Giro 2017, stage 18: Moena - Ortisei 137 km

[Baldinger]

Re: Re:

Usually cyclists try to avoid being cocky and/or overconfident, because everybody who did race knows that a bad day/luck is always behind the corner.
Insulting your opponents isn't a smart idea... though there is no doubt TomD has the best legs so far.

This!!!! He is arrogant.....people say he is the new Indurain. Well maybe he can climb and ITT near to Big Mig. But his class level is in the basement compared to Mig's. Mig was always very humble and never criticized a rival, never mind taunt them on the road and say in an interview he hopes they lose their spots. Tom D better hope his legs hold out, it certainly appears they will. But treating your competition with contempt is very Low Class IMO. This guy is No Big Mig who was the epitome of class.

This always amazes me.

People are honest and speak their mind -> So arrogant!

People are dishonest and suck up to others - > So humble!

Must be a cultural thing...

Well, perhaps Indurain did speak his mind.

 

[del1962]

I think Nibali xan rub people up the wrong way, I think he is the one with no class. remeber when he accused Froome f something he did not do, I hope Pinot takes Nibalis podium place, for Nibali is a man without class

 

[rick james]

LOL big Tam D has rubbed them up the wrong way...master of mind games it seems

 

[May0maniac]

I have to say it once more, for a pure climber who's riding his first gt Hirt is doing a great job.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

That was a fun stage. There was tension, there were attacks early and late, there was a minor GC shakeup. Sometimes though, when the attacks come, the defending rider is stronger than the attackers. That makes a stage less spectacular, but it doesn't mean that the stage was boring or soft pedalled or that the rider's were cowardly or cautious.

Congratulations to TJ. He showed a mental strength that I suspect few at this point thought he possessed. Hopefully this will spur him on to a wider return to form.

Dumoulin was great yet again. I did not think that he would bounce back as strongly from his emergency defecation setback. The race is not over, but at the moment he looks like the strongest climber as well as the dominant TT rider. It will take a big jour sans, illness, a crash, a big ambush or some other catastrophe for him to lose from here, but all of those are still real possibilities.

Whether he wins or loses now though, I think he has established himself as the most likely rider to actually beat Froome without the latter being injured or sick. It will make life even tougher for Froome's existing rivals if the ASO start to shift Tour parcours so as to facilitate a TT focused challenge to Froome rather than their recent facilitation of climbing focused challengers.

There's no shame in Quintana just not being good enough today. I've been very critical of his passivity. Today he tried seriously from far out and from shorter range but he just didn't have the legs to even get away from Reichenbach. Every rider has days like that.

I'm entertained by all the whining from Quintana and Nibali fans about Dumoulin finally saying something mildly critical of his opponents. He was right - they do have more to lose than he did by letting Pinot and Zakarin have a free minute. Yes it means that he can't just let the latter two have a load more free time, but they also become more likely partners in chasing down his more serious threats. So overall the positives and negatives roughly balance from his point of view. But his rival's positions are under more threat than his. And anyone who seriously believes that Nibali and even more so Quintana don't care about a podium place is someone who might need to be firmly talked out of trying to buy a bridge.

It's entirely true that both race to win and will risk a podium spot to move to the top step in the way that riders without their palmares or their confidence often would balk at. But that's not at all the same as saying that either doesn't care where they finish if they don't win, no matter how hard they try to bluff. Quintana demonstrated that by busting a gut for a podium at the Tour last year and Nibali is no different. They might both, particularly Nibali, be willing to risk their podium for something better but both would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if they just gave away two or three GC places in a situation where doing so makes no appreciable difference to their chance of winning. And I'm pretty sure that Unzue would be delivering a rocket up the arse of any rider of his who just gave away a GT podium because he didn't care about it. This is a team boss who makes riders fight to the last for trivial nonsense like team GC. I'm pretty sure he isn't any more relaxed about GT podiums. And that's Unzue, God only knows how Nibali's new torture-princeling boss would react.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

I have to say it once more, for a pure climber who's riding his first gt Hirt is doing a great job.

