Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

[Ilmaestro99]

I don't get how Landa would even be in the same tier of favorites as Carapaz after the last 3 years of racing.
Landa hasn't podiumed a GT in 6 years. Carapaz has podiumed 3 of the last 4 GTs he's finished.

Because Landismo is alive

 

[Ilmaestro99]

The 2019 Giro was great because we had Landismo and Carapaz (2 of the most exciting gc riders) in the same Movistar team in the great form lighting up the race. Meanwhile Vincenzo was doing his thing quietly and Fausto Masnada won a beautiful stage. And Simon Yates got taught a lesson. It really was a great grand tour.

 

[Mayomaniac]

The 2019 Giro was great because we had Landismo and Carapaz (2 of the most exciting gc riders) in the same Movistar team in the great form lighting up the race. Meanwhile Vincenzo was doing his thing quietly and Fausto Masnada won a beautiful stage. And Simon Yates got taught a lesson. It really was a great grand tour.

Sciandri did a great job as the Movistar DS in that Giro, a shame that they never use him as a DS in the Tour or the Vuelta. Landa and Carapaz were also good teammates who got along really well (there's that scene in the documentary where you see Landa on the radio encouraging Carapaz who is on the attack during the Cormayeur stage). I have to say that the first 11 days of that Giro weren't that great, there was the Masnada stage and the opening TT, but also a lot of crashes and gc riders not going all in on the hillier stages (those stages were rather easy, tbf).

 

[Red Rick]

Sciandri did a great job as the Movistar DS in that Giro, a shame that they never use him as a DS in the Tour or the Vuelta. Landa and Carapaz were also good teammates who got along really well (there's that scene in the documentary where you see Landa on the radio encouraging Carapaz who is on the attack during the Cormayeur stage). I have to say that the first 11 days of that Giro weren't that great, there was the Masnada stage and the opening TT, but also a lot of crashes and gc riders not going all in on the hillier stages (those stages were rather easy, tbf).

2019 Giro was really bad in the first 11 stages. Stage 12-14 overperformed because Roglic had a weak team so there was chaos on the road, then once Carapaz took pink it was a pretty controlled race. Monte Avena stage design was just poor, and sad Gavia got taken out. Pucchio also really took the sting out of that Giro in hindsight.

 

[Netserk]

I don't get how Landa would even be in the same tier of favorites as Carapaz after the last 3 years of racing.
Landa hasn't podiumed a GT in 6 years. Carapaz has podiumed 3 of the last 4 GTs he's finished.

How confident are you that Carapaz will even start the Giro next year?

 

[Mayomaniac]

2019 Giro was really bad in the first 11 stages. Stage 12-14 overperformed because Roglic had a weak team so there was chaos on the road, then once Carapaz took pink it was a pretty controlled race. Monte Avena stage design was just poor, and sad Gavia got taken out. Pucchio also really took the sting out of that Giro in hindsight.

Rolle and the falso flat sections around it killed the gc action, but Carapaz, Landa and MAL went hard on Manghen, with almost 120kms to go. The stage still allowed you to attack on Croce d'Aune, before the final climb, so it wasn't that bad. The original version that we got at the presentation of the Giro was much worse.

 

[Red Rick]

Rolle and the falso flat sections around it killed the gc action, but Carapaz, Landa and MAL went hard on Manghen, with almost 120kms to go. The stage still allowed you to attack on Croce d'Aune, before the final climb, so it wasn't that bad. The original version that we got at the presentation of the Giro was much worse.

Well that's why it was bad design IMO. I guess it had to do with the region that paid for the stage, cause Monte Grappa was right there.

Maybe if you wanna do Rolle you can do like San Pellegrino - Passo di Valles and it should look better

 

[Mayomaniac]

Well that's why it was bad design IMO. I guess it had to do with the region that paid for the stage, cause Monte Grappa was right there.

Maybe if you wanna do Rolle you can do like Passo di Valles but I still don't think it would be that great.

No, the original route was the Sportful Granfondo route, they improved it a bit. Sportful payed a decent amount of money to have their Granfondo route in the Giro, so they could only change it up so much.
I'm still hoping for a Granfondo Fausto Coppi stage with Fauniera or an Ötztaler Radmarathon stage in the coming years. The Ötztal pro race didn't work out, so fingers crossed.

 

[Red Rick]

No, the original route was the Sportful Granfondo route, they improved it a bit. Sportful payed a decent amount of money to have their Granfondo route in the Giro, so they could only change it up so much.
I'm still hoping for a Granfondo Fausto Coppi stage with Fauniera or an Ötztaler Radmarathon stage in the coming years. The Ötztal pro race didn't work out, so fingers crossed.

What was the original design?

 

[Netserk]

Rolle and the falso flat sections around it killed the gc action, but Carapaz, Landa and MAL went hard on Manghen, with almost 120kms to go. The stage still allowed you to attack on Croce d'Aune, before the final climb, so it wasn't that bad. The original version that we got at the presentation of the Giro was much worse.

I'm not sure it was worse.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Sciandri did a great job as the Movistar DS in that Giro, a shame that they never use him as a DS in the Tour or the Vuelta. Landa and Carapaz were also good teammates who got along really well (there's that scene in the documentary where you see Landa on the radio encouraging Carapaz who is on the attack during the Cormayeur stage). I have to say that the first 11 days of that Giro weren't that great, there was the Masnada stage and the opening TT, but also a lot of crashes and gc riders not going all in on the hillier stages (those stages were rather easy, tbf).

I remember at the time the hype around Sciandri as a DS and potential Movistar success. It was another GT where Landa was criticised for his role but I think the dynamic worked perfectly between him and Carapaz. Movistar almost came away with a 1 - 3 on gc and the way they leveraged the numbers on stages 13 and 14 was brilliant.

