Giro d'Italia Giro d‘Italia 2024 Stage 3, Novara-Fossano, 166 km

[Berflamand]

Jakobsen the only one who didn't?

I meant contest for the podium but probably worded that wrong.

Before the stage I thought it was a finish more suited to guys like Milan, Girmay or Groves instead of Merlier, Jakobsen or Ewan but Merlier pleasantly surprised me.

 

[Elos Anjos]

And there's people complaining because we already know who will win the GC.

Those are not fans, but bored people.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

To think that only yesterday, I was complaining that UAE had brought a sprinter.

 

[search]

I meant contest for the podium but probably worded that wrong.

Before the stage I thought it was a finish more suited to guys like Milan, Girmay or Groves instead of Merlier, Jakobsen or Ewan but Merlier pleasantly surprised me.

Merlier spent the past month on Mt Teide, which probably helped.

He went there on family vacation, by the way, which I thought was an interesting approach. Him and Edward Theuns both brought their girlfriend/wife and kid.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Every time Pogacar goes, I want production to overlay the theme music from The Pink Panther.

nay this is the one

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8

 

[Nick2413]

He wants that elusive sprint stage win bad. It’ll come in time.

 

[jmdirt]

TM!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He‘s definitely on my list of people who should become a DS for entertainment purposes.

He would probably be one of the worst DS's in the peloton.
Attack! Faster! Why are you riding so slow?!

nay this is the one

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8

If Pogacar attacks with the energy and drive of that theme, then he would finish dead last.

This is what you're looking for, and i pity the fool who thinks otherwise:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAO2JBjRRBk

 

[shalgo]

Pogacar as DS would be like Billy Bishop teaching how to fly:

Hark, a vagrant: 206

 

[proffate]

Pleasantly suprised by how good todays stage was but, Pogačar is going to destroy himself before the Tour. It's really entertaining but if he wants to do the double he needs to be more conservative, he can literally win this race in zone 2 FFS.

it's not like he went for another 80km solo. This was just a town line sprint at the end of a coffee ride

 

[ashhutch1997]

it's not like he went for another 80km solo. This was just a town line sprint at the end of a coffee ride

Yes but it was these constant pointless "town line sprints" that destroyed him at the 2022 TDF.

 

[AmRacer]

Yes but it was these constant pointless "town line sprints" that destroyed him at the 2022 TDF.

He wasn't destroyed, he was still much better than the rest.

 

[proffate]

Yes but it was these constant pointless "town line sprints" that destroyed him at the 2022 TDF.

that was not a coffee ride

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Yes but it was these constant pointless "town line sprints" that destroyed him at the 2022 TDF.

Did he actually say that or did you just decide that was the case, though?

 

[SHAD0W93]

that was not a coffee ride

That was a beer run honestly.

 

[search]

didn't notice the Wouter Weylandt memorial celebration during the live coverage. Merlier did the same when he won on May 9th in 2021.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1787503603051077978

View: https://twitter.com/soudalquickstep/status/1787503603051077978

 

[ashhutch1997]

Did he actually say that or did you just decide that was the case, though?

No just IMO, it played a big part in him cracking on the Granon. He was literally sprinting at the end of every stage in the first 10 days. He almost had the feeling of invincibility, and burnt too many matches, it doesn't matter how strong he is, if he constantly races like a junior in the Giro, it'll punish him in July.

 

[KZD]

Merlier is just so strong in the first sprint stages of a Grand Tour, nice of him to remember Weylandt too. Milan with another second place in a Giro sprint (his fifth already) and good to see Girmay up there too.

As for Pogačar this is obviously entertaining but for someone that wants to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same season this is the kind of efforts that he shouldn't probably be doing.

 

[Sciatic]

didn't notice the Wouter Weylandt memorial celebration during the live coverage. Merlier did the same when he won on May 9th in 2021.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1787503603051077978

View: https://twitter.com/soudalquickstep/status/1787503603051077978

Nice to see that.

 

[Didinho]

 

[proffate]

No just IMO, it played a big part in him cracking on the Granon. He was literally sprinting at the end of every stage in the first 10 days. He almost had the feeling of invincibility, and burnt too many matches, it doesn't matter how strong he is, if he constantly races like a junior in the Giro, it'll punish him in July.

ok but I think Pog is training and racing with a power meter and his performance coaches are keeping an eye on TSS & CTL/ATL and will tell him how much he's allowed to spend on random days like today.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

It was MVdP who could help himself when he got bored on GT stages
Now it's Pog
Not too clever if/when you get to week 3 of the tour.

 

[AmRacer]

At the Tour, if Jonas isn't there, Poggi and Remco can have fun together. With Rogla just lurking behind, ready to stomp.

 

[Miha81]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1787516305697833233

View: https://twitter.com/friebos/status/1787516305697833233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1787516305697833233%7Ctwgr%5Efe633ecef61caa9d6d6b088d81c5976e48a500b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.cyclingnews.com%2Fthreads%2Ftadej-pogaC48Dar-discussion-thread.34270%2Fpage-562

 

[yaco]

DSM using Andresen for the sprint and not Jakobsen so it's like the recent Tour of Turkey again. Came 5th and was in there at the finish so not bad by the young 'un.

Jakobsen was dropped on the climb.