Richard Carapaz discussion thread

[Scarponi]

Nibali is fading and the only guy that could maybe challenge him is on the same team. Congrats on the win.

Let’s hope Carapez can develop another level again because in my opinion it’s a fairly weak GT with a lack of contenders and most of it soft pedaled except 1-2 stages and one attack by Vincenzo. Big attacks from Froome, Contador or riders who attack again and again like Contador used to would be a different ball game. In saying that he can only beat who is in the race , he has shown amazing maturity at 25 to handle the pressure with worrying about a 4 time GT champion going hard.

Yeah, actually it's a bit of a misfortune for Carapaz that the Gavia got canceled. Since now people rightfully will label his Giro d'Italia victory as a weak edition like with Cunego in 2004.

Ryder still has his soft pedaled giro

A Giro d'Italia win is a Giro d'Italia win. The Gavia wouldn't have changed a thing regarding his victory IMHO. It only would've increased its value in a deserved degree!

Did not mean it in any disrespect. Any three week tour winner deserves it. I’m pretty sure Ryders had the Stelvio Pass

 

[Brullnux]

Carapaz made a (smallish) mistake today imo. It was pretty clear that Nibali wasn't on a good day as soon as Landa attacked and then nibali didn't either follow nor chase, and kept losing the wheel slightly. Should've attacked with 2km to go instead of 1km, and he could've gained 20+ seconds on Nibali, considering he gained 7 seconds on what was basically a flat run in. Giro could've been finished off proper there. Probably won't matter in the long run, but may be costly, we'll see

 

[jaylew]

To me, Carapaz is a second-tier GT rider, and he's smart. Un-heralded. Now he finds himself in a good situation. Chiappucci comes to mind. He can do it.

This is how you become a first-tier GC rider, though. A victory here would show him exactly what he needs to do: Work within the team format, manage attacks, plan daily strategy as a leader. Even get teammates to clean your glasses for you (did anyone else catch that?). Surely he's one of the best climbers already, and if he can work on TT so it isn't a liability or even a net positive, then why couldn't he win the Tour someday?

Don't forget that he's got 3 minutes thanks to the gamble between Nibali and Roglic in Lago Serrú and Courmayeur.

Fake news

 

[Libertine Seguros]

A Giro d'Italia win is a Giro d'Italia win. The Gavia wouldn't have changed a thing regarding his victory IMHO. It only would've increased its value in a deserved degree!

Did not mean it in any disrespect. Any three week tour winner deserves it. I’m pretty sure Ryders had the Stelvio Pass[/quote]
Yea, Ryder's had a lot of big climbs. The problem was the complete ceasefire by anybody on it. Scarponi even said after the race that they'd seen Ryder struggling to hang on the back early in the race and thought he would fall away, but that meant that when he rode himself into form in the second half of the race, they hadn't distanced him by enough. The same goes for Froome's win last year - it was more aggressively raced, at least by Yates, so Froome had more of a deficit than Ryder, but that just meant Froome had to pull out something pretty spectacular to win it, which Ryder never did, he just bided his time, as the only person who seemed to want to gain time was Purito, and Purito was only trying to do it 1-2km from the summit of every MTF and nowhere else, so was only gaining it incrementally and not by enough to put Ryder out of contention. Even Ryder himself didn't really do anything to try to win the race per se (just sit in for the TT, then pull out a far above his usual level one, people seemed to rate his TT during that race like he was a much better TTer than his actual career results suggested, but he pulled out that level when it counted), and only really Thomas de Gendt tried to win it, and that he nearly succeeded is testament to how badly raced that Giro was by the other contenders.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Nibali is fading and the only guy that could maybe challenge him is on the same team. Congrats on the win.

Let’s hope Carapez can develop another level again because in my opinion it’s a fairly weak GT with a lack of contenders and most of it soft pedaled except 1-2 stages and one attack by Vincenzo. Big attacks from Froome, Contador or riders who attack again and again like Contador used to would be a different ball game. In saying that he can only beat who is in the race , he has shown amazing maturity at 25 to handle the pressure with worrying about a 4 time GT champion going hard.

How is it a weak edition? Dumoulin, Roglic, Nibali, Lopez, Landa, Yates all started and the peloton had a total of 22 GT podiums between them. That's a pretty strong field imo.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

every gt that is won by a new guy is deemed fairly weak, every single time. 90% of the time when you look back in 5 years you'd disagree and don't call it weak. So I'm not even going to start agreeing with that guy

 

[Pantani_lives]

Oh no. Another rider has sold his soul to the Devil. And I was just beginning to like him.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Well, that escalated quickly...
Back to Carapaz, the field isn't weak. Nibali is top class and the route suits him perfectly, if the field was really weak then why is Majka not really able to fight for a podium spot and out of the top 5 atm and why is Zakarin outside the top 10?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

every gt that is won by a new guy is deemed fairly weak, every single time. 90% of the time when you look back in 5 years you'd disagree and don't call it weak. So I'm not even going to start agreeing with that guy

This.

It is always the same silly narrative. Never mind he was fourth last year.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

every gt that is won by a new guy is deemed fairly weak, every single time. 90% of the time when you look back in 5 years you'd disagree and don't call it weak. So I'm not even going to start agreeing with that guy

This.

It is always the same silly narrative. Never mind he was fourth last year.

I think Dumoulin crashing out on stage 4 colours that opinion a lot. Also, Yates might as well have crashed out. So Carapaz’s only competition has been old man Squalo, and Roglic who left his best legs in Switzerland a month ago. And his own teammate.

Friday and Saturday may change things, but right now it just feels like the fireworks that should have happened, haven’t really happened. And if Carapaz just closes out the race on Croce d’Aune by riding away from Roglic and Nibali to gain another 30s, it will still feel like they haven’t happened.

