Domenico Pozzovivo appreciation thread

[AmRacer]

A miracle has happened the last 2 days - Crashed the last 2 days in the final waited for a bike change and somehow made it back to the peleton.

It's kind of magic.

 

[staubsauger]

I mean, him being so stubborn about going for the gc has been frustrating af for years...

This time around Pozzovivo actually had a point, but then he gets caught out by crashes again!

 

[Rob5091]

Not a bad ITT at the Giro all things considered. Hope he's conserving some energy for the lumpy stages. Bardiani team as a whole doing well.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Brilliant today on Prati di Tivo

 

[yaco]

He is wasting time riding for GC - Should be riding for stages.

 

[tobydawq]

He is wasting time riding for GC - Should be riding for stages.

No

 

[SafeBet]

No

He is though.
This is his last Giro and nobody outside of hardcore forum fans will remember anything of his Giro if he keeps riding this way.
He hasn't won a Giro stage since 2012, which is absurd for a climber of his caliber.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

He's riding to be seen by the Italian public.
While he's in the front group he's on the RAI.
my 2 cents

 

[Salvarani]

He is though.
This is his last Giro and nobody outside of hardcore forum fans will remember anything of his Giro if he keeps riding this way.
He hasn't won a Giro stage since 2012, which is absurd for a climber of his caliber.

Surely he is being celebrated by a lot of fans beside the road and in the Italian coverage of the race.

 

[Sciatic]

He's riding to be seen by the Italian public.
While he's in the front group he's on the RAI.
my 2 cents

Agreed. And why wouldn’t he just want to perform as well as he can in his final Giro, especially given he’s gotten knocked out of the race several times recently.

In addition, because of his lack of explosiveness the odds are pretty small of him winning a stage from a break.

 

[Sciatic]

He is though.
This is his last Giro and nobody outside of hardcore forum fans will remember anything of his Giro if he keeps riding this way.
He hasn't won a Giro stage since 2012, which is absurd for a climber of his caliber.

Most Italian sports fans will long remember him whether he wins a stage here or not.

 

[Sciatic]

Surely he is being celebrated by a lot of fans beside the road and in the Italian coverage of the race.

Indeed.

 

[SafeBet]

Most Italian sports fans will long remember him whether he wins a stage here or not.

In what way is this a counter argument to what I posted?

 

[Sciatic]

In what way is this a counter argument to what I posted?

Not really countering—just saying if he wants to ride for a GC placement rather than stage hunting, it’s not going to decrease his legacy.

 

[yaco]

He's always been an over-rated GC rider and has wasted part of his career seeking this goal - He is a a 6-10 GC rider and once you know your level, then you need to pivot your goals.

 

[search]

I actually think it's the other way around. Pozzovivo has never been very explosive, and it's gotten a lot worse over the past couple of years. He knows he can't win a stage anyway, and therefor goes for a realistic goal instead, which is a decent GC position.

 

[Anderis]

I actually think it's the other way around. Pozzovivo has never been very explosive, and it's gotten a lot worse over the past couple of years. He knows he can't win a stage anyway, and therefor goes for a realistic goal instead, which is a decent GC position.

This is an issue that doesn't get enough attention. Too often people complain about riders going for GC over stages but not everyone has a skillset to be a good stage hunter. + if everryone thought like that, there would be so many riders going for stages and so few for GC that going for GC would be statistically a far better return.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

He's always been an over-rated GC rider and has wasted part of his career seeking this goal - He is a a 6-10 GC rider and once you know your level, then you need to pivot your goals.

He has been very close to the podium in multiple grand tours.

 

[Sciatic]

He's always been an over-rated GC rider and has wasted part of his career seeking this goal - He is a a 6-10 GC rider and once you know your level, then you need to pivot your goals.

Why? He’s got his PhD and still wants to race to his level of satisfaction.

 

[Sciatic]

I actually think it's the other way around. Pozzovivo has never been very explosive, and it's gotten a lot worse over the past couple of years. He knows he can't win a stage anyway, and therefor goes for a realistic goal instead, which is a decent GC position.

Yup.

 

[Mayomaniac]

He has been very close to the podium in multiple grand tours.

I wouldn't call him overrated, but rather fragile and bad at positioning himself. Too often at the wrong end of a split or involved in a crash and he get sick rather easy once the weather is bad.

Should have peaked for the Giro and not for Trentino in 2012, he could have podiumed without big problems and would have been fighting for the overall win.

 

[RedheadDane]

Why? He’s got his PhD and still wants to race to his level of satisfaction.

I honestly think that's as big part of what makes him awesome.
Also, didn't he also take some other course a few years ago, because... reason?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I think he has the drive of later-life Rebellin
but missing the chip-on-the-shoulder.

 

[Rob5091]

He's hoping for top 10 & helping the "kids" -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-ditalia-it-would-be-nice-to-reach-the-top-10
"It would be nice to reach the top 10, a result that at my age would be a great pleasure. Furthermore, a presence in that part of the ranking would be a source of pride and visibility for the team. I will have many young teammates at my side, I think that during the three weeks I will be a point of reference for them. In particular, I think I can teach Pellizzari a lot."

"It's his first Giro d'Italia, but in a very different type of cycling compared to my debut in the Corsa Rosa. I had to worry about staying up and finishing the three weeks of the race. Pellizzari, on the other hand, arrives ready and with every possibility of aiming for a stage victory. Having me at his side will take some pressure off him and he will be able to pedal lighter."

L'Equipe have an article on Pozzovivo today- behind a paywall I'm afraid -
https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur...ovivo-j-ai-compris-ce-qu-etait-la-vie/1467171

 

[Sciatic]

He's hoping for top 10 & helping the "kids" -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-ditalia-it-would-be-nice-to-reach-the-top-10
"It would be nice to reach the top 10, a result that at my age would be a great pleasure. Furthermore, a presence in that part of the ranking would be a source of pride and visibility for the team. I will have many young teammates at my side, I think that during the three weeks I will be a point of reference for them. In particular, I think I can teach Pellizzari a lot."

"It's his first Giro d'Italia, but in a very different type of cycling compared to my debut in the Corsa Rosa. I had to worry about staying up and finishing the three weeks of the race. Pellizzari, on the other hand, arrives ready and with every possibility of aiming for a stage victory. Having me at his side will take some pressure off him and he will be able to pedal lighter."

L'Equipe have an article on Pozzovivo today- behind a paywall I'm afraid -
https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur...ovivo-j-ai-compris-ce-qu-etait-la-vie/1467171

Thanks for posting that.