Yeah that was brilliant. What a battle!
So, Movistar tactics - discuss…
The right plan, and unlucky to not to get the outcome they wanted? Or unnecessarily aggressive? It’s always been fun trying to figure out what Movistar’s plan actually is…
Right plan…but sometimes you just don’t have the legs to pull it off.
Carapaz and Rog were just stronger.
really hoping carthy can hang on ahead of dan martin to podium!
OMG…this stage is SO BORING!!!
Can we please just FF to the last 3K?
YES. On a work call and only glancing up to see the scenery.
The race jury may wanna have a word with Bennet…a few good hard shoves in the last KM.
Yup, I’m the proud owner of a nasty, plasticky and overpriced rain jacket bought at the top of the Stelvio having started the climb in lovely sunshine and summer kit only to discover that I would be descending in horizontal sleet!
Yup…bennet relegated, Ackermann declared winner.
Video of Bennett shoving
They seem to have been short on good riders. Carapaz hasn’t had any train towing him up the final climbs. The day before, he had Van Barle for a brief moment at the bottom of the final climb. Carapaz doesn’t have anyone the caliber of Kwiato or Rohan Dennis to help him.
It might put you to sleep!
Total snooze fest…painful to watch. Literally nothing going on…
When you’re light on strong riders after 3 GTs in the space of 8 weeks, I think Froome is maybe worth taking on the basis of his experience and tactical nous. Having a 7 time GT winner in your team can’t hurt. And maybe they thought he would ride into some semblance of form and at least be able to help out more as the race went on. You never know, he still might!
Or they just want to depress the guys at ISN on having blown their cash on Froome 
(and in subtext, explain why they’re letting him go…)
anyone else think that guy that destroyed his helmet probably shouldn’t have gotten back on a bike?
Liepins had the Bora wheel and it was Morkov that bumped him off first. Then Liepins head butted him or nudged him. And Bennett retaliated when both trying for Morkov’s wheel.
In essence, Morkov needed a wheel and had no problem bullying a lone Trek rider.
When I first saw Bennet head butt him, my reaction was “well, Liepens was trying to muscle in on another team’s train…that is a no-no.” There was clearly a “pecking order” issue at play and Bennet was demonstrating that Liepens didn’t belong there…but he choose the wrong tactics to send that message.
I haven’t seen Liepens move to get on Ackermann’s wheel, which is reportedly what started the whole thing, though.
I think Chris sums it up well here:
I’m scratching my head to understand how Carapaz gets the same time as Roglic - he was a good 4-5 seconds ahead of everyone else. You could have driven a bus in that gap.