the Darwin "El Puma" Atapuma Giro tribute

[hfer07]

Atapuma was in every breakaway heading to the high mountains - every single time he went all out seeking glory but came short twice. What a warrior!!

 

[trevim]

He probably wanted it too much because he was constantly attacking, most of the times with no good reason. His ride to Corvara was simply heart breaking. Still I'm glad to see that he has fully recovered from his past injuries and he got his first top10 in a GT. I remember seeing him in a TT bike some years ago in the Volta a Portugal, he looked horrendous but I was a fan back then.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The Giro will probably be the race that marks him the coming years, similar to Krujswijk. It was sad to see him lose in Corvara, but on the other hand, I am of the beliefs that the biggest stages should be won by the best GC-riders. I thought he had it today after Nieve killed himself yesterday and on Bonette, but unfortunately, Rein had a little more in the tank.

I reckon BMC will get him to the Tour: who do they have in the mountains to support Porte and Tejay?

 

[Escarabajo]

Feel bad that he didn't get his stage. At least he got his prize for being in the top ten at the end. Hope the team recognizes this.

 

[TMP402]

Hi there, Carlton!

 

[The Barb]

One of the stars of the race for sure. Love his animated style and was very disappointed he didn't come away with either a stage or the mountains jersey. If stays injury free I am sure this will be rectified in the next few years.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

The Giro will probably be the race that marks him the coming years, similar to Krujswijk. It was sad to see him lose in Corvara, but on the other hand, I am of the beliefs that the biggest stages should be won by the best GC-riders. I thought he had it today after Nieve killed himself yesterday and on Bonette, but unfortunately, Rein had a little more in the tank.

I reckon BMC will get him to the Tour: who do they have in the mountains to support Porte and Tejay?

Damiano Caruso and Samu Sanchez.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

The Giro will probably be the race that marks him the coming years, similar to Krujswijk. It was sad to see him lose in Corvara, but on the other hand, I am of the beliefs that the biggest stages should be won by the best GC-riders. I thought he had it today after Nieve killed himself yesterday and on Bonette, but unfortunately, Rein had a little more in the tank.

I reckon BMC will get him to the Tour: who do they have in the mountains to support Porte and Tejay?

Damiano Caruso and Samu Sanchez.

Ugh yeah, they actually have a very decent team for the Tour. GVA, Atapuma and 3 rouleurs and you have one of the best teams in the TdF.

 

[HelloDolly]

Great performance but needs ot measure his efforts. All the attacking in the breakaways didn't help him win a stage. But I guess Carlton KIrby must be happy

 

[afpm90]

Yesterday he was a bit to eager to win the stage: attacking too much. I think that cost him the stage win. At least he got a GC top-10.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

The Giro will probably be the race that marks him the coming years, similar to Krujswijk. It was sad to see him lose in Corvara, but on the other hand, I am of the beliefs that the biggest stages should be won by the best GC-riders. I thought he had it today after Nieve killed himself yesterday and on Bonette, but unfortunately, Rein had a little more in the tank.

I reckon BMC will get him to the Tour: who do they have in the mountains to support Porte and Tejay?

Damiano Caruso and Samu Sanchez.

Ugh yeah, they actually have a very decent team for the Tour. GVA, Atapuma and 3 rouleurs and you have one of the best teams in the TdF.

Bookwallter is also a decent workhorse for the early part of the climbs and the hilly stages, they have a pretty strong team.
Back to Atapuma, it's great to see that some riders can get a top 10 on gc by being awesome and going into brreakaways in the high mountains.

 

[proffz]

he found back his level in mountains after the femur fracture
i hope in the next future he will win some mountain stages.

he cannot be a good mountain in tdf domestique : he is not goodto follow in the valley connecting the climbs because he is very small and light
you are not comfortable at his wheel.

imho he is a good stage hunter in the mountain stages.

 

[SergeDeM]

He didn't get the stage win but he sure got a huge amount of screen time. BMC got their money's worth with him this Giro.

Now on to more effective stage hunting.

 

[DNP-Old]

Thanks for three beautiful weeks, el Puma. He deserved to win a stage more than anyone. Hope he can maintain his form until either Dauphine or Switzerland.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Thanks for three beautiful weeks, el Puma. He deserved to win a stage more than anyone. Hope he can maintain his form until either Dauphine or Switzerland.

Kruiswijk.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re: Re:

Thanks for three beautiful weeks, el Puma. He deserved to win a stage more than anyone. Hope he can maintain his form until either Dauphine or Switzerland.

Kruiswijk.

I actually forgot he didn't win one. Oh well, they're 1A and 1B.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Pumita rode a great race, a shame he couldn't win a stage but he got a top 10 on GC as a reward for his breakaway endeavors

 

[greenedge]

Re:

I reckon BMC will get him to the Tour: who do they have in the mountains to support Porte and Tejay?

Sanchez and Caruso. Dennis and maybe Hermans can also do an ok job. There'll be no onus on BMC to control the race, and i'm sure Atapuma will be tired. I'd expect the rest of the squad to be GVA, Schar and Burghardt/Phinney/Bookwalter (maybe 2 of the last 3 if there is no Hermans).

 

[Guybrush]

Darwin hits the tarmac hard yesterday, was hospitalized with (apparently) no broken bones

 

[Escarabajo]

Hope this doesn't affect too much his cycling schedule this year.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/atapuma-unlikely-to-continue-at-vuelta-a-san-juan-after-heavy-crash-on-stage-2/

 

[DNP-Old]

Contender for most unlucky rider ever (other than the injury-riddled ofc.)? How many times now he has been caught by the peloton (/contenders) in a grand tour with the line in sight is beyond me. Nonetheless two very good stages by him in the Alps. Took him a while after a hard crash in San Juan and Itzulia. I expect some big things in la Vuelta.

 

[Popchu]

Re:

Contender for most unlucky rider ever (other than the injury-riddled ofc.)? How many times now he has been caught by the peloton (/contenders) in a grand tour with the line in sight is beyond me. Nonetheless two very good stages by him in the Alps. Took him a while after a hard crash in San Juan and Itzulia. I expect some big things in la Vuelta.

Second in the last mountain stages of Tour 2017 (Barguil, stage 18), Vuelta 2016 (Latour, stage 20) and Giro 2016 (Taaramae, stage 20).

 

[DNP-Old]

Re: Re:

Contender for most unlucky rider ever (other than the injury-riddled ofc.)? How many times now he has been caught by the peloton (/contenders) in a grand tour with the line in sight is beyond me. Nonetheless two very good stages by him in the Alps. Took him a while after a hard crash in San Juan and Itzulia. I expect some big things in la Vuelta.

Second in the last mountain stages of Tour 2017 (Barguil, stage 18), Vuelta 2016 (Latour, stage 20) and Giro 2016 (Taaramae, stage 20).

Must be really depressing for him. He got caught with a kilometer or so to go in the Giro stage Chaves won as well, I believe it was Corvara.