Giro d' Italia 2021

[Jewbacca]

17 hours ago, 'Dale said:

Caruso and Bardet seemingly the big winners on the GC ladders today.

Geez, the shower on the bus is gonna be so lekka warm. How was your day at work today?

Probably a discussion for another thread but, what are Ineos plans for TDF?

With less than 4 weeks between races, who will ride?

Carapaz, Thomas, Tao, Porte? Kwiatowski, Swift, Dennis, Amador...... That leaves Dunbar, Rowe, Yates etc all out.

Will Bernal get a ride with his current form?

I was not a fan with their Skytrain and Skybots, but this team is lighting up races these days and winning even more. It has been awesome to watch the change in attitude translate into results.

Ayway, as you were. Back to the Giro. Bernal is a worthy winner thus far and I desperately hope bad luck or a poor decision doesn't mar a fantastic race.

[Vetplant]

14 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Probably a discussion for another thread but, what are Ineos plans for TDF?

With less than 4 weeks between races, who will ride?

Carapaz, Thomas, Tao, Porte? Kwiatowski, Swift, Dennis, Amador...... That leaves Dunbar, Rowe, Yates etc all out.

Will Bernal get a ride with his current form?

I was not a fan with their Skytrain and Skybots, but this team is lighting up races these days and winning even more. It has been awesome to watch the change in attitude translate into results.

Ayway, as you were. Back to the Giro. Bernal is a worthy winner thus far and I desperately hope bad luck or a poor decision doesn't mar a fantastic race.

My thoughts have also drifted to the TDF and where Bernal might fit in this year for Ineos.

UAE is going to be a major force with Pogacar and Jumbo-Visma with Roglic, so Ineos will need to bring their A-game. That might mean bringing Bernal along as Super-domestique or Backup GC contender if some of the other workhourses aren't on the same level as he is.

[TNT1]

3 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

My thoughts have also drifted to the TDF and where Bernal might fit in this year for Ineos.

 

If he wins the Giro, he's probably going to the Vuelta and not the Tour.

[Jewbacca]

4 minutes ago, TNT1 said:

If he wins the Giro, he's probably going to the Vuelta and not the Tour.

That was my thought too

[Vetplant]

9 minutes ago, TNT1 said:

If he wins the Giro, he's probably going to the Vuelta and not the Tour.

Makes the most sense yes. 4 weeks is a very short turn-around and not something you attempt on a whim. Going for Giro & Vuelta in the same year, to have a win in all 3 GT's seems like the logical thing to do. Then he can comfortably argue for the No1 spot for TDF 2022.

[TNT1]

5 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

Makes the most sense yes. 4 weeks is a very short turn-around and not something you attempt on a whim. Going for Giro & Vuelta in the same year, to have a win in all 3 GT's seems like the logical thing to do. Then he can comfortably argue for the No1 spot for TDF 2022.

Yeah, I don't see Brailsford taking a team with 4 potential Tour winners (Tao, Geraint, Richie (Carapaz, not Porte) and Bernal), the sky-bots learnt their lesson with Froome/Wiggo.

 

I reckon Tao and Carapaz to go in nominally equal leaders and the rest as domestiques, with the road to decide who the actual leader is, my money being on Carapaz.

[lechatnoir]

Wiggins' theory that Brailsford won't change the plan. Thomas was given the TdF spot. Nothing like making one of your star riders displeased by giving another, arguably better, rider a spot at TdF... It also give Ineos a great shot at winning all 3 GTs in a single year. Climbing in the Vuelta is no joke. Bernal will cope nicely with it

Edit- a ways to go before we kick the Vuelta off, but look out for sprinters abandoning en-masse...

Edited May 25, 2021 by lechatnoir

[Vetplant]

27 minutes ago, lechatnoir said:

Wiggins' theory that Brailsford won't change the plan. Thomas was given the TdF spot. Nothing like making one of your star riders displeased by giving another, arguably better, rider a spot at TdF... It also give Ineos a great shot at winning all 3 GTs in a single year. Climbing in the Vuelta is no joke. Bernal will cope nicely with it

Edit- a ways to go before we kick the Vuelta off, but look out for sprinters abandoning en-masse...

