I think Ayuso was simply hit by the rest day syndrome (yes, I consider yesterday as a rest day).
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- Jul 16, 2015
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Okay, I'll throw my opinion into this topic: GC in pro cycling is like Dark Souls.
If in the end game run you can't beat the third from last boss (aka Rogla), then you can't beat the final two bosses either (Vinge and then Pog).
Taking the fight to Rog is one thing, beating him is something else.
If in the end game run you can't beat the third from last boss (aka Rogla), then you can't beat the final two bosses either (Vinge and then Pog).
Taking the fight to Rog is one thing, beating him is something else.
- Oct 30, 2023
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- Mar 20, 2022
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So glad he lost. I hope he starts his downfall now.
Is Rogla still supposed to be the 'third GC demon*' in 2025?
What about Remco?
That said, there's some difference between GTs and one week tours.
Not that I think Ayuso would be ready to bring it against in shape Pog and Vingo, but I'm not so sure he cannot beat Roglic at the 2025 giro.
*
He's 23, lots of room for improvement. I expect him to have about 3 GTs under his belt by the time he's 30.
- Feb 20, 2012
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He hasn't improved that much since last year. Which is to be expected, considering it's his 4th year at WT level and he hasn't changed teams.
- Oct 30, 2023
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I look at this youtube preview and tell myself "don't click that link"
- Jul 16, 2015
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Hmm... yes? There would be a match between Rog and Evenepoel, at least as things stand. I mean obviously Rog is getting older but his form in the Vuelta 2024 and now here in Catalunya should at least say Evenepoel would have a real fight on his hands to beat him. Ergo for me, Rog is still "third GC demon" as you put it.
The other two are just ridiculous so I won't even go there. Watching the Plateau de Beille 2024 scarred my cycling fan brain forever.
So... back on topic, Ayuso has his work cut out. But he's got his chances, I won't pretend he doesn't. I mean the Giro can be notoriously cold and wet, for example, and Rog hates that. Almeida once dropped him in the Giro two years ago. It happens (although Rog was carrying an injury back then).
- Feb 20, 2012
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Essentially the only thing in Evenepoels favor is that he was ahead of Roglic in the 2024 Tour when Roglic crashed out, and it was fairly clear that Roglic wasn't quite right in the first week.
Roglic has won 2 Grand Tours since Evenepoel won his Vuelta, and in that time he has also won 4 other WT stage races compared to Evenepoels UAE Tour win (bear in mind this is GC riders, not GT riders)
Finally - if you wanna cite the 2024 TdF level specifically, Evenepoel finished closer to Almeida than Pogacar on all of the big mountain stages, and apart from like one day when Vingegaard was clearly bad and really defensive, he couldn't hold on to Vingegaard either.
So I think results absolutely favor Roglic, and level could go either way. I think 2024 would have seen a good fight for the TdF podium if Rog hadn't crashed out.
His form is excellent, always improving. Some of his race tactics are flawed.
Roglic rode perfectly in every way, Ayuso and UAE didn't react correctly with neutrality of previous stage. Roglic deserves congratulations on bold win..style points for sure, Bora was superior to UAE for 4 days in team tactics.
Ayuso also rode a good races, good individual results and excellent GC place overall.. Really good indicators for the balance of the season.
- Mar 26, 2023
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Maybe if Ayuso has a really good 2025, he can ride the 2026 UAE Tour as leader!
Joking aside, glad to see him healthy and interested in what he can do in the Giro.
Joking aside, glad to see him healthy and interested in what he can do in the Giro.
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- Aug 10, 2023
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When UAE didn't work for Ayuso at either the first or second sprint, I recalled his lack of team support in last year's TDF. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Giro.
ANALYSIS | Lingering tension? Did Adam Yates avoid working for Juan Ayuso at Tirreno-Adriatico and what does it mean for UAE at the Giro d'Italia?
Adam Yates was one of the most vocal critics of Juan Ayuso during the 2024 Tour de France. The British rider, rather than keeping his frustrations behind closed doors, aired them publicly, criticizing...cyclinguptodate.com
- Sep 12, 2022
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So for the Tour we can use an excuse that Roglic wasn't "right" the first week and crashed out, but we can say that Roglic won 2 GT's since Evenepoel's Vuelta even though one of them was because Evenepoel had to quit the Giro due to covid while he was leading?
At no time did Roglic show he would be able to beat Evenepoel uphill in the TDF 2024, while we did see it the other way around. Using any other metric like "closest to Almeida" doesn't really matter.
- Mar 20, 2022
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Bora wasn't superior. Bora had and has a better rider. They messed up the second intermediate sprint.
- Apr 30, 2011
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He did so the day before he crashed out, dropping Evenepoel twice.
- Jul 16, 2015
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FYI to me it looked like Ayuso was starting to lose Bernal's wheel when Bernal lost Rog's wheel.
- Sep 12, 2022
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Dropping someone because you blew yourself up doesn't count. Anyone can do that...
- Feb 20, 2012
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That's why I make a pretty clear distinction between results and level, and I admit peak level wise could be a 50/50. I would absolutely take Rog if they're both not 100%.
Don't know if you watched the final race, checked the GC, intermediate sprints turned out to be insignificant, the brilliant move made by Roglic was not a roll away after the sprint, he attacked in a non sprint zone. Videos and still photos post Primoz punishment show an occasional UAE rider trying to counter and drag Ayuso up, Bora was there albeit sparingly, but UAE didn't have typical all hands on deck closing down Roglic rolling off..instead his effort and team made chase very very difficult for UAE...or anyone else.. Roglic deserves majority credit, fantastic timing and super human on the limit effort on final day or final difficult kilometers, but the time gained or loss from bonus sprints was not the final margin. Real life could have had Ayuso or other UAE rider, someone other than Roglic accumulating bonus and his ride destroyed all
Bernal's head drop was so telling at that very moment--the gap subsequently went from 1 sec to 15 (or whatever it was) right after that.FYI to me it looked like Ayuso was starting to lose Bernal's wheel when Bernal lost Rog's wheel.
Armchair Cyclist
Moderator
- Mar 22, 2010
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Most of which seems to confirm the opinion that you seem to take issue with.
Intermediate sprints turned out to be insignificant, but Bora rode as though they were significant while failing to make them so in their favour.
- Apr 16, 2009
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No way. It is something else IMHO. He is too young and has barely raced a lot this year.
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