Stage 19 ****Spoiler*****

13

Comments

  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    andyp wrote:
    Simoni is going to lose a packet. Git. He's my PTP GC pick.

    My thoughts exactly. Maybe he's just saving himself for a big win tomorrow heh :wink:
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    That stage was the dog's bolleaux
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    With things this close I think I know what I'm doing tomorrow afternoon! 8)
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Holy crap! Did Simoni lose 10+ minutes?!
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    iainf72 wrote:
    Onto important matters - Is Pricco ginger?

    As if there aren't enough reasons to want to skelp him already! He's the Paul Scholes of cycling. Or something.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    phil s wrote:
    That stage was the dog's bolleaux

    Absolutely. A magnificent stage - great stuff from Di Luca, but Ricco should have gone earlier. He should be in pink tonight.

    What about tomorrow? Bertie looked a bit short on team-mates and tomorrow will be harder earlier on. And then the TT on Sunday - what a fantastic race this is turning out to be.
    I was only joking when I said
    by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    I think Simoni bonked. Too bad. He'd had such a phenomenal Giro and was looking to go out and into retirement with a bang.
  • alanmcn1
    alanmcn1 Posts: 531
    What a race.....................come on Ricco (given the choice)
    Robert Millar for knighthood
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Salsiccia wrote:
    phil s wrote:
    That stage was the dog's bolleaux

    Absolutely. A magnificent stage - great stuff from Di Luca, but Ricco should have gone earlier. He should be in pink tonight.

    What about tomorrow? Bertie looked a bit short on team-mates and tomorrow will be harder earlier on. And then the TT on Sunday - what a fantastic race this is turning out to be.

    Well, realistically, to take it from Ricco/Di Luca, Contador doesn't have to be leading heading into the TT. He's a much better time trialist than either of those guys. So to beat Contador, they'll need at least 30 seconds over him if not more. I think Contador knows that and thus didn't push himself into the red today. He got close though.
  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    donrhummy wrote:
    I think Simoni bonked. Too bad. He'd had such a phenomenal Giro and was looking to go out and into retirement with a bang.

    Do you think he might work for Ricco tomorrow?
    I was only joking when I said
    by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed
  • campagchris
    campagchris Posts: 773
    Great ride by cummings,but got to wonder if Di Luca had an oil change.
    the gob shy ite wen't to late :lol:
    been a fantastic race
  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    donrhummy wrote:
    Salsiccia wrote:
    phil s wrote:
    That stage was the dog's bolleaux

    Absolutely. A magnificent stage - great stuff from Di Luca, but Ricco should have gone earlier. He should be in pink tonight.

    What about tomorrow? Bertie looked a bit short on team-mates and tomorrow will be harder earlier on. And then the TT on Sunday - what a fantastic race this is turning out to be.

    Well, realistically, to take it from Ricco/Di Luca, Contador doesn't have to be leading heading into the TT. He's a much better time trialist than either of those guys. So to beat Contador, they'll need at least 30 seconds over him if not more. I think Contador knows that and thus didn't push himself into the red today. He got close though.

    That's what will make tomorrow exciting - Ricco and Di Luca will have to attack some more!
    I was only joking when I said
    by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Finally, the Giro comes to life :P What a fantastic stage.

    Ricco is in the best position now. Contador was really struggling up the last climb - did you see the way the other riders all flew past him on the finish line?

    Was Kloden being too cautious when he told Colom to calm down? They should have ridden harder a bit sooner I think and not let DDL get so far ahead.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Salsiccia wrote:
    That's what will make tomorrow exciting - Ricco and Di Luca will have to attack some more!

    Will they be able to though? I doubt they'll be able to do anything significant after today. DDL has worked his team mates very hard too.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    andyp wrote:
    Why is Pozzovivo riding on the front?

    Because he and Pellizotti are stuck in the domestique mind-set. Contador was on the very edge, pleading for help, so of course those nice Italians and VDB said: "certainly sir".

    I get the feeling the just handed him their race, on a plate.
    Ricco is well p**sed. He's already accused Sella and Pozzovivo of being thick. I have to agree. They aren't going to win, riding tempo there, are they?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    Pretty much all the favorites have burned up their teammates by now. Simoni has a few that can help, but today that was mostly down to Simoni's own poor performance. Astana looked spread way too thin. LPR rode so hard in the first week that they can't have much left, aside from maybe Savoldelli. Ricco is all alone without Piepoli. This could end up as less of a tactical race and more of an all-out one-on-one fight, which is just superb. Nice weekend up ahead, then.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Ricco is well p**sed. He's already accused Sella and Pozzovivo of being thick. I have to agree. They aren't going t win, riding tempo there, are they?

    They'll probably reply "I'd help satan himself win over you ginger pricco"
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    That's what you end up getting when you p!ss people off. Besides, Sella and VDB (the young, mentally-sane one) have positions to defend as well.
  • campagchris
    campagchris Posts: 773
    Ricco only has himself to blame he should have went earlier.
    Contador did enough and has the time trial to come so I think he will hang on,but great day ahead.
  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    iainf72 wrote:
    Salsiccia wrote:
    That's what will make tomorrow exciting - Ricco and Di Luca will have to attack some more!