Yeah, it's really a pleasure to seem him go on the attack day in and day out. I had him as a top 10 candidate before the Giro, but he must have lost a lot of time in the first week to be so far back, I reckon? Clearly he should be with a WT-team from next season.

 

[Tank Engine]

Re:

Memories of Pedro Delgado's win at La Vuelta in 1985 come to my mind!

It would be funny if that happened.

Don't remind me of that (although I only became a cycling fan in '86). I remember the classic Superbagneres stage (not much consolation though).

For me, Tom D has been the strongest rider in the Giro on a weak team, and deserves to win.

Maybe his comments after the stage were unnecessary, but he bossed the stage.

Congratulations to TJ, he's had a lot of stick here for being mentally weak, but winning in the last weak of a GT requires both physical and mental strength.

Please though, Landa get it right next time.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

That was a fun stage. There was tension, there were attacks early and late, there was a minor GC shakeup. Sometimes though, when the attacks come, the defending rider is stronger than the attackers. That makes a stage less spectacular, but it doesn't mean that the stage was boring or soft pedalled or that the rider's were cowardly or cautious.

Congratulations to TJ. He showed a mental strength that I suspect few at this point thought he possessed. Hopefully this will spur him on to a wider return to form.

Dumoulin was great yet again. I did not think that he would bounce back as strongly from his emergency defecation setback. The race is not over, but at the moment he looks like the strongest climber as well as the dominant TT rider. It will take a big jour sans, illness, a crash, a big ambush or some other catastrophe for him to lose from here, but all of those are still real possibilities.

Whether he wins or loses now though, I think he has established himself as the most likely rider to actually beat Froome without the latter being injured or sick. It will make life even tougher for Froome's existing rivals if the ASO start to shift Tour parcours so as to facilitate a TT focused challenge to Froome rather than their recent facilitation of climbing focused challengers.

There's no shame in Quintana just not being good enough today. I've been very critical of his passivity. Today he tried seriously from far out and from shorter range but he just didn't have the legs to even get away from Reichenbach. Every rider has days like that.

I'm entertained by all the whining from Quintana and Nibali fans about Dumoulin finally saying something mildly critical of his opponents. He was right - they do have more to lose than he did by letting Pinot and Zakarin have a free minute. Yes it means that he can't just let the latter two have a load more free time, but they also become more likely partners in chasing down his more serious threats. So overall the positives and negatives roughly balance from his point of view. But his rival's positions are under more threat than his. And anyone who seriously believes that Nibali and even more so Quintana don't care about a podium place is someone who might need to be firmly talked out of trying to buy a bridge.

It's entirely true that both race to win and will risk a podium spot to move to the top step in the way that riders without their palmares or their confidence often would balk at. But that's not at all the same as saying that either doesn't care where they finish if they don't win, no matter how hard they try to bluff. Quintana demonstrated that by busting a gut for a podium at the Tour last year and Nibali is no different. They might both, particularly Nibali, be willing to risk their podium for something better but both would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if they just gave away two or three GC places in a situation where doing so makes no appreciable difference to their chance of winning. And I'm pretty sure that Unzue would be delivering a rocket up the **** of any rider of his who just gave away a GT podium because he didn't care about it. This is a team boss who makes riders fight to the last for trivial nonsense like team GC. I'm pretty sure he isn't any more relaxed about GT podiums. And that's Unzue, God only knows how Nibali's new torture-princeling boss would react.

It's not a question who has more to lose, it's about Dumoulin's attitude. His whining about Quintana and Nibali's way of racing. They race what they think and like, they risk whatever they want. It's their own thing. Dumoulin has nothing to do with that. And second, and more important, the guy is talking like he already won the Giro, Nibali is right he's cocky and arrogant. That could easily backfire to him. He's no Merckx or Hinault to talk like that. He's riding against big champions, bigger than him certainly, he should have certain dose of respect. Yet he managed to make bad blood between them. I will not be surprised if we get two teams riding together against him in Grappa stage.

