💗DAY 6 of #Giro. A thoroughly enjoyable ride on the Tuscan sterrato as @TamauPogi safe in pink.🇮🇹 👀 Tomorrow the first time trial stage of 40.6km from Foligno to Perugia. #WeAreUAE #UAETeamEmirates
"If we had given away the pink, we would still have the blue" - Joxean Matxin denies claims UAE wanted to lose Tadej Pogacar's Maglia Rosa ahead of Giro time-trial
CyclingThursday, 09 May 2024 at 23:30
For a moment or so out on the road, it looked as if Tadej Pogacar would pass on the Maglia Rosa to Luke Plapp during stage 6 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia. Post-stage, Pogacar himself even admitted he wouldn't have been too bothered to lose the Maglia Rosa although that wasn't how things transpired.
In the end, Pogacar and the rest of the GC contenders crossed the line just 28 seconds down on Plapp, who finished third from the breakaway. According to UAE Team Emirates boss Joxean Matxin however, giving away the Maglia Rosa was never part of the plan as it would have made very little sense heading into the Giro d'Italia's first time-trial on stage 7.
"Tadej could not have ridden in his own time-trial suit in any scenario," Matxin explains, countering claims that giving away the Maglia Rosa would have benefitted Pogacar, as he wouldn't be forced to use a race organisation skin suit. "He is also leader in the mountains classification. If we had given away the pink, we would still have the blue."
"Giving away the pink is not an obsession for us," Matxin insists. "It really depends on the situation. Today we had to remain relaxed, control to stay out of trouble and also race with respect for the pink jersey. We never thought about giving away the pink, not even towards Friday's time trial. The next two days will be important to understand what situation we are in."
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- Oh Lordspock12319-12-2024
- Interesting suggestion, fo you think testing Tadej’s (or Bolts’ or so many others’) parents would have given us a preview of his potential then or what criteria do you have to pick parents with?Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- Even amateur teams suffer this sort. But this is also largely due to the precarious sponsorship, in very few sports do you find kit with so many sponsors having to be integrated and changing so regularly.Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- I think it’s pretty obvious what was responsible for destroying interest that used to be there.Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- This has been stated repeatedly, MVDP for CX, road and if it already counts, gravel. Lavreysen for track. I expect as a cycling fan you’ve heard of them?Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- The same thing was said when Tadej announced that he would ride the Giro: "he goes to Il Giro because he knows he can't win the Tour". Always negative speculations. Maybe Primoz, near to the final of his career, simply wants to try this experience.
maria2024202419-12-2024 - If Valentino Rossi could never win during his period of dominance, and massive personality, then Pogacar not winning isn't a massive surprise. Cycling isn't a Premier League global sport......only one event reaches the mainstream every year - and that's not good enough.wipperman9519-12-2024
- I don't think it's only a British thing; the biggest talents aren't usually drawn to CX. Where are all the top Italian, French, Spanish, Slovenian CX riders? Apart from Belgium, and Netherlands, it's not really a target for up and coming cyclists - as there's no career unless you move to Belgium. Other countries can't support a proper professional series, like an international sport should be able to do. Lets not forget, since 2016, British riders have won plenty of World championships; with Pidcock, Richards, Tulett & Backstedt all winning more than one..... And, there was a time when Belgium didn't rule the roost in CX; that was Switzerland, but since the advent of XC MTB, their top off-road talents race there instead of CX - and the 2nd raters not good enough for XC MTB, race CX.wipperman9519-12-2024
- "25-34 are only 13% of USA Cyclings membership" Wow. I own a bike shop, and that number comports both with what I see in the business as well as on the road and trails, but it's somehow hugely demoralizing to see it quantified. Thirteen percent?verve82519-12-2024
- What super dutch talent are we talking about?awp18-12-2024