Miguel Ángel Lopez Discussion Thread

[Bolder]

Yeah, the situation was exactly the same for Bernal...

No, but Bernal didn't throw a tantrum either.

 

[Red Rick]

No, but Bernal didn't throw a tantrum either.

Bernal lost nothing he gave a *** about.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It was rather obvious López wanted a podium position and had lost it. In addition López likely felt he lost internal battle in regards to Mas due to team orders. After going all in and winning the queen stage emotions were likely high. He needed to vent and i guess he is human after all.

 

[perico]

It was rather obvious López wanted a podium position and had lost it. In addition López likely felt he lost internal battle in regards to Mas due to team orders. After going all in and winning the queen stage emotions were likely high. He needed to vent and i guess he is human after all.

I just rewatched the entire stage. It’s bulls—t. Lopez pulled the chase group until he was over a minute behind ano team car was anywhere to be found. It’s possible that Unzue passed him and yelled on the descent somewhere, but IT DID NOT HAPPEN until he was over a minute behind the lead group.

He could not follow Yates acceleration after following Bernal and it wasn’t for lack of trying.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Regardless he lost the internal battle with Mas.

 

[zepecat]

It was rather obvious López wanted a podium position and had lost it. In addition López likely felt he lost internal battle in regards to Mas due to team orders. After going all in and winning the queen stage emotions were likely high. He needed to vent and i guess he is human after all.

I totally agree. And add up that he had a chip on his shoulder, as per statements of his wife, affirming he was being relegated in comparison with Mas. This, and he being concerned that time trials were his weak point, put huge pressure on him.
Also he has have always some prevention regarding the Spaniard - South American relationship issues in the movistar team, true or not. (Remember that Spain did conquest and occupied for centuries the today's Spanish speaking countries of America , so there's some kind of resentment)
So with his hot headed temperament, it was going to happen some incident of this kind, as it did.

 

[Leinster]

I just doubt they'll sacrifice MAL for a small shot at Mas winning.

Dunno if it’s been said, but this post looks different in hindsight…

 

[Red Rick]

Dunno if it’s been said, but this post looks different in hindsight…

They sacrificed MALs podium for no shot at winning. I was right.

 

[SHAD0W93]

They sacrificed MALs podium for no shot at winning. I was right.

They got attacked, Mas responded, Lopez didn’t. They didn’t have a team anymore. Both knew that. Mas didn’t help the others. Neither attacked the other, they were the ones attacked and Lopez was caught napping.

Okay what could they have done differently?

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

If it was like a situation where Movistar had a helper up there with Mas and this helper would work I would agree Movistar had sacrificed Lopez. But Lopez sacrificed himself when he let all Haig go with a helper.

 

[staubsauger]

López has a massive history of hesitating and refusing to take pulls. Hence why this happened with advance notice.

What did he even think? That Bernal would pull back Yates, after he barely followed his super-domestiques tempo and his own attack got closed down easily!?

It was simply Miguel Angel Lopez being Miguel Angel Lopez.

That doesn't mean that Patxi Villa & Arrieta aren't kinda clueless sports directors. One thing doesn't necessarily exclude the other.

 

[Escarabajo]

I totally agree. And add up that he had a chip on his shoulder, as per statements of his wife, affirming he was being relegated in comparison with Mas. This, and he being concerned that time trials were his weak point, put huge pressure on him.
Also he has have always some prevention regarding the Spaniard - South American relationship issues in the movistar team, true or not. (Remember that Spain did conquest and occupied for centuries the today's Spanish speaking countries of America , so there's some kind of resentment)
So with his hot headed temperament, it was going to happen some incident of this kind, as it did.

I think I agree with the first part that there was something going on between them before the stage, during the 19 previous stages, and exploded in stage 20. I believe that to be true 100%. No reason to lie there.

What I don't agree is the resentment between Hispanos and Spain for the long past history. I don't think so. Every now and then I hear someone say something about it but it is more joking than a true resentment. I think there is none in general terms.

 

[Escarabajo]

Had he stayed in the front group, podium was his. Haig was as cooked as him. IMHO.

It would be funny if Lopez confused the orders to slow down and wait for JJ for orders to slow down to avoid chasing Mas. LOL. The fact that played tricks in his hot head was the issues that could have happened during the previous 19 stages. That could have lead him to create confusion in his head. In that respect I do believe it that Unzue told him to slow down in order to wait for Rojas. That I don't have a problem believing.

Now, if that is true, I am still very puzzled about why a rider who has been as strong as he has been all Vuelta could not close a 10 meter gap. And such a clumsy attack. Similar to Bernal few minutes back. I still don't get it. And I ride bikes a lot, so I understand about being out of air for a few seconds. But that doesn't explain the situation.

 

[CyclistAbi]

But do we really blame him for being a hot head?

 

[Escarabajo]

You are responsible for your acts. That's why I think that he needs some professional help. IMHO.

This is a rider who was stabbed for robbing his bike. He fought and that's why he was stabbed. He came close to being dead, just like many Colombians who fight against a robber at knife or gun point.

 

[zepecat]

But do we really blame him for being a hot head?

Good question . Well, Juan Pablo Montoya (the F1 racer) was another hot head example. It might not be good for himself, but it definitely adds up to the show.

