O Gran Camiño 2023, Spain, February 23-26

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Surprised Vingegaard managed to cancel the race without Van Aert or Roglics help.

Yeah, surprised Vingegaard managed to cancel, at all.

Another Dane, Bjarne Riis, was a master when it came to negotiations with commissaires. No one dared not do do what Riis wanted. Riders, teams, commissaires obeyed Riis 100%. Everyone was afraid of Bjarne getting seriously angry.

Vingegaard is the opposite, rather. Really calm person. But as a TdF winner, who‘s training at Gran Camino, he probably thought it was enoughfor the day.

Ok, they still would have had to ride the last downhill. So canceling seems reasonable. Hope this is the only stage canceled.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It looks like snow didn't give them any break.

 

[ice&fire]

Surprised Vingegaard managed to cancel the race without Van Aert or Roglics help.

He has Rohan by his side

 

[DNP-Old]

Frans Maassen said that riders were crying on their bikes due to the cold. I’m all in on Dennis Rohan being the one.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

They should allow the break to start 15 minutes ahead of everyone tomorrow. Basically like pursuit in Biathlon where athletes get the advantage at the start based on their previous result.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Frans Maassen said that riders were crying on their bikes due to the cold. I’m all in on Dennis Rohan being the one.

I mean, if you aren't dressed properly it can be brutal. That said, it's in a medium mountain region in Europe at the end of February, teams should bring some winter gear. I remember riders suffering frostbite on their toes in that snowy MSR because the teams didn't bring winter gear.

 

[Ricco']

Hope this is the only stage canceled.

I think the worst days are yet to come. Here in Portugal, the territories next to the Galician border are all with yellow warnings for snow from tomorrow afternoon until saturday afternoon.

The warnings are for snowfall at 600m of altitude so tomorrow's stage should be relatively unscathed as it's all ridden at low altitude near the ocean, but it may affect saturday's stage.

 

[Extinction]

And then there is Hinault in the 1980 Liege.

LA VITTORIA SOTTO LA NEVE DI HINAULT ALLA LIEGI-BASTOGNE-LIEGI 1980

articolo di Nicola Pucci Quel che accade il 20 aprile 1980 sulle strade della Liegi-Bastogne-Liegi, la “Doyenne” delle grandi classiche del Nord, ha davvero i contorni dell’epica.…

sport660.wordpress.com

Or Charly Gaul in the 1957 Giro:

charly gaul — Blog — SaddleDrunk

Intoxicated with the Freedom of Cycling

www.saddledrunk.com

Or Andy Hampsten on the Gavia in the 1988 Giro:

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/05/10/andy-hampsten-1988-giro-ditalia

Or Nibali in the 2013 Giro:

Nibali victorious in the snow

The wintery conditions forced the Giro to reduce the grand Dolomite-stage to one decisive final climb to the iconic Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Vinceno Nibali seized the opportunity to establish himself...

www.podiumcafe.com

There was no safety considered, let alone modern winter clothing, in 1957, 1980 and 1988 they went through it in shorts! Different times.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Snow at plus temperatures should never stop a bike race.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Snow at plus temperatures should never stop a bike race.

A case could be made for that if they were only climbing. But if there is a descent involved (as today), that is a totally different matter.

 

[Danskebjerge]

A case could be made for that if they were only climbing. But if there is a descent involved (as today), that is a totally different matter.

Depends on the temperature. I don't know the exact weather data from today, but if it's +3 degrees Celsius and snowing, I don't think roads are much more dangerous than in rain. (It's a relatively common weather type where I live.)

It seemed it was riders being cold that played a role here when the race was stopped. No wonder they had a hard time - some of them wore shorts! That's no excuse for stopping the race though.

 

[Extinction]

They descended the Gavia in the 88 Giro, they should finish a race in flurries today. In shorts, from the Gavia!