Now you mention it I realise up until about stage 11 people were saying it was a terrible giro. Dumoulin crashed out, Roglic comfortable, a lot of sprint stages, only stage 6 was good.

But then we had:
-a great stage 12 breakaway fight for a stage win and Landa on the attack with Superman
-Landa attacking from far out on the Lago Serru stage and taking 90 seconds on Roglic and Nibali, with Carapaz also attacking later and almost catching Landa.
-Cormauyeur stage had the brilliant race defining attack from Carapaz.
-Stage 15 into Como Vincenzo put Roglic in crisis and Cataldo finally got a stage win
-Mortirolo in the rain on stage 16
-Landa was first among the gc riders on stage 17 and Carapaz second, again using their numbers to put time on Nibali
-Brilliant breakaway holds off the peloton on stage 18.
-Chavito comeback emotional win on stage 19
-if they had dropped Bilbao on stage 20 Movistar would have another stage win in that giro and maybe podium on GC with the bonus seconds. They just didn't quite ride hard enough.
- a tense final TT where maybe Landa could hold the podium and a surprising winner.

It wasn't the best giro in recent years but it might be my favourite.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I'm not sure it was worse.

Rolle from that side has what, 2kms at over 7% over the whole climb from Predazzo? You also have 19kms of false flat downhill after the actual Rolle descent and before the final climb. I don't think it's a better stage.
I still don't know why they went for an uphill finish insteadd of the actual Granfondo route:

Doing this one the other was around might work the best as a final mountain stage (we never get to see Manghen from North, so it would change things up a bit).

 

[Netserk]

I think the best they could have done would be the Granfondo route with Passo di Pramadiccio inserted. I think you'd still have a reasonable chance for all-out action on Manghen.

EDIT: Or better, if it was possible to switch stage finishes so Monte Avena was stage 19 and stage 20 finished shortly after Rolle.

 

[johnymax]

I remember at the time the hype around Sciandri as a DS and potential Movistar success. It was another GT where Landa was criticised for his role but I think the dynamic worked perfectly between him and Carapaz. Movistar almost came away with a 1 - 3 on gc and the way they leveraged the numbers on stages 13 and 14 was brilliant.

Now you mention it I realise up until about stage 11 people were saying it was a terrible giro. Dumoulin crashed out, Roglic comfortable, a lot of sprint stages, only stage 6 was good.

But then we had:
-a great stage 12 breakaway fight for a stage win and Landa on the attack with Superman
-Landa attacking from far out on the Lago Serru stage and taking 90 seconds on Roglic and Nibali, with Carapaz also attacking later and almost catching Landa.
-Cormauyeur stage had the brilliant race defining attack from Carapaz.
-Stage 15 into Como Vincenzo put Roglic in crisis and Cataldo finally got a stage win
-Mortirolo in the rain on stage 16
-Landa was first among the gc riders on stage 17 and Carapaz second, again using their numbers to put time on Nibali
-Brilliant breakaway holds off the peloton on stage 18.
-Chavito comeback emotional win on stage 19
-if they had dropped Bilbao on stage 20 Movistar would have another stage win in that giro and maybe podium on GC with the bonus seconds. They just didn't quite ride hard enough.
- a tense final TT where maybe Landa could hold the podium and a surprising winner.

It wasn't the best giro in recent years but it might be my favourite.

You probably mean:
-Stage 15 into Como Addy Engels put Roglic in crisis and Cataldo finally got a stage win

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Giro Tour Double in 2022!

Landismo is alive!

 

[ice&fire]

I assume he's doing those as the lucky charm for Caruso and Haig respectively

 

[Serpentin]

New year new possibilities. I want him to win the Basque country and then go for blue in Giro.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

New year new possibilities. I want him to win the Basque country and then go for blue in Giro.

Basque would be a good win for him. A beautiful race. But they always put a time trial which ruins his chances.

I think he's too good to focus on blue at this stage. He did it already.

 

[Salvarani]

Basque would be a good win for him. A beautiful race. But they always put a time trial which ruins his chances.

I think he's too good to focus on blue at this stage. He did it already.

For as good as he is... he "only" has 16 wins. That is still a good career. He just always had the potential for so much more.

In a perfect race for him one could wish. Vuelta or Giro feel the most likely.

Time is running out for him though a little bit.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

I assume he's doing those as the lucky charm for Caruso and Haig respectively

And don‘t forget Mäder…

 

[Serpentin]

Basque would be a good win for him. A beautiful race. But they always put a time trial which ruins his chances.

I think he's too good to focus on blue at this stage. He did it already.

Yes he is too good for that.

The sad truth is that if he stays upright the whole season the results will come.

The team is so good now that maybe he can relax a little bit and stay out of trouble.

 

[Bolder]

For as good as he is... he "only" has 16 wins. That is still a good career. He just always had the potential for so much more.

In a perfect race for him one could wish. Vuelta or Giro feel the most likely.

Time is running out for him though a little bit.

I think that way also. I'm a huge Landista, but I worry that he will never be able to reach what I think is is true potential, which is multiple Giro/Vuelta winner. His climbing at Sky was a thing of beauty.

 

[Salvarani]

I think that way also. I'm a huge Landista, but I worry that he will never be able to reach what I think is is true potential, which is multiple Giro/Vuelta winner. His climbing at Sky was a thing of beauty.

2017 his level was very high in both the Giro and the Tour.

 

[Serpentin]

So he is confirmed for Giro. Maybe I missed it earlier. He will go on the attack on the first mountain...in the drops! Mark my words!

 

[AlfaLum]

By then he will have lost 32 minutes already due to crosswinds, falls, not paying attention or whatever other stupid thing can happen to Landa.