Itzulia Basque Country 2023 (April 3-8)

Page 12 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Jun 20, 2015
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What is going on with Dani Martinez? he was in front and came in position 22 at 26". This is crazy. This is like if someone changed the rider last year after Itzulia. I don't recognize this rider.

Chapeau to Vingegaard. But It looked like Mas was stronger than what he showed at the end.

Martinez form is inconsistent - he can look a million dollars in one race and nowhere in the next race.
 
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KZD

Feb 21, 2019
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Who was strongest, today? I think maybe Landisimo. I hope I don't jinx his chances when I start cheering for him, now.

Landa looked super strong today with that recovery at the end. I don't expect him to beat Jonas in the overall but in this shape he should blow the race apart in the last stage.
 
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Feb 20, 2012
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Is that good, bad, meh?
Roughly the same VAM as Valverde final minute of Fleche Wallone in 2021. That segment is shorter

That's probably the best comparison, but still not great. Fleche gets a fresher start, and the first part of the climb raced harder, although in 2021 the first 1'50 of de Mur was actually slow.
 
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May 6, 2021
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Landani absolutely robbed looking back at the finish, strongest on the stage and biggest screwjob since that Giro where he would've put 10 minutes into Contador if not for team tactics.

Looking good for the Tour in July and with barely any TT a podium is certain, if not even more! Vamos!
 
May 17, 2013
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...that's why you want to ride at the front. Bravo Jonas!

The final was too weird, many riders got their effort too affected for me to draw much out of this bike race except Bravo Jonas!

Gaudu and Landa are my horses in this game, they lost plenty of momentum and/or placings because of the incident. but Jonas was strong and vigilant today. Good for him.
 
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Sep 2, 2011
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It's not the organisers fault that the finale was ruined...
I actually think it's nobody's fault, but having a big enough bunch tackle such a narrow finish on very steep slopes will, at times, create problems.
Juanpe had no way to see Higuita coming and was swerving because he had nothing left.
Higuita couldn't anticipate Juanpe swerving exactly there.

Yes, and it confirms that Vingegaard's "early" attack probably had to do with that small crash.
I think he saw Higuita coming like a bullet and accelerated to catch his wheel. When he realized Higuita was held up he kept going.
 
Nov 16, 2013
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I actually think it's nobody's fault, but having a big enough bunch tackle such a narrow finish on very steep slopes will, at times, create problems.
Juanpe had no way to see Higuita coming and was swerving because he had nothing left.
Higuita couldn't anticipate Juanpe swerving exactly there.


I think he saw Higuita coming like a bullet and accelerated to catch his wheel. When he realized Higuita was held up he kept going.

Agreed. It's like the Milano-Torino crash where Superman attacked the moment Gaudu was done with his pull so he swung out directly into López's trajectory. Just a freak accident.

Also, yesterday's finale was quite peculiar because it was both narrow and straight. Usually, such finales are very twisting.
 
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Jan 11, 2010
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Yeah Oomen never really panned out as a signing apart from being a depth signing for a B squad. Kruijswijk is building up and doing early work a lot

I think Jumbo are trying to be a bit more strategic about how many dudes they need for something and where they get someone in position.
A few years ago Oomen was pretty much the only young Dutch talent for stage races, then he got the infamous artery problem a lot of riders have. He had surgery but I don't think it helped much. He's clearly limited compared to what he could do before.