2014 Paris Nice, Stage 4: Nevers - Belleville 201.5 km

[Parrulo]

So most people on this forum( and on parlamento) say he looked bad, he says he wasn't good enough, yet you say he didn't want to follow, and you are the one right! ok. . .

The only thing he has in his defence is the absolute failure Lampre was today, he was 40 or 50 riders back alone with a couple k to the start of the climb and he had to make his way up all by himself unlike guys like Slagter, Thomas, Nibali and Betancurt who were always well placed and well protected by their teams, so he must have wasted some valuable energy.

 

[BigMac]

So most people on this forum( and on parlamento) say he looked bad, he says he wasn't good enough, yet you say he didn't want to follow, and you are the one right! ok. . .

The only thing he has in his defence is the absolute failure Lampre was today, he was 40 or 50 riders back alone with a couple k to the start of the climb and he had to make his way up all by himself unlike guys like Slagter, Thomas, Nibali and Betancurt who were always well placed and well protected by their teams, so he must have wasted some valuable energy.

Well, you're clearly inventing things, because I never stated that I was right and others here were wrong. I don't think he looked bad, just that. Even though he said he did.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah if Costa was really good he would have at least tried to go with Kelderman and Izagirre at the top.
But Lampre have been weak and Costa has to do a lot alone. He's still not looking bad though. He could well finish top 5. But he doesn't seem to have the form to win.
Neither does Nibali by the way. Also not bad, but clearly not top form.

I'd say Betancur looks better by the day, and could decide it on the Col d'Eze

 

[Hugo87]

Did he lose time? I didn't know that, sucks. Was it because of crash?

Yes, it was on the 1st stage, Sepulveda,Bardet, Gadret, Frank Schleck and many others lost some time due to a crash that split the peloton. (they were positioned on the back of the bunch)

 

[karlboss]

I was cheering for Degenkolb, and I think he did an amazing job given that he barely had any help on the front of his group. If a team with a sprinter put faith in themselves to stay together and lose one minute on that final climb and then drill it to the line, i think it could have been a very different stage. Slagter and Thomas worked really well together and the group behind had a nice combination of noone wanting to work together but the attacks kept them close, and behind them Degenkolb was working almost on his own.

Degenkolb is starting to look quite good for MSR after that effort. I think leaving Kittel out is the right call.