The Real Giro 2025 Afternoon

[Robyklebt]

Dixon rosa!
Dixon stage!

The Donkey with the expected attack, I think exactly 0 of the managers were surprised. Attack didn't work out perfectly, this Roy in front was too strong, then was too slow with dropping Lanfredini.
Lachance did the Santa Barbara with the chasers led by Poggiolini and Mori gained second after second. San Valentino then... Dixon goes in from the bottom, Firiam and Makhamadzhonov wait, reg concerns, Dixon of course had these too, but what does reg help if I lose time today, better go early. And then it was enough, cool. 26" to Firiam, with bonifications just enough to get rosa. Wonderful.

Reggy almost out, only 7" back, but for him gaining time is almost impossible. But who knows. Today it was all Poggiolini that made the difference, or Tukh. By deciding to do the sieb and then ride, he basically beat Reggy. If Tukh decides to wait, to see what Taka does, all out only in the last climb, Badenburg keeps rosa and while not the sure winner, he still has a good advantage and can hope to survive the 3 next GC stages, all not real mountain arrivals. Like this.. basically out. The big danger for Firiam and Makhamadzhonov of course now is... Fürst! Don't look at Dixon, look at Fürst! Dixon is a nice friendly Dickson team fan, that's all. Look at each other and Fürst!

Anyway, now I'm in the race. Still number 3 here, but not in a bad position I'd say. Can't ask for more, hope that the emotional Taka continues to fixate on Tukh (for some reason, he's now in Tukh-intimidation mode) and let's hope Tukh is intimidated by him an both end up doing nothing.

Tomorrow? We'll see, didn't expect to be in rosa tonight, will have to make defence plans now.

[Robyklebt]

Bad bad day, I blame FL who refused to honor Dixon by publishing the GC standings. Mobbing!

Ok, no real plan.
Dixon unfit. Lachance unfitter. Roy+Lanfredini useless. Classics very fit.

Plan yesterday in some form was clear from basically the start of the Giro. Attack from far, let others use their classics, have fit classics today. That kind of worked, Becze clearly not fit, Arlooktoo was though it seems. Then attack again on the Mortirolo stage, with a fit Lachance, thanks to his reg he can be fit.

Problem: My stupid idea to go for the blue jersey cost Lachance the stage 8 escape. He was dropped. 2" gained on Reggy+Badenburg. So next day while riding for him for quite a while in the end changed to Dixon, last rider then was for Dixon. Not Lachance. So far back in GC, Dixon has to be leader, so today unfit leader.

So 2 things: Minimize GC loss. If an opening attack. Maglia azzurra: Cost me better chances in GC, now have to ride for GC, so Lachance risks losing it, so try to get points today. That worked well, 58 points, good, if Firiam concentrates on that, I'm in trouble, but if he keeps fighting for rosa, could be ok. Mistake was clearly killing Lüthi for that, I sort of hoped to manage to get him over the Mortirolo like this too. Was confident would bring him over the conventional way, super fit, helped, more than Lachance today..

The Lachance sieb on the Tonale dropped the Taka helpers, attack, waste Lüthi time, Lachane makes it to the Mortirolo points, downhill. Donkey not thinking much goes cleaning a bit, drinking something, while doing that thinks better hang Dixon maybe now, just don't forget to unhang him for the double 6, can't follow... come back, (by then I probably would have forgotten I wanted to hang already though) group gone.... only realized it after checking the chat, ha, Lachance in, missed a km, 1', ok ride, then drop Uru, ride... in the end Taka convinced me to wait for his group... probably makes no big difference? 6 6 by Dixon, then Uru drop, we're probably at 50"? But then he loses gradually.... so starting at 1'40 or whatever and back to 1' was roughly the same.

Great ride by Tukh, nothing to say. What's annoying is that it's really stupid not to hang there. And was thinking about it 2' earlier... Of course didn't see the Firiam situation, that's another mistake, if I had I probably would be hanging from the top of the Mortirolo. Like this just had the safety idea, came back and too late, then missing a km of course just idiotic, without that at the bottom not too much, 40"? Whatever. Then Dixon-Uru, less than a minute lost. Argh. Very very very stupid Donkey.

