Giro d'Italia Stage 14 – May 24th, Agliè - Oropa 164km **Unmasked Spoilers**

Swamp3

Nico lost a few kgs between the Tour last year and the Vuelta. Wouldn't be surprised to see him do that again...go easy on the pies!

Paddigol

Maybe he did go too early. But maybe if he hadn't made a move the gap would have kept on falling as the rest of the breakaway sat on their hands, and they'd have been caught by the rest of the chasers and then the peloton. It almost halved in the previous 10km to his move. I dunno, I prefer to see a gamble, a roll of the dice, than all this tactical sitting and waiting. He was coming back strong in that's km too - maybe that's where he slipped up - should have pushed to close sooner. Did he have the legs? Who knows.

MPFG

Nico's form is good ...and I am sorry to bleat on about it....but he needs to lose the weight because for stages like today its the weight that works against you unfortunately

Same in the Tour last year ...he did lose it for the Vuelta and you could see the difference so maybe will do it again for this years Tour

Pierre Rolland is 5kgs lighter than him and almost a foot taller
Bradley Wiggins lost 5kg in 4 weeks from PR to Tour of California and he wasn't heavy to begin with

If you want to win mountains stages you have be light...there is no way round it

I know he rode his heart out but ...there is a feeling of what might have been

Paddigol

True. Here's hoping. Will be interesting to see how he is this time next week. He really does seem to be riding into form.

unichall

http://m.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-2014/stage-14/results

interview with nice about half way down this article, he said he was feeling strong in the last km and was closing the gap and at one point thought he might make it. He says as much thathe is on Majka duty from here on in but left it open that he might have another go after the next rest day

MPFG

He said on Twitter he would try again ... Wednesday IMO is a better prospect & suits him better...Tuesday is brutal

Polish supporters on team Facebook/web site slagging him off big time for not staying with Majka all day or wait for Majka on last climb or having useless attacks or even going on a 'useless' breakaway

I have 2 other issues with Roche (besides the weight). One is his anxiety/stress in breakaways/attacks that can make him do strange tactics, make mistakes....He has to reign this in

And the third ....he still reacts too quickly to attacks on climbs...Needs to go at his own pace like Evans does rather going after others....these climbs are long

Quintana, Pozzo may have attacked today and Arredono on other days but have all run out of steam before the line as Evans knows

mistermatthew

MPFG wrote: »

He said on Twitter he would try again ... Wednesday IMO is a better prospect & suits him better...Tuesday is brutal

Polish supporters on team Facebook/web site slagging him off big time for not staying with Majka all day or wait for Majka on last climb or having useless attacks or even going on a 'useless' breakaway

I have 2 other issues with Roche (besides the weight). One is his anxiety/stress in breakaways/attacks that can make him do strange tactics, make mistakes....He has to reign this in

And the third ....he still reacts too quickly to attacks on climbs...Needs to go at his own pace like Evans does rather going after others....these climbs are long

Quintana, Pozzo may have attacked today and Arredono on other days but have all run out of steam before the line as Evans knows

Yeah nico a bit too heavy. Do you think this is his body shape or is it a matter of loosing the weight?

And yeah he panics and attacks like contador when he is a diesel. Needs to pace himself on steeper bits and let the lightweights go and reel them in evans style. Valverde is also excellent at this.

However I think he has bags of talent. If he got near the weight of the other climbers he would be able to ride away from everyone, he is that strong.

Tactics wise today is hard to call. When he attacked I think he thought others would bridge and they could bomb the descent and then they'd be away. Once he committed he refused to sit up when no one bridged which was perhaps a mistake.

He looked very strong in the last km.

As for Majka I can understand Polish peoples frustration. With Roches help he could of made significant inroads to the struggling Uran.

MPFG

Yeah nico a bit too heavy. Do you think this is his body shape or is it a matter of loosing the weight?

he has been lighter in the past ..of course there is a balance between power & weight loss but he is definitely heavier than at the Vuelta last year ....you can see it in his face and far more than 1.5 Kgs

TheBlaaMan

mistermatthew wrote: »

And yeah he panics and attacks like contador when he is a diesel. Needs to pace himself on steeper bits and let the lightweights go and reel them in evans style. Valverde is also excellent at this.

One thing that I noticed today when he went off the front on the way to the KoM on Bielmonte was the pedaling style Nico seems to have adopted/borrowed from Contador - and to my eyes it's a new ? departure for him. He was lifting his heel very high on each upstroke - so much so that his foot was approaching 70-80 degrees or more, and with it the bouncing gait on the bike that Contador really exaggerates when he tries to sprint away on a climb. It would be quite an achievement if the results prove it works, given the differences in shape/weight between the two of them (approx 70kg v 62kg).

dastardly00

Just finished the highlights programme on Sky now. It was a cracking stage. Unbelievable sprint finish. Carlton Kirby was going nuts commentating on it. Chapeau to Nico. Quintana and Pozzovivo looked very good. It bodes well for them when they get to the even steeper stuff.

Tobyglen

Roche is an incredibly frustrating cyclist to follow. I'm amazed he's put on weight since Vuelta last season, he commented on his increase in form at last years Vuelta on losing weght- Now he's put it back on and more again. Poor management.

pelevin

I don't think Roche's weight was the issue here. The energy he expended on his solo attack must have had a pretty significant impact & yet he still came 5th, 20 seconds or so only behind the winner. Suggests to me he was the strongest man & probably by a bit of a distance, in that breakaway, but mentally he lacks a bit of nous & killer instinct to know or feel what's needed and when. It might seem like confidence to attack so far out but I think it more the opposite that he felt the need to drop the rest before the last few kms rather than trusting in his ability to win out then.

Brian?

Surely Roche's weight is decided by more than just him. He has some of the best sports scientists money can buy advising him.

MPFG

I don't know what weight he is but he is visibly heavier than at the Vuelta plus he said so at the Tour of Romandie on his final diary entry that he was 1.5 kilos over..that was 3 weeks ago

dastardly00

Nacer Bouhanni finished in 123rd place, eight minutes quicker than the grupetto. That's very impressive from him.

Brian?

dastardly00 wrote: »

Nacer Bouhanni finished in 123rd place, eight minutes quicker than the grupetto. That's very impressive from him.

That's seriously impressive from him.

Darkglasses

I'm just wondering...why dId he bother? Trying to put himself in the shop window?

pelevin

Could be a sense of pride, both in himself & honouring the jersey. Ultimately who knows but good to see.

gordongekko

MPFG = Ireland's Dr Ferrari :-)

MPFG

gordongekko wrote: »

MPFG = Ireland's Dr Ferrari :-)

If you mean I point out the obvious .....emmmmm yes
If you mean I have a camper van, wear a white coat and get lots of money for illict substances ................................emmmmm no
If you mean I am exclusive to Lance ....emmmmm maybe