Giro d'Italia 2017 STAGE 21: Monza – Milano 29.3 km ITT

[yaco]

Interesting that only 3 of the GC guys finished in the top 10 of the ITT, and two of those were at the back end - It suggests the GC riders were tired after an arduous last week.

 

[DBotero]

Re: Re:

Landa looks happy to go to the Tour!

No he ain't, but what can he do about it?

I pray he goes to Bahrain

Oh,no!*** that team.Even "Team Fail"would be a better choice.
Btw he's very keen on signing a new contract with Sky.

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

What do you prefer for the final day of a GT:
Parade (ie: TdF Champs-Elysees)
TT
Hard road stage (this is my preference)

In the Tour, a parade. There's something special about that. In the other GT's, I don't really mind some variation.

I agree, even though its not my preference, the TdF without the final day Champs would be weird.

 

[Orbit501]

Re: Re:

Wow! What an ungracious interview from Unzue. Couldn't bring himself to congratulate Tom D at all. Movistar really do know how to win friends and influence people I see.

Separate the one interview from blaming the team for general practice. Abarcá have survived 38 seasons in the pro péloton, more than any other extant team. You simply can't do that if you irritate and anger the whole péloton, much as some fair play protocols which seem to be flexible depending on which team's riders are involved, both on the part of the fans and the péloton itself, and the PR campaigns of a few recent moneyed teams who like to paint themselves as the good guys (and by necessity teams like Movistar as the bad guys) might create debate. After all, I seem to remember some people complaining about collusion by third parties with Unzué's guys in many races - so while Sunweb may be a bit peeved with them for a while here, obviously sometimes they very much do know how to win friends and influence people.

Good point well made. Perhaps my phrase choice wasn't the best. They clearly are able to win friends and influence people, as you say.

It's just a real shame that in that interview Laura had to prompt him to even mention Tom D, and even then he couldn't bring himself to offer his congratulations. That's poor form in my book.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

Landa looks happy to go to the Tour!

Even though Landa is a very good climber who can battle for GC positions I think that Sky is doing right by sending him to Tour. The reason why I think so is that Landa has had multiple chances to ride for a high GC positions and they have all failed. I think that Sky will give him opportunities to go for a stage win in Tour so it's not all lost for him. Also the purpose why Team Sky exists is to win Tours so they understandably want to have the strongest possible line up there.

 

[hfer07]

Re: Re:

Landa looks happy to go to the Tour!

No he ain't, but what can he do about it?

I pray he goes to Bahrain

To work for Nibali?

Nibs can target the Tour while Landa can surely go to either Il Giro o La Vuelta without the "dual leadership BS" plus Nibs will begin to decline in the next year of two, so Landa can well fulfill that spot...

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Landa looks happy to go to the Tour!

No he ain't, but what can he do about it?

I pray he goes to Bahrain

To work for Nibali?

Nibs can target the Tour while Landa can surely go to either Il Giro o La Vuelta without the "dual leadership BS" plus Nibs will begin to decline in the next year of two, so Landa can well fulfill that spot...

Are Bahrain and Landa in talks to join them?

 

[Valv.Piti]

I find it remarkable to which length people go to discredit Quintana and Movistar to at times, including Nibali in this Giro. Its probably the good old dirty Italians and Spaniards-narrative we are dealing with and Tom seemed to be the saviour in this particular race...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Wow! What an ungracious interview from Unzue. Couldn't bring himself to congratulate Tom D at all. Movistar really do know how to win friends and influence people I see.

Separate the one interview from blaming the team for general practice. Abarcá have survived 38 seasons in the pro péloton, more than any other extant team. You simply can't do that if you irritate and anger the whole péloton, much as some fair play protocols which seem to be flexible depending on which team's riders are involved, both on the part of the fans and the péloton itself, and the PR campaigns of a few recent moneyed teams who like to paint themselves as the good guys (and by necessity teams like Movistar as the bad guys) might create debate. After all, I seem to remember some people complaining about collusion by third parties with Unzué's guys in many races - so while Sunweb may be a bit peeved with them for a while here, obviously sometimes they very much do know how to win friends and influence people.