 

[Sciatic]

Honestly folks, those comparisons to brutal conditions at Liege, Gavia, and MSR, etc. in the past might have some merit when guys are in riding in a present-day GT, monument or other big race. And yeah, probably all of us have ridden in such conditions but kept going because, well, we had to get home. This is Gran Camino in mid-Feb,, it’s not surprising some (or their DSs) would decide it’s not worth getting hurt (or stress their systems trying to keep warm with 2% body fat) here with their whole season ahead of them.
I would rather see them race, but we should at least understand the context here.

 

[BR2]

I am the last person on earth who should lecture other people about enduring the cold... and in the end one just cannot tell how exactly the conditions were. However it seems they and their teams weren't well prepared and from your comments it also sounds like the break was not happy with the decision - some riders just stopping the race when others would prefer to ride on/ the organization hasn't stopped the race yet is plain wrong. If you are too cold to ride on you can always get off your bike. It's not okay to make them stop the race because YOU are cold.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

They descended the Gavia in the 88 Giro, they should finish a race in flurries today. In shorts, from the Gavia!

At least some riders were driven down the descent. I'd rather see actual racing than cheating.

 

[Extinction]

At least some riders were driven down the descent. I'd rather see actual racing than cheating.

Only the ones that rode down matter.

 

[Extinction]

Honestly folks, those comparisons to brutal conditions at Liege, Gavia, and MSR, etc. in the past might have some merit when guys are in riding in a present-day GT, monument or other big race. And yeah, probably all of us have ridden in such conditions but kept going because, well, we had to get home. This is Gran Camino in mid-Feb,, it’s not surprising some (or their DSs) would decide it’s not worth getting hurt (or stress their systems trying to keep warm with 2% body fat) here with their whole season ahead of them.
I would rather see them race, but we should at least understand the context here.

Good point! On the other hand, as we have seen, they could alter a monument, cancel a stage of the Giro, the Tour, due to "weather protocals." They didn't do that before because they were crazy. But I miss it.

 

[Lequack]

There is a chance of rain tomorrow, so expect another neutralized stage.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The riders can obviously just stop the race because they have a monopoly on riders. I think weather forecasts should be used when there is a threat of snow on the course, so plans for the arising issues can be discussed earlier in the stage, (perhaps half an hour or an hour in advance, so the Directeurs sportifs could be asked)to ensure that the race is not curtailed chaotically.
As I understand it, the current weather protocols just state that organisers can do whatever they want, whenever they want.
Also, this race should sign executives with more authority like Mauro Vegni.

Also, the Jumbo-Visma riders don‘t have to cry on their bikes! Someone should tell them that Pogačar is only at 70% and Vingegaard should beat him because he is at 98% even if he gets sick from a little snow!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Adam Hansen: forgotten, but not gone.

 

[Sciatic]

Good point! On the other hand, as we have seen, they could alter a monument, cancel a stage of the Giro, the Tour, due to "weather protocals." They didn't do that before because they were crazy. But I miss it.

Agreed, from a fan/viewer perspective those races/stages are awesome. I wonder if another thing that has changed is how teams (and perhaps some riders themselves) think of riders as financial assets, and put more emphasis on protecting that investment? I don’t know if that’s true from a DS’s point of view? it’s a genuine question, not a conclusion.

 

[tobydawq]

I didn't watch it so I can't say if it really was Vingegaard who decided the matters but it seems a bit assuming from a man who rides for a team about to be relegated.

 

[Escarabajo]

I think they did the right thing. It was a dangerous descend with the snow. But I think it was the riders who took the initiative. It looked like the organizers were fine with the snow LOL.

 

[Ricco']

I didn't watch it so I can't say if it really was Vingegaard who decided the matters but it seems a bit assuming from a man who rides for a team about to be relegated.

Their direct rivals, Astana, had a rider on the front...

 

[hayneplane]

A case could be made for that if they were only climbing. But if there is a descent involved (as today), that is a totally different matter.

A case could also have been made for changing the stage finish to the KOM point where at least there would have been a proper line on the road to judge against.

If I was in the break I would be mightily pissed off with the peloton downing tools behind. That said it’s a prep race and not worth getting a nasty virus or infection that ruins your classics campaign or Grand Tour buildup.