Paris-Nice 2022 (03/06 - 03/13)

[Rackham]

Legendary ride from WvA, truly. He can go for green in the Tour as much as he wants, IMO.

As for Roglic, several elements played a role today: the cold/rain, the 8th day of racing (he often has 'weaker' moments in GT's as well at the end of a week before rest day or at the end of the race, like in the Vuelta 2020) & the fact JV set such a high tempo early on to prevent attacks & maintain control on the descents (to prevent a repeat of last year), in doing so they quite probably made it harder for their team leader as well since his legs weren't that good.

A "what if?" moment of pause in my mind in Martinez & his flat tyre, i.e. has that not happened & his legs were good enough to follow Yates on that final climb, then Roglic would have been in a world of trouble.

So WvA & the mysterious "cycling gods" finally intervened to give Roglic some good fortune in an ASO race on French soil. Exciting stuff in any case, i.e. never a dull moment with Roglic.

 

[Eeslliw]

A "what if?" moment of pause in my mind in Martinez & his flat tyre, i.e. has that not happened & his legs were good enough to follow Yates on that final climb, then Roglic would have been in a world of trouble.

Martinez and his descending. He looks like a amateur. I can't believe a pro rider can be so bad at it. Did he had some crash in the past or has he been always that bad?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Simon Yates now the favorite to win the Giro. Who can even beat him?....

The third week

 

[Sciatic]

He took time on Yates on three stages, and is still the third best rider today.

Plus, it is a team sport. There aren’t extra rewards (but there are plaudits) for going solo having crappy team support.
Anyways, I wish we could ban the use of the word “deserved” from this forum.

 

[yaco]

But it could have been decided by the time bonus that Roglic chose to forego by giving Laporte the stage win that day.

The point is that Jumbo should never have got thirty seconds on that stage.

 

[Sciatic]

That thing around his neck?

Wearing them in winter the last two has provided the extra bonus of being an impromptu mask when needed. I think it’s a little unusual to see them in a race, because they certainly wouldn’t be very easy to take off while riding!

 

[StryderHells]

Wearing them in winter the last two has provided the extra bonus of being an impromptu mask when needed. I think it’s a little unusual to see them in a race, because they certainly wouldn’t be very easy to take off while riding!

They aren’t that difficult to take off when riding providing you know how to handle a bike.

 

[RedheadDane]

They aren’t that difficult to take off when riding providing you know how to handle a bike.

Surely the bit where your vision is obscured while you have to get it over your helmet is gonna be a bit complicated.

 

[StryderHells]

Simon Yates now the favorite to win the Giro. Who can even beat him? No one, is the answer.

Consistency

 

[StryderHells]

Surely the bit where your vision is obscured while you have to get it over your helmet is gonna be a bit complicated.

If you balance yourself correctly and don’t do it plunging into a tight corner on a descent you’ll be fine, it takes as much time as when you sneeze on a bike and your close for a few seconds.

 

[jaylew]

If you balance yourself correctly and don’t do it plunging into a tight corner on a descent you’ll be fine, it takes as much time as when you sneeze on a bike and your close for a few seconds.

Yeah, it's not terribly hard. I've taken one off while riding but there is always the risk your hand slips while pulling it over your helmet and your vision is obscured for a second longer. For that reason I won't do it unless I'm riding solo or I pull off to the side of the group.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, it's not terribly hard. I've taken one off while riding but there is always the risk your hand slips while pulling it over your helmet and your vision is obscured for a second longer. For that reason I won't do it unless I'm riding solo or I pull off to the side of the group.

Mine is certainly way too tight to pull it over a helmet.

 

[jaylew]

Mine is certainly way too tight to pull it over a helmet.

Yeah. I have a few of them and one in particular I would never try to take off while riding.

 

[RedheadDane]

If you balance yourself correctly and don’t do it plunging into a tight corner on a descent you’ll be fine, it takes as much time as when you sneeze on a bike and your close for a few seconds.

I also avoid sneezing while riding my bike.
If I need to sneeze, I'll just do an open-eyed half-sneeze.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Are you saying Pogacar is the Slovenian Spilak?

There is only one Slovenian Spilak and that's Spilak.

 

[tobydawq]

There is only one Slovenian Spilak and that's Spilak.

But he was Slovenian before it was cool, so I'm not sure he counts.

 

[RedheadDane]

There is only one Slovenian Spilak and that's Spilak.

Any rider who retires obviously loses Spilakness.

 

[gregrowlerson]

But he was Slovenian before it was cool, so I'm not sure he counts.

Spilak is never ever cool, only cold.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Any rider who retires obviously loses Spilakness.

Not Simon. He freezes time.

Maybe we need an actual Simon Spilak thread, to take over from the .

 

[Big Doopie]

as if we needed proof that a course with a lot of 5-8% climbs can end up doing way more damage and be way more damage than some MTF with passages at 14-18%.

more stages like this with as little valley between the climbs as possible.

 

[johnymax]

But he was Slovenian before it was cool, so I'm not sure he counts.

But being Spilak has always been cool.

He shouldn't be compared to Remco tho. The only think they have in common is they have no results in a GT. Remco is a better TTer, but Spilak was a better climber. A prime Spilak would have been the only one staying with Pogačar yesterday on Carpegna. Remco is more of a Tony Martin, but a little stronger on the climbs. Tony also has a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Algarve.

P.S.
I need yet to watch the final stage. I see Roglic easily held onto the lead as expected

 

[hfer07]

So happy for Primoz - it was quite nerve wrecking watching the finale. and kudos to WVA for that superb team support when needed the most

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Simon Philip Yates for winning the final stage and almost beating Primož Roglič in GC.

From now on i guess no more Yates jokes. There is Simon and there is Adam Yates. As for today's stage. Rarely we can witness such amount of wow in pro cycling and thanks to all people involved in providing us with that. Rogla would obviously have lost GC lead today if there would not be for Wout van Aert. I wouldn't hold that against Rogla. It just proves pro cycling is a team sport. Team matters. Said that Wout van Aert obviously took that on another level and won Rogla a title at Paris-Nice. What was happening today is basically what i was afraid of two days back. For JV to fold and Rogla to lost the lead. Mainly due to the fact an important part of "climbers section" is at TA. Rogla hence often resulting to mano-a-mano style of racing and covering attacks all by himself. Each one taking a toll. This is likely part of the reason on why he was in such difficulties today. Rogla had to do a lot of work on two stages already. Another thing standing out was the penultimate stage and the effort invested in (winning) it. In the future and when in good position Rogla likely should not try to win the penultimate (or a so called queen stage at a GT race) stage. Making sure he doesn't lost anything meaningful and focus on the last stage instead. Simon Yates was roaming with JV, was gifted bonus seconds ... Almost like TDF 2020. Tactically speaking maybe they were too aggressive as a team today. Might have had a stage win in their mind all along. If that was the case maybe to adjust this and to take more laid back approach on such stages.

All in all i am happy that JV got what they came for. Yellow and Green bond.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Back on topic. I think most of us assumed that Spilak was Swiss

 

[SHAD0W93]

Don't worry about Kruijswijk. he needs another 5000 miles and he will be ready for the Tour!

And the fourth week.