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Il Lombardia, 241KM, 13th October (WT)

Page 19 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Re: Re:

search said:
tobydawq said:
Flamin said:
Obviously I'm not going to complain when the top favourites attack with 50k to go, but I really didn't see the 'great race' that many on here saw. From the moment Pinot and Nibali rode away, the race was already over and it would be a contest between them. Sure, Roglic and Bernal came back in the descent, but they were dropped uphill so the same was going to happen again on Civiglio. Furthermore, the chasing group's action was lame (from spectator view) though textbook stuff from riders who have been outclassed earlier on the day.

Not that exciting imo.

I think it was as good as you get on a 100% asphalt race but I don't think it was close to being as exciting as the cobbled classics usually are.

The follower group was unluckily constellated, though. Astana and Mitchelton-Scott were the only teams with more than one rider but the four riders from those teams were the four weakest riders in the group, so Martínez was never going to get any help.

well, if Woods had worked for Uran (or the other way around - but I'd think Uran should be the captain for Lombardia), there still would have been quite a good chance to bring it back together

Perhaps there would have been, theoretically speaking. However, I am yet to see a big classic where three of the biggest five pre-race favourites get away in a break with which they are mutually content and then blow it because a team that has more than one outsider manages to organise a chase where they sacrifice a rider that pre-race had been promised a free role.

It was never happening that Martínez would get help from either Urán or Woods and when it emerged that Woods had had a mechanical on the final descent, even I didn't know who of those two should have been ordered to domestique for the other. With the blessing of hindsight.
 
Re: Re:

tobydawq said:
SHAD0W93 said:
GuyIncognito said:
Zaugg wasn't weak that day, though. He was one of the strongest, which is what made that result bizarre.

Yea, and he was strong in 12 as well. 11 had weird monument winners excluding Gilbert.

Amen to that.

But still, that win was Zaugg's only single one ever as a professional. Yesterday, I went through the current riders who have only one win to see if anyone was close to having as peculiar a palmares as did Zaugg. Tiesj Benoot won with his Strade Bianche in front of George Bennett and Brice Feillu. However, none of their victories are close to matching Zaugg's.

But I agree, Zaugg didn't gain that win through pure luck. It was well-earned. Still, all the riders who were remotely close to the front today were well-established.

Honestly I don't know if it tells more of a change of the race than it confirms the fact that Zaugg had a freakish day seven years ago.


Zaugg was indeed the strongest when he won, so it was just a question of a sudden weird superform from a otherwise mediocre rider, and not about a random race. As I recall it at the time he was struggling for a contract for the next year when he won, so he must have been extremely motivated that week to finish his season well, and I think that 1 week of Italian races, highligted by the Lombardia win, did indeed prolongue his career by 5 years.
 
Zaugg is the most inexplicable winner of a really major one day race in decades, precisely because he won through strength rather than extreme luck. Sometimes weird things happen because of tactical screw ups in classics, but some random nobody killing everyone really doesn’t very often. He was the best rider in a big race precisely once in his career but he really made it count.
 
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
 
Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon

European Cup rugby started this weekend, and there'll be international rugby throughout November.

Basketball? Don't do that to yourself.
 
Re:

Flamin said:
Obviously I'm not going to complain when the top favourites attack with 50k to go, but I really didn't see the 'great race' that many on here saw. From the moment Pinot and Nibali rode away, the race was already over and it would be a contest between them. Sure, Roglic and Bernal came back in the descent, but they were dropped uphill so the same was going to happen again on Civiglio. Furthermore, the chasing group's action was lame (from spectator view) though textbook stuff from riders who have been outclassed earlier on the day.

Not that exciting imo.

I thought it was a good race, but yes, it's frustrating that the chase group couldn't put in any sort of coordinated effort between them. You'd think at least once Valverde got dropped, a few of the others would realise that they wouldn't just be towing him to the line, and working with Martin might actually make sense.

And yeah, there was Izagirre and Pozzo in the group, marking the chases, but c'mon. Who's ever lost a race by towing Pozzovivo to the line?
 
Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon

Oh please ! Don't start bashing the TDU until January otherwise I will have to get myself some happy pills..........
 
Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
Guess I'm lucky I'm a tennis fan, so my off season is only really a month and a half.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
Guess I'm lucky I'm a tennis fan, so my off season is only really a month and a half.
Then again the off seasons of your sport take place at the same time, so better start watching skiing, there is even a Dutch guy winning everything :D
 
Re: Re:

Gigs_98 said:
Red Rick said:
Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
Guess I'm lucky I'm a tennis fan, so my off season is only really a month and a half.
Then again the off seasons of your sport take place at the same time, so better start watching skiing, there is even a Dutch guy winning everything :D
You mean speed skating? Cause I don't know one Dutch skiier :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
Yup, there's a couple of weeks of Alpine skiing before the Nordic skiing, which is justifiably much more popular on these forums, commences. Once Nordic season commences, Cross-Country and Biathlon can keep you tided over all the way until Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico so you can skip all of those minor pre-season races and dip your toes back into cycling around Omloop time.

