Tirreno Adriatico, 6-10 March 2013 [Spoilers]

[smutchin]

Catenaccio is the ultra-defensive counter-attacking style espoused by Internazionale coach Helenio Herrera in the 1960s. Impressively effective but not always the most thrilling spectacle. (Sounds familiar?)

The thing about catenaccio is that it only works if the opposition behave predictably. In the 1970s, to counter catenaccio, Dutch side Ajax invented Total Football, a fluid attacking style in which players constantly switch positions. Football with panache.

In the 1972 European Cup Final, Ajax beat Inter 2-0, Johan Cruyff scoring both goals.

No one plays catenaccio any more.

d.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

well we need some of that then

 

[tigger]

Just watched the highlights. That was bloody fantastic!

Shame for Froome but that's racing and it looks like he's already recognised what went wrong. You have to admire Nibali, he was rock solid today. A great move by Purito to bridge up to the lead pair just in time. And as for Sagan, a bloke that big has no right to be up there. Amazing, he has to be the new Merckx surely? That's the first time I've seen Contador really suffer, he was a passenger for those last few kms. Great finish to a great race I think.

P.S. if Phinney did 130km on his own he deserves most combative I think.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Well done Nibali. Actually quite like his style. Relies on his own ability and less on the team around him. His bike handling is top drawer! Wouldn't bet against him this year.
And Sagan? The guy defies belief!! He weighs a few stone more than Purito and Nibali yet was there in the end. His power output must be frightening. The way he destroyed everyone on stage 3 (i think) of Tour of Oman was jaw dropping.

Nibali can TT just fine and over that distance might lose 10-12 seconds to Froome MAX. Barring a crash or similar he has the GC in the bag. I reckon Froome 2nd and Conti 3rd.

 

[smutchin]

Interesting tweet from race organiser Michele Acquarone:

@petosagan and @VincenzoNibali shone in a legendary stage. Many of you enjoyed it, but it was too much. We lost the right balance. #Tirreno

 

[jdtate101]

Would love to see Sagan's power data, a bloke that big must be putting out some SERIOUS watts to win today. Agree he's better suited to shorter punchy climbs, and suffers on high tempo longer climbs where low weight is key. He's looking seriously odds on for Milan-SanRemo.

 

[Noodley]

I can't see anyone coming close to Sagan in MSR after yesterday's ride.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Interesting tweet from race organiser Michele Acquarone:

Yes he went on to say "...if you lose half your peloton, you just have to be honest and learn from mistakes." So I guess that climb will not feature next time.

 

[jdtate101]

Also, just occurred to me in the car today, if Froome says he was over geared, surely he must have realised on the first pass of the 27% climb??? If so why did he not radio for a replacement bike to be waiting for him on the next pass with the right gearing? It would be any easy matter for the sky mechanics to do this as I'm sure they keep more than 1 spare available per rider (again they probably have one bike on the team car, but it would also have the wrong gearing)....

Also just as an aside is using triples UCI legal or not...anyone know???

 

[raindog]

If so why did he not radio for a replacement bike to be waiting for him on the next pass with the right gearing?

I can't believe they've got chain whips and 28t sprockets lying around on the back seats of the cars.

 

[jdtate101]

I can't believe they've got chain whips and 28t sprockets lying around on the back seats of the cars.

Yep, but they must have back at the mechanics lorry. Depending upon how far they were from the climb it should have been possible to get a bike to the bottom of the climb in the back of a spare car???

 

[woohoo]

Also just as an aside is using triples UCI legal or not...anyone know???

3 or 4. years ago, a number of teams in the Giro fitted triples for one particularly vicious stage.

 

[beastie]

Yes he went on to say "...if you lose half your peloton, you just have to be honest and learn from mistakes." So I guess that climb will not feature next time.

I liked it, it reminded me of Hardknott, but it was too tough to climb three times, once in the stage would have still been selective. It would be a good finish to a gt stage in the first week, break up the field but relatively small time gaps.

 

[smutchin]

Talking of Hardknott... wouldn't it be great to see the pros race over the route of the Fred Whitton Challenge?

 

[montage]

That ride from Phinney has just made him one of my favourite riders