Everyone knows that things like “tactics” and “thinking” are for the weak. After all, if you’re strong enough, loud enough, and stubborn enough, you should be able to outlast those pesky details like evidence, facts, or people who can ride their bikes faster than you can.
Ivan Basso knows this, and Ivan Basso believes he falls on the “strong enough” side of the fence. Whether he does or not remains to be seen, but three days from Milan, he is still racing – as he has this entire Giro – like the final Maglia Rosa in Milano has his name stitched into the collar.
In a race punctuated by fantastic rides from all the G.C. contenders, Ivan Basso’s Liquigas team stands out as the team who has taken control of each critical stage. I love seeing a rider toe up to the start line and race like its a foregone conclusion that he will wind up with the prize at the end of the three-week long tunnel that is the Giro. His team has been at the front every day, racing like they have the pink tunic on their leader’s back and haven’t bothered with minor details such as trailing in the standings by almost a minute and a half.
While a clever tactician wins my respect; a rider who races from the front wins my heart. It was good enough for Eddy, so its good enough for Ivan. Bravissimo!
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@Buck Rogers
Seriously! What a ride! Gianni probably had an aneurysm. Fuckin' awesome ride.
@ChrisO
I'm saying its more strategic than tactical in the sense that he's not worried about who has the lead on any given day as that is typically the team that takes the responsibility to control the pace throughout the stage. He's racing with a strategic goal. Obviously the tactics play out day to day but he's not worried about those results as much as the end result.
Your point of setting a high tempo to discourage attacks is true for the finale, but he's been riding at the front throughout the stage like a race leader would normally do.
All the other riders - all of them - have at one stage or another indicated they are taking the race day by day. That's tactical riding. Basso, riding for Milan is strategic.
I'm sorry. I feel like you may not be watching the same Giro that I am. All I have seen is Liquigas peg it for Basso, and then watch him do jack shit with it.
@Session
My 2 1/2 year old likes to talk about how he is playing "in my own little world" (except that he can't pronounce the letter "r"). Sometimes it seems like @frank is watching races his own little world -- you'll just have to get used to it.
@Dan_R
I'm sorry, I can't hear the Italian hearts, what with the sound of all the Canadian hearts swelling and beating faster every day we get closer to one of our won winning a Grand Tour!
Go, Ryder, go. Ride like the beast you are and wear pink in Milan.
*own* I can't even type I'm so excited.
I really like Ivan Basso, but it was great to watch the trasformation of Ryder from a 'Bel Corridore' to a 'Gran Corridore'.
Ryder on the Pian dei Resinelli.
Photo by me.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Beautiful.
@Nate
I'll overlook your insult and point out that if I saw things the way the rest of the world does, it would be insufferably boring for me. And I don't mean that as the afront I'm sure that comes across as.
@frank
Good 'cuz it wasn't meant as an insult -- more as a suggestion to @Session to find entertainment in your idiosyncratic look at racing, Merckx bless it.