2023 giro d'italia: straight-no fantasy chaser (big-time spoilers)!
05-29-23, 05:56 AM
#76
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I don’t agree that it was boring, at all. A very tight top 3 for most of the race, a near-win for an old guy, while at the same time so many young riders were emerging: Milan, Gee, Riccitello. So many breakaway wins (McNulty finallly!), and a finish with less than 15 secs between 1st and 2nd. And a Cav victory in the final! What more could you want?
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05-29-23, 03:47 PM
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Thomas pulling for Cav & Astana in the final ~1500 meters was the stuff of yesteryear. Damn good to see it.
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05-30-23, 03:02 AM
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That seemed pretty cool, but I admit I didn't quite understand the dynamics. Thomas went to the front, but Cav wasn't directly on his wheel - he was quite far back. It seems that Thomas driving the pace allowed Cav to move up from a disadvantageous spot and get in good position?
05-30-23, 08:04 AM
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I don’t agree that it was boring, at all. A very tight top 3 for most of the race, a near-win for an old guy, while at the same time so many young riders were emerging: Milan, Gee, Riccitello. So many breakaway wins (McNulty finallly!), and a finish with less than 15 secs between 1st and 2nd. And a Cav victory in the final! What more could you want?
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05-30-23, 11:36 AM
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That seemed pretty cool, but I admit I didn't quite understand the dynamics. Thomas went to the front, but Cav wasn't directly on his wheel - he was quite far back. It seems that Thomas driving the pace allowed Cav to move up from a disadvantageous spot and get in good position?
Towards the end, Luis Leon Sanchez was the only guy from Astana in play, working to position Cav and keep him up there. Thomas was behind Cav, having just come across the 3k to go and relaxed a bit. At ~2.4 k to go Thomas moved up, passed Cav, passed Sanchez and told him to hop on his wheel (~2.2k), then pulled like an Astana lead out man for 1k+. Cav wasn't on G's wheel at all for any of that, or Sanchez for much either... he let a Movistar rider (Gaviria?) between him and Sanchez, and then let a few more come by until he hopped on Milan. But that was him making his sprinter magic choices, and it would have been a lot sloppier and a lot less Sanchezy if G had not lined it out there at pre-crunch time.
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05-31-23, 01:18 PM
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Ah, but he did. Same crash that took out Geoghegan Hart. But G Thomas had the luck to land on Sivakov, who had obliged by falling in just the right spot to cushion his team leader. Now THAT is a Super Domestique! (Sivakov's reaction has not been noted in the media.)
Of course Roglic was also in the same crash. And there was another for him, the one that removed 'some meat' as he put it.
Funny how cyclists can be simultaneously likely podlum contenders and also likely DNFs.
Of course Roglic was also in the same crash. And there was another for him, the one that removed 'some meat' as he put it.
Funny how cyclists can be simultaneously likely podlum contenders and also likely DNFs.
__________________
I never think I have hit hard, unless it rebounds.
- Dr Samuel Johnson
I never think I have hit hard, unless it rebounds.
- Dr Samuel Johnson
Last edited by Chicago Al; 06-07-23 at 06:14 AM.
