Game, Set, Match S2E30

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It's your weekly breakaway for fun conversations on pro cycling.
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Come join us for another ride beyond the slipstream.
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I'm Matt Harper, and together with my brother Justin, we'll do deep-ish dives on professional bike races, teams, riders, and all sorts of cycling-related stories.
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So jump in the saddle and tighten up those shoes.
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The road awaits.
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Aloy.
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Hello and welcome to Beyond the Slipstream.
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I'm Matt, and this is my brother Justin.
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And today on the show, Jonas Vingegaard has made history and in doing so has paid off a big dream that we have both shared since he stepped onto the top step of the final podium in Madrid last September when he won the Vuelta a Espana.
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That win gave him GC winners' jerseys in two of the three Grand Tours of Professional Cycling, having won the Tour de France on two occasions in 2022 and 2023.
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We knew at the time that it was unlikely that his main rival and the possible GOAT of the men's pro Peloton, Tade Pagacar, would be taking the start at the 2026 Giro d'Italia, having won already earlier in 2025.
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We also knew Pogachar would have huge goals in the 2026 Spring Classic season and would of course be going to the Tour de France to defend his title, which was his fourth in that race.
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All of that top-level racing in the first half of the season for Pog would make a run at the Giro unwise and unnecessary since he'd already won it.
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And so the stage was set for Jonas to go to the Giro for the first time with no real competition to speak of, and a win would put him in a very rare club indeed.
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The men who had won all three grand tours in their career.
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And the best part, he'd be accomplishing something that Pogachar has not, to date, accomplished.
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And so, as Jonas stood on the podium in Madrid last year, we began salivating.
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And yesterday in Rome, our dreams were fulfilled.
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This past weekend also saw the start of the women's giro.
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And while it started in the most predictable of ways, what happened shortly after the first stage was completed was a total surprise, and one that has left the cycling world stunned and for many quite angry.
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We'll dig into all the catharsis and all of the tea on today's show, as well as making our final Orla fit check, a Fantasy League update, and a ride through the afternoon shadow of the Coliseum in Rome in the broomwagon.
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Alex.
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Oh no, I gotta take off my headphones.
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I do have a wee bit of pink myself.
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A wee touch of pink, that are loud.
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Um, and yeah, we're gonna get into the Jira d'Italia.
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Um the final week was uh I would say really great in some ways and kind of meh in others.
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We shall get into that.
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Um where do you want to begin?
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Um, I mean, I think you gotta begin with uh Mr.
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Vingigo.
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I mean, it's it's it is the story of the Giro.
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I mean, he is won the the general classification.
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He now holds the you know a a win in each of the three grand tours, and he has some remarkable company with the likes of Merckx and Froom and you know many other yeah contact Uncatier Bell Maldino you know it solidifies him and I you know and I think a way too considering that he is is living in the Pagatra era, it it does solidify his place in history, and he deserves it.
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I mean, he's a remarkable, you know, grand tour writer, and you know, it almost is sad that he has to compete in the same era as you know, probably the best cyclist to ever do it.
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But even so, he has found a way to etch his name, you know, in the annals of history, and I and deservedly so, because he is just the sweetest, nicest, you know, Danish guy that you will ever see.
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And it's just I don't know, it's it's great.
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This is you know, it's my favorite tour, and and and I, you know, enjoyed just about every damn minute of it.
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Yeah, yeah, it's it's really a phenomenal grand tour, that's for sure.
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Um I don't even know that I agree with you that it's that it's a bummer or that it's sad that that he you know finds himself competing in the era with like the greatest of all time, because in a way, uh as he looks back on his career, as he you know meets new people, uh, and they ask him, What do you do?
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And he gets to tell his own story, uh he can say, Yeah, I won all three grand tours during the Tade Pagachar era.
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You know what I mean?
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This is true.
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I mean, in in a way, and and and I'll really have a hard time feeling bummed about it if and when he beats Tade Pagachar and the Tour de France in a month, which with with every day that passed in his giro, looked more and more shit not likely.
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Maybe not likely, but definitely possible.
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I mean, definitely possible.
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He he was he he won five stages here, and on every single one of them, he looked like he was finishing up a training ride as he came across the finish line.
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Well, and I think that he could have won six, except for the fact that he wanted his friend to win.
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And I think that is one of the things that makes him so special, is that, you know, Sepp's mom was there on stage 19, and you know, they let Sep go for it, man.
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And that speaks volumes to the fact that this team is very, very cohesive.
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I think one of the things that one of my big takeaways, at least, of from this race is the fact that this team with him and Campin Arts and Cus at the top is just it it gels and they really are riding for each other.
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And these guys are emptying the tanks for him.
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They all believe in the mission, and it is, you know, absolutely, you know, to me, just joyous to watch these guys race because there's no there's no drama at all with it.
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It's just good old-fashioned racing.
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And they attack and they protect, and the only thing that they don't didn't do in this race is sprint.
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Yeah, and you know, as a team, they they certainly have uh a capable sprint operation and really interesting things happening in that world.
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It it didn't happen to be taking place at this particular race, but everything else that was for the team uh made it plenty, plenty uh interesting, plenty delicious for us.
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Um and I do want to get into the sepcoos uh part of the story, but let's uh let's keep the focus on Jonas for the moment.
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You spoke about uh how he quote unquote gifted that stage win to Sepkus.
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I think it was stage 19, was it?
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19.
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Um and uh how cool that is and how much that that that speaks for him.
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He he's such an interesting guy in a lot of ways.
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I mean, I get the feeling that he within a team context is he's he he's probably respected more than any other writer has ever been respected by his teammates because of the the seeming uh level of of just pure human virtue that the man has.
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You know, uh obviously he is dedicated to his craft uh at a level that few writers probably ever match.
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I mean, you he he couldn't not be, you know, you can't perform the way he performs without being an absolute training monster.
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And yet we see how unbelievably important his family is to him, and the the the sort of unspoken thing that exists in there is that if he's uh training at like with that kind of ferocity and intensity, he is by default away from his family.
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He is he is uh putting uh time with his family aside to to do this thing, and that that alone must command such respect from his team for him.
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Well, and I don't think that and I don't think that it is lost on him in any way, shape, or form either.
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I think that it's something that uh probably nags at the back of his head, but he understands that you know what he has to do is almost bigger than himself.
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And you know, the fact that he's you know committed himself to this team and to these goals and you know the sacrifice that that comes with it.
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And I tell you, he obviously has a good marriage, he obviously has, you know, a good family life.
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And you know, apparently he's able to strike that balance.
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It was it was but you can see that it weighs on him because in in his interview yesterday, I mean, he was you know literally broken up, you know, when talking about how important his family is and how great it was to have them there, and you know, what the sacrifice means.
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And you know, he is uh uh it's it's interesting because the juxtaposition between him and Pagacar being, you know, obviously a single guy with no kids, and you know, it it's it's such a different uh viewpoint, and it's so far to the other side of that scale that you know it just it really, really endears him personally to me as you know as a as a family man, because you know, that that is it, you know, striking that work-life balance is so hard for everybody, but only I can only imagine how hard it could be where you're away for months, you know, weeks and months of the year.
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And you know, good on him for for being able to balance it as well as he obviously seems to.
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Yeah, I mean that you know, I I can't remember if it was Richard Pluka or um the the other DS that they talk to a lot during this race, um, who was just like kind of talking about just how incredibly chill this man is.
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I mean, he has found a way to strike a balance um amongst all of these these things.
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I mean, basically these two giant facets of his life, his family and his career.
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Um, and I think that for for his wife she is able to handle it because uh number one, because she loves him and she she wants his her man to to be fulfilled in his career, but also the the the prizes, um both uh tangible and intangible are enormous for what he's doing, and that is a valuable thing for him and for their family that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
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Um and for his teammates, you know, I I get the I I get the idea that he is is kind of like apart from his teammates in a way.
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I I don't know.
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I haven't seen enough behind-the-scenes VISMA stuff to know.
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I'm sure everybody gets along and there's fun and laughter and camaraderie on the team bus and all of that, and on the flights and and everything else.
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And yet I would imagine that he is at some sort of an emotional remove from his teammates, um that has to do with with number one, the focus that he needs for his training, number two, the focus that he maintains with his family, um, the contact, and and then like number three, just his his personal mentality, his personal psychology, um the way that he is.
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Um and because he is so good at what he does, he has sort of earned that respect coming from both ends of his world.
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He's really a fascinating figure.
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I wish he was a little bit more interesting in an interview, not gonna lie.
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Like pretty much you you could have cut and pasted the first interview that he did after his win onto the the next four that he won.
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He really doesn't ever say anything much at all or give us any insight.
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I mean, that's part of the mystery, but I'd love a little bit more.
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Except for except for his his few moments of you know, two times during this tour, he was like, Yeah, we're gonna go win this stage.
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Which is different.
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That that's that's I know, but it's still not his typical MO.
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No, and he did he did shed a couple of tears, but I mean this man has just like achieved like a massive thing, you know, a something that that happens once every 15, 20 years or something, you know, the the the the the only times.
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Yeah, I mean that's absolutely incredible.
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Um and all we got out of him because of that was like 10 seconds of tears talking about how well his family supports him.
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Um you know, he's uh he's one of a kind, and we should be thankful for any version of this guy that we get.
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So can we talk about how sick all the Vistma like bling was around the yesterday stage?
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Did you catch all of the different little things that they had going on with the buttons and the kits?
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Some of them I like it.
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I like that when what's her name gave us a little close-up on the on the rear view of the team car, uh, and it had it had like a little transparent sticker that just had all of the names of the guys who had won eight tours, and Jonas's was on there as the last one.
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Did you catch that?
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I did not.
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That's one I didn't catch.
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If you scroll, if you scroll down, if you scroll down into my notes, you can see uh I put a bunch of examples of different things.
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So um, I can't hold on, let me let me pull it up so I can look at it with you here.
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Um so there's a bunch of different stuff.
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Well, that that the design that they did that they also had on the t-shirt that Nott and Von Hoydonk was wearing.
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I don't know if you caught that on the last day.
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Um that that design where they've where they've done the outline of the three different countries, like in a very stylized way, and of course the France is yellow, the Spain is red, and the Italy is pink.
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That is a really cool image, which this this team kills it with the graphic design.
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I think those are the routes for our grand tours.
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Oh, okay.
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Well, either, yeah.
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Which is even cooler.
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Yeah, I mean, if you look at the Italy one, it's kind of shaped like Italy.
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I thought it, I thought it looked like it was kind of shaped like Italy, nonetheless.
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Um, a killer, a killer look for the jersey.
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Um they do a really, really good job with that, like the marketing of the stuff that they're putting on the other guys is because obviously they can't customize the Magali Rosa, but they can customize everything else, and boy do they.
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Yeah, this team, this team has just got the graphic design on lock.
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I mean, we talked about it a couple weeks ago when they with it and they dropped the Tour de France jersey, and it's just like, I mean, it's sick.
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Like, they're so good.
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Um, another thing, there's a couple of really fun parallels, Visma Lisa bike parallels at play this week.
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Um, while we're talking about the jersey, you notice this is they they have they have those those three rings around the collars and sleeves.
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We've seen this before because this is the team that also pulled off the unprecedented single-year Grand Tour slam when they where they won all three grand tours.
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The year that uh Sep Kus won the Vuelta.
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Umis's last Tour de France win, and Primo's Roblick had won the Giro that year.
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And of course, we got that just incredible drama in the Vuelta and the whole Sep Kus story.
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And they were one, two, three on the podium at that Vuelta as well.
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Incredible.
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And then I'll when we get into Sep a little later, I'll I'll mention the other uh parallel that I liked.
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But um yeah, a great jersey.
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Um such a cool way of celebrating their success.
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Uh what what other what other articles did you like?
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Check out the shoes.
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The shoes.
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Yeah, they got that kind of iridescent pink kind of look to them.
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Those look rad.
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Super rad.
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Another thing I liked is how the frame color was three shades darker than the the jersey color.
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It just created such a nice little a nice little like coordinated offset that that just like worked so well together.
