Paris - Nice (*Spoiler*)

[Flying_Monkey]

There's quite a few riders merely training in this one - Basso has also gone off the back on a stage you wouldn't normally think of as being too difficult for him.

 

[smutchin]

What's going on with Basso? Dropped already and it's not even the final climb. Early season or not, that's serious lack of form, surely?

d.

 

[raindog]

It's cold and damp. Italians don't do cold and damp. There's alot of gastro in the peloton too apparently;

 

[Flying_Monkey]

What's going on with Basso? Dropped already and it's not even the final climb. Early season or not, that's serious lack of form, surely?

d.

See my post just above yours. He's using the race for training for the Giro.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Well, de Gendt's suicide attack / moment for the sponsors seems to be coming to an end... or is the whole thing just breaking up?

 

[raindog]

Movistar went a bit early there and ran out of riders. Brad done good, considering he seemed to be more or less on his own.

 

[PpPete]

I think his lead out sacrificed themselves on that roundabout - not wanting to swerve too sharply in front of him they went every which way...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Movistar went a bit early there and ran out of riders. Brad done good, considering he seemed to be more or less on his own.

Hardly - he had practically the whole team with him for most of the race, and Uran made a significant effort to break up the rhythm of other team plans on the final climb. Then he just remained glued to Valverde for the final few hundred metres which seemed to be the plan.

 

[raindog]

Hardly - he had practically the whole team with him for most of the race,

I was talking about the last climb, not the whole stage.
He's still looking very confident.

Tomorrow's finish will be another kettle of fish though.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Tomorrow's finish will be another kettle of fish though.

Certainly will be! A proper climber's stage with some very steep ramps in places, especially right at the end. We'll certainly see whether Wiggins is more than just looking comfortable, and whether Valverde still has the final punch we saw the other day. There will be attacks galore, I am sure.

 

[smutchin]

He's using the race for training for the Giro.

Sure, but is he where he needs to be at this stage of the season? I suppose it's just Sky being "race ready" that's making it look worse for him than it really is. He's experienced and professional enough to know what he's doing, I guess.

d.

 

[rich p]

I was surprised at how easily Basso went out the back too.

 

[Noodley]

I am just surprised at how deep the knowledge is...

 

[Keith Oates]

I'm just pleasantly surprised at the form of Wiggins so far and hope that he and the team can keep up the form until the finish !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[montage]

I'd love to see Uran let loose on something mountainous in the future - considering he was in the top 10 of the tdf until that chest infection hit - didn't he perform well in some of the classics last year?