 

[bill1109]

I am embarrassed for Lopez on this and I think people laying this at the door of Movistar is ridiculous

Sure there maybe issues in the team dynamics but can someone tell me a team where there is not ?

Lopez missed the crucial move and let Haig and other leaders get away from him,,,his own fault
He chases for ages but the gap only grew to when it was up to 3 minutes
Then maybe Movistar suggested that his riding at the front by himself was not working and maybe stop and force others to chase like UAE

The gap was very high when his Movistar team mate caught up but it was too late to chase then and gap was over 7 minutes
So Lopez abandoned the race. I am sure he was upset as so many riders are in every race all the time when things dont go their way and they lose wins or podiums but they dont abandon GTs at the eleventh hour

And now he and his father in law and the Colombian press are throwing the blame at the feet of the team and everyone else but the truth is he behaved unprofessionally and childishly and this just makes him look worse. Why cant he own his behavior

If he was upset and was overcome he could have still got back on his bike and finished the race and everyone would have understood
How many cyclists would give their right arm to race the Vuelta
I guess I know now even though he is a great climber why he will never win a GT

Bingo...totally agree with this explanation of what happened. HIs job was to stay on Haig's wheel and either 1) he didn't have the legs, or 2) he thought he'd get help from others....either way, his fault..either way, those things happen. However, trying to blame the team, then getting off the bike and quitting... no excuses for that, especially when there are so many examples of riders soldering on with worse cirucumstances for much lower placings. Will enjoy seeing this rider lose races in the future.

 

[Leinster]

They sacrificed MALs podium for no shot at winning. I was right.

True enough. I just don’t think it was the circumstances anyone would have anticipated as if last Monday.

 

[hrotha]

Honestly I think the Spanish colonization of Latin America plays a much smaller role on any current animosity than the YouTube wars over which Simpsons dub is better.

 

[Sciatic]

But do we really blame him for being a hot head?

No, but we’re frustrated and disappointed he didn’t get back on the bike after blowing off steam. But I’m not inside his head, so who knows—maybe this was the only prob solving he could manage at the time.

 

[zepecat]

Honestly I think the Spanish colonization of Latin America plays a much smaller role on any current animosity than the YouTube wars over which Simpsons dub is better.

The thing is, these sort of things happen regardless of we finding it funny or not. In sport teams of the 5 continents. There's no need to bring examples.

On wether it is the main issue regarding the incident, obviously not.

The point being is that there wasn't a single cause. So it is worthless trying to simplify things to MAL following Haig's wheel .

 

[Ripper]

Yes, it was an absolutely insanely unlucky scenario - no allies, no teammates. It just doesnt happen often, but it did yesterday.. podium was probably lost either way, maybe not, but he could easily have salvaged a top 5 with a stage win in the queen stage (which would be a quite good Vuelta)

Agree completely with one added bit, unlucky - yes, but not insanely so. This stuff happens, perhaps even more in lower ranked races. No one wants to pull and it's all on one rider. So no allies and, if you don't have the legs and missed the split, you are hooped. It does make me wonder a bit if MAS has no friends in the bunch, but I don't want to read too much into it, because it could just be dynamics at the end of a GT.

 

[Ripper]

López has a massive history of hesitating and refusing to take pulls. Hence why this happened with advance notice.

What did he even think? That Bernal would pull back Yates, after he barely followed his super-domestiques tempo and his own attack got closed down easily!?

It was simply Miguel Angel Lopez being Miguel Angel Lopez.

That doesn't mean that Patxi Villa & Arrieta aren't kinda clueless sports directors. One thing doesn't necessarily exclude the other.

Very true on all counts. The movistar documentaries certainly shine a bit of a light on some 'interesting' DS work.

 

[Ripper]

Had he stayed in the front group, podium was his. Haig was as cooked as him. IMHO.

It would be funny if Lopez confused the orders to slow down and wait for JJ for orders to slow down to avoid chasing Mas. LOL. The fact that played tricks in his hot head was the issues that could have happened during the previous 19 stages. That could have lead him to create confusion in his head. In that respect I do believe it that Unzue told him to slow down in order to wait for Rojas. That I don't have a problem believing.

Now, if that is true, I am still very puzzled about why a rider who has been as strong as he has been all Vuelta could not close a 10 meter gap. And such a clumsy attack. Similar to Bernal few minutes back. I still don't get it. And ride bike a lot, so I understand about being out of air for a few seconds. But that doesn't explain the situation.

Because in stage races you can change from day to day. I've gone from absolute sh*t to duking it out for the win overnight (and vice versa). I've never raced a GT, but I anticipate performances for some are markedly more polarized due to the length and intensity and the level of racing. Just 1% off on a day, a bit of a crap sleep due to extra stress, and a moment's hesitation, and then you have a gap and you do not have the legs to close it. Then it becomes a TT (not MAS' strong point), and everyone is sitting on your wheel, so your morale crashes.

 

[Ripper]

But do we really blame him for being a hot head?

Not sure how to answer this. In some ways the answer is yes. He has a hot head (is volatile), this is not news for him by this time in his career, and it is detrimental to his performance. He could address it, but it appears he has not done so, or at least not enough. Until he does, he can expect not to reach his full peak.