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Il Lombardia 2019, one day classic, October 12

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I still think the current route is the best designed version of Lombardia. Perhaps the best designed hilly/mountainous race out there?

Civiligo + San Fermo are like the climber's edition of Cipressa and Poggio but there are more outcomes in Il Lombardia. It's a very tactical race.

I felt like the time between Mollema's attack on Civiligo and his win lasted an hour.

I'd like to see century old races like Emilia and Torino on the WT calender. It would make Lombardia stand out more as the the lighthouse of the mountain classics. Like Ronde/Roubaix is the culmination of the cobbled classics and Liege is the jewel of the hilly ones.
 
As all the favorites came together to the last 10 kilometers. If they would be after the overall win, they should contribute more, trying to catch Mollema. Doing that, they would likely have substantially increase the chance of Roglič winning. By not doing that, for sure Roglič won't win, but nor will any other favorite. Now there is a chance Mollema was just too strong today. But i got the impression, other favorites just wanted to finish ahead of Roglič, not caring all that much, if that comes down to being second or first overall.

That likely comes down to a lack of respect, something similar happened on Giro 2019. This will in my opinion change in the future. As Roglič has proven his qualities this season and therefore other favorites, whenever finishing second, will prefer to admit defeat to Roglič, compared to someone else, not even being considered a favorite, before the race started.
What a bunch of nonsense!
Why wasn't Roglic, as the biggest favorite, took responsibility and did the much of the chasing. Who was stopping him to set the fierce tempo on Civiglio to catch Mollema? No, all he did is to catch Valverde, and later on to slip on the flat in pursuit, just to complain later when they caught him. Valverde could very well say, with that ''Roglic logic'' that Roglic raced to stop him winning!
 
What a bunch of nonsense!
Why wasn't Roglic, as the biggest favorite, took responsibility and did the much of the chasing. Who was stopping him to set the fierce tempo on Civiglio to catch Mollema? No, all he did is to catch Valverde, and later on to slip on the flat in pursuit, just to complain later when they caught him. Valverde could very well say, with that ''Roglic logic'' that Roglic raced to stop him winning!
well, yeah, but it's the first time Roglic did a big one day race (for a result), so he may be forgiven for now knowing how it works at all
 
Curius CQ stat:

Before yesterday's race, Valverde, Bernal and Fuglsang were lying in 3rd, 4th and 5th in the CQ yearly standings. Then they were 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the race (in the same order) and are now still lying 3rd, 4th and 5th in the standings.

It must be the first time only one of the top 4 of a monument has risen in the CQ ranking.
 
Fuglsang confirmed after the race that he and the other favourites did underestimate the attack of Mollema. But that's what often happens if a single rider attacks a group of riders in which there are no or few domestiques - they sit there and wait for the others to start the pursuit.

Exactly, and that is what in my opinion Roglič tried to say. If the group of favorites wouldn't be all that much focused on finishing ahead of Roglič, they would likely have caught Mollema in the last 10 kilometers. That would still be a race for the first place, among favorites. Roglič obviously would be in great position, but other favorites would still have a chance, to win. In the way they raced, the last 10 kilometers, that was racing for the second place.

Why wasn't Roglic, as the biggest favorite, took responsibility and did the much of the chasing.

He likely was prepared to do much of that, he just wasn't prepared to do all of that. Other favorites in the group more or less showed no interest whatsoever.
 
He likely was prepared to do much of that, he just wasn't prepared to do all of that. Other favorites in the group more or less showed no interest whatsoever.
I really don't see that Roglic did so much, so I don't get his complaints, or yours! Had he do all the working and couldn't catch Mollema, I would understand that he needed help to do that, but that was not the case. There was not serious chase, not from him, not from anybody. So why complain when you in the first place didn't do almost nothing. They were 16 sec from Mollema 1 km from the top so why didn't he jumped to catch him? the truth is that he was just like the other favorites, no one really commit to the chase. They were all looking to somebody else to work, so I don't get his ''everybody raced against me'' whining. That just simply isn't the truth.
 
