That's unfortunate, but you've got to believe they've been pulling their hair out getting this change of venue done. I give them a lot of credit for getting it done and not just cancelling the stage.

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Jim Manton / ERO Sports

10K only? That's just one leg of the Piru course :-/

BTW, I don't know if I mentioned it here, but they're actually riding on the Piru TT course during today's stage when they go up Guiberson Rd. (they'll be doing the "return leg" of the 20K TT course :-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Some balls! Dude can take a corner faster than I can sprint:)

Would you mind explaining what sort of input you provide to these athletes leading up and during the event? Is it things like equipment selection based on wind and rider speeds? Tire choice and pressure? Pacing? Are you using something like best bike split? Are actually using best bike split? Obviously a super flat course like this easy, since the answer is always aero, but I assume you do the calcs of silly things like switching bikes for a climb? Obviously you have very good low yaw data of your athletes, but do you need to figure in any yaw? Are they just going so fast zero yaw is basically assumed?

I know some of the exact information is obviously proprietary, but it would be great if you could share as much generalities as you could and specifics would be even better.

I was amazed at the lack of TT bikes, discs, aero helmets etc.....
Do most of the teams/riders just not care and dont want to deal with the hassle of all the extra equipment?

Team sport, for most it's like an off day. Unless you're in the fight for a GC spot or a TT guy that's looking for a stage win. Most riders are likely saving it to do well the next day.

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Running the Prairie Spirit Trial 50, Riding the Dirty Kanza 200, enter in the Kansas 5150 triathlon

Well shit...just about shat my pants watching this. Amazing. Too good to be true? Maybe if he kept the yellow. His handler's first words to him :"don't worry, you'll take it back tomorrow". Sure hope so!

Evelyn Stevens chicked 29 of the men's riders yesterday. Granted, some of them weren't really trying and not on TT bikes; but still, good job.

As far as not using TT equipment, heard some of it being not wanting to pay to freight it all back and forth to Europe. Sounds plausible. As mentioned, lots of the domestiques and sprinters use it as an almost recovery day.

Sagan could ride MTB or CX? He won Jr World Championship in MTB, so yeah. He and his brother rode in our local MTB race a few years ago. Crushed our local Semipros.

Team tactics tomorrow will be interesting. EQS will definitely have their hands full!!

After the top 10 or 15 the guys aren't even trying. And she also hasn't raced since Sunday so her legs are a little fresher.

So in other words, she didn't chick anyone other than the chicks.

Yeah, this boring race shaped up to be pretty exciting tomorrow.

Fortunately for EQS they have the only sprinter to best Sagan so far so Cav ought to eat up intermediate sprint bonuses. Question will be if Saxo can get rid of Cav for finale.

Well, I'm not much of a Sagan fan, but that was a damn impressive ride today.

What is the structure for the time bonuses tomorrow?

(Side note - I really dislike it when time bonuses can determine an overall winner. I think they have their place in the early stages of a race, but not this late and this large a role in a race.)

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

What a performance from Sagan! I think he has those few % extra now that he couldn't find during the classics. Today's performance was incredible! Never seen him dig so deep, he always makes everything look easy but today he did one hell of a fight. Very impressive.

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_____________________
Don't forget to attack!

This.

If they hand out points and time at the sprint points why not for KOMs too? I always thought the GC was for determining who rode the stages collectively the fastest. The GC winner tomorrow will likely be Sagan, and it won't be because he rode the course faster than Alaphilipe. Alaphilipe has placed very high and in the same finishing time groups as Sagan up until Mt Baldy, and yet he won't be the winner.

Maybe so but they'll sure make tomorrow an exciting finish. With races like ATOC, that are decided by seconds, this eliminates guys winning it with a huge TT and following wheels the rest of way. I don't think that really portrays the best overall rider.

Sagan can tie it up by getting second in intermediate sprint (assuming Cav takes it, unless break gobbles it up). He could also get second on stage and win. In reality, it's Sagan's race to lose.

I'm not sure if I understand...if time bonuses are a part of a race at all, isn't it possible they could determine an overall winner?

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Sagan has won two stages so far, a sprint stage and a time trial. He held his own in the mountain top finish, finishing sixth. He placed on the podium on other stages. If he wins by collecting a couple bonus seconds on the last stage then it will be a well deserved victory by the best overall rider. It will be a hell of a lot better than winning by dominating a single time trial or mountain stage.

Sure, anything is possible....but if you structure it properly, it is a remote chance. But I'm sure you knew that.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Well, sure...but extra seconds are extra seconds...it doesn't matter where in the race they are awarded, there's still a chance they could make a difference when it's all said and done...which is why when you said you didn't mind them in early stages I found that confusing.

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

If you limit the amount of time gained in bonuses, as well as the opportunities there is damn little chance that the guys contesting sprints on the flat stages are gonna be contesting the overall.

But again, I think you understand this and are being pedantic.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

But Alaphilipe also did not have to expend the energy contending for the final sprints that Sagan did. The bonus seconds are there to add some excitement to the race, and motivate riders to attack the sprint points.

But I am wondering how well Sagan will recover after burying himself today. Cav and the other sprint contenders all finished 20+ min behind and saved themselves for tomorrow.

Naah...not being pedantic. Just trying to figure out your statement.

BTW, if the bonus seconds are not likely to affect outcomes, what's the point in awarding them in the first place? ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

It's not like Sagan has to go extra-deep to place in one of the sprints. He is (obviously)one of the fastest guys in that peloton, tired or no.

ETIXX needs to have a break go early, eat up the intermediate sprints and hopefully stay away. But Saxo is one of the strongest teams out there this week and there is a whopping 2k of climbing. Shouldn't be too hard to keep things in check.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Seriously? To keep things interesting in the early stages of a stage race. When the early stages are designed to end in a bunch gallop, the jersey stays put on whoever wins the first stage or prologue. Now, I am fine with that scenario, but most want to see a jersey change hands occasionally and I accept that.

You sure you aren't being just a bit pedantic...if not, you don't understand bike racing as well as I thought....

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Sure, anything is possible....but if you structure it properly, it is a remote chance. But I'm sure you knew that.

I love it when time bonuses can decide the winner, when the stage race includes a heinous climb like today's.

Sagan's performance today was remarkable. He kicked the asses of a lot of climbing specialists. His TT win was damned impressive also.

I sure hope he wins the overall tomorrow some way or another. He deserves it.