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One in a Billion | Rise to the Summit
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 28-10-2017 12:21
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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@Raziz: 
@Croatia: Everything's gonna go behind that!
@Ripley: Beating Nairo up the climb was special, I have to admit! The last week is going to be nerve wracking. Another ITT to come though 
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| dominox |
Posted on 28-10-2017 16:30
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1452
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What a great win on stage 11! Keep it up man! GC looks great at the moment for you  |
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 30-10-2017 04:24
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Thanks dominox. It sure does!
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| Tamijo |
Posted on 30-10-2017 06:09
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Team Leader
Posts: 7406
Joined: 14-07-2015
PCM$: 599.00
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Things developing nicely, not particularly strongest but up to now clearly more consistent.
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 30-10-2017 08:57
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Gotta take advantage of the others' weaknesses. I can't compete on climbing strength, so I have to look at other avenues to get an edge.
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 31-10-2017 01:16
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Stage 13
After two very different performances in MTTs in the Tirreno and then at Romandie, I was a little nervous going into this stage. I had to keep waiting for my chance to ride. Just ahead of me, Nairo had been setting the track on fire, taking 1st through every intermediate. This stage suited him perfectly. Both Yates and Landa were more than a minute down on the Colombian, while Aru was around 20 seconds slower. I started off steadily, 20 seconds down on Quintana at the first split and in 4th place. Section two was not so good, as I slipped down to 6th place, 51 seconds behind Nairo. I recovered in the final section to finish 2nd on the stage, losing only 17 seconds to Quintana.
Stage 14 was a transitional one favouring the fast men. The initial nineteen man break were caught after the first climb. A five man break formed next, pulling away to an 11 minute lead. They were alsso caught, with 20 to go. The sprinters did have their day in the sun.
Stage 15
A very strong 12 man break was allowed a lot of freedom. At the top of the second climb, the peloton was down to 70 riders and the break had a 16 minute lead! Nairo and Landa attacked with 8 km to go. Their gap to my group was 1'20" seconds with 5 km to go. I chased back, powering away from the peloton. I managed to catch and even drop them! I finished in 6th, behind the surviving break.
Stage 16
I was one of the favourites for this stage while only Quintana was strong in a ITT among my rivals. I finisehd in 3rd place on the day, still losing over 80 seconds to stage winner Cuadros. Nairo lost 50 seconds to me, while Aru, Yates and Landa lost 3, 3 and 4 minutes to me, respectively.
| 1 | Abhishek Sinha | Duvel | 62h41'52 | | 2 | Nairo Quintana | De Koninck | + 4'41 | | 3 | Fabio Aru | Rusal | + 10'53 | | 4 | Adam Yates | Swissair | + 12'40 | | 5 | Mikel Landa | TEAM Cepsa | + 13'24 | | 6 | Merhawi Kudus | TEAM Kodak | + 15'49 | | 7 | Romain Bardet | Huawei | + 22'06 | | 8 | Eddie Dunbar | TEAM Kodak | + 24'53 | | 9 | Tao Geoghegan Hart | Huawei | + 25'08 | | 10 | Eduardo Sepulveda | TEAM Kodak | + 25'44 |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 31-10-2017 06:56
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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That's distance. Now stay healthy, rider conservative (I wouldn't have guessed to say that by heart once) and mark Quintana on the final stages for the first maglia rosa!
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 31-10-2017 06:58
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
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Listen Abhishek I know you love Nairo but don't let him pull some romantic long range attack on you  This win is romantic enough for you! Fantastic first two weeks kicking some serious ass, four more days and then Milan. Allez, Venga, Gora, Go Go Go!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| Kiserlovski01 |
Posted on 31-10-2017 07:56
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4055
Joined: 26-04-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Please keep something back for le Tour as well. 
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 02:12
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Bot Agent
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| dominox |
Posted on 31-10-2017 12:32
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1452
Joined: 23-07-2014
PCM$: 5533.75
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Jesus man! You have to hold something for le Tour. 5 minutes ahead of Quintana is great lead. Just do not give him enough place to attack. |
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 31-10-2017 14:59
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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@Croatia: I plan to stick like glue to Quintana's wheels through the rest of the race!
