dire many road surfaces are
Riders don't stop recklessly chucking them around with the wild abandon so many of them seem rather fond of
The UCI doesn't impose better rules around bottle use/disposal (or enforce better if existing rules are actually adequate)
It always irks when I see them chucking bottles around the way they do, especially how regularly they end up rolling around dangerously among riders' wheels, or disappearing into undergrowth or remote/inaccessible areas from which they are unlikely to be retrieved. The only time it doesn't irk is when the rider does a gentle, well-aimed and well-judged throw to spectators.

The whole peloton and entourage should be directed to practise far more discipline in this area.


----------



## Adam4868 (5 Oct 2020)

Foghat said:


> From the footage upthread, you can see that there was second bottle that rolled down after Thomas hit the first.
> 
> Seems likely it was the jolting from the raised cobbles section that led to the jettisoning. Which raises the question why, given how often riders have to dodge errant bottles, and given the peloton's presumed concerns about rider safety:
> 
> ...


Far more important things to worry about...you've seen EFs kit ! Seriously though yea agree.The throwing.of bottles empty or otherwise needs to be addressed.Maybe same as kit ? As in wait for a car or in a designated area.Everyones at the same disadvantage then.I mean to the average armchair fan it looks like littering.
Abouts today's incident...

View: https://twitter.com/ChadHaga/status/1313171445334278146?s=19

Freak accident but they were traveling at speeds up to 65kmh through that villiage in the neutral zone,makes a bit of a mockery of "neutral"? Over some dodgy surfaces.Its a accident I know,but it's still a pisser for Thomas ☹️


----------



## DRM (6 Oct 2020)

Absolutely gutted for G, I thought he was in great shape and ready to give the race his best shot, but surely if the roads are so bad, the mechanics should be employing some Paris-Roubaix hacks to keep the bidons in place.
Having read the BBC sport report, well god knows what they were watching but the statement that G looked comfortable on his bike beggars belief!


----------



## MasterDabber (6 Oct 2020)

DRM said:


> but surely if the roads are so bad, the mechanics should be employing some Paris-Roubaix hacks to keep the bidons in place.


[/QUOTE]
They wouldn't have to employ any hacks if they just used proper bottle holders rather than the rather useless "maginal gains" versions.


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

They wouldn't have to employ any hacks if they just used proper bottle holders rather than the rather useless "maginal gains" versions.
[/QUOTE]
They obviously know this or they wouldn't bother changing them for the likes of Roubaix.


----------



## nickyboy (6 Oct 2020)

They wouldn't have to employ any hacks if they just used proper bottle holders rather than the rather useless "maginal gains" versions.
[/QUOTE]
I'd agree. The roads around here are even bumpier than Sicily but I've never had a bottle jump out. 

Anyway...today should be interesting. With a big 5% climb in the middle will it be ridden hard enough to get rid of the pure sprinters to allow the likes of Sagan to try for the win? Problem is it's a long way to the finish so (for Sagan) Bora would have to commit to riding hard all the way to the end to stop the likes of Demare getting back on. For sure the FDJ rouleurs will be tasked with dragging him back to the peleton. Should be interesting.

Also I had a cycling hol based in Catania a few years ago and we rode the stretch they're doing to Taoromina so some happy memories. We didn't do that big climb, just went to Messina then train back to Catania


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

View: https://twitter.com/Cyclingnewsfeed/status/1313411942690836482?s=19

Forget GC bets 😁
Stage 1 Lopez
Stage 2 Vlasov
Stage 3 Thomas 
Stage 4......?


----------



## matticus (6 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Anyway...today should be interesting. With a big 5% climb in the middle will it be ridden hard enough to get rid of the pure sprinters to allow the likes of Sagan to try for the win? Problem is it's a long way to the finish so (for Sagan) Bora would have to commit to riding hard all the way to the end to stop the likes of Demare getting back on. For sure the FDJ rouleurs will be tasked with dragging him back to the peleton. Should be interesting.


I could see Bora making that work (although: who are the better descenders? Demare-vs-Sagan? domestiques-vs-domestiques?),
but might think they've lost the surprise element after doing it in France.

And are Bora still going for GC (not the win, obvs!)? This tactic would burn-out all their domestiques, before they're needed in the mountains. IAMFI!

I WILL predict; if we all get too excited about this stage, nothing is guaranteed to happen until the last km :P


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

I think maybe Bora will think more about GC,protecting Majka.Hes a great chance to shine in this race now.


----------



## Foghat (6 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I left my favourite bottle, about 7 years old, on a train last year. I'm still quite sad about that.



In 1985 my mother, without authorisation, placed my favourite Blackburn bottle on the kitchen boiler to dry......in such a way that it rested against a hot pipe and melted.

Have never got over that bottle loss, particularly as it was designed and executed to a better standard than other bottles of that era.......

Although I did cut the melted top off and use the lower section, to this day, as a workshop small items receptacle.


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> View: https://twitter.com/Cyclingnewsfeed/status/1313411942690836482?s=19
> 
> Forget GC bets 😁
> Stage 1 Lopez
> ...




Number 4.....just pick any from my fantasy team


----------



## Foghat (6 Oct 2020)

DRM said:


> Absolutely gutted for G, I thought he was in great shape and ready to give the race his best shot



I also have sympathy for Thomas being denied a potential Giro win, not to mention the actual pain of the crash.

But simultaneously, and notwithstanding any regrettable misfortune of the riders, I'm pleased that bullschitting Des Brailsworth is having a crap time of things in relation to his Ineos objectives. He plummeted to the bottom of my estimation when the fraudulent nature of Sky's hoodwinking of the UCI etc over Biggins's rocket-fuel performance-enhancing TUEs became apparent, plus his appalling Pooley-based and other excuses for the jiffy bag and testosterone deliveries etc, and his blatant hyper-bullschitting during the DCMS parliamentary committee proceedings, and of course the implicit threats to bankrupt the UCI over it taking any action over the multiple instances of malpractice. It would seem many people are content to forget/overlook Brailsworth's disreputable conduct/principles - I, on the other hand, won't tolerate bullschitt, and never forget.....

So Brailsworth, at least, is getting what he deserves.


----------



## DogTired (6 Oct 2020)

Foghat said:


> I also have sympathy for Thomas being denied a potential Giro win, not to mention the actual pain of the crash.
> But simultaneously, and notwithstanding any regrettable misfortune of the riders, I'm pleased that bullschitting Des Brailsworth is having a crap
> ...
> So Brailsworth, at least, is getting what he deserves.


An interesting and myopic take on it. A senseless crash resulting in a fractured hip and you're happy at the impact on a Teams 'disreputable conduct' manager? What about the times Froome has won, Egan Bernal, GT himself in the TdF? Yeah the problem is when you get the tar-brush out you need to look at everyone else as well. As one single instance, Jumbo-Visma are using 'grey area' ketones to get a competitive advantage. Not banned but there are questions regarding the long term health impacts. Disreputable? 
Can't say I agree with everything thats been reported about Brailsfords actions, but I'm struggling to translate yesterdays accident into any glee.


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

Sketchy descent in the wet coming up !


----------



## rich p (6 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Sketchy descent in the wet coming up !


Scary!


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Scary!


Had to close my eyes for Zakarin...😁


----------



## rich p (6 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Had to close my eyes for Zakarin...😁


I didn't even realise he was in it!


----------



## Foghat (6 Oct 2020)

DogTired said:


> An interesting and myopic take on it.


Not myopic to point out there's a bigger picture here than the misfortune of an individual rider, which as I stated is regrettable and clearly worthy of sympathy. And to remind people that the individual presiding over Sky/Ineos's serial malpractice, and over the exploitation of riders in achieving his personal ambitions and greed, went to extraordinary lengths to take the race-enjoying and sport-financing public for mugs. And to point out that, having taken them all for mugs and put so much effort into bullschitting them, as well as the UK parliament, then a degree of schadenfreude at a teflon-coated no-one-can-get-me fraud and bullschitter's personal professional goals and greed objectives temporarily not being met is an entirely fitting viewpoint to have.

Others of course are welcome to list the malpractices of other teams and managers if they consider the degree of schadenfreude should be calibrated against his peers' misconduct, but anyone starting from the premise that Brailsworth didn't really do anything wrong is the one suffering from myopia. In any case, this has no bearing on assessing an appropriate response to the efforts Brailsworth went to to bullschitt the people who ultimately pay for his very comfortable income.

And yes, some may point out that Brailsworth's current failure to realise his objectives has a detrimental effect on the riders and less well remunerated team personnel, but these team members are aware of his bullschitting and prefer to hold their nose and continue associating with him. So their willingness to do so, understandably to protect their current insecure livelihoods, is somewhat distasteful, but on balance, as they are pawns in the corporate greed, any schadenfreude in their direction would be inappropriate.....but then I never expressed or implied any.


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

^^^^ i am begining to think you may not like sir dave^^^^


----------



## rich p (6 Oct 2020)

Bora drilling this again - as they did in the Tour.
Can Sagan finish it off for once!


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I didn't even realise he was in it!


I think he is ? Mind you at a side view you can't see him 😁


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Bora drilling this again - as they did in the Tour.
> Can Sagan finish it off for once!


Second place for Pete.


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

I wouldnt like to call that


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

Demare takes the win


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

feck, crash after the finish line


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> feck, crash after the finish line


It was the helicopter that blew the barriers into riders.Wackerman took to hospital with fractured cheekbone.
https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/g...-huge-crash-on-stage-4_sto7934517/story.shtml


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

bloody hell, thats not good


----------



## rich p (6 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> bloody hell, thats not good


New ways diiscovered since the post-lockdown restart to injure the riders! Carnage!


----------



## Adam4868 (6 Oct 2020)

Worse than first thought.

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1313544550116397063?s=19


----------



## gavroche (6 Oct 2020)

It is nice to see two girls on either side of the winner on the podium again.


----------



## roadrash (6 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Worse than first thought.
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1313544550116397063?s=19




feck


----------



## mjr (6 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> It was the helicopter that blew the barriers into riders.Wackerman took to hospital with fractured cheekbone.
> https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/g...-huge-crash-on-stage-4_sto7934517/story.shtml


Completely missed from the highlights show. Not even names. I wonder if they'll cover it at the start of tomorrow's.


----------



## DRM (6 Oct 2020)

It was on right at the end, but no explanation of what had happened, the Giro is becoming a disaster area, at this rate there will only be 2 or 3 starters on the last stage!


----------



## ColinJ (7 Oct 2020)

gavroche said:


> It is nice to see two girls on either side of the winner on the podium again.


I think that it was a daft idea in *19*20 and an even worse idea a full century later, in *20*20!


----------



## DRM (7 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I think that it was a daft idea in *19*20 and an even worse idea a full century later, in *20*20!


Trouble is it’s Italy, they are still in 1820 in that respect, some of their ideas on women game show co hosts beggar belief.


----------



## nickyboy (7 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I think that it was a daft idea in *19*20 and an even worse idea a full century later, in *20*20!


Just cements the idea that men do sport and women are just there to look pretty in the minds of the young viewers. Needs consigning to the rubbish bin of history ASAP


----------



## beastie (7 Oct 2020)

DRM said:


> Trouble is it’s Italy, they are still in 1820 in that respect, some of their ideas on women game show co hosts beggar belief.


Did the Italians have a lot of game shows in the 1820’s?


----------



## DRM (7 Oct 2020)

Obviously not, but a recent one featuring Berlisconi and several topless women spring to mind, prime tv 📺 believe


----------



## matticus (7 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Completely missed from the highlights show. Not even names. I wonder if they'll cover it at the start of tomorrow's.


I was thinking how poor the highlights are, and now this.

(the commentary on the sprint run-in was one of the worst I've heard. Almost no useful info for the viewer at all. Not an easy job, I know, but they're being paid to work in their dream-job ... )


----------



## matticus (7 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> Did the Italians have a lot of game shows in the 1820’s?


No-one knows - there were no TV Companies to record them.


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> I was thinking how poor the highlights are, and now this.
> 
> (the commentary on the sprint run-in was one of the worst I've heard. Almost no useful info for the viewer at all. Not an easy job, I know, but they're being paid to work in their dream-job ... )


Get the Eurosport or GCN channel ? What highlights are you watching ?


----------



## matticus (7 Oct 2020)

Quest channel, 7-8pm.

(I haven't seen Eurosport since 1992. I think.)


----------



## mjr (7 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> Did the Italians have a lot of game shows in the 1820’s?


Yep, a long-running one called "Risorgimento", which arguably had its first live episode in 1821 in Piedmont


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Quest channel, 7-8pm.
> 
> (I haven't seen Eurosport since 1992. I think.)


I guess in today's world,you get what you pay for.Not sure how much they are,was 19.99 a year on offer.But you can pay 6.99 for a month ? Otherwise you'll have to suffer quest 😁


----------



## matticus (7 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I guess in today's world,you get what you pay for.Not sure how much they are,was 19.99 a year on offer.But you can pay 6.99 for a month ? Otherwise you'll have to suffer quest 😁


Since 1992 I've followed the reviews from my fellow "enthusiasts". Sounds like that money gets you:
- the most irritating commentators in Christendom, and
- a lot of women's tennis.

Amiright??

(and isn't the Quest show produced by GCN/Eursport? I really don't know, and it's all I plan to watch this year anyway! Jeez, I waste enough of my life watchin telly as it is ...)


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Since 1992 I've followed the reviews from my fellow "enthusiasts". Sounds like that money gets you:
> - the most irritating commentators in Christendom, and
> - a lot of women's tennis.
> 
> ...


I'd spend all day watching it if I didn't have work, commentators annoy you...turn the sound off.Or if you really mean you don't want to pay to watch it...free here.Anyrhing else I can do for you ? A drink maybe some nibbles 
https://cyclingstream.com/live-stream/


----------



## mjr (7 Oct 2020)

Does https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/s4c work from 1pm?


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

Back to the race,another one bites the dust! Blow for Trek and Nibali.


View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1313797773662343168?s=19


----------



## Mo1959 (7 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I'd spend all day watching it if I didn't have work, commentators annoy you...turn the sound off.Or if you really mean you don't want to pay to watch it...free here.Anyrhing else I can do for you ? A drink maybe some nibbles
> https://cyclingstream.com/live-stream/


I stumbled across that one the other day too. Even got a Scottish commentator which suits me.


----------



## Beebo (7 Oct 2020)

Is there any footage of the post race crash?
The organisers don’t seem to want to admit what happened, just that stating that an external factor may have caused it.


