This says nothing about the Giro.
Sometimes a guy is just in worse form in the Vuelta than in the Giro.
Bernal was very strong in the first 2 weeks of the Giro. He was a bit lucky his main opponents in the Giro were also a bit inconsistent.
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Sometimes a guy is just in worse form in the Vuelta than in the Giro.
Bernal was very strong in the first 2 weeks of the Giro. He was a bit lucky his main opponents in the Giro were also a bit inconsistent.
The Giro/Vuelta double needs careful preparation, it's not easy to hit top from in spring and replicate it again in September. I have the impression Vuelta was an afterthought for Bernal.
He won the Giro, big comeback win for him, there were indulgences, celebrations, and a covidivirus infections. He's 24. Is normal that he doesn't hit the same peak in August for a vuelta when already his season is a success as you rightly said.
We saw Vincenzo in 2010, 2013, 2017, Purito in 2012. Roglic in 2019. Aru in 2015.
To win the Giro in May and La Vuelta in Septemer, one must hit the beach in April
It isn't trivial. Riders are sometimes way off in the Vuelta from their Giro form. Nibali, Purito and Anton were nowhere compared to their Giro form in 2011. Nibali also wasn't in Giro form in the 2013 Vuelta.
Too be fair, no one was anywhere compared to their 2011 Giro form. Closest was Contador but everyone that finished were exhausted.
So did I; seemed like Ineos had a change of strategy after Bernal won the Giro, and I don't think he planned his season around the double.
That said neither did Roglic but he had plenty of time to shift focus after the Tour debacle so he's come to the Vuelta with relatively little racing.
I didn't think it was a great idea to send Bernal to the Vuelta given his back issue. A better plan for him going forward might be one GT plus targeted one day races.
Absolutely agree, I guess they took the risk because it would have been a "historic achievement" had he won the Vuelta this year as well, but he seems to be a really capable one-day racer and it would have been nice had they just put some Italian fall classics on his schedule instead.
I always thought Yates was gonna be the leader for Ineos in the Vuelta and Bernal was gonna see how he got on along with Carapaz. I just can't get my head around Yates being a GT leader, something seems to be missing for him to challenge in 3 week races. 1 week and 1 dayers yes, just not GT's.
I think unless Bernal can somehow get immense in the second half of the race then maybe he should use it as training for the Autumn races. If it's back problems again, maybe finishing this race is not the way to go.
I think unless Bernal can somehow get immense in the second half of the race then maybe he should use it as training for the Autumn races. If it's back problems again, maybe finishing this race is not the way to go.
Yates brothers had 1 trick in the sleeve though - switching numbers, so "one" can go more than a week without a bad day. Now they aren't in the same team so they can't do that easily. /s
After listening some social media and Colombian media outlets about the performance of Bernal you start to understand how these athletes get hurt and get involved in mental health issues. It is incredible how people can denigrate some human beings for not being up to par. It requires a tough skin (like Nibali or Armstrong), being deaf, family support and strong emotional base. Sometimes I wonder if it is better for Bernal to go in the gruppetto or retire from the race and make up a health issue so people would stop bugging him. It is sad. You see, with Lopez everyone forgot ow many times he ended up in (or very close) the gruppetto t the Tour. LOL.
Having said that, it is very nice to read some of the forists in here. I understand that people in here know a lot more in cycling than the average by stander who don't care or have no idea about the athlete.
Now I starting to understand some of the reasons (there are most likely other reasons) the athletes have to endure to deal with depression and mental health. Bernal seems to be fragile athlete. You can tell from his behavior and how things have developed in the last year. He will need some work in that department but he might come along strong if all things fall together. I don't like to discuss this furthermore because this is not the right place to do it.
Having said that, it is very nice to read some of the forists in here. I understand that people in here know a lot more in cycling than the average by stander who don't care or have no idea about the athlete.
Now I starting to understand some of the reasons (there are most likely other reasons) the athletes have to endure to deal with depression and mental health. Bernal seems to be fragile athlete. You can tell from his behavior and how things have developed in the last year. He will need some work in that department but he might come along strong if all things fall together. I don't like to discuss this furthermore because this is not the right place to do it.
Just to follow up on this, you were definitely right, I also saw him out of the saddle multiple times these last few days. From his post race moments and social media he also seems quite relaxed overall and yesterdays sprint for a couple of seconds also showed that he still enjoys the race. So maybe, I was really just overreacting and he is simply not in his best shape but who can blame him after winning the Giro.