Lüthi bad, but sort of ok, keep chances for blue, why not, generally don't care too much, but after losing Lachance in GC due to that, can't ignore it.
Then catastrophic mistake. Deserving of a 100k fairplay fine, we should have something like "actions or lack of actions that are not undertandable to anybody with an IQ of over 75 will be fined)

Makahamadzhonov now really looks like the very very likely winner. Even if Dixon was there (as he should have been) very hard for 86-86 to beat him. Today was going to lose rosa to him, even if in front, very very likely at least, maybe Uru pulling might have worked to come back? (pulling him up, having him pull down/flat) who knows. Very difficult to beat him then for me, but of course easier than now. Probably situation with Firiam and Makhamadzhonov very close at this point was best with me, once Firiam is gone... Dixon within 15" or 1' back doesn't make such a huge difference for rosa anymore.

But well, really fucked it up myself. Could have profited from Tukh's great stage, this time was too dumb for it. That's really annoying...

Anyway, now the goal is 2 wins for Toulet, 2 wins for Lachance/Dixon and rosa. Plan making starts now!

[team fl]

To make up for it, I refuse today too. More time tomorrow.

Could have been a stage win for the Fürst today if he hangs on Murodbek or Arlooktoo... But in the end, a good result for the Ciclamino. Alex gets 12 points at the first IS and his opponents could not score well.

Tomorrow then a sprint, hopefully. Stage is not really flat, but the last dangerous km should be far enough away from the finish line. Hope for some more cooperation from Narrenparty now that he's the top cereal of this Giro.

[Tukhtahuaev]

Pressure now completely on me. I Should have the strongest team for the final days and Makhamadzhonov in a great position. So you can expect some stupid mistake from me to make up for that advantage

[Robyklebt]

Nothing happened, a bit like expected yesterday. Big attack from far like the Donkey should do to have a chance? Poggiolini with his reg controls me easily. Lachance despite his reg will be under reg and Dixon most likely too. Time gain 0 has to be expected. That's the problem with having Tukh in rosa. If it was still REggy, or Firiam, then yes, then probably I would have tried a timid attack on the St Pantaléon, see if they let me green up and down, see if some nasty Tukh is there. Like this... I only tried an isolating move, failed rather embarrassingly by going too early, caught my pullers too fast, all to close. Do it 2 km later full power, Poggiolini not fighting was dropped, that would have been worth riding a while. Like this.. no. So the main tactic was doing nothing, but kind of hint at doing something, hoping to make Tukh nervous, waiting for the big attacks, riding to fast to cover himself, weaken his team, didn't work at all either.

Then attacked for stage, turned into riding for Schölle soon, saw that I couldn't ride till the end and that was definitely not sprinting, so go Schölle! After all have 2 stages, which is more than I really expected... so just ride a bit for Schölle, hope the back doesn't care. Without Schölle I probably would have stopped and saved a bit more energy. But well, they cared enough, Tukh was going slow, but can't go much slower, some tempo here and there by others and no chance whatsoever. Firiam lost a few more downhill seconds.

Today... some loading for Lachance, but not too dramatic, doubt we will want to go at red with 85 flat for the first 64 km... but who knows, this FL might want some more points for Ciclamino.
Then Finestre, no idea how Tukh will want to ride that, or anybody else. GC, I'm not interested much in moving up, unless it's to the first place Fat chance... Ok, for money third or second would be nice... but brr, this was a nice Giro, I ended up 4th in my favorite Giri, 06 and 08 I think, so 4th place would fit well. Anyway, plans made, nothing can go wrong, except if it doesn't work. Ready.

[team fl]

Alex happier than the day before. Anyway, busy family FL schedule this (long) weekend. Updates hardly possible. Amd lazy FL kicks in after all the mobiling and family stuff...

[team fl]

Sorry for not updating the statistics, but a) week 3 was very busy with work and family stuff and b) was kind of getting lazy. So thanks for the Onkel Donkel to keep the thread alive. So, without much text, here are the final statistics.

Maglia Rosa

01. 00:00:00 Murodbek Makhamadzhonov (Tukhtahuaev)
02. 00:00:38 Reggy Badenburg (CreditPommes)
03. 00:01:13 Baptiste Firiam (r TAKA)
04. 00:01:25 Alex Dixon (Big Donkey)
05. 00:03:02 Tom Trost (Narrenparty)
06. 00:03:42 Crescenzo Poggiolini (Tukhtahuaev)
07. 00:04:08 Fürchtegott Fürst (Team FL)
08. 00:05:14 Liu Bei (Dreizehn)
09. 00:06:03 Rodrigo Macedo (Wolfpack Cycling Team)
10. 00:09:30 Santiago Tabarez (Tornado Team)
11. 00:10:38 Alexis Art (Romoc Riders)
12. 00:13:23 Oskar Stoel (CreditPommes)
13. 00:13:58 Paolo Mori (r TAKA)
14. 00:19:29 Émile Lachance (Big Donkey)
15. 00:21:49 Michael Cuche (Tornado Team)

