Spencer Martin (4:23)

He's actually plus 150 on bet365. So even better. There was like a lot of people texting me, like, what's wrong? This is boring. Why aren't people getting in the breakaway? It's like, well, the riders have to rest at some point and what's the point? Like, you're just going to get caught. Like there's. Do not waste your energy going in the move. I thought what Toadile did, waiting for the intermediate sprint before breaking away makes the most sense because we have seen it's not. It's not going to happen here, but it we de Giro, it happens sometimes where the late breakaway, they miscalculate and they don't catch them because you're fresher. But yeah, just, I don't know, save your energy. What are we doing? We got hard stage stages coming up. I would not waste your time sitting out there in a breakaway. I also think Johan probably UCI points mattering more have, have shifted priorities. Like you'd rather sprint for 10, 10th place than getting a breakaway all day and get nothing for it. Yeah, I'm gonna get. I think we talked about on our, our weekly show, it was someone on Twitter had the idea of giving UCI points for getting in the breakaway, which I kind of like, which would really spice these stages up. But Jonathan Milan won today. He's +150 at bet365 as well. I cannot believe this man is not the favorite. He's got his head down, he's tucked that dead head on. American TV said it's giving him an extra bike length. I don't know if I fully believe that, but I think Milan, I don't think anyone can come around him right now. And despite what Georgian Cappy says, I think that team is working pretty well together. So they're going to fix that lead out and I think he's going to win.

Johan Bruneil (5:54)

Yeah, definitely the strongest in terms of.

Spencer Martin (5:57)

Pure power, you know, but, you know.

Johan Bruneil (5:59)

Sprints can go wrong today. Today was actually an ideal finish for him. So Spencer, because it was slightly uphill, there was a lot less fighting for position. And if you look, it's one of the, it's one of the, it's one of the few sprints that I see that they were actually almost all in a line. You know, they were not bunched up tomorrow. That's not going to be the case because it's completely flat. But yeah, I mean, listen, Milan is one of the top sprinters and now with the confidence, he is now for real in the, in the green jersey. So that's, that's one thing. This might be one of the advantages for Merlier that Milan seems to really make it, make it a goal for green. So he needs to go full gas for that intermediate sprint. Merlier also sprints, but he doesn't go full gas in those sprints. He just soft pedals. I mean, it's maybe a bit far fetched to, you know, try to find an angle. Why Merlier could maybe be better in the final because doesn't really. There's not that many people Contesting those sprints anyway. But yeah, I mean, at 150, Milan is. That's a good pick.

Spencer Martin (7:07)

I, I do think Merlier probably wins one more stage at this race. So it's just a question of is it tomorrow or is it later in the race? I mean, just so fast. And he, he had some bad luck today, but bad luck on stage one too. But I guess we'll see who wins tomorrow. I'm actually quite excited to see who wins. I actually, I kind of like these weekend sprint stages. It lets you kind of rest a little bit before things get wild again on Monday. But if it's not those two guys, do you have a wild card pick you?

Johan Bruneil (7:33)

Like, I'm. As a wild card, I'm just gonna do. Not for, not for the win, but I'm gonna pick Binyang Gilmai for the podium.

Spencer Martin (7:45)

Today. He.

Johan Bruneil (7:47)

He wasn't there. I don't know exactly what happened if he was boxed in. And I think he ran out of legs yesterday because of the speed, a little bit bad position and, you know, with that drag of two and a half percent, didn't have it anymore. But still, it's still Binyam Girimai, you know. And so for the podium, I can see him being second or third. He's plus 250 for the podium.

Spencer Martin (8:14)

Yeah. Plus. Plus 250 for the podium. I like this. I mean, today we did yesterday, we split our wild cards, so it's like we spent half of what we would have on wild cards and then the other half on that wild card to podium. But the thing I liked about that is like Milan won and then gross was my podium wild card at plus 150. So it's like I, I basically had two winners. And like tomorrow, if Merlier wins in G's third, you have a winner at plus 150 and plus 250, which. And then your podium is actually outperforming your winner, but you're winning on both. Gives you two chances to win. I. I like that a lot. I'm going to go same thing. I'm not picking my wild card to win. I'm going Caden Groves to podium. He podium today at +110. I think what we saw today, Johan, is like, if Wild Ben Art can't get around Jonathan Milan on an uphill sprint like that, I don't think anyone's coming around Merle or Milan. Like, it just seems a little difficult to imagine those other guys look like they were in molasses when the sprint started.