 

[rhubroma]

Landa does best when not the leader. The crash was thus fortuitous.

As far as Dumo's big mouth is concerned, his was a real elogio alla bravura of Bernard Hinault. Love it. At the same time, Nibs, the Sicilian, was quite naturally irate. R-e-s-p-e-c-t.

But...but, the reality is that both Nibs and Quintana have no interest in 2nd or 3rd duh. Consequently they really shouldn't bear Dumo in a litter all the way to Milano and then shake his hand, but try to make him work. It's elementary my dear Watson (sans dropping him of course, capito). If Dumo wins the Giro, though, then we might have the next Bernard.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

That was a fun stage. There was tension, there were attacks early and late, there was a minor GC shakeup. Sometimes though, when the attacks come, the defending rider is stronger than the attackers. That makes a stage less spectacular, but it doesn't mean that the stage was boring or soft pedalled or that the rider's were cowardly or cautious.

Congratulations to TJ. He showed a mental strength that I suspect few at this point thought he possessed. Hopefully this will spur him on to a wider return to form.

Dumoulin was great yet again. I did not think that he would bounce back as strongly from his emergency defecation setback. The race is not over, but at the moment he looks like the strongest climber as well as the dominant TT rider. It will take a big jour sans, illness, a crash, a big ambush or some other catastrophe for him to lose from here, but all of those are still real possibilities.

Whether he wins or loses now though, I think he has established himself as the most likely rider to actually beat Froome without the latter being injured or sick. It will make life even tougher for Froome's existing rivals if the ASO start to shift Tour parcours so as to facilitate a TT focused challenge to Froome rather than their recent facilitation of climbing focused challengers.

There's no shame in Quintana just not being good enough today. I've been very critical of his passivity. Today he tried seriously from far out and from shorter range but he just didn't have the legs to even get away from Reichenbach. Every rider has days like that.

I'm entertained by all the whining from Quintana and Nibali fans about Dumoulin finally saying something mildly critical of his opponents. He was right - they do have more to lose than he did by letting Pinot and Zakarin have a free minute. Yes it means that he can't just let the latter two have a load more free time, but they also become more likely partners in chasing down his more serious threats. So overall the positives and negatives roughly balance from his point of view. But his rival's positions are under more threat than his. And anyone who seriously believes that Nibali and even more so Quintana don't care about a podium place is someone who might need to be firmly talked out of trying to buy a bridge.

It's entirely true that both race to win and will risk a podium spot to move to the top step in the way that riders without their palmares or their confidence often would balk at. But that's not at all the same as saying that either doesn't care where they finish if they don't win, no matter how hard they try to bluff. Quintana demonstrated that by busting a gut for a podium at the Tour last year and Nibali is no different. They might both, particularly Nibali, be willing to risk their podium for something better but both would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if they just gave away two or three GC places in a situation where doing so makes no appreciable difference to their chance of winning. And I'm pretty sure that Unzue would be delivering a rocket up the **** of any rider of his who just gave away a GT podium because he didn't care about it. This is a team boss who makes riders fight to the last for trivial nonsense like team GC. I'm pretty sure he isn't any more relaxed about GT podiums. And that's Unzue, God only knows how Nibali's new torture-princeling boss would react.

It's not a question who has more to lose, it's about Dumoulin's attitude. His whining about Quintana and Nibali's way of racing. They race what they think and like, they risk whatever they want. It's their own thing. Dumoulin has nothing to do with that. And second, and more important, the guy is talking like he already won the Giro, Nibali is right he's cocky and arrogant. That could easily backfire to him. He's no Merckx or Hinault to talk like that. He's riding against big champions, bigger than him certainly, he should have certain dose of respect. Yet he managed to make bad blood between them. I will not be surprised if we get two teams riding together against him in Grappa stage.

