GrainBrain

Merlier out, but I don't think anybody picked him. I'll be keeping my eye on canam with Groenen-bernal-yates. He's also got Ulissi, with Masnada and mollema. Groenenvegan could finally get an opportunity.

Looks like the top three of the league with Rob, Pedro, one4smoke will be hard to dislodge - all three featuring Sagan plus sharing GC contenders with the rest of us.

Hopefully Mad Max Kanter is ok after his wipeout yesterday. Bummer to see that happen as we get farther in and the fast men leave. Goosens keeps getting into breaks and I feel like we'll see a stage with him and De Gendt trying for a win. Guerreiro could very well nab some points. In a wild turn of events Herman's could find himself off the front by accident 1.5km to the finish and pull a Kragh Andersen.

slcbob

The first rest day filler I wound up reading simply rubbed more salt into my didn't-pick-Ciccone wound that is already open and festering.

At least Ewan isn't scoring any more points. If Merlier starts pedaling squares with all these new-to-him race days in his legs, I'll be at peace with my Nizzolo pick. I almost went with him. Also thought about Gaviria but figured he was still in the doldrums. I can't feel bad that he's regaining a modicum of success and he may be on a future team. OTOH, no matter how well Viviani does, he stays dead to me.

slcbob

Well, sad for Tim, but at least Giacomo and I are at peace now. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tim...-with-fatigue/

I wonder if the Cannibal is going to take a bite out of him, too.

slcbob

Stick a fork in my team. We're done. Strange things afoot in the wolf pack, where I went all in at my peril and foolhardiness.

dstrong 

Come! Join me in the basement!

The collective lack of confidence in Bernal is really quite surprising, as is the collective confidence in Remco. I didn't have confidence in either so now I'm in the brown jersey...it will be an interesting middle bunch of stages for this very exciting race!

slcbob

Carnage over the last few stages. Of GC hopes. Of the straight up "still riding?" kind. And no doubt of some fantasy team potential.

When I want back through old posts recently to refresh my memory on which riders are dead to me, I found one mention where my team of 9 was down to 4. I'm still pretty flush at 8.

Who is really hurting in the league? Ages ago, AG2R lost 8 of 9 riders and they were jokingly referred to as AG1R. It can almost always get worse! And we're still a ways from Milano. Ciao.

GrainBrain

I bet Kanter, if he isn't still hurting will protect Jai.

That leaves Quinten Herman's as my last hope.

GrainBrain

I had him for a moment, but the price was too much at 24(?). I wanted it spicy and cheap so Remco it was. Wondering if you can get negative points for the assist between Jo縊 and Remco

diphthong

buchmann and carthy hanging tough in the gc podium placings racings. hoping the slow and steady approach pays off for them but they池e likely to be dashed by vlasov holding court and yatesie dashing by. stages fourteen and sixteen loom large...

slcbob

Shirley you can't be serious.

A pity about Goosens. We lost a lot of good men that day.

diphthong

"speak about destruction..." here comes stage fourteen and the "easy side" of zoncolan along with that mountaintop fin. gonna go with mr. angliru-hugh carthy ftw.

dstrong 

27%? Exsqueeze me?

GrainBrain

I'd love Hugh to do - Yatesie too. But there is a looming force named Bernal. He remembers the 2020 tour, and he has come here for redemption.

Hey look I got some points with Max Kanter

diphthong

ahhhh...it痴 a seal in the jaws of a shark thrashfest time...last week of the giro.
absolutely brutal. gird thy loins bois.

GrainBrain

Canam with a 185th placing for stage 14. 4 teams with around 3k points vying for second. Hoping third week brings opportunity for stage wins from Guierro and Kanter.
​​​​​

diphthong

elevator going up!

slcbob

Perhaps some stage hunting from the wolf pack, now that they have unleashed the dogs wolves of war in a desperate post-Remco Giro redemption attempt, will soften my plummet.

Lots of churn in the standings. Can the mutiny be bounteous enough with Bernal, Yates, & Ciccone to catch Rob who has been our man for the Giro 2021? It will be a nail biter.

slcbob

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. For the record: Nizzolo is dead to me.

slcbob

With Hermans in the break, maybe today is the day GrainBrain head butts his way past me and gives dstrong a clear run at me (or vice-versa).

If Bauke makes something happen it may spice up the nail biting finish and make the escape from Pitcairn a smidgen harder.

diphthong

cue the john williams theme from jaws...canam73 looks to be in a good place and on a good pace.

GrainBrain

dstrong for the stage win and the hat trick for qhubeka assos.

Props to my man Herman's for constantly chasing the attacks and narrowly missing closing in on Campaenerts at the final. Side-eyes rest of break

diphthong

nothing quite like waking up and seeing your main gc guy suddenly out of the race. not that team slow (s)pokes was going to do significant standings damage anyway...

slcbob

Noting ooga-booga 's shark themed posts of late, I wouldn't put it past the one from Messina doing something for pride before the race is over.

I think I'm going to manage to snatch the brown jersey from dstrong 's hands. In fact, with our Simon having a resurgence, it will probably be a lot closer at the top of our league than the final gap for the maglia marrone.

slcbob

Preach, brother.

Lo siento.

diphthong

ewan and nizzy not exactly restoring my faith in allocating precious points to sprinters.