Comments, comments
Rinner 0
Corvia 44"
Sheringham 1'25"
Gamov 1'39"
Santillo 5'06"
Winner of the day: Rinner.
Third stage win for Gamov. Not unexpected. I thought I was the favorite, and I actually thought to win more time. The race, Mullermann goes, but no, not this time, Nedelcu follows. No support rider further ahead for Nilkheim, if I want to win the Tour I have to gain 3 or so more minutes to him... Knew that Bergwerk would not let Nedelcu go. Clever Nilkheim then attacked with 2 of the sausages, at first tried to get him, but not alone, so ok, let him go. Stage? Thoronto can have it, I have 2, wasn't going to ride I thought. Better possibilities to gain time if the stage win is not a factor anyway, then less people have reason to ride in the back. Then Lecce, who according to BW was the favorite, he had good chances with Corvia, true, rode... so ok, I probably should too, after all I thought to have the best chances for the stage... ok, riding again, Feng as usual. Superstar that Feng.
Then Portet d'Aspet and Ares, nothing much happens, ok, sieb with Buonarroti then. OK, I only have 3 in front, but I don't need more than that. OK, if Lecce and BW decide to go with their monsters I have only 2 and a problem, but thought they wouldn't. Since everybody talks about Lecce, maybe he plans to attack before the last climb with a few flat stars? If yes, not my problem, then it's BW who has to ride if he is in front too, then it's up to Nilkheim. But nothing happened..
So last climb... the plan was, sieb a bit with Gamov, get rid of that Nilkheim finally, let Rinner fight too, then later attack and win another 20"+. First sieb, Nilkheim stays, but Corvia gone though Not as planned. The plan was, 10=sieb, Santillo gone, Mandelbrot goes into tempo... Not sure he would have, since he showed little interest in dropping Santillo so far
Next km 7 8 9 6 10 10... mmhh, 7 maybe not steep enough to let everybody fight. and the 6 there very bad as well, no Rinner fighting... So ok, Come back with Buonarroti, bring back Corvia as well, then sieb again later. 8.. sieb no sieb, no decided, let^s wait for 9, 9, sieb, but then, stupid 6, what happen's if he's still there? Won^t ride the 6, then ok, at 10 I drop him for sure, fighting already anyway... Bah..so decided to attack instead... Especially since BW let me alone in tempo. Which he didn't, he put in Mandel blue, with a bad sectrick, grrr, maybe did it earlier too. not sure. Gamov 14", thought Mandel would get me. But... Mandel weak, either not fit from yesterday, or weakened on purpose so that Rinner wouldn't have to fight. So Gamov saves roughly the same over the top, behind Mandel, Rinner and Sheringham try to drop Santillo, don't manage to. Probably more talking would have been good, after the hill BW said he wanted to attack but everybody was always in tempo... So Santillo stays, nobody except Nilkheim happy, downhill, Gamov doesn't gain as much as I hoped.. early attack, already less energy than the others, grrr. But enough to save the stage win.. which is better than nothing but wasn't the primary goal. Santillo then dropped at -7 or almost at the end of the downhill. He didn't even try to follow, even though Nilk said he had put in following... and once dropped didn't ride... waited for ByZickl in the back, so finally lost 1'12" to GAmov instead of maybe 25"-40". But ok, Nilkheim very probably was at the reg limit due to the fighting anyway. Lucky BW here in the end... not sure why he didn't try at 0, Rinner 61, Santillo 51 and less energy... I would have tried... but ok, finally worked anyway. So Rinner the big winner, not only didn't lose real time to the 3 climbers, but won 57" to Santillo. Gamov and the celestial ape.. .bah, third stage win, mountain star of the Tour, but 2 were already ok, not that excited about another win, 5" won, a bit disappointed, hoped to win more. 20"-30" actually. And still would be far back...
Now, it looks good, Santillo 5'06" back. 52 Km TT, 17 points difference is 4'25" that's with the same form. 19 points would be 4'56" 20 points already 5'12, etc. So Rinner hasn't beaten Santillo a 100% yet, but it looks good, much better than before yesterday. A bit lucky though, while BW rode a very very good race against Gamov, Corvia and Sheringham so far, he didn't really do a good job against Nilkheim. But finally yesterday it worked, a bit lucky, but without luck you win nothing... But not over, today is a bit of a mystery, normally the climbers should all arrive in one group, but you never know, dangerous stage as well. Tourmalet much less IMO, will be a fairly straight affair, GAmov goes and wins
Ah, maybe not, but don't see how Rinner could lose too much time on Gamov, Corvia, Sheringham, Santillo there.
Man of the race though. ByZickl. Rustan Calincov, attacking every day, if he hadn't made a stupid helping mistake, he very likely would have won the stage. Before the Balès, or maybe in the flatter part in the beginning, he lets him drop and loses a minute... very unlucky, would have deserved the win for all his attacks.
As for Nilkheim and "hopefully Bergwerk doesn't get help now anymore".. pleeeease.... yep, yesterday a bit everybody was trying to drop you. But well, Aix, Lecce and Petit Singe all still have some chances to win the Tour, since BW simply seems unable and unwilling to drop you, we kind of had to try to do it ourselves.. finally though you managed to drop Santillo yourself. So while there was some planned help, but for everybodies own interest, finally there was no help. Plus... .you're the guy who got carried through everything so far.... Santillo on the pavé stage had no helper and nothing, you just let him be in the back and let others ride for him.... you really didn't do much for Santillo either so far. Which worked very well for a long time, probably BW underestimated you because of that.. .me too, lack of experience, always though, no way you win, podium yes, win no chance, not enough experience. You still can win IMO.
Mountain: No, still not riding for the mountain... Of course Gamov gets points at the end, like yesterday. Today there are 70 points to be taken by the winner. I probably could get them, but.. no interest really. Now if Santillo hadn't lost the minute yesterday... maybe I would go for it. yellow AND red, too much... but that would mean tempo for nothing (ok, mountain points) x times a race... then minimizes my chances in the end. No... keep your red. I'll try to win the Tour, but more probably will end up 5th which is ok too. Now if Gamov gets lucky and gets 2nd and third places on the mountains and just rolls, gains a lot of points back, then maybe I change my mind for the Tourmalet stage. But certainly not going to luck for mountain points today.