Itzulia Basque Country 2022 April 4-9

[ciranda]

Pello Bilbao and Ion Izagirre also have some chances

For real. Both are not afraid to try from far out and both are strong downhill. And it will maybe rain tomorrow?

 

[Mayomaniac]

TDF apparently.

If he can survive the cobbles it's probably the best gt for him.
With the Giro you have more technical descents and if the weather is nice allergies are usually a problem for him in May.

 

[RedheadDane]

Do I notice weird things in the results? Of course I notice weird things in the result!

116	CABEDO Óscar	Burgos-BH				21:21
117	LOPEZ Diego	Equipo Kern Pharma				21:11

Looks like there's a time traveller in the race!

FirstCycling is a bit more realistic.

117	Oscar Cabedo		Burgos-BH	+ 21:01​	​
118	Diego Lopez		Equipo Kern Pharma	+ 21:11​

 

[Rackham]

He does play the vuelta like that at times. I wouldn't rule it out that he loses it on purpose to get more sleep.

The gap is just too big, IMO.

I totally get that last year they abandoned the leadership & gave it to McNulty & UAE, but the gap was only 20 seconds or so. This is over a minute.

 

[Bolder]

I had my suspicions about Roglic since last year, but seeing how good he went in the Vuelta kind of confused me. But now I am doubtful about attaining his Tour triumph. He Is just one more in the big crowd of riders. It is Pogacar and like 15 riders 2 steps below.

No, he's just one small step below Pogacar, at his top level. No other rider has his combination of TT, ability to stomp at the end of mountain or murito stage, and general climbing ability.

We can argue about his consistency and tendency to crash but if he tweaks his training, he can contend with Pogacar. If not for a certain inhuman performance in 2020 we'd be arguing if Pog can FINALLY beat Roglic head to head in a GT...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I get the impression that Roglic
when the time comes he can't compete for the win
will step off the bike just like that.
He's not here to be a superdom.

 

[noob]

The gap is just too big, IMO.

I totally get that last year they abandoned the leadership & gave it to McNulty & UAE, but the gap was only 20 seconds or so. This is over a minute.

Peak shape he would. In this shape probably not. We'll see.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

According to some posters here, after the ITT, Roglic was supposed to be a superhuman rider spoiling the fun in every races he enters in.
So I must conclude today was part of his master plan. He lost time on purpose.

Well, that was what we were told the deal was last year and losing time and making the race infinitely more complicated for themselves was galaxy brain level genius, because they eventually won (notwithstanding that by not making that tactical decision on stage 4, they could have won while expending a lot less effort). And Chris Horner has re-emerged to start insulting people regardless of whether right or wrong, so it really is like a time capsule to last year.

The kind of turnaround required for history to repeat seems rather unlikelier than last year, though.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Nothing changed today, Evenepoel got lucky no one accelerated on the highest gradients. Tomorrow will be completely different with the last 4km climb. Martinez Vlasov Vingegaard are now the main favorites.

Lucky? Are you saying no one accelerated on the finishing climb because they didn't want to gain time or bonus seconds?
Tomorrow could be a different story but Remco made the split and still finished second in the GC group.

 

[jonan92]

If anyone wants to see the reason for the fall at the end, here is a video

 

[Eclipse]

If anyone wants to see the reason for the fall at the end, here is a video

So vingegaard took out vlasov, no wonder the latter was pissed.

 

[Eeslliw]

If anyone wants to see the reason for the fall at the end, here is a video

Damn, that was actually really hard fall by Vlasov. Luckly nothing is broken, I guess.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I have to watch the stage, but wtf is going on? We can look forward to an incredible stage 6 tomorrow!

Did Rogla get caught in tactical games or straight up dropped?

 

[search]

If anyone wants to see the reason for the fall at the end, here is a video

 

[Bonimenier]

I have to watch the stage, but wtf is going on? We can look forward to an incredible stage 6 tomorrow!

Did Rogla get caught in tactical games or straight up dropped?

Considering he lost time to Yates & co on the final murito as well, it looks like the legs weren't there today.

 

[AlfaLum]

Yeah why apologize if you can also argue after making a mistake Jonas?

 

[Netserk]

If anyone wants to see the reason for the fall at the end, here is a video

Thank you. From playing the video frame-by-frame:

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Lucky? Are you saying no one accelerated on the finishing climb because they didn't want to gain time or bonus seconds?
Tomorrow could be a different story but Remco made the split and still finished second in the GC group.

No actually I meant that no favorite accelerated on the steep 3km before Evenepoel's attack. Based on what we saw during the second stage it could have cut his legs and prevented him from doing anything. Tomorrow they will definitively make it way more difficult for him, I would'nt be surprised if he finishes outside the top 10.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

So vingegaard took out vlasov, no wonder the latter was pissed.

He was the only one trying to ride it not out of the saddle. #rabofail
Edit; from the still he does loom to be out of the saddle. My eyes are sore.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

No actually I meant that no favorite accelerated on the steep 3km before Evenepoel's attack. Based on what we saw during the second stage it could have cut his legs and prevented him from doing anything. Tomorrow they will definitively make it way more difficult for him, I would'nt be surprised if he finishes outside the top 10.

Yeah no one has really accelerated much at all this week. Fireworks tomorrow? Ineos look strong.

 

[Netserk]

I think Vlasov caused the crash.

 

[ciranda]

Maybe Vlasov touched Vingegaard's back wheel but he was still cut off and is not at fault I think.

 

[Eclipse]

I have to watch the stage, but wtf is going on? We can look forward to an incredible stage 6 tomorrow!

Did Rogla get caught in tactical games or straight up dropped?

Remco basically hammered a flat section towards the top of the climb and a mixed team of GC contenders went away and that was that it never came back because only FDJ really wanted to chase.

Rogla then struggled on the final wall but nobody outside Jumbo will know if that was them just saying chill (especially as the surface was very slick so you could argue there was a risk reduction element), whether he's ill, or whether he just had nothing.

I think Vlasov caused the crash.

I don't think so, that's just side to side bike movement as he's climbing and he very much holds his line. JV has come way across the road when any contact is made from where he was

 

[Red Rick]

How Vlasov and Vingegaard don't get themselves into a Vistvight is bery underwhelming.

 

[Jumbot]

I have to watch the stage, but wtf is going on? We can look forward to an incredible stage 6 tomorrow!

Did Rogla get caught in tactical games or straight up dropped?

Both

And pity for that crash