09 Giro to start in Venice

iainf72
iainf72 Posts: 15,784
edited November 2008 in Pro race
That's what the Mayor of Venice says anyway. It's been rumoured so not surprising.

No idea what kind of stage it's going to be though.
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

Comments

  • Roadie Rods
    Roadie Rods Posts: 63
    New type of TT... in Pedalos :lol:
    We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
    Voltaire
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    I have been holding onto this info for a week, Iain. wasn't sure how interested the forum was, what with the Tour. Could have sent it, but here it is in anycase.
    rumours and maps...

    http://www.podiumcafe.com/
    Scroll down page a bit, Click on 'older stories' and you'll find a speculative route.
    Podium are also talking about....

    More Giro Intrigue: "An Important Announcement"

    Gazzetta dello Sport reports today that the Giro organizers will make "an important announcement relative to the 2009 edition" of the race tomorrow. The announcement will take place in a Disco in Milano.



    http://www.cicloweb.it/forum/viewthread ... 06&page=22
    Again scroll down the page a bit

    Start in Venice, finish in Rome. Apennines used for the big finale.
    Climbing the whole of Block Haus 28 km of climbing at 7.3%
    and the climb to Vesuvius - Vesuvio da Torre del Greco - is 12 km at 8.6%.
    Not sure if Rome will be a road stage o an ITT.
    Madonna di Campiglio back after it's 1999 Pantani bombshell.
    Up to 6 MTF's

    .....very unusual, I'd say...
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Start in Venice - finish in Rome. Thats one long stage!

    The Venice stage is supposed to be a TTT, as per recent years.

    Rock Racing are rumoured to be on the list of starters.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    .....very unusual, I'd say...
    Extremely unusual... Has the Giro ever finished in Rome, ever?? And what to think about the Dolomites after 4 days?? Sure this isn't the specualation of a bored Roma-based journalist?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    LangerDan wrote:

    Rock Racing are rumoured to be on the list of starters.

    Really? In 06 terms, they'd have a very strong GT squad. In 09 terms...Who knows.

    The route looks interesting - A bit too savage though. Not that it's stopped the Giro organisers before
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    It's actually going to start on the Lido, so not strictly Venice itself, though I expect they'll do the teams presentation in Piazza San Marco, which I think they did in '97 when the opening stage was a road stage (won by Cipo) on the Lido.

    I think the fact that they announced some time ago that the Giro route would be unveiled on Dec 13 in Venice (instead of Milan), gave away the fact that the race would start there 8) I can't wait, I think I'll definitely be making the trip back to Venice for this one.
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    Is the road upto Vesuvius tarmacced?
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    No. So they're likely to use it.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Apparently Versuvius is more "definite", than some of the other climbs. :wink:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    I remeber a finish on Vesuvius in the early nighties, I think a combination of tarmac and some cobbled sections.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    They had a Venice prologue before, in 96 or 97 I believe.

    A full stage beginning in Venice and finishing at the top of a Dolomite pass, such as the Pordoi would be more interesting. Sea level to 2240 metres over 215 km. Not as much climbing as a full mountain stage, but constantly uphill over a sizeable distance.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I love the Giro - its nuts.

    I wouldnt rule out the pedalo idea.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    So, that's it. Giro to start with a 21km TeamTT.
    Since it's in Venice, anyone care to take a punt at the winners? :oops:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    It wouldn't surprise me if they had a TT up the side of the leaning tower of Pisa.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    LangerDan wrote:
    Start in Venice - finish in Rome. Thats one long stage!

    The Venice stage is supposed to be a TTT, as per recent years.

    Rock Racing are rumoured to be on the list of starters.

    Rock Racing are staying "Continental", next season, so according to the rules, (see cyclingnews, today) they aren't eligible.

    Podium Cafe and Steephill have some new and very old stuff.
    PC has printed the original 1909 route nd ariel map.
    Steephill gives you a good impression of what the main stages will be.
    Two MTF's on stages 3 and 4 no less! :shock:
    http://www.podiumcafe.com/

    http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/#route-map
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DavidBelcher
    DavidBelcher Posts: 2,684
    Roadie Rods wrote:
    New type of TT... in Pedalos :lol:

    Hmm....wonder if there would be any British representation for such a stage? Not that I was thinking of any cricketers in particular. :wink:

    David
    "It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal
  • damage36
    damage36 Posts: 282
    DavidBelcher wrote:
    Roadie Rods wrote:
    New type of TT... in Pedalos :lol:

    Hmm....wonder if there would be any British representation for such a stage? Not that I was thinking of any cricketers in particular. :wink:

    David

    Flintoff aside, I think pedalos should be an olympic eventin 2012, more sitting down golds for team GB :D
    Legs, lungs and lycra.

    Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    Yorkman wrote:
    Is the road upto Vesuvius tarmacced?

    yeah I drove up there a couple of months ago. saw a couple of cyclists going up too. It's really steep in sections, definitely some bits of 15-18% although most of it is more like 7% so it's not a new angliru or anyhthing

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