Fall off your bike, drop the field.

Like I said, he looks vulnerable.......:)

“Hope is not a strategy.”

True, but also, "luck is where preparedness meets opportunity", and we can be pretty sure G. is prepared. Just needs an opportunity. And if it doesn't come within 19 more days, another podium is nothing to sneeze at.

I think you are right. It's just that this is feeling awfully like a procession.

Totally agree on GT getting podium, probably second step. He’s cagey, unlike…

“It’s a shame because I definitely feel like I was the second strongest guy, but probably the least intelligent.”
- Ben O’Conner on trying to follow Pogacar.

Oh, for sure the dominance does take some of the fun out of it. We just have to try to be content with all the other battles going on for stages, the jerseys, and so on.

And of course there are other races! Tro Bro Leon, as usual, was an exciting race. It's good to see the Bull is back despite multiple punctures/bike changes. And another really fine ride by Riley Sheehan.

LOL, it's quotes like that that make me an O'Conner fan.

Tro Bro Leon is such a good parcours and the weather always keeps it fun to watch.

That is awesome on both of you. Love it. You have some work to hit Kusstanza levels though ;)

That was a quick return to normal, but that was sketchy. Was that wheel throwing sparks?

Tomorrow we get the first look at Cool Hand Luke in action. Finish looks too much like one for the pure sprinters, should suit LL KoolJ well.

I thought so too! But on seeing the slo-mo replay, it looked like it was burping orange sealant.

Pogi did that climb with no data. old school. didn't he do the bel filles climb of final tour TT with no data?
maybe i'm way too much of a slave to the data - but i'd want to know if I could likely push a lil more (or conversely in O'Connor's case to back off a lil).
I have a harder time identifying with O'Connor's ride - maybe just bc at 56 I almost never feel even mildly in control when going near my limit!
something tells me Pogi might have had a little more in the tank.

Sprinters to the fore tomorrow - sounds like rain. Going J. Milan before I bother to see finish profile or weather (you know - like Pogi - no data!).

Pog changed bikes at the bottom and it's a kind of a tell that he didn't grab his head unit. Speaks to a mindset maybe?

Funny you say that because I'm the opposite. I'll use the power meter in training, but so often when doing a shorter full gas effort like that I'm better off not using the data and pacing by RPE. More often than not I can find a little something extra that I wouldn't have had otherwise if I was only going off data.

As for O'Connor...on one hand, there's the mentality that you're either dropped or not, ignoring the data and the fact that you shouldn't bother with the fact that you know the effort is a little too spicy. Alternatively, someone at his level should probably know better what kind of effort he can hold and that doing what he did would blow himself up.

I think it's a combination of historically not using the headunit when he attacks and the stress of the situation. He had crashed and was more concerned about getting a new bike. I think had he not crashed and was just standing by his bike while waiting for a new one, he would have been more likely to grab it.

I think it may be part of the long game that Pog is playing to prioritize listening to his body over everything else - this is going to be real important this Giro if he's going to maximize his chances of success in the Tour. Sometimes the head unit can reign you in ("I'm feeling great!" but the data shows the effort is not sustainable) and sometimes it can cause you to push ("This feels terrible but I know I can do these numbers"). I feel like Pog could just have gone with strategy of "I'm going to attack but make sure it doesn't feel too taxing" which for most people is not likely to drop anyone, but in his case his measured effort is enough to cause others to explode.

Well, that didn't age well. What is he doing?

Tell me the one where Pog is prioritizing listening to his body again. :)

He can't seem to help himself. Maybe listening to his body is the problem - the legs just want to go go go. It's exciting to watch, but damn, it does seem like a huge waste of energy when he's staring down the barrel of 6 weeks of grand tour racing.

wow.
he might need to alter Jens's 'shut up legs' sticker with - simmer down competitive instinct (ok that's a bit long to read while doing 900 watts in the saddle prying open the gap).

Milan - almost! I suspect going as fast as they were for 2 minutes that drafting as long as possible would have helped the last turn of speed.
glad the roads werent too wet/slippery - lots of watts in those final ks.

He really needs to rein it in. Even if this becomes a procession he’ll pay the price in July. He does look very lean too.

GT is a national treasure. https://www.instagram.com/...MTg3N2JrMG5pZmx3NA==

He just seems not himself these days.....

Anyway, back to the mindset thing, if you've watched MvDP take a bottle from a car, he doesn't take even a hint of sticky with him. Speculating again, but suggests he is in a headspace where even a little fudging is a chink in his mental focus.

Did you see Pog's response?

Silly games like today's is one of the reasons you see so many crashes in the first week of the GTs. The GC teams should just stop when they pass the 3 km mark.