As for Dutch skiers, can't name any 'winning everything', there are a few biathletes though - although the most successful and famous of them now represents Sweden, that being Chardine Sloof, a former Junior World Champion in the Individual and Pursuit.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Gigs_98 said:
Red Rick said:
Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
Guess I'm lucky I'm a tennis fan, so my off season is only really a month and a half.
Then again the off seasons of your sport take place at the same time, so better start watching skiing, there is even a Dutch guy winning everything :D
You mean speed skating? Cause I don't know one Dutch skiier :eek: :eek: :eek:
Marcel Hirscher who has been the best male alpine skier for the last few years is half Austrian and half Dutch ;)
 
Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon

13th of December the greatest non-cycling, non-football event of the year starts.
 
Re: Re:

[Gigs_98"]
Red Rick said:
Gigs_98 said:
Red Rick said:
Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon
Guess I'm lucky I'm a tennis fan, so my off season is only really a month and a half.
Then again the off seasons of your sport take place at the same time, so better start watching skiing, there is even a Dutch guy winning everything :D
You mean speed skating? Cause I don't know one Dutch skiier :eek: :eek:
Marcel Hirscher who has been the best male alpine skier for the last few years is half Austrian and half Dutch ;)[/quote]

Dutch mother indeed. He chose the wrong country else he couldve made skiing great here ;)
Its not really on the radar in nl
 
Re: Re:

Leinster said:
Valv.Piti said:
Lombardia is such a depressing race. I couldn't care less for track cycling, I don't care about Turkey and China and the likes and I occasionally watch cross if I dont have anything to do at all. Then comes a bad race like TDU around and I watch it as its il Giro until I realize it sucks balls as well. Then comes February and proper racing starts again, thats 4 months, 1/3 of the year!

Guess I'll have to watch a bit of basketball and biathlon

European Cup rugby started this weekend, and there'll be international rugby throughout November.

Basketball? Don't do that to yourself.
I dont even know how to spell Rukbi

Basketball is fun when you have nice commentators, that means a lot. Its a cool sport, but I only follow it pretty close when cycling isn't on so I usually dont watch the playoffs.
 
Yes it's the end of cycling season, but fall is when there are always sports on TV so it's ok. Football season (American football) started back in September (college and pro), hockey season (NHL) started two weeks ago and basketball (college, not an NBA fan) season starts next month. Right now looking to see about getting tickets for when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Raleigh to play the Carolina Hurricanes. Penguin fan here who grew up watching Mario Lemieux. Yes hockey is not the same without him. There are plenty of sports to keep you occupied until cycling season starts again.
 
I always wait for the routes from the Giro and the Tour so that I can start dreaming about what never is going to happened! :(
But at least I can dream about something!

The Giro usually gets close to what I want in routes. The Tour is getting further away from it.
TBH, I only want 1-3 mountain stages 80's/90's type. That's it. They can do whatever they want with the rest. :)
 
Re:

Escarabajo said:
I always wait for the routes from the Giro and the Tour so that I can start dreaming about what never is going to happened! :(
But at least I can dream about something!

The Giro usually gets close to what I want in routes. The Tour is getting further away from it.
TBH, I only want 1-3 mountain stages 80's/90's type. That's it. They can do whatever they want with the rest. :)
Giro never gives me what I want either.

Still waiting for that 8 climb dolomite stage
 
Re:

Koronin said:
Yes it's the end of cycling season, but fall is when there are always sports on TV so it's ok. Football season (American football) started back in September (college and pro), hockey season (NHL) started two weeks ago and basketball (college, not an NBA fan) season starts next month. Right now looking to see about getting tickets for when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Raleigh to play the Carolina Hurricanes. Penguin fan here who grew up watching Mario Lemiuex. Yes hockey is not the same without him. There are plenty of sports to keep you occupied until cycling season starts again.

I am also a big fan of Super Mario, so we have two favorite athletes from two different sports, Valverde and Lemieux :)
 
Re: Re:

Blanco said:
Koronin said:
Yes it's the end of cycling season, but fall is when there are always sports on TV so it's ok. Football season (American football) started back in September (college and pro), hockey season (NHL) started two weeks ago and basketball (college, not an NBA fan) season starts next month. Right now looking to see about getting tickets for when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Raleigh to play the Carolina Hurricanes. Penguin fan here who grew up watching Mario Lemieux. Yes hockey is not the same without him. There are plenty of sports to keep you occupied until cycling season starts again.

I am also a big fan of Super Mario, so we have two favorite athletes from two different sports, Valverde and Lemieux :)


Wow. Nice to find another hockey fan. Two favorite athletes from two very different sports. I got to see Lemieux play many times in person, where I've only gotten to see Valverde race in person once.
 
Re:

Libertine Seguros said:
Yup, there's a couple of weeks of Alpine skiing before the Nordic skiing, which is justifiably much more popular on these forums, commences. Once Nordic season commences, Cross-Country and Biathlon can keep you tided over all the way until Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico so you can skip all of those minor pre-season races and dip your toes back into cycling around Omloop time.

As for Dutch skiers, can't name any 'winning everything', there are a few biathletes though - although the most successful and famous of them now represents Sweden, that being Chardine Sloof, a former Junior World Champion in the Individual and Pursuit.

I think sprinter ace Laurien van der Graaff is of dutch birth, at least she got the name and toungue for it.
 

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