----------



## ColinJ (7 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> The formal podium stuff postdates 1920. Pictures from before the sixties or thereabouts show various ad hoc ceremonies. I think it was possibly/probably invented for TV.


You are probably right! I was really trying to say what @nickyboy posted later...



nickyboy said:


> Just cements the idea that men do sport and women are just there to look pretty in the minds of the young viewers. Needs consigning to the rubbish bin of history ASAP


Exactly!



Adam4868 said:


> Get the Eurosport or GCN channel ? What highlights are you watching ?


Eurosport/GCN/Quest are all owned by the same company so the Quest highlights _ARE_ Eurosport coverage, but with studio chat added before and after.

Eurosport highlight shows have _always _been very bad. They don't do what Channel 4 used to do and ITV4 does, which is to summarise the day's events and edit clips together sensibly. A typical Eurosport highlights show is... Peloton crawling along for 25 minutes. Suddenly the riders are 100 km further down the road, having done a big climb and descent which we didn't get to see. Oh, there is a breakaway with a 10 minute lead. Ad break. The breakaway must have been caught during the ads because we are now 5 km from the finish and building up to a sprint...!


----------



## beastie (7 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Yep, a long-running one called "Risorgimento", which arguably had its first live episode in 1821 in Piedmont


I think it was only shown in black and white though..


----------



## mjr (7 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> A typical Eurosport highlights show is... Peloton crawling along for 25 minutes. Suddenly the riders are 100 km further down the road, having done a big climb and descent which we didn't get to see. Oh, there is a breakaway with a 10 minute lead. Ad break. The breakaway must have been caught during the ads because we are now 5 km from the finish and building up to a sprint...!


You forgot that Eurosport will start and end playback at different times to that shown in the EPG and they often don't send the correct schedule-modification signals (recently they've a spate of showing overlapping programmes in the schedule...), so unless you tell the recorder to add time to both ends, you often get half a recording of tennis or motor racing and miss the finish (or slightly less unlucky, the start)!

It feels a bit like dirty tricks to sell video-on-demand subscriptions, but it might just be simple incompetence.


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

Ganna is doing a great ride for a big TTer


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

And De Gendt is doing what he does best. Chasing down the break on his own.


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Ganna is doing a great ride for a big TTer


The new Kiriyenko !


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> The new Kiriyenko !


Yep!


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

I wonder how Ganna descends.


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

If Ganna can get to the top with a minute he could win the stage.


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

Misty, murky and damp. Forza Ganna


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

1km to go with 38 seconds. Great ride


----------



## rich p (7 Oct 2020)

World champs ITT, maglia rosa and a 2 stage wins. What a week or two for Ganna


----------



## nickyboy (7 Oct 2020)

Ganna, the secret lovechild of Miguel Indurain


----------



## nickyboy (7 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Back to the race,another one bites the dust! Blow for Trek and Nibali.
> 
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1313797773662343168?s=19



Whilst it's good that his team withdrew him cycling really needs to get its house in order re Head Injury Assessments. You can't have people banging their heads, feeling dizzy (and thus having suffered some sort of brain injury) and being allowed to carry on riding their bike. Being dizzy and riding a bike don't make good bedfellows


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

Ganna wow...just watched the end of that stage now.Really wouldn't of expected that today ! Unbelievable climbing from him.Two stage wins allready.


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Whilst it's good that his team withdrew him cycling really needs to get its house in order re Head Injury Assessments. You can't have people banging their heads, feeling dizzy (and thus having suffered some sort of brain injury) and being allowed to carry on riding their bike. Being dizzy and riding a bike don't make good bedfellows


He hit the ground and his head hard yesterday,the medics should have pulled him from the race...maybe not as bad looking,wobbly as Bardet was, but all the same shouldn't be taking any risks.


----------



## mjr (7 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Whilst it's good that his team withdrew him cycling really needs to get its house in order re Head Injury Assessments. You can't have people banging their heads, feeling dizzy (and thus having suffered some sort of brain injury) and being allowed to carry on riding their bike. Being dizzy and riding a bike don't make good bedfellows


Should let them switch to a recumbent trike for a few days.


----------



## Flick of the Elbow (7 Oct 2020)

gavroche said:


> Sorry but I think this is an absurd comment. Men and women all do all kind of sports but in this case, it just adds a bit of glamour and is in no way derogatery to women.


I don’t have a problem with it either Gavroche. Just a bit of harmless glamour.


----------



## DRM (7 Oct 2020)

Flick of the Elbow said:


> I don’t have a problem with it either Gavroche. Just a bit of harmless glamour.


My understanding of the job these ladies do is that they work really hard behind the scenes doing all the sorting out of having the jerseys ready for each winner, along with other prizes, getting the winners in place on time, getting rid of them after each presentation and I think that the clothing they are wearing this year is more like a smart business suit rather than a skimpy dress, they don’t just stand there looking pretty.


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

Podium girls really....
It's fecking embarrassing,I sometimes watch cycling with a teenage daughter.Its a outdated concept and bollox to tradition.
Should be in a thread of its own as it's got little to do with this race for me.


----------



## Adam4868 (7 Oct 2020)

Back to the race I'm going with Sagan for tommorows stage....he got to win sometime and this looks as good as any 😁


----------



## suzeworld (7 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> You forgot that Eurosport will start and end playback at different times to that shown in the EPG and they often don't send the correct schedule-modification signals (recently they've a spate of showing overlapping programmes in the schedule...), so unless you tell the recorder to add time to both ends, you often get half a recording of tennis or motor racing and miss the finish (or slightly less unlucky, the start)!



I’ve recorded these shows and it never catches the start! 
Then, on average, you get 10 minutes of content and 5 minutes of adverts in each section. Dreadful ratio. Gotta love my FFWD button. 

To redeem it they had Pippa York on the sofa and in commentary yesterday. Brilliant contributions.


----------



## suzeworld (7 Oct 2020)

Flick of the Elbow said:


> I don’t have a problem with it either Gavroche. Just a bit of harmless glamour.



That’s you two dinosaurs off my Christmas List, then. 
Glad to see the majority of men in here have a bit more awareness/empathy.


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> And De Gendt is doing what he does best. Chasing down the break on his own.


Spat his dummy out in the end 
Although even if he caught him he wasn't beating Ganna 

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1313883992056266752?s=19


----------



## rich p (8 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Back to the race I'm going with Sagan for tommorows stage....he got to win sometime and this looks as good as any 😁


I kind of hope he does, if only to stop the commentators going on about the 'gap' in his palmares! 
Ullissi will fancy this one too


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I kind of hope he does, if only to stop the commentators going on about the 'gap' in his palmares!
> Ullissi will fancy this one too


Same...just get it over with.To tough a finish for Demare,Gaviria ? What about bling


----------



## rich p (8 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Same...just get it over with.To tough a finish for Demare,Gaviria ? What about bling


Bling looks like Sagan-lite these days... 
So I suggest you put your shirt on him for today's stage


----------



## mjr (8 Oct 2020)

suzeworld said:


> To redeem it they had Pippa York on the sofa and in commentary yesterday. Brilliant contributions.


But then it was back to Wiggo yesterday and why did he have a beermat stuck to his jumper?


----------



## Dave Davenport (8 Oct 2020)

He is 6' 4" but even so, very impressive, they' should stand him next to Tom Pidcock in next year's team photo!


----------



## mjr (8 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> That's only an inch taller than me. Clearly I have the ideal build to be a pro. If only someone would have mentioned it to me when I was younger, I coulda been a contender.


Nah, you'd never've had class! 

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=efHzGxEzDQA


----------



## nickyboy (8 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I kind of hope he does, if only to stop the commentators going on about the 'gap' in his palmares!
> Ullissi will fancy this one too


Ullissi FTW methinks. He looked unbeatable on Stage 2. I think he'll handle the Millotta climb fine as it's not dissimilar to the final S2 climb, leaving the final 800m ramp to go for it on.


----------



## matticus (8 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Back to the race I'm going with Sagan for tommorows stage....he *got to win sometime* and this looks as good as any 😁


Are you guys aware of *The Boulting Prophecy* on this matter?


----------



## mjr (8 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Are you guys aware of *The Boulting Prophecy* on this matter?


The Boulting Prophecy that Sagan will never win another race or stage? Yeah, I wonder if he's got money on the opposite and is trying to invoke the more famous Commentator's Curse.


----------



## matticus (8 Oct 2020)

That's it. It was always going to be a long-shot, but it's become a really interesting talking point! You can imagine how Sagan is getting ever more desperate each time he's outsprinted by Bennett (or one of a stable of teenagers that seem to be swamping the podiums this year). And as confidence is such a big factor for sprinters, it's starting to become *A Thing* :P


(I might try and dig a relevant tweet out later.)


----------



## cyberknight (8 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> You are probably right! I was really trying to say what @nickyboy posted later...
> 
> 
> Exactly!
> ...


Indeed and half the time if like me you record the highlights on Eurosport you will get another sport entirely.i do have euro and as I am on nights atm I can usually wangle watching the live feed in the afternoon whilst Mrs CK does the school run but I record the quest show as I miss the end half the time when everyone gets back


----------



## cisamcgu (8 Oct 2020)

suzeworld said:


> I’ve recorded these shows and it never catches the start!
> Then, on average, you get 10 minutes of content and 5 minutes of adverts in each section. Dreadful ratio. Gotta love my FFWD button.
> 
> *To redeem it they had Pippa York on the sofa and in commentary yesterday. Brilliant contributions*.



Her contributions may have been brilliant, but her delivery was about as dull as it is possible to be.


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

Demare ! Nobody can touch him in a sprint..


----------



## beastie (8 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Demare ! Nobody can touch him in a sprint..


That was superb! It reminded me of Cav at his best, the way he picked his way through a messy peloton and then just blew them all away with the full gas sprint!!


----------



## roadrash (8 Oct 2020)

how the feck did he come from where he did, no one any where near him


----------



## rich p (8 Oct 2020)

Amazing sprint. 
We had speculated if he could have won the green jersey in the Tour.


----------



## Eziemnaik (8 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> That's it. It was always going to be a long-shot, but it's become a really interesting talking point! You can imagine how Sagan is getting ever more desperate each time he's outsprinted by Bennett (or one of a stable of teenagers that seem to be swamping the podiums this year). And as confidence is such a big factor for sprinters, it's starting to become *A Thing* :P
> 
> 
> (I might try and dig a relevant tweet out later.)


Sagan is fututre HOF rider, one of true greats, one of my favourites, but...Sagan was lucky where his career peaked - some rider were on a downhill, others were yet too young and should he had raced a couple of years later or earlier he wouldn't have won nearly as much as he did.


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Amazing sprint.
> We had speculated if he could have won the green jersey in the Tour.


I don't think there's much doubt should of took him,fastest man out there at the moment.


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Bling looks like Sagan-lite these days...
> So I suggest you put your shirt on him for today's stage


Why did I not back him e/w !


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

Looking like a Demare v Gaviria day tommorow.


----------



## nickyboy (8 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Looking like a Demare v Gaviria day tommorow.


Gaviria is a real flat track bully and tomorrow's a real flat track. But I think Demare wins


----------



## Adam4868 (8 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Gaviria is a real flat track bully and tomorrow's a real flat track. But I think Demare wins


Agree its hard to see past Demare in a sprint but Gaviria has beat him this year.Just to be awkward I'll go with Sagan again  Hopefully some crosswinds tommorow to throw a spanner in the works.
Matthews was good today,I'm not sure his team are working for him as much ? Maybe because he's leaving...certainly not like the team they were in the Tour.


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Sagan screwed it up yesterday, bad positioning. Maijk must be a bit miffed to be high in the GC and spending lots of energy leading out Sagan in a failed enterprise. I'm not sure why Bora burn all their domestiques to get rid of Gaviria and Pete gets beat by 7 others.
Demare looks the strongest for today and FDJ are all in for him.


----------



## Adam4868 (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Sagan screwed it up yesterday, bad positioning. Maijk must be a bit miffed to be high in the GC and spending lots of energy leading out Sagan in a failed enterprise. I'm not sure why Bora burn all their domestiques to get rid of Gaviria and Pete gets beat by 7 others.
> Demare looks the strongest for today and FDJ are all in for him.


Sagan... win or lose he's still more valuable at the moment to the team/sponsor.


----------



## matticus (9 Oct 2020)

Yup - and to prove it, he's wearing a funny-coloured jersey ; it's very unlikely BOH can win the GC.


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

But Maijka must still be selfless or pissed off.
This field is so thin this year that even Nibali has a chance @nickyboy


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> This is the choice all pro cyclists except the small handful of superstars have to make. Assist a superstar and put your own ambitions to one side, or be a big fish in a smaller team, get paid less and still not realise your ambitions because you are less well supported. It's only when the superstar stops being super this setup starts looking less ... super.


Yes, but on a personal level I feel for Maijka though I appreciate that Sagan brings more publicity coming 8th in a stage than Rafa does in coming 8th in the GC.
Blimey I even checked on the price of an over-priced fume extractor and nearly choked on my beer!


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

It's splitting up in the flatlands - great stuff to enliven the strage


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Fuglsang, Yates and Maijka missed the cut for the mo


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Nibali too possibly - Kruijswijk is one of the only to make it but 125 to go


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Nibali is at the front


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Deceunik split it with the whole 8 in the break. Fab riding


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

I've had a wisdom tooth op yesterday so I'm legitimately allowed to rest up on the sofa, watching the Giro, eating soup, with a face like elephant man


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Fuglsang, Maijka, Yates, Vanhouke and Pozzovivo all missed out. 
Yates has even missed the second bus FFS


----------



## beastie (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Fuglsang, Maijka, Yates, Vanhouke and Pozzovivo all missed out.
> Yates has even missed the second bus FFS


Yates made it into the second group and then got caught again Ffs... 
I’ve never seen Nibali ever get caught out like that. Also I’m surprised Ineos didn’t make the front!


----------



## beastie (9 Oct 2020)

It looks like group 1 and 2 are coming back together...


----------



## beastie (9 Oct 2020)

Jumbo put some pace in...


----------



## beastie (9 Oct 2020)

So close....


----------



## beastie (9 Oct 2020)

Gruppo compacto. Now can Yates et al get back, I doubt it


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Yates is a car crash, to be honest.
He's up and down in form and misses the plot too often. 
As @beastie says, Nibali rarely gets mugged


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Yates and co at 41 seconds


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

And all together again.


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Smithy says that Yates learned the hard way that you can't ride at the back of the peloton in flat and windy stages but he doesn't seem to learn.
Irritating!