Maybe, as the peloton start to transition to disc brakes and thru-axles, Carapaz’s Campagnolo quick release will snap on the Croce, bringing the story of Tullio’s most famous invention full-circle.

 

[Tonton]

How is it a weak edition? Dumoulin, Roglic, Nibali, Lopez, Landa, Yates all started and the peloton had a total of 22 GT podiums between them. That's a pretty strong field imo.

...same was said after Nibali's '14 TdF win. If some favorites can't make it, that's not Richard's fault. Yes, not the best field here, but still a very, very strong field.

Time is now working for Carapaz. He should win it, but things happen.

 

[hammerthaim]

Fastest time up Mortirolo (by a lot) says this isn't a weak field. But I think Carapaz has ridden a perfect race (luck is always needed in a GT) and if doesn't win this Giro, he won't ever win a GT.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Unlikely to happen, but strategically this race will be very interesting if Carapaz cracks, as does Landa wait? Personally I think that he has too, as even if Landa is stronger than Roglic and Nibali on 19 and 20, he'd need at least two minutes given the final ITT. Also, will Nibali risk his podium spot with a crazy attack on Manghen?

 

[Scarponi]

Nibali is fading and the only guy that could maybe challenge him is on the same team. Congrats on the win.

Let’s hope Carapez can develop another level again because in my opinion it’s a fairly weak GT with a lack of contenders and most of it soft pedaled except 1-2 stages and one attack by Vincenzo. Big attacks from Froome, Contador or riders who attack again and again like Contador used to would be a different ball game. In saying that he can only beat who is in the race , he has shown amazing maturity at 25 to handle the pressure with worrying about a 4 time GT champion going hard.

How is it a weak edition? Dumoulin, Roglic, Nibali, Lopez, Landa, Yates all started and the peloton had a total of 22 GT podiums between them. That's a pretty strong field imo.

Legit people on this forum have mental blocks, they have an opinion and they stick to it and are blind to anything else. I was clearly stating for the future in case he has to ride against Froome or a Contador type rider it would be good if his development did not stall. If it was ridden like 2015 Giro or last years he may or may not have to be slightly better. No one is taking away he is clearly the best rider here by far.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

Unlikely to happen, but strategically this race will be very interesting if Carapaz cracks, as does Landa wait? Personally I think that he has too, as even if Landa is stronger than Roglic and Nibali on 19 and 20, he'd need at least two minutes given the final ITT. Also, will Nibali risk his podium spot with a crazy attack on Manghen?

I don't think a Manghen attack is even remotely possible. Only Carapaz running out of steam in a hard ridden stage can make him lose the Giro.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Unlikely to happen, but strategically this race will be very interesting if Carapaz cracks, as does Landa wait? Personally I think that he has too, as even if Landa is stronger than Roglic and Nibali on 19 and 20, he'd need at least two minutes given the final ITT. Also, will Nibali risk his podium spot with a crazy attack on Manghen?

I don't think a Manghen attack is even remotely possible. Only Carapaz running out of steam in a hard ridden stage can make him lose the Giro.

If Nibali is the only one who wants it it is a doomed move.

If other teams are interested too it could happen.

Still crazy pace on Manghen would be best for the race in general.

Most realistic dangerous scenario for Carapaz is crazy pace all day and cracking on the first part of the 2 part finale while Nibs or Roglic joins up with teammates, yadayadayada. And given how unrealistic this scenario is it's not all that dangerous.

 

[RedheadDane]

Did... one of the English commentators just say that his grandfather (or was it father's grandfather?) has been inviting people in to watch the race live? That's brilliant!

 

[Scarponi]

Re:

Well, that escalated quickly...
Back to Carapaz, the field isn't weak. Nibali is top class and the route suits him perfectly, if the field was really weak then why is Majka not really able to fight for a podium spot and out of the top 5 atm and why is Zakarin outside the top 10?

On current form Zakarin and Majka are lucky to be inside the top 10. Would post anonymous 20th in the Tour, but anyway

 

[SafeBet]

Zakarin finished 9th in last year TDF.

 

[Scarponi]

Re:

Zakarin finished 9th in last year TDF.

Current form

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

Zakarin finished 9th in last year TDF.

Current form

And how exactly do you know his current form is worse than last year? His results in 2019 are very consistent with his results in 2018.

The field isn't weak. It was actually one of the best field I've ever seen at the Giro. Carapaz is convincingly beating some of the best GT riders of the last couple of years. And he should get credit for this.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

Zakarin finished 9th in last year TDF.

Current form

And how exactly do you know his current form is worse than last year? His results in 2019 are very consistent with his results in 2018.

The field isn't weak. It was actually one of the best field I've ever seen at the Giro. Carapaz is convincingly beating some of the best GT riders of the last couple of years. And he should get credit for this.

Totally agree with this.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

Well, that escalated quickly...
Back to Carapaz, the field isn't weak. Nibali is top class and the route suits him perfectly, if the field was really weak then why is Majka not really able to fight for a podium spot and out of the top 5 atm and why is Zakarin outside the top 10?

Because Formolo and Polanc benefited from breaks more than he did?

And while some of it is down to misfortune, Majka is still on course for his best GT finish in 3 years.

And then we have Roglic sitting 3rd on GC still within striking distance of 2nd despite likely not being a top-3 climber on any of the difficult stages

 

[Red Rick]

Would not go as far as calling it convincingly when he got gifted 3 minutes by 2 dudes who are at like 2 minutes.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Would not go as far as calling it convincingly when he got gifted 3 minutes by 2 dudes who are at like 2 minutes.

Very generous dudes then, I'm sure Richie will say thanks at the end
Anyway they have three stages left to take back what they "gifted", so let's see.