Great week with a lot of drama and some great bike riding. 2021 has really delivered some great races so far
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McNulty at his age and experience is a wildcard. Especially in short stage races where fatigue and recovery is less of a factor. And it gave UAE two bullets in the gun. Plus also you had people like Bilbao moved back into the GC mix.There was never tactical error IMHO. Unless you consider McNulty a threat. I didn't, did you?
Even now, after TJV win, Chris Horner can't just simply congratulate them and still spread his irrational dislike of TJV in his yt comment responses. Ugly tactics he's saying now?
This guy must really hate TJV and their cyclers for some reason.
Ugly? Lol... Hopefully, it will take a couple of years before all descents are neutralised.
He is trying to defend his silly comments! Lol. I watch him to have a good laugh. But this time he was off the mark. Completely!!View: https://youtu.be/eD3tJhHew5E
"Oh man. He had a lot of help. that was ugly tactics."
"They definitely had some unpredictable help to make that happen. "
"They could have just rode into the last climb and taken the win. Instead they needed all kinds of help and deals to win the race. Fun to watch though."
" They could have ridden to the last climb and win the race. Instead Roglic needed help and made deals to win this."
~ Chris Horner
It seems to me that dissing TJV for some reason became his regular practice lately.
Video is from stage 5?View: https://youtu.be/eD3tJhHew5E
"Oh man. He had a lot of help. that was ugly tactics."
"They definitely had some unpredictable help to make that happen. "
"They could have just rode into the last climb and taken the win. Instead they needed all kinds of help and deals to win the race. Fun to watch though."
" They could have ridden to the last climb and win the race. Instead Roglic needed help and made deals to win this."
~ Chris Horner
It seems to me that dissing TJV for some reason became his regular practice lately.
View: https://youtu.be/eD3tJhHew5E
"Oh man. He had a lot of help. that was ugly tactics."
"They definitely had some unpredictable help to make that happen. "
"They could have just rode into the last climb and taken the win. Instead they needed all kinds of help and deals to win the race. Fun to watch though."
" They could have ridden to the last climb and win the race. Instead Roglic needed help and made deals to win this."
~ Chris Horner
It seems to me that dissing TJV for some reason became his regular practice lately.
Yes, but comments under the video are fresh - about today's stage.Video is from stage 5?
Did bridge where?Pogacar did bridge across but than waited for BM
This might be true but realistically McNulty was simply way too dead. Roglic would've had to work nothing with Pogacar in his wheel.How is it masterful to put yourself on the back foot?
Giving away the jersey to Chaves or another lesser rider could have been a good move but giving away the jersey to Pogacar team was dumb as hell.
They were lucky Pog was caught behind on a rare split. Had Pogacar been glued to Roglic wheel the most likely outcome was Tadej winning.
Roglic had to pull while Pogacar could freewheel due to McNulty being chasing.
There was no way, Pogačar could beat Roglič for 20+ s today. They are too close right now.How is it masterful to put yourself on the back foot?
Giving away the jersey to Chaves or another lesser rider could have been a good move but giving away the jersey to Pogacar team was dumb as hell.
They were lucky Pog was caught behind on a rare split. Had Pogacar been glued to Roglic wheel the most likely outcome was Tadej winning.
Roglic had to pull while Pogacar could freewheel due to McNulty being chasing.
No. Rewatch the stage. He never bridged across after the descent.Pogacar did bridge across but than waited for BM
You mean like he chased today? Won't be much pulling then...Roglic had to pull while Pogacar could freewheel due to McNulty being chasing.
Pogacar team without Pogacar was worthless. Maybe that answer your comment!How is it masterful to put yourself on the back foot?
Giving away the jersey to Chaves or another lesser rider could have been a good move but giving away the jersey to Pogacar team was dumb as hell.
They were lucky Pog was caught behind on a rare split. Had Pogacar been glued to Roglic wheel the most likely outcome was Tadej winning.
Roglic had to pull while Pogacar could freewheel due to McNulty being chasing.
No. We can praise them for doing a great job of pulling themselves out of the hole they left themselves in, cutting deals, taking their opportunities, doing the hard work and winning the race in style. That doesn't mean we ret-con a previous bad decision into a good decision because without that previous bad decision, they don't need to work as hard, get as creative tactically or cut deals. It doesn't make the work done today any less impressive, and they should be praised for what they did today, and Horner really ought to be accepting that. Praising them for today does not necessarily entail him accepting he was wrong about Thursday, because he wasn't. Basso overcoming Arroyo at the end didn't make it any less insane that the big teams let that group get so big as to be completely uncontrollable in the stage to L'Aquila, for example. And, just like back then, thank God that Jumbo did make that call on stage 4, because today's race was infinitely better for it. Like I said a couple of days ago, Jumbo having these occasional bouts of Rabofail and having to work their way out of them is far more interesting.Libertine, we have different opinions TBF. My take is really simpler:
1- This race was between 2 riders with, maybe, an outside chance from Adam Yates. The rest could be dropped on Saturday by the big 2. Of course if you let someone like Valverde or Chaves take 5 minutes you would lose the race. But that was never going to happen. So if you focus only about the ones with chances then everything was OK after Thursday.
2- We can only guess what the TJV was thinking. We just don't know. But to me, TJV releasing the yellow jersey on Thursday before this mammoth of stage was masterful. IMHO. Whether they did it on purpose is another thing. But at the end we can only judge by what we see and praise the coaches when something goes right. In any sport. So are we going to do like Chris Horner be negative either way? So the coaches have no chance to win either way? that doesn't make any sense.
3- The performance by Jonas Vingegard today was a surprise and a big plus for Jumbo. But you can only plan with what you know, and he was here to support Roglic and was never, on paper, supposed to be on the podium.
McNulty had no chance on paper. And on Saturday was proven in real time as well. No mistake was done.
You were right about that and pointed it out yesterday. The strange thing is that you would think that UAE knew that too, in which case why would you not have Pogacar sit on Roglic’s wheel no matter what was going on with McNulty?Pogacar team without Pogacar was worthless. Maybe that answer your comment!
There was only one guy with a chance in that team IMO. I have said that many times. In my book McNulty had no chance. Zero. Zipo. Nothing.
It was kind of on screen him doing the deal on the stage win in exchange for collaboration.Deal??? Either Roglic or Vingegard were going to win anyway.
We are entitled to our opinions and we disagree. No problem.