Itzulia Basque Country

Condor Andy wrote:

NEWSFLASH! Alaphilippe it out, just saw it on Twitter. He won't start today.

Crikey...Enric Mas for tomorrow then...Are we still good on that start time?

MinardiM189 wrote:

Dr Winston wrote:

Crikey...Enric Mas for tomorrow then...Are we still good on that start time?

Alaphilippe was planning to ride for Mas in the last few stages, the climbing is too much for him.

I'm interested to see what happens today, I think the climb is too hard for Schachmann and he will get dropped but tipsters have him winning the stage.

I am sure Yates, Landa and others will attack, Izagirre will struggle to stay with them but Fuglsang will stay with them. I could see a group of 5 or 6 staying away to the finish.

Still undecided whether to leave Schachmann in or not. The only thing I'm sure is that whichever way I decide will be wrong.

Well on the basis that nobody will actually ship him out given that they have Alla to deal with i’d Keep him. Safety in numbers sometimes with fantasy games. Alternatively if tou’re In with a chance of winning this one then it’s a decent gamble. Kwia can also find the hurt if the hammer goes down sometimes as well.

stevemarks wrote:

No idea what to do now.

I've taken Alaphilippe out but left Kwiatkowski in. Reversed yesterdays transfer and bought Jon Izzy back in. 

Kwiatkowski

Izaguirre

Lambrect

Yates

Schachmann

Martinez

Madaous

Ulissi

 

I like my team although I know what Muphy's law means.

I only have 2 transfers left for emergencies, but at least I know I don't have to make any difficult decisions.

 

Lol

Good team. Good day for you today but a few who may fall backwards tomorrow. You’ll be having to use your two transfers I think. I resisted splitting my funds up for a full 8 today in the hope of a jamboree tomorrow. I’m thinking Minardi has called it right tactically as above.

stevemarks wrote:

Alaphilippe finishes

Good...but will he start?

Dr Winston wrote:

Damn...Put Bravo in, took Bravo out...in, out, in, out...shake it all about. Damn again.

Although...I also had Amezqueta in at one point...no idea what he’s doing floating in between the peleton and lead group for no reason though...probably thinking “what the hell am I doing here”...

MinardiM189 wrote:

Dr Winston wrote:

Dr Winston wrote:

Damn...Put Bravo in, took Bravo out...in, out, in, out...shake it all about. Damn again.

Although...I also had Amezqueta in at one point...no idea what he’s doing floating in between the peleton and lead group for no reason though...probably thinking “what the hell am I doing here”...

The course wasn't as difficult as I expected, they had relayed all the concrete roads and made them wider. I had a look on Google World and they looked a lot narrower. The only person to miss out badly is Yates.

No changes to my team today. I'll probably have transfers left over at the end of the race.

I was tempted to bring Madouas in but decided to stick with what I had.

Hopefully Bevin can do something tomorrow but I doubt it.

 

 

Big fall for my purist team incoming. 1st yesterday with a non Alla team. My thinking was that Yates wouldn’t beat him but he wouldn’t be far behind him on every stage...and the extra funds allowed a full squad...which Alla didn’t.  That plan is now in tatters. It wasn’t a bad call actually this time when you looked at what the extra funds meant.

MinardiM189 wrote:

Dr Winston wrote:

Big fall for my purist team incoming. 1st yesterday with a non Alla team. My thinking was that Yates wouldn’t beat him but he wouldn’t be far behind him on every stage...and the extra funds allowed a full squad...which Alla didn’t.  That plan is now in tatters. It wasn’t a bad call actually this time when you looked at what the extra funds meant.

I have Alaphilippe in the purist but seriously considered going for 2 less expensive riders. I expected him to do better yesterday and I now think 2 cheaper riders will prove to be the better pick.

Yates now has the freedom to attack and get away on the last 3 stages.

Tomorrow is probably a day for the break, unless Alaphilippe wants another stage win. Although CCC, Caja Rural & Euskadi might help out with the chase.

Lots of the potential break riders lost lots of time today.

So many good riders in the 15.0 > 25.0 bracket made going without him a distinct possibility this time...not much to shout about above that price really...just Kwia...It did of course need them to keep in the GC running just behind Alla though.

Quite a steep looking kick tomorrow....have you done a reccie on it?

MinardiM189 wrote:

Dr Winston wrote:

So many good riders in the 15.0 > 25.0 bracket made going without him a distinct possibility this time...not much to shout about above that price really...just Kwia...It did of course need them to keep in the GC running just behind Alla though.

Quite a steep looking kick tomorrow....have you done a reccie on it?

I tried to post the climb here but it didn't work.

Not very steep, the main part is ~ 5km @ 5%

 

 

Mmmm. Neither one thing nor the other. No trains to speak of to drive them up it either. Could be a day for the GC contenders to just roll home....Maybe Yates could exact some revenge....(clutches at straws)....