    Will they be able to though? I doubt they'll be able to do anything significant after today. DDL has worked his team mates very hard too.

    I agree, they may not be able to do much significant but they will have to give it a go, and if they do Contador may find it difficult to respond. And maybe LPR and Saunier Duval will go looking to make deals - as may Astana...

    And that's why it's exciting, as there are any number of possibilities. I fancy Contador and Ricco to go mano a mano tomorrow.
    I was only joking when I said
    by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed
  • Moomaloid
    Moomaloid Posts: 2,040
    For me Bertie hasn't been on top of his game for the whole tour. Di Luca's team mates set him up so well today that u wonder if they have anything left, and Ricco? Well everyone dislikes him so will he get any favours?? The only thing he'll have going for him is they'd rather he won than a spaniard... :roll:
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Well, normally you'd think Contador was about to crack, big time.
    How long did he last when Kloden left him?
    Then he's flapping his arms like a wings on demented pink flamigo, pleading for help.
    Simple equation: To defeat Contador, you first have to beat Kloden.
    Have to get the falcon up the road on the Gavia, so he can fly. Can't see Bertie wanting to follow his and DDL wheel again.
    The Mortirolo will kill them all.
    Only Simoni could have used it properly and he's no longer a factor.
    Does he fancy being water boy for the "ginger winger"?

    Dertie v Pricco and Hormone Boy. Stage 20 too.
    Not your average TDF procession. :wink:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    How much time will the others have to take out of Contador considering the TT stage the next day, which Contador will most likely take time out of the others.

    Maybe Contador will loose the jersey tomorrow but it will have to be by a large margin so that he doesn't take it back on Sunday
    Mañana
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    i think several of the Italian riders would prefer a non-Italian rider from a non-Italian team take the Giro rather than have another Italian take it - a version of the mindset where you'd rather your neighbour's horse died than you got an extra horse. That combined with the fact that Ricco has managed to upset many other riders in the run-up to the Giro means people will actively work against him.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I seem to remember the descent off the Mortirolo being very technical - could be wrong because the only time I can remember them using it was the Giro a couple or so years ago - but if it's wet could be another opportunity for Savodelli and DiLuca to attack - I reckon Contador might be well advised to press on and try and drop Savo on the way up if he can. Why oh why oh why did I promise to take the kids camping tomorrow !! I can just about swing leaving after I've been out on the bike but leaving after the Giro may be pushing things.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    Not sure, I think some Italians might work for others, but I don't think anyone will really want to work for (p)ricco.

    We'll have to wait for tomorrow to see how far Contador has gone into his reserves today. He looked like he was about to crack today, he might suffer tomorrow, and if he has another very very tough day tomorrow, then he'll be struggling in the TT

    Di Luca looks to be on the up, Contador's form looks to be going down, it's going to be an exciting Weekend
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Contador
    “It was a very hard and long stage. The stage was longer than what it said on paper,” said Contador. “The team deserves a ‘10’ for what they did today. Compliments to Di Luca and Riccò today after making beautiful attacks, which makes for an interesting Giro. I kept the maglia rosa, but I’m not going to obsess on Riccò or Di Luca. Like I said yesterday, I’m not afraid of anything in this Giro.”

    pRicco

    “What I’d like to ask Sella and (Domenico) Pozzovivo if they’d thought they would win the Giro? Contador always finds someone like that who helps him. No one ever helps me,” said Riccò, who unleashed an angry Italian curse at the summit. “They should have stayed on Contador’s wheel and let him pull. People have been saying that Contador is stronger than me on the climbs, but as far as I can remember, I’ve dropped him on ever summit finish. Tomorrow I will go on the attack again and I just hope (CSF-Navigare) isn’t working behind me.”

    CSF will definately work for Dertie now :D
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Seems a pretty fair assessment from Ricco.

    I think "cyclingnews" were at another race. :roll:

    Astana team and in many folks eyes, is by far the strongest, on paper.

    If they need to recruit a Pro-Conti team's help as well as VDB, we all must be mistaken.

    Shouldn't take a dozen+ riders to stop a couple of individuals.
    What a loss old Leonardo has been.

    I can't see them, or any other Italian squad riding for a Spaniard,
    as they make their living mostly at home.
    Don't think the tifosi would be too chuffed.

    Today was a great advert for dumping races radios.
    Get back to mano a mano, and away from uber-teams.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Salsiccia
    Salsiccia Posts: 405
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Today was a great advert for dumping races radios.
    Get back to mano a mano, and away from uber-teams.

    Amen to that.
    I was only joking when I said
    by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    I can't see them, or any other Italian squad riding for a Spaniard,
    as they make their living mostly at home.
    Don't think the tifosi would be too chuffed.

    Today was a great advert for dumping races radios.
    Get back to mano a mano, and away from uber-teams.

    According to cyclingnews today, Contador is popular with the tifosi. And why wouldn't he be? He's being sporting and complementry about the Italians.

    The only reason Di Luca got away was because he had a strong team. He wouldn't have got the initial gap without Savoldelli.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

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