Roglic took a few half assed turns.

Valverde did even less.

It's generally not up to the other guys to close the gap.

I think Valverde burnt himself and Roglic a little bit by attacking so early and so hard on Civiglio, and after that they were a little scared of each other. Seems to be a trend with Roglic, as it happened in the Giro too when Nibali failed to see Roglic was weak on the way to Courmayeur.
 
Congrats to Mollema.

Roglic needs to go talk to Sagan and Valverde about the whole everyone was working against me as they've both been there, done that and got the t-shirt, then made a decision on how they were going to deal with it. (Add Cancellara to that list as well). Valverde said that the group didn't want to work together and he certainly wasn't going to try to drag everyone to Mollema himself.

It does appear that without the rainbow jersey Valverde is starting to regain that hunger he lost while he was wearing it.

Valverde ends his season with 3 seconds and a fifth plus almost single-handedly ensures Spain has the full number of riders allowed for next year's Olympics.
 
They were all looking to somebody else to work, so I don't get his ''everybody raced against me'' whining.

Before trying the solo attack, in the last 10 kilometers, Roglič did test if there is any interest for collaboration. There was no feedback. And if you combine the effort invested in solo attack and the respond of the group after. There was enough strength left, in the last 10 kilometers, to catch up Mollema. Therefore there is merit in Roglič claims. Group of favorites was racing for the second place.
 
What a bunch of nonsense!
Why wasn't Roglic, as the biggest favorite, took responsibility and did the much of the chasing. Who was stopping him to set the fierce tempo on Civiglio to catch Mollema? No, all he did is to catch Valverde, and later on to slip on the flat in pursuit, just to complain later when they caught him. Valverde could very well say, with that ''Roglic logic'' that Roglic raced to stop him winning!
Roglic tried to win, Valverde raced to be second; they are all scared of Roglic now and I imagine a lot of non favorites will win races where Roglic competes
 
Roglic problem was not being the strongest, otherwise you pull a 2017 Nibali, closing all attacks and going yourself... :D
Part of it. It wouldn't make it impossible, but everyone sitting on you would make it nearly impossible. I don't think he has Nibali's quality that he can go all out on one climb and still be really strong on the next, but he does have a stronger single effort.

Roglic did make several tactical mistakes that wound up costing him any chance of winning and perhaps a podium spot. I think everyone made a mistake by giving Mollema all the extra time on the descent.

By the way, is Il Lombardia's route fixed now or do they just wait to announce it every year?
 
Part of it. It wouldn't make it impossible, but everyone sitting on you would make it nearly impossible. I don't think he has Nibali's quality that he can go all out on one climb and still be really strong on the next, but he does have a stronger single effort.

Roglic did make several tactical mistakes that wound up costing him any chance of winning and perhaps a podium spot. I think everyone made a mistake by giving Mollema all the extra time on the descent.

By the way, is Il Lombardia's route fixed now or do they just wait to announce it every year?

Until Nibali rides, it's fixed. If he doesn't do it next year I guess they are free to change as they did it before.
 
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It seems to me that Roglic has a lot to learn about one-day racing. When you win at Emilia like he did, crushing the field, and then win at Varesine also, you enter Lombardia as a heavy favorite. But that draws some responsibilities, everybody is looking at you, and if you don't show some initiative things can get complicated, as they did on Saturday. You can't hide in the bunch, cause the bunch is looking at you!
In a situation where everyone thinks you're the strongest rider, you don't do tests, you work, ask Cancellara, ask Sagan. Valverde was in that situation many times, as well. Take Liege 2015 as an example. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you don't whine unless you gave absolutely everything. And he didn't.
 