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Oh, absolutely, but it also incorporated that the the pink red and yellow like bits to it, and then it has the in different parts of the frame.
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You can see like that they also did that dotted line, like you know, motif all through everything.
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And it they just it's it's just it's such attention to detail.
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Down to the tires are pink, but you have the like the wording on them is pink, red, and yellow.
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Like it's ridiculous.
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It's it's such ridiculous attention to detail.
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And then if you Sorry, go ahead.
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Well, and I just have to say, like, the level of pageantry happening in this race is is so incredible, and I I just love every second of it.
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I love how on Paul Manier's Sudal Quick Step team, he of course took the Magliazzura.
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Um Chicone, but the Azzura.
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I mean the uh the Chiclamino, excuse me.
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Um, and he the team was wearing the um socks, uh the the the Chiclamino colored socks, but only one man besides Paul Mannier was allowed to go with the Chiclamino colored gloves.
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That man, Jasper Stoiven, the the the the low-key MVP of that team in in getting Paul Mannier where he needed to be.
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Um really cool.
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I love this aspect of this sport where there's there's opportunities to be really creative in a visual way, and that that those those optics are woven into the very fiber of the sport and our traditions which which go back decades and decades and decades, and it's just uh it's so sumptuous.
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Yeah, it was uh it was just super cool, man.
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The just every everything about it, his him with his kids on the podium, um, you know, just ah man, I just it's the stunning circuit in Rome, like like the beauty, the beauty of Rome.
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You know, I don't know if you if you caught it, but they were they were giving the helicopters some unprecedented access.
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There was a wide shot from above the Peloton from a helicopter.
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You could see the other helicopter in this shot, and it was like a hundred feet over, like it was right down in there, in and amongst it.
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And I noticed that only after I had taken notice of the shot where they run along the river.
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The helicopter was like out there in the middle of the river, like level with the riders.
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That was not a down shot, it was a side-on shot.
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You could see the wall and then where they were riding, and of course, it was like trees, so they were obscured.
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I'm like, I'm just sitting there watching this.
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Like, this is insane that this that I'm watching a live sporting event.
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It's insane.
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Something this beautiful.
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You gotta this is a shot from a movie.
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You gotta figure too.
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It's probably a big part of their tourism, you know, budget that they've got in the city.
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And it is, I mean, the city pays for all that.
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So I mean, I think they would probably be, you know, remiss if they didn't allow some, you know, unprecedented access to the situation.
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And in my opinion, like, I I don't know, like, you know, the Tour de France, the way that it ends, that you know, obviously there's a lot of iconic things, the Arc de Troyology.
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The Eiffel Tower, you know, the Louvre.
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There's a ton, but man, I don't know, dude.
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There's just something about those shots of them riding past the Coliseum where you're just like, holy moly, dude, this is just absolutely insane.
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It's at least as good as Paris for the finish of the Tour de France.
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It's it is I no, I shouldn't say at least as it is on par with the beauty of Paris and the Tour de France.
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100%.
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You know what I mean?
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It it perhaps does not have the same number of iconic things that you clock on on each trip around the circuit.
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I feel like in Rome, there's just kind of the Coliseum is your marker that you catch, you know, every 12 minutes.
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Um, whereas in Paris, there's there's several.
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They go through the tunnel.
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You got the Joan of Arc, you've got the pyramid, you've got the Arc de Triomphe, you've got the obelisk.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So so look at there's there's a bit more, but but the just beauty of it, though.
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:12.079
It doesn't, even though there's not like, oh, there's the this, there's the that in the Rome circuit, still every single time you're looking at it, it's stunningly beautiful, no matter what you're looking at.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:15.920
Look at look at the two pictures that I put from like in the race.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:24.480
Though there's one of them of Jonas like kind of rounding a cobbled corner in front of I I can't remember what that what that landmark is.
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:27.440
Yes, some sort of gate, I can't remember.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:33.839
And then and then the the head-on shot of the Peloton with the with the Coliseum in the back.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:38.079
I mean, that run-up is just absolutely ridiculous.
00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:39.440
Yeah, it's stunning.
00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:48.319
That building in the background of that shot actually, there was a helicopter shot of it at some point, and you could see like tourists milling around up on the top of that building.
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:58.880
Apparently, it looked it looked to me in the shot like there was a there was a aftermarket um elevator situation, like strapped onto the back of that building, basically.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:05.039
This big old green, like metal elevator that's like hugs the back of that building, like right there that you're looking at on the other side.
00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:11.119
Um, and the tourists come up and they can walk around and get views of the city from up there on like a terrace that's on top of that building.
00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:12.000
Super cool.
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:16.720
Um, the the podium location, iconic.
00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:22.640
It's just the same kind of thing as with the Tour de France, where it's like this open air thing, there's no backdrop.
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:24.640
They have the city as the backdrop.
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:35.359
Um so and like, and they do a great job of timing it to where it's like it's this the beautiful sunset when they're up on the podium.
00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:36.640
It's just ridiculous.
00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:43.279
It's like every part of it is just so perfectly measured and so perfectly done.
00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:45.519
It's it's it's unbelievable.
00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:53.119
And that's a great parallel to the the the way that Vingigaard and Visma performed in this race.
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:54.960
Absolutely perfect.
00:24:55.119 --> 00:24:59.519
I mean, this was arguably a B squad, a B squad that they had here.
00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:00.960
It's a B plus squad.
00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:06.799
Um and still just an incredible job.
00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:11.039
I mean they came away with one and ten.
00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:12.400
Right.
00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.519
They came away with two, you know, two top tens.
00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:16.400
Yeah.
00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:17.200
Incredible.
00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:23.119
And one of them was was from a guy that like nobody knew six months ago.
00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:25.759
Like really, really incredible.
00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:31.039
Um, well, let's pivot into then some of you know some of the the other stories.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:36.640
Um, and we can we can pull we can pull some of those Vistma, those other Vistma stories into it as well.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:48.640
Um so let's talk about uh some of the other winners, specifically our other Jersey winners, because we got some really terrific stories um in those uh battles.
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:54.640
Um I'd say let's start with Chick Lamino since Paul Manier uh won the opening stage.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:08.960
I mean, what uh what a giro that man had to win the opening stage, and then I think he won the third stage and then uh and then shortly thereafter won a third stage, right?
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:16.559
He had a so he had only he only had two when he won eighteen, total of three.
00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:17.839
Total of three.
00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:24.640
But he you know he he got the Chicklamino and was looking early on, he was kind of like looking like a lock.
00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:35.039
And then Arvaez came up with three wins, and Arvaez story enters the chat, and and of course that's another great story.
00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:42.480
We've already gotten into that because it happened in the first week, the whole like UAE sort of turnaround, which was just nothing short of magnificent.
00:26:42.559 --> 00:27:02.079
I mean, they kind of they they kind of left left the chat by week three, but um yeah, I mean Narvaez comes in and suddenly the how many times, how many times did the did the they they they swapped it back and forth three times, I think I believe.
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:14.079
So it went from Manier to Narvalles, back to Manier, back to Narvaez, right, and then finally back back to Mar back to Manier.
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:19.200
So after Manier took it in the beginning, it's it changed hands four times.
00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:20.640
That's pretty strong.
00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.240
Yeah, and what one of one of them was like by one point, too, at one point.
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:42.400
Um yeah, it was it was super, super close, and and it was just it was the interesting part of it was they weren't really like going head to head against each other.
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:45.200
See, that's that that's what that that's why this prize is kind of interesting.
00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:50.480
It is not a straight-up flat sprinting prize, it is a points jersey.
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:58.000
Uh, and there are multiple ways that multiple wine right types of riders can garner points.
00:27:58.079 --> 00:27:59.519
And and to me, I I like that.
00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:02.319
I mean, I know there's a lot of people that do not like that.
00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:06.480
They think like they feel like the sprinters jersey for should be for sprinters.
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:19.440
Um, yeah, it's funny how sprinting is such a specific discipline that it's like anytime you deviate from that and take chances away from flat sprinters, just people just get in such an uproar over it.
00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:21.759
Well, you know, and it's it's you know it's weird.
00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:23.359
I was thinking about this at one point.
00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:31.279
I was riding home this week and I was thinking about sprinting, and I and and like sprinting is what got me into cycling.
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:39.359
That was like my was my initial like gateway drug was um was Cavendish.
00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:42.160
And so like that was my way in.
00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:51.519
And then as I learned more about the sport, like my I really kind of like fell off on caring about sprinting.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:29:02.880
I'm like, oh, there's so many more things, but now I've come back around to where like I really really appreciate you know a bunch sprint and how important it is to the sport.
00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:10.960
And so now I I'm just as invested on sprint days as I am on anything, you know, any other day.
00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:14.079
And in this, you know, this race.
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:29.519
To me, what was more interesting than our vies manier was the fact that Monnier is putting the wood to you know our previous Chicolamino jersey winner, Jonathan Milan.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:36.880
All right, and up until the very last day, he held him at at complete bay.
00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:39.359
And that was one of our big questions going in.
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.079
Is manye on the same level as these guys?
00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:51.920
Because he has not gone up against big level talent the way that we saw in the over the last three weeks, and he absolutely proved himself.
00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:57.599
He deserves all the accolades, he deserves to be in that jersey, and I couldn't be happier for him.
00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:07.200
And it and and you know, it is it is a you know, it is a great start for the new era for Sedell.
00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:15.200
The new era for Sedal, and in a lot of ways, like maybe, maybe are we seeing the new era of sprinting?
00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:15.920
Hopefully.
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:19.920
I mean, I really am looking forward to seeing the I mean, god, the Tour de France.
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.599
I mean, it's gonna have absolutely everything.
00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:24.720
It's gonna have all the top sprinters and it's gonna have all the top G C.
00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:28.880
We won't have Monnier because he's on the team with the world's best sprinter.
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:31.119
So Right, right.
00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:31.759
That's for sure.
00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:32.319
That's fine.
00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:39.759
And I'm looking forward to him going if possible to the uh to the Vuelta and and mopping up some stuff down there.
00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:49.119
Although I'd like to there's there's not gonna be a lot of sprints, and I'd really like to see Milan go as well because um that would complete his trifecta.
00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:55.359
Well, and and Olav Olav Coy is back, by the way.
00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:56.880
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:58.960
No, it's it's it's gonna be awesome.
00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:01.680
Um, it's very tantalizing for the tour.
00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:03.519
Very, very tantalizing.
00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:13.039
I'm interested to see what the like Phillipson level is, if he's like still in the conversation, you know.
00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:17.119
Well, you figure I think I think Merlier is still in the conversation.
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:23.440
You figure you've got Merlier, you've got Philipson, you've got Petterson who will be at the tour.
00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:23.839
Right.
00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:29.839
You have um but Petterson's like not a a classic sprinter like like Phillipson and Merlier.
00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:32.640
Pedderson's kind of a different kind of kind of sprinter, right?
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:35.920
Yeah, but he can also get in there in the in the mix.
00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:36.880
Yeah, well, yeah.
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.519
I mean he'll he'll find his his stages for sure.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:47.039
So I mean, those four guys alone, you know, at the tour are gonna make sprinting interesting.
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:52.960
So that and that's not to mention, you know, the plethora of other, you know, sprinters that that are out there.
00:31:53.119 --> 00:32:00.799
Like, I mean, I doubt we see London because we're gonna see Coy, and it seems like Coy is definitely on form.
00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:03.519
And I doubt we see Brennan from Visma.
00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:05.599
So, you know, I don't know.
00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:07.599
It's gonna be interesting to see what happens.
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:14.960
But I am I am very much invested in the sprinters for uh for the tour.
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:16.960
Plus, you got you're gonna have a WoW in the mix, too.
00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:18.240
Wow can sprint.
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:20.559
Yeah.
00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:37.920
Um no success for uh Johnny Milan in that competition, but he basically, you know, saves his, I should say he saves his Jiro on the final stage with uh with the stage win.
00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:39.599
Um and you know what?
00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:41.519
I sure do love Jonathan Milan, man.
