"The race against Pogi is a bit nonsense" - Rivals admit relative helplessness in fight for pink jersey

Daniel Martínez sits second in the overall classification following the mountains of the first week. BORA - hansgrohe had Max Schachmann race in support of the Colombian up Prati di Tivo but he admits that despite being in second place the team is not realistically thinking of the victory.

Schachmann spent some time in the head of the peloton up the final ascent, and he explains: “That was actually the tactic. Honestly we saw G (Geraint Thomas, ed.) suffering yesterday. We knew that G is usually getting better towards the end and he struggled yesterday, so we thought if he has bad legs, maybe it is the day today to put more time in between Dani and him," Schachmann explains in words to GCN. “He was strong again, but we had to give it a try. Sorry G, I like you!" he joked.

That was the tactic, but ultimately it did not pay off. Two seconds on the road and six in bonifications did see Martínez slightly expand his gap on the INEOS Grenadiers leader however it was nothing meaningful. BORA raced against INEOS and that outlines the current battle behind Tadej Pogacar for the podium and Top10. “The race against Pogi is a bit nonsense," the German rider admits.

"I know that it disappoints people, this attitude. I read sometimes, ‘they don’t want to work, they don’t even try,’ but people change with us, it is next level what he does. It is impressive, people don’t understand, we look sometimes like clowns," Schachmann adds in brutally honest words. "Of course, we have an eye but as long as he doesn’t show any struggle, it doesn’t make sense. If he struggles one day then of course we’re going to go, but I don’t see that coming. We never know.”

By all means, BORA is having a very strong race with Martínez surprising in the first week of the race as he regained his best form. The team lost Florian Lipowitz - a crucial support rider for the mountains - however after 8 days of racing, the balance is positive.

“The maglia rosa is there and it is not written, it is not engraved yet that Tadej is going to bring it to Rome. I think to be successful you have to get up every morning and believe you can take it off him, and I think that’s what we are doing," he concluded.