jilbiker said:In soccer there is what is known as "match fitness" very different from regular fitness. I think we are now realizing what this means in cycling. AC has enough experience as a pro that he knew it would be a factor. But it is a 3 wk race which is good and so he can sharpen his skills, gain some confidence. A win would have been good from a mind fitness point, but it is more important to get the win this week rather than last. i am not ruling out a win in the ITT, I think he has planned for it and it will be be just perfecto for confidence and sharpness going into saturday.
Remember though. AC won his first Giro with zero preparation (even though it's not the same as not racing for 6 months). And if I'm not mistaken, he didn't won any stage either. He won Giro by 'being the most consistent' in 3 weeks. I think we'll see something similar to this on the Vuelta.