On this Sunday in March that introduces Italy into the red zone, the god of cycling brought to the table a day of great cycling and great reflections between Tirreno-Adriatico , Paris-NiceA mix of legend and destiny that showed us on one hand the brazen greatness of Van der Poel and the more lucid one of Tadej Pogacar, while on the French front Primoz Roglic encountered an unusual fate and the cynicism of the group.
Thanks Mathieu
Degenkolb was right at the start of the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
“When Van der Poel is in the race,” the German said, “you can never rest easy, because he’s capable of turning any race upside down.”
The prophecy that came true in part that day has come true at the Strade Bianche and today in Castelfidardo.
The Dutchman started with 52 kilometers to go, with the same bravado as a cross-country race. Racing like that is spectacular and fires up the fans, but In the long run, even VdP risked not collecting anything, a victim of the cold like at the World Championships in Harrogate. In fact, when 17 kilometers from the finish he decided that the moment had come, Pogacar ate away almost all of his advantage, getting to within just 10 seconds.
Lucidity Pogacar
Van der Poel crossed the finish line. He approached his men. He tried to lift his leg to climb over the saddle and it collapsed under the bikeHe remained lying down for a few seconds then sat down against the barrier. If in Siena his looking at the others with a Coke in his hand had seemed almost a cowboy gesture, this time not even a fiery glance.
"I was cold," says Mathieu, "I wanted to attack right from the first lap of the final circuit. Before I decided to go off on my own, there were a group of about twenty riders, but there wasn't much agreement among us. On the way down I got in front, I was eating and at that point I realized I was alone.I felt fine at first, but then in the last 20 kilometers I started to feel very cold and empty. I wasn't expecting that. It was definitely one of my toughest days on the bike.I'm happy with the victory, especially because I managed to maintain a few seconds' advantage over Pogacar, who was quickly catching up."
«When I saw Wout Van Aert in trouble – echoes Pogacar, more of a leader than ever – I attacked to try to gain more time in the standings. I didn't think I'd get close to catching Van der Poel.. Now I'm happy with the lead I have over Van Aert in the standings on the eve of tomorrow's stage and the final time trial."
Trek Dilemma
Behind the two, Van Aert was 49" behind the winner, and behind him were some of the strongest fighters in the group: Felline, Bernal, Formolo, Wellens, De Marchi, Landa, and Fabbro. Nibali, who overturned Froome on a course like this and in the rain in 2013, arrived at the finish line 4'20" behind, while Ciccone suffered 9'39”.
Bad days can happen, but perhaps a brief reflection is called forWe read in the last few days about the divorce between Nibali and Slongo and the news pushed us to reread the prophetic words of the Venetian coach that we wrote at the beginning of January.
"I respect the person," Slongo said, "but I also have a method. And in my opinion, for the profession that is cycling, work, life have always paid and will always payThe change we're making stems from a desire to respect his psychology. "If something weighs on me and I don't want to do it," it was said, "it's better not to do it. We're looking for alternatives so we can still be competitive." Of course, the usual method, tested over many years, makes us sleep more soundly. But at the same time, as a coach, I also need to know how to change. We had a meeting at the end of the year to set some limits. I told him that if he wants to change, the world won't fall apart.».
Nibali's choice
And Nibali changed, perhaps tired of being subjected to lessons like the ones he has been accumulating since the last Giro d'ItaliaBut is the training method that brought years of victories in crisis, or is the athlete on the verge of 37 in crisis, who, in addition to the physiological decline in performance, is no longer able to cope with the discipline of that method of training?
Cycling, which is the most popular, would lead one to think of the first hypothesis: that is, a less laborious, less gradual cycling with very high standards. But if that were the case, wouldn't it have made sense to change the technical guide before even starting winter training? Nibali continues his march toward Tokyo, continuing to be amazed by the pace of others: Let's hope that soon they will be the ones to bow their heads before him.
Roglic, the bill…
In France, after yesterday's alleged affront, Roglic experienced the pain of a dislocated shoulder and the mockery of losing the yellow jersey on the last daySomething already chewed over, but no less painful for that. Yesterday the group hadn't appreciated his victory over Mader, taken 30 meters from the finish. And so, while the race put an end to the jokes, the descent of the stage circuit put an end to dreams of gloryFirst crash after 25 kilometers of racing, the second 25 kilometers from the finish, and one narrowly avoided right at the end.
With his buttocks exposed and no companions other than Kruijswijk around, Roglic fell behind after the second crash and at that point the group stepped up the gasPrimoz tried to chase. He got within 80 meters of the leaders, then gave up.
«How to say it? It wasn't the stage we were hoping for. – said the Slovenian – I made mistakes. Because of the first one I dislocated my left shoulder and then I fell againI gave it my all, but unfortunately I wasn't able to catch the leaders. It's a shame, but there will be other opportunities. I gave it my all. I outdid myself, but it wasn't enough. Sure, I'm disappointed, but the world doesn't stop here."
Who knows if Pogacar, having caught him today, would have let Van der Poel win. Who knows if, in reality, he didn't do so, having been warned by radio. Cycling is about balance and ancient valuesA sort of chivalric code that some have never accepted. The leader leaves the stage to the fugitive, and in exchange, if he falls, for example, the group refrains from attacking him. This is what happened at Paris-Nice, no more, no less.Whether this will serve as a lesson or simply be a sign of another change we must accept, we will discover as the miles go by.