00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:44.400
He's he's he's got a great spirit, that guy.
00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:47.759
His his pre-race interview, he wasn't stressed, he was happy.
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:48.720
He's a happy guy.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:56.799
He was super thankful for for all of the hometown people that were that were cheering him on the day before when he was going up that hellish climb.
00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:00.480
And uh awesome, awesome dude.
00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:16.000
Uh we'll take that to pivot to the Azzura, where his teammate, Julio Chicone, also he he that let's talk about Trek.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:23.599
This team, like what an interesting and I think in so many ways, like wildly successful Jiro this team had.
00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:32.640
They got they they held uh the pink jersey at one point, and that was and that was a huge milestone for Giulio Ciccone as well.
00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:42.079
They got a fifth in GC and defended it hardcore when they were coming for it on the final stage on on the stage 20.
00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:50.960
Uh Coconi got his second, you know, Maglia Azzura, and they got a stage win out of Jonathan Milan.
00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:56.720
I mean, that is that is a strong, strong Jiro for that team.
00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:57.680
Absolutely.
00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:59.599
I I couldn't agree more.
00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:07.920
And it looked going into the last week like Jonas had you know the lock on the King of the Mountains.
00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:11.199
I mean, who's ahead by an insane amount of points?
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:25.760
And out of nowhere, here comes Jaconi just got you know going for these because there were some big category climbs, you know, in the last week that weren't necessarily the stage finish.
00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:35.119
And I I think they did the math and they were like, if we can get, you know, two or three of these, four of these, five of these, like we're in this jersey.
00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:36.239
Like, we could win it.
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:40.000
We could actually take it, especially if he doesn't contest it.
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:48.559
And, you know, uh as you said, you know, stated earlier, it's almost like this was a training session for Vesma.
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:49.920
And so they weren't.
00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:53.920
Pluga said it in the in the post-race interview after stage 21.
00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:54.800
Pluga said it.
00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:58.639
He was like, Yeah, we were definitely holding back, like we got a big goal in front of us.
00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:01.920
Yeah, like not mincing words at all.
00:35:02.159 --> 00:35:08.159
Um, well, Chicone made things super fun, just watching him.
00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:11.360
He's an animator, he's he's I I wanted him to win.
00:35:11.440 --> 00:35:14.159
I I want to see a sunglasses throw.
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:18.000
I'm that's that's like my number one coveted cycling moment right now.
00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:22.880
So occupying my top spot is a Giulio Chicone sunglass toss.
00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:29.119
Um, I really thought he might do it on, I think it was on stage uh 19 when Sepp won.
00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:34.400
Like, wasn't Chicone out there like with a pretty two-minute substantial lead or something like that?
00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:36.800
I mean, in the end, he got completely ranged.
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.800
I I don't think any I just I don't think anybody could have beaten Sepcous that day.
00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:45.199
I mean, I think that he wanted it so bad that it just didn't matter.
00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:46.239
Yep, yep.
00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:50.960
He he knew to be in the breakaway and he knew he knew what he had to do.
00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:57.519
And I mean, I'm like I'm he's done it plenty of times before I don't give a shit what anybody says.
00:35:57.679 --> 00:36:00.639
That dude can climb his ass off.
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:20.639
All right, he is a quality rider, and and as far as I'm concerned, like when you write the story of Jonas Van Gigo, you're right, you're also like writing the story of Sep Cus because Sepp Cus has been integral in every single one of his wins.
00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:21.360
All right.
00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:28.480
He's been at every single grand, he's the only rider that's been in every grand tour with Jonas since the beginning.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:42.960
Yeah, I was thinking about that like during his stage, just just just sort of considering the the Palmares of Sep Koos uh, you know, wins and otherwise, the things that he has seen and done in his career.
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:52.079
I mean, he has been there for every bit of Vismoli's like success, essentially, like since the Primos Republic era.
00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:56.159
He is part of it, he's part of the success.
00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:05.679
He is he is the you know, he will go down in history as one of the greatest domestiques to ever arrive, and he's won a grand tour.
00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:12.639
All right, and all right, and to your point, you wanted to bring it up now that we're on now that we're talking about Sab Kus.
00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:14.559
No, we're talking about Chicone right now.
00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:17.199
We're talking about Chicone, but we're here.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:19.280
He completed his set two.
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:21.360
Ah you're killing me.
00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:22.800
You're killing me.
00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:24.880
All right, yes, he did as well.
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:27.920
Can we talk about that when we get to the other stuff?
00:37:28.239 --> 00:37:28.800
Sure.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:30.480
Stay on track with Chakone here.
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:32.159
We're talking about the mountains.
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:53.679
Uh I'm sure it had to have killed you when uh on stage 19, I believe, um, or maybe it was 20, that Jonas leaned over to Chicone when they were together headed in heading into the intermediate climb and was like, Don't worry, bro, I'm I'm not gonna go for this.
00:37:53.920 --> 00:37:55.039
It's it's your own.
00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:56.239
For points, yeah.
00:37:56.400 --> 00:38:01.920
I mean, dude, when he when he snatched the jersey back, I was like, oh, this isn't good because they're not.
00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:04.400
I knew they weren't gonna fight for that jersey.
00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:06.719
Well, Jonas, I mean, he gifted it to him.
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:12.079
He 100% if it was if he was Tati Pagacchari, he would have taken that jersey 100%.
00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:22.400
Like, I think that shows the shows the distance between the types of riders and the types of competitors that those two guys are, too.
00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:25.039
Because you're right, I think you're right about that.
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:31.840
Well, and at the end of the day, like Yonis is not is not chasing numbers the way Pog is.
00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:32.400
You know what I mean?
00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:37.840
He's chasing different kinds of numbers and different kinds of goals, but like Pog is a is a winning machine.
00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:46.239
Like Yonas has never done anything in a one-day spring classic or anything like that, whereas you know, Pog is utterly dominant in those things.
00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:54.800
So, you know, uh uh you know, ticking another box, it's it right, it's you it's pales in comparison.
00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:06.880
Um, so uh the but nonetheless, it was interesting to it Jonas getting to wear blue throughout that thing also made for something that I thought was very cool.
00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:14.639
Yonis got a win in his team kit, he got a win in the blue jersey, and he got two wins, three wins in the pink jersey.
00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:19.360
So, you know, just what a great set of set of two finish lines of photos.
00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:20.719
One, two, and two.
00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:22.239
Oh, was it one, two, and two?
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:23.039
Yeah, one, two, and two.
00:39:23.199 --> 00:39:24.239
Yeah, yeah, that sounds right.
00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:27.119
Um, but uh yeah, very cool.
00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:33.440
So that's that's gonna lead us to finally like could this be the best of the other jersey stories of the week?
00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:37.360
My man Low Red Adam Sandler.
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:39.280
That is my that is my guy.
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:41.599
Afonso Ulario.
00:39:41.920 --> 00:39:44.880
Who what an what an absolute revelation.
00:39:45.280 --> 00:40:03.039
Well, his hid the like that stage five was the craziest stage that you will ever see where he took where he was able to grab the pink and Igor Arrieta came back and had that unbelievable win.
00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:07.599
Um, see our social media if you haven't seen it, it's posted up there.
00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:16.800
Um the you know, the reality is like what a story for this team.
00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:20.639
Hold the pink for like, I don't know, seven, eight days.
00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:21.679
You know what I mean?
00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:28.400
Bahrain Victorious was leading the Giro d'Atalia for like over a week.
00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:30.960
I mean, it's it's like that makes a great point.
00:40:31.039 --> 00:40:33.679
You know, we were just having the same conversation about Letal Trek.
00:40:33.760 --> 00:40:38.000
You know, we've talked about it with with with Visma, um, and we'll we'll talk more about it.
00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:41.599
Um this this Jiro was feast or famine.
00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:51.760
Like with a couple of exceptions, there was like a whole lot of success for for a couple of teams, and there was a whole lot of nothing for a bunch of other teams.
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:53.920
And Bahrain Victorious is one of them.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.039
Like you said, they held the pink jersey for like what, 10-11 stages?
00:40:57.199 --> 00:40:59.599
I it was gonna be something like that, eight to eleven stages.
00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:01.119
I don't remember what it was exactly.
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:07.599
They and they get it in like an unlikely scenario, very unlikely scenario, you know, with this breakaway win.
00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:20.320
And you get this guy who lalio is like got basically nothing on his palmares, and suddenly he's defending pink, which makes him de facto white as well, because he's correct two years old or something like that.
00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:24.400
And um and then he defends what then he defends the white jersey at the end.
00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:25.039
Right.
00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:28.639
The man was in a jersey for every single stage of the race except for the first one.
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:32.079
I mean, that's just sick, right?
00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:40.159
And so and still had to defend it at the end, and and then they also that team comes away with a stage win with Alex Segaard.
00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:41.280
Yeah, incredible.
00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:51.039
I mean, just what a what a a an absolute because that is that is solidly a mid-tier team, what I would call a mid-tier team.
00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:52.159
That is not a super team.
00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:56.159
Um, they're a mid-tier team, but damn, they must be feeling so good.
00:41:56.400 --> 00:42:05.760
Um Hannah Walker, who, by the way, was just as good as as she just just as good and better as she always is.
00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:12.320
I mean, speaking of of Ulalio, the whole sunglasses moment with Hannah Walker and Ulalio sunglasses.
00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:15.599
She had three awesome moments.
00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:18.800
She kicked a spectator with a soccer ball.
00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:20.000
Yeah, that was great.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:22.880
She got the pink glasses from Olalio.
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.519
And then she did you see the bit with the parrot?
00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:27.840
She had like a parrot on her arm.
00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:32.159
I saw a shot of a guy with a parrot, so it must have been the same parrot, but I didn't know.
00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:39.119
This week, just check out this week on the gram, and you will you will be able to go back and see Hannah Walker and the parrot.
00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:42.480
She she is so good at these things, man.
00:42:43.039 --> 00:42:43.440
Unbelievable.
00:42:43.599 --> 00:42:44.159
And and great.
00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:44.880
You know what?
00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:51.280
Her her uh her Sunday outfit um was as good as anything Orla wore the entire week.
00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:54.320
The white slacks with the pink vest.
00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:56.320
Um amazing.
00:42:56.559 --> 00:43:04.000
I mean, she does have the cyclists, she does have the cyclist hand, but she got that soccer jersey too one day and was wearing that.
00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:04.320
Yeah.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:05.119
Did you see that?
00:43:05.199 --> 00:43:05.360
Yeah.
00:43:05.599 --> 00:43:06.559
Yeah, she's phenomenal.
00:43:06.639 --> 00:43:09.440
And then Orla asks her on on stage 21.
00:43:09.519 --> 00:43:13.039
She's like, Oh, but somebody commented on her beautiful like pink outfit.
00:43:13.199 --> 00:43:16.639
And Orla's like, she's like, Oh, but do you have the glasses?
00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:18.559
And she's like, Yep, got them right here.
00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:21.599
I think the camera guy was holding them for because she leaned up in front of me.
00:43:21.840 --> 00:43:24.159
She's like, Got them right here, and pops them up on her head.
00:43:24.239 --> 00:43:25.039
I'm like, I love it.
00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:33.679
The way she fangirled out over getting those glasses from like the pink jersey rider was just like, I don't know if she was being real or not, but that was that was so awesome.
00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:39.920
I did want to mention she interviewed this guy, Franco Pellazzati, the DS from Bob Rain, several times.
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:55.119
In the in the earlier part of the race, they were making this big joke about how he looked exactly like Matt Stevens, and the producers of the of the breakaway even like even like cut and pasted his face in there where Matt Stevens was supposed to be when they're doing their little their in house competition standings or whatever.
00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:59.760
Um but uh uh I was watching him.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:06.320
In his final interview that she did with him, this guy looks a lot more like two other people that I can think of.
00:44:06.480 --> 00:44:08.880
Number one, Bruce Springsteen, in a way.
00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:16.239
But if you get rid of the hair, if you just zero in on his face, that man looks like a young Robert De Niro.
