Il Lombardia 2014

[Arredondo]

Yeah, good rides. Cardoso has been good as a dom at Garmin. Machado made a real comeback this year - he had to take his chance at NetApp and he did. Will he get any freedom at Katusha?

Well, Purito, Moreno and Caruso are better then him. And then there are still Kolobnev and Chernetsky, who will be one of their leaders in a few years.

So i doubt it.

 

[Bushman]

It's the mentality of a real winner.

Trololololol

 

[dduff442]

I'm not even bothered by Dan Martin winning. I actually quite like Dan Martin. I just think you're trying to sell a complete exaggeration of a description to wind people up. Martin won today because he played his card before the sprint knowing he'd not have a great chance in it, and nobody was willing to/everybody was too spent to chase him and risk being too spent to sprint themselves. It wasn't some great overcoming the odds story, it was a strong hilly Classics rider riding a smart finale, which is something he has become pretty good at.

Garmin are a good team. Not a small team, not an underdog team. A good team with good riders who are sometimes slightly overlooked.

The Garmin roster could be better but it isn't all that weak either. The thing is they're never favourites even if they can usually field a decent team. That means they score a lot of 'surprise' wins because the middle of their roster is really quite strong -- Slagter, Navardauskas and Hesjedal are all proven to be highly capable. If you've enough cards to play you should score wins, even if none is a top favourite individually.

 

[trevim]

Yeah, good rides. Cardoso has been good as a dom at Garmin. Machado made a real comeback this year - he had to take his chance at NetApp and he did. Will he get any freedom at Katusha?

I think only Moreno and Rodriguez are truely ahead of him. Then he can share the other races with Chernetski and perhaps Caruso. Azevedo as DS may be good for him in that regard.

 

[jaylew]

It's the mentality of a real winner.

That's a horrible, selfish mentality. Fortunately, there aren't more of these "real" winners. Watching sports would be no fun at all if everyone stopped trying when they thought they couldn't win. Could you imagine the Olympics if no one cared about anything but 1st and then didn't even try when they thought they couldn't win?

That said, sometimes if you want to win you have to be willing to take a chance that you'll lose big.

 

[Netserk]

That's a horrible, selfish mentality. Fortunately, there aren't more of these "real" winners. Watching sports would be no fun at all if everyone stopped trying when they thought they couldn't win. Could you imagine the Olympics if no one cared about anything but 1st and then didn't even try when they thought they couldn't win?

That said, sometimes if you want to win you have to be willing to take a chance that you'll lose big.

It'd be a whole lot better. It'd mean they would do everything to win and not save anything to get 2nd. I don't get why a 2nd place would mean anything for a rider like Valverde at this point in his career. He should maximise his chance for victory even though it would lower his chance for a podium place.

There's nothing I hate more in cycling than riders riding defensively to protect a losing position.

 

[cineteq]

Hilarious by Valverde, just before the last corner, turns his head to look back twice veeery slowly while turning the pedals like he's going to the shops on a velib as if to say "c'mon guys, tow me to the finish, I'm in the wind here!"

Ha ha...it was pathetic to see this.

Then this interview, blaming the others riders for leaving all the work to him: "but at least they didn't win either"
http://www.steephill.tv/players/720...dashboard=giro-di-lombardia&id=706587&yr=2014

 

[Benotti69]

One does wonder what magic recovery was used back then...........

 

[hrotha]

One does wonder what magic recovery was used back then...........

Are you, Benotti, of all people, implying they don't use magic recovery now?

 

[ferryman]

Are you, Benotti, of all people, implying they don't use magic recovery now?

Of course they do, but we discuss that in the dark place known as the Clinic..

 

[BigMac]

Daniel's so happy as well as his team mates. Great winner.

 

[trevim]

Is that girl Peluchi's girlfriend?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/il-lombardia-2014/photos/325667

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is that girl Peluchi's girlfriend?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/il-lombardia-2014/photos/325667

Yes. You'll see her at nearly all the major Italian races. Her charity has quite a few supporters in the pro péloton, male and female. Agnoli, Nibali, Bronzini, Marangoni, Pozzato, Basso, Quinziato, Oss, just a few of the names who've been involved. Of course Pelucchi's close to the centre of it all, and also the pink band around the sleeve of the Bardiani Valvole jersey is for Marina Romoli Onlus as well.

 

[trevim]

Yes. You'll see her at nearly all the major Italian races. Her charity has quite a few supporters in the pro péloton, male and female. Agnoli, Nibali, Bronzini, Marangoni, Pozzato, Basso, Quinziato, Oss, just a few of the names who've been involved. Of course Pelucchi's close to the centre of it all, and also the pink band around the sleeve of the Bardiani Valvole jersey is for Marina Romoli Onlus as well.

Oh well that's so good to hear. I thought of her because I remind of someone telling that tragic story here in the forum, probably you.

 

[greenedge]

When i watched Martin attack, I was thinking, he's probably going to crash again
Congrats on the win and nice rides by Aru, Wellens, Weening, Hermans and any others who attacked.

 

[peloton]

Great win for D Martin, was good to see Samu up there too still.

 

[greenedge]

The attacks never looked like they had a chance of succeeding though. The bookies favourites before the race were all in the final selection (except Kwiat); there was never any real suspense - even the finish was an anti climax.

I thought Wellens' could have gone to the line. Really surprised Albasini did not pull through to help Costa, they could have caught Wellens and made it a group of 3. However he was probably struggling to hang on.

Meanwhile Costa is 4th in the WT ranking.

Somehow

 

[Oldman]

It'd be a whole lot better. It'd mean they would do everything to win and not save anything to get 2nd. I don't get why a 2nd place would mean anything for a rider like Valverde at this point in his career. He should maximise his chance for victory even though it would lower his chance for a podium place.

There's nothing I hate more in cycling than riders riding defensively to protect a losing position.

Didn't he displace Contador for points total. That's something. It's money to a pro.

 

[Netserk]

Didn't he displace Contador for points total. That's something. It's money to a pro.

Which he also would have done if he finished 1st or 3rd (or 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th). He should've gone after Martin immediately instead of waiting for others to close the gap.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Certainly,my smile widened when i saw valverde at front of chasing bunch. Almost guarantees victory for rider going off the front.

 

[classicomano]

Glad to see people finally figured out the kryptonite to the Gerrans disease.

 

[gthx_gthx_]

The definitive moment of Dan Martin race was clearly when he managed to get by that last corner safely.

 

[Netserk]

I hope next year's edition with the finish in Como will do Muro di Sormano -> Ghisallo -> Civiglio -> San Fermo -> Como

 

[cineteq]

Which he also would have done if he finished 1st or 3rd (or 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th). He should've gone after Martin immediately instead of waiting for others to close the gap.

This year he had the legs to close the gap, same thing for the World. Next year, maybe, he won't have the legs to do it. A sad rider.

 

[Oldman]

Which he also would have done if he finished 1st or 3rd (or 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th). He should've gone after Martin immediately instead of waiting for others to close the gap.

Easy to say but after contesting several GTs it's the jump and finish that leaves the legs. Being top Spaniard is a big deal.