Noodley
Guest
Look up there ^^^^
Giro d'Italia 2013, 4th-26th May - [Spoilers]
- Thread starter thom
- Start date
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Look up there ^^^^
T4tomo
Legendary Member
From what I saw on sky highlights it was going downhill that was troubling him. He was pretty much in touch when he crashed, but afterwards had lost all confidence and was just crawling along scared in case he crashed again.
Nibali by contrast crashed but got back up and carried on at the same slightly mad pace but kept the bike upright.
IF it stays dry for Wiggo today then he'll get back his time, but won't have the cushion he'd hope for going into the mountains. There will be stages / mountain finishes or big descent finishes where Nibbs will stick more time into Wiggo, so Sky may well have to attack on some stages they wouldn't have planned to.
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
Been thinking about yesterday's Sky tactics again. I'm thinking that it was a mistake to sacrifice both Uran and Henao to pull Wiggins back. Surely one would have been enough? And then Sky would still have had both a shot at pink and a clear Plan B in case Wiggins continues to underperform.
Interesting point and does it show up the lack of a plan B? As in the Olympic road race?
Radchenister
Veteran
- Location
- Avon
Yep, all eggs in one basket, not playing the averages; I do hope there's a strategy we don't fully grasp and that team politics is not taking an odd twist at Sky. I've just been surfing Italian comments elsewhere and they are not condemning Sir Brad like the English speaking sites/press do. I am sympathetic to Wiggo's situation yesterday; I don't think it's unreasonable for a cautious bike handler who's crashed out of a major GC previously to be careful. Those roads looked like an oiled skid pan and I don't think many of the critics would have blazed down at the speeds involved themselves in such conditions.
tigger
Über Member
Agreed. I don't think Wiggins is regarded as a bad bike handler by any means but when it's wet some people can cope better than others, a little like in F1 I suppose. Wiggo's a big bloke with a higher centre of gravity so he's always going to struggle when there's a lack of grip. Mind you, Ryder seemed OK yesterday. It just does to show how well rounded a GC contender needs to be
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Nibali actually crashed twice yesterday, apparently. I missed the second fall. He was probably expecting to crash, the way he was riding, but obviously took the view that the time gains were worth it and when the inevitable happened, he would just get straight back on his bike and carry on. These guys are used to falling off, of course - it's a hazard of bike racing. If you never fall off, you're probably not trying hard enough. Still hurts when it happens though, I guess.
However, after what happened in 2011, you can understand why Wiggo took the view that losing time was a better option than falling off... shame he fell off anyway.
It could have ended really badly for Nibali yesterday, but fortune favours the brave and all that. Same goes for Hansen - superb ride by him.
However, after what happened in 2011, you can understand why Wiggo took the view that losing time was a better option than falling off... shame he fell off anyway.
It could have ended really badly for Nibali yesterday, but fortune favours the brave and all that. Same goes for Hansen - superb ride by him.
400bhp
Guru
OP
OP
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
Totally agree - I think it is almost disrespectful to the Giro itself to have called back Uran, losing his second place position. Uran was 14 secs ahead of Nibali, who now is in 2nd place by 5 secs. In other words, had Uran finished within 8 or 9 secs of Nibali, he would have had the pink jersey.
Seems SKY race Grand Tours as a vanity project.
Noodley
Guest
There is definitely no plan B with Brailsford.
And this year he lacks the back-up of a DS who can offer him plan B, C or at least plan A and a half - Yates may have had a murky past but he knew how to call a race.
Sky have no lack of talent, but that talent will only achieve it's potential with leadership which is flexible - their continuing lack of success in the Classics and the current Giro performance demonstrates to me that a shake-up is required in the management thinking. Brailsford's formula has been found to be very effective under some circumstances, but is also lacking in many others.
And this year he lacks the back-up of a DS who can offer him plan B, C or at least plan A and a half - Yates may have had a murky past but he knew how to call a race.
Sky have no lack of talent, but that talent will only achieve it's potential with leadership which is flexible - their continuing lack of success in the Classics and the current Giro performance demonstrates to me that a shake-up is required in the management thinking. Brailsford's formula has been found to be very effective under some circumstances, but is also lacking in many others.
Once again, Robert Millar offers an excellent summary
http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/sky-look-vulnerable-as-wiggins-loses-time
He also offers a thought for recalling Uran, they don't want him to take his points to another team. Personally I don't think they thought that far ahead.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/sky-look-vulnerable-as-wiggins-loses-time
He also offers a thought for recalling Uran, they don't want him to take his points to another team. Personally I don't think they thought that far ahead.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Relatively speaking, the wheels do seem to have come off this year. Classics failure, despite the public assertions about aiming to do better in them. The PR cockup about Tour leadership (entirely unnecessary). And now, all this at the Giro- agreed it was nuts to have Uran pulled back to help Brad when he could have ended up in pink.
