Best to give it a rest for now as on Saturday they will again depend on each other.
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After all the soap opera in the next few minutes between them and Deceunicks car João finaly starts to pull Remco untill the finish line and it's only fair to emphasize that he did and amazing job doing it and saving remcos hopes of get a Top3 at this Giro. Was he the best domestique? No he wasn't! Did he obey the orders when sent? Yes he did!
That's pretty much it.
Almeida did an amazing job for Remco, no doubt about that. But he did not ride as a domestique and didn't care about Remco until he was told to.
Should he have? Probably. Why didn't he? Because people are people I guess ... and all we can do is guess how Almeida was feeling about this situation. A little bit of frustration here, some frustration there, the urge to prove to himself, the fans and his new team how good he really is. Who knows.
This guy is so jealous of Remco when he should be grateful for riding with him.
yes indeed, we are speculating a lot in the last few days about Deceunicks, Remco and João... but I share your thoughts in this one, João was thinking about himself it that day, which surprised me because untill then he was always besides Remco.
Unfortunately Fausto Masnada had a bad day also, if not probably his job would be to stay besides Remco so João could have the freedom to go for the stage with the other GC riders... The only thing that is beyond discussion is that Remco shouldn’t be left alone at those sterrato sections and that João role on the team since day 1 was very poorly managed by DQ.
ATM I think that João has to much potential to be only a good domestique so it’s better for him to leave Lefevere’s team.
Serious? It is getting a bit crazy now.For ridding in a Super Team with a phenomenal talent like Remco.
He should be grateful to share some moments with a guy that will be in remember in the history of cycling like one of the bests, once is career is over.
For ridding in a Super Team with a phenomenal talent like Remco.
He should be grateful to share some moments with a guy that will be in remember in the history of cycling like one of the bests, once is career is over.
Patrick, I know it's a boring stage today and you have no sprinter in the race, but....
For ridding in a Super Team with a phenomenal talent like Remco.
He should be grateful to share some moments with a guy that will be in remember in the history of cycling like one of the bests, once is career is over.
At this point he's burned all his bridges, so there is no way back, and obviously it's best for him at the moment to leave the team. But i do not agree that he should have left, or that it was in his best interest. Money talks and all that, but financial issues aside, Lefevere said last year, that even though the plan was to have him become a righthand man to Evenepoel, a luitenant or super domestique, that if he showed that he could grow into more, that it didn't have to be a fixed trajectory, and that he would/could get his chances to develop into a teamleader himself.yes indeed, we are speculating a lot in the last few days about Deceunicks, Remco and João... but I share your thoughts in this one, João was thinking about himself it that day, which surprised me because untill then he was always besides Remco.
Unfortunately Fausto Masnada had a bad day also, if not probably his job would be to stay besides Remco so João could have the freedom to go for the stage with the other GC riders... The only thing that is beyond discussion is that Remco shouldn’t be left alone at those sterrato sections and that João role on the team since day 1 was very poorly managed by DQ.
ATM I think that João has to much potential to be only a good domestique so it’s better for him to leave Lefevere’s team.
I doubt if Denk was particularly aggrieved at that, or expected otherwise. He may have been annoyed by Lefevere mouthing off to the media about their conversation. There’s a preexisting rivalry anyway, given that in 2018 QS were the top sprint team, then Bora in 2019, then QS again since, and Bora is also one of the teams with ambitions to displace QS in the classics.My tinfoil hat theory is that Bora offered such a massive salary in part to spite Lefevere. Because he made it very clear that he would not be selling Evenepoel to them and that the team as a whole could not be bought either.
Actually my uncle is preparing the Zoncolan stage, you will witness something never done in this sport, mark my wordsPatrick, I know it's a boring stage today and you have no sprinter in the race, but....
If your uncle is Patrick Lefevere, then you should learn how to write his (your?) name better.Actually my uncle is preparing the Zoncolan stage, you will witness something never done in this sport, mark my words
At this point he's burned all his bridges, so there is no way back, and obviously it's best for him at the moment to leave the team. But i do not agree that he should have left, or that it was in his best interest. Money talks and all that, but financial issues aside, Lefevere said last year, that even though the plan was to have him become a righthand man to Evenepoel, a luitenant or super domestique, that if he showed that he could grow into more, that it didn't have to be a fixed trajectory, and that he would/could get his chances to develop into a teamleader himself.
This was even before the 2020 Giro, iirc. And it would only make sense. Besides Remco, there is no other rider currently at the team to be a GC leader. I don't think Vansevenant or Bagioli will become GT GC guys. On the other hand, the team will need to invest a lot in climbing domestiques to support Remco anyway. It's all wasted when Remco is injured again, and even when fit, he can not competitively ride 3 GT's per year. With injuries and form that means there will always be climbing domestiques on stand-by/in reserve who would be wasted. So who will ride the remaining 1 or 2 GT's? When would those other guys get in the team? This was Almeida's spot to take. But by leaving, he will be giving that up. Where will he go? To Bora? Where there is already Buchmann, Schachmann (for 1 week GC), Kelderman, Hindley (reportedly moving) and in 2 or 3 years there will also be Uijtdebroeks. So other than the financial benefits, the situation for him will not necessarily improve. Buchmann is clearly the better climber and will be 1st choice for the big races he wants to ride. For the other races, there is also more direct competition than at DQT.