Good point well made. Perhaps my phrase choice wasn't the best. They clearly are able to win friends and influence people, as you say.

It's just a real shame that in that interview Laura had to prompt him to even mention Tom D, and even then he couldn't bring himself to offer his congratulations. That's poor form in my book.

Agreed, which is why I said to separate Unzue's words in this particular interview from the more general point about race behaviour which is much more ambiguous and open to debate (and also as I say, I feel that some teams' attempts presentation of themselves to the fans as 'the good guys' in their PR necessitates some others to be perceived as villains, when in reality there are few angels out there and circumstances and contexts always vary case to case). It was ungracious of Unzué, and also at odds with Nairo who seemed happy enough just to have protected 2nd place.

 

[Carols]

Congratulations to BM Tom and all his fans. BM may now equal Big Man, he earned that!

Nairo and Vincenzo put in surprisingly good rides today, kudos to the entire podium.

I always tear up when the final music plays and a GT is over, I schedule my life in retirement around them! In a few hours I board a jet plan and will be touring in Europe. That will fill the void I always feel when a GT ends. Maybe next year I'll come to the Giro

 

[BullsFan22]

Has there ever been a more spectacularly unspectacular GC contender than Bauke Mollema? His 2011 Vuelta 4th is his best GC placing at a GT. Will he ever get on a podium? Highly unlikely at this stage, is my guess.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

It's the first time in my life that I see Quintana smiling.

He must be so tired he can't even keep his usaul stone face

Perhaps he will be a bit less conservative in the future. I doubt it based on this and past performances.

In fairness, he tried on Stage 18 bit he just didn't have the legs for the whole race. His biggest error was probably not working with Nibali immediately when that group of 5 had four or five seconds on Dumoulin on Foza.

+1.

I believe that he tried several times. He just didn't have it. Plus Dumoulin upped his game.

One good day on the mountains in the last week and he would have done it. He just didn't have it. Dumoulin deserved the win. I just don't believe some posters saying that he didn't try. It is silly. Just because he has stone face it doesn't mean he is not on the limit.

But Agree with you that cooperating with Nibali immediately after his attack cost him precious seconds. Don't know if it cost him the Giro. The reason why I say that is because Pinot got on board with them. The second time Pinot wasn't with them and he and his teammate help Dumo on the chase.

Finally, I have seen Nairo smiling many, many, many times. In fact we know him for his smile so not sure what that comment is about.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Although Kelderman, Thomas, Yates, Landa and especially Kangert will have a very different perception, it was good to see relatively few falls, accidents and injuries in this race.

 

[Kafviar]

Re:

Although Kelderman, Thomas, Yates, Landa and especially Kangert will have a very different perception, it was good to see relatively few falls, accidents and injuries in this race.

I'm still sad about Kangert. Think he would have gave Pozzo and Mollema a fight.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Although Kelderman, Thomas, Yates, Landa and especially Kangert will have a very different perception, it was good to see relatively few falls, accidents and injuries in this race.

I'm still sad about Kangert. Think he would have gave Pozzo and Mollema a fight.

Rather around Yates-Jungels level, Pozzovivo was some of the best climbers in the race in the end after all.

 

[Iker_Baqueiro]

Who can say they won a grand tour despite being attacked when taking a ***? Lol

Conclusions:
- Tom Dumoloun is the new blood. Indurain like. He's a favorite for Tdf 18 and many more.
- Contador is gone. He should leave GC role after this July. He could win Tdf 17 though.
- All the experts claiming Quintana would win all GTs for the next 10 years have been proven wrong. Nairo is good, but, not that good. New and better riders are on the roads now.
- I see grand tours with a lot of itt km, like in the 90s. To entice Froome and Dumo.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

Although Kelderman, Thomas, Yates, Landa and especially Kangert will have a very different perception, it was good to see relatively few falls, accidents and injuries in this race.

I'm still sad about Kangert. Think he would have gave Pozzo and Mollema a fight.

