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All roads lead to Aigle: Pro Cycling 2020

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    Can Ineos's failure to impose themselves on this year's race be put down to selection issues at all or would, as I suspect, Jumbo-Visma just be stronger than them whoever they'd put out this year?

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      A little of both, I'd say

      Carapaz has been a disappointment and Kwiatowskii isn't the rider he was three years ago

      On the other hand, Sivakov"s crashes were just rotten luck
      Last edited by ursus arctos; 12-09-2020, 12:52.

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        Agree, plus Amador crashing didn't help. Think they're also struggling a bit with the disrupted season and all the changes that brought about - we've seen in the past that the team is very good at following a defined process but much less so at adapting and thinking on their feet. Bernal's lack of zip when the attacks start flying make me think he's overtrained (he's not alone in that to be fair). Also I wouldn't overestimate the impact of the passing of Nico Portal, quite aside from the human impact there will have needed to be structural changes in the team.

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          The Tour of Romania (Turul Romaniei) passed through here yesterday, but as ever, actually informing people about things like this doesn't come naturally in this country. In fact the only way that i know the race passed just 2 kms from my front door yesterday is that i got stuck in traffic in the afternoon and found out why well after the fact.

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            This is fun.

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              That was a proper sucker punch from Sunweb; let Bora and CCC hack away at the front all day, keep their powder dry then attack and attack in the finale until one stuck and Soren Kragh Andersen won solo. Well done them.

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                Fabulous end to the highlights show.

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                  I thought this was interesting on Ineos's struggles (and Jumbo-Visma's inability to dominate too) ;

                  Ineos and Jumbo-Visma struggling to make Tour a battle of super-teams

                  I'm sure nobody outside those two teams sees it as anything but a good thing, mind.

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                    And this from Sean Yates, which also mentions Portal

                    https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sea...rance-tactics/

                    I find it weird to compare Ineos and Jumbo, which has the yellow jersey and three stage wins

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                      Jumbo v INEOS today; no contest.

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                        Yes, I couldn't quite get Fotheringham's angle there either.

                        To illustrate how peculiar it is, Bernal has been dropped by a Jumbo-Visma controlled leading group on the Grand Colombier. Could be the end of his yellow jersey hopes.

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                          Actually, forget "could"...he's over.

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                            This reminds me of Ullrich at les Deux Alpes in 1998 (apart from the weather), you're seeing a rider experience the first major setback of their career after a smooth path to the top. He was dropped there before Bilbao, Elissonde, Caruso, Reichenbach and Hirt. That's ... not good for what he might be able to salvage from the rest of the race.

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                              The Slovenian tour

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                                And Mezgec won the sprint for second yesterday

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                                  https://twitter.com/matt_77r/status/1305091045730983936

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                                    Marianne Vos won today's Giro Rosa stage which sounds as if it was all a bit more sensible than yesterday's rather farcical stage across gravel tracks.

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                                      Bernal's been sat at the back all day and is now getting dropped at the same time as Sam Bennett. Fancy he might go home tonight.

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                                        Nobody's really talking about Miguel Angel Lopez, but he's always strong in the final week of a Grand Tour and is still very much a live candidate for the podium, emphasised there by him showing strength at the finish for a small time gain.

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                                          Two of three Cycling Podcast commentators picked him for third yesterday

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                                            There was a definite English language bias in the 3 ITV experts going for Porte and Yates.
                                            longeared were right: Bernal has abandoned. He seems like a nice fella, maybe too nice, so hard luck sympathy to him but frakk Ineos (who did rest day interviews in front of their eponymous 4x4...)

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                                              Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                                              There was a definite English language bias in the 3 ITV experts going for Porte and Yates.
                                              longeared were right: Bernal has abandoned. He seems like a nice fella, maybe too nice, so hard luck sympathy to him but frakk Ineos (who did rest day interviews in front of their eponymous 4x4...)
                                              Yes, his abandonment possibly the least surprising news of the day. He looked broken yesterday and pretty much threw in the towel in his post stage interview. As you say, seems a really decent young man. He'll be back.

                                              Really looking forward to today's 'Queen' stage. Paris is getting nearer and Pogacar needs to roll the dice with an attack. He looks strong enough to give it a go, too.
                                              Last edited by Tony C; 16-09-2020, 08:11.

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                                                Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                                                Bernal has abandoned
                                                As decisions go, it was hardly earth-shattering.

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                                                  Bernal looked demob happy in his ITV interview last night. INEOS have talked about other targets later in the season but it would seem sensible to shut him down entirely, get him mended and bring him back in February. It's also September 16th now and traditionally this is when that team tends to park their leader for the winter - we don't know exactly what will happen next season but it's reasonable to assume that what does will take place in their normal slots. Given that most riders are going to be making huge efforts well into this autumn then there's going to be a lot of GC riders absolutely blowing out of their arses come next July, so a fit and fresh Bernal is going to have one potential advantage there.

                                                  I suspect there's going to be a lot of articles in the cycling media this winter about whether Bernal is a busted flush. I do wonder whether he has the strength of personality to lead a big team - he certainly wouldn't be the first rider to find that sole leadership brings a different pressure and expectation to being a joint leader at a younger age. They're not short of alternatives if he doesn't perform in future - Carapaz, Sivakov, Sosa, Yates, potentially Vlasov coming in 2022.

                                                  In the here and now this is the big day for Pogacar - he has to attack and get time back today, tomorrow's another breakaway day rather than GC. The climb today does sound like it might be bordering on silly gradients at the finish and it'll turn into one of those Vuelta-esque ramp tests rather than actual racing. Not sure how good Pogacar is at time trialling either, he's never actually done all that many TTs at the top level. An awful lot of store is being put in the Slovenian national champs earlier this summer when he beat Roglic, which doesn't really tally up with the rest of his results.

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                                                    Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                                                    There was a definite English language bias in the 3 ITV experts going for Porte and Yates
                                                    It would be nice to have Porte on the podium. Just to see if he falls off.

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