Lesser known races 2023 edition

[yaco]

It looks like Viviani got demoted from his second place yesterday at the Route d'Occitanie - so much for all of Ineos hard work! The important news is Pozzovivo came in with the front group. The dream lives on!

I didn't understand Ineos tactics in the final 8km - The race had split with Plapp their GC rider in a group of 11 or 12 BUT yet Ganna dragged Viviani and other GC riders back to the lead group - I found this to be bewildering tactics - I doubt that Ineos is developing Plapp well when you look at his calendar - No one day races have been included in 18mths, yet Plapp's skill set indicates he should be effective in one day races.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Did Kirby really just say ‚got swamped, went too early‘ How? He left it too late.

 

[DNP-Old]

Viviani should be arrested for being a thief. He is stealing millions from INEOS.

 

[Rob5091]

Chapeau Tesson! Viviani just does n't have the legs anymore, I'm afraid.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

 

[DNP-Old]

Vuelta a Colombia prologue, won by a certain Superman and his Super Sock.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Vuelta a Colombia prologue, won by a certain Superman and his Super Sock.

Ninth and tenth place being on same time with the same name: The Colombians are using cloning!

 

[Tim Cahill]

ASO should be going cap-in-hand to Medellin and asking them to the le tour, imagine Sevilla dropping the hammer for Miguel Angel on Loze, it could've been truly legendary.

 

[StryderHells]

I didn't understand Ineos tactics in the final 8km - The race had split with Plapp their GC rider in a group of 11 or 12 BUT yet Ganna dragged Viviani and other GC riders back to the lead group - I found this to be bewildering tactics - I doubt that Ineos is developing Plapp well when you look at his calendar - No one day races have been included in 18mths, yet Plapp's skill set indicates he should be effective in one day races.

He did ride the Cadel race earlier this season which is a one day race, also the nationals, worlds, comm games last season which are all one day races.

 

[yaco]

He did ride the Cadel race earlier this season which is a one day race, also the nationals, worlds, comm games last season which are all one day races.

Nationals, World's and Comm Games are for Australia - Ineos have not given him a program which explores his potential - Hopefully he comes to his senses and moves to Jayco in 2025 where he will be a team leader.

 

[RedheadDane]

Nationals, World's and Comm Games are for Australia - Ineos have not given him a program which explores his potential - Hopefully he comes to his senses and moves to Jayco in 2025 where he will be a team leader.

Pretty sure nationals are for your trade team. Would be pretty weird if riders rode for national teams at national championships.

 

[Rob5091]

La route d'Occitaine stage 3 - up in the montains, 189 km, 3 climbs. Time for Pozzovivo to be unleashed! Guerreiro otherwise for the win.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The Dawg has to work in Occitanie now, sad they won‘t just let him get dropped.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Pretty nuclear accelerations from Woods but Rodriguez clings on, he was great on Ventoux and clearly riding into some great form for The Tour.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Pozzovivo and Steinhauser climbing together looks funny.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

What is going on with Plapp? Missed a few races after his great run in UAE and hasn't got going at all since, finishing with Froome today at 12 minutes.

 

[Tim Cahill]

What is going on with Plapp? Missed a few races after his great run in UAE and hasn't got going at all since, finishing with Froome today at 12 minutes.

Crashed very heavily in Hongrie and Basque iirc, sick in March

Story of their season

 

[theyoungest]

Crashed very heavily in Hongrie and Basque iirc, sick in March

Story of their season

Story of whose season? The Australians?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Story of whose season? The Australians?

Ineos and I suppose the Australians too, both teams seem to be spending a substantial amount of time on the ground

 

[yaco]

Ineos are not developing Plapp well at all - His riding shows characteristics to suggest he could be good at one-day races but all he does is stage races. I imagine Jayco will go hard for him in 2025.

 

[Rob5091]

Woods and Rodriguez rode well at d'Occitaine - looking good for the Tour, as was Pozzovivo.

 

[Rackham]

It was a very enjoyable stage IMO (aka Route d'Occitanie).

Maybe because in cycling terms I needed a welcome break from the Suisse stuff but I actually enjoyed that final climb. And that part of France looks absolutely beautiful at this time of the year when the weather is good.

 

[Taxus4a]

Omer GOLDSTEIN (ISRAEL – PREMIER TECH)
Filippo GANNA (INEOS GRENADIERS)
Laurent PICHON (TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC)
Dries VAN GESTEL (TOTALENERGIES)
Simon CARR (EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST)
Marijn VAN DEN BERG (EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST)
Rudy MOLARD (GROUPAMA – FDJ)
Lars VAN DEN BERG (GROUPAMA – FDJ)
Bastien TRONCHON (AG2R CITROEN TEAM)
Nicolas DEBEAUMARCHE (ST MICHEL – MAVIC – AUBER93)
Joris DELBOVE (ST MICHEL – MAVIC – AUBER93)
Maxime JARNET (VAN RYSEL -ROUBAIX LILLE METROPOLE)

With 3 minutes with the peloton. Important names, one of them at less than 5 minutes at GC.

 

[Pinot's goat]

The stage has been nuts it seems. Shame there is no coverage.

 

[RedheadDane]

The stage has been nuts it seems. Shame there is no coverage.

Now there is!

Carr and L. Van Den Berg in the front.