<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
You're right about riding for second. These guys don't get to where they are with that kind of attitude, do they.
Once he was in a two up, there were lots of ways Pog could lose it and not many ways he could win (maybe even zero)! For what it's worth, I think it's the UAE DS who made the wrong call here - Pog will race what he sees on the road, and his instincts are usually good but he should have been told to avoid taking him to the line at all costs, even if that meant pulling MvDP all the way to the finish in an attempt to grind him down. Not sure if you watched it with commentary but this isn't hindsight, during the race they were calling it that way even before the final climb!
Maybe UAE thought that if it came together at the end that would put more pressure on MvDP and he might crack??
As a neutral I'd have loved it if they both lost it in the end
I hear what you’re saying. But I don’t think the commentators know anything pog or his team doesn’t know to be honest. In fact they know less because they don’t know how pog was feeling physically. I Just don’t think pog needs to be told by anyone he doesn’t want to go heads up with MvDP in a sprint finish. There’s not many in the peloton who fancy going against MvDP is there! So I’m assuming (and it is an assumption), is that on the day pog didn’t fancy going long either. He did more than anyone else to split the pack driving forward earlier in the race. It’s fine the commentators saying what he needs to do to win. I’m just not sure he was capable.