----------



## nickyboy (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Nibali is at the front


For someone who said Nibali has literally NO chance (to the extent you offered a beer if he won...unheard of!) you seem to be a bit obsessed by him


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> For someone who said Nibali has literally NO chance (to the extent you offered a beer if he won...unheard of!) you seem to be a bit obsessed by him


He only wins when the others drop out, don't enter or fall over 
I like the way he rides though - futile attacks in the mountains


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Matthews was good today,I'm not sure his team are working for him as much ?


Working for Kelderman mainly? He's 3rd on GC and this is a few riders best chance to add a GC to their palmares.


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Yates is at the back of the bunch again!


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Demare wins at a canter


----------



## roadrash (9 Oct 2020)

He actually stopped pedaling and freewheeled the last few meters, untouchable at the minute second for sagan........yet again


----------



## roadrash (9 Oct 2020)

who the feck is the annoying prick who does the post race review at the finish line for eurosport, he really gets on my t!ts, tuesday or wednesday he actually said due to crashes ....maybe cycling is getting too dangerous, he stutters and stops and starts like he forgets what he is supposed to be saying.....annoying fecker who ever he is


----------



## Dave Davenport (9 Oct 2020)

Do you mean Bernie Eisel?


----------



## roadrash (9 Oct 2020)

Dave Davenport said:


> Do you mean Bernie Eisel?


just checked , didnt realise who it was pity he isnt as good on a mike as he was on a bike,...... i now reach for the mute button


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> just checked , didnt realise who it was pity he isnt as good on a mike as he was on a bike,...... i now reach for the mute button


I don't mind him particularly but, in fairness, most of those pundits (York, Flecha, Eisel, Contador etc) spend a few minutes stating the bleedin' obvious. Not sure they earn their money!


----------



## rich p (9 Oct 2020)

Gaviria, Hodeg, and Viviani have been well off the pace which has made life easier for Demare.
He's largely been beating non-true sprinters like Sagan and Matthews


----------



## Adam4868 (9 Oct 2020)

Just watched...yawn 😁
Nobody can touch him in a sprint,he's relaxed about it aswell.Easy.


----------



## Adam4868 (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I've had a wisdom tooth op yesterday so I'm legitimately allowed to rest up on the sofa, watching the Giro, eating soup, with a face like elephant man


So the only difference from every other day is your swollen mouth 😁


----------



## Adam4868 (9 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> who the feck is the annoying prick who does the post race review at the finish line for eurosport, he really gets on my t!ts, tuesday or wednesday he actually said due to crashes ....maybe cycling is getting too dangerous, he stutters and stops and starts like he forgets what he is supposed to be saying.....annoying fecker who ever he is


I only have the sound on for Orla...😘


----------



## themosquitoking (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I don't mind him particularly but, in fairness, most of those pundits (York, Flecha, Eisel, Contador etc) spend a few minutes stating the bleedin' obvious. Not sure they earn their money!


How much do you reckon they pay Contador for saying two minutes of words?


----------



## SWSteve (9 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Blimey I even checked on the price of an over-priced fume extractor and nearly choked on my beer!



But they’re built into the hob, and that is some next level of fancy!!!!!


----------



## SWSteve (9 Oct 2020)

themosquitoking said:


> How much do you reckon they pay Contador for saying two minutes of words?



he must be doing more on Spanish Eurosport, right? the same as when they had Flecha doing the stages last year (maybe) where I assumed he could do the segments in a couple of languages they would just put across the feeds.


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

themosquitoking said:


> How much do you reckon they pay Contador for saying two minutes of words?


All the steak à la clenbuterol he can eat


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Yates is a non starter, I believe


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Yates is a non starter, I believe


Tested positive for Covid ! Get well soon Simon.


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Tested positive for Covid ! Get well soon Simon.


Oh blimey. That would explain his lack of form I guess


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

Statement from his team.
https://www.greenedgecycling.com/ne...o-d-italia-following-positive-covid-19-result


----------



## roadrash (10 Oct 2020)

feck , get well soon , i guess it was only a matter of time , i wonder how many more in the coming days


----------



## Dave Davenport (10 Oct 2020)

Well at least he wasn't leading the GC by four minutes.


----------



## Pale Rider (10 Oct 2020)

Dave Davenport said:


> Do you mean Bernie Eisel?



He might improve with experience.

I recall Gary Lineker was truly terrible when he started on the radio.

He is now one of the BBC's most accomplished presenters, and not just at sport.

The best professional sportsmen have the belief that you will get better simply by trying hard enough, and they have the determination to it.

I reckon the likes of Lineker apply that methodology to their second careers.


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

Could the almost impossible happen and Dowsett win the stage


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Could the almost impossible happen and Dowsett win the stage


I think Holmes is more likely!
It's elementary, my dear Adam


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I think Holmes is more likely!
> It's elementary, my dear Adam


Nah he is going to do a Ganna and TT all the way......isn't he 🙄


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Nah he is going to do a Ganna and TT all the way......isn't he 🙄


I hope so!


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

Italy looks gorgeous...I wish.Back to work and highlights for me.Pasta and red wine for tea just to be in the spirits of things


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Italy looks gorgeous...I wish.Back to work and highlights for me.Pasta and red wine for tea just to be in the spirits of things


Snap!
I'm back on the sofa


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Snap!
> I'm back on the sofa


Pot noodle and a bottle of Peroni


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

Sagan or Matthews to win the sprint from the peloton....


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Dowsett giving himself a chance TTing from the break


----------



## roadrash (10 Oct 2020)

cmon dowsett


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Let's hope the chasers start messing about


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

32 seconds with 7 km to go!!!!


----------



## Dave Davenport (10 Oct 2020)

They're not messing about but it doesn't matter.


----------



## roadrash (10 Oct 2020)

dowsett


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Get that fecking dog away!


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Amazing! Well done Alex!!!!


----------



## SWSteve (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Could the almost impossible happen and Dowsett win the stage


😳


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

Class win !


----------



## rich p (10 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Class win !


If I wasn't such a tough guy, I'd have shed a tear...


----------



## Adam4868 (10 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> If I wasn't such a tough guy, I'd have shed a tear...


For the dog hobbling ?


----------



## themosquitoking (10 Oct 2020)

The post race interview with Bernie was brilliant.


----------



## mjr (10 Oct 2020)

themosquitoking said:


> The post race interview with Bernie was brilliant.


I only saw a Situations Wanted ad...

Good win, though. I guess Adams didn't choose to keep him for next year with the new arrivals and I doubt this will change his mind.


----------



## Adam4868 (11 Oct 2020)

I hope it's a GC sort of day..Fuglsang has the needle with Nibali,who doesn't 😁
Can he attack today ?


----------



## The Central Scrutinizer (11 Oct 2020)

I was out cycling a few years ago in the essex countryside when someone passed me decked out in full movistar kit.I thought to myself look at that pro wannabe.
I got home and looked at the strava flybe and that wannabe turned out to be Alex Dowsett.


----------



## Mike_P (11 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> I only saw a Situations Wanted ad...
> 
> Good win, though. I guess Adams didn't choose to keep him for next year with the new arrivals and I doubt this will change his mind.


Clearly what was foremost in his mind, it's a worrying time for all riders who are out of contract after this season given most if not all the CCC riders will also be looking for new teams and financial issues at other teams raising severe questions over their future. Could be very different next year with a fair number more of guest teams in Grand Tours just to make the numbers up.


----------



## SWSteve (11 Oct 2020)

Really hope yesterday’s result helps Dowsett with a contract. Seems to be a decent guy


----------



## rich p (11 Oct 2020)

Kelderman is looking surprisingly good. As is Fuglsang
Nibali lost the wheels even on that incline and Almeida showed frailty.
I can't see another decisive GC day coming until next Sunday


----------



## Adam4868 (11 Oct 2020)

Trek tried a bit today towards that last climb and I was expecting a Nibali attack...and ? 
No real strong teams to control it.
I remember a time when Slovenians ruled...now it's the Portuguese that dominate 😁
Chapeau to Guerreiro for his stage win,EF are having a blinder ! 
Don't mince your words Larry Warbasse lol.
"Guerreiro was riding like a real peanut"


----------



## SWSteve (11 Oct 2020)

Quack!!!


----------



## Adam4868 (11 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> Quack!!!


Clever marketing by EF/Rapha kit sold out everywhere and silly money on auction sites.


----------



## SWSteve (11 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> I was out cycling in Kent yesterday when someone passed me decked out in full HTC kit. (True story).
> 
> I don't _think_ it was a time-travelling Cav, but you never know.


You never know...


----------



## themosquitoking (11 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> You never know...


I do. It definitely wasn't. Even at his peak he never made the required 88mph.


----------



## Adam4868 (11 Oct 2020)

Talking of Cav...think that's the end of a era today.Brings a lump to your throat.☹️

View: https://twitter.com/gmoreira_esp/status/1315324284307476482?s=19


----------



## mjr (11 Oct 2020)

Sure?

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/MarkCavendish/status/1315017200974082055


----------



## cyberknight (12 Oct 2020)

Anyone else think the weather affected the GC race? how many didnt feel like giving it full gas in such miserable weather .


----------



## rich p (12 Oct 2020)

cyberknight said:


> Anyone else think the weather affected the GC race? how many didnt feel like giving it full gas in such miserable weather .


Nope. I think the parcours wasn't suitable for a solo GC attack and that no team is strong enough, or has a leader strong enough, to control and direct the race.
This is a second rate field with no obvious favourite which may have the result that it's a more open and exciting race. Hopefully someone will have the guts to attack at some point and galvanize the race and the rest of the ones going for GC.


----------



## nickyboy (12 Oct 2020)

cyberknight said:


> Anyone else think the weather affected the GC race? how many didnt feel like giving it full gas in such miserable weather .


I don't think so, but it looks increasingly likely that weather will affect the GC race in the third week. Already snowy and well below freezing on Stelvio. I can't imagine it will feature unless the weather takes quite a change. That's a pity for the high mountain specialists like Nibs and Kelderman


----------



## Adam4868 (12 Oct 2020)

cyberknight said:


> Anyone else think the weather affected the GC race? how many didnt feel like giving it full gas in such miserable weather .


I'm not sure they could.Nibali certainly couldn't yesterday which was a bit of a surprise.Out of the GC contenders maybe Fuglsang looked the strongest.The only exciting thing out of that is once teammates Nibali/Fuglsang have fallen out of love !
Bit of a unspoken but could Almeida actually win this ?


----------



## Adam4868 (12 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> I don't think so, but it looks increasingly likely that weather will affect the GC race in the third week. Already snowy and well below freezing on Stelvio. I can't imagine it will feature unless the weather takes quite a change. That's a pity for the high mountain specialists like Nibs and Kelderman


-10 and sunny ! Nothing a jacket and some legwarmers can't sort out.Maybe the thought of cancelled mountain stages will make them race harder in the second week ? Hopefully we will get the full Giro though.


----------



## Mike_P (12 Oct 2020)

Looks like today was a good rest day if that wind speed was country wide


----------



## rich p (12 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> -10 and sunny ! Nothing a jacket and some legwarmers can't sort out.Maybe the thought of cancelled mountain stages will make them race harder in the second week ? Hopefully we will get the full Giro though.
> View attachment 552037


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

I read somewhere that Almeida, Mads Pedersen, Casper Pedersen, Mikel Bjerg, Ruben Guerreiro and Tao G-H all have the same agent. 
A bloody good weekend for them!


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Oh bollix


View: https://twitter.com/JumboVismaRoad/status/1315919954806534150?s=20


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Oh bollix
> 
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/JumboVismaRoad/status/1315919954806534150?s=20



Feck that's a sickner !
Also Sunweb 

View: https://twitter.com/robhatchtv/status/1315922341231292416?s=19


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

Can't see this race lasting now ☹️

View: https://twitter.com/MitcheltonSCOTT/status/1315921512453550087?s=19


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Can't see this race lasting now ☹
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/MitcheltonSCOTT/status/1315921512453550087?s=19



I think you're right.


----------



## matticus (13 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Can't see this race lasting now ☹


I just want to know which way you've bet!


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> I just want to know which way you've bet!


This Giro has been a disaster for bets ! I had Haig for today's stage 🙄


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

I'm thinking this could be the end of the cycling season soon...enjoy it whilst it lasts !


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> I read somewhere that Almeida, Mads Pedersen, Casper Pedersen, Mikel Bjerg, Ruben Guerreiro and Tao G-H all have the same agent.
> A bloody good weekend for them!


Yes, confirmed with an interview with the agent on The Cycling Podcast.

The podcast also commented yestenday on the Giro covid measures being much less stringent than the Tour's. The Cycling Podcast: 155: The Grandest Tour Rest Day 1: Press Conference 
View: https://audioboom.com/posts/7703887


I expect the Vuelta will go ahead because ASO will want to show the Giro/RCS again how to do it properly.


----------



## MasterDabber (13 Oct 2020)

I just heard Jumbo have pulled out


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

MasterDabber said:


> I just heard Jumbo have pulled out


Yes, info to follow. 
Looking better and better for Nibali @nickyboy ...

...he'll be last man standing


----------



## nickyboy (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Yes, info to follow.
> Looking better and better for Nibali @nickyboy ...
> 
> ...he'll be last man standing


Re the pint bet...it's not "how" it's "how many". A win is a win is a win


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Re the pint bet...it's not "how" it's "how many". A win is a win is a win


Are you tier 3?


----------



## matticus (13 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Henri Desgrange once said that his ideal TdF would have only one finisher, the one rider tough enough to survive.
> 
> He might like this.


... and they haven't even had to ride through any snow yet!


----------



## SWSteve (13 Oct 2020)

How many teams pull-out before they decide to call it off?


----------



## ColinJ (13 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> How many teams pull-out before they decide to call it off?


If/when it is called off... do they declare whoever was in the lead at the time the winner, or not have an official result this year?


----------



## Shadow (13 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> If/when it is called off... do they declare whoever was in the lead at the time the winner, or not have an official result this year?


UCI rules state that a race must be completed in order for a winner to be declared.


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

ColinJ said:


> If/when it is called off... do they declare whoever was in the lead at the time the winner, or not have an official result this year?


Discretion of the lead commissaire. I think ten stages will count. Fourteen certain, as the Vuelta is planned for only eighteen but is still a grand tour.


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> UCI rules state that a race must be completed in order for a winner to be declared.


I think you need to read them!


----------



## Shadow (13 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Discretion of the lead commissaire. I think ten stages will count.