00:44:17.039 --> 00:44:17.679
Interesting.
00:44:18.159 --> 00:44:19.440
Go back and look at it, man.
00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:21.519
I was like, holy cow, I was zoning out.
00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:24.480
Like, is De Niro could have played this guy?
00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:28.480
Um, so great competition there for the white jersey.
00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:33.280
This Pigonzoli, it just comes from out of nowhere and is looking super, super strong.
00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:38.880
I mean, they 100% they wrote off Eulalio to defend the pink jersey.
00:44:38.960 --> 00:44:46.639
Everyone knew that wasn't going to happen, but to his credit, he held it, as we said, for a long time, including, including weathering the TT.
00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:47.280
Yes.
00:44:47.679 --> 00:44:51.360
Man got through the TT and still held on to that pink jersey for another day or two after that.
00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:52.960
So that was super impressive.
00:44:53.199 --> 00:44:56.559
And then they were kind of writing him off for the white as well.
00:44:56.639 --> 00:44:59.760
Like it really looked like Pigonzoli was coming for him.
00:44:59.840 --> 00:45:01.199
I mean, that kid was looking so strong.
00:45:01.360 --> 00:45:08.960
Like, I mean, he was he was he was giving a Jonas a huge, huge turn on the front and then dropping off and then sitting there in third.
00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:09.280
Yes.
00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:12.079
Didn't didn't he come third on one of those stages that Jonas won?
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:21.360
I mean, he was looking super strong, and it was just looking like it was going to be a matter of of you know time before he took before him out of that jersey.
00:45:21.679 --> 00:45:36.559
Talk about talk about domestique of of of of the race in the sense that he would peel off that big turn and then he'd go and sit on the competitors and just you know sit on their wheel the whole way up the hill.
00:45:36.800 --> 00:45:37.360
It's fantastic.
00:45:37.760 --> 00:45:40.559
Which is also doing work for Jonas.
00:45:41.039 --> 00:45:42.800
So unbelievable.
00:45:42.880 --> 00:45:44.079
I mean, just you know.
00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:47.840
Well, that's one thing that I've I've thought was kind of interesting.
00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:57.679
You know, on UAE, you know, Pogachar for you know has had Isaac Del Toro as sort of like the the the waiting in the wings, you know.
00:45:57.920 --> 00:46:02.000
Um uh Ayuso was around there for a while.
00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:07.199
But a rider like that has been largely absent at Vismo Lisa Bike.
00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:08.000
You know what I mean?
00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:22.719
They've they've got a lot of hitters, but but they were not like straight up GC guys, and now we're starting to see an air apparent possibly emerge on this team in the form of uh Piganzoli.
00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:31.679
So um, yeah, a really, really great storyline there, and really cool to see Ulalio defend it.
00:46:31.760 --> 00:46:32.320
You know what I mean?
00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:33.119
Like he deserved it.
00:46:33.360 --> 00:46:34.239
The guy just went hard.
00:46:34.320 --> 00:46:40.480
And the fact that on on stage 20, he popped off the front and put time back into back into Pigonzoli.
00:46:40.639 --> 00:46:47.199
You know, the the story of this guy's race up until the last day was losing a little time and losing a little time and it getting a little bit closer and a little bit closer.
00:46:47.280 --> 00:46:48.480
And there goes the pink jersey.
00:46:48.639 --> 00:46:52.000
Now the white he's got the white, and that's getting a little closer, a little closer, and a little closer.
00:46:52.239 --> 00:46:56.079
On the final day, he said, nah, nah, it's gonna go back out again.
00:46:56.719 --> 00:46:59.679
So, kudos to that man.
00:46:59.920 --> 00:47:01.599
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:06.639
All right, so let's talk about some of the other stuff that we really liked from the week.
00:47:06.880 --> 00:47:08.400
The one-offs, go start.
00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:09.599
You want to start with Step?
00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:12.159
No, I want to I'd rather start with Michael Valgren.
00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:21.840
Honestly, like Valgren's win on Wednesday was one of the most heartwarming moments of the Jiro that I can think of.
00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:27.440
Dude, when I saw him pull that green pokeyball out, I knew exactly what it was, dude.
00:47:28.559 --> 00:47:29.519
Exactly what it was.
00:47:30.320 --> 00:47:32.719
I was like, that's a green pokeyball.
00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:38.559
And you know, he said if you if you caught any of his interviews, right?
00:47:39.519 --> 00:47:40.320
His son made that.
00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:44.639
His son made that for him, and he only carried it on a few stages.
00:47:44.719 --> 00:47:46.559
He didn't carry it on every stage.
00:47:46.880 --> 00:47:54.800
All right, but he did one of these exact moves in um in Cat was it Catalun.
00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:56.480
No, not Catalunya.
00:47:56.719 --> 00:48:01.519
Um what's what's the other uh Torreno Adriatico?
00:48:01.599 --> 00:48:11.119
He did the same, he did one of these same moves to take his first win in like many, many years, and then to pull that same thing off.
00:48:11.280 --> 00:48:19.599
And it and if you go to this week in Instagram when I when we post, you will see uh his power numbers were not crazy.
00:48:19.679 --> 00:48:22.800
Like it it's funny that he was able to win this.
00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:27.119
Oh my god, so so touching.
00:48:27.280 --> 00:48:28.480
What a moment for them.
00:48:28.639 --> 00:48:30.639
And it's I think it was his first grand tour.
00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:35.679
Yes, and completely saves the tour for EF.
00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:38.159
Yeah, EF was one of those teams that had had nothing.
00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:39.360
Nothing going on.
00:48:39.599 --> 00:48:40.400
Nothing going on.
00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:41.519
Yeah, that was huge.
00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:50.000
And thank goodness, because uh, as listeners of this show are well aware, we are, of course, big fans of the the biggest American team.
00:48:50.159 --> 00:48:56.960
Uh, I would say, well, I guess Letal Trek is kind of the biggest quasi-American team, but full American team.
00:48:57.199 --> 00:48:57.679
Yeah.
00:48:57.920 --> 00:49:00.000
Um, yeah.
00:49:00.480 --> 00:49:01.840
Uh that was great.
00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:04.800
Um wasn't it his first Grand Tour stage one?
00:49:05.119 --> 00:49:06.320
I believe so, yes.
00:49:06.880 --> 00:49:09.280
Yeah, so a wonderful story there.
00:49:09.519 --> 00:49:12.400
Um we'll go to Sep Koos now.
00:49:12.559 --> 00:49:23.760
Uh as you mentioned, he uh joins the 115 odd men who have won stages in all three grand tours.
00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:30.800
And in a beautiful little parallel, Jonas Vingegaard joined that club in this year's year to tell you too.
00:49:30.880 --> 00:49:37.119
The two of them, you know, they did Jonas did it a a week or two sooner than Sep did, but nonetheless.
00:49:37.599 --> 00:49:38.800
And then the same race.
00:49:39.119 --> 00:49:43.039
He got to and he got to be there, and it's like a mom was there, dude.
00:49:43.280 --> 00:49:48.079
Yes, and like the way you got to see the little behind-the-scenes stuff with his mom there, it was beautiful.
00:49:50.719 --> 00:50:00.320
And he said it the himself that the sacrifice these writers make and the time they spend away from their families is immense and and very long.
00:50:01.280 --> 00:50:13.679
And so the fact that he got to share that with his mom, like how like uh just well, and they showed they showed uh him, you know, sort of like before he had seen her.
00:50:13.840 --> 00:50:22.480
Um, sort of he was like in the backstage area right after the race, um, when they when he you know first made his way back there pre-interview.
00:50:22.719 --> 00:50:31.840
Um they had been talking about the fact that his mom was on site and everything, and and you know what a big deal it was, but you hadn't seen her yet.
00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:45.440
And the camera shot is looking at Sep, and he's got a look on his face like he's looking for something, and then boom, a smile just like melts across his face, this giant smile.
00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:57.760
And literally at that moment, I was like, he just saw his mom, and like one second later, boom, mom comes in from from frame right, and they give this huge hug, and I was like, that is beautiful, that's so beautiful.
00:50:58.000 --> 00:51:03.360
Um yeah, so what uh are were there other winners?
00:51:03.440 --> 00:51:05.920
I mean, the Arietta story, we already went over that.
00:51:06.000 --> 00:51:14.880
That was that was you know just the chair, the cherry on top of the UAE Jonathan Narvaez Sunday talk about you know making lemonade out of lemons for that team.
00:51:15.039 --> 00:51:18.880
Um I mean they probably the probably the funnest stage of the whole race, right?
00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:21.840
Oh, easily, easily, easily.
00:51:22.480 --> 00:51:26.239
At least that was probably the best 25 kilometers of the entire race.
00:51:26.320 --> 00:51:27.599
I'll put it to you that way.
00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:29.920
Yeah, that was that was so great.
00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:32.400
Um who else?
00:51:35.199 --> 00:51:39.599
The Astana guy got got the got the the race in the debacle sprint.
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.320
Well, and then you had you had Betty Ole that won, and that was a really sweet moment as well.
00:51:44.559 --> 00:51:46.800
Yeah, that Betty Oll win was good.
00:51:47.199 --> 00:51:54.159
But um, yeah, for a lot of teams out there, not a whole lot of uh uh success.
00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:59.440
A lot of teams will be will be, I mean, FDJ and Picnic Post.
00:51:59.519 --> 00:52:02.000
I mean, these these teams are just like in a doghouse.
00:52:02.079 --> 00:52:04.079
They can't seem to do anything this year.
00:52:04.400 --> 00:52:10.320
Um Lotto Nothing from this race.
00:52:10.719 --> 00:52:11.760
No, nothing.
00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:17.840
Um X got a win.
00:52:18.320 --> 00:52:22.800
They got that they got the win from um what's his name?
00:52:22.880 --> 00:52:28.239
Not Colsett, but uh they get their win out of it, not Lechnison.
00:52:29.280 --> 00:52:30.000
What are you talking about?
00:52:30.159 --> 00:52:30.639
Which team?
00:52:30.880 --> 00:52:31.280
Uno X?
00:52:31.519 --> 00:52:32.159
Uno X?
00:52:32.400 --> 00:52:33.599
That's uh DeVernis.
00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:36.159
Yeah, Diverse Nas got that win.
00:52:36.480 --> 00:52:38.800
Um so they got something.
00:52:38.960 --> 00:52:43.039
Moby Star walks away with nothing, Pinarello, nothing, Tudor, nothing.
00:52:43.280 --> 00:52:48.880
Like a lot of teams gonna be gonna be hating life after this thing.
00:52:49.039 --> 00:52:53.599
So um I've said all I need to say about the Jiro.
00:52:53.840 --> 00:52:54.719
You got anything else?
00:52:54.880 --> 00:52:55.199
Nope.
00:52:55.440 --> 00:52:57.119
We got more Jiro talk though.
00:52:57.280 --> 00:52:58.480
Yeah, we'll sweep.
00:52:58.639 --> 00:52:59.760
We're switching to the women.
00:52:59.920 --> 00:53:01.840
We're switching to the women in just a minute.
00:53:01.920 --> 00:53:02.559
Stay with us.
00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:08.079
Please check out our other show, Inglorious Brothers, a pop culture show with Cult Classic Swagger.
00:53:08.239 --> 00:53:13.519
Search and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, or click the link in the show notes.
00:53:23.039 --> 00:53:24.480
All right, we are back.
00:53:24.559 --> 00:53:35.440
We pivot now from the wonderful men's giro to the start of the women's giro d'Italia, which began began over the weekend on Saturday.
00:53:35.679 --> 00:53:53.920
Uh, and well, it was not looking great on a Saturday as it started off because ho hum, we got a win from Lorena Vievas, who smashed the competition by two and a half bike lengths on a sprint stage.
00:53:54.320 --> 00:53:58.800
Uh it's just getting old at this point.
00:54:00.639 --> 00:54:05.920
Maybe for you, but uh I every time she wins in a world tour race, I like it.
00:54:06.159 --> 00:54:07.119
Yeah, no, I know.
