If Carapaz shifts to domestique duty then I don’t think Carlos Rodriquez is out the picture yet either.Mas has completely given up. So it is between the old master vs the young upstart. So 4th Vuelta for Roglic or 1st Vuelta for Remco, it is going to be a cracker. I think it is good for the race that he lost ~2 mins in the beginning.
Mas has completely given up. So it is between the old master vs the young upstart. So 4th Vuelta for Roglic or 1st Vuelta for Remco, it is going to be a cracker. I think it is good for the race that he lost ~2 mins in the beginning.
It's Anakin versus Obi Wan, with Rogla in the role of Master Kenobi.
Tomorrow at 2500m he's going to go full "it's over Remco, I have the high ground!".
In all seriousness this is pro sports & I no longer make real predictions I'll die on a hill for, i.e. anything can happen (good or bad). But don't you just love it when the script is torpedoed? Even just a little?
Primož Roglič was finished last weekend, over. At least that's what the narrative in this Vuelta was saying. I mean Rogla fans know what he's capable of but way too many fans of cycling (& journalists in the sport) are way, way too quick to bury this rider. Again, again & again. Well, he just showed that champion character which makes his journey so crazy (i.e. in this instance, has only two weeks prep for the Vuelta & then bam, finds better legs by the second weekend when no one expected it).
I'm also just really happy to see him at such a level again after his injuries (whether he can overhaul Evenepoel or not). People are way to quick to always define Rog as a mere 'climber puncheur' but they forget he finished second on the Col de la Loze (behind MAL) & again last year in the Vuelta on the Gamoniteiru (behind... MAL again!). So today was not so unpredictable really.
Roglič (among all his known skills) also happens to be an excellent high altitude climber who excels on longer climbs when he has the legs & form. This I feel is often overlooked.
I think the narrative was more that if evenepoel kept pushing the same numbers, roglic can try, but he will die trying.
And I don't think its Roglic that just magically rode better, it was Evenepoel that rode magically worse imho which is the exact part of the narrative. (or at least that was what i read in the papers and what the cycling managers said).
But you are right, Roglic is a fighter, that is also what most people said and acknowledge. That is also why he is such a great rider to watch, as he wants to go for the win or die trying.. Its not for his interviews!!(at least for me
). And now it is proven why you should never give up, because there can always be an opportunity to fight back. Roglic made good use of the opportunity.
Roglic is such a class act. I don't want him to beat Evenepoel but I hope he ends up winning a world championship or something. I really want his career to be well-remembered.
Not saying that he doesn't already have an impressive trophy case.
Licking his lips over the chance to take even more time tomorrow
I didn't know he was a cannibal too! But suddenly I really understand the felinesque features someone talked about. Meeeeow!
I didn't know he was a cannibal too! But suddenly I really understand the felinesque features someone talked about. Meeeeow!![]()
Not so much in the end. Remco looking very good for the win here. The final week is kinda lameRoglic to Evenpoel : " Okay kid, you had a little bit of fun, now let me show you how daddy does it"
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And why Roglic should use Remco as deep as he can to pursue Mas. 3 guys are still in it with a rest day and easier stages before 18 and 20. Week 3 will be more dramatic one way or the other and Primoz looks up to the improving form if his team can hang together for those key stages.Today JV team isolated Roglic all by themselves
Roglic clearly didn’t have his best legs today, so, given that, gaining :15 on Remco isn’t a bad result. Definitely not what he hoped for. Losing time to Mas a surprise for sure. I think he hoped to set a hard pace and drop Remco at the bottom where it was steep and when that didn’t happen he was happy to save his legs and steal some seconds at the end. Impossible to imagine him not riding with MAL and Mas if he felt good.