Richard Carapaz came to the Giro d'Italia as one of the main favourites, and has so far ridden a consistent race in which INEOS Grenadiers have controlled the summit finish at Mount Etna and have managed to keep the Ecuadorian safe during the flat stages that at times prove deadly for the overall classification contenders.
He sits 11th at the start of stage seven, which can be quite explosive and will be perhaps the first real challenge for the overall contenders as many rode up the Sicilian volcano comfortably at the pace of the British team. With Pavel Sivakov having lost over a minute on stage four, INEOS further showed their focus in a sole-leader strategy - despite Richie Porte having led the group during the final kilometers, and on paper remaining a possibility for the GC.
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Salvatore Puccio has told BiciPro that "Richard is a very reserved guy but he's also very sure of himself. And he's very decisive in the crucial moments." Crucial moments so far in the race have not seemed to exist, with the main favourites for the overall classification remaining relatively united with the gaps of the Budapest time-trial currently the main differentiating factor.
With almost 5000 meters of climbing and several ascents of varying distances and gradients, today's stage to Potenza can be the race's first crucial moment if the race explodes on one of the many ascents on the 196-kilometer long day.
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- Bruyneel ? The man with a lifetime ban from cycling...why do you keep giving him and his doper mate, Armstrong, a platform?DJ24-12-2024
- yeah, agree. on the subject of being a “complete rider,” i do think that’s getting more interesting. mathieu seems to have decided he wants to get much better at climbing the the high mountain passes. he appears to be looking for new challenges, which should be interesting to watch. in most cases you’d dismiss a goal like that at age 30, but it’s mvdp. he’s never going to climb with the real climbers, but if he can improve enough it could open up stage wins when the parcours isnt just purely toothy and punchy.OCexile24-12-2024
- I'm loving the level of competition and the compositions of teams in 2025. Sure Pogi had an historic 2024. Slate is clean in 2025. And lots of great athletes--MvdP, Vingo, Primoz, Remco, Marc Hircshi, Pidcock, Carlos Rodriquez--and strong teams want to win. I think Pogi will have another great season in 2025. But I think we will talk about others having great seasons too. Who? I don't know. I'll watch the classics and tours and will root for spirited competition.pidginbil24-12-2024
- Sorry but 50€ a day for an international hotel was already a joke 6 years ago. Combined with the fact a lot of them are international chains, this is just capitalism as the West has taught. I think the business term used now is « dynamic pricing « and it happens everywhere. Maybe some will now reflect on how 3rd world delegations are discriminated by prices when they have always had to travel to meetings, hence distorting results and silverware. We will also still have to see how things work out visa-wise, how many participants will be refused as in Glasgow and on what basis? As regards Pog, the coach had better put in place a strategy to avoid his boycotting for personal political reasons, that’s at least as big a problem as logistics.Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- By the way AI can only answer what it knows and there are many things it doesn’t and will never know.Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- No but they spent a fortune on a cookie to predict the unpredictable. So much for tech and data and experts. Always useful in the service of opaque agendas.Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- Pog doesn’t do xc, might never try and has admitted he’d have no chance against MVDP in this. Shame really because I’m sure quite a few fans would enjoy watching him try and it would complicate the discussion of who is more complete which almost completely ignores off-road talent. Anyway, merr Xmas to all, keep next season in mind as you let go at the table the next days ;-)Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- USA Cycling couldn't have predicted what would happen with the star-studded Dutch team...Pogboom24-12-2024
- i don’t know about it being a “nightmare” for mathieu, but he did lose. flanders is a similar nightmare i suppose for almost anyone who gets dropped on the paterberg at the end. very hard to chase back.OCexile24-12-2024
- yeah, i’m not sure you can say that van der poel was so dominant in the spring “because van aert wasn’t there.” who knows how wout would have farted against mathieu in those races, because HE WASN’T THERE. wout has never beaten mvdp in any cobbled monument, but maybe he would have IF HE’D BEEN THERE. maybe, just like mads, et al, he’d have gotten smoked. we’ll never know, BECAUSE…OCexile24-12-2024