He is perfectly entitled to share his opinion of his opponent's tactics when he thinks they are strange or counterproductive. Riders do that all the time, often in far stronger terms than those Dumoulin used. And he is perfectly entitled to say that if his chief opponents insist on following him no matter whose positions are put at risk that he hopes it costs them their's. Why such inoccuous comments have provoked so much wailing from Nibali and Quintana fans is entirely beyond me. What's more he didn't at all speak as if he had the Giro won. He spoke at length about how the race is far from over and one bad day could cost him his chance.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

But...but, the reality is that both Nibs and Quintana have no interest in 2nd or 3rd duh

At least their bluffing convinced someone.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I have to say it once more, for a pure climber who's riding his first gt Hirt is doing a great job.

If Hirt is that CCC rider in the front group and up in the mountains all the time he is doing really great!!!

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

That was a fun stage. There was tension, there were attacks early and late, there was a minor GC shakeup. Sometimes though, when the attacks come, the defending rider is stronger than the attackers. That makes a stage less spectacular, but it doesn't mean that the stage was boring or soft pedalled or that the rider's were cowardly or cautious.

Congratulations to TJ. He showed a mental strength that I suspect few at this point thought he possessed. Hopefully this will spur him on to a wider return to form.

Dumoulin was great yet again. I did not think that he would bounce back as strongly from his emergency defecation setback. The race is not over, but at the moment he looks like the strongest climber as well as the dominant TT rider. It will take a big jour sans, illness, a crash, a big ambush or some other catastrophe for him to lose from here, but all of those are still real possibilities.

Whether he wins or loses now though, I think he has established himself as the most likely rider to actually beat Froome without the latter being injured or sick. It will make life even tougher for Froome's existing rivals if the ASO start to shift Tour parcours so as to facilitate a TT focused challenge to Froome rather than their recent facilitation of climbing focused challengers.

There's no shame in Quintana just not being good enough today. I've been very critical of his passivity. Today he tried seriously from far out and from shorter range but he just didn't have the legs to even get away from Reichenbach. Every rider has days like that.

I'm entertained by all the whining from Quintana and Nibali fans about Dumoulin finally saying something mildly critical of his opponents. He was right - they do have more to lose than he did by letting Pinot and Zakarin have a free minute. Yes it means that he can't just let the latter two have a load more free time, but they also become more likely partners in chasing down his more serious threats. So overall the positives and negatives roughly balance from his point of view. But his rival's positions are under more threat than his. And anyone who seriously believes that Nibali and even more so Quintana don't care about a podium place is someone who might need to be firmly talked out of trying to buy a bridge.

It's entirely true that both race to win and will risk a podium spot to move to the top step in the way that riders without their palmares or their confidence often would balk at. But that's not at all the same as saying that either doesn't care where they finish if they don't win, no matter how hard they try to bluff. Quintana demonstrated that by busting a gut for a podium at the Tour last year and Nibali is no different. They might both, particularly Nibali, be willing to risk their podium for something better but both would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if they just gave away two or three GC places in a situation where doing so makes no appreciable difference to their chance of winning. And I'm pretty sure that Unzue would be delivering a rocket up the **** of any rider of his who just gave away a GT podium because he didn't care about it. This is a team boss who makes riders fight to the last for trivial nonsense like team GC. I'm pretty sure he isn't any more relaxed about GT podiums. And that's Unzue, God only knows how Nibali's new torture-princeling boss would react.

It's not a question who has more to lose, it's about Dumoulin's attitude. His whining about Quintana and Nibali's way of racing. They race what they think and like, they risk whatever they want. It's their own thing. Dumoulin has nothing to do with that. And second, and more important, the guy is talking like he already won the Giro, Nibali is right he's cocky and arrogant. That could easily backfire to him. He's no Merckx or Hinault to talk like that. He's riding against big champions, bigger than him certainly, he should have certain dose of respect. Yet he managed to make bad blood between them. I will not be surprised if we get two teams riding together against him in Grappa stage.

He is perfectly entitled to share his opinion of his opponent's tactics when he thinks they are strange or counterproductive. Riders do that all the time, often in far stronger terms than those Dumoulin used. And he is perfectly entitled to say that if his chief opponents insist on following him no matter whose positions are put at risk that he hopes it costs them their's. Why such inoccuous comments have provoked so much wailing from Nibali and Quintana fans is entirely beyond me. What's more he didn't at all speak as if he had the Giro won. He spoke at length about how the race is far from over and one bad day could cost him his chance.