It was Reggy vs. Firiam from the start, in the end it was Murodbek, mainly due to two stages and good defensive riding once in Rosa. In stage 8, he gained 3 min on all opponents but Dixon and Macedo, when CreditPommes didn't react immediatly and r TAKA waited to long to do anything, still in denial mode for Firiam's chances. On stage 17, he got his main opponents, mainly Firiam, with a downhill attack and gained another minute. In the end he was more than half a minute clear of Reggy and over one minute clear of Firiam. It was the common formula for a GT win: Play your strength and use your opponents mistakes while not making any yourself. Favourite check: The two five star riders got 2nd and 3rd, outsmarted by the four star rider with the better tactic.

Maglia Ciclamino

01. 190 - Alex Alailefaleula (Team FL)
02. 160 - Hannes Rauch (Narrenparty
03. 151 - Camille Roy (Big Donkey)

Because of the horrible sprint results in week 2 and week 3, Alex' advantage shrunk more and more. Hannes Rauch (Narrenparty) got very close so the team decided not to go for a possible bunch sprint on the last stage. Kind of odd, but it worked, at least for the Ciclamino. Favourite check: Pretty accurate, but change Barth with Rauch... Roy kind of an outlier on place 3 due to the last stage's result.

Maglia Azzurra

01. 359 - Émile Lachance (Big Donkey)
02. 162 - Baptiste Firiam (r TAKA)
03. 131 - Murodbek Makhamadzhonov (Tukhtahuaev)

Three climbers on the podium of the Azzurra. That's nice. Lachance just wanting it most, giving up some places in GC to get it. Firiam was first in the favourite check, Murodbek second. But it was the one who really wanted it, as usual.

Maglia Bianca

01. 00:05:14 Liu Bei (Dreizehn)
02. 00:09:30 Santiago Tabarez (Tornado Team)
03. 00:31:12 Sergey Kriushenko (Tornado Team)

For a long time, it was very close in the fight for the Maglia Bianca. In the end, Liu Bei had the better legs and quite a decent advantage to Santiago Tabarez, although being a bit weeker in the mountains. At least, Tornado Team got more places on the podium. Favourite check: Got 1st and 2nd right, yay.

Team classement:

01. 00:00:00 Big Donkey
02. 00:09:49 Tukhtahuaev
03. 00:13:18 CreditPommes

With the last stage, Big Donkey cemented his victory in the team classement. Favourite check also pretty accurate here.

Stage wins by riders:

3 - Baptiste Firiam (r TAKA)
2 - Fürchtegott Fürst (Team FL)
2 - Hannes Rauch (Narrenparty)
2 - Tom Trost (Narrenparty)
2 - Stefano Tzimas (Narrenparty)
1 - Alex Alailefaleula (Team FL)
1 - Rafael Andrade (Dreizehn)
1 - Olayuk Arlooktoo (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Temptation Coventry (Dreizehn)
1 - Alex Dixon (Big Donkey)
1 - Murodbek Makhamadzhonov (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Noah Lüthi (Big Donkey)
1 - Rodrigo Macedo (Wolfpack Cycling Team)
1 - Zafarmurod Rakhmonaliev (Tukhtahuaev)
1 - Pahikore Taiaroa (Big Donkey)

Baptise Firiam with the most stage wins in a Giro, but in general very well distributed. Lots of riders with a stage win.

Stage wins by teams:

6 - Narrenparty
3 - Big Donkey
3 - r TAKA
3 - Team FL
3 - Tukhtahuaev
2 - Dreizehn
1 - Wolfpack Cycling
0 - CreditPommes
0 - HenrunCycling 6
0 - Gipfelstuermer
0 - Romoc Riders
0 - Tornado Team

Narrenparty the cereal of this year's afternoon Giro. Two time trial wins, two wins in a bunch sprint, two wins with the climber, the whole package. Everything else distributed well, but 5 teams without a stage win at all.

Days in the Maglia Rosa

I have no idea anymore and am too lazy to check that. In the end, Reggy had the most days in Rosa, but the last day counts I guess.

Red Lantern/Maglia Nera

- Ron Roulier (HenrunCycling 6)

Quite a surprise that Ron survived and even outsmarted Gil Sousa from Wolfpack Cycling Team, who has only a 45 mountain skill. In the end, 7 riders had to leave the Giro early, Gipfelstuermer leading this list finishing with 6 riders.

