Clásica San Sebastián 2025, one day race, August 2

[tobydawq]

Once again setting up his teammate perfectly.

I think he would have been the better option. He certainly looked stronger than Van Gils.

 

[Brullnux]

Scaroni ready to podium here!

@Ilmaestro99

If he has any sense he will stick to the wheels, do no work, then drop a watt bomb on the climb

 

[postmanhat]

Surprised to see Powless going this well. Hasn't shown any climbing ability at all this year.

 

[Lequack]

Del Toro so strong that he gained 35 seconds like its nothing.

 

[Savant12]

Ah great an ad break!

This is the start of a new cycling era in Africa, according to Froomey.

After my TNT deal is up in September: no way am I paying the full monthly fee for this ad-heavy coverage.

 

[Red Rick]

Del Toro so strong that he gained 35 seconds like its nothing.

That's every time this climb gets raced hard ever that the gap explodes on the false summit.

 

[Brullnux]

Ciccone has to risk losing to win it, if he shares the work on the flat equally he'll get dropped really easily. He should still ride, but force a sort of 75/25 split.

 

[Red Rick]

Ciccone has to risk losing to win it, if he shares the work on the flat equally he'll get dropped really easily. He should still ride, but force a sort of 75/25 split.

He's already doing too much. If you blow up the gap the chase group stops working too so you never have any leverage.

 

[tobydawq]

10% + gradients its not like the draft is huge. Just set his own pace.

I know but attacking from the bottom is not an optimal strategy.

 

[Brullnux]

He's already doing too much. If you blow up the gap the chase group stops working too so you never have any leverage.

As soon as he does nothing Del Toro will also stop working, though, as Del Toro's punch is ridiculous and he knows/thinks he can drop anyone, and he loses anyway. Hard balance.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Lets chase them down.

 

[Red Rick]

I think he would have been the better option. He certainly looked stronger than Van Gils.

I think he's feeling the Tour and he has this tendency to burn that rocket engine a little bit before blowing up entirely even when in bad form. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets dropped from the chase group on the final climb.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ciccone happy to podium

 

[Brullnux]

Ciccone is so funny because he rides like five one day races a year and always seems to come away with a podium or top five in a major race

 

[tobydawq]

Torito was bad position and had to spend a little to catch up as well, that count for something. But sure indeed, still imo kinda potatoes potatos on such gradients imo.

Another thing to consider is that he would be unlikely to benefit from a hard race, so it seems quite daft to ignite the race himself as early as possible.

Better just hope for an easy climb of the Erlaitz and then go all in on the Mur.

Bet I guess Rick is right; he doesn't have much confidence that he can win today.

 

[Mayomaniac]

If Del Toro looses this can we blame the fact that he is riding the regular aerobike and not the black Pogacar special, aka the B(r)atmobile?

 

[postmanhat]

Ciccone is so funny because he rides like five one day races a year and always seems to come away with a podium or top five in a major race

And yet every year, Trek send him to a couple of GTs, where he invariably fails/gets injured. It's so obvious he's a great one-day rider, but outside of riding for Milan or Perdersen, that team seems pretty cluless?

 

[Red Rick]

And yet every year, Trek send him to a couple of GTs, where he invariably fails/gets injured. It's so obvious he's a great one-day rider, but outside of riding for Milan or Perdersen, that team seems pretty cluless?

There isn't exactly a huge amount of 1 day races for Ciccone to choose from.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Ayuso with more camera time then del Toro.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Cian can maintain the gap to del Toro. Looks like the legs are back.

 

[ice&fire]

Ayuso with more camera time then del Toro.

We can make better memes out of him if we see him on camera

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ciccone got quite a bit better in his late 20s, recall him getting sent packing by post-injury Froome in a Tour breakaway a few seasons back

 

[Lequack]

Can Del Toro match Vingegaard in the Vuelta?

 

[James M]

Can Del Toro match Vingegaard in the Vuelta?

No, especially since he's not riding it.

 

[postmanhat]

There isn't exactly a huge amount of 1 day races for Ciccone to choose from.

True, but they could make those the focus of his season, along with a couple of the more favourable one week stage races, and send him to GTs as a stage-hunter. He isn't a GC GT rider, quite often crashes while trying to be one, and so misses big chunks of his season,