![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Group goes, I was thinking about going for some points in the cat 2, but missed the attack, tempo too late, was gone. Oh well, with Hoffmann not riding for anything really was no problem, he didn't even try to get the points at the cat 2 and 3. max 35 available, he got 21. Unlucky too. Stage then, but with a long solo in the mountain, riding the downhill too, until caught.. don't know if that made that much sense really. So still 14 points back 4 HC, 1 first cat and one cat 3 left. If Asier manages to start stage 12 fit, somehow I should be able to defend that...
Anyway, after the group when the stage favorite T-Mobile did... nothing. At all. Until it was over 10'. Even then, just riding slowly green. Already clear that the group was a danger then, but after bringing basically the whole peloton, minus Majerus, over the top... what was the point, why even ride at all then? Just ride! Why this reluctance, almost fear of riding early? The late riding today was way more pointless than any early riding would have been. Basically on top of the HC climb Mobster had no more reason to ride. ZERO. Stage gone. For green? Not let Schwackhöfer get into an escape, ok, then put somebody in green safety tempo at 30km from the end. Or try to get rid of the sprinters in the hills, that you tried, didn't work, but for that too a harder earlier part only benefits you I think. How would I have done it today Mobster asked?
Load Skoglund, Kohl, Ritzinger for sure. Then you have the choice between Eckerstorfer and Hofbauer. Group goes, control early, or if only after it's 10 min, then go FAST there. Red. And don't wait for Majerus each time. He rides back green, slowly, only benefits the group his team mates are in. If he rides back red, ok, wait for him maybe. But... Gipfel can just give him a companion really. It's nice to be nice to weak riders (Gabel is very weak btw) but no need to overdo it, coming back green, no helper, ok, forget him.
Then ride the hill much harder. not green with the guy who was already in tempo a bit. Sieb with Unai. Then ride back up with either Kohl or even Eckenstorfer. Then see if green Unai is soft enough, after helping the first part maybe it's enough for Eckenstorfer? But anyway, in this situation looking at the teams I would have gone for the Hofbauer fit version, then Unai up green, hopefully enough for Kohl, without fighting, otherwise pointless, in that case just ride with Kohl. In the back the Donkey will ride with Tran up, STakhanov down. Vs Kohl that's MINUTES. Falkenbier better team, probably Zielinski? Still should be a good gap. Then on top: AAD should have 7 riders. Ask for help, you can even try that earlier. Yes, he has won so much already that he isn't all that interested in more maybe, but with Karatzoglou there, why not? The group in front in this scenario is rather unlikely to go through after all. In his place I probably would help. Even if he refuses (unlikely) still continue, Unai downhill, then ask again. End of the downhill and the hilly part you can control well, lose a bit in downhill, win back in hilly part. Even alone, once Unai is done, change to Hofbauer or if Kohl rode before Kohl. With those 2 you can get to the end of the hills, to km 145 or so rather easily, then of course 30km with only 2 riders is hard, but worth a try, Hofbauer+Kohl in tempo together, One of them should still be fit, the other one used but still usable. But most likely AAD would help on top of the mountain.
But today really was your job to work early. If AAD hadn't won 5 stages already, he can maybe join early too, but like this... you do the first part, you do the hill, maybe there he can start to help talk about Nöbauer, keep him or not? Then downhill Fortnow helps, etc etc. Normally the back can't come back, the front is caught, Ritzinger blocks, then the sprint. But for that you need to work early. The worst case? WE come back and sprint for the win and Bosilj is favorite for green.. .worst case but IMO not that likely, coming back from the deficit from the main climb isn't really that easy, of course I would have helped too (if Gabel is there) Moretti back at some point.. but him and Quaghebeur are really the only meaningful help I can give Falkenbier.
Anyway, then Mobster was unlucky in the final sprint, new version had him ride into Karatzoglou, getting blocked instead of going left as the flash version would. But not that much changed really between Bosilj and Skoglund. Like before, 3rd place gives Skoglund green, if Bosilj wins. Gabel will of course try to help Skoglund. As for Schwackhöfer, IMO difficult still, only 3 points back, but normally he will lose tomorrow. Somehow 7th seems the max. so 10 points back. On stage 10 he gets minimal points only, if any. So the intermdiates, pavé stage and last stage.. possible, but not automatic especially last stage seems difficlt with Hoffmann likely to attack and go in the first climb...
So still Skoglund, but by not riding early today he made his green dream somewhat unnecessarily difficult.