Do you have a UCI reference for this?


mjr said:


> I think you need to read them!


That would be my comment to you!

Am attempting to find the relevant Section. The UCI rulebook is not the easiest document to search!


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> Do you have a UCI reference for this?
> 
> That would be my comment to you!
> 
> Am attempting to find the relevant Section. The UCI rulebook is not the easiest document to search!


I'd wait till it happens but that probably explains my lazy approach to life in general!


----------



## matticus (13 Oct 2020)

We went through this before the Tour de France - pretty sure it was down to the Comms.
Look at the results of the 2020 Paris-Nice.

(The Giro may of course have different rules ... but it probably doesn't.)

But that was while _lockdowns _were kicking off. Testing/isolation is a new problem for Grand Tours! I have no idea about the rules around teams pulling out.


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

It's an interesting group in the break today but not sure if they'll stay away


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> We went through this before the Tour de France - pretty sure it was down to the Comms.
> Look at the results of the 2020 Paris-Nice.
> 
> (The Giro may of course have different rules ... but it probably doesn't.)
> ...


Protecting health and safety by race termination is basically all down to the commissaires. It might be set out in some commissaire manual or briefing but it's not in the published rule book. I posted the references in the Tour discussion.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/tour-de-france-2020-no-spoilers.254222/post-6097790

Vegni implied it's one positive each at Ineos and ag2r:

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1315944749677850624


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Ooof, 24% on this climb


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Pozzovivo must fancy splitting this up for the GC


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Keep up at the back there


No, I posted that because you didn't say how many positives at each.


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

There's a race going on, you two!


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> There's a race going on, you two!


Eurosport's showing adverts.


----------



## nickyboy (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Are you tier 3?


There will be tiers before bedtime if Nibs wins (and Birdsong shipped over a minute today) and that delicious , and expensive, pint of Magic Rock doesn't miraculously appear


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

Thank feck Sagan won...can we get on with the race now.Good stage win ! 
Looks like Fuglsang is almost out of contention now,didn't even sprint for the line when he came in.Unlucky puncture has cost him big time.As for the rest...Almeida rode a gutsy ride to hang on there,Pozzovivo aswell.Kelderman has to be favourite for this now for me.


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> How many teams pull-out before they decide to call it off?


Or maybe how many have to be left to feel like you won ?


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Thank feck Sagan won...can we get on with the race now.Good stage win !
> Looks like Fuglsang is almost out of contention now,didn't even sprint for the line when he came in.Unlucky puncture has cost him big time.As for the rest...Almeida rode a gutsy ride to hang on there,Pozzovivo aswell.Kelderman has to be favourite for this now for me.
> View attachment 552221


Isnt Kelderman off to Bora next year? Hope he doesn't end up playing second fiddle to Sagan. 
At least they'll shut up about Sagan's lack of a win now, as you say.
And Kelderman is a decent time trialler too. Saturday could be crucial.


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Isnt Kelderman off to Bora next year? Hope he doesn't end up playing second fiddle to Sagan.
> At least they'll shut up about Sagan's lack of a win now, as you say.
> And Kelderman is a decent time trialler too. Saturday could be crucial.


Yes he's of to Bora,hopefully with some opportunities for GC.Sagans win today was class...but that's it how many other stages does he have a chance at ? Unless he's totally dominating as before it's a hard choice for the rest of his team.
Kelderman did a good TT at Tirenno I think was he 4/5 in the end ? But fingers crossed no virus or dare I say cancellation hes looking good for a win.
Can't see the Vuelta happening can you ?


----------



## Shadow (13 Oct 2020)

Now today's stage is over, back to da roolz.



Dogtrousers said:


> _The president of the commissaires’ panel, after consulting the organiser, may take the following sporting decisions:- cancel or let the results stand in case the race is *temporarily *neutralised or stopped_


(My bold and underline above)

My reading is that he race would have to be temporarily stopped for results to stand. If CV19 causes the race to be stopped entirely this is a permanent situation.
In the Giro rulebook, Article 24 states the GC would be based on 21 stages: '_Positions in the general classification are established by adding together the times recorded by each rider in the 21 stages.'_
If there are not 21 stages then there can be no GC. 
Given the possible (sadly, probable) situation the race was to be stopped entirely, everyone would understand the change of circumstance and rules could presumably be amended. If this were to happen I would expect there would be necessary agreement between all parties. i.e. UCI, RCS and teams.


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> Now today's stage is over, back to da roolz.
> 
> 
> (My bold and underline above)
> ...


Glad that's been cleared up.🙄


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

Meant to say, hell of a ride by Brandon McNulty today to finish second ! He looks like one of the strongest riders in the Giro at the moment.Got him in my fantasy team so I expect good things of him


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

Shadow said:


> Now today's stage is over, back to da roolz.
> 
> 
> (My bold and underline above)
> ...


My reading is that it's temporarily neutralised or it's stopped. The temporarily does not apply to stopped there. What is temporarily stopped if it's not temporarily neutralised?


----------



## Adam4868 (13 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> My reading is that it's temporarily neutralised or it's stopped. The temporarily does not apply to stopped there. What is temporarily stopped if it's not temporarily neutralised?


Try reading that back after a beer...


----------



## rich p (13 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Got him in my fantasy team so I expect good things of him


I;m very pleased for you. you smug bastard


----------



## mjr (13 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Try reading that back after a beer...


What's the problem? I wrote it after one...


----------



## rich p (14 Oct 2020)

Looks like another Demare day


----------



## Adam4868 (14 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Looks like another Demare day


Who else....Gaviria had a crash yesterday,like to see him a least be able to have a go.


----------



## mjr (14 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Is everyone starting today who started yesterday? If so - whoop di doo.
> 
> I only saw the last 20-odd km or so I don't know if there were any withdrawals during the race, and I've not heard of any overnight.


No, Ramon Sinkeldam of Group Armour FDG abandoned during the race. I think it was well before the last 30km and Hatch said it was his explosion without making a dent that convinced Demare's train to give up chasing the lead group.

live.cyclingnews.com doesn't mention any DNS today.


----------



## Adam4868 (14 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> No, Ramon Sinkeldam of Group Armour FDG abandoned during the race. I think it was well before the last 30km and Hatch said it was his explosion without making a dent that convinced Demare's train to give up chasing the lead group.
> 
> live.cyclingnews.com doesn't mention any DNS today.


Although I really didn't see the point for Demare to spend so much energy chasing yesterday,especially with today's stage ?


----------



## mjr (14 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Although I really didn't see the point for Demare to spend so much energy chasing yesterday,especially with today's stage ?


He's probably worried about Sagan taking the purple points jersey back. Yesterday moved Sagan to 20 points behind. I think the difference between a first and a second at today's finish is 20 points and an intermediate sprint has 4 points between first and second. I can't see Sagan doing it today, but I didn't predict yesterday either!


----------



## BalkanExpress (14 Oct 2020)

When Ineos hit the front with 7km to go I was hoping that Ganna would just ride off the front, but there I saw a slight headwind, so not the day for it. (Although I think he has the horsepower to do it one day)


----------



## nickyboy (14 Oct 2020)

I think there's only one more real sprint day left but the other teams need a different tactic against FDJ. They have a very slim chance of beating Demare in a sprint with his leadout and speed

I'd give up on sprint trains and, instead, try to get my best rouleur/leadout guys into a break and then drill it all day and let FDJ chase if they want it. Sagan showed that a strong, motivated break can get rid of the FDJ chase. Even if FDJ finally catch the break they'll be shagged out and in no position to do a leadout for Demare


----------



## Adam4868 (14 Oct 2020)

Thought Viviani did ok to get knocked off by the moto and sprint 20k plus to get back and finish 10th ! 
Otherwise buisness as usual for FDJ.
Bring on the mountains...can't wait.


----------



## rich p (14 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Thought Viviani did ok to get knocked off by the moto and sprint 20k plus to get back and finish 10th !
> Otherwise buisness as usual for FDJ.
> Bring on the mountains...can't wait.


Did he nick the moto? Viviani's best chance of a win


----------



## Adam4868 (14 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Did he nick the moto? Viviani's best chance of a win


Might be your only chance of a few fantasy points 🙄


----------



## rich p (14 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Might be your only chance of a few fantasy points 🙄


Is he in my team? I can't bear to look!


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

Should be a good stage today by looking at it,a chance of some storms and torrential rain.To hard for sprinters 😁
Hard to pick any stage winner in this giro so far,I've only had one win...so to broaden my chances I'm going with a Ineos stage win Swift,Castroviejo, ? 
Highlights for me I think ☹️


----------



## rich p (15 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Tough route to call today with lots of lumps.
> Breakaway unless anyone in GC contention wants to take a punt which seems unlikely. Hope they do though!


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

Demare when he finds out there's another sprint stage left...

View: https://twitter.com/OutOfCycling/status/1316387423601987591?s=19


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

Just watched 20 mins,the Peloton better get a move on of there going to catch that break.Pozzovivo cycling like he knows it's the last stage ! Anyone going to help him...


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

Zakarin dropped on the descent...did that need saying ?


----------



## rich p (15 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Just watched 20 mins,the Peloton better get a move on of there going to catch that break.Pozzovivo cycling like he knows it's the last stage ! Anyone going to help him...


Down to 4.52 with 64km to go. 
Pozzovivo is running out of teammates though and DQS have got a few


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Down to 4.52 with 64km to go.
> Pozzovivo is running out of teammates though and DQS have got a few


Go Tao !


----------



## rich p (15 Oct 2020)

Exciting two up duel for the stage win.
Narvaez being dragged back by Padun afrer his mechanical.


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Exciting two up duel for the stage win.
> Narvaez being dragged back by Padun afrer his mechanical.


Watched the end at work..felt for Padun when he punctured ! Tough stage and congrats to Narvaez.
Meanwhile EF call for the race to be stopped.

View: https://twitter.com/Eurosport_UK/status/1316757916939177986?s=19


----------



## rich p (15 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Watched the end at work..felt for Padun when he punctured ! Tough stage and congrats to Narvaez.
> Meanwhile EF call for the race to be stopped.
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/Eurosport_UK/status/1316757916939177986?s=19



Well, I suppose that shows a lot of self-interest on JV's part!


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Well, I suppose that shows a lot of self-interest on JV's part!


He wouldn't be after some more self publicity would he ? I mean if he felt there was any sort of health risk for his team why not just pull out...From the man himself.
To give this some color: We aren’t threatening to leave. Just making a suggestion that we feel is correct given the situation. We’d rather race all the way to finish in Milan. And if the next round of tests show it’s safe to do that; we will.


----------



## rich p (15 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> He wouldn't be after some more self publicity would he ? I mean if he felt there was any sort of health risk for his team why not just pull out...From the man himself.
> To give this some color: We aren’t threatening to leave. Just making a suggestion that we feel is correct given the situation. We’d rather race all the way to finish in Milan. And if the next round of tests show it’s safe to do that; we will.


Hot air then!


----------



## suzeworld (15 Oct 2020)

Hi. 
can someone tell me who GCN Eurosport has doing the remote interviews? They maybe mention her name but I haven’t heard it.
Thanks.


----------



## Adam4868 (15 Oct 2020)

suzeworld said:


> Hi.
> can someone tell me who GCN Eurosport has doing the remote interviews? They maybe mention her name but I haven’t heard it.
> Thanks.


Do you mean Orla Chennaoui ?


----------



## mjr (15 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Hot air then!


Yep. Mr Vaughters is erudite and often interesting, but also sometimes a selfish daffodil.


----------



## Chromatic (15 Oct 2020)

Stage win, rim brakes, in the wet.


----------



## Mike_P (15 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Meanwhile EF call for the race to be stopped.


Um.. , weathers turned, no duck on rain jackets, publicity band wagon dropping like a stone,throw the covid bombshell.


----------



## Adam4868 (16 Oct 2020)

Too hard a stage for Demare today ? GC battle has become pretty tame compared to the fight for stage wins for me.


----------



## nickyboy (16 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Too hard a stage for Demare today ? GC battle has become pretty tame compared to the fight for stage wins for me.


Much too hard. Probably too hard for Sagan if the two climbs are raced hard. Ulissi FTW and a bit of GC action too


----------



## Adam4868 (16 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> Much too hard. Probably too hard for Sagan if the two climbs are raced hard. Ulissi FTW and a bit of GC action too


Sagan will want this stage if Bora are going to ride or him...points ! Depends how much there interested in GC I guess.Are Majka and Konrad going to go full gas/FDJ for him ?


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

The GC might well be conserving energy for the TT and the mountain finish on Sunday. 

Hope I'm wrong and Pozzo or, dare I say, Nibali have a dig.


----------



## matticus (16 Oct 2020)

Prediction: the revitalised winning Sagan will be confident of winning the points jersey, so his team will focus on him (rather than getting 8th-or-whatever on GC).


----------



## Adam4868 (16 Oct 2020)

Fancy Tao Geoghan Hart trying to move up a few places.Hes been putting in some good rides.


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Fancy Tao Geoghan Hart trying to move up a few places.Hes been putting in some good rides.


Swift seems to fancy a dig at this


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Fabro is a having a decent tour. I remember him doing well and getting mugged by MVDP in the T-A? 
One to watch


----------



## Adam4868 (16 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Fabro is a having a decent tour. I remember him doing well and getting mugged by MVDP in the T-A?
> One to watch


Is that the Bora kid who looks about 8


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Is that the Bora kid who looks about 8


 Yes!


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Knox is having a great super dom ride too.Pulling the front along with Masnada


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Entertaining stage in the end,
TGH got 4th in a sprint with Almeida taking some bonus seconds


----------



## Adam4868 (16 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Entertaining stage in the end,
> TGH got 4th in a sprint with Almeida taking some bonus seconds


That's been my Giro betting all the way !!! Ffs had Tao as a each way today.
I'm retiring from gambling,that was 3 quid down the drain.
Good ride though.


----------



## rich p (16 Oct 2020)

Dogtrousers said:


> Massive result for Viviani, sprinting gloriously over the line ... at the head of the third group to arrive.


Yep, WTF was he thinking? Nobody else was even looking!


----------



## SWSteve (16 Oct 2020)

Mike_P said:


> Um.. , weathers turned, no duck on rain jackets, publicity band wagon dropping like a stone,throw the covid bombshell.


Nice weather for ducks l!


----------



## SWSteve (16 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Knox is having a great super dom ride too.Pulling the front along with Masnada



he is very good, isn’t he. Excited to see what comes from his career already. His stuff for cycling podcast also good, seems to absorb the race well and recall itin a way that’s good to absorb.