So Thomas to co-Lead with Carapaz at TDF and Tao will go to Vuelta with Bernal as Co-leader?

Richie Porte not getting a chance to lead at this rate.

[Jewbacca]

19 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

So Thomas to co-Lead with Carapaz at TDF and Tao will go to Vuelta with Bernal as Co-leader?

Richie Porte not getting a chance to lead at this rate.

In my mind Porte was never going to Ineos to lead. He was the best super dom, tried to lead, failed, so has now realised he can still be one of the best super doms again. No harm in admitting where your strengths really are. 

That's how I saw his signing anyway

[dsw]

22 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

So Thomas to co-Lead with Carapaz at TDF and Tao will go to Vuelta with Bernal as Co-leader?

Richie Porte not getting a chance to lead at this rate.

I also think they will stick with the original plan of taking Thomas and  Carapaz as "co-leaders" as well as Richie as super domestique and backup leader to the Tour. Richie signed on in the understanding that he will be a super domestique. The route of the Tour will also suit Geraint and Richie as they are both excellent time triallist. Brailsford indicated previously that Carapaz will have to race "differently" in the tour meaning that he will be allowed to go on the attack in the mountains. They might also send Tao to the Tour.

A team comprising of Geraint, Carapaz, Richie P, Tao, Kwiatkowski, Luke Rowe, Rowan Dennis etc. is pretty scary looking.

Yates is earmarked to lead the team at the Vuelta. 

Bernal, who is clearly their best rider,  is just returning from a career threatening injury so I think (hope) they will manage his work load very carefully

 

[dsw]

8 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

In my mind Porte was never going to Ineos to lead. He was the best super dom, tried to lead, failed, so has now realised he can still be one of the best super doms again. No harm in admitting where your strengths really are. 

That's how I saw his signing anyway

As a supporter of the Australian I have to point out that he made the Podium at the Tour as a team leader so I will not say he totally failed  ????

 

[Vetplant]

Something completely different, but that was raised a couple of days ago:

If Bernal takes the GC here, it will be back-to-back Giro's and back-to-back TDF's that have been won by someone from the Young Rider classification. (Primoz won the last two editions of La Vuelta, seems to suit the older gents a bit better).

Seems like the younger crop of riders don't need recognition anymore in the form of a young riders classification.

Is it time to rather introduce a Grey Jersey classification instead, for all the Over 33 riders....?

[dsw]

3 minutes ago, Vetplant said:

Something completely different, but that was raised a couple of days ago:

If Bernal takes the GC here, it will be back-to-back Giro's and back-to-back TDF's that have been won by someone from the Young Rider classification. (Primoz won the last two editions of La Vuelta, seems to suit the older gents a bit better).

Seems like the younger crop of riders don't need recognition anymore in the form of a young riders classification.

Is it time to rather introduce a Grey Jersey classification instead, for all the Over 33 riders....?

haha... good idea, unless they start a senior Tour like they have in Tennis and Golf. Then they can have a jersey for the best "young" rider in that Tour too ( light Grey). 

[NotSoBigBen]

2 hours ago, TNT1 said:

To quote the greatest champion of them all: "It's not about the bike"?

If anyone mentions that around my wife there'll be hell to pay ????

[Jewbacca]

30 minutes ago, dsw said:

As a supporter of the Australian I have to point out that he made the Podium at the Tour as a team leader so I will not say he totally failed  ????

 

Also a big fan. To be fair though, he was THE BEST super dom and a very very average team leader who seldom finished a GT.

Like I said, there is no shame in admitting where your strengths are. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Jewbacca

[meathead]

I am enjoying Chris Horner's post race analysis on you tube.

included a link if anyone is interested