Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 7: Matera - Brindisi 143 km

[Eyeballs Out]

The fact that 5th in this field is better than expected, combined with his climbing 'skills', shows why he isn't good enough to lead Deceuninck in the sprints. Only reason to keep him is the uncertainty regarding Jakobsen's recovery.

For me, he's still on his own recovery after that bad crash at the end of last sesaon and the shutdown didn't help. He'll be better judged next year

 

[Escarabajo]

What's going on with Gaviria in this Giro...

This has been a season to forget for the Colombians. He had Covid early in the year and then he went into hibernation. That couldn't help.
However this was the first stage in which he had a true chance. He probably need more racing in his legs.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well Jakobsen + Ballerini >> Hodeg. I think Hodeg either has to convert to sprint puller or go to another team

 

[broppo]

Hard to really argue he was endangering others

I think what this rule implies is that when you deviate from the line that you endanger other riders.

 

[d-s3]

I think what this rule implies is that when you deviate from the line that you endanger other riders.

And should Sagan push and try to pass him, Sagan would be endangered.
Or Sagan would have to push back and given the past examples, Sagan would be relegated.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Alvaro sigh. I really fear for his place at DQS.

It's a miracle they're still supporting him.

 

[tobydawq]

And should Sagan push and try to pass him, Sagan would be endangered.
Or Sagan would have to push back and given the past examples, Sagan would be relegated.

100% agree.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Consistent but not winning machines. They are there. Demare is just better atm. Even though that wasnt a great sprint.

What has happened to Gaviria though? That is someone who really is a shadow of himself these days.

He had a not great season last year but he just seems like he has nothing at all since he got coronavirus.

 

[dercuforever]

Where's the consistency in this?
It should either be considered regular and not punished or considered irregular and lead to punishment.
But OK if you do it once but not OK if you do it 3 times?
(I know that's how it's done but it's WRONG).

I agree with you on the inconsistency.
But there is also all the "fight" for positions before the sprint, both Demarre and Sagan were a bit hindered by riders before the real sprint. Maybe that was taken into account...
As I never was myself in such a situation, I have no clues on what is really dangerous or not, so it's hard to be 100% for a DSQ or 100% against it.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

100% agree.

We al know you're just agreeing with people just to get those 2000 likes faster.

 

[RedheadDane]

Average speed of over 51 KpH?

 

[tobydawq]

We al know you're just agreeing with people just to get those 2000 likes faster.

Haha

Notice that I can't afford to give you a laughing smiley reaction.

 

[Jagartrott]

I 100% agree with everyone here. Totally. On everything.

And here's a cookie too

 

[Netserk]

Of course it was a completely fair sprint by Demare. He moves, but with enough margin and at a speed where it wasn't dangerous at all.

What's ridiculous is that the perception of such events highly depend on the name of the riders involved. And that Sagan (wrongly) has a reputation as a dangerous/dirty rider among some.

 

[RedheadDane]

I 100% agree with everyone here. Totally. On everything.

And here's a cookie too

And you just made it to 500 likes!

 

[Climbing]

Average speed of over 51 KpH?

Lucky peloton getting an extra rest day.

 

[movingtarget]

Of course it was a completely fair sprint by Demare. He moves, but with enough margin and at a speed where it wasn't dangerous at all.

What's ridiculous is that the perception of such events highly depend on the name of the riders involved. And that Sagan (wrongly) has a reputation as a dangerous/dirty rider among some.

Sagan probably a bit gun shy in sprints now. Holding back the aggression a little but Demare was never going to lose that sprint and he should win a few more with the form he is in.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Demare's move was a bit more extreme than necessary just to overtake Ballerini, but he left plenty of space for Sagan to pass. Not the cleanest sprint but no reason for a relegation in my opinion.

 

[Inquitus]

Démare had plenty in the tank, his line was a bit dubious though, not even for a DQ imho, but definitely enough to prevent Sagan coming past!

 

[King Boonen]

I guess it depends on when you class a rider as having started their sprint. if it's as soon as they launch from the lead-out/rider in front, then you're going to have to DQ a lot of riders. If a rider is allowed to come around a rider and their sprint starts when they straighten up with clear road in front of them, I see no issue with that sprint.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Is there apart from Démare any other sprinter in this race?

if you look at the top sprinters in 2019, you had a group of five or so at the very top and then two more just behind, one in the case of Jakobson looking like he was about to join the very elite, the other, Gaviria, having an off season after previously being part of it.

Of those seven, Bennett and Ewan did the Tour and not the Giro. Ackermann is on the patented BORA Vuelta only sprinter schedule. Groenewegen ended his own season and nearly ended Jakobsen’s life. Gaviria hasn’t looked particularly good since he got Coronavirus. Viviani appears to have gone from being typical Quickstep sprinter guy to being typical Cofidis sprinter guy.

So yeah, an in form Demare is the fastest guy here and Peter Sagan appears to be the closest thing he has to competition.

 

[Jagartrott]

I wonder what the plan of DQT and Jumbo was, really. They clearly had spoken. OK, so you break up the peloton almost from the get-go. Then what? You ride full gas for another 120 km?

I mean, it was kind of fun, but I think it would've been much more efficient had they done the move much later, so that they only had to do a 40 km inter-TTT.

 

[tobydawq]

Demare's move was a bit more extreme than necessary just to overtake Ballerini, but he left plenty of space for Sagan to pass. Not the cleanest sprint but no reason for a relegation in my opinion.

Plenty? Maybe a little bit more than Nizzolo left for Sagan in Doha but that was on the limit. The problem is that Sagan can't predict what Démare will do and if he does go for the gap and Démare closes just a bit more, it's up in the air who they will DQ. Sagan for aggressively going for a non-existent gap or Démare for traversing the road diagonally, albeit smoothly (and thus apparently neither dangerously nor punishably).

 

[SafeBet]

Average speed of over 51 KpH?

Fastest road stage in Giro d'Italia's history!

 

[Berflamand]

I was really surprised they still had faith in him after so many 2nds and failure. Ballerini is a much better option.

Anyway, their sprint train failed again. Used up all the leadouts before 2km to go and no one delivered their sprinter to best possible position. It was like Cav time.

I disagree. Ballerini delivered the perfect leadout. Hodeg just didn't (probably couldn't) follow his wheel. If that was Jakobsen or Bennett in the wheel of Ballerini it would have been an easy victory or at least a fair fight with Démare and we would be praising Ballerini for that leadout (he still finished 7th himself).

Yes they didn't have more riders left in the sprint train because they used them up to keep Almeida in pink out of harms way and they don't exactly have their best sprint train here but still Ballerini did a perfect job.