----------



## beastie (16 Oct 2020)

To any of you bemoaning the lack of GC action, it’s a heavily back loaded parcours. it’s reminiscent of TDF of the noughties. It’s going to kick off big time in the last few days....weather permitting and Covid permitting too.


----------



## nickyboy (17 Oct 2020)

Unless he falls off,Ganna looks a cert for the win.

Will any GC contenders have a bad day? I would say Pozzovivo but he's on form so suspect he'll do ok. Bit worried about my man Nibs. Almeida to do quickest time from GC guys


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

For the win it's hard to see past Ganna,I'm suprised at Rohan Dennis so far he doesn't seem to have done much ?
The only GC rider who can possibly take any time today should be Kelderman ? But it's close enough for most to just want to j limit their losses.Mountains to come and I'm sure this Giro will be settled by minutes, it's all to close at the moment.


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

Some good news,no positive tests.

View: https://twitter.com/UCI_media/status/1317377177487290368?s=19


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

Trek lose a rider

View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1317430511023902720?s=19


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Trek lose a rider
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1317430511023902720?s=19



Old joke alert...

...at least it wasn't a cute angina


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

I thought Rohan Dennis had a top TT today...then Ganna turned up.


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

Ganna ! Who's his match Evenepoel ? He looks pretty much unbeatable.


----------



## cyberknight (17 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I thought Rohan Dennis had a top TT today...then Ganna turned up.


i havent been watching today but i can imagine  
also ganna i heard has taken riding a bike too small for him for aero gains a bit to far


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Ganna ! Who's his match Evenepoel ? He looks pretty much unbeatable.


That's another might have been that we've been robbed of but I think Ganna would have beaten him.


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

Ganna will take the win but the GC boys are out now.
Could change things up top


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Ganna will take the win but the GC boys are out now.
> Could change things up top


I'm off out for a bit..surely Kelderman has to take a bit of time of a few ?


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I'm off out for a bit..surely Kelderman has to take a bit of time of a few ?


Should do. I'm back from a ride so I'm going to sit on my fat arse for an hour or two!


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Should do. I'm back from a ride so I'm going to sit on my fat arse for an hour or two!


Living the dream....Ineos 1,2,3 ?


----------



## Grant Fondo (17 Oct 2020)

Lovely part of the world for todays TT.
The finish is close to Possagno. I made an architectural pilgimage there in the 80's, to see Carlos Scarpa's 1957 masterpiece, the Canova Museum.


----------



## Supersuperleeds (17 Oct 2020)

Almeida extends his lead? 

Ganna could have stopped for a coffee and still won that.


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

Almeida has a couple of minutes over all but Kelderman.

The others will need to attack him in the mountains.

Ineos have had a decent Giro after the G disaster


----------



## beastie (17 Oct 2020)

Ganna is a beast!! GC is set up nicely now, but it won’t be until the Stelvio that we will really know who’s in top form. The Angello stage looks like an absolute trauma as well.


----------



## mjr (17 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> Ganna is a beast!! GC is set up nicely now, but it won’t be until the Stelvio that we will really know who’s in top form. The Angello stage lo'oks like an absolute trauma as well.


Do you think we'll see the Stelvio? I doubt it.


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Do you think we'll see the Stelvio? I doubt it.



View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1317391839230644224?s=19

I don't think the roads will be the problem,but the temperature maybe !


----------



## rich p (17 Oct 2020)

P


Adam4868 said:


> View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1317391839230644224?s=19
> 
> I don't think the roads will be the problem,but the temperature maybe !



Positively tropical!


----------



## Adam4868 (17 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> P
> 
> Positively tropical!


Need to man up...


----------



## nickyboy (17 Oct 2020)

Should make for some good racing tomorrow and next week. If we assume Almeida will fade in the high mountains (not a given), the likes of Nibali, Pozzovivo will need to get 2'30" on Keldeman given the final TT. Don't see McNulty featuring when the big hills appear

I've just got a feeling that it'll be Majka who puts time into Keldeman


----------



## beastie (17 Oct 2020)




----------



## SWSteve (17 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1317391839230644224?s=19
> 
> I don't think the roads will be the problem,but the temperature maybe !



That sounds absolutely hellish. You want to win the stage but have the GC guys about 5 seconds behind so you don’t need to hang around.
If there’s a wait between the end of the stage and ceremonies people will get sick


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (18 Oct 2020)

Great to see Tao G-H taking his first stage victory and climbing up the pecking order.


----------



## rich p (18 Oct 2020)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Great to see Tao G-H taking his first stage victory and climbing up the pecking order.


Up to 4th!Well done TGH!


----------



## MasterDabber (18 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Up to 4th!Well done TGH!


And would probably been 3rd if he hadn't slowed down celebrating.... silly but great riding from him.


----------



## Adam4868 (18 Oct 2020)

Class win by Tao,from a ropey start Ineos are looking good.Genuine gc contender now aswell 😁
Jay Hindley aswell boom !


----------



## cisamcgu (18 Oct 2020)

MasterDabber said:


> And would probably been 3rd if he hadn't slowed down celebrating.... silly but great riding from him.


Just think how p*ssed off he would be if they stopped the Giro tomorrow due to COVID/snow and declared the final podium as the current standing !


----------



## Adam4868 (18 Oct 2020)

MasterDabber said:


> And would probably been 3rd if he hadn't slowed down celebrating.... silly but great riding from him.


He'd have been in Pink now if he hadn't stopped for two or three mins to check on Thomas when he crashed.But Karma will treat him well im confident !


----------



## Adam4868 (18 Oct 2020)

First win of the Giro !


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> He'd have been in Pink now if he hadn't stopped for two or three mins to check on Thomas when he crashed.But Karma will treat him well im confident !


A classic Sky fail since Le Tour 2011, where Thomas lost 3 minutes and the white jersey by standing looking at a crashed-out Wiggins. They don't learn!


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> A classic Sky fail since Le Tour 2011, where Thomas lost 3 minutes and the white jersey by standing looking at a crashed-out Wiggins. They don't learn!


Lol...oh I don't know, I seem to remember them having a few wins.


----------



## nickyboy (19 Oct 2020)

I wonder if Ineos will change strategy and ride for TGH? He's 2'40" behind Keldeman so will probably need to gain about 3'15" to allow for his worse TT
I'm assuming Almeida will slowly leak time leaving the race Keldeman's to lose
Keldeman is evens which are tough odds for someone who usually finds a way to lose races. TGH is 6/1 if you fancy a punt. Surely he is the only one who could potentially stop Wilko??


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Lol...oh I don't know, I seem to remember them having a few wins.


Of course, but the only non-GT-winner they ever had finish on the podium is Uran once, isn't it? Apart from him and Froome, they either win (as a team), or fall apart and stand around looking like daffodils instead of showing some fighting spirit.

Change strategy during a race??? Do they even understand the idea?


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> I wonder if Ineos will change strategy and ride for TGH? He's 2'40" behind Keldeman so will probably need to gain about 3'15" to allow for his worse TT
> I'm assuming Almeida will slowly leak time leaving the race Keldeman's to lose
> Keldeman is evens which are tough odds for someone who usually finds a way to lose races. TGH is 6/1 if you fancy a punt. Surely he is the only one who could potentially stop Wilko??


Without doubt I think they'll ride for Tao,they've had a great Giro allready.I agree Kelderman is favourite,Sunweb showed how good they were yesterday.Very few could match their pace as seen by Nibali and Fuglsang.But 2 or 3 mins is achievable in the mountains.Wouldnt write any of them off just yet.


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Of course, but the only non-GT-winner they ever had finish on the podium is Uran once, isn't it? Apart from him and Froome, they either win (as a team), or fall apart and stand around looking like daffodils instead of showing some fighting spirit.
> 
> Change strategy during a race??? Do they even understand the idea?


Yea right...disastrous Giro there having 🙄


----------



## Beebo (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> Of course, but the only non-GT-winner they ever had finish on the podium is Uran once, isn't it? Apart from him and Froome, they either win (as a team), or fall apart and stand around looking like daffodils instead of showing some fighting spirit.
> 
> Change strategy during a race??? Do they even understand the idea?


Hindsight is great but It would have been a brave call to abandon the plan A on day 1 without giving it a go.


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> Hindsight is great but It would have been a brave call to abandon the plan A on day 1 without giving it a go.


There are other choices than your suggestion of abandoning plan A on day 1 and Sky's repeated error of letting problems with plan A damage plan B too. If Sky's management were running UAE at the Tour, they would have sent Pogačar back to help Aru.


----------



## matticus (19 Oct 2020)

Sky didn't have a serious plan B for this race.

In 2018's Tour they had Froome and Thomas as protected riders - I think before then, in every other Tour de France they've gone for the "Postal" approach of going all-in for One Guy.

Also, remember that G was riding pretty well during the stage when he crashed, at least for a few hours.


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Sky didn't have a serious plan B for this race.
> 
> In 2018's Tour they had Froome and Thomas as protected riders - I think before then, in every other Tour de France they've gone for the "Postal" approach of going all-in for One Guy.
> 
> Also, remember that G was riding pretty well during the stage when he crashed, at least for a few hours.


Tao looks to be a pretty good plan B as far as I've seen ? 
As for the all in for one rider that everyone seems to dislike...been pretty successful for them if we're going of results ? 
What's the relevance of G riding well for a few hours ? It was pure sh1t luck that took him out,you wouldn't of backed against him winning this either.


----------



## matticus (19 Oct 2020)

I think you're misreading my angle here Adam.

I meant G was riding OK straight after the accident, so it made sense for the team to keep backing him; if he was clearly too injured to finish the stage it would have been logical to send all the "senior" riders off down the road, to maintain their chances.


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

Back to the race...time gaps don't mean much until we get to the top of the Sestriere ! Fingers crossed 🤞

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1318113805579259904?s=19


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Tao looks to be a pretty good plan B as far as I've seen ?


He would have been an even better one if he hadn't lost almost 2 minutes on Kelderman on stage 3 after being abandoned by his team for the final climb in favour of the stricken Thomas.



> As for the all in for one rider that everyone seems to dislike...been pretty successful for them if we're going of results ?


That depends how you add up results. They've only been top team in 2012 and 2017, largely thanks to Wiggins's Paris-Nice/Dauphine/Romandie/Tour win sequence in 2012 and Froome's double GTs in 2017. 



> What's the relevance of G riding well for a few hours ? It was pure sh1t luck that took him out,you wouldn't of backed against him winning this either.


I would have hedged my bets. Why wouldn't you?


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> He would have been an even better one if he hadn't lost almost 2 minutes on Kelderman on stage 3 after being abandoned by his team for the final climb in favour of the stricken Thomas.


Maybe...like I said he's a pretty good plan B though.


mjr said:


> That depends how you add up results. They've only been top team in 2012 and 2017, largely thanks to Wiggins's Paris-Nice/Dauphine/Romandie/Tour win sequence in 2012 and Froome's double GTs in 2017.


You can add it up,talk it however you want.The fact is they have been consistently the dominating grand tour team.Their results speak for themselves.


mjr said:


> I would have hedged my bets. Why wouldn't you?


Not sure what you mean ? But I rarely back favourites.


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> You can add it up,talk it however you want.The fact is they have been consistently the dominating grand tour team.Their results speak for themselves.


GT winning teams since 2010: Liquigas, RadioShack, Katusha, Astana, Garmin-Cervelo, Geox, Lampre, RadioShack, Movistar, Sky, Saxo-Tinkoff, Euskatel, Ag2r, Ag2r, Katusha, Astana, Movistar, Movistar, Astana, Movistar, BMC, Movistar, Sky, Astana, Sky, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar.

I don't know about you, but that doesn't look like being "consistently the dominating grand tour team" to me.

A list of the teams of GT winners looks slightly better, but still not "consistently dominating" two of them: Giros: Liquigas, Lampre, Garmin, Astana, Movistar, Tinkoff, Astana, Sunweb, Sky, Movistar; Tours: SaxoBank, BMC, Sky, Sky, Astana, Sky, Sky, Sky, Sky, Ineos, UAE; Vueltas: Liquigas, Sky, SaxoBank, RadioShack, Tinkoff-Saxo, Astana, Movistar, Sky, Michelton, Jumbo.

Is the same old stubborn refusal to recognise when reality has overruled Plan A going to stop them winning this Giro too?


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> GT winning teams since 2010: Liquigas, RadioShack, Katusha, Astana, Garmin-Cervelo, Geox, Lampre, RadioShack, Movistar, Sky, Saxo-Tinkoff, Euskatel, Ag2r, Ag2r, Katusha, Astana, Movistar, Movistar, Astana, Movistar, BMC, Movistar, Sky, Astana, Sky, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar.
> 
> I don't know about you, but that doesn't look like being "consistently the dominating grand tour team" to me.
> 
> ...


I'd say it's more a stubborn refusal by you to acknowledge that sky/Ineos have been the team to beat for the last 10 years at grand tours ? Results speak for themselves.
As for this plan A,B sh1te.I think no matter how the Giro ends Ineos have had a blinder,five stage wins so far.
I seem to remember a lot moaning about their robotic/predictable racing ? Now as in the Tour they've had a chance to take stages on,give some of the other riders a chance to shine.Ive enjoyed them.Id say far from being a disaster it's been a PR boom !


----------



## nickyboy (19 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> I think you're misreading my angle here Adam.
> 
> I meant G was riding OK straight after the accident, so it made sense for the team to keep backing him; if he was clearly too injured to finish the stage it would have been logical to send all the "senior" riders off down the road, to maintain their chances.


TGH was in the main GC Group on the Etna climb. He wasn't with Thomas
His losses that day were just down to him, nothing to do with Thomas' crash. Now the question is whether that day was the one off or whether Sunday was the one off


----------



## nickyboy (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> GT winning teams since 2010: Liquigas, RadioShack, Katusha, Astana, Garmin-Cervelo, Geox, Lampre, RadioShack, Movistar, Sky, Saxo-Tinkoff, Euskatel, Ag2r, Ag2r, Katusha, Astana, Movistar, Movistar, Astana, Movistar, BMC, Movistar, Sky, Astana, Sky, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar, Movistar.
> 
> I don't know about you, but that doesn't look like being "consistently the dominating grand tour team" to me.
> 
> ...


You're undermining your argument by using the Team Classification. It's widely understood and ridiculed that Movistar is the only team to care about this.