It seems to me that Roglic has a lot to learn about one-day racing. When you win at Emilia like he did, crushing the field, and then win at Varesine also, you enter Lombardia as a heavy favorite. But that draws some responsibilities, everybody is looking at you, and if you don't show some initiative things can get complicated, as they did on Saturday. You can't hide in the bunch, cause the bunch is looking at you!
In a situation where everyone thinks you're the strongest rider, you don't do tests, you work, ask Cancellara, ask Sagan. Valverde was in that situation many times, as well. Take Liege 2015 as an example. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you don't whine unless you gave absolutely everything. And he didn't.
LBL 2015 where Valverde closed like 1 gap before the finish in Ans and it was uphill on the Saint Nicolas? Not all situations where you're the favorite are the same.

It's not like Roglic rode a tactically flawless race, but saying he didn't give his all is ridiculous.
 
LBL 2015 where Valverde closed like 1 gap before the finish in Ans and it was uphill on the Saint Nicolas? Not all situations where you're the favorite are the same.

It's not like Roglic rode a tactically flawless race, but saying he didn't give his all is ridiculous.
Roglic gave his all, and his all wasn't enough. He wasn't as strong as Mollema, Valverde and Bernal.
 
Roglic did make several tactical mistakes that wound up costing him any chance of winning and perhaps a podium spot. I think everyone made a mistake by giving Mollema all the extra time on the descent.
It was clear as a day that the group isn't collaborating well on Civiglio, and that things are going to get worse on the flat, cause there rider who goes full gas can gain significantly on the group who looks at each other. And it was like that, Mollema gained the most at the end of the descent and at the beginning of the flat part. That's why it was crucial to catch Mollema on Civiglio, or at the descent. They were some 16 sec behind one km from the top and they stopped and gave him 10-15 sec more. That was the biggest mistake imo, and that was the place where Roglic should go full throttle if he had the legs. He would probably drag Valverde and couple of others, but that group would later decide the race on San Fermo. This way by the time when he went it was too late
 
It was clear as a day that the group isn't collaborating well on Civiglio, and that things are going to get worse on the flat, cause there rider who goes full gas can gain significantly on the group who looks at each other. And it was like that, Mollema gained the most at the end of the descent and at the beginning of the flat part. That's why it was crucial to catch Mollema on Civiglio, or at the descent. They were some 16 sec behind one km from the top and they stopped and gave him 10-15 sec more. That was the biggest mistake imo, and that was the place where Roglic should go full throttle if he had the legs. He would probably drag Valverde and couple of others, but that group would later decide the race on San Fermo. This way by the time when he went it was too late
With Mollema gone on Civiglio Roglic had basically 4 options
  1. Attack in the final km of the Civiglio
  2. Attack the descent
  3. Try to sneak away on the flat
  4. Attack on San Fermo.

If he'd done the work to bring back Mollema, and that's if he could do that, he would've handed Valverde or somebody else the victory. Roglic wanted to win, so he didn't do that. Now as to why he didn't attack on the Civiglio, I suspect he didn't feel that amazing anymore.

Both Valverde and Roglic made that mistake.
 
LBL 2015 where Valverde closed like 1 gap before the finish in Ans and it was uphill on the Saint Nicolas? Not all situations where you're the favorite are the same.

It's not like Roglic rode a tactically flawless race, but saying he didn't give his all is ridiculous.
On Civiglio where it mattered the most he didn't. He buried himself later but as I said it was too late.

As for Valverde and that Liege, I think you're underestimating that situation a bit. It was final km, Purito send Moreno upfront and sit on Bala's wheel. There were also Alaphilippe, Rui Costa and some 10 riders more. He need to think fast and clear, to get timing right and to have strength to pull it up. And he did just that, he rode them all off his wheel at first, take a few breaths at that final turn when they came back and then smoked them in the sprint. He knew exactly when and where he needs to go, had he waited a bit Moreno would've won, had he went earlier somebody from behind would've beat him in that final straight. To me it was fantastic display of determination, cool head and strength.
 
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