Very unlikely. More likely he would be similar to Monfort.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Has there ever been a more spectacularly unspectacular GC contender than Bauke Mollema? His 2011 Vuelta 4th is his best GC placing at a GT. Will he ever get on a podium? Highly unlikely at this stage, is my guess.

Tadej Valjavec, Haimar Zubeldia, Jürgen van den Broeck, Tom Danielson... lots of talent there, but a lot of very quiet, barely perceptible accumulation.

 

[Ruby United]

Has there ever been a more spectacularly unspectacular GC contender than Bauke Mollema? His 2011 Vuelta 4th is his best GC placing at a GT. Will he ever get on a podium? Highly unlikely at this stage, is my guess.

Tadej Valjavec, Haimar Zubeldia, Jürgen van den Broeck, Tom Danielson... lots of talent there, but a lot of very quiet, barely perceptible accumulation.

+1

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

Another GT is finished, now I get to deal with that lost feeling I get for the next few mornings after they end.

Waking up to watching pro cycling races is one of my favorite things to do, it's always a bummer when there's not a race on in the morning.

I hear ya, I love having some live bicycling on TV first thing in the morning before heading out to work - it becomes a question of whether to brush my teeth or not because I'd hate to miss out on something. (Don't have a TV or laptop in the bathroom...such first world problems.)

Thanks to all those who had provided links from the dark side, fortunately NBCSports will be covering the Criterium du Dauphine here in the States next month. But it's always nice to have a back-up.

Oh and congrats to Tommy D and also Van Emden!

 

[Brullnux]

In other news, 21 year old future Giro, Tour, Vuelta and Ardennes Triple winner, Laurens De Plus, finishes 24th after multiple breaks and working for Jungels.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re: Re:

Congrats TD!
I wanted Nibali to win but at least he won a stage and was competitive through the whole race.
Glad that Quintana lost after spending many opportunities. Pinot once again disappointing in a TT. Also Zaka did worse than I expected.
Very happy about Jungels getting the white jersey.

Was also very surprised by Dumoulin getting beaten in the stage!

Not really not after the past few stages.

I'm not at all surprised.

Van Emden is so underrated as TT specialist on flat courses. He already wasn't far of a fit Dumoulin in last years Dutch time trial championships.

He could save himself for this stage and has been pretty close in some WT races already. Deserved win

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

Congrats TD!
I wanted Nibali to win but at least he won a stage and was competitive through the whole race.
Glad that Quintana lost after spending many opportunities. Pinot once again disappointing in a TT. Also Zaka did worse than I expected.
Very happy about Jungels getting the white jersey.

Was also very surprised by Dumoulin getting beaten in the stage!

Not really not after the past few stages.

I'm not at all surprised.

Van Emden is so underrated as TT specialist on flat courses. He already wasn't far of a fit Dumoulin in last years Dutch time trial championships.

He could save himself for this stage and has been pretty close in some WT races already. Deserved win

Dumoulin beated Quinziato by only 12 seconds which surprised me. Dumoulin was probably very tired at the end. But that was enough to win the Giro.

 

[Ataraxus]

Where can I find that Unzue interview? Anyone can help with a link?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re: Re:

Congrats TD!
I wanted Nibali to win but at least he won a stage and was competitive through the whole race.
Glad that Quintana lost after spending many opportunities. Pinot once again disappointing in a TT. Also Zaka did worse than I expected.
Very happy about Jungels getting the white jersey.

Was also very surprised by Dumoulin getting beaten in the stage!

Not really not after the past few stages.

I'm not at all surprised.

Van Emden is so underrated as TT specialist on flat courses. He already wasn't far of a fit Dumoulin in last years Dutch time trial championships.

He could save himself for this stage and has been pretty close in some WT races already. Deserved win

Dumoulin beated Quinziato by only 12 seconds which surprised me. Dumoulin was probably very tired at the end. But that was enough to win the Giro.

Don't forget other GT contenders are tired as well. So the level difference between GT contenders stay the same.
Plus Dumoulin is really not a flat ITT specialist.