[Robyklebt]

Finestre, my brilliant plan was to do nothing, start siebing at the 2n-4km of the Finestre, hoping to make Poggiolini fight then attack towards the top, double, if all follow then go again just with Lachance in downhill, or double but expecting Lachance to be ahead. More downhill, better form, even with less energy should be ahead.

Then Firiam siebed at the first km, so of course went in with Lachance the next km. Probably should have let Mori and Poggiolini come back, only Mori wanted, then sieb again hoping that Poggiolini now fights... but he wouldn't have, clearly had fighting off, if Tabarez stays with fighting, Poggiolini too. So anyway in, sieb go towards the top, but Firiam goes earlier. Bah, ok, then ride till the top, get close to Firiam in the downhill, attack to him with the double attack hoping Lachance is ahead, since most likely Makhamadzhonov will somehow hang on either Dixon or Trost. Ok, close enough, attack, but of course the attack looks rather hopeless anyway, in the back now Poggiolini is riding. Attack in... and what happens, this idiotic Firiam stops, instead of continuing. The great plan was Lachance rides the downhill, Firiam the flat, then together, but Firiam sabotaged my master plan (that would have allowed us to arrive to 7 or so km from the end ahead of the Poggiolini group) Ok, don't take it out, ago, Lachance ahead, Dixon does a second one to weaken the chasers, for nothing, but why not. Anyway, caught soon after the end of the downhill, Makhamadzhonov wins. Great real life stages like Finestre just can't be simulated realistically at c4f somehow, big group. Oh well

Last stage, a last attack with Roy, send Taiaroa with him, great plan. Narren in off tempo, so wait. wait till that 85 flat guy is weakened. I only realized it was the climber Trost just before or after I finally attacked. Go red to try to catch the 2 classic Takas, he waits, good, go red. In the back the sprinters with Narren off don't really chase. Don't especially like that tactic (probably mostly because I never get to be in that situation.... have Ciclamino, have to defend it, let a group through the easiest way, maybe would do it too if I was in that situation) but in this situation disliked it less than usual. Mostly because Narren with his 2 top sprinters often waited quite a while to join FL in the chase, "I join after km xx!", which at least once was more than half way into the stage I think. And he won the sprints often enough. Now threatening FL's ciclamino, can understand FL not being too eager to chase. Anyway, good for the Donkey and Taka, Taiaroa leader, 55 sprint, a bit fitter (but not much, having ridden a km red) vs 52 sprint for Uchiha, probably better form, think Taiaroa had early form. Ah, my law book (I use it to plan the form) says Taiaroa on the 18th. Taka wants more tempo from Taiaroa, no problem, good collaboration, in the end I don't necessarily need a win, already have 2. Taiaroa in earlier, Taka demands blue, ok ok, but then for no special reason Taka thinks it's the right thing to insult Pahikore Taiaroa, my proud Maori cyclist! Ok, the Donkey is known to react badly to insults, name changes, even non-insulting name changes to his riders. Insult me, ok ok, wasn't going to open a fairplay thread (but the hyenas hanging out in the spectators chat to open fairplay threads maybe would) but my rider? NO!!! Out of tempo completely, ready to have it end in a sprint, if necessary. Doesn't necessarily have to be this reaction each time, but was tired as hell as well, so NO NO NO! Apology by Taka to Taiaroa or no more tempo! Expected some half assed apology then, but Taka is stubborn, no apology, INstead he just keeps riding. No apology but gifts me the stage? OK, he later said he hoped I would let him the stage.... not sure if he was serious, but of course not. What punishment would that be? And then everybody starts insulting my riders towards the end if a group looks through. Anyway, livid Donkey shows no mercy. At some point of course decided that if he stopped now, I'd put Roy back in and get the easy win with Taiaroa, forget the principle, get the win by sucking is the new principle. Deny him the win the higher principle. But he kept riding. Gotta admire the stubborness a bit, rather pull me to a double win than apologize to Taiaroa in 1' and then suck more than planned which would have given him good chances for the win... Like this easy win, Roy goes, gets away, stays away, Taiaroa jumps a bit later, seeing if he risks place for and follows, (actually probably was safe already even if he follows) he doesn't Taiaroa catches Roy and wins. Roy of course maybe the most active rider this Giro, escap-wise, of course deserved a win. But Pahikore Taiaroa is a reliable helper, always there when needed, less likely to ever get another chance for a win. So Taiaroa it is. Stupid win, boring as hell, would have preferred a nice fight for the stage, but if you insult my riders... Next time might result in a barrage of insult to him and his mother, father, cousins and cats, or a -3, or a 10 races at -3 series, or whatever, this time it was no more tempo...