Tom Dumolin: I really hope they will lose their podium spot in Milan, that would be really nice, and I would be really happy.

So, if you ask me, guy is talking like he already has secured win in his pocket, that's cocky and arrogant.
And he's making a fuss about the situation where Nibali and Quintana didn't want to chase Pinot and Pozzo, so he had to concede a minute to them, that's whining.

Oh and it wasn't a Nibali fans that making a fuss about this, it's Nibali himself.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

That was a fun stage. There was tension, there were attacks early and late, there was a minor GC shakeup. Sometimes though, when the attacks come, the defending rider is stronger than the attackers. That makes a stage less spectacular, but it doesn't mean that the stage was boring or soft pedalled or that the rider's were cowardly or cautious.

Congratulations to TJ. He showed a mental strength that I suspect few at this point thought he possessed. Hopefully this will spur him on to a wider return to form.

Dumoulin was great yet again. I did not think that he would bounce back as strongly from his emergency defecation setback. The race is not over, but at the moment he looks like the strongest climber as well as the dominant TT rider. It will take a big jour sans, illness, a crash, a big ambush or some other catastrophe for him to lose from here, but all of those are still real possibilities.

Whether he wins or loses now though, I think he has established himself as the most likely rider to actually beat Froome without the latter being injured or sick. It will make life even tougher for Froome's existing rivals if the ASO start to shift Tour parcours so as to facilitate a TT focused challenge to Froome rather than their recent facilitation of climbing focused challengers.

There's no shame in Quintana just not being good enough today. I've been very critical of his passivity. Today he tried seriously from far out and from shorter range but he just didn't have the legs to even get away from Reichenbach. Every rider has days like that.

I'm entertained by all the whining from Quintana and Nibali fans about Dumoulin finally saying something mildly critical of his opponents. He was right - they do have more to lose than he did by letting Pinot and Zakarin have a free minute. Yes it means that he can't just let the latter two have a load more free time, but they also become more likely partners in chasing down his more serious threats. So overall the positives and negatives roughly balance from his point of view. But his rival's positions are under more threat than his. And anyone who seriously believes that Nibali and even more so Quintana don't care about a podium place is someone who might need to be firmly talked out of trying to buy a bridge.

It's entirely true that both race to win and will risk a podium spot to move to the top step in the way that riders without their palmares or their confidence often would balk at. But that's not at all the same as saying that either doesn't care where they finish if they don't win, no matter how hard they try to bluff. Quintana demonstrated that by busting a gut for a podium at the Tour last year and Nibali is no different. They might both, particularly Nibali, be willing to risk their podium for something better but both would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if they just gave away two or three GC places in a situation where doing so makes no appreciable difference to their chance of winning. And I'm pretty sure that Unzue would be delivering a rocket up the **** of any rider of his who just gave away a GT podium because he didn't care about it. This is a team boss who makes riders fight to the last for trivial nonsense like team GC. I'm pretty sure he isn't any more relaxed about GT podiums. And that's Unzue, God only knows how Nibali's new torture-princeling boss would react.

It's not a question who has more to lose, it's about Dumoulin's attitude. His whining about Quintana and Nibali's way of racing. They race what they think and like, they risk whatever they want. It's their own thing. Dumoulin has nothing to do with that. And second, and more important, the guy is talking like he already won the Giro, Nibali is right he's cocky and arrogant. That could easily backfire to him. He's no Merckx or Hinault to talk like that. He's riding against big champions, bigger than him certainly, he should have certain dose of respect. Yet he managed to make bad blood between them. I will not be surprised if we get two teams riding together against him in Grappa stage.

