Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 6: Castrovillari – Matera 188 km

[Broccolidwarf]

As for "who is the fastest sprinter?" - My answer is:

"It depends", on:

Race profile from start to 5 k from the finish.
How the race was raced prior to the sprint.
Wind.
Crashes.
Technical difficulties.
Race profile the last 5 k before the sprint.
Strength of team for positioning.
Quality of the last lead out guy.
Race profile for the sprint itself.
Aaaaaaand a bunch of other variables, such as race programme, current form, current health, legs on the day, etc., etc.

It's a debate nobody can really ever win, which is why it is pointless to get emotional about it

 

[Salvarani]

Demare probably has relatively fresh legs from not doing the Tour. At the moment I would say he is going to win more stages.

Since the break he was 2 second two times behind Gaviria and Bennett respectively in Burgos.

He won Milano-Torino. Infront of riders like Ewan, Van Aert and Sagan.

Won two stages in Tour de Wallonie. Bennett and Ewan present among others.

Won NCR.

Second ECC.

Smashed the French stage race in so and so competition.

Stage win in Luxembourgh.

Now two stage wins so far in Giro.

Whether he raced the Tour or not, I would say he has been a level above the other top sprinters. With maybe only Bennett beating him, because he won Green in Tour.

My point being he is a bit underrated still. Even after his results after the break, compared to the likes of Ewan and Bennett. I would hold them on the same level as of now, a top 3 so to speak among the top sprinters.

Demare seems better than ever and in great shape atm. It is not too long ago that the last hill today would have been too hard for him.

 

[Breezy1985]

I sincerely think Ackermann is the sprinter to beat nowadays, followed closely by Ewan and Bennett. But Demare is worth a top 5 this season, easily.

WVA is out of contention, no matter how good he's been sprinting anyway.

Bennett would take Ackermann and so would Ewan in a straight sprint

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Weather forecasts hint at a bunch of mountains getting cancelled week 3, because of snow.

The smart GC riders will start to ride more aggressively now, even on stages that might not be predisposed for GC action.

 

[BlueRoads]

Maybe Sagan at the Giro is also a thing of him promising to be there and that it would be seen as disrespecting the Giro if they did not do it now, or Sagan is at least thinking about an end of his road career and he really wanted to do the Giro once.

I think it is hard to rank the sprinters just 1, 2, 3, 4... because they have their individual strenghts and weaknesses, then there is the general form and the form of the day, and in addition factors you can hardly control, that just happen in bunch sprints, from deviations from the road-book to crashes or impedences by other riders.

Something else: Usually this is a very nice forum, it's sometimes a bit over-moderated, but in the end that makes it very civil and friendly. But then at times it gets really heated and even a bit aggressive and I wonder whether the subject is so important to you or if you are just used to have discussions this way. I had friends from the nature sciences who have said they are so used to lead discussions like that, it sometimes happens to them in the private area as well. Honestly I am not used to it in my every day life, and it always appears strange to me (even if can get nasty myself).

 

[Salvarani]

The decision to bring Sagan to the Giro, and preventing him from riding the cobbled classics, is looking increasingly moronic.

I am at a complete loss to understand, what the Bora management was thinking, except maybe that the sponsors want to sell more kitchen equipment in the Italian market?

He already said he was going last fall. Did they/he not receive a starting fee? He was committed on going. Maybe even by a contract. He was the posterboy for this edition of the race. First time riding the Giro for him etc.

With the form shown in Tour... chances for victory, stages and points classification, in Giro also seems more likelier than a big classics win right now. Maybe it will turn out to be a good thing. Forms seems a little bit better now. Today he just got lost in the chaotic finish. It was hard to control, even though Bora tried. They got overtaken by others riders and Sagan didnt get a chance to sprint. It happens.

 

[yaco]

Time to let Sagan go it alone I think. Someone else can pull it to the line and he can ride trains because he is definitely not stage favourite anymore so I don't see it as Bora's job

This 100% - Bora are being played as suckers by the rest of the peleton - Not one team helped Bora today.

 

[Ranagazoo]

The longer Sagan goes without a win, the more I feel for Ackermann. 13 wins for him (7 WT) since Sagan last won, and only allowed to race the Grand Tour no other sprinters will turn up to.

 

[tobydawq]

I sincerely think Ackermann is the sprinter to beat nowadays,

Lol, okay. I guess Mads Pedersen is the best of all then since he has beaten Ackermann three times the past seven weeks.

 

[SKSemtex]

I just hope this Giro means the end of Sagan " f...g points jersey era". I wish he fully concentrate on the classics and his climbing ability.
It is painful for me to see him not to be able to follow Alaphilippe up the Poggio.
At least I will not see him going backward on the last Paterberg when seated WVA and MVDP will go full gas.