Is the Colombian media harsh on him or were they expecting him to dominate here? After all, he achieved his goal of the season already, so this is more of a bonus anyway.After listening some social media and Colombian media outlets about the performance of Bernal you start to understand how these athletes get hurt and get involved in mental health issues. It is incredible how people can denigrate some human beings for not being up to par. It requires a tough skin (like Nibali or Armstrong), being deaf, family support and strong emotional base. Sometimes I wonder if it is better for Bernal to go in the gruppetto or retire from the race and make up a health issue so people would stop bugging him. It is sad. You see, with Lopez everyone forgot ow many times he ended up in (or very close) the gruppetto t the Tour. LOL.
Having said that, it is very nice to read some of the forists in here. I understand that people in here know a lot more in cycling than the average by stander who don't care or have no idea about the athlete.
Now I starting to understand some of the reasons (there are most likely other reasons) the athletes have to endure to deal with depression and mental health. Bernal seems to be fragile athlete. You can tell from his behavior and how things have developed in the last year. He will need some work in that department but he might come along strong if all things fall together. I don't like to discuss this furthermore because this is not the right place to do it.
I think there was huge mental pressure on him at the beginning of this season after his disappointing 2020 and after his first victory at the Giro you could see how that relief broke out. Winning the Tour so early can indeed become a burden.
'I want to attack, I have nothing to lose': Egan Bernal set to go on the offensive in final week of Vuelta a España 2021
Speaking after the stage, Bernal said he is ready to go all or nothing in the final week of the race, which contains three summit finishes including two back to back on stages 17 and 18.
"I think the rest [day] was welcome, we needed it, and this stage was good to get the legs going again," Bernal said.
"I would like [to attack Roglič]. I have nothing to lose, I don't care to be fifth or 10th in the overall, but you need to have legs.
"In the Giro I was attacking from afar even as the leader, which shouldn't be done, but I felt strong and I like to ride like that. Let's see how I feel, if I feel good I'll move. We have a very strong team."
"Yates is also very well, I see him very strong," Bernal said. "The problem is that we have lost two riders.
"Pavel [Sivakov], Dylan [van Baarle] and [Salvatore] Puccio are doing a very good job to carry us, I don't know if they are going to be at their best tomorrow. But let's try it."
www.cyclingweekly.com
Speaking after the stage, Bernal said he is ready to go all or nothing in the final week of the race, which contains three summit finishes including two back to back on stages 17 and 18.
"I think the rest [day] was welcome, we needed it, and this stage was good to get the legs going again," Bernal said.
"I would like [to attack Roglič]. I have nothing to lose, I don't care to be fifth or 10th in the overall, but you need to have legs.
"In the Giro I was attacking from afar even as the leader, which shouldn't be done, but I felt strong and I like to ride like that. Let's see how I feel, if I feel good I'll move. We have a very strong team."
"Yates is also very well, I see him very strong," Bernal said. "The problem is that we have lost two riders.
"Pavel [Sivakov], Dylan [van Baarle] and [Salvatore] Puccio are doing a very good job to carry us, I don't know if they are going to be at their best tomorrow. But let's try it."
'I want to attack, I have nothing to lose': Egan Bernal set to go on the offensive in final week of Vuelta a España 2021
The two-time Grand Tour winner sits in seventh overall going into the final week
www.cyclingweekly.com
In Spanish it read a little different, but close enough: "Me da igual ser quinto o decimo" That means that he doesn't have anything to lose but then he said that he will do that if he finds the legs.
For the sake of seeing some action in this Vuelta I want it to be so true!!!
For the sake of seeing some action in this Vuelta I want it to be so true!!!
i always laugh when I read things like this "I dont care whether i'm 5th or 10th in overall" ...because its obvious by how they ride that they do.
What he meant by that, as @Escarabajo said, is that on stages 17 and 18 he will try to attack, and that if that means getting exhausted and dropping several places in the GC it will be worthwhile, because either way he won’t get to be on the podium.
This is something you'd never hear Uran say.
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That is true. However, I'll be surprised, very, if Bernal cares about being 5th or 7th. I don't think his salary will move a needle due to that. In fact if he doesn't try it might damage his image for the future more than help it.
I remember how Egan rode in Strade. Wouldn’t put a big one day race win past him, though probably not the WCs this year.
Guys I am officially hoping for Ineos to win the stage tomorrow
Not you, Adam
Chapeau!!!!
I prefer seeing Bernal riding like this than following wheels. Even if he loses time at the end!
I prefer seeing Bernal riding like this than following wheels. Even if he loses time at the end!
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