José de Cauwer criticizes conservative Jumbo-Visma: "Jumbo-Visma has let Roglic down with this team tactic"

As did most summit finishes at the Giro d'Italia, the GC fight was reserved for the last minutes of racing at the queen stage. José de Cauwer believes Jumbo-Visma missed out on a chance by not having the ambition to pursue a stage win or bonifications that would've benefited Primoz Roglic.

"Joao Almeida tried, but ran on a counter. In the end, Thomas went a little too early. Instead of gaining four or five seconds, he loses three seconds," José de Cauwer said in analysis of the queen stage. "Then Thomas can count himself lucky that Roglic didn't go past Magnus Cort and thus missed out on four bonus seconds. As we said yesterday, Roglic is the most explosive at the end. If Jumbo-Visma had gone for the stage victory, Roglic would have taken at least four extra bonus seconds."

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The commentator for Sporza believes the Dutch team should've contributed to controlling the breakaway, which took all the bonus seconds available on the day. Without launching any attack or acceleration, both Jumbo and UAE allowed INEOS to take the race at their own speed despite having only 5 riders in a stage with 5400 meters of climbing. Head-to-head then, Roglic won three seconds on the road.

However a stage win and four seconds of time difference could have been achieved if the breakaway had been reeled in, something which Jumbo had the numbers to do throughout the day. "Then he would have been a lot closer to Thomas. It was no risk to go for the stage victory. I see it rather as an obligation you have to help Roglic. Jumbo-Visma has let Roglic down with this team tactic."

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"You can also call it a circus" - Patrick Lefevere ridicules decision to race Monte Lussari time-trial at Giro d'Italia

As for today's decisive time-trial, the two leaders depart with only 26 seconds between them. However de Cauwer questions the use of Monte Lussari. "I find such a time trial unworthy of a Grand Tour. That's another climb. There the riders can still be followed by a team car, he commented. "On the Monte Lussari climb, the rider will be followed by a motard on which a mechanic sits with a bicycle. Suppose you encounter something twice as a rider, it's all over."

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