Relaxation Day Thread: The Un-Roglification and the O’Connor Chase

The written guidelines strike again:

Oh pricey. There’s an unwritten addendum to the written prohibition on drafting workforce vehicles: strive to not do it on digital camera. Primož Roglič is right here on the Vuelta a España attempting to win for the fourth time, which might equal the file of mega-doper Roberto Heras, so I assume all of us must be cheering him on. However, my dude, you might be Primož Roglič… on the Vuelta… you might be at all times on digital camera!

Twenty seconds feels like lots to these of us who, for a number of years now, have periodically felt imprisoned on Roglification Island. Roglič is undoubtedly a grasp of stage finishes, which normally set him up with oodles of bonus seconds that may be downright decisive. A September Custom like no different! That doesn’t imply you or I’ve to love it — there are lots of traditions like conflict and illness and injustice and sunny climate on the Ronde van Vlaanderen that we completely don’t have to love. Anyway, it is a lengthy and never completely coherent method of claiming that his punishment matches extra than simply the crime.

Dutch phrase of the day: fietswissel! The literal that means is bike change, and tijdstraf is time punishment, the true operative time period right here. However I favor to think about the that means of Dutch phrases, and on this case I imagined a referee within the automobile subsequent to him blowing his whistle for an infraction. [Tweet! Tweet!] I FIETSWISSEL YOU, SCOFFLAW!

Anyway, it’s a lot ado about nothing, I believe? I used to be away on a seaside trip final week, and I’m nonetheless considerably unable to do issues like watch biking early within the day, for logistical causes. Due to this fact I can’t attempt to supply a qualitative evaluation of the race, you guys are a lot better outfitted for that. However GC chief Ben O’Connor did little right this moment to persuade me that he has “grand tour winner” in him rapidly, and this week’s schedule is completely murderous: Lagos de Covadonga, Altos de Moncalvillo, Picón Blanco, and a closing time trial in Madrid, in case there may be a lot as a scrap of flesh remaining on O’Connor’s bones.

Biking is humorous although, and Roglič has to execute the plan to a point earlier than he can inherit the general lead. And whereas Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz are each greater than a minute again, neither is two minutes again, and these climbs are locations the place a rider on an enormous day can discover a complete lot greater than that. And lord is aware of the Vuelta devours expectations like a lot thin-sliced jamón.

Photograph by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP through Getty Photos

Wout Van Aert’s jersey assortment is likely to be one space the place he has it throughout Mathieu van der Poel, and nearly everybody else (post-Merckx). Is there somebody retaining monitor of jerseys gained, complete? On this wonderful knowledge age you’ll assume this may very well be carried out with a tool no bigger than a hardcover copy of The Iliad. However is it being carried out? Someplace in Belgium a tech man nods vigorously… however I elevate this as a result of Wout has presumably donned his final KOM package. He’s tied with Jay Vine for the lead at 46, 9 forward of right this moment’s bike-thrashing stage winner Pablo Castrillo, with the bigs within the teenagers and twenties. Perhaps he’ll really survive Lagos de Covadonga and the transitional phases forward. It will be sort of ridiculous for not one of the GC guys to money in on the varied factors stashes earlier than Madrid. Will they let sufficient riders up the highway every day to scatter the prizes? Will Wout or Vine or Castrillo use the circuits on stage 20 to pad their lead? That is simply the second-best competitors remaining. The factors comp is completely carried out and dusted, except Kaden Groves begins crushing KOMs.

Entertaining week forward! I hope to hitch you alongside the best way!