00:54:07.199 --> 00:54:11.360
For for the for the fantasy implications, uh, it's just great for you.
00:54:11.440 --> 00:54:13.039
Um, but uh, it's just boring, man.
00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:16.800
It's like it's like if she's there, like you know, she's gonna win.
00:54:16.880 --> 00:54:23.920
I mean, she just came up to the front with like 800 meters to go, sat there for a couple of pedal strokes, and then was like, bye everybody.
00:54:24.639 --> 00:54:27.920
Well, and then then what happened?
00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:42.400
Right, so I you you'll probably be better at uh talking us through this because basically I was very time crunched this this past week and this weekend especially.
00:54:42.719 --> 00:55:00.719
So I I got on this morning for the first time, and I watched the little preamble um before the before stage one, uh, which I have to say, like number one, that at least there's there's two commentators here.
00:55:00.960 --> 00:55:02.159
Very thankful for that.
00:55:02.400 --> 00:55:05.280
Number two, there's there's some pre-race stuff.
00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:10.559
We got Danny Rowe out there, and we got uh uh the other girl, uh, who is it?
00:55:10.719 --> 00:55:16.079
Danny Rowe and it's not Hannah Walker, but I can't think of what her name is.
00:55:16.880 --> 00:55:24.159
Um anyways, uh so happy to see all that.
00:55:24.480 --> 00:55:38.320
Um saw pretty became abundantly clear pretty quickly that it was gonna come down to a bunch sprint, and I literally fast-forwarded to like two kilometers to go and watch from there, and Lorena Weavis Vivus wins.
00:55:38.719 --> 00:55:41.440
Um and it was the same old story.
00:55:41.679 --> 00:55:47.199
Balsamo never got closer than two bike lengths, and boom, I went to the second stage.
00:55:47.440 --> 00:56:09.280
Uh went through, I feel like I went through a little bit of the preamble stuff, but like almost immediately, like a graphic just kind of came up on stage that it was just like Lorena Vebus, or it was like it's like Lorena Vebis, like on the title on the top of the box, and then it was like, well, informational, just FYI, disqualified for her bike being too light.
00:56:09.360 --> 00:56:11.679
I'm like, what is that how you found it out?
00:56:11.760 --> 00:56:13.199
Or or I found it out.
00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:15.039
I found it out between the stages.
00:56:15.119 --> 00:56:17.119
It happened over it happened in the evening.
00:56:17.280 --> 00:56:30.079
I got wind of it on social media after the stage, um, and was just utterly floored by the news of it.
00:56:30.400 --> 00:56:39.519
Um I will go on record right now as saying that um I think it's complete and utter bullshit.
00:56:40.079 --> 00:56:40.719
All right.
00:56:41.360 --> 00:57:06.960
Um so essentially her bike was weighed after the stage, after her win, and it was found to be twenty grams lighter than the minimum, all right, of six point eight kilograms, which is a point three percent difference.
00:57:07.119 --> 00:57:22.400
It is for just so that we're clear of what twenty grams is in in bike terms, um, it is uh two to three links of chain.
00:57:22.880 --> 00:57:23.199
All right.
00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:23.519
Right.
00:57:23.679 --> 00:57:26.480
I believe I believe a nickel is weighs five grams.
00:57:26.559 --> 00:57:27.440
So it's like the weight of the game.
00:57:27.760 --> 00:57:28.239
Four U.S.
00:57:28.239 --> 00:57:28.719
nickels.
00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:29.519
Four U.S.
00:57:29.599 --> 00:57:30.239
nickels.
00:57:30.400 --> 00:57:39.840
Um, it is also it is also like the the weight of a of a bike cage, you know, a bottle cage, like a carbon fiber bottle cage.
00:57:40.400 --> 00:57:59.519
Um, but where I have the problem with it is is that this exact same bike with this exact same setup, they have used multiple times this year where it has been weighed and been found on all occasions to be over the classified weight.
00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:04.719
All right, not close, like over the weight.
00:58:05.039 --> 00:58:07.599
I I think there is going to be more to this story.
00:58:07.760 --> 00:58:18.079
Um, and this is where this this right here is where things for me start to get a little bit murky because I completely understand what you're saying.
00:58:18.320 --> 00:58:21.360
Man and Lloyd is the other person that's with Danny Rowe, man and Lloyd.
00:58:21.599 --> 00:58:25.039
Um I I get that.
00:58:25.119 --> 00:58:27.199
They're like, well, it's the same bike, blah, blah, blah.
00:58:27.280 --> 00:58:34.400
But I know that there's there's no way it's just like you know, Lorraine Vivis finishes a race and they throw the bike on the truck and then they pull it out for the next race.
00:58:34.480 --> 00:58:38.559
Like between every race, between every stage, this bike is being tinkered with.
00:58:38.719 --> 00:58:42.400
So regardless but they're but it's the exact same setup.
00:58:42.480 --> 00:58:42.719
Go ahead.
00:58:42.960 --> 00:58:43.519
Let me make my point.
00:58:43.599 --> 00:58:53.760
So I'm sure I'm I'm sure it is, but nonetheless, it is being tinkered with, and when you're talking about very, very tiny amounts of weight, things could possibly happen.
00:58:53.840 --> 00:58:55.199
That's all I'm saying.
00:58:55.519 --> 00:58:57.039
Things could possibly happen.
00:58:57.119 --> 00:59:19.760
Okay, um in the in the same day the bike was weighed, okay, and at one point it was well over, and at one point it was well under, and they don't know if the scales were calibrated correctly for where, you know, for sea level, there's a lot, there's a lot of gray area here that is, in my opinion, questionable.
00:59:19.840 --> 00:59:23.599
I mean, SD works has already come out and said that they're filing a lawsuit.
00:59:23.840 --> 00:59:29.280
Yeah, it needs to it needs to be um really really investigated like deeply.
00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:32.559
I mean, the decision was made by who the race organizer?
00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:33.519
UCI.
00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:59.360
Oh, the UCI makes is uh is in charge of of doing that kind of testing, so um, yeah, it just seems and and and to just patently DQ her from the entire race just feels so political because that that feels like a punishment that is way worse than the supposed crime, which is already questionable, as you've said.
00:59:59.679 --> 01:00:21.119
Um it it seems really weird, like the there had to have been some kind of error, and it like the fact that like the based on the point that you made, where um you know this is the exact same setup that she's been running all year and it's passed every single time, but suddenly the setup is now 20 20 grams too light.
01:00:21.280 --> 01:00:23.280
I mean, that seems inexplicable.
01:00:23.360 --> 01:00:34.239
And for them to just straight up not even question anything and just to make uh as as basically as harsh of a as harsh of a decision as they can possibly make.
01:00:34.320 --> 01:00:40.960
I mean, this to me sounds like it's worse than somebody or like intentionally on the line or something like that.
01:00:41.039 --> 01:00:41.760
You know what I mean?
01:00:41.840 --> 01:00:49.599
Like, um it's a harsher punishment than somebody deviating on a line and pushing somebody into an unsafe situation.
01:00:49.920 --> 01:00:52.880
Yeah, I mean that this to me, it just feels political.
01:00:52.960 --> 01:00:55.920
It feels like there's there's got to be more to the story.
01:00:56.159 --> 01:01:06.239
And look, and I don't and I don't want to take anything away from Elisa Balsamo, but I think it's pretty goddamn convenient that an Italian goes into the pink jersey.
01:01:06.800 --> 01:01:12.079
But you said it's the UCI, so you know you just say, man.
01:01:12.320 --> 01:01:14.079
Look, that's that's why there's more number one.
01:01:14.320 --> 01:01:15.679
To me, it's very questionable.
01:01:16.079 --> 01:01:17.519
To me, it's very questionable.
01:01:18.159 --> 01:01:19.199
I completely agree.
01:01:19.599 --> 01:01:24.639
You know, I think that she is dominant, and I think she dominated the last time she was here.
01:01:25.760 --> 01:01:31.199
And boy, did it like it just has the air of home cooking on it, man.
01:01:31.360 --> 01:01:32.639
Like, I I don't know.
01:01:32.719 --> 01:01:36.079
I, you know, I I don't know.
01:01:36.320 --> 01:01:39.519
Like I said, I I'm I'm I think it's overly harsh.
01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:43.360
I think it is uh, you know, I I I don't know.
01:01:43.519 --> 01:01:44.639
I you know what I mean.
01:01:44.719 --> 01:01:47.280
I I really hope that it's investigated.
01:01:47.440 --> 01:01:53.199
I hope that you know, but I mean it's at this point by disqualifying her, it doesn't even matter.
01:01:53.360 --> 01:02:00.880
Even if they gave her back this, even if they somehow come to come to it later on and say that no, she did win the stage, it doesn't matter.
01:02:00.960 --> 01:02:03.119
She's gone, she's out of the race.
01:02:04.079 --> 01:02:07.440
It's it's complete it's it to me, it's completely ridiculous.
01:02:07.599 --> 01:02:15.280
It's it's a a complete overcorrection for something that should have been handled, in my opinion, completely differently.
01:02:15.440 --> 01:02:16.559
I just I don't know, man.
01:02:16.719 --> 01:02:20.159
Four almonds, you're talking about the different talking about four almonds.
01:02:20.960 --> 01:02:21.920
I mean, it's ridiculous.
01:02:22.239 --> 01:02:25.840
No, I it the the I mean I just I it's inexplicable to me.
01:02:26.159 --> 01:02:28.559
Okay, just what's the margin of error?
01:02:28.800 --> 01:02:38.000
Just relegate her on the stage, you know, and at least allow her to remain in the race, but to just like summarily just boom, you're out of the race.
01:02:38.079 --> 01:02:40.159
Like uh on the first, I just that's crazy.
01:02:40.400 --> 01:02:43.840
By the way, it like she had something to do with the weight of her bike.
01:02:45.199 --> 01:02:48.159
Also, another reason why why do you disqualify her?
01:02:48.239 --> 01:02:51.519
Like we really did DQ for like this, just yeah.
01:02:51.760 --> 01:02:56.000
So it's you know, for for podcasting purposes, this is gonna be great.
01:02:56.079 --> 01:02:57.679
Like, this is gonna be a great story to follow.
01:02:57.760 --> 01:03:04.400
I really, really hope that there is some serious investigation because you know people are gonna be talking about this for a long, long while.
01:03:04.639 --> 01:03:06.880
Um let's let's move on.
01:03:07.039 --> 01:03:12.880
My next statement is thank God, Balsamo 1 stage two.
01:03:13.199 --> 01:03:14.079
Thank God.
01:03:14.559 --> 01:03:23.599
Because at least now she can feel good about having the pink jersey on her back.
01:03:23.840 --> 01:03:24.400
You know what I mean?
01:03:24.880 --> 01:03:29.519
How about how about the fact that it was a the one, two, three, both days were exactly the same.
01:03:29.840 --> 01:03:30.960
Exactly the same, yeah.
01:03:31.119 --> 01:03:46.320
Oh, that reminds me on the men's side, uh I believe on stage 20, the top ten finishers on the stage were the top ten finishers of the GC, and it was almost in the exact same order.
01:03:46.559 --> 01:03:47.679
Wow, that's crazy.
01:03:47.920 --> 01:03:54.239
Because Gall pipped Jai at the at the line, so it was definitely it was definitely Jonas Gall Jai.
01:03:54.719 --> 01:03:57.360
Uh, and it was kind of close for the rest of them.
01:03:57.599 --> 01:04:00.079
But yes, there was uh yeah, same three, same three riders.
01:04:00.159 --> 01:04:10.880
And if you look at them on PCS, you'd you'd almost be fooled into thinking they were all Italians because the Italian and the and the Irish flag looked damn close to each other, especially when it's a little tiny version on PCS.
01:04:10.960 --> 01:04:11.599
Yeah.
01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:19.599
Um yeah, so and full disclosure, I love seeing Balsamo in the pink jersey.
01:04:19.679 --> 01:04:22.079
That just like makes me so freaking happy.
01:04:22.159 --> 01:04:26.639
And I mean, when she won that stage, but I also think I just think it's tainted.
