A welcome rest day in the Giro for many riders after the hardest stage although spending it at altitude can make it a little less restful.UAE look a rider short by the final climb. However the team was pulling so hard during the stage, especially in the valley to the start of the Foscagno pass yesterday that only Majka was needed for the final move and of course Pogaar can finish the job, they just have to get him with range and he can move but it can mean no margin for error like a mechanical or a bike change but hes minutes up no so thats covered. UAEs Tour team will offer a lot more support which close down this small weakness come July.Riders can follow Pogaars attacks, its what comes after that is impossible. An acceleration can create a gap but the onslaught of power makes the moves impossible to follow, once hes made the jump he can sustain an effort at a rate that others cannot. Yet were also seeing the others racing each other, if Pogaar moves the best of the rest are watching each other. The positions behind are ossifying, the time gaps on Sunday morning were widened by the finish. There is still a duel between Dani Martinez and Geraint Thomas and Ben OConnor is close for the podium too and itll be interesting to watch the dynamics here.He didnt win but Nairo Quintana could have won the stage yesterday had the breakaway cooperated better. Sure, if this then that but whats notable that riders are openly saying they were in the breakaway but the move sabotaged its chances because of a lack of cohesion; we had this yesterday but also on the stage to the Prati di Tivo. With Pogaar grabbing so much, teams ought to have an added incentive.Embed from Getty ImagesRomain Bardets attack saw him gain a few seconds but leaves him in a difficult place. Too high on GC to be allowed in the breakaway, too far from the podium to get a memorable result. But hes not shopping in a gift store and picking which reward hed like, its where he is. DSM will also not turn the points from a high GC finish; remember the UCI publishes weekly updates but the Giro results, from Stage 1 to 21 are only computed once the race is done.Embed from Getty ImagesTo points of a different sort and theres a battle for the blue jersey. Tadej Pogaar leads the competition on 172 points, almost 100 points ahead of Simon Geschke but of course Geschke carries the blue jersey. Only were seeing Geschke going up the road to collect points and and Lilian Calmejane doing the same. In Calmejanes own words wearing the jersey by procuration is valuable, it brings publicity to teams. How much value we can debate, pro cycling is the sport where sponsors pay to have teams branded in their image yet success comes when, in this case, swapping the Cofidis jersey for one reading Banco Mediolanum. Either way it shows riders are scrapping for the crumbs that fall from Tadej Pogaars table. Tuesday and Wednesdays stages are for the breakaway and could see the mountains jersey become a direct contest.At the back and Vadim Pronskiy did not start Stage 15 and Clment Davy did not finish the stage. All the rest made it within the time cut. These are set at the discretion of the organiser and the Giro seems generous compared to the Tour de France. Stage 15s time cut yesterday worked out at 18%; the Tour rulebook would have stipulated 13% which, everything else being equal, would have culled four riders.Talking of exits, few sprinters have bailed because of the mountains. Phil Bauhaus did not start Stage 15 but thats it. With two sprint stages left theres an incentive for many to stay, Jonathan Milan is in the points lead, Kaden Groves still hunting a stage and so on. Tim Merliers done the Giro and Tour before but never got over the Alps so he of all has an extra challenge.Watching the Italian TV news bulletin last night the sports news came late this isnt Flanders where the death of the Iranian president might come second to Evenepoel and RAIs Telegiornale led with the tennis ATP Rome doubles before a 90 second report from the Giro, most of which was about fans picnicking roadside on the Mortirolo, complete with some seemingly obligatory newsreel footage of Marco Pantani before ten seconds on Pogaar winning.Looking wider and Pogaar is being portrayed as a rider apart. Its notable how the contest is less with rivals on the road but comparisons are made with greats of the past. Take La Gazzetta, whose front page proclaims Pogaar alla Coppi.Forecasting the winners is proving easy so far but the weather? The race has an official sponsor in 3B, an Italian weather website that has a deal with RCS for its newspapers and with La7, the TV channel owned by race organiser boss Urbano Cairo. Its normally ok, anecdotally the best outlet for weather in Italy but still surprisingly prone to announcing sunshine only for it to rain and vice versa.All eyes are on tomorrows weather forecast with snow expected at the top of the Stelvio and if the Giro wont reach the 2,757m pass, it turns off just a couple of hundred metres below to take the Umbrail. However its more a story of grim discomfort, than alarm and snow ploughs. Snow here means a light dusting that may not settle higher up. Itll just be very wet and cold but this could still be sufficient for a third revision.The post Giro Rest Day Notes first appeared on The Inner Ring.