Giro Spoiler Discussion

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I think Jai was stronger today regardless, but Bora played that rider up the road card perfectly, no?
.

It was absolutely foolish of Ineos to let Kamna get up the road. Kamna's won a couple of mountain stages on his own, so it's not like Ineos didn't know he could climb.

[Jaybee]

I don't know if they couldn't do anything about Kamna or thought it wouldn't matter or thought they'd rather have 6 riders around Carapaz for as long as possible, but that was a clear mistake. They almost made the mistake twice, but Bahrain decided to let Novak go for the stage instead of pacing Landa.

Whatever the case, they didn't have the strongest mountain team here. That's Bora, closely followed by Bahrain. The Sky train is dead. Long live the Sky train.

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I don't know if they couldn't do anything about Kamna or thought it wouldn't matter or thought they'd rather have 6 riders around Carapaz for as long as possible, but that was a clear mistake. They almost made the mistake twice, but Bahrain decided to let Novak go for the stage instead of pacing Landa.

Whatever the case, they didn't have the strongest mountain team here. That's Bora, closely followed by Bahrain. The Sky train is dead. Long live the Sky train.

Also remember that Porte had to retire and he for sure would’ve been a huge help for Carapaz on that last climb if he was available and in good form

Bora played this perfectly and Ineos simply didn’t have the bullets, either with available riders or Carapaz’s fuel tank.

[fried bake]

Poetic that Eros Poli was roadside on a day that a big man won on a high mountain.


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[callmeishmael]

Originally Posted by callmeishmael

Given Carapaz is probably the strongest time triallist of the 3 (though none are good), my sense is that Hindley probably needs to find 30-60s over the remaining road stages. Sadly - because I think his win would be good for the sport - I can’t see that happening. Landa needs 2 minutes; I definitely can’t see that happening. Carapaz must be odds on now I’d think.

That aged well...

Still, very happy to be wrong

[callmeishmael]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I don't know if they couldn't do anything about Kamna or thought it wouldn't matter or thought they'd rather have 6 riders around Carapaz for as long as possible, but that was a clear mistake. They almost made the mistake twice, but Bahrain decided to let Novak go for the stage instead of pacing Landa.

Whatever the case, they didn't have the strongest mountain team here. That's Bora, closely followed by Bahrain. The Sky train is dead. Long live the Sky train.

I have a suspicion that while having Lenny up the road was the plan, the exact timing of the split was a bit of a happy accident. Hindley hit the gas, then just as he finished his pull, got a tow off Kamna - and Carapaz cracked. I also wonder if Sivakov was pulling a touch too hard for a touch too long. All speculation, obviously...

[basilic]

Originally Posted by yinzerniner

Also remember that Porte had to retire and he for sure would’ve been a huge help for Carapaz on that last climb if he was available and in good form

How do you mean? Carapaz got a lift from Kamna same as Hindley did. He just couldn't follow. Do you mean Porte would have helped RC limit losses after the split?

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by basilic

How do you mean? Carapaz got a lift from Kamna same as Hindley did. He just couldn't follow. Do you mean Porte would have helped RC limit losses after the split?

1) Porte in the train presumably means a few hundred more meters before Carapaz is isolated, and maybe the pace is too high for Hindley to attack
2) Maybe Porte can pace Carapaz back after he's gapped. Or sit on Hindley
3) I think Kamna is undoubtedly a bigger psychological boost for Hindley than Carapaz. It's a teammate, and they are going so slow on that grade that any aero boost from the draft is minimal. Maybe Porte makes it 2 on 2 instead of 1 on 2.

Regardless, Hindley had the legs today and Carapaz didn't.

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by basilic

How do you mean? Carapaz got a lift from Kamna same as Hindley did. He just couldn't follow. Do you mean Porte would have helped RC limit losses after the split?

Remember that Kamna waited for hindley before they made it 2 vs 1 on carapaz. Before that it’s possible Porte and carapaz could’ve done the same to hindley if ineos had their full compliment of climbers.

And as stated when they gapped carapaz having a teammate their could have helped limit the losses, even with hindley having the better legs on the day. Kamna sitting on Carapaz after launching hindley also crushed more valuable seconds.

But we’ll never know if that’s what would have happened, and hindley for sure deserves the incredible win.

[reuben]

I've been kinda rooting for Hindley for no real reason, but Carapaz had answered every call without issue. Until today.

In the last 10k Hindley looked relatively stress free while Carapaz showed small signs of stress, at least to my uneducated eye sitting on a couch on a different continent, which is never a guarantee of anything.

As these things often go, everyone looks fine until someone cracks and shoots out the back like a granite boulder in free fall. I waited for Carapaz to possibly recover and limit the damage, but the gap just continued to grow all the way to the line.

Carapaz gave it all he had, never giving up, but Hindley was head and shoulders above him in the last few kilometers.

Such a long race to be decided by a few kilometers.

ETA: Did anyone else notice Covi's shoes? One black, one white. Is this normal for him? I noticed it early in the stage, so presumably it wasn't a broken cleat or anything like that.

[johnniecakes]

I feel for Carzpaz a little bit, he seems like a good guy. But so glad INEOS doesn't win another grand tour.

[rccardr]

Hindley looked like a Cycling God for those last 10 minutes.
Just grinding it out at an impressive speed.
Pretty awesome to watch.
Who knows what will happen tomorrow, but not sure Carapaz (bless him!) can pick up that much time in the TT.
It has been a very entertaining Giro, IMO!

[Gianni Bianchi]

Originally Posted by fried bake

Poetic that Eros Poli was roadside on a day that a big man won on a high mountain.


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Eros is a great guy. I rode with him a few years ago and had lunch with him after the ride. Super nice guy and a great sense of humour.

[deluz]

Originally Posted by johnniecakes

I feel for Carzpaz a little bit, he seems like a good guy. But so glad INEOS doesn't win another grand tour.

Same feeling here, wish Carapaz was on a different team.
Did not expect him to blow up like he did but He seemed to be struggling even before he got gapped. He was always at the front of the peloton through out the Giro presumably to avoid accidents, splits and germs but that could have taken extra energy. Also his tendency to do an all out effort the last 1K of every contested stage with no resulting gain could have added to his demise. Hindley rode wisely and was brilliant.

[Beldar77]

Originally Posted by deluz

Same feeling here, wish Carapaz was on a different team.
Did not expect him to blow up like he did but He seemed to be struggling even before he got gapped. He was always at the front of the peloton through out the Giro presumably to avoid accidents, splits and germs but that could have taken extra energy. Also his tendency to do an all out effort the last 1K of every contested stage with no resulting gain could have added to his demise. Hindley rode wisely and was brilliant.

Me too - wish Carapaz was on a different team but I will root for Bernal if / when he makes it back.