Anyway: 3 stages, that's more than I expected, really feared 0. Except Lüthi all my guys with decent mountain have under 50 sprint. My climbers not strong enough to arrive solo if chased hard. 3 is good, even if one was one of the dumbest wins ever.

GC: Lachance leader, went a bit for blue for fun early, giving it up later no problem. Stage 8, wasn't fit enough to stay with Makhamadzhonov and Dixon, dropped, 2" gained to Reggy and co in the end.. HIs GC challange was over then. Rode for him in the arcade stage, but then not with the last helper, Lanfredini, he went to Dixon which resulted in another big time loss for Lachance. Would have been much less otherwise.
Stage win for Lüthi the highlight of the Giro, that was wanted, 100% form, was hanging out in front a bit probably in the early escape, not that I remember, but with my team felt I had to attack every day, or almost. And if then I don't the day I want to win with Lüthi, everybody knows. Lüthi follows the right wheel, brings it through, wins. Excellent.
Next stage the obvious Dixon-Lachance attack. Tried to save a bit too much energy with Lachance, going green too long, But ok, leader being Dixon, was clear he would be under reg, here I had hoped to get Lachance in contention, not Dixon. Lachance would have had better chances, Dixon would have been just in or just under reg if he had Lachance's reg. And then to Bormio I lose less. But still, new highlight of the Giro, I get rosa! (THat is the real highlight, stage win wise Lüthi more than Dixon, but getting rosa? Of course no 1!)
Next day gone, rode badly, not in my element, didn't know what to do. Well knew, fit Lachance with 2 fit classics tries to gain time! But he wasn't fit, not in GC, so dumbly secure his mountain jersey, killing Lüthi for nothing in the process. Not hanging on Makhamadzhonov with Dixon (not being fit not 100% sure he follows? but 71 should be enough). Missing the first km after the attack. Brrr. Sort of half sticked with a variation (a senseless one) of the original Lachance plan, and then made it worse by not thinking about Firiam's bad downhill. While wandering around the Donkey-stable thought "oh, better put Dixon there when back on the computer", but not because I saw the danger, just a safety measure. And probably would have forgotten it once I was back.
Next day was bad too, had to do acrobatic helping to end up with Lanfredini completely empty again (he had to ride too) but got the rest fit. Lachance starting with not much over 530 was critical. Think he got back to 1000, or maybe was 980 or so. Uru, Lüthi unfit, Uru hard fight too. Possibly almost put Dixon under reg by helping too much with him, forgot, but was a hard day.

Giro, GC: Weird Taka early, with his "no chance" thing. Reggy vs Firiam was clear. That's why Makhamdzhonov won Great attack by Tukh on stage 8, Donkey passenger, helping a bit, stupidly losing Lachance, should have insisted on taking him along,..
This then made it possible for Tukh to ride with POggiolini on the 16th stage. And sieb Reggy from the Santa Barbara, not just the final climb. Without those 3 minutes, would have made no sense to join the chase (and more importantly the Reggy mobbing) for Tukh. Either join with Poggiolini or with both, but then possibly Firiam is there too and all changes again, then Donkey only rides if all ride.. which they won't, so Poggiolini pulls, or not. Doesn't matter, Tukh had this 3' from his great masterplan, Donkey too, from Tukh's masterplan, then got rosa from his obvious masterplan. But unfit, clear to lose it, no real danger to Tukh and Taka. With Reggy out was between them. Without stage 8 though Reggy would definitely have stayed in the race for rosa, like this he was out basically.
Mortirolo, next genius move from Tukh, attack Firiam in the downhill, 3 idiots don't try to follow, Donkey-FL and Narren? or somebody else that followed FL instead of Makhamadzhonov? Firiam tried, failed, then no tempo with Mori. And with +/- 1' gained, now Makhamadzhonov was clearly the clearest of clear favorites. He had the team to control. He had the mountain skill to defend against Firiam. And so it was. Dixon.. actually even if I had followed, would have been over too, he can defend vs me easily too, doesn't matter if I'm at 10" or 1'. 1' might have given me more liberty, but not really either. No Yates thingy for us likely.
Anyway, Tukh won this in 3 stages, 3' on everybody, eliminate Reggy, eliminate Firiam (+Dixon) that was it. Then routine to bring it home. Nice win.