Superb execution from Quick Step today. Great job by Richeze setting it up, and by Gaviria delivering yet again. Consistency is the true hallmark of a champion.
Zinoviev Letter said:
Short of a very lucky breakaway, which he's unlikely to be allowed, how far up the GC could he reasonably expect to climb?
Coming out of the 12th stage of the Giro in 2014, a budding GC rider, who had only placed in the top 30 in a Grand Tour once before, was fighting off a cold, 6th, 3:29 behind the previous year's runner-up. Nairo Quintana ended up winning the Giro, 2:58 ahead of Rigoberto Urán.
Coming out of the 12th stage of the Giro in 2016, a budding GC rider, who had only placed in the top 30 on a Grand Tour once before, was 8th, 2:43 behind Bob Jungels, who had hung with the favorites up the climbs and taken 34 seconds of the next-best GC man in the time-trial, and about whom the other contenders were really starting to worry after his stellar performance up Sestola. Esteban Chaves ended up 2nd, less than a minute (or a hill) from winning the Giro, 8:31 ahead of 6th place Bob Jungels (so, in the top-5 by [over] a Mortirolo mile). And that wasn't even (by a long shot) the biggest comeback of that Giro.
I think achieving his goal of podium placing would a huge ask for Geraint Thomas at the moment. But it's not impossible, if he is the rider he (and Sky) think he could be. Yes, there is some talent on offer, but of the riders ahead of him in the GC, only three (Nibali, Quintana & Pinot) have managed a Grand Tour podium before. He's been training for years for a shot at the GC. He likely won't get another one for a year, if that. So with a flat stage, a Unipublic stage, and a medium mountain jaunt to go before the rest day, there's no way he should pull the plug unless he literally can't hang on. And if he's hanging on by then, and he can just hang on with the best on the climbs, then there's nowhere to go but up mountains, and up into the top five.
Push has come to shove. This is when the hitters get going. Life doesn't always give you second chances.