01:04:26.719 --> 01:04:29.920
I think the whole I think it I think that part of it is just tainted a little bit.
01:04:30.239 --> 01:04:30.960
It is tainted.
01:04:31.039 --> 01:04:38.559
I mean, she there's no chance in hell that she would even be in it uh at this point um if Vebus was still in the race.
01:04:38.960 --> 01:04:43.280
Um well I shouldn't say that.
01:04:43.519 --> 01:04:57.440
If if they had not DQ'd Vebus, but relegated her and taken the win away from her, that would have made Balsamo in, that would have put Balsamo in pink, and she would have the bonus seconds.
01:04:57.920 --> 01:05:06.719
If Vebus then wins the next day, but Balsamo comes second or third and gets bonies, she retains pink.
01:05:06.880 --> 01:05:07.199
Correct.
01:05:07.440 --> 01:05:13.920
So there's a chance that had the punishment for this been a little different, not a lot different.
01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:20.559
A lot different would have been like there was no punishment, and Vebus is in pink, and Vebus is in pink in day two, because she's gonna win both days easily.
01:05:20.880 --> 01:05:32.639
Um, but had they given her a slightly more mild punishment, Balsamo could have possibly maintained that pink jersey through day two and been able to feel a little bit better about it.
01:05:32.880 --> 01:05:37.280
Um so it is tainted, it will forever be tainted.
01:05:37.519 --> 01:05:42.960
Um if that then there's no there's no scenario in which she you know wins it in the end.
01:05:43.039 --> 01:05:46.400
So I guess it'll always be tainted for, and that's just that.
01:05:46.559 --> 01:05:48.800
Nonetheless, I I'm happy for her.
01:05:48.880 --> 01:05:49.840
I'm happy that she got it.
01:05:50.159 --> 01:05:54.559
Yeah, I don't want to tell I don't want to take it take anything away from from Elisa Bossaman.
01:06:03.199 --> 01:06:29.440
When sh when she's fifty years old and she's living in that, you know, house that she just moved into in a new neighborhood, and her and her husband invite some people over for dinner, uh, they will look lovingly across the room to the wall of the, you know, whatever, and see a big ass picture of her winning a stage of the giro d'Italia in a full pink regalia, and she can tell that story however the fuck she wants to.
01:06:29.679 --> 01:06:30.320
I agree.
01:06:30.480 --> 01:06:31.440
I agree.
01:06:31.760 --> 01:06:33.599
So good honor.
01:06:33.760 --> 01:06:40.400
Uh hopefully the race will start hiding up from here because like two uh nailed on sprint stages is whatever.
01:06:41.679 --> 01:06:42.639
I agree.
01:06:44.079 --> 01:06:44.480
We'll see.
01:06:44.559 --> 01:06:45.760
It should be it should be a good race.
01:06:45.840 --> 01:06:48.800
We got we got we got a bunch of bunch of hitters in here.
01:06:48.880 --> 01:06:50.880
We got Demi, we got ELB.
01:06:51.519 --> 01:06:58.880
Um Cassia, unfortunately.
01:06:59.119 --> 01:07:02.400
Um, but we got Marlon Roysa here from MobiStar.
01:07:02.559 --> 01:07:04.320
That should that should make things interesting.
01:07:04.719 --> 01:07:07.039
Did you speak of Casia?
01:07:07.199 --> 01:07:09.920
Did you hear have you heard the Casia news?
01:07:10.320 --> 01:07:10.559
No.
01:07:10.719 --> 01:07:19.199
Well, well, let's let's leave let's just go ahead and and leave the women's jurors for now and pivot to news, and you can lead off with Casia.
01:07:19.679 --> 01:07:35.519
Um, so um uh something that I picked up on this week, uh Daniel Benson, all right, perpetual uh the most beloved, the most beloved writer in all of the pro cycling.
01:07:35.840 --> 01:07:37.920
I that's uh yeah, okay, thank you.
01:07:38.000 --> 01:07:39.679
You can you said it even better than me.
01:07:39.920 --> 01:07:47.440
Is reporting that Cassia Nemo Doma to Little Trek is on the horizon.
01:07:47.679 --> 01:07:49.039
Oh wow, shit.
01:07:49.119 --> 01:07:54.320
I I thought you were gonna go a completely different direction like with that and be like Cassia Noodoma has been found doping.
01:07:54.400 --> 01:07:57.760
I was in no so Cassia the Little Trek.
01:07:57.920 --> 01:08:01.199
I mean, she's been she's been with Canyon Canyon Tram for a long, long time.
01:08:01.360 --> 01:08:15.760
So well, and coming out also kind of around this is the one of the main sponsors for Canyon Trams on to crypto is in some legal trouble.
01:08:16.479 --> 01:08:18.159
Oh, yeah, I'd heard about that.
01:08:18.319 --> 01:08:22.159
I I think they are no longer a sponsor of that team.
01:08:22.560 --> 01:08:24.399
If I wow, yeah.
01:08:24.560 --> 01:08:27.439
So, and I don't know if that has something to do with it as well.
01:08:27.760 --> 01:08:33.359
Well, they could use a uh strong GC rider because um who do they have?
01:08:33.439 --> 01:08:38.399
I mean, Lowe's Atahist is more of a domestique type.
01:08:38.640 --> 01:08:45.119
Um Neem Fisher Black does not seem to be on that kind of uh uh a level.
01:08:45.520 --> 01:08:48.720
Uh Ryon Marcus, kind of same.
01:08:48.960 --> 01:08:51.920
Um Amanda Spratt, her her time has come and gone.
01:08:52.079 --> 01:08:53.600
Sharon Van Anroy.
01:08:53.920 --> 01:08:58.720
Uh so can I can I add another little wrinkle to the story?
01:08:58.880 --> 01:09:01.039
So I I buried the lead.
01:09:01.199 --> 01:09:07.600
So um there might be a couple of other riders coming with her to Little Trek.
01:09:07.920 --> 01:09:27.359
All right to to uh one er one early year superstar and one uh monument uh season superstar, Paula Blasi and Ollie Wallaston are also rumored to be going to Little Trek.
01:09:28.159 --> 01:09:29.039
Super teams.
01:09:29.119 --> 01:09:30.399
We talked about it last week.
01:09:32.319 --> 01:09:32.880
Wow.
01:09:33.039 --> 01:09:34.720
Wow, Paula Blasi.
01:09:35.039 --> 01:09:37.520
Yeah, be a huge get for that team.
01:09:37.760 --> 01:09:39.439
Oh my god, a huge get.
01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:40.720
All right, that's wild.
01:09:40.960 --> 01:09:52.159
Um you uh mentioned that with this could have been on last week's show, or the timing was weird, but that you wanted to uh talk a little bit about the Antwerp port epic.
01:09:52.319 --> 01:09:56.880
I watched it and it went in one ear and out the it went in one eye and out the other.
01:09:57.039 --> 01:10:02.399
Um I know who won, but go ahead and talk about whatever it was that you wanted to talk about with that race.
01:10:02.720 --> 01:10:03.119
Alright.
01:10:03.359 --> 01:10:11.600
So I like this is a race that is not like somewhat on my was never really on my radar.
01:10:11.760 --> 01:10:29.039
So last week while we were recording, I had this race going live on my TV, and we made the com I made the comment to you and you pulled it up to see like how kind of crazy this race looked.
01:10:29.279 --> 01:10:31.600
It was like going through like some farm country.
01:10:31.840 --> 01:10:48.399
So what's what is really really cool about this race, um, it's a wild race through the unrelenting flat terrain defined by the industrial docklands, exposed winds, unpaved farm tracks, and brutal cobbles of the port of Antwerp.
01:10:48.560 --> 01:10:56.720
Okay, which is which is in the port of Antwerp Bruges is Europe's second largest seaport, trailing only Rotterdam.
01:10:56.880 --> 01:10:58.720
It's located in Flanders, Belgium.
01:10:58.800 --> 01:11:12.880
It extends over 13,000 hectares and merges the ports of Antwerp and Zo Zebruges, um, handling roughly 290 million tons of cargo annually.
01:11:13.039 --> 01:11:18.319
It serves as a crucial global gateway in Europe's largest integrated chemical cluster.
01:11:18.560 --> 01:11:19.119
All right.
01:11:19.359 --> 01:11:36.640
So they had a they had a nine-rider breakaway, all right, that managed to hold all the sprinters at bay because this was everybody thought this was going to be a Tim Merlier slam dunk, but this nine-rider breakaway gets out and stays gone, working hard as shit to stay away.
01:11:37.199 --> 01:11:41.600
Um Sandy Dujardin, all right, and Dries Dubont.
01:11:43.359 --> 01:11:43.600
Yes.
01:11:44.720 --> 01:11:46.319
We have to say that every time his name comes up.
01:11:46.640 --> 01:11:51.760
Um I do in my notes, I have MCC winner, Sandy Dujardine.
01:11:51.920 --> 01:12:03.760
Um with Dries Debont, Perstrand Hoganess, and some others get through this grueling one-day race, and it's a real game of cat and mouse going into the last 10 kilometers.
01:12:04.000 --> 01:12:04.159
Yeah.
01:12:05.359 --> 01:12:05.600
Yeah.
01:12:05.760 --> 01:12:08.800
Coming into the finish, it was it was clear the break was going to make it.
01:12:08.880 --> 01:12:20.960
Dries de Bont and Perstrand were getting cagey with Perstrand taking a late flyer with less than a kilometer to go, and he wins by a country mile over Paul McGill and uh Dries de Bond.
01:12:21.199 --> 01:12:29.840
And then there was an amazing drone shot in like the last two kilometers where they were like flying over the port following the race.
01:12:30.159 --> 01:12:33.600
But it was just, it was, it's it's super cool.
01:12:33.680 --> 01:12:36.000
Like it's it's something like I've never seen.
01:12:36.239 --> 01:12:42.159
They're like literally riding over like farm tracks and dirt roads with like grass in the middle.
01:12:42.319 --> 01:12:48.319
There's cobbles, there's you know, open spaces with literally no protection from the wind.
01:12:48.479 --> 01:12:49.760
It is this wild thing.
01:12:49.840 --> 01:13:00.560
And if you scroll down to my notes, I threw some like really cool photos in to where you can actually see the the the like the actual roads, like and the cobbles.
01:13:00.720 --> 01:13:03.359
I mean, these are some big friggin' cobbles, bro.
01:13:03.920 --> 01:13:11.600
And you know not only not only that, but then like they get into the the city part of it, and it's well that's a port.
01:13:11.680 --> 01:13:14.640
It's not a city, that is the port they are riding through.
01:13:14.960 --> 01:13:15.680
The port, right.
01:13:15.760 --> 01:13:25.520
I I get it, but like it's you know big, wide, giant paved roads, roads that are you know normally have like massive vehicles running on them and stuff like that.
01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:26.880
I mean, it's like just wide open.
01:13:26.960 --> 01:13:33.439
I mean, the the the variety of uh of terrain that they go on in this one race is just wild.
01:13:33.520 --> 01:13:41.600
That that the a race that ends in an area like that could could be running through areas with that are basically like dirt paths through the woods.
01:13:41.680 --> 01:13:43.119
I mean, it's I know pretty wild.
01:13:43.359 --> 01:13:44.399
That's crazy.
01:13:44.640 --> 01:13:46.560
So um super cool race.
01:13:46.720 --> 01:13:52.720
Perhaps John Hogganis, who has been, you know, winning throughout the season so far.
01:13:52.960 --> 01:13:56.800
Um really, really good rider, seems super strong.
01:13:57.039 --> 01:14:05.760
Um, definitely, you know, my opinion, there is gonna be their classics guy of the future, because this dude is he looks huge.
01:14:05.920 --> 01:14:13.199
I don't know why, but he just has that he has a presence on the bike, and he's a he's a ridiculously good looking guy.
01:14:13.439 --> 01:14:19.600
Um but you know, really I really fun little race, man.
01:14:19.840 --> 01:14:24.479
I agree with like that whole finish was great, and the drone shot comes with one kilometer to go.
