Orica’s comedy of errors continues at the Vuelta - Cort somehow again got into the break, when he was the only rider instructed not to get into the break - Of course he had no hope in the terrain - Break was given 12 minutes and Sandee of LS won the stage - Last 2kms was difficult and Contador, Froome and Woods finished together - Other GC contenders lost seconds including Nibali who lost 22 seconds - Chaves was struggling from a long way out and had Verona and A.Yates pacing him back to the peleton - Orica riders would have been better to sit up - And somehow Boom wins the ITT at TOB from a stacked field with Durbridge 10th.
Cannodale survives.
De Gendt wins the stage, not much doing in the GC despite a big dig from Contador.
Sagan wins Grand Prix de Quebec from GVA and Matthews
Ewan wins his 3rd stage in the ToB
Dan Jones leaving OS? Haven’t been watching the BSP this Vuelta but apparently it’s in the latest episode.
Dunno, haven’t been watching.
If there’s one stage you need to watch at this years Vuelta, it’s tonight’s stage.
The most feared climb in pro cycling, L’Angliru.
It’s also going to be wet.
So it seems Dan Jones is leaving Orica. Will there still be a backstage pass ?
The Vuelta goes from bad to worse for Orica and there tactical ineptitude is staggering. Somehow they missed the break forcing Juul Jensen to chase alone to make a 4 minute gap. Of course he was cooked and quickly dropped out of the break, while Verona got lucky and joined with 5 others to make 4 minutes to join the break but lasted around 20kms. And the tactical ineptitude continued at Quebec. Docker of all people rode the most brilliant lead out but Albasinix Gerrans and Impey dropped the wheel. Hold the wheel and you could have got 4th or 5th as its hard to beat the top 3. TOB is a more tactically mature.performance by Orica which is helped by gun leadouts by Mezgec. Pity Ewan damned Mezgec with faint praise during an interview. At least it seems Mezgec is staying at Orica.
1 Like
El Pistolero goes out all guns blazing, gotta admire him for that.
1 Like
A fitting end.
Hail El Pistolero - Reckon he’s been the second best rider in the Vuelta - Orica need to get behind Cort for the final sprint - He can win.
1 Like
And Trentin wins stage 21 but Froome sprints to 11th to win the points classification - Seemed like a pointless act by Froome, though he likes to win.
It’s a pity about BSP but the writing was on the wall when they made the movie in 2017.
Orica played the wrong card in Quebec - Kreuziger was by far the strongest Orica rider on the road, but was forced to sit up at 6kms to wait for Impey - He could have gone on the climb and made the breakaway group of six.
Cromwell and Haas complaining about selection for the Worlds - Cromwell now realises CA is all about the track - I have my doubts about Jones the new supremo of CA.
Gerry Ryan commit’s to funding Orica Scott men’s team for 2018/2019 if they can’t find a new major sponsor to replace Orica - Gerry is a generous man as he fairly much funded Green Edge in 2012 - He will also tip in more dollars to keep the women’s team and the men’s after Cycling Australia’s new track guru cut funding to road cycling - This could get messy.
Hardly an ideal situation, eventually the well will dry up.
After Froomes domination of Vuelta, I think he went into Tour De France a bit under done, knowing he would get better through the tour and still put in a great performance at the Vuelta.
1 Like
Froome did what Quintana tried to do - Quintana come into the Giro under-cooked hoping his class would carr him through - Unfortunately Quintana found one better in Dumoulin in the Giro, and of course couldn’t back up in the TDF.
1 Like
Bigger short term issue is Orica have fallen out big time with Cycling Australia - The bosses at CA need to realise cycling is track,road, bmx, cyclocross, MTB and recreational - It’s not just about track.
How do you guys think Porte will come back? Will Froome have any other challlengers next year?
- Quintana/Chaves/Dumolin
would you change Porte’s roster next year - do the Giro/Tour Double?
Try and defend Tour Down under?
BMC dont look like having a second tour leader? -Van Garderen and Roche were a fair way off in the end in Veulta. Should Porte attempt 3 grand tours?
Van Garderen 10th at Veulta.
I stuggle to see Porte contending in GT.
He has just too much bad luck.
He’s great for 1 week races.
1 Like
Dumoulin will be a big threat to Froome in the 2018 TDF and Quintana is always thereabouts - Expect the TDF to have a loaded GC field in 2018, after having the weakest GC field in 2017 - My belief is Porte should ride the Giro/Vuelta double n 2018, though I doubt it will happen - Romours are L.Hamlton is considering BMC as an option,
1 Like
Nothing will be certain until the 2018 TdF parcours is known. And the same for the Giro. Petty useless speculating until then.