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EvilCartyen

Race Thread: Giro d'Italia 2025 (self.procycling)

submitted 3 weeks ago by EvilCartyen to c/procycling@lemmy.world

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It's the first (and often best) GT of the season!

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[–] EvilCartyen 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, unless you're a Pedersen fan it's been a pretty boring giro so far. I am a Pedersen fan, of course, but I still recognized that. I guess Vacek is too strong for anyone to attack and get away?

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, unless you’re a Pedersen fan it’s been a pretty boring giro so far. I am a Pedersen fan, of course, but I still recognized that.

I haven't always had favourite riders, but in the last few years I have two, and they are Pedersen for lads and Kopecky for gals. I don't mind him winning, I do mind that others do not put up any fight, do not try to derail even just a little bit the course of Trek strategy, do not use what the organiser provided.

Ah, there is one thing at which I take offense, which makes me wish he loses time. He really looks like a little pig with this pink tracksuit and his chubby cheeks. 🤣 If he doesn't want to lose time, please tell him to keep the jersey, but put on a different bib! 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖

I guess Vacek is too strong for anyone to attack and get away?

No one even tried, so we cannot tell. But it is always better to go away in a small group (because there would have been splits if they tried), even carrying Vacek (or Ciccone) as a dead weight, than do nothing and arrive with Pedersen on perfect last miles for him (icing on the cake, after having dropped basically all other sprinters).

[–] EvilCartyen 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I agree that the others should put up a fight, but I guess they're cooked? If not then they would surely try?

I like Pedersen, not only because he is Danish like me, but because he is such a fun character with his determination and hard man attitude, without being a macho man.

And he is very down to earth, a few years ago I was at a small critérium in Hammel and he was there. Bossed everyone (criteria in Denmark are actual competitions), then afterwards we saw him on the parking lot loading his bike into the back of his dad's Skoda Octavia. I love that cycling is not more complicated than that, you know?

[–] Deschanel2027@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

I agree that the others should put up a fight, but I guess they’re cooked?

In my mind, it is impossible that they are cooked. If we take today:

yesterday was a completely flat stage, with no fight; the day before was rest (oh, BTW, in this edition the max series of racing days is 6, not 10 days, as, because of the start abroad, there is an extra resting day);
peloton stopped riding at km 1, not a single counter-attack in the beginning of the race;
there were only 3 'small' riders in the breakaway, which no one (including themselves) trusted to reach the finish, so no active pursuit;
wind was in riders back, if I heard correctly;
the stage is short, only 150 km;
the stage average speed is 43.6 km/h; to give a comparison point, Amstel Gold Race was ran at a slightly higher average speed, despite being 100 km longer and having twice the elevation gain!
the peloton is complete (or almost) when it reaches the first real climb, no one has made any effort since the start, and you probably still have 80 or more riders after it; so only sprinters and small or weakened riders have been dropped in the steep climb;
when there is a small acceleration, then it stops and everyone can regroup because they weren't really dropped; in the end, there are still 60 riders in the same time; as they cannot have the same level of power/form it means that many of them could have done more;
it wasn't at all like on the first day, when Lidl-Trek applied a strong and increasing pace all along the last climb (and kept on pushing on the downhill and then the flat) that put everyone behind in a single line, and thus ended up causing splits; it was rather compact most of the time today, except a little while when UAE pulled.