Johan Bruneil (9:11)

Sure. The thing with Milan is, you know, you kind of need to get the jump on him to beat him. You know, I think it's even for Merlier, it's going to be very difficult. And if Milan tomorrow gets his lead out train properly there, it's a strong lead out train. And once he gets up to speed, it's difficult to come around him. So Merlier is known to anticipate and get the jump. But with tomorrow's finish, it's a straight line again. It's not going to be easy.

Spencer Martin (9:48)

Well, we'll have to see what happens, but let's take a quick break and then we'll do Head to Heads, which little rougher time yesterday, but you did. I want to talk about this. Vindegaard Picacho, Head to Head because I think we're seeing a trend there that people can take advantage of. All right, we're back. Johan, first wildcard. This is Fanduel in the US this is. I've been having more fun with these in our stage picks actually all tour. So, Tim, earlier. Minus 116 versus Jonathan Milan on minus 116.

Johan Bruneil (10:17)

I mean, if we're already picking one of each for the. For the win, then it's difficult. They're both negative.

Spencer Martin (10:25)

I'm not sure this makes any sense because this would make sense if maybe we thought a breakaway would stay away. But I think they will contest the win. So just bet on them to contest the win and not do this.

Johan Bruneil (10:36)

Yeah.

Spencer Martin (10:37)

So we're going to pass. We pass.

Johan Bruneil (10:38)

Yeah. We're going to take a boss on this way. Yeah.

Spencer Martin (10:42)

Jonas Vinegaard minus 108 now. It's good. He was not positive. Like yesterday versus Tadupaga minus 126. And as I'm sure a lot of people noticed today, Pagatra was sitting at the back with Remco and Vinegaard was spending a lot of energy to be at the front. So he finished in front of Pagachar. Your bet paid off. It's kind of funny to me that Pagachar is still the underdog here when it seems like. Or he's still the favorite even though it seems like he just has a different strategy than vinegar.

Johan Bruneil (11:11)

Yeah, I'm gonna go Jonas again.

Spencer Martin (11:14)

I like that eventually they'll. They'll flip this on us and it won't be effective anymore. Kaden Groves -172 vs Benim Grimai -126.

Johan Bruneil (11:31)

Where's Kaden Groves now? In the green. In the green jersey. He's not. He's not up There.

Spencer Martin (11:34)

No, I don't think he is so far down. He's eighth with 60 points versus Guermay has 124.

Johan Bruneil (11:42)

OK, Binyam.

Spencer Martin (11:44)

Yeah.

Johan Bruneil (11:44)

I think my thinking behind this is that if Kaden Grove sees that he can't be top three, then he's not going to insist. Binyam will keep going for the points.

Spencer Martin (11:54)

Yes. And these two stages today and tomorrow are key for the green because Milan and Girmaj have to score points here because Pigacha is going to go on a tear in the mountains would be the thinking. Pascal Ackerman -116 versus Phil Bauhaus, -116. Ackerman was fourth today.

Johan Bruneil (12:12)

He. He did a good sprint. He did a good sprint. Ackerman.

Spencer Martin (12:19)

Okay, then Arno delete, minus 172 versus Alberto Dianese, plus 126. What is this? The Gird Italia, the sprinkler.

Johan Bruneil (12:36)

I'm going to go Dainese because it's flat. The Lee was for. The Lee was good. It was slightly uphill. I mean.

Spencer Martin (12:43)

Yeah.

Johan Bruneil (12:43)

Somebody needs. Listen, somebody needs to tell the league in those kind of sprints. He needs to hold. His handle was from the bottom. He was on. He was on the hoods.

Spencer Martin (12:56)

I don't want to sound like an old man, but this is definitely a kids thing. There's kids out there sprinting on their hoods. I don't know. I don't know even know what to say about that. So much. And so much less stable. Yeah. If you're a young cyclist listening to this sprint on the drops, what are we doing here? Yeah. Dainese plus 126. I like that flat sprint. It's positive money. Anything else, Johan, before we take off?

Johan Bruneil (13:24)

That's it for me, Spencer.

Spencer Martin (13:26)

All right, well, we will be back to predict Bastille Day Stage 10 tomorrow, and then we'll take a rest going into the rest day and then we'll actually podcast on the rest day, if anyone's curious about our schedule. But thank you. And we will talk tomorrow.