2018 Paris-Nice, 4/3-11/3

[More Strides than Rides]

Just to reinforce the point, here is a a photo of an athletics sprint finish. On the bike, everything of yours is moving the same speed. Sprinting, parts are moving different speeds, and take longer or short times to cross the laser of the finish line camera, causing distortion.

Notice the first two lanes' strides aren't actual snapshots of the whole stride; no one runs like that. Also notice lane 7, whose foot landed on the line, and is thus recorded for several hundredths in a row. Similarly, lane 6, who stepped just before the line, and whose calf is recorded in several snapshots as it is held over the finish line for several hundredths.

 

[Netserk]

Speaking of which; given how a time gap is established, a rider standing still on the line (with his wheels on different sides of it) would in the finish photo be infinitely long, and as such all riders behind him would get the same time as him, since a gap is measured from the rear wheel, even though a rider's finish position is based on his front wheel.

At least that was the rules the last time I checked them, though no one has tried this loophole in practice yet. I'm not sure if the organizers would follow their own rules in such a case though.

 

[Netserk]

@LeGruppetto

Au général, plusieurs coureurs ont perdu du temps :
Oomen +20"
De la Cruz +28"
Barguil +34"
Herrada +59"
Fuglsang +1'38
Zakarin +5'14
Costa +17'33
TVG DNF
#ParisNice

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re:

Speaking of which; given how a time gap is established, a rider standing still on the line (with his wheels on different sides of it) would in the finish photo be infinitely long, and as such all riders behind him would get the same time as him, since a gap is measured from the rear wheel, even though a rider's finish position is based on his front wheel.

At least that was the rules the last time I checked them, though no one has tried this loophole in practice yet. I'm not sure if the organizers would follow their own rules in such a case though.

That would be a brilliant way to avoid losing time: let a team mate stand still on the line.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Speaking of which; given how a time gap is established, a rider standing still on the line (with his wheels on different sides of it) would in the finish photo be infinitely long, and as such all riders behind him would get the same time as him, since a gap is measured from the rear wheel, even though a rider's finish position is based on his front wheel.

At least that was the rules the last time I checked them, though no one has tried this loophole in practice yet. I'm not sure if the organizers would follow their own rules in such a case though.

Haha, that's brilliant. And dumb.

 

[Frankschleck]

I had ten pounds on laporte at 81 times again ://////

 

[wansteadimp]

Re:

What happened to Rui Costa? He came in alone, last, 10 minutes behind the second-last?

Eurosport said he was involved in the Van Garderen crash.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Speaking of which; given how a time gap is established, a rider standing still on the line (with his wheels on different sides of it) would in the finish photo be infinitely long, and as such all riders behind him would get the same time as him, since a gap is measured from the rear wheel, even though a rider's finish position is based on his front wheel.

At least that was the rules the last time I checked them, though no one has tried this loophole in practice yet. I'm not sure if the organizers would follow their own rules in such a case though.

If your team leader gets dropped in a GT, don't drag his ass to the line, drop him like a stone, park you bike on the line, and save way more time while your team leader finishes in the autobus

 

[Valv.Piti]

I was pretty disappointed by Alaphilippe today, I was sure he would win given how the race unfolded.. maybe the cobbles were a little too hard on him.

 

[can3478]

Re:

I was pretty disappointed by Alaphilippe today, I was sure he would win given how the race unfolded.. maybe the cobbles were a little too hard on him.

Dan Martin tweeted "despite having good legs, I have not enough power to sprint on the cobblestones, I'm too light"
maybe the same can be applied to Alaphilippe?

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I was pretty disappointed by Alaphilippe today, I was sure he would win given how the race unfolded.. maybe the cobbles were a little too hard on him.

Dan Martin tweeted "despite having good legs, I have not enough power to sprint on the cobblestones, I'm too light"
maybe the same can be applied to Alaphilippe?

That kind of puts Izagirre's sprint in an even more impressive light. His cross background probably helped him a bit.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

I was pretty disappointed by Alaphilippe today, I was sure he would win given how the race unfolded.. maybe the cobbles were a little too hard on him.

Dan Martin tweeted "despite having good legs, I have not enough power to sprint on the cobblestones, I'm too light"
maybe the same can be applied to Alaphilippe?

That kind of puts Izagirre's sprint in an even more impressive light. His cross background probably helped him a bit.

I think Gorka uses a bigger gear than Alaphilippe and Martin. Mores similar to what Valverde uses? That would also mean Gorka is a bit more of a power rider than either Martin and Alaphilippe who are high cadence riders like typical climbers are.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re: Re:

Dan Martin tweeted "despite having good legs, I have not enough power to sprint on the cobblestones, I'm too light"
maybe the same can be applied to Alaphilippe?

That kind of puts Izagirre's sprint in an even more impressive light. His cross background probably helped him a bit.