He is perfectly entitled to share his opinion of his opponent's tactics when he thinks they are strange or counterproductive. Riders do that all the time, often in far stronger terms than those Dumoulin used. And he is perfectly entitled to say that if his chief opponents insist on following him no matter whose positions are put at risk that he hopes it costs them their's. Why such inoccuous comments have provoked so much wailing from Nibali and Quintana fans is entirely beyond me. What's more he didn't at all speak as if he had the Giro won. He spoke at length about how the race is far from over and one bad day could cost him his chance.

Tom Dumolin: I really hope they will lose their podium spot in Milan, that would be really nice, and I would be really happy.

So, if you ask me, guy is talking like he already has secured win in his pocket, that's cocky and arrogant.
And he's making a fuss about the situation where Nibali and Quintana didn't want to chase Pinot and Pozzo, so he had to concede a minute to them, that's whining.

Oh and it wasn't a Nibali fans that making a fuss about this, it's Nibali himself.

You can only reach that conclusion by taking one sentence out of the context of an interview where he spent many more sentences talking about how he does not have the race won and misrepresenting his clearly expressed attitude.

Having been nothing but Mr Humility throughout the race, he makes one mild and reasonable criticism of his chief opponents trying to sucker him into wasting energy protecting their interests and to listen to some of the yowling and crying about it you would think he'd thrown the contents of his emergency dump at them. They are entitled to pretend that they don't care about a podium finish and to bluff him into wasting energy and he is entitled to say that if they continue to try to do that that he hopes it costs them their places. Why anyone would get worked up about such an exchange is beyond me.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

Why anyone would get worked up about such an exchange is beyond me.

Both wishing someone ill fortune and openly enjoying (or suggesting you would enjoy) their failures is frowned upon by some, particularly in certain cultures. You do not have to agree, but it surely can't be beyond your understanding.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Why anyone would get worked up about such an exchange is beyond me.

Both wishing someone ill fortune and openly enjoying (or suggesting you would enjoy) their failures is frowned upon by some, particularly in certain cultures. You do not have to agree, but it surely can't be beyond your understanding.

I know of no culture where saying anything along the lines of "if someone continues to do something irritating I hope it costs them in the end" is considered taboo. Do you?

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

I know of no culture where saying anything along the lines of "if someone continues to do something irritating I hope it costs them in the end" is considered taboo. Do you?

Yes. I do. Are you unfamiliar with " but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Which is a far, far stricter test than "this is somewhat irritating". And a far more generous expected reaction than just not complaining about it.

And, again, he went on to say such misfortune would not only be welcome but be joyfully welcome.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I know of no culture where saying anything along the lines of "if someone continues to do something irritating I hope it costs them in the end" is considered taboo. Do you?

Yes. I do. Are you unfamiliar with " but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

And, again, he went on to say such misfortune would not only be welcome but be joyfully welcome.

So people are getting unreasonably aggravated about an inoccuous comment because revenge was frowned upon by some in Aramaic speaking ancient Judea? That's your theory?

Let me propose an alternative explanation: some people who are probably not religious but do nearly worship their favourite cyclists are getting upset because they have no sense of proportion when it comes to criticism of those favourites.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

So people are getting unreasonably aggravated about an inoccuous comment because revenge was frowned upon by some in Aramaic speaking ancient Judea? That's your theory?

You're right, that is but the insignificant pablum of an obscure and long forgotten figure, whose philosophy never quite added up too anything, and whose menial and fleeting influence obviously carries no weight anywhere today.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

So people are getting unreasonably aggravated about an inoccuous comment because revenge was frowned upon by some in Aramaic speaking ancient Judea? That's your theory?

You're right, that is but the insignificant pablum of an obscure and long forgotten figure, whose philosophy never quite added up too anything, and whose menial and fleeting influence obviously carries no weight anywhere today.

To be more precise it's the "pablum" of an anonymous figure attributed to a largely mysterious and possibly fictional second figure roughly a century earlier.

I will admit though that "some posters are unreasonably prickly about criticism of their favourite cyclists because of the Gospel of Matthew" has jumped right to the top of my list of greatest cyclingnews forum nonsense explanations. It's even ahead of the greatest hits of the tinfoil hat wing of the clinic.

