slcbob

^ you both parried deftly with doubly deep references. Touche, gentlemen. I should make a pot for you.

MinnMan , yes, they're a powerhouse. I forget which recent grand tour it was (perhaps after Thomas' hip crash DNF in the 2020 Giro**) when they switched from GC grinders to DQS-like wolf pack and we all got reminded when the chains came off just how fearsome their usual "domestiques" are. And they've gotten stronger since.

I have a tough time punishing excellence and a tough time seeing how effective, non-vindictive, equity-advancing measures (e.g. like NFL draft selections) would be injected into the sport with the hot mess of a structure that it has[n't?] got. UCI is still wrestling with sock height and bottles, and can't corral the organizers.

** P.S. nope. 2020 Tour. Carapaz and Kwiatkowski crossing the line together after crushing the field in stage 18, a day or two after Bernal's abandon.

diphthong

wanna say that carapaz won a stage immed before or after that twinsie day with k2 or had a top two placing...memory fails along with a few other things...

personally, prefiero the ineos "wolfpack" approach. kinda like dqs. and uae.

diphthong

we're both obviously just older than we'd like to be. i'm pledging the fraternity. double secret probation, sir?

don't sweat it, sweetie. everyone thought the stork was brain-damaged. everyone remain calm. all is well. all is well.

GrainBrain

Rohan is probably the perfect super domestique? TT specialist whom the team could put full resources behind so that he's competitive in a first week TT stage then work the other two+ weeks without complaint ... unless he doesn't like the bike.

Speaking of TT could @slcbob and I work together this stage, with Kung and Bisseger to lock in 1st and 4th?

slcbob

It looks like a pretty tight battle for the brown jersey in our little BF league. GrainBrain it was just a thin white line that kept you in the competition by taking Kung down.

I don't think Porte and Thomas need to beat Soler on the mountain in stage 4, but they'll want to make sure Kelderman and Izagirre and some others who are more reliable in the TT don't get away. Maybe Ineos will chip in a battered rider of Rohan to help Movistar tow the bunch to the base of Thyon 2000 before the race lights up.

I'd like to see Kuss take the stage but think it might be Kelderman. With Thomas at the top of the GC at the end of the day.

slcbob

If we ignore the Reichenbach thing, the Cort pick is a best of the rest winner. A small feather, but a feather in your cap nonetheless that does not go unnoticed.

Until you pick Meintjes and TVG for stage 4. Then we'll unnotice the #$%^* out of you.

ooga-booga you're running some wacky hours. I hope it's at time and a half that makes the homeowner thing real and good. I know you're going to have some cognitive dissonance with the Giro coming up and interdicting life with all its hot Latin glory. Endeavor to persevere.

diphthong

truth. hence my horrible prediction of miggy lo (even tho soler is leading) to take stage four and make it two in a row for movistar.

GrainBrain

Wow Küng - that was a shocking crash he had! Incredible he remounted and continued. Did anyone see around 23km when that motorbike almost took him out as well? They had another shot of him in the peloton after the horror crash he looked upset, then gave the camera such an icy glare I had to wipe frost off my screen.

Can't wait to use the Soler "shhhh" gif at some point!
Cort is looking great this season, he had a win at the start of this season? Or the of last ...? Though sagan was certainly not trying yesterday to sprint for second ... was he?

Stage 4: Woods - Kuss - Kelderman - Thomas in that order

slcbob

Wow. What a hot mess of a neutralization. It'll be interesting to see how this extra minute pencils out at the end.

slcbob

Geez. What do the Welsh know about riding in the rain?

More than I do about making predictions, at least. But not enough for the day. I hope that hip is OK, G.

P.S. Wilco, over and out. Things may get interesting in our little mini league of prognosticators.

diphthong

nice call on woodsie. he’s looking good for another run in pink even tho he’s left ef education.

diphthong

slcbob is killing it and looks to have the proceedings for romandie sewn-up. already hovering around the top 5%, that cavalcade of time trialling stars will lay utter waste to the last stage and just possibly, vault the team into the top 1%...

slcbob

Well I hope you got that half right, about the last TT. Because today I slipped back vigorously with a stage 4 score squarely in the bottom quartile. Perhaps you glanced at things mid-update and were deluded about my grandeur.

