- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,966
- 44,345
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I remember asking my brother if Czech Rep beating the Netherlands at like 7-1. was a good bet when we had to win to qualify for Euro 2016.
Never have I seen that many death threats in my life.
Never have I seen that many death threats in my life.
- May 11, 2013
- 13,995
- 5,289
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But we have the most exciting demolition machine in cycling, very young too. Then we have the master of Civiglio, none other than a double winner and then we have the most beautiful birdsong you'll hear all year. Plus a character straight out of a Scorsese movie called Gianni and The Great Bauke Mollema.
The Giro will be after the Tour, so it won't be a case of guys avoiding it because they're looking past it for something else. Anyone who's riding there, be it after the Tour, or as their main target, will be all-in. The clash with Roubaix and Flanders will take away a few guys, but mainly guys who wouldn't be going for GC anyway.
Lombardia last year was great because a bunch of GC riders and classic riders who were coming off strong rides at the Tour and Vuelta, but hadn't been suited to the Worlds course, had one last big chance to win something. This year it's kinda got lost at the tail of the whole "let's put all the Italian Classics on at the same time, even if it overlaps with TdF prep" bucket. I always feel it kind of gets lost at the end of the year, when all the other monuments happen in a 6-week period in the spring.
- Feb 20, 2012
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- 44,345
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I think one the calendar could use some more one day race love, especially on the hillier, mountainious side of things.
- Apr 23, 2018
- 1,125
- 345
- 5,180
This is probably the only race I have missed since I started following pro cycling. Finally I get to see Remco and MVDP ride this season.
- Jun 7, 2011
- 20,975
- 20,311
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Everybody who starts this year, is going to be fresh and will be seeing this as a major goal. That's not always the case other years. Often some have done 2 GT's at that point.
For the Giro, this is even more true. Missing this year are Roglic, Lopez and Landa, Mollema & Sivakov. But last year there was no Evenepoel, Vlasov, Kelderman, Fuglsang.. Agreed that it's a bit worse, but a lot of teams haven't even committed tot the startlist yet. I'd say it lacks perhaps one or two top competitors, but in turn there are a lot of interesting youngsters/outsiders imho. De Plus, McNulty, Vlasov, Evenepoel, Hagen, Soler...
Last year Oomen and Dumoulin didn't even make the third week. Oomen will be back this year.
And most importantly, there will likely not be a dominant train from Jumbo or Ineos!
- Feb 20, 2012
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Antonio Nibali will choo choo this all home.
- Mar 19, 2009
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- 1,790
- 20,680
I'm sure
2 GTs before GdL is pretty normal and doesn't affect performance or preparation negatively. The last 8 winners had all gone to 2 GTs that year. Sure, a couple crashed out early but you have to go back to Zaugg to find a winner who didn't at least start 2 GTs their winning year and most were fighting at the top in both.
I know you often have guys who are well-suited to GdL end their season early and not race it but this year is just so much worse. Sure, they wouldn't ALL come but there are like 20 top guys missing who I'd like to see here and most are at the Dauphine instead.
Yes, there is that! I do think the racing at the Giro will be fun even if the field is really weak.
2 GTs before GdL is pretty normal and doesn't affect performance or preparation negatively. The last 8 winners had all gone to 2 GTs that year. Sure, a couple crashed out early but you have to go back to Zaugg to find a winner who didn't at least start 2 GTs their winning year and most were fighting at the top in both.
I know you often have guys who are well-suited to GdL end their season early and not race it but this year is just so much worse. Sure, they wouldn't ALL come but there are like 20 top guys missing who I'd like to see here and most are at the Dauphine instead.
- Jan 4, 2020
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- 7,737
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Really weird, this separation of races with TJV/Ineos trains and Evenepoel vs. everybody. Evenepoel vs. the trains, that would be a fair race... Well, next year I guess. But he can't have Almeida and Bagioli with him!
- Jun 7, 2011
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It will be interesting. Lombardia often features GT riders who had already done a lot of racing. But they definitely all perform below their top level. Only two weeks earlier, Roglic got absolutely massacred in the WCC ITT by guys who were fresh (Evenepoel, Dennis...). It shows that it was a long season. So you can't say end-of-year form doesn't impact Lombardia, it certainly does, but it's a fair fight because it's the end of the season and everybody is knackered.
The field is appalling. As thin as I can recall for any monument. The racing however may be good, at least if the Belgian kid doesn’t just disappear off up the road.
- Mar 19, 2009
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If it hadn't come so quickly after the restart, I'd say SB should be subbed in for GdL when it comes to monument status for 2020. Yes, I know it's shorter...
- Jan 4, 2020
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Yes, the short ones are always discriminated against: "You want to be a monument? Look at you! You are short! And those roads, you call that roads?"
Seriously I am fine with this Lombardia-version, I think. The races are packed anyway. The contenders for this seem good enough. The only thing that could honestly be better would be if Roglic or Bernal or van Aert would come and you could actually see them race against Evenepoel - but this way Lombardia is like a nice, quiet little race with exquisite taste.
- Apr 17, 2013
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Maybe thinner on paper, but definitely deeper in motivation.
- May 3, 2010
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****Fuglsang, Nibali, Evenepoel
***Carapaz, Bennett, Vlasov, Mollema
**Majka, Schachmann, Woods, Ulissi, Van der Poel
*De Marchi, Visconti, Moscon, Cataldo, Herrada, Navarro, Nieve, Frank, Geschke, Wellens, Kelderman
***Carapaz, Bennett, Vlasov, Mollema
**Majka, Schachmann, Woods, Ulissi, Van der Poel
*De Marchi, Visconti, Moscon, Cataldo, Herrada, Navarro, Nieve, Frank, Geschke, Wellens, Kelderman
and so the ground is prepared to say "well, the competition was so weak" if Remco actually pulls it off and wins...
- Sep 2, 2011
- 17,544
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Only if he goes solo with less than 30km to go.and so the ground is prepared to say "well, the competition was so weak" if Remco actually pulls it off and wins...
- Jun 7, 2011
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- Jun 7, 2011
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He'll be the laughing stock of the peloton if he DOESN'T win. "Hahaha, couldn't even beat Mollema, Nibali, Carapaz, Fuglsang, Woods, Schachmann and other losers!"and so the ground is prepared to say "well, the competition was so weak" if Remco actually pulls it off and wins...
- Jan 4, 2020
- 6,327
- 7,737
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We have not yet seen him race against Fuglsang, have we? What if Fuglsang pulls it off... After all he was incredible last year. Seems to get better with the years. In Strade he himself went too early, maybe practising for a long range attack at Lombardia...
And then there's my favourite outcome: Kelderman winning!
And then there's my favourite outcome: Kelderman winning!
- Mar 19, 2009
- 9,892
- 1,790
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Obviously no one except Remco haters would gloat but wouldn't it be a bit of a disappointment if he doesn't at least podium against those guys given what we've seen so far?He'll be the laughing stock of the peloton if he DOESN'T win. "Hahaha, couldn't even beat Mollema, Nibali, Carapaz, Fuglsang, Woods, Schachmann and other losers!"
- Jan 4, 2020
- 6,327
- 7,737
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Ah, this is all too much for me...
- Apr 3, 2009
- 12,658
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Did you get the memo? The other riders weren't trying in Poland, they just let him ride off the front!
- May 11, 2013
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Well it looked like Remco and Fuglsang were riding two different races at the same time, I understand the confusion. Both were in Poland.
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