La Vuelta SPOILERS.

[mjr]

Second on the stage and what seconds down ? that's a tactical mistake on the first stage of a three week grand tour.....odd

Does doing the same old thing, getting beat again and getting off lightly make it a tactical masterclass to you?

 

[Eziemnaik]

On a side note
Froome extremely careful in the corners
Could've caught the peleton but was taking his time
Seems mentally shot

 

[Adam4868]

Does doing the same old thing, getting beat again and getting off lightly make it a tactical masterclass to you?

You don't half talk some sh1te,tell me how coming second on the first stage of a three week grand tour is a disaster ?

 

[mjr]

You don't half talk some sh1te,tell me how coming second on the first stage of a three week grand tour is a disaster ?

Who's saying it's a disaster? It just ain't good.

 

[rich p]

Who's saying it's a disaster? It just ain't good.

I'd rather be a close second and let JV defend the jersey thyan try to carry it all the way.
Remind me how that went for them in the Tour?

 

[nickyboy]

On a side note
Froome extremely careful in the corners
Could've caught the peleton but was taking his time
Seems mentally shot

I'm no Sky/Ineos fanboy but it saddens me to see Froome like this. I said on here when he had his crash that he should retire with his multi GT winning legacy intact. Instead he tries to make a highly improbable comeback and we see him shipping loads of time and being uncompetitive

I guess the personality needed to be a top GC rider also prevents them quitting at the top. But it's sad to see

 

[matticus]

Carapaz needs 2 mins+ over Roglic for the TT. He needs to be aggressive, however I don’t think Skyneos thought that JV would attack with Kuss so early on. The Ineos train had destroyed the peloton completely before Kuss went. If you were Ineos, how would you attack JV? If Roglic holds his form he’s gonna win (assuming he’s learns the lesson of the tour and takes more time when he has the opportunity).

Hard to argue with that. And a couple of seconds is nothing on a 3 week 18-stage race.

But if they have a Debrief-with-Hindsight meeting, I reckon they'll wish they had let TJV do the work.

 

[Eziemnaik]

I'd rather be a close second and let JV defend the jersey thyan try to carry it all the way.
Remind me how that went for them in the Tour?

Will see if they have learned
Worth keeping in mind Pog rode TT of his life - if not for that...

 

[Eziemnaik]

I'm no Sky/Ineos fanboy but it saddens me to see Froome like this. I said on here when he had his crash that he should retire with his multi GT winning legacy intact. Instead he tries to make a highly improbable comeback and we see him shipping loads of time and being uncompetitive

I guess the personality needed to be a top GC rider also prevents them quitting at the top. But it's sad to see

Very few quit on top

Indurain arguably did
Armstrong did as well

 

[matticus]

Very few quit on top

Indurain arguably did
Armstrong did as well

Do you mean when he quit in 2005 (as reigning TdeF champ)?
Because his 2009-11 results don't look so great.

 

[Eziemnaik]

2005 - when he felt sorry for people who do not believe in miracles

 

[beastie]

Lol first stage and Carapaz has lost seconds...doom

Just checking you don’t think I’m in the same boat as @mjr?
Ineos will be content with the stage. Froome is not, and never was riding for GC. He’s there as a hard training block and hopes his condition improves relative to everyone else with some much needed hard racing.
I think Carapaz will be happy to hold on to Roglic so closely on an uphill sprint. Carapaz will likely be targeting the big mountain stages ie the Angry loo😉, as where he can gain big time.
Roglic, I expect, will use the same strategy as in the tour and will feel confident he IS the best TT amongst the GT favourites. But he should take as much time as he can get from any given situation as insurance.

As we saw in the Giro, finishing a GT is no means a certainty for any rider, so still being within say 3 minutes means any rider is still in it. One crash, one badly timed mechanical, one jour sans, one big tactical mistake.......

 

[mjr]

Just checking you don’t think I’m in the same boat as @mjr?

And what boat do you think that is? I'm just not in the blind Love Boat like some.

 

[beastie]

And what boat do you think that is? I'm just not in the blind Love Boat like some.

🚢

 

[beastie]

And what boat do you think that is? I'm just not in the blind Love Boat like some.

The wrong boat if you think Froome was riding for GC and if you think Carapaz can beat Roglic in an uphill sprint.....