 

[120mmStem]

Re:

Quite stupid actually by Tom saying he doesn't understand the tactics of Nibali and Quintana by letting Pozzo, Zakarin and Pinot get a couple of minutes and losing their potential podium place in that way.

Tom: Nairo and Vincenzo will do everything to make you nervous the coming days. If they are not able to do it by attacking and dropping you on the climbs, which is obvious atm, they will do it by getting as much riders as possible high up in GC. Then Tom will have to react in the coming days when someone like Pinot or Zakarin attacks from afar, otherwise there's the possibility they will grab the maglia rosa because of the lack of cooperation by the big three.

If Pinot attacks saturday in the valley between Grappa and the last climb, Nairo and Quintana can sit in Tom's wheel, hoping to wire him out, so they can profit from it and attack him at the right moment, when he's vulnerable and beyond his limit. Then they can break him and he can lose the Giro.

The more riders Tom has to keep in eye, the better it is for all his potential rivals.

This exactly....I just hope Tom is the strongest

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

I will admit though that "some posters are unreasonably prickly about criticism of their favourite cyclists because of the Gospel of Matthew" has jumped right to the top of my list of greatest cyclingnews forum nonsense explanations. It's even ahead of the greatest hits of the tinfoil hat wing of the clinic.

Well, since you're into hyperbolic nonsense I'll go on with the story of how today I saw the girl in front of me blow a red light. "You make us all look bad", I said. "I hope you fall and hurt yourself and I will laugh." And then, out of the blue, everyone cheered. The looked upon my class and grace with awe. I have a speaking engagement, an inspirational talk to children where I will be held up as a role model and a symbol of the universal moral imperative that the impulse towards revenge shall never be left unfulfilled. For which I need to prepare. Ta da.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I will admit though that "some posters are unreasonably prickly about criticism of their favourite cyclists because of the Gospel of Matthew" has jumped right to the top of my list of greatest cyclingnews forum nonsense explanations. It's even ahead of the greatest hits of the tinfoil hat wing of the clinic.

Well, since you're into hyperbolic nonsense I'll go on with the story of how today I saw the girl in front of me blow a red light. "You make us all look bad", I said. "I hope you fall and hurt yourself and I will laugh." And then, out of the blue, everyone cheered. The looked upon my class and grace with awe. I have a speaking engagement, an inspirational talk to children where I will be held up as a role model and a symbol of the universal moral imperative that the impulse towards revenge shall never be left unfulfilled. For which I need to prepare. Ta da.

I'd spend a few sentences explaining the rather obvious to most of us point that wishing physical injury on a woman would not usually be considered equivalent to hoping that a slightly irritating cycling tactic has unintended consequences for a cyclist's placing in a race, but I'm currently more concerned about the high fever you appear to be running. Are you quite sure that you are alright?

 

[KGB]

Re:

Landa does best when not the leader. The crash was thus fortuitous.

As far as Dumo's big mouth is concerned, his was a real elogio alla bravura of Bernard Hinault. Love it. At the same time, Nibs, the Sicilian, was quite naturally irate. R-e-s-p-e-c-t.

But...but, the reality is that both Nibs and Quintana have no interest in 2nd or 3rd duh. Consequently they really shouldn't bear Dumo in a litter all the way to Milano and then shake his hand, but try to make him work. It's elementary my dear Watson (sans dropping him of course, capito). If Dumo wins the Giro, though, then we might have the next Bernard.

He will win.Tommy against all.Even more epic victory.Too spicy for Nibali taste I love it.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

I'd spend a few sentences explaining the rather obvious to most of us point that wishing physical injury on a woman would not usually be considered equivalent to hoping that a slightly irritating cycling tactic has unintended consequences for a cyclist's placing in a race, but I'm currently more concerned about the high fever you appear to be running. Are you quite sure that you are alright?

Yeah, no worries, thank you for your concern, but whatever fever I was running broke when someone I like and respect finally weighed in (YouTube): "maybe that was a little bit too harsh to say".