 

[cellardoor]

It's a debate nobody can really ever win, which is why it is pointless to get emotional about it

Debates that nobody can win is a large part of what the forum's about though

 

[Broccolidwarf]

He already said he was going last fall. Did they/he not receive a starting fee? He was committed on going. Maybe even by a contract. He was the posterboy for this edition of the race. First time riding the Giro for him etc.

With the form shown in Tour... chances for victory, stages and points classification, in Giro also seems more likelier than a big classics win right now. Maybe it will turn out to be a good thing. Forms seems a little bit better now. Today he just got lost in the chaotic finish. It was hard to control, even though Bora tried. They got overtaken by others riders and Sagan didnt get a chance to sprint. It happens.

Commitments from last year means very little in a Corona season

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Debates that nobody can win is a large part of what the forum's about though

Debating without reaching a conclusion is pretty pointless

 

[Red Rick]

Debating without reaching a conclusion is pretty pointless

Which brings me to a previous point

Wheres my damn button

 

[Salvarani]

Commitments from last year means very little in a Corona season

If you have an obligation and received something to participate, when the race is to take place, it isnt much you can do. Only thing I guess if the season had been altogether cancelled, there wouldnt be stipulations. It depends on what was agreed upon or signed by all parties. He also been in advertisements for it etc. Not participating is not something you can just back out of then. Or he is just a man of his word.

 

[Andy262]

Well, watched that on catch up. Epic Sagan fail. Ended up in front too soon, took a pull, and lost all momentum at the wrong time..

 

[Leinster]

Debating without reaching a conclusion is pretty pointless

Do you even internet, bro?

 

[richwallone]

The decision to bring Sagan to the Giro, and preventing him from riding the cobbled classics, is looking increasingly moronic.

I am at a complete loss to understand, what the Bora management was thinking, except maybe that the sponsors want to sell more kitchen equipment in the Italian market?

He got paid serious money by the RCS for his promised participation in this year's Giro... It's been rumored anywhere from €500,000 to €1,000,000

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Which brings me to a previous point

Wheres my damn button

Didn't read the entire thread, so didn't know you made a point, sorry

 

[Broccolidwarf]

If you have an obligation and received something to participate, when the race is to take place, it isnt much you can do. Only thing I guess if the season had been altogether cancelled, there wouldnt be stipulations. It depends on what was agreed upon or signed by all parties. He also been in advertisements for it etc. Not participating is not something you can just back out of then. Or he is just a man of his word.

Any contracts signed prior to the season, would have been for the original Giro dates, so all that is a moot point.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

He got paid serious money by the RCS for his promised participation in this year's Giro... It's been rumored anywhere from €500,000 to €1,000,000

Well THAT is a good reason of course

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Do you even internet, bro?

Yes, but I still hold firm to the age old adage, that I do not suffer fools gladly

 

[Tonton]

Since the break he was 2 second two times behind Gaviria and Bennett respectively in Burgos.

He won Milano-Torino. Infront of riders like Ewan, Van Aert and Sagan.

Won two stages in Tour de Wallonie. Bennett and Ewan present among others.

Won NCR.

Second ECC.

Smashed the French stage race in so and so competition.

Stage win in Luxembourgh.

Now two stage wins so far in Giro.

Whether he raced the Tour or not, I would say he has been a level above the other top sprinters. With maybe only Bennett beating him, because he won Green in Tour.

My point being he is a bit underrated still. Even after his results after the break, compared to the likes of Ewan and Bennett. I would hold them on the same level as of now, a top 3 so to speak among the top sprinters.

Demare seems better than ever and in great shape atm. It is not too long ago that the last hill today would have been too hard for him.

This ^. At his best, Demare is every bit as good as all the riders named. And unlike some "pure sprinters" he can ride a bike too. His Binche-Chimay-Binche win, against a star-studded field, was something that Ewan can only win in his dreams...just sayin'...

 

[Breh]

Any contracts signed prior to the season, would have been for the original Giro dates, so all that is a moot point.

How do you know? For all we know the contract might say something like; "Sagan will receive €1,000,000 for participating in the 103rd edition of the Giro d'Italia."

And even if the contract doesn't stipulate anything like that, Sagan obviously wanted to race the Giro for that money, coronaseason or not. And why not, he has already won GW, E3, RvV and PR.

 

[tobydawq]

Debating without reaching a conclusion is pretty pointless

Pretty golden that this should come from the most stubborn guy on the entire forum...