GT winners is a far better metric and everyone knows that Sky went all in on the TdF which is always the most competitive GT field. They won it consistently with Wiggins/Froome/Thomas/Bernal. For Sky the Giro and Vuelta were sideshows.

I'm deffo no Sky/Ineos fanboy but the facts speak for themselves


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> I'd say it's more a stubborn refusal by you to acknowledge that sky/Ineos have been the team to beat for the last 10 years at grand tours ? Results speak for themselves.


Indeed: the results say theirs is the leader to beat at the Tour but not the team and they usually do naff all at the Giro.



> As for this plan A,B sh1te.I think no matter how the Giro ends Ineos have had a blinder,five stage wins so far.
> I seem to remember a lot moaning about their robotic/predictable racing ? Now as in the Tour they've had a chance to take stages on,give some of the other riders a chance to shine.Ive enjoyed them.Id say far from being a disaster it's been a PR boom !


 They're riding like a second-division wildcard team without a plan! If that's what you like, good for you!



nickyboy said:


> TGH was in the main GC Group on the Etna climb. He wasn't with Thomas
> His losses that day were just down to him, nothing to do with Thomas' crash. [...]


Everyone but TGH and Swift was sent back to Thomas. Swift wasn't really ideal support for TGH on a climb, was he? But hey, watch the last 30k and tell me where you saw him get any team support.


----------



## mjr (19 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> You're undermining your argument by using the Team Classification. It's widely understood and ridiculed that Movistar is the only team to care about this.


I'm just replying to the claim Adam made! It's a daft claim and not true by any objective measure.



> GT winners is a far better metric and everyone knows that Sky went all in on the TdF which is always the most competitive GT field. They won it consistently with Wiggins/Froome/Thomas/Bernal. For Sky the Giro and Vuelta were sideshows.
> 
> I'm deffo no Sky/Ineos fanboy but the facts speak for themselves


I agree. The only times they've looked anything like at the Giro is when Froome cared and even that took a solo punt not to fail, more than team "domination".


----------



## Adam4868 (19 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> They're riding like a second-division wildcard team without a plan! If that's what you like, good for you!


Five stage wins and a rider in fourth with all to play for...second division ? Your clutching at straws 


mjr said:


> Indeed: the results say theirs is the leader to beat at the Tour but not the team and they usually do naff all at the Giro.


Your right that Movistar take some beating


----------



## andrew_s (20 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> He'd have been in Pink now if he hadn't stopped for two or three mins to check on Thomas when he crashed.But Karma will treat him well im confident !


The crash and standing about was in the neutral zone at the start.
Both Tao and G had been in the peloton from shortly after until about 30 km to go, when the increase in pace made the injury apparent. Tao kept going then; it was Ganna, and Swift (initially) and Dennis & Puccio (later) who dropped back with Thomas.


----------



## Adam4868 (20 Oct 2020)

andrew_s said:


> The crash and standing about was in the neutral zone at the start.
> Both Tao and G had been in the peloton from shortly after until about 30 km to go, when the increase in pace made the injury apparent. Tao kept going then; it was Ganna, and Swift (initially) and Dennis & Puccio (later) who dropped back with Thomas.


Yea thanks Andrew,my comment was slightly tongue in cheek 😁 as the Peloton waited for Thomas anyway.It was more how the stage was raced I guess.As in Tao would have had a team behind him if they hadn't been looking after Thomas.


----------



## Adam4868 (20 Oct 2020)

There was a AG2R staff member tested positive aswell.

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1318449261823053824?s=19


----------



## rich p (20 Oct 2020)

Not sure it was worth Almeida busting a gut to gain a couplr of seconds but it shows he's fighting.
Tomorrow has three Cat 1's and a Cat 3. Not sure if the GC will attack full beans on this stage, or wait for the Stelvio, but I hope so


----------



## matticus (20 Oct 2020)

Competitors bust a gut to stop him.


----------



## Adam4868 (21 Oct 2020)

Change of route ? 

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1318807956369100801?s=19


----------



## mjr (21 Oct 2020)

Guerreiro in the break takes first KoM to retake the jersey but suffers another shifting failure, grinding over the summit in a 54 tooth chainring


----------



## mjr (21 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Change of route ?


Conti is not Vegni.


----------



## mjr (21 Oct 2020)

Kruiswijk confirms his was a true positive, but mild symptoms:

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGkPMDGnqlw/


----------



## beastie (21 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Change of route ?
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1318807956369100801?s=19



French mayor doesn’t want the Giro passing through his town. He wouldn’t do that to the tour.


----------



## beastie (21 Oct 2020)

It should all kick off tomorrow big time then...


----------



## Adam4868 (21 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> It should all kick off tomorrow big time then...


Don't hold your breath...


----------



## Adam4868 (21 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> French mayor doesn’t want the Giro passing through his town. He wouldn’t do that to the tour.


Yea was reading that.
#Giro - Major of Briancon said that Giro isn't allowed to pass in the city because of French law forbidding gatherings of more than 6 people
So not the weather then


----------



## roadrash (21 Oct 2020)

o connor gets his stage win


----------



## roadrash (21 Oct 2020)

No time gap for T.G.H, still 1 sec of the podium


----------



## beastie (21 Oct 2020)

I don’t blame anyone for not trying too hard today, the last climb just isn’t hard enough. Tomorrow though......


----------



## Adam4868 (21 Oct 2020)

Talking of tactics Movistar ? Four riders in the break and.....nowt.


----------



## nickyboy (21 Oct 2020)

Should be good tomoz...

With S20 so much easier today is the last chance for non TTers to gain time. I expect Pozzo, Nibali, Majka, TGH to attack if they can. 

Keldeman in Pink at the end of the stage...or Hindley if he has a typically Keldemanesque disaster somehow


----------



## Adam4868 (21 Oct 2020)

Stage win for Tao and Kelderman in pink tommorow.


----------



## BalkanExpress (21 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Talking of tactics Movistar ? Four riders in the break and.....nowt.



Not checked the classification to confirm but I had assumed it was a “leading team” tactic.


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

Anyone 

View: https://twitter.com/ArnaudDemare/status/1318942995459223554?s=19


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

No start for Visconti which is a shame,think it means that Guerriero will take KOM jersey.


----------



## matticus (22 Oct 2020)




----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> View attachment 553879


Thanks...


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

Class stage that,didn't dissapoint ! Stage win for Jai Hindley and second for Tao 😁
Kelderman in pink after a brave ride to battle back.All to play for looking at the new top ten.


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Stage win for Tao and Kelderman in pink tommorow.


Sh1t tactics by Ineos again there @mjr 
Not often your wrong...but your wrong again ?


----------



## beastie (22 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Sh1t tactics by Ineos again there @mjr
> Not often your wrong...but your wrong again ?


Ineos played that perfectly, I reckon that was Rohan Dennis best ever ride, even better than the Worlds TT. Just monstered it. Hindley played it perfectly to take the sage and force TGH to keep a bit back in case he got mugged with a coupe of kms left to go. 
Ineos should go for more time tomorrow if they have anything left in the domestique tank.
Great rides from Almeida, and Bilbao too.


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

Yeah Dennis was a monster ! Halfway up the climb I was thinking WTF ! I think/hope Tao can win this now.Stage 20 is going to be brutal  If Kelderman can hold on in Siestriere he's the favourite for the TT.If he can't and it's between Tao and Hindley...Tao has it for me.


----------



## nickyboy (22 Oct 2020)

Makes for an intriguing S20 and S21. You'd think that Ineos could put enough time into Kelderman on S20 to make TGH the favourite to beat him in the GC overall. The issue is Hindley. Doesn't look like he's going to drop so it'll come down to S21 ITT. In theory TGH has a better flat TT than Hindley but who knows at the end of a hard 3 week tour?

My money would be on whichever holds the GC lead coming into the ITT out of TGH and Hindley, I think it will be as close at that


----------



## Va Va Froome (22 Oct 2020)

This is going to be an unreal end to the Giro!


----------



## chriscross1966 (22 Oct 2020)

That definitely puts the cat amongst the pigeons.... given how close the two Sunweb riders are they won't want to see the team send the other one up the road just to try and crack TGH, cos if it all goes wrong they hand him the lead.... but they've got no margin for error either, what might as well be a day off for the GC tomorrow(crosswinds notwithstanding) means it's three ascents of the Sestriere on Saturday to decide the race pretty much...


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

Mad how that failing to get his jacket zipped up punished Kelderman today on the descent.Maybe have been better to lose a few seconds zipping it up ? Still a brave ride.Bilbao aswell,good legs seeing as though he rode the Tour,he's not out of it yet either.


nickyboy said:


> My money would be on whichever holds the GC lead coming into the ITT out of TGH and Hindley, I think it will be as close at that


If it comes down to those two,Tao will win it


----------



## nickyboy (22 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Mad how that failing to get his jacket zipped up punished Kelderman today on the descent.Maybe have been better to lose a few seconds zipping it up ? Still a brave ride.Bilbao aswell,good legs seeing as though he rode the Tour,he's not out of it yet either.
> 
> If it comes down to those two,Tao will win it


I dunno...Hindley beat TGH in the first ITT, TGH beat Hindley in the second. I doubt very much there will be more than 20s between them on S21, hence going with whoever finished S20 on top


----------



## beastie (22 Oct 2020)

Don’t forget Kelderman has beaten them both in the TT’s - twice. TGH needs about a minute on Sestriere from Kelderman and 15-20 sec on Hindley. Should be full gas from the 
Second climb till the finish. Bilbao isn’t out of it yet either...


----------



## mjr (22 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Sh1t tactics by Ineos again there @mjr
> Not often your wrong...but your wrong again ?


I was not wrong: did you not notice Tao didn't win the stage? Sunweb came dangerously close to Skying themselves, though, doing all the work and then letting another team profit... luckily for them, the other team was Ineos, doing all the work, then letting Sunweb take the win! 

And does Dennis suddenly becoming a top climber worry anyone else?


----------



## Cathryn (22 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Sh1t tactics by Ineos again there @mjr
> Not often your wrong...but your wrong again ?


Dude! Apostrophes!


----------



## Adam4868 (22 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> I was not wrong: did you not notice Tao didn't win the stage? Sunweb came dangerously close to Skying themselves, though, doing all the work and then letting another team profit... luckily for them, the other team was Ineos, doing all the work, then letting Sunweb take the win!
> 
> And does Dennis suddenly becoming a top climber worry anyone else?


I like it when you admit you were wrong


----------



## beastie (22 Oct 2020)

Cathryn said:


> Dude! Apostrophes!


Quite right!!


----------



## beastie (22 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> And does Dennis suddenly becoming a top climber worry anyone else?


There aren’t any top climbers left in the Giro. They are at La Vuelta, or having a well earned break in Slovenia


----------



## Dave Davenport (22 Oct 2020)

The Sestriere climb is pretty steady and not too steep, the sort Rohan Dennis could smash up


----------



## rich p (22 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> And does Dennis suddenly becoming a top climber worry anyone else


The Clinic is thattaway >>>


----------



## SWSteve (23 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> And does Dennis suddenly becoming a top climber worry anyone else?


No, the stelvio isn’t hugely steep so can see how he could drag Tao away from the others.


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

Three riders within 15 seconds of each other and three stages to go....no pressure 😁


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

WTF ! That's my bets on a breakaway done for...

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1319555641711656960?s=19


----------



## BrumJim (23 Oct 2020)

Well, if they are scared of the rain, there's a good excuse for me!


----------



## rich p (23 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> WTF ! That's my bets on a breakaway done for...
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1319555641711656960?s=19



It did seem a bit of an unnecessary length for stage 19


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

Looks like a bit of a bollox though..

View: https://twitter.com/SportsOrla/status/1319566628154150912?s=19


----------



## rich p (23 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Looks like a bit of a bollox though..
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/SportsOrla/status/1319566628154150912?s=19



That cycle path is shite too


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

I wanted to see Ganna and Dennis doing a 258k TT !


----------



## rich p (23 Oct 2020)

Can I just say that the yellow and black Jumbo Visma kit with the Bianchi celeste bikes is a fashion disaster.

https://images.app.goo.gl/YfgvAuEnotmqZtUK9


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Can I just say that the yellow and black Jumbo Visma kit with the Bianchi celeste bikes is a fashion disaster.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/YfgvAuEnotmqZtUK9


Can I just say your definately spending too much time laying on the couch watching cycling....😂


----------



## matticus (23 Oct 2020)

Amazing stage. Proper stunning to look at too. All 3 main contenders gave it everything they could, all picked the best tactic available, and some random equipment* issue to add some spice. 
Very pleased for young Mr Hart :P

Loved their expressions crossing the finish line. The Brit looked proper pissed off at losing the stage, even though he knows he's had the best day of bike racing in how whole life 
And the non-Brit threw his arms in the air, but you could see in his eyes he knew he'd been gifted the win!
That's sport 


(*rain jackets - wotever next??!)



Dave Davenport said:


> The Sestriere climb is pretty steady and not too steep, the sort Rohan Dennis could smash up


Is it long enough that Brian Smith can decide whether his name is "Ron" or "Rohan "?? /CommentaryWhinge


----------



## mjr (23 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Can I just say that the yellow and black Jumbo Visma kit with the Bianchi celeste bikes is a fashion disaster.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/YfgvAuEnotmqZtUK9


Never mind. It's only for this race now. Hopefully, they'll do a yellow-on-black edition for next year's cervelo bikes.


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Amazing stage. Proper stunning to look at too. All 3 main contenders gave it everything they could, all picked the best tactic available, and some random equipment* issue to add some spice.
> Very pleased for young Mr Hart :P
> 
> Loved their expressions crossing the finish line. The Brit looked proper pissed off at losing the stage, even though he knows he's had the best day of bike racing in how whole life
> ...


Go on then I'll ask...should he have waited for Kelderman,or gone for the stage win ? 
Ron Dennis was the ride of the Giro so far 😁


----------



## matticus (23 Oct 2020)

Part of the fun of yesterday was guessing whether he'd wait for Wilcoman; whether the team were asking him to; and if he had waited, would Wilcoman remain being f**ked and cost them both 3 minutes, as Young Mr Hart stormed up the last climb to victory.
There's no clear answer, that was the joy. But IMO he did exactly the right thing; he banked a stage win and a Top3 place on GC for the team. 

*luckily* the team leader also hung on to grab the race lead.
They might have ended up with nothing.
Or the Skyneos riders might have faded on the last climb, putting Hindley in pink (and Wilco on the podium, who knows).

All sorts of things MIGHT have happened. But didn't


----------



## matticus (23 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Looks like a bit of a bollox though..
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/SportsOrla/status/1319566628154150912?s=19



Pro cycling looks glamorous, doesn't it??