01:14:24.560 --> 01:14:34.319
Um, it's when they do the big hairpin that goes right next to that crazy building that's got that wild, like that wild, like silver clad trapezoid thing up on the on the top.
01:14:34.479 --> 01:14:34.720
Yeah.
01:14:34.960 --> 01:14:36.399
Um yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:14:36.560 --> 01:14:38.000
Really great, great little shot.
01:14:38.079 --> 01:14:45.359
It was only it was only 15 seconds long or something, just as they made that hairpin bend, but um that led right into Hogan's win.
01:14:45.520 --> 01:14:47.520
Uh yeah, heck of a good race.
01:14:47.600 --> 01:14:48.880
It was it was really cool.
01:14:48.960 --> 01:14:52.079
The way they were throwing everything at each other for those last few kilometers.
01:14:52.159 --> 01:14:57.760
I mean, it's just like one attack after the next, and just guys riding at their absolute edge of their limit.
01:14:58.000 --> 01:14:58.560
Really cool.
01:14:58.800 --> 01:15:00.800
It was a really, really cool race.
01:15:01.039 --> 01:15:05.359
Um there was I did have another piece, I did have another piece of news.
01:15:05.600 --> 01:15:13.600
Um Lot of Capecki and Axel Merckx got quietly married uh last week.
01:15:15.039 --> 01:15:15.279
Cool.
01:15:15.520 --> 01:15:16.239
Good for it.
01:15:16.399 --> 01:15:18.239
Good for Lotta Kapeki.
01:15:19.359 --> 01:15:21.039
Capecki and Axel Merckx.
01:15:21.279 --> 01:15:23.439
That is um that's very cool.
01:15:23.760 --> 01:15:26.720
Quite quite the quite the power couple.
01:15:28.159 --> 01:15:28.720
Beautiful.
01:15:28.960 --> 01:15:38.800
Any other uh news stories before we pivot to our final that is that was that was I mean there's other things that have been going on, but nothing in my opinion that's uh show worthy.
01:15:39.199 --> 01:15:41.760
That's the big the big news this week.
01:15:42.319 --> 01:15:42.960
Gotcha.
01:15:43.119 --> 01:15:50.800
Um let's talk for uh the last time in 2026 uh about Orla Shanoe's outfits.
01:15:51.520 --> 01:16:00.560
Um I think the theme has been that we're a little down on uh her outfits this year as compared to previous years.
01:16:00.880 --> 01:16:06.720
Did week three raise raise it up any for you?
01:16:07.039 --> 01:16:10.000
Um not on Tuesday or Wednesday.
01:16:10.159 --> 01:16:18.720
I did particularly like um third I honestly everything but Sunday I really really liked.
01:16:18.800 --> 01:16:25.039
I don't know why she she should have flipped Friday for Sunday and and had the pink on on Sunday.
01:16:25.279 --> 01:16:26.319
I loved her.
01:16:26.960 --> 01:16:28.720
She looks great in red, dude.
01:16:28.800 --> 01:16:36.880
She needs more red in the outfit in her outfits because her outfit on Saturday was was so awesome.
01:16:37.199 --> 01:16:49.680
Um But I think she looks pretty good in pink too, but you'll notice as I said last week, her best looks are are sleeveless looks, and just look Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, sleeveless, sleeveless, sleeveless, sleeve, sleeveless.
01:16:49.840 --> 01:16:54.079
She loves Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
01:16:54.239 --> 01:16:56.079
She was sleeveless all week.
01:16:56.399 --> 01:16:58.239
Yeah, yeah, that is true.
01:16:58.479 --> 01:17:06.399
Um I will say though that Sunday, I feel like, you know, that's that's like PTA mom look.
01:17:06.479 --> 01:17:06.880
I don't know.
01:17:06.960 --> 01:17:09.760
That green just is does nothing for me.
01:17:10.640 --> 01:17:12.560
Yeah, I wasn't crazy about that either.
01:17:12.640 --> 01:17:14.880
And for the final day, I think a strange choice.
01:17:14.960 --> 01:17:17.039
Why wasn't she wearing the Friday look on Sunday?
01:17:17.279 --> 01:17:18.319
That's what I that's what I'm saying.
01:17:18.399 --> 01:17:20.640
Why would she not have gone with the pink?
01:17:20.880 --> 01:17:22.560
And the fit was a lot better.
01:17:22.720 --> 01:17:30.560
But basically, um the Thursday, the Friday, and the Sunday are three versions of the exact same thing.
01:17:30.880 --> 01:17:32.000
I totally agree.
01:17:32.079 --> 01:17:32.640
I totally agree.
01:17:33.279 --> 01:17:41.359
Suit cut vest, uh Billowy slacks, matching color, um, exact same thing.
01:17:41.520 --> 01:17:45.600
So yeah, I gotta say, like um she's been braver in the past.
01:17:46.239 --> 01:17:47.199
Yeah, I don't know.
01:17:47.359 --> 01:17:49.760
I would love to hear her talking on it.
01:17:49.920 --> 01:17:53.359
You know how how I'd love to hear about the whole process, how the outfits are chosen.
01:17:53.600 --> 01:17:57.279
There's a if you go to her Instagram, she does give a lot of insight.
01:17:57.520 --> 01:17:58.720
All right, I'll check it out.
01:17:58.880 --> 01:18:00.560
Um, I'll get to the bottom of it.
01:18:00.640 --> 01:18:01.600
I want to know what's going on.
01:18:01.760 --> 01:18:06.880
But um, yeah, little let down by the uh Orla's Orla's outfits.
01:18:07.119 --> 01:18:09.520
Here's what I'm not let down though by Orla Shanaway.
01:18:09.680 --> 01:18:10.319
The woman is awesome.
01:18:10.560 --> 01:18:11.119
No, she's fine.
01:18:11.279 --> 01:18:17.359
Um I adore her accent, and she is an incredible host.
01:18:17.600 --> 01:18:25.920
Um they did a bunch of remotes this this week, which this week and this and for this whole Jiro, which I kind of fascinated by.
01:18:26.079 --> 01:18:40.800
And there was one where she began out on the street doing her like solo, her yeah, her patented little solo thing where she like starts off solo, gives a little intro, and then walks over and joins up with the boys.
01:18:40.880 --> 01:18:45.840
And she actually did that in a in a live, actual, you know, real-world space and not a virtual studio.
01:18:46.319 --> 01:18:49.439
The picture from the picture from Thursday is from outside.
01:18:49.680 --> 01:18:50.319
Yeah.
01:18:51.520 --> 01:18:52.880
Yeah, so that was cool.
01:18:53.119 --> 01:18:56.720
Um the consummate broadcaster, she's phenomenal.
01:18:56.960 --> 01:18:59.680
Um, all right, give us the damage.
01:19:00.079 --> 01:19:07.760
All right, so we are so I I it's it's it was too hard for me to try to figure out because there were so many little things.
01:19:08.079 --> 01:19:15.439
But the way the month of May ends is with you still at 777.
01:19:16.239 --> 01:19:24.960
But I have cut it down to a I don't know what the actual math is, but I am up to 614.
01:19:25.439 --> 01:19:33.600
So you are I have I have back under the 200 mark, and I was damn near 300 at the beginning of the beginning of May.
01:19:33.840 --> 01:19:36.640
Yeah, you're at 163, it looks like.
01:19:36.880 --> 01:19:58.560
Yeah, so um the the reality is like I needed this month to stay in it, because it who knows what the next month, because I mean, obviously I'm not gonna have Jonas, but I I picked up um I pick up Iuso we back in, Almeida will be back in, you know.
01:19:58.880 --> 01:20:07.359
So uh I got my I got Peterson, I've got uh obviously a lot of a lot of women riders.
01:20:07.439 --> 01:20:07.920
I got Demi.
01:20:08.399 --> 01:20:16.399
Well, the loss of the loss of Lorena Vebas was kind of big for you right here, here and there, but you got Demi Volering getting ready to torch everybody anyway.
01:20:16.479 --> 01:20:18.560
So I'm thinking you'd be hurting that much.
01:20:19.039 --> 01:20:23.600
I've also kind of I've also kind of come to the conclusion of this.
01:20:24.560 --> 01:20:40.880
I think that all of our riders should just remain active throughout because like we have riders that have taken you know minor injuries that are gonna be out for a minute, and and as far as I'm concerned, I just think we just go with the full stable team just keep it.
01:20:41.199 --> 01:20:41.680
Yeah, yeah.
01:20:42.000 --> 01:20:43.600
I think it's just easier that way.
01:20:43.760 --> 01:20:45.199
Um makes sense.
01:20:45.600 --> 01:20:47.520
So, but that that's it, man.
01:20:47.680 --> 01:21:00.640
We got we got some we got some, I mean, you know, I I got some ground to make up for sure, but depending on how things go, man, we could, you know, I could I could definitely end up making up some making up some ground.
01:21:00.960 --> 01:21:02.880
But you know, we've got big races.
01:21:03.119 --> 01:21:12.159
We got the Dauphinet coming up, we've got uh Tour of the Alps, we've got, you know, uh obviously the the women's Giro.
01:21:12.479 --> 01:21:15.600
So, you know, we you know just it real depends.
01:21:15.760 --> 01:21:22.319
You know, you've got ELB going, I've got Volering going, so you know, it'll be interesting.
01:21:23.920 --> 01:21:26.239
That is for sure.
01:21:26.479 --> 01:21:34.640
Um yeah, this and the the the fantasy league is uh continues to to stay interesting, I would say.
01:21:35.279 --> 01:21:43.600
So um let us now move to our sun dappled ride in the broom wagon.
01:21:43.680 --> 01:21:45.199
What have you got for us this week?
01:21:45.600 --> 01:21:56.239
Well, so I I've been I I've you know I really like researching the because obviously I don't have a lot of history with cycling, it's only four or five years old.
01:21:56.319 --> 01:22:00.960
So I like going and finding tidbits about these races from the past.
01:22:01.199 --> 01:22:13.199
And today I'm gonna talk about a funny one, and I will link some videos in the uh in the uh comments or in the uh in the in the show notes in the description.
01:22:13.439 --> 01:22:34.079
Um but in 2017 Tom Dumelin on his way to winning the Jiro had a very, very iconic moment where uh in the middle of the race, all right, wearing the leader's pink jersey, he had himself a bit of an emergency.
01:22:34.319 --> 01:22:38.960
And so he pulls over to the side of the road, and the commentators are like, what is he doing?
01:22:39.119 --> 01:22:45.600
As he starts to strip off his shirt, they're like, Oh, is he is he going for a clothing change?
01:22:45.840 --> 01:23:03.279
Wait, wait, nope, oh, and then they have to run, they have to immediately move the camera over as Tom Dumblin, all right, in in the high stake stage 16 race leader Tom Dumlin was struck by severe gastrointestinal distress on the approach to the umbrella pass.
01:23:03.600 --> 01:23:12.079
In a highly unscripted and desperate moment, he pulled over, stripped off his jersey, and dived into the roadside ditch to answer nature's call.
01:23:12.239 --> 01:23:21.199
He lost massive amounts of time, but managed to recover enough in the following days in a thrilling comeback and win the entire Jiro.
01:23:21.680 --> 01:23:28.399
Hats off to Tom Dumelin and his roadside almost accident.
01:23:30.560 --> 01:23:32.560
That was some crazy shit.
01:23:32.720 --> 01:23:34.239
Um literally.
01:23:34.479 --> 01:23:35.600
That's a wild video.
01:23:35.760 --> 01:23:38.159
We'll we will have the link in the show notes for sure.
01:23:38.319 --> 01:23:39.680
You must go and watch it.
01:23:39.840 --> 01:23:49.840
Uh if you're wondering why is he taking off his jersey if he needs to drop a little deucey, uh, the reason is because cyclists wear bib shorts.
01:23:49.920 --> 01:23:56.319
And in order to get those shorts down, you got to get those bibs off from over your shoulders and down and down.
01:23:56.399 --> 01:23:58.159
So he had to, he literally pulls over.
