If they stopped to pick their noses for a bit more, they would have lost second as well so they did ok
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If they stopped to pick their noses for a bit more, they would have lost second as well so they did ok
Soler 9th. Not bad considering how much sacrificed. First GT top 10 for him.
Could have finished above Hagen, Kelderman and perhaps even Majka if he wasn't locked in his role as servant.
Could have finished above Hagen, Kelderman and perhaps even Majka if he wasn't locked in his role as servant.
Sure!
Valverde can do whatever he wanted to do. Don't blame it on Quintana. Based on his many years of riding what make you think he was going to do otherwise???
Chapeau to him and his team, but please don't start blaming Quintana for hampering him.
What is next, he could have won the Vuelta if it wasn't for Quintana?
No they didn't. They must had a clear strategy, who follows who. When Pogacar went, no one knows what to do, domestiques were at the back, Quintana didn't give a ***, and Valverde didn't know which way to go. That's not ok.
I don't think Quintana had the legs to follow no matter what the strategy was. But Astana also messed up their tactics today. They attacked and attacked and at the end Lopez was even more toasted than Quintana.
I don't know how Movistar could have played the Vuelta differently given the riders they had. Pogacar came out of virtually nowhere and screwed up what would have been a very nice 2nd/3rd.
Apparently Valverde said in his post stage interview that his radio wasn't working and had no idea what the gap to Pogacar was. He said on the final climb that some of the fans were yelling at him that he was in danger of losing 2nd and that's when he decided he had to go and try to save it and basically did a TT for the rest of the climb. What he showed at the end of the climb was all he had left.
I don't think Quintana had anything left either as he couldn't even stay with Valverde when Valverde went after saving his own 2nd place place. Not sure how Movistar could have done anything differently today.
I think Astana actually messed up their tactics today more than Movistar did. I'm not sure Movistar could have done much different with who their GC riders were. Also Soler lost 9 minutes on one stage so he was out of GC then.
I don't think Quintana had anything left either as he couldn't even stay with Valverde when Valverde went after saving his own 2nd place place. Not sure how Movistar could have done anything differently today.
I think Astana actually messed up their tactics today more than Movistar did. I'm not sure Movistar could have done much different with who their GC riders were. Also Soler lost 9 minutes on one stage so he was out of GC then.
GTs in 2019
1 overall win, 1 third place and 4 other top10 in GCs.
5 stage wins.
3 team classifications.
Not too shabby if you ask me.
1 overall win, 1 third place and 4 other top10 in GCs.
5 stage wins.
3 team classifications.
Not too shabby if you ask me.
I think Astana did what they wanted to do which was to go for a podium. I really don't think they cared that much about another white jersey for Lopez. Movi played it defensive, which was the right move considering that Quintana didn't have the legs to do anything more than hang on, and Valverde wasn't feeling up to trying to drop Roglic (and he was right).
Jumbo-Visma did a great job of controlling the break and not allowing any Movi or Astana's to get up the road. Pogacar picked the right time to attack and was the strongest yesterday. End of story.
The only thing that could've changed things was Astana really going for it and putting pressure on Roglic to ride on Stage 17. Or conversely riding for the podium from the get-go on that stage and closing the gap to the front group as soon as it opened up (I think they could have brought it back, or close to it). Otherwise, I think the strongest riders are in their rightful order in the top five, bar potentially for Quintana who was rewarded for his aggression and Lopez who wasn't.
Even after there was an insignificant break Movistar could've tried to attack Pena Negra cause it was possible if the GC men had the right split on top of that climb, but that wasn't gonna happen.
Quite frankly, they were all super dead. Pogacar made that move with insane headwind on the climb, and he stayed away, barely losing any time on the final climb.
Either Pogacar had an absolutely insane power output or the rest of the field was totally finished by the time they made crested the Pena Negra.
Quite frankly, they were all super dead. Pogacar made that move with insane headwind on the climb, and he stayed away, barely losing any time on the final climb.
Either Pogacar had an absolutely insane power output or the rest of the field was totally finished by the time they made crested the Pena Negra.
They all looked dead to me. Very, very tired legs. Pogacar seem to be the one to have something left.
They're probably the only team to target that classification in the races.
I wonder if Soler would demand some GT leadership next year or if he is gonna be dragging the old man around again. When he looks at what some of the younger guys around at other teams with regards to leadership/protected status are doing, he must wonder whether he's in the right team.
I would guess Soler will get the Giro and Mas the Tour and then figure out what the heck they are doing for the Vuelta. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Valverde's last true shot at the Vuelta podium record.
Why would he wonder that? Carapaz, Landa and Quintana are leaving. He will either be flat out leader or co-leader next year in the big races.
Eight GT top 10s this season.
I know people are likely to snort derisively at such a stat but it certainly must be a record of modern cycling.
I know people are likely to snort derisively at such a stat but it certainly must be a record of modern cycling.
It’s certainly impressive, but it still hangs over them that for one of the perennial highest budgets in the sport, and one of the biggest teams, they’re still coming up just short in the individual GC in the biggest race on the calendar, just like every year since Perreiro slipped into a 30-minute breakaway in 2006.
8 top 10s, if anything, just reinforces the idea that they are a collection of individuals, who lack a single team focus.
Ineos, by contrast, have won basically nothing of consequence. Except for one race in July.
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