Paris-Nice 2024, March 3-10

[Blanco]

Not that serious.
It’s sad this always seem to happen with those who are scrutinized the most, but Remco thought Buitrago was ahead and they were sprinting for second and third, so he was relaxed about one rider (skjelmose) overtaking him at the line as he thought he would have 4 bonus seconds. He thought Plapp was reeled in earlier.
Edit: I reacted without seeing other, similar comments later in the thread.

There's no relaxed sprinting, either you sprint or not, and Remco was doing a full sprint from what I've seen, especially when he saw he was gapping Roglic.
The boy is as usually full of ***!

 

[Berniece]

There's no relaxed sprinting, either you sprint or not, and Remco was doing a full sprint from what I've seen, especially when he saw he was gapping Roglic.
The boy is as usually full of ***!

Not sure what that has to do with it.

 

[RedheadDane]

There's no relaxed sprinting, either you sprint or not, and Remco was doing a full sprint from what I've seen, especially when he saw he was gapping Roglic.
The boy is as usually full of ***!

I don't think anyone is saying he was relaxed in the sprint, just that he was relaxed about having been overtaken by Skjelmose, because he - initially - thought he'd still gotten 4 bonus seconds.

 

[Gratemans]

"He beat me fait and square". Come on Remco, you can do it!

Now he's saying he didn't see Skjelmose. It's getting a bit ridiculous now...

 

[Netserk]

Riders often measure their efforts, to various degrees. Just like Rogla held back in the intermediate sprint, it seems Evenepoel didn't push it to the line yesterday.

 

[YavorD]

Nah. For example most people, reading about it, believe Rogla did a bad TTT too. Anyway, based on what i have seen so far legs are in my opinion good. And there is still plenty of terrain left to achieve the set goals. Finishing third today was highly likely not one of them. And once stage win was out of the question any additional effort would be wasted effort.

sorry, but what you've saying doesn't make much sense. Unless he has completely given up on the fight for the win, sprinting for the 3rd place makes sense as his direct opponent (Remco) sprinted for that. So, if Remco took them, Roglic would be even further behind in the GC.

But if he's given up, staying in the main group didn't make sense either, so he could just drop back and lose some time which he didn't.
I think it's quite evident that Roglic just didn't have it.

 

[Gargamel35]

I'm a Roglič fan but i do think he simply doesn't have the legs. He's not trash, sure, but he's also not his usual self. He's often out of position and he doesn't have the punch. He would definitely attack on the final climb yesterday if he could. He was able to attack like that many times per a multiday race before so i see no problem why he couldn't do it this time. Except the fact, he doesn't have the legs. Is it bad training, is it too early, age creeping in, Bora training and nutrition? Who knows.
My personal hope is, he's training is very different for one big peak (Tour). If not...oh well.

 

[Berniece]

Now he's saying he didn't see Skjelmose. It's getting a bit ridiculous now...

He looked to his left and didn't see him. What's wrong with that. So tiresome, now we have a rider that just completely explains every thought he had, but apparently that's not OK. He isn't trying to look for excuses, he is just saying this is what happened for me and what went through my head.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

I'm starting to wonder if Evenepoel costantly not seeing riders, not knowing whether brakes are caught is a lack of situational awareress given is limited time on a bike, rather than him always making excuses

 

[Blanco]

He looked to his left and didn't see him. What's wrong with that. So tiresome, now we have a rider that just completely explains every thought he had, but apparently that's not OK. He isn't trying to look for excuses, he is just saying this is what happened for me and what went through my head.

But he finds them all the time.

 

[Blanco]

I don't think anyone is saying he was relaxed in the sprint, just that he was relaxed about having been overtaken by Skjelmose, because he - initially - thought he'd still gotten 4 bonus seconds.

Otherwise he would beat him easily, right?

 

[Rob5091]

It's been a bit of a funny old race so far. The TTT really shook things up but the Roglic v Remco race has not really happened so far. Roglic seems to still need time to get used to the Bora racing style as opposed to the Visma way of doing things.
Soler has gone home, so UAE need to work out who they'll have as team leader.

 

[Volderke]

There's no relaxed sprinting, either you sprint or not, and Remco was doing a full sprint from what I've seen, especially when he saw he was gapping Roglic.
The boy is as usually full of ***!

If you really want to know what happened (and not what you think happened):
Remco sprints for the line, thinking it's for 2nd. He gets a bit surprised by Skjelmose pushing hard, wanting to overtake him on the line, but doesn't mind too much as he thought it was for 2nd or 3rd (so bonus seconds were had anyway, compared to everyone coming behind).
Could Remco have held off Skjelmose? No. Would he have sprinted a bit more calculated (later) knowing that there were only bonus seconds on the line for one guy (first of the chasing group): yes.
Would it have made a difference? We don't know, and it doesn't matter.
Does it matter that Remco gave his honest thoughts about it? It seems to matter A LOT, for some, especially if they can pick on it.

 

[yaco]

I will be happy if Plapp or Buitrago wins the GC, so I don't have to read endless chatter about the idiosyncracies of Remco and Roglic.

 

[Berniece]

But he finds them all the time.

He's just explaining how it went. It's you that thinks he's looking for excuses, that's your interpretation.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Despite what his team posted about him not having good legs?

So the other option is that he doesn’t have a finishing sprint anymore?

