very much looked like a target fixation crash.
Nice to see Soler get a win. He’s been pushing hard this race, so well earned. I think he is one of those riders who wasn’t never going to be a grand tour GC guy, and he would have had better success as a stage hunter.
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The way he was hanging onto Max Poole not taking turns, he’s either a great actor or really knows how to suffer, I’m not sure anyone knows.
We urgently need salary caps in cycling or super teams like Equipo Kern Pharma are going to continue to dominate every race.
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There is something unsettling about a pharma sponsored cycling team tbh
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Imagine one of the pioneers in EPO would sponsor a whole race. It would be called sth like Amgen Tour of California…
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I remember. Floyd and Levi won the first few.
Ugh.
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It really seems like Karmically that Visma is paying for winning all 3 grand tours last year, and taking the entire podium of the Vuelta
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O’Connor now just racing to stay on the podium…zero interest is trying to stay with Rog.
Carapaz is trying, but can’t shake O’Connor…Mas, gaining time on everyone except Rog, looking to lock down 2nd.
Final spot on the podium may come down to the TT, unless Carapaz or O’Connor can gain significant time tomorrow.
ETA - Rog takes a stranglehold on the GC, Carapaz manages to put 45" into O’Connor in the final 1.5km. Need to see the final numbers for the GC still.
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O’Connor may be in better shape than I thought…he will probably have a slight advantge over Carapaz in the final TT, so Richie will need to gain well over a minute tomorrow.
I think Mas is in pretty good shape for 2nd, if he climbs tomorrow like he did today.
Bonus seconds may prove to be critical tomorrow, as well…there are seconds available at the top of the penultimate climb, 25km out as well as on the finish line. Will the GC teams ride to keep a break close enough that the GC leaders can claim the time bonuses?
If I was EF, I would try and put people in a break, and then try and launch Carapaz on the penultimate climb with the goal of gapping O’Connor and having the folks in the break pull Carapaz from the top of the penultimate climb into the final climb
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Yeah…I was debating if it is better for him to wait until the last climb to out in one vicious attack or go for a long one. I think I agree that a long range attack is his best bet - 1) it plays to his strengths and 2) O’Connor would probably hesitate to match him so early.
My thinking for the long range is that Carapaz needs 1 minute to tie O’Connor, and then needs a buffer to account for on paper O’Connor being a better time trialist. Which to me means that Carapaz needs to be looking to get 1:30 - 2 minutes on O’Connor, which points to a longer range attack. Plus if Carapaz does a long range attack, Mas has to go with him, and should work if O’Connor is dropped as gapping O’Connor is also in Mas’ interests
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Is Mas the most expressive rider? Top5?
Kuss for the stage win Saturday.
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