Who was helped by his cross background? Both Alaphilippe and Izagirre have a cross background.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Dan Martin tweeted "despite having good legs, I have not enough power to sprint on the cobblestones, I'm too light"
maybe the same can be applied to Alaphilippe?

That kind of puts Izagirre's sprint in an even more impressive light. His cross background probably helped him a bit.

Who was helped by his cross background? Both Alaphilippe and Izagirre have a cross background.

Gorka. I didn't now Alaphilippe had that.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

Speaking of which; given how a time gap is established, a rider standing still on the line (with his wheels on different sides of it) would in the finish photo be infinitely long, and as such all riders behind him would get the same time as him, since a gap is measured from the rear wheel, even though a rider's finish position is based on his front wheel.

At least that was the rules the last time I checked them, though no one has tried this loophole in practice yet. I'm not sure if the organizers would follow their own rules in such a case though.

If your team leader gets dropped in a GT, don't drag his *** to the line, drop him like a stone, park you bike on the line, and save way more time while your team leader finishes in the autobus

:lol:
That's brilliant!

 

[Velolover2]

Maybe the nature of the climb was perfect for Izagirre.

Gorka is more of a "power-puncheur". A 1k climb at 6-7% suits him much better than a 1k climb at 9-10% (Martin territory). Add cobbles and the lighter puncheurs will have a major disadvantage.

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Démare! Shame for TJ - then again, it helps to look where you're cycling!

 

[Velolover2]

Fuglsang finished over a minute behind the rest of the GC riders.

LLS is the new captain? Or perhaps, he was already the captain from the the beginning.

He is a bit of an odd rider who is both good on short muro-like climbs and flat-ish time trials but tend to struggle on the longer, gradual climbs if they come in the final as a MTF. There aren't many riders like that. If the Valdeblore La Colmiane wasn't there, he could have won the race.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Fuglsang finished over a minute behind the rest of the GC riders.

LLS is the new captain? Or perhaps, he was already the captain from the the beginning.

He is a bit of an odd rider who is both good on short muro-like climbs and flat-ish time trials but tend to struggle on the longer, gradual climbs if they come in the final as a MTF. There aren't many riders like that. If the Valdeblore La Colmiane wasn't there, he could have won the race.

Are we sure it is there as surely still covered in snow ??

 

[Broccolidwarf]

- deleted -

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

Fuglsang finished over a minute behind the rest of the GC riders.

LLS is the new captain? Or perhaps, he was already the captain from the the beginning.

Got brought down in the late crash, that's why...... he managed to brake and avoid, and got clear of it clean, when Zakarin (apparently blind) torpedoed into a BM rider, who then hit Fuglsang from behind and down he went.

Watch it here:

http://sport.tv2.dk/cykling/2018-03-04-fuglsang-blev-koert-ned-af-rytter-og-tabte-tid

Usual "Fuglsang luck" - he crashes a lot, but it is rarely his fault - objectively speaking

 

[Breh]

Another stage race, another opportunity for Zakarin to lose time on a stage that should've been insignificant...

So frustrating.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

Fuglsang finished over a minute behind the rest of the GC riders.

LLS is the new captain? Or perhaps, he was already the captain from the the beginning.

Got brought down in the late crash, that's why...... he managed to brake and avoid, and got clear of it clean, when Zakarin (apparently blind) torpedoed into a BM rider, who then hit Fuglsang from behind and down he went.

Watch it here:

http://sport.tv2.dk/cykling/2018-03-04-fuglsang-blev-koert-ned-af-rytter-og-tabte-tid

Usual "Fuglsang luck" - he crashes a lot, but it is rarely his fault - objectively speaking

Really unlucky!
He had to pick between two exit lines from the initial crash and he picked the wrong one. He picked that one because there was nobody there and was the quickest And then boom!
Feel bad for him.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

Fuglsang finished over a minute behind the rest of the GC riders.

LLS is the new captain? Or perhaps, he was already the captain from the the beginning.

Got brought down in the late crash, that's why...... he managed to brake and avoid, and got clear of it clean, when Zakarin (apparently blind) torpedoed into a BM rider, who then hit Fuglsang from behind and down he went.

Watch it here:

http://sport.tv2.dk/cykling/2018-03-04-fuglsang-blev-koert-ned-af-rytter-og-tabte-tid

Usual "Fuglsang luck" - he crashes a lot, but it is rarely his fault - objectively speaking

Fuglsang luck also called the "The bird flu". :lol: In all seriousness now, joking aside, I don't think he could have won the race. The race is simply too easy for him. Luis León Sánchez is a better candidate in his current shape.

Fuglsang seems to be great at pacing himself on longer climbs with steep gradients (9-11%), in bad weather or rough terrain like cobbles but when the pace is too high is he clearly lacking something.

And I'm both talking about high cadence MTFs and in punchy finals or sprints. He is the archetypical hardman rider. Similar to Nibali, just without the palmarès.

 

[Robert5091]

Uphill finish - go with Groenewegen today