If he could have, he would have. He lost the line to not lose 2 seconds to Remco 3 turns before the finish. His effort was mailed in at that point but, for both of them; they accomplished what should have been the goal: UAE worked, Ineos worked and UAE gave up the lead and several of their contenders.

The strategy gets a little more complicated because that big Visma guy, Bernal (didn't someone on this thread say he was "done") and a few others need to be distanced. Eliminating a mountain stage due to snow doesn't help R&R but they should still collaborate until the podium is better sorted, IMO.

He sprinted for bonus seconds during the stage but then he would ignore them at the finish knowing they also calculate a gap difference? Sure…

sorry, but what you've saying doesn't make much sense. Unless he has completely given up on the fight for the win, sprinting for the 3rd place makes sense as his direct opponent (Remco) sprinted for that. So, if Remco took them, Roglic would be even further behind in the GC.

But if he's given up, staying in the main group didn't make sense either, so he could just drop back and lose some time which he didn't.
I think it's quite evident that Roglic just didn't have it.

I'm a Roglič fan but i do think he simply doesn't have the legs. He's not trash, sure, but he's also not his usual self. He's often out of position and he doesn't have the punch. He would definitely attack on the final climb yesterday if he could. He was able to attack like that many times per a multiday race before so i see no problem why he couldn't do it this time. Except the fact, he doesn't have the legs. Is it bad training, is it too early, age creeping in, Bora training and nutrition? Who knows.
My personal hope is, he's training is very different for one big peak (Tour). If not...oh well.

Yes, despite some post on social media. Bad legs would mean something in the lines of losing 15s on the final climb. Good legs in this context would mean chase down Buitrago and Plapp yourself, drag rather substantially sized peloton with you and on top of that sprint at the end, for win. This isn't on how cycling works. Remco indeed sprinted for third place, and was not successful at it. No, in my opinion Rogla has not given up on GC. Yesterday, though, Rogla has given up on the idea to win stage four, due to that making the most sense in a given situation. Bora did some prep work for stages to come, that is a plus too. As for Rogla not having the legs and not being his usual self. We'll see.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I will be happy if Plapp or Buitrago wins the GC, so I don't have to read endless chatter about the idiosyncracies or Remco and Roglic.

Though luck.

 

[Blanco]

He's just explaining how it went. It's you that thinks he's looking for excuses, that's your interpretation.

And you thinking he's not, is of course yours.

 

[Berniece]

And you thinking he's not, is of course yours.

I’m just not looking for something, I’m just listening what he’s saying and not try to draw conclusions about his intent.

 

[Froome]

Yes, despite some post on social media. Bad legs would mean something in the lines of losing 15s on the final climb. Good legs in this context would mean chase down Buitrago and Plapp yourself, drag rather substantially sized peloton with you and on top of that sprint at the end, for win. This isn't on how cycling works. Remco indeed sprinted for third place, and was not successful at it. No, in my opinion Rogla has not given up on GC. Yesterday, though, Rogla has given up on the idea to win stage four, due to that making the most sense in a given situation. Bora did some prep work for stages to come, that is a plus too. As for Rogla not having the legs and not being his usual self. We'll see.

Roglic already said he didn't had the legs to do better yesterday. You should listen to him.

Nobody here said he had "bad legs" because he didn't lost 30 minutes, simply he didn't had the legs to do better than what he did. The other guys were stronger than him , and nobody said he given up on GC.

 

[Blanco]

If you really want to know what happened (and not what you think happened):
Remco sprints for the line, thinking it's for 2nd. He gets a bit surprised by Skjelmose pushing hard, wanting to overtake him on the line, but doesn't mind too much as he thought it was for 2nd or 3rd (so bonus seconds were had anyway, compared to everyone coming behind).
Could Remco have held off Skjelmose? No. Would he have sprinted a bit more calculated (later) knowing that there were only bonus seconds on the line for one guy (first of the chasing group): yes.
Would it have made a difference? We don't know, and it doesn't matter.
Does it matter that Remco gave his honest thoughts about it? It seems to matter A LOT, for some, especially if they can pick on it.

This is of course what you think it happened, and not some universal truth. We have different opinions, as you see.
I also have a different opinion on Remco's honesty...

 

[Blanco]

I’m just not looking for something, I’m just listening what he’s saying and not try to draw conclusions about his intent.

It's ok, you believe him. I'm not.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Mods hat on:
Enjoy the race, keep the comments about the race and the riders, not each other.

 

[Netserk]

Anyone who remembers Catalunya 2017?

BMC awarded Volta a Catalunya TTT victory after Movistar penalised for pushing | Cyclingnews.com

UCI officials overturn their original ruling and punish all of the Spanish team

www.cyclingnews.com

Following a night of reflection, the UCI has overturned the results of the Volta a Catalunya team time trial, punishing the whole Movistar team for pushing and awarding the stage victory to BMC.

The Movistar team was penalised one minute [...].

Enter Paris-Nice 2024:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765101125680664906

View: https://twitter.com/GrootLem/status/1765101125680664906

 

[Berniece]

Anyone who remembers Catalunya 2017?

BMC awarded Volta a Catalunya TTT victory after Movistar penalised for pushing | Cyclingnews.com

UCI officials overturn their original ruling and punish all of the Spanish team

www.cyclingnews.com

Enter Paris-Nice 2024:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765101125680664906

View: https://twitter.com/GrootLem/status/1765101125680664906

Is there a video? So we at least know how long it took, if the person was going backwards or something else