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Pro cycling looks glamorous, doesn't it??


It does when Orlas telling me 😁


----------



## chriscross1966 (23 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> No, the stelvio isn’t hugely steep so can see how he could drag Tao away from the others.


It's basically a hideous 1 hour time-trial, and in a 1-hour TT there will be a lot of money on [checks notes]... Rohan Dennis....


----------



## chriscross1966 (23 Oct 2020)

Can't see Ineos or Sunweb doing anything today except mark each other (from their buses ATM by the looks of things) and keep an eye on Bahrain-McLaren and DQS, can't see anyone else getting back the time but 3 minutes can be chucked away on those ascents of the Sestriere.... If he can get to the end of Stage 20 within spitting distance then with a 10-mile TT to come that you have to fancy TGH for a decent time, he went sub 20 minutes for that sort of distance TT in the Tour of Britain (last year, 2018?... I forget) so chewing more than a few seconds out of him on that last stage would be a job for a specialist TT-er, not what's left at the top of that GC... for all I love seeing those massive bunch sprints on a final stage (Wiggins in yellow leaving his lungs on the road to launch Cav in rainbow stripes down the Champs is an iconic memory) there's a purity to a time-trial as a final stage, it is indeed The Race of Truth...


----------



## matticus (23 Oct 2020)

Seems like the shortened stage was down to rider(s) protest. Bit of a race to the high ground by various teams saying "_We wanted to race. For we are REAL cyclists!_" Noone owning up to being a woose.


View: https://twitter.com/johnlelangue/status/1319626032614379520


----------



## Va Va Froome (23 Oct 2020)

A different take on the 'autobus' I guess... 

Even a super-long, expecting-it-to-be-boring sprint stage still stuns with the utterly bizarre. 
There's always something in a Grand Tour!


----------



## Grant Fondo (23 Oct 2020)

Cracking shift by Cerny today from 20kms out on his own after 160 miles, wow!


----------



## DCLane (23 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Seems like the shortened stage was down to rider(s) protest. Bit of a race to the high ground by various teams saying "_We wanted to race. For we are REAL cyclists!_" Noone owning up to being a woose.



Clearly they need a winter's training in Yorkshire


----------



## Beebo (23 Oct 2020)

The organisers are a bit peeved. Looking at consulting lawyers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/54640116


----------



## SWSteve (23 Oct 2020)

chriscross1966 said:


> It's basically a hideous 1 hour time-trial, and in a 1-hour TT there will be a lot of money on [checks notes]... Rohan Dennis....



exactly.


----------



## Adam4868 (23 Oct 2020)

Rohan Dennis 80/1 for tommorow.....nah he's not that good is he 😁 e/w maybe


----------



## nickyboy (24 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Rohan Dennis 80/1 for tommorow.....nah he's not that good is he 😁 e/w maybe


E/w is the only possibility. If he starts to drop TGH then he has to stay with him (and thus not win). If he and TGH drop everyone then he has to let TGH win for the bonus seconds 
He should be the Ineos 3rd ascent guy (presume Castrovieho 1st ascent, Ganna 2nd ascent) so it's possible but dropping the Sunweb doms will be v difficult on Sestriere climb
Nickboys prediction of the day: Kelderman loses at most 30s to TGH and Hindley who cross the line in a sprint. Dunno who will be in Pink, it'll be that close. All down to TT between three of them with just a few seconds separating them. TT v unpredictable due to generally shagged out state of riders


----------



## Bonus (24 Oct 2020)

Doh!


----------



## Adam4868 (24 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> E/w is the only possibility. If he starts to drop TGH then he has to stay with him (and thus not win). If he and TGH drop everyone then he has to let TGH win for the bonus seconds
> He should be the Ineos 3rd ascent guy (presume Castrovieho 1st ascent, Ganna 2nd ascent) so it's possible but dropping the Sunweb doms will be v difficult on Sestriere climb
> Nickboys prediction of the day: Kelderman loses at most 30s to TGH and Hindley who cross the line in a sprint. Dunno who will be in Pink, it'll be that close. All down to TT between three of them with just a few seconds separating them. TT v unpredictable due to generally shagged out state of riders


Mark each other out to much and Bilbao maybe takes time ? 
I'm not to sure any of them want to go so deep as they've got the TT to come....who doesn't like everything coming down to the TT 😁
Tao will win whatever...heartbreak time like the Tour


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (24 Oct 2020)

Beautiful Autumn colours today. Oh, and Hindley couldn't shake Tao off his tail.


----------



## Beebo (24 Oct 2020)

Wow. That was a finish. 
Both riders on the same overall time with just the ITT to go. It couldn’t be any closer. 
Who will be in Pink?


----------



## Beebo (24 Oct 2020)

Is it better to be in Pink and ride last. 
or be second and ride in your own TT suit.


----------



## Dave Davenport (24 Oct 2020)

That were great!


----------



## beastie (24 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> Is it better to be in Pink and ride last.
> or be second and ride in your own TT suit.


I think TGH will be wearing the white jersey skinsuit? So bang even.


----------



## Beebo (24 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> I think TGH will be wearing the white jersey skinsuit? So bang even.


Oh I hadn’t thought of that.


----------



## nickyboy (24 Oct 2020)

I feel a bit sorry for Kelderman. The stars aligned for him to win a Grand Tour. Timing of the TdF and Vuelta made the Giro field unusually weak. Then Thomas, Yates and Kruiswijk either crash out or get infected leaving, basically, nobody. Giro route has three TTs which is his strong suit.

And what happens? He gets beaten by his own team mate and Ineos' second string. He will never have a better chance, and he blew it.


----------



## chriscross1966 (24 Oct 2020)

Reckon that's an advantage for TGH, just has to beat a man on the same time as him but in his own skinsuit not the uci one....


----------



## chriscross1966 (24 Oct 2020)

chriscross1966 said:


> Reckon that's an advantage for TGH, just has to beat a man on the same time as him but in his own skinsuit not the uci one....


Oh... he's in the white jersey now..
Even stevens then


----------



## beastie (24 Oct 2020)

nickyboy said:


> I feel a bit sorry for Kelderman. The stars aligned for him to win a Grand Tour. Timing of the TdF and Vuelta made the Giro field unusually weak. Then Thomas, Yates and Kruiswijk either crash out or get infected leaving, basically, nobody. Giro route has three TTs which is his strong suit.
> 
> And what happens? He gets beaten by his own team mate and Ineos' second string. He will never have a better chance, and he blew it.


He just ain’t quite good enough. Imagine if G had stayed upright.........


----------



## Dave Davenport (24 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> Imagine if G had stayed upright.........


Yep, you'd have to think he'd be in pink with about five minutes.


----------



## Dave Davenport (24 Oct 2020)

Good job it's not the usual processional last stage, that could have been really messy (or interesting!).


----------



## grellboy (24 Oct 2020)

Just been on Procycling Stats. Tao has 381 points for TTs, Hindley has 9! See if that is at all relevant tomorrow.


----------



## Beebo (24 Oct 2020)

Dave Davenport said:


> Yep, you'd have to think he'd be in pink with about five minutes.


He would have Tao and Dennis riding the train at the front. It would be very boring but effective. 
I prefer to see the new guys given a chance.


----------



## nickyboy (24 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> He would have Tao and Dennis riding the train at the front. It would be very boring but effective.
> I prefer to see the new guys given a chance.


Exactly. I don't care who wins. All I want is exciting racing which is what we've got


----------



## rich p (24 Oct 2020)

Great to see such a close contest. What a battle!


----------



## cyberknight (24 Oct 2020)

chriscross1966 said:


> Reckon that's an advantage for TGH, just has to beat a man on the same time as him but in his own skinsuit not the uci one....


i think the giro uses better class of manufacturer than the tdf , i remeber wiggo saying earlier in the race .


----------



## Adam4868 (24 Oct 2020)

Late to watch ! Wow that was tense...Rohan Dennis what can you say ! class.Im so happy for Tao to take the stage.Lookimg good for tommorow 😁


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Rohan Dennis 80/1 for tommorow.....nah he's not that good is he 😁 e/w maybe














Rohan Dennis 😁


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2020)

Dave Davenport said:


> Good job it's not the usual processional last stage, that could have been really messy (or interesting!).


A final procession is not as usual at the Giro as the other grand tours!


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

What you say @mjr ...more sh1t tactics by Ineos 😂


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> What you say @mjr ...more sh1t tactics by Ineos 😂


Well, their 2 shouldn't have let Hindley take the bonus sprint, should they?


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> What you say @mjr ...more sh1t tactics by Ineos 😂


The tactics for this stage were obvious though really. Go hard from the second climb or don’t feckin bother. Ineos rarely get tactics wrong, but they sometimes use the wrong strategy. Also they are always aggressive if they need to be. If JV used Skyneos tactics then Roglic would have burned Kuss out and then launched a massive attack from 2-3kms out on the stage after the crosswinds, blowing everyone else away and stopping Pogacar from attacking. Of course that only works if you actually are the strongest guy in the race.
Go TGH!!


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> The tactics for this stage were obvious though really. Go hard from the second climb or don’t feckin bother. Ineos rarely get tactics wrong, but they sometimes use the wrong strategy. Also they are always aggressive if they need to be. If JV used Skyneos tactics then Roglic would have burned Kuss out and then launched a massive attack from 2-3kms out on the stage after the crosswinds, blowing everyone else away and stopping Pogacar from attacking. Of course that only works if you actually are the strongest guy in the race.
> Go TGH!!


Except Dennis was the hidden gem in this Giro.I was asking.in week 1 or 2 maybe that we've not heard much of him.Then bang ! I thought he was something else on the Stelvio but today...feck when he kept coming back.Class stage and whoever wins tommorow it's been another great race.Boring TT again anyone ?


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> A final procession is not as usual at the Giro as the other grand tours!


Yes imagine the uproar if it meant a fight into Paris.


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Except Dennis was the hidden gem in this Giro.I was asking.in week 1 or 2 maybe that we've not heard much of him.Then bang ! I thought he was something else on the Stelvio but today...feck when he kept coming back.Class stage and whoever wins tommorow it's been another great race.Boring TT again anyone ?


Dennis could easy ride for GC in a TT heavy parcours a la 2012


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

One thing Skyneos do very well is use their domestiques in a disciplined way. Mountain guys don’t work on the flat, some guys take stages off to stay fresh, and what they like most of all is monster super Dom’s like Kwiatkowski, Rogers, Thomas, Froome and now Dennis who can do every job if needed.


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> View attachment 554340
> 
> 
> View attachment 554341
> ...


Inspired!


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

First and second on GC level on time going into a final TT....no pressure 😁
Start times 
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-stage-20-start-times/


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> First and second on GC level on time going into a final TT....no pressure 😁
> Start times
> https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-stage-20-start-times/


You just can't cope with a Ineos rider actually not being level first, but second by TT results, can you?


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> You just can't cope with a Ineos rider actually not being level first, but second by TT results, can you?


Say again 🙄


----------



## roadrash (25 Oct 2020)

anyone who says this seasons racing has been sh!t  must have been watching different races to me.


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Say again 🙄


You posted they are level on time. They are not: they're split by the fractions from the TTs so far but you seem unable to cope with TGH peeing seconds away on things like victory salutes having left him in second. Not level. Behind.

It might even be that fractions decide this race which would set a record even less likely to be broken than the Le Mond-Fignon margin.


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> You posted they are level on time. They are not: they're split by the fractions from the TTs so far but you seem unable to cope with TGH peeing seconds away on things like victory salutes have left him in second.
> 
> It might even be that fractions decide this race which would set a record even less likely to be broken than the Le Mond-Fignon margin.


Im fine with fractions of seconds 😁I'm also fine with whoever wins,either are worthy winners.Do I want Tao to win ? Fecking right I do,he deserves it.That Ineos team who you like to try and trash their tactics seem to have done a ok job don't you think ? Would you care to admit your WRONG sometimes ? Happens to the best of us 😁


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

roadrash said:


> anyone who says this seasons racing has been sh!t  must have been watching different races to me.


Still got the Vuelta to go...thank feck it doesn't finish on a TT.


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> You just can't cope with a Ineos rider actually not being level first, but second by TT results, can you?


Not sure how you got to that conclusion from Adam's post about level on time and the ITT start times.
Can you show your working please?


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Still got the Vuelta to go...thank feck it doesn't finish on a TT.


My nerves are shredded!


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

Jonathan Dibben, with no contract, is first out and lanterna rosso!
Hardly put himself in the shop window, poor lad!


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

rich p said:


> Jonathan Dibben, with no contract, is first out and lanterna rosso!
> Hardly put himself in the shop window, poor lad!


Going for the sympathy contract ? 
Right I'm of out...Ineos 1,2 for the TT ?


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Going for the sympathy contract ?
> Right I'm of out...Ineos 1,2 for the TT ?


That looks like 1st for Ineos. Ganna.


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Here we go!


----------



## Beebo (25 Oct 2020)

Looking good at the moment


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (25 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> Looking good at the moment


----------



## Supersuperleeds (25 Oct 2020)

Go on Tao


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Get in there!!!


----------



## Va Va Froome (25 Oct 2020)

He’s done it! Yaaass!!


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

Whooopppppeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Supersuperleeds (25 Oct 2020)

I'm going to force myself to watch the awful highlights on Quest later, Brilliant result.


----------



## Beebo (25 Oct 2020)

Wiggins seems very emotional in commentary


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

I feel quite emotional or I've got some dust in my eye...


----------



## Supersuperleeds (25 Oct 2020)

Thorouhly deserved, I went off Hindley when he let Tao do all the work on the stage where they came 1 and 2 and jumped him at the end.


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Thorouhly deserved, I went off Hindley when he let Tao do all the work on the stage where they came 1 and 2 and jumped him at the end.


----------



## Beebo (25 Oct 2020)

Dave Brailsford saying the old Sky racing tactics we’re boring and they are not going to do that anymore. 
They will hopefully be far more attractive.


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Thorouhly deserved, I went off Hindley when he let Tao do all the work on the stage where they came 1 and 2 and jumped him at the end.


What else did you expect him to to do? That’s exactly what cycling is about, and you got the reverse of the medal two days later.


