Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025, Stage 8: Giulianova > Castelraimondo (197 km)

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Ulissi is used to the classic way to get a leader's jersey with a back-zip.

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Ayuso had two teammates between him and Rogla in the peloton, and I think they let his wheel go in the last corner to create the gap.
It can be seen on the multi-screen feed. Ayuso is 3rd in a line of 5 UAE riders. Shortly before the last corner he looks back over his right shoulder first and then his left, and as he sees that Rogla is boxed in, he attacks just before the corner. Then you have 4 UAE riders clogging up the front behind him.
 
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It can be seen on the multi-screen feed. Ayuso is 3rd in a line of 5 UAE riders. Shortly before the last corner he looks back over his right shoulder first and then his left, and as he sees that Rogla is boxed in, he attacks just before the corner. Then you have 4 UAE riders clogging up the front behind him.
Ok, that explains the gap at the finish. Yet I still wonder why he keeps sitting deep in the group and not on Ayuso wheel on the climbs, that just risks giving Ayuso a gap
 
Isn't that 95% of California? Or America in general for that matter?
"America" has continuous mountain ranges from Patagonio to the Arctic circle. The state of Alaska, alone has more and taller mountains than all of Europe. The NW states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana along with British Columbia contain the Cascade and Rocky mountains which rival anything in Europe. No cities, interstates or heavy traffic exist there. California has great roads North of San Francisco and NE of LA. The Tour of California was obligated to ride through their sponsor's neighborhood. That's Amgen and Specialized which are pretty much based along Interstate 5.
I think the last T of C include hilly areas that Jens Voight has his fondo. They are gorgeous, narrow and frightening to descend with bad pavement. One stage descended to the mouth of the Russian River connection to the Pacific at Jenner. Levi Leipheimer rode to the front and gave the whole peloton the "chill out" signal because of the sudden 20% sections. Most of the pros hated riding around that region because it was too hard for that time of year.
Lovely roads to ride with few people, houses or cars.
 
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My idea is that Roglic is riding the Giro first two weeks very energy efficient. No attacks, no waste of energy by sudden reactions on Ayuso. No sprints. Kinda like Valverde 2010 GC Vuelta style. You saw his reaction on the minor time less on Ayuso yesterday with a smile. Media were saying it is 1-0 for Ayuso are forgetting the time trial. It is 1-1. In the last week Roglic will go full gas. Remember Catalunya?

Another question/remark: in the last 10k the peloton was closing the gap on the break and it seems Roglic was holding pink. Then UAE took command and commentators were saying that UAE was riding to keep Roglic in pink. But at the finish the gap was not closed while the parcours was hard enough. I think UAE took command and slowed down to get Ulissi in pink. He was an UAE teammate last year and kind of a mentor for the young guys.
 
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My idea is that Roglic is riding the Giro first two weeks very energy efficient. No attacks, no waste of energy by sudden reactions on Ayuso. No sprints. Kinda like Valverde 2010 GC Vuelta style. You saw his reaction on the minor time less on Ayuso yesterday with a smile. Media were saying it is 1-0 for Ayuso are forgetting the time trial. It is 1-1. In the last week Roglic will go full gas. Remember Catalunya?

Another question/remark: in the last 10k the peloton was closing the gap on the break and it seems Roglic was holding pink. Then UAE took command and commentators were saying that UAE was riding to keep Roglic in pink. But at the finish the gap was not closed while the parcours was hard enough. I think UAE took command and slowed down to get Ulissi in pink. He was an UAE teammate last year and kind of a mentor for the young guys.
Considering UAE can race like rabid hyenas I think the effort was designed to keep Primoz in the jersey. Any work RedBull did was to minimize the final gaps and keep him safe. I totally agree on his strategy as stages 16, 19, 20 appear to have some heavy lifting that may see him on his own without his prime climber teammate.

I'm optimistic he's looking to take a conservative path if he can do it. As others have pointed out he should try to win the Giro. If he can cakewalk that effort to set up a T d F effort; he should do it. He's not Pogacar and can't look for every stage win, anyway.
 
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