Re:
Staying on the Mortirolo nine years ago there was a great showing from Arroyo that almost catched Nibali himself, Basso and Scarponi that were two minutes in front on the top, and in the process catched and dropped easily at least half a dozen of other riders including pretty good descenders like Evans and Vinokurov.
Anyway Nibali was wise not risking to crash like he has done in the past on the wet especially considering that Carapaz had Amador that is a better descender than him and probably one of the best in current peloton. This first two days of third week has gone as i was expecting, Carapaz was in control on the Mortirolo and the stage shortened and easier without Gavia was a damage for Nibali that then even suffered on an easier and shorter stage like today. Tonorrow is flat, on friday probably nothing will happen (bar very bad days) so there is only the Manghen left, if no one will try hard on Manghen the Giro is done.
Nibali would have liked the Manghen after 200 kms but he has to try something if he wants to win, otherwise the only hope for a great stage is Landa unleashing his second fiddle superpowers and abandoning Carapaz.
That's not true, it's Nibali limit if he can't open a gap on a descent when he has someone on his wheel and needs to be already alone to gain something else, in the history of cycling there are plenty of riders able to drop others off their wheel while descending, someone even in a couple of turns, and then gain also minutes.Brullnux said:It's genuinely really difficult to drop people on a descent. If you don't have a gap, people will just follow your wheel - remember that stage at the Tour 2015 when Nibali kept attacking on a very technical descent, but because he didn't already have a gap he earned nothing? Now carapaz isn't a great descender but he isn't bad either, and the main reason why Nibali dropped him down the civiglio isn't because carapaz isn't a good descender, but rather because nibali knows that one better than anyone else. Same can't be said for the Mortirolo (or the san carlo, on which carapaz did a mighty job on the technical bit even if he then lost a bit of time on the false flat). Nibali attacks on the descent - cool - amador follows with ease, landa (another very good descender) follows, and Carapaz has three wheels to follow - the risk far outweighs the potential reward.
We'll see, recovery might trouble carapaz after today so he might be weak tomorrow. Stage 20 is too far away to understand where people are at form wise, but no matter how strong movistar are there is a lot of time to be gained there.
Staying on the Mortirolo nine years ago there was a great showing from Arroyo that almost catched Nibali himself, Basso and Scarponi that were two minutes in front on the top, and in the process catched and dropped easily at least half a dozen of other riders including pretty good descenders like Evans and Vinokurov.
Anyway Nibali was wise not risking to crash like he has done in the past on the wet especially considering that Carapaz had Amador that is a better descender than him and probably one of the best in current peloton. This first two days of third week has gone as i was expecting, Carapaz was in control on the Mortirolo and the stage shortened and easier without Gavia was a damage for Nibali that then even suffered on an easier and shorter stage like today. Tonorrow is flat, on friday probably nothing will happen (bar very bad days) so there is only the Manghen left, if no one will try hard on Manghen the Giro is done.
Nibali would have liked the Manghen after 200 kms but he has to try something if he wants to win, otherwise the only hope for a great stage is Landa unleashing his second fiddle superpowers and abandoning Carapaz.