----------



## beastie (25 Oct 2020)

Great rides by the two btw, and TGH a super worthy winner


----------



## Domus (25 Oct 2020)

Quote of the day, When the team lifted TGH for a photo, Ben Swift to TGH "How did you win the Giro you fat bastard"


----------



## chriscross1966 (25 Oct 2020)

Brilliant ride by TGH, and possibly a career-changing one... he'll be leading the team on one of the GT's next year... presumably the Giro to defend it, and then maybe ride as Plan B in the Vuelta?...


----------



## cougie uk (25 Oct 2020)

How many leaders do they have now ? Thank god Froome is leaving but it's getting a bit too heavy there?


----------



## MasterDabber (25 Oct 2020)

cougie uk said:


> How many leaders do they have now ? Thank god Froome is leaving but it's getting a bit too heavy there?


At this moment in time Ineos have 5 GT winners


----------



## Va Va Froome (25 Oct 2020)

Fairly stacked isn't it:

Froome (Full Set)

Bernal (Tour)
Thomas (Tour)

Carapaz (Giro)
G-Hart (Giro)


Even with Froome off, can imagine Yates coming in will be full of ambition for success!


----------



## kingrollo (25 Oct 2020)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Thorouhly deserved, I went off Hindley when he let Tao do all the work on the stage where they came 1 and 2 and jumped him at the end.


He had a team mate and a pink jersey wearer at that down the road. He would have effectively been attacking his own team mate.

Chuffed for Tao - what a fantastic achievement for him. 

He looks like Billy Elliot - so they might do a movie about him.!!!!


----------



## Grant Fondo (25 Oct 2020)

Great performance from the lad, two great young riders toughing it out, Stelvio and the 160 miler after were a proper test, terrific Giro!


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Grant Fondo said:


> Great performance from the lad, two great young riders toughing it out, Stelvio and the 160 miler after were a proper test, terrific Giro!


What 160 miler?


----------



## Grant Fondo (25 Oct 2020)

Dave Davenport said:


> What 160 miler?


Stage 19


----------



## geocycle (25 Oct 2020)

Enjoyed that! The Stelvio stage was epic, very impressed by Ineos and Sunweb. Anyone know where the name Tao comes from?


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (25 Oct 2020)

geocycle said:


> Anyone know where the name Tao comes from?


Taoism is a pretty old Chinese philosophical way of living. Tao means way.


----------



## Beebo (25 Oct 2020)

Grant Fondo said:


> Stage 19


They did half of it on the team bus.


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

Chapeau Tao ! Hindley aswell 😁
Been a great Giro,after the Tour and the drama could we have had a better late season of cycling.


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Chapeau Tao ! Hindley aswell 😁
> Been a great Giro,after the Tour and the drama could we have had a better late season of cycling.


And to round things off, the Vuelta's getting pretty spicy too!


----------



## kingrollo (25 Oct 2020)

geocycle said:


> Enjoyed that! The Stelvio stage was epic, very impressed by Ineos and Sunweb. Anyone know where the name Tao comes from?



Ive been trying to that out. He does have roots in Scotland - but no idea where the rest of his name hails from


----------



## matticus (25 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> Wiggins seems very emotional in commentary



View: https://twitter.com/SirWiggo/status/1320355236981202946?s=19


----------



## Supersuperleeds (25 Oct 2020)

beastie said:


> What else did you expect him to to do? That’s exactly what cycling is about,* and you got the reverse of the medal two days later*.



I didn't know that, I missed yesterdays stage completely. I take my comment back.


----------



## rich p (25 Oct 2020)

7 stages and the maglia rosa and that after their team leader crashed out!

Talk about plucking victory from the jaws of defeat!


----------



## Dave Davenport (25 Oct 2020)

Dave B was just a bit chuffed wasn't he.


----------



## rualexander (25 Oct 2020)

geocycle said:


> Anyone know where the name Tao comes from?





deptfordmarmoset said:


> Taoism is a pretty old Chinese philosophical way of living. Tao means way.



In this case Tao is supposedly from the Irish gaelic for Tom, his father's name
https://www.veloveritas.co.uk/2013/12/25/tao-geoghegan-hart-dec13/


----------



## Va Va Froome (25 Oct 2020)

I'm from Scotland and can confirm - haven't met anyone called Tao before.


----------



## mjr (25 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> That Ineos team who you like to try and trash their tactics seem to have done a ok job don't you think ? Would you care to admit your WRONG sometimes ? Happens to the best of us 😁


I'll admit I was wrong... when I'm wrong! I agree with Lizzie Banks: it would have been nice to see an attack off the front decide the GC race, not only grinding out results under the wheels of a mountain train. There have been good individual displays but the team performance has been the equivalent of hopeful long balls hoofed upfield and then parking the bus in front of the goal. Zzz.

Good win by TGH and congratulations to him nonetheless, as well as well done to Hindley and Almeida on their breakthroughs.


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> I'll admit I was wrong...


 Im framing that !


----------



## Adam4868 (25 Oct 2020)

mjr said:


> I'll admit I was wrong... when I'm wrong! I agree with Lizzie Banks: it would have been nice to see an attack off the front decide the GC race, not only grinding out results under the wheels of a mountain train. There have been good individual displays but the team performance has been the equivalent of hopeful long balls hoofed upfield and then parking the bus in front of the goal. Zzz.
> 
> Good win by TGH and congratulations to him nonetheless, as well as well done to Hindley and Almeida on their breakthroughs.


Except it's probally there most successful GT to date 7 stage wins and Tao on the top step...some.plan B that.Boring Ineos train 😂 
They were a class act,every one of them.Took the race from behind and won it.
11 th Grand Tour victory and there's still the Vuelta to go.#sh1t tactics 😁


----------



## BrumJim (25 Oct 2020)

BrumJim said:


> No one that old wins GTs these days. We need to write off anyone above the age of 25 (23, probably). Tao Geoghegan Hart is looking like a better bet, but even he is getting a bit long in the tooth these days.


Sorry! I was wrong.


----------



## SWSteve (25 Oct 2020)

Got back from a run, stuck on the race recording without seeing the result.

tell me why this wasn’t worthy of a BBC News app alert? A huge win for a British cyclist. Obviously I didn’t want the spoiler, but I’m shocked it wasn’t a big story.


----------



## Flick of the Elbow (26 Oct 2020)

ItsSteveLovell said:


> I’m shocked it wasn’t a big story.


You should know by now that the BBC are only interested in cycle sport if there’s a drugs or abuse story. I’m surprised they mentioned it all. Look how little coverage they gave Yates’s Vuelta win.


----------



## Mo1959 (26 Oct 2020)

Flick of the Elbow said:


> You should know by now that the BBC are only interested in cycle sport if there’s a drugs or abuse story. I’m surprised they mentioned it all. Look how little coverage they gave Yates’s Vuelta win.


Not sure why we still pay them a licence.......their reporting of anything these days is dreadful.


----------



## Flick of the Elbow (26 Oct 2020)

His win is getting front page headlines in several of the Scottish papers, being reported as the first Scottish win of the Giro 
Scots-Irish ancestry, his grandmother still lives in Edinburgh, he has been keen to ride for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games apparently.


----------



## Beebo (26 Oct 2020)

Flick of the Elbow said:


> His win is getting front page headlines in several of the Scottish papers, being reported as the first Scottish win of the Giro
> Scots-Irish ancestry, his grandmother still lives in Edinburgh, he has been keen to ride for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games apparently.


It’s on the front page of at least 3 papers here too. 
5live just interviewed Dave Brailsford. 
its getting the coverage I would expect. 
they just said he swum the channel aged 13. Is that true?


----------



## SWSteve (26 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> It’s on the front page of at least 3 papers here too.
> 5live just interviewed Dave Brailsford.
> its getting the coverage I would expect.
> they just said he swum the channel aged 13. Is that true?


What!


----------



## Adam4868 (26 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> It’s on the front page of at least 3 papers here too.
> 5live just interviewed Dave Brailsford.
> its getting the coverage I would expect.
> they just said he swum the channel aged 13. Is that true?


Yes for swimming the channel,with a relay team when young.Ive seen his win on BBC this morning.Im not sure I expected any more coverage.


----------



## deptfordmarmoset (26 Oct 2020)

Beebo said:


> It’s on the front page of at least 3 papers here too.
> 5live just interviewed Dave Brailsford.
> its getting the coverage I would expect.
> they just said he swum the channel aged 13. Is that true?


It was a relay team crossing the channel.


----------



## LeetleGreyCells (26 Oct 2020)

Just had a shock. BBC have just mentioned Tao winning the Giro. They actually mentioned cycling. Admittedly, it was only for less than 3 seconds, but they mentioned it.


----------



## Flick of the Elbow (26 Oct 2020)

I think riding for Sir Dave and Skyneos is boosting the awareness of him in the British media, unlike Yates who was riding for a team that most British media had never heard of.


----------



## Adam4868 (26 Oct 2020)

Flick of the Elbow said:


> I think riding for Sir Dave and Skyneos is boosting the awareness of him in the British media, unlike Yates who was riding for a team that most British media had never heard of.


To be fair I doubt most have heard of the Giro...is there any other bike races than the Tour..


----------



## Flick of the Elbow (26 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> To be fair I doubt most have heard of the Giro...is there any other bike races than the Tour..


10 years ago that would definitely have been the case. Less so now, thankfully. Still a long way to go though, I long the day when the winner of Spring Classic gets a mention on Breakfast TV !


----------



## roadrash (26 Oct 2020)

Adam4868 said:


> Im framing that !



If you're lucky (or unlucky) he may sign the quote before you frame it


----------



## mjr (26 Oct 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> Not sure why we still pay them a licence.......their reporting of anything these days is dreadful.


Well, it made BBC Norfolk's sports bulletins this morning. Mangled his surname, though.

More detailed coverage in het Grauniad. Merckx blogs on him and there are links to at least three more pages.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...he-real-deal-he-deserves-giro-ditalia-success


----------



## matticus (26 Oct 2020)

For a couple of glorious hours, he was the main BBC radio news sports item. But then they realised how great Lovely Lewis Hamilton is, so detailed reports of his Portugal win knocked Tao out of subsequent bulletins 

Oh well, it was nice for a while!


----------



## mjr (26 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> For a couple of glorious hours, he was the main BBC radio news sports item. But then they realised how great Lovely Lewis Hamilton is, so detailed reports of his Portugal win knocked Tao out of subsequent bulletins
> 
> Oh well, it was nice for a while!


I didn't realise Hamilton won. The bulletin I heard was wibble about how he's one of few motorists to talk about non-motor-racing topics. The BBC should try cycling past a few on the commute and then they'd hear a few!

Anyway, no mention of much other cycling so at least it briefly punctured the BBC blinkers.


----------



## matticus (26 Oct 2020)

Irish? British? Mackney??


View: https://twitter.com/ScotNational/status/1320476980970598400/photo/1


----------



## Mike_P (26 Oct 2020)

About to be featured on Sportsday on BBC News Channel after they have finished talking about Hamilton.


----------



## Va Va Froome (26 Oct 2020)

Quite nice to have the problem of fitting two big wins into UK sports news! Remember when it felt like a Top 10 or Top 25 was a big deal in UK sport!


The F1 news, while not a shock, is still pretty noteworthy. It is fair that breaking the race wins record gets a lot of prominence in the UK sports reports. 

ITV News had the cycling as second sports clip last night. Still enough limelight to give Tao his moment.


----------



## Beebo (26 Oct 2020)

matticus said:


> Irish? British? Mackney??
> 
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/ScotNational/status/1320476980970598400/photo/1



A very liberal interpretation of being Scottish.


----------



## Adam4868 (26 Oct 2020)

Anyone with 20 mins to spare.Sunweb have been a great team to watch at the Giro and the Tour this year.

View: https://twitter.com/TeamSunweb/status/1320799312692076546?s=19


----------



## lilolee (27 Oct 2020)

Is it just me or was there no real energy in the car, even when Jai won the Stelvio stage


----------



## Adam4868 (27 Oct 2020)

lilolee said:


> Is it just me or was there no real energy in the car, even when Jai won the Stelvio stage


Yea the atmosphere wasn't exactly party central.Second and third on the podium at the Giro.Aswell as a good tour I think they've had a pretty good year for a young enough team.


----------



## Beebo (27 Oct 2020)

lilolee said:


> Is it just me or was there no real energy in the car, even when Jai won the Stelvio stage


Tricky balancing act when you have another rider in pink still on the road and dropping time. You don’t want to look too happy for the sake of the other guy. 
that was the day they probably lost the overall race.


----------



## lilolee (27 Oct 2020)

I agree. Really looking forward to watch the racing next year, There are so many young riders coming through.


----------



## Alembicbassman (29 Oct 2020)

Is the trophy inspired by two QR springs?


----------



## matticus (29 Oct 2020)

Heard some more detail on the ... "unfortunate" _buses _stage (on TCP). The Race Director withheld all the day's prize money and gave it to a hospital, interesting tactic!

Sounds like a real shambles by both sides, could certainly have been handled better. Only real downer on the whole 3 weeks, for me.


----------



## matticus (30 Oct 2020)

Should the UK riders now be quarantining? I think the travel corridor from Italy closed on the morning of Sun 18th Oct. Exemption for elite athletes?

There may be confusion in this post ...


----------



## Domus (30 Oct 2020)

I doubt many riders live in the UK now. Andorra and Monaco seem popular.


----------



## matticus (30 Oct 2020)

Tao does!


----------



## Domus (30 Oct 2020)

He gave a TV interview from Andorra a couple of days after winning.


----------



## matticus (1 Nov 2020)

matticus said:


> Should the UK riders now be quarantining? I think the travel corridor from Italy closed on the morning of Sun 18th Oct. Exemption for elite athletes?
> 
> There may be confusion in this post ...


Right, I've checked the trailer email from TCP. 
It says they interviewed him on Thursday, after Tao+Hannah drove home from "Spain" to London.
In the interview Tao says he's off to pub for pint with Uncle.

Pretty circumstantial, I know! and I for one won't begrudge him finding some Marginal Gains in the rulebook 😉


----------



## mjr (3 Nov 2020)

Jeremy Whittle interviews Tao https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...is-to-be-the-only-time-i-cross-the-line-first


----------



## mjr (15 Nov 2020)

Rowe and Thomas: Watts Occurring: Episode 38 - Giro review 
View: https://anchor.fm/wattsoccurring/episodes/Episode-38---Giro-review-elpns4


----------



## matticus (15 Nov 2020)

Ooh, should be good.
Does G say "I'm not going to lie..." at all?

Meanwhile, there's a lovely story about Tao buying his brother a car ... due to losing a bet made in the last week of the Giro. You can get into a lot of trouble betting against yourself Tao 
😄


----------

