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