@Jandal: Love for Quintana on one side. Maglia Rosa on the other. Not a difficuilt choice is it?
@Kiserlovski: One race at a time Who is to say I'll even make it to France!
@Dominox: I'll do my best. Not gonna let this go now hopefully...
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| Aquarius97 |
Posted on 31-10-2017 19:26
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4191
Joined: 13-09-2015
PCM$: 300.00
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You CAN'T lose this now 
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| Raziz |
Posted on 31-10-2017 20:20
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Domestique
Posts: 552
Joined: 22-12-2016
PCM$: 200.00
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Just stay safe on the roads, only thing that can prevent you from winning now is a crash. |
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 01-11-2017 04:06
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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@Aquarius: Fingers crossed!
@Raziz: That's the plan. No talk of crashes please...
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 01-11-2017 16:56
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Stage 17 came as a relief to the riders. The stage was mostly flat and perfect for a breakaway win. And that's exactly what happened. A four rider breakaway was allowed to get away. Two of them survived and fought it out for the stage win. All GC contenders, me included, took it easy.
Stage 18
The eleven man break had a 22 minute lead over the reduced peloton on the scond climb! Yates attacked at the base of the third climb. Nairo went after him while I tried to get my team together to chase. At the top of the climb, I was out of teammates. Together with Aru and Bardet, we tried to reduce the gap Yates and Nairo had built up. The former was nearly three minutes while the Colombian was exactly two minutes at this stage. I was in real trouble if I couldn't stop the slide. Aru attacked at the base of the MTF, with 9 km to go. The break had already won. Nairo was now three minutes ahead with Yates another minute ahead. I caught back to Aru with 7 km to go. At the 4 km to go mark, I dropped everyone and was chasing Quintana on my own. Aru's attack had actually helped bring down their lead. Nairo's lead was only 90 seconds at this point. But I was cooked. The last kilometer was a hanging on exercise, if ever I had performed one! I limited my losses as far as possible, eventually losing 2'14" to Nairo and over three and a half minutes to Yates. I lost teammate Serroels after this stage, as he finished outside the time limit with 12 others.
Stage 19
The early four man break became eight on the first climb. At the top of the first climb, the peloton was already reduced to around 80 riders and the break had a 18 minutes' lead. It started raining on the second climb. As if I needed things to get even harder!
Dunbar attacked 12 km from the top of the second climb. Next, Aru and Bardet attacked in tandem, 3 km from the top. Aru got away. I was struggling again for some reason. I went over the second climb more than a minute behind Aru and around 20 seconds behind Landa and Quintana, who had caught Dunbar. I did have Bardet and Yates for company. We managed to catch everyone but Aru till the bottom of the descent. The break won by this time. Aru, Nairo and Landa attacked again. I was 45 seconds down on Nairo on top of the third climb. I lost a couple more seconds on the descent. A third of my huge lead after the stage 16 ITT has been wiped out in the last two stages!
| 1 | Abhishek Sinha | Duvel | | | 2 | Nairo Quintana | De Koninck | + 1'40 |
Spoiler In my excitement, I forgot to export results from stage 18 onwards!
Here's what's coming up...
Stage 20
Stage 21
No respite even on the last stage 
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| dominox |
Posted on 01-11-2017 17:24
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1452
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Oh man... I've got a bad feeling about those last two stages... I hope you will prove me wrong. |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 01-11-2017 17:50
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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Get back to your mo-jo and wear this freaking pink jersey on the final ceremony!
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 02-11-2017 04:46
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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@dominox: I hope I will too...
@Croatia: 15 days in Pink. Hopefully I can make it 17!
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| Ripley |
Posted on 02-11-2017 10:02
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3341
Joined: 25-11-2014
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A third of my huge lead after the stage 16 ITT has been wiped out in the last two stages!
I disagree with your maths! It's actually even more serious, of course, and ouch, those are two brutal final stages. |
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 02-11-2017 10:43
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11676
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Ripley wrote:
A third of my huge lead after the stage 16 ITT has been wiped out in the last two stages!
I disagree with your maths! It's actually even more serious, of course, and ouch, those are two brutal final stages.
I think I wanted to say two-thirds
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