Velolover2 said:
Good edition after all. The balance is still perfect but you could add Le Maine for a bit more pre-action without destroying the sprinters' (bar Groenewegen and Kittel) chances..
The slow pace on Cipressa made Poggio much more explosive. But I'm astonished that no one had the guts to go long range.
I feel quite the opposite. Today convinced me it's not all that balanced even without Le Manie.
One team decided to ride really hard on the Poggio today, the Poggio group did not cooperate at all, it had been an easy day all day, and the bunch kick finished almost half a minute down.
If one strong team commits to the Poggio, a bunch sprint can't win. That is perhaps the biggest tactical change together with guys like Sagan, Matthews and Degenkolb not waiting for a sprint anymore.