01:23:58.239 --> 01:24:00.079
He is, you know, he's a man on a mission.
01:24:00.239 --> 01:24:15.039
He gets that jersey straight off, and they were about a fraction of a second away from getting the turd actually tumbling out of the man because uh a car went by just as those drawers are dropping down.
01:24:15.199 --> 01:24:16.399
Uh, that is hilarious.
01:24:16.479 --> 01:24:24.399
Yes, thank you for uh for reminding us of that hilarious incident, uh, which did not affect uh Tom Dumulan in the least.
01:24:24.479 --> 01:24:26.800
He went on to win that Giro d'Italia.
01:24:27.039 --> 01:24:27.600
Yes, he did.
01:24:27.760 --> 01:24:29.199
All right, what do you got?
01:24:29.840 --> 01:24:39.439
So um tangential to uh pro road cycling uh is the sport of gravel bike racing.
01:24:39.520 --> 01:24:55.920
And as we've seen in recent years, uh many um many uh pro pro racers uh have dipped their toes into the gravel uh area um in varying ways.
01:24:56.159 --> 01:25:04.399
Uh so I want to talk about the big gravel race that took place this past weekend that is called Unbound Gravel.
01:25:04.560 --> 01:25:11.840
Uh and I'll do a little recap for you of the action this weekend, and then I can give you a little bit of some few historical nuggets about it.
01:25:11.920 --> 01:25:24.239
So, uh gravel racing, if anybody doesn't know, um it is basically off-road cycling done on bikes that are cousins to road bikes.
01:25:24.399 --> 01:25:32.720
They have slimmer tires than mountain bikes, um, and they have uh drop drop handlebars like on road bikes.
01:25:32.880 --> 01:25:35.199
They look like road bikes from a distance.
01:25:35.359 --> 01:25:38.079
Um, you get up closer and they're a little bit different.
01:25:38.239 --> 01:25:43.920
They are not doing like crazy downhills over big rocks and stuff like guys are doing on mountain bikes.
01:25:44.079 --> 01:25:50.159
Um, they are basically going over like country roads, farm roads, gravel roads, etc.
01:25:50.319 --> 01:25:54.159
But they're they're still on roads per se versus trails.
01:25:54.720 --> 01:26:00.720
Um the sport has become incredibly popular over, I would say, like the past 20 years.
01:26:00.880 --> 01:26:08.399
And uh this year, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the Unbound Gravel Race.
01:26:08.640 --> 01:26:10.720
So it's got a pretty good history.
01:26:10.800 --> 01:26:30.159
And in the past, like I would say five to 10 years, it's really, really exploded in popularity with, as I said, the enter the entrance of some pro riders and more high-profile people, uh, some big sponsors coming on board and just like much more of a global presence in the you know social media era, et cetera, et cetera.
01:26:30.319 --> 01:26:39.600
Um, there's a number of different classifications that uh riders can ride in, but the marquee events are the men's and women's 200-mile uh races.
01:26:39.680 --> 01:26:42.000
They have a 100-mile and they have a 200-mile.
01:26:42.159 --> 01:26:43.600
The big one is the 200-mile.
01:26:44.079 --> 01:26:47.039
And that's like 300 kilometers, right?
01:26:47.199 --> 01:26:48.960
200 miles would be like 300 kilometers.
01:26:49.119 --> 01:26:54.399
That's more be like 350 um or 320 or something like that.
01:26:54.640 --> 01:26:56.640
Uh that is unreal.
01:26:56.960 --> 01:26:58.479
These races take like eight hours.
01:26:58.640 --> 01:27:00.079
Like it's it's wild.
01:27:00.239 --> 01:27:01.359
Um, I know.
01:27:01.439 --> 01:27:03.039
I spent some time watching it.
01:27:03.359 --> 01:27:12.479
So uh it takes place out in Kansas, um, in uh outside of a town called Emporia, Kansas, I believe.
01:27:12.720 --> 01:27:22.880
Um little college town out in Kansas that has really, really embraced this race and seen it as a big opportunity to market their town.
01:27:22.960 --> 01:27:26.479
And the town has had a big revive resurgence as a result of this race.
01:27:26.720 --> 01:27:29.279
Um, they uh I thought this was interesting.
01:27:29.359 --> 01:27:35.760
That town has likes to lean into all sorts of quirky out uh you know second-tier sports.
01:27:35.920 --> 01:27:40.159
Uh, they once hosted the Disc Golf World Championships in Emboria.
01:27:41.039 --> 01:27:49.920
Um, so real quick, this year, the uh men's race was won by Mads Verts Schmidt of the specialized off road team.
01:27:50.159 --> 01:27:56.159
Um, 20 kilometers into the race, there's a giant muddy mess that every single rider in the race went through.
01:27:56.239 --> 01:27:59.680
Uh, they all bogged down, they were doing hike a bike, as the announcers called it.
01:28:00.159 --> 01:28:05.119
Where they're picking up their bikes and running to get past this like massive, gloppy, gloopy mess.
01:28:05.279 --> 01:28:08.960
And then it was just muddy for the next like couple of kilometers.
01:28:09.119 --> 01:28:11.840
And every single rider in the race was literally just covered.
01:28:11.920 --> 01:28:20.880
Their entire front of their bodies was just covered in mud, tip tip to toe, just one big brown just monster on top of a bike that was also covered in mud.
01:28:21.199 --> 01:28:32.720
Um they I thought it was interesting as they went through the pit areas, they were getting like pressure washes, like they had these like battery-powered pressure washers giving them like drivetrain drivetrain cleanings and everything.
01:28:32.880 --> 01:28:37.840
Um did you catch that they can't that they have to refill their own water?
01:28:38.000 --> 01:28:40.319
They can't like take water.
01:28:40.800 --> 01:28:42.159
That I did not notice.
01:28:42.239 --> 01:28:43.760
Yeah, there's a lot of interesting quirks.
01:28:43.840 --> 01:28:49.920
They're allowed to carry cell phones, they're allowed to cut they're allowed to contact their team via cell phone if they want.
01:28:50.159 --> 01:28:54.800
Um so basically, there's a there's a breakaway group.
01:28:54.960 --> 01:29:00.960
Um Verz Schmidt is part of the group, but ultimately breaks away and wins by a huge margin.
01:29:01.119 --> 01:29:04.399
This guy rode for Israel Israel Premier Tech for a number of years.
01:29:04.479 --> 01:29:07.439
He's won a Toreno stage and two uh Denmark stages.
01:29:07.520 --> 01:29:08.640
He's a Danish guy.
01:29:08.800 --> 01:29:14.399
Um Specialized just released a uh gravel bike called the Crux 5.
01:29:14.560 --> 01:29:19.520
Uh came out literally like two weeks ago, and all three riders on the men's podium were on that bike.
01:29:19.680 --> 01:29:22.079
So pretty pretty good advert for that bike.
01:29:22.239 --> 01:29:26.319
Uh, the women's race also won by the specialized off-road team.
01:29:26.399 --> 01:29:32.159
And I'm I'm guessing that uh Sophia Gomez Villefant was on that bike as well.
01:29:32.319 --> 01:29:34.399
Um, much more exciting race.
01:29:34.560 --> 01:29:44.239
Had a big group of uh leaders out for not a big group, but a group of like four leaders out in front that was pretty much established more than halfway through the or less than halfway through the race.
01:29:44.399 --> 01:29:52.800
Uh there was a moment where a train got in front of uh or stopped the chase group, and at that point it was like game over.
01:29:52.880 --> 01:29:54.159
It's gonna be one of these four women.
01:29:54.239 --> 01:29:57.840
There's no way that group was getting back on after that train stopped them.
01:29:58.079 --> 01:30:03.119
Uh there was, I guess there was one woman that was in front of the train but wasn't part of the group.
01:30:03.279 --> 01:30:07.840
She bridged up, so it was a group of five going into the into the uh finish.
01:30:08.079 --> 01:30:11.600
Um specialized off-road had two riders in there.
01:30:11.840 --> 01:30:17.920
Um G Schurz uh was the other one alongside Sofia Gomez Vilafan.
01:30:18.159 --> 01:30:22.000
And uh five up sprint going into the very narrow finishing straight.
01:30:22.399 --> 01:30:27.680
Vilafon attacked, and nobody uh except for her teammate could even make a run at her.
01:30:27.760 --> 01:30:32.800
Uh trick special or specialized finish one-two in the uh in the women's race.
01:30:33.039 --> 01:30:34.000
Real quick.
01:30:34.399 --> 01:30:38.319
I've never seen people so exhausted as they are at the end of that race.
01:30:39.119 --> 01:30:40.159
So brutal.
01:30:40.800 --> 01:30:41.600
So brutal.
01:30:41.760 --> 01:30:43.119
Um, real quick, a little history.
01:30:43.199 --> 01:30:48.239
Though it was begun in 2006, it was called Dirty Kanza, 34 riders taking the start back then.
01:30:48.319 --> 01:30:50.399
Now they they're literally hundreds of people.
01:30:50.640 --> 01:30:56.079
Um, it was part of an endurance mountain biking racing series called Dirt Love and Good Times Tour.
01:30:56.319 --> 01:31:02.000
Um, it was real, real long back in the day, um, 300 plus miles.
01:31:02.239 --> 01:31:15.439
Uh it it came in the wake of a race called the Trans-Iowa race, which was like a long point-to-point race across Iowa, that they purposely made it really hard to keep the number of competitors down.
01:31:15.520 --> 01:31:18.239
They wanted to keep it grassroots and special and secret.
01:31:18.319 --> 01:31:23.279
And uh there was one year where it was like so bad that literally not one rider finished.
01:31:23.680 --> 01:31:24.079
No one.
01:31:24.479 --> 01:31:25.680
There's not a single finisher.
01:31:25.840 --> 01:31:28.000
Forget about a winner, there wasn't even a finisher.
01:31:28.239 --> 01:31:33.680
Um, but this area of Kansas is like a really cool place for this kind of racing.
01:31:33.840 --> 01:31:36.800
It's too hilly and bumpy to be farmland.
01:31:36.880 --> 01:31:50.239
It's like out on the edge of the prairie, and that makes for just like perfect environs for these for these kind of races, you know, rolling hills and you know, all kinds of dirt tracks all through the area, and it's just uh it's just a cool race.
01:31:50.399 --> 01:32:01.199
Um, another couple quick facts, they changed the name to Unbound in 2018 because Kanza is a somewhat derogatory name for the indigenous peoples of the area, the Kaw Nation.
01:32:01.279 --> 01:32:02.159
So they got rid of that.
01:32:02.239 --> 01:32:04.159
That's where the name Kansas comes from.
01:32:04.399 --> 01:32:09.439
Um, Lachlan Morton is kind of a famous pro writer that participated in this race.
01:32:09.520 --> 01:32:13.439
If anybody knows anything about him, he's like a real interesting guy.
01:32:13.680 --> 01:32:15.840
Um, events doing really well.
01:32:15.920 --> 01:32:20.640
It's on the come up, and uh, I suggest you look into it if it's something that interests you.
01:32:20.800 --> 01:32:22.159
That's going to be all for this week.
01:32:22.319 --> 01:32:25.680
Join us next week for full coverage of the rest of the Women's Year at Italia.
01:32:25.840 --> 01:32:28.479
More stories from around the world of professional road cycling.
01:32:28.560 --> 01:32:31.119
Until then, for my brother Justin, I'm Matt Harper.
01:32:31.199 --> 01:32:31.920
Thanks for listening.
01:32:32.079 --> 01:32:36.000
We hope you'll join us again soon for another ride Beyond the Slipstream.
01:32:38.880 --> 01:32:42.560
Beyond the Slipstream is a part of the Harporama family of podcasts.
01:32:42.720 --> 01:32:45.359
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
01:32:45.680 --> 01:32:52.479
Please like and subscribe, smash that button, leave a five star review, and most importantly, tell all your friends about us.
01:32:52.640 --> 01:32:53.600
Thanks for listening.
01:32:53.840 --> 01:32:55.119
Talk to you next time.