Recent content by Devil's Elbow

How did this manage to be the top-10 of an opening stage of a pro race? Very cool for the AVC kids, though.

Is it cheating to include Chrono des Nations? If not, there are a few there: the 2021 edition had 14 different teams in the top-14, the 2018 edition had 13 in the top-13, and there are probably more but I didn't bother to go back further.

Which is a damning indictment of this race and this era alike.

It seems that they were in danger of getting lapped on the short circuit around the bonification sprint (PCS haven't figured out that reason but it's obvious from where they stopped) and were made to wait 15 minutes, so really they should be reinstated without penalty.

It helps when Skjelmose, Vauquelin and Martinez are nowhere, but still, to brute force it like that at any age, let alone 19...

A two-way tie is nothing compared to a 22-way tie...

Unless O'Connor has a massive peak planned for the Giro, he won't be breaking even. Disaster of a pick. On the other hand, Vlasov continues to chip away...

Cofidis having Dati as a stagiaire last year and then not signing him kind of sums up why they're not a WT team anymore. Yes, it's only Coppi e Bartali and the Tour of the Alps, but how often have they had neopros getting multiple wins in their debut season?

To be fair, on a finish that's as shoulder to shoulder as this one I would be scared of Vansevenant too.

Rather here than in a good race, but I'd still prefer a finish with no clear favourite.

In 2023.

Fair, but none of Laporte, Hagenes, Zingle and Fiorelli being among the 50 best riders in the race is disappointing.

Shame that Remijn didn't convert his impressive ride into points, but still a good outcome with Cosnefroy flying, Vansevenant getting the result you look for when you pick him, and AWP showing that he has it when he doesn't crash for once. Given that I have neither Evenepoel nor Nordhagen...

And when said rider is all smiles after getting curbstomped in the sprint, it's not hard to understand why things went the way they did. Really poor race tactically by both Lidl and Groupama.

Visma not even in this peloton in their home race? Oof...