Kudos to 7 of 9 and other 7 of 9 for a dead heat on the day's stage win in our mini league. Since I was Wood-less on top of Thyroid 2000 or whatever it's called, I'm not out of the Woods yet. The race goes on.

GrainBrain

Stage 5 - currently Bisseger has a half minute on Ganna in second

Magnus Cort, I looked back and he has quite a few wins recently, 2x Vuelta '20, Paris-Nice this year. Another kiln blower yesterday but still so close!! Haven't heard what he'll race next so either he's working on form for the Tour or ... working on securing a contract! I would think he'd be good in the Giro. Who knows this year everyone's eyeing the Olympics it seems.

Wanty Gobert - those guys just want to get in the break huh? Petilli was doing turns with Cort in the end, a goal of a podium place seems better then nothing - I like that style.

Hilarious about that neutralization thing - I am absolutely shocked that happened with Simon Pellaud in the break. Absolutely shocked! I had expected a 500chf fine to Ineos and Moviestar for digging in and bringing it back.

Sucks about G' falling, at least he's not injured - shot up that mountain to Woods so fast the cameras didn't catch it? Watched Horner's butterfly effect where Chris mentioned this so I went back and watched. If only Rigoberto Uran could slip away unnoticed for two minutes my fantasy Tour would be one to remember.

Woods has been steadily improving and I hope to see him do well in a week, but Simon Yates is so strong right now.

slcbob

A quick glance to see if the final results were posted early for Romandie. Alas, no. But George has been busy. The fantasy "Not the Giro because that might be copyrighted even if RCS isn't as uptight as ASO" game has dropped. May the indecision and horrible selections commence! No doubt ooga-booga 's thread is soon to come.

New this Not-the-Giro: no rider classes. Rodney Dangerield's phone is ringing off the hook: "call me some time when you have no class."

Late edit / P.S. -- no idea what I mis-read in the VG tweets and mis-saw in my first look at the game. It seems the class system is alive and well. Keep your hands off my Untouchables.

slcbob

Whatever the end result of the Velogame, while we wait, let's all take a moment to admire what a master of letter modifiers and vowel furniture GrainBrain is. Look at his posts with prolific and looks-immaculately-accurate-to-me-but-didn't check use of those things! Umlauting the heck out of Kung and even putting a duo of accent and reverse accent things into DQS' contract To Do list. The only way he could have been more magnificent with those extended keyboard skills was if there were more Slovenians at work in Romandie. Or if Kruiswick would have mixed it up a bit with something other than a j or eight, and ridden well enough to rate a mention.

diphthong

worse than the crocodile in peter pan...tik tok, maglia rosa lovers...

slcbob

I think the Velogames scoring system must have awarded assist points for speaking in tongues here, as the podium aligns with this thread's Navajo code talking tallies. Congrats to us threadmongers and if we'd seen a little idle musing from canam73 it might have been a different podium.

Gotta watch out for Rob with his hot & cold runs, a hot one in pink is due. one4smoke 's past performance indicates he is more likely to exchange his brown jersey for pink than black. And perhaps mystery man Pedro will Ascii it up a little closer to Milan.

I've had a decent enough spring within our peewee league, if not the general population, but now it's time to cash that in for the failures and regrets that only a Grand Tour can dish out. Meanwhile, that darn Superclasico monkey is out there, waiting to do some back hopping.

Well Romandie'd, all. And good night. For now...

diphthong

^nice effort, slcbob, in the romandie game and congrats on the w.

OBoile

Woods isn't riding in the Giro.

GrainBrain

Absolutely right and funny you mention that, I was looking at the start list the other day and realized no Woods, then thought of this thread and if I had made a comment like that. Running my mouth on a smart phone dodging quizzical looks from the wife and trying to look like I'm working at work! Seriously though thanks for reading and responding

I've been looking at our final fantasy standings - awesome fight for third forumers'! Looks like slc with the two big tickets and middle of the pack approach worked! I foolishly went with a climber when I should've been a rouleuin'
So much free flowing text has been great, can't wait, dropping Soler gifs will be my Giro fate.