Wow. Magnier is smooth. Good on QS boys.
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A couple AGers got an epic finish line photo with Wout.
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No doubt. Wiebes was against 2 teams with 2 riders each for last bit. Kind of funny how she so easily mauled them.
Iām a Tro Bro bro. Cool track with all the surfaces, windy, lots of action. Strong field.
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Heās the real deal.
and also donāt discount the fact that Milan is as aero as a brick when he sprints.
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āThe ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks donāt.ā
Giro Tues (today) and Weds look like break vs sprinter types who can get over the climbs to win reduced bunch sprints (last year Wout v Mads - this year?? Strong? Groves? Turner? Morgado?), flat Thurs and flat Friday until the end Blockhaus gc climb. I hope the race calms a bit before base of Blockhaus so we donāt lose too many more riders before the gc starts taking some shape.
Unfortunately GC has already taken some shape with the loss of Yates (and Vine/Soler) and Boots, plus Gee losing a minute.
@ClayDavis - yes, agreed, and not in a good way. Iām hoping it doesnāt get worse before (HOPEFULLY) the race takes on a safer approach to pinch points. I was a little surprised UAE didnāt go full out for the early break - maybe Morgado is their get over the mtn better than other fast dudes plan.
I wasnāt expecting Ben Turner to out climb Bernal. That doesnāt bode well.
I wonder if Narvaez knew the Jan Cristen plan? he definitely played the reaction PERFECTLY. did he do that on instinct or knowing it was coming? Obviously Christen has such a good motor that the catch strung out the āsprintā finish better than a leadout. That would have seemed like a great tactic for any team with several riders - esp Movistar and in my mind Bernal for big Ben.
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And Groves is out, still suffering from the Stage 1 crash. Sorry, folks - guess I jinxed him. 
Man I feel for Orluis - They took him out his hand but as soon as I saw Narvaez I knew it wouldnāt be āthat easyā.
sort of seemed like it was the old 1-2 executed to perfectionā¦ā¦the Gnar
Big Sombrero couldnāt get a handle on Knarvaez, who brought the goods. He spends so much time working for Pogacar that itās easy to forget what a baller he is.
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I still want to see the Gnar make a run at the spring classics. Heās got the tools to be up there at De Ronde or Amstel but there always seem to be teammates (typically Pog) getting priority so Iām not sure weāve ever seen what he can really do there. Hoping one of these springs UAE unleashes the Gnar.
Is he really? Or are we eye ball wind tunnel testing?
He looked really dialed in on the track when he set the individual and pursuit world records. I think he is just a really big dude and needs a lot more power to sprint.
ETA: side photo of his sprint position, no Cavendish, but itās aero enough:
The Gnar might be a case of if you cant beat āem, join āem. Gnar hung with Pogi on stage 1 of Giro 2 yrs ago, then beat him in the finish (1 other dude caught them on descent - i think) - then Pogi got Gnar on UAE. Gnar led out Pogi on Cipressa last year. Gnar hung on the J Vine express this year in Australia (no one else could). Gnar was the set up man on Hautacam last year when he launched Pogi about a half hour before the top - OUCH! rumor has it the Gnar might not understand the radio commands from the DS too well - so Pogi was like - ok, Iāll go from here. I wonder if Narvaez knew Christen would attack and watched Aurlis and Ciccone for the response or was Gnar just dialed in for the finish and when he saw how lined out the lead out was - he knew this was his sprint. If Christen launched his attack from a lead out draft - he might not have been caught - that was a HARD chase.
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What a crappy weather day at the Giro. As can be expected. Iām curious to see how everyone climbs today. Visma has used Campanaerts a good bit some Iām guessing Venga wants some GC action today.