Stage 2 "Spoiler"

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
edited May 2009 in Pro race
Report from the morning show.
Weather is glorious all along the coastline.
A real buzz at the deapart. Seemed more crowded, than usual.
Gibo makes a presentation to some chap, who was obviously both very emotional and very ill.
Interviews with all the big names.
Cavendish resplendent in all over pink, rounds off his interview with a bit of Italian. Went down well. Signing the fans autographs.
Lance obviously not used to the "closeness", but deals with it very well.
Mike shoved under his nose, says "Bon giorno." Italian sound malfuction!
I think she told him he was getting a much better reception from the tifosi, than in France.
To which he replied diplomatically, that he couldn't say, as it was his first Giro.

I reckon he's massively helpful in this respect to LL, deflecting all the attention in much the same way as Kloden did, last year, for Contador.

Btw: The morning shows should be available to all, online, via the Rai net streaming.
Currently re-showing the TTT:-
[url=mms://212.162.68.13/raisport+]mms://212.162.68.13/raisport+[/url]
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    Should be a dry and sunny day with temps up into the low twenties. Could be some thunderstorms inland but they're staying close to the coast 8)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Rai have been live for a while, but Eurosport are struggling for pictures.
    Solitary ISD man up the road, LPR heading up the peloton.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • leguape
    leguape Posts: 986
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Rai have been live for a while, but Eurosport are struggling for pictures.
    Solitary ISD man up the road, LPR heading up the peloton.

    Isn't it usually down to the EBU agreement where host broadcaster provides pictures to all broadcasters who are allowed to take final two hours? That might explain why they haven't gone to full live coverage yet, even on Rai.
    http://www.atomicecho.com/cycling
  • The Kennington Kaiser
    The Kennington Kaiser Posts: 406
    What has the the host broadcaster done this year with the subtitles?!? i know that 'he' is riding but do they really need to put in a series of bad english translations of terms such as 'testa della corsa' and 'inseguitori'. The break is being described as 'lead of the race' and the chasers as 'followers'. Back of the peleton as 'end of the bunch'. i know, i;#'m being pedantic but i learnt most of my Italian from Eurosport and it doesn't feel the same in crap English.
    At least they're still showing the odd glimpse of some italians beauties 8)
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Beautiful day.

    I know it's really cool to ride though the town multiple times (must be amazing for the people there!) but did they really have to make some of those corners so tight? When the speed picks up at the end, someone's going to get VERY hurt.
  • jimycooper
    jimycooper Posts: 740
    petachi beats cav, damn....
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Who was trying to rule out Pettachi?! Pure power. Bike and a half length. The Cavendish-Pettachi sprint will live up to expectations. Yes.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    no, am happy Pettachi beat cav there...absolutely essential Cavendish doesn't get too big for his boots...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • jimycooper
    jimycooper Posts: 740
    im thinking more about ptp :?
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Great result for Swift
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • jimycooper
    jimycooper Posts: 740
    Timoid. wrote:
    Great result for Swift

    +1 shows he is up there with some of the best.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    am right in remember that Pettachi's jump is not as great but he can hit some top end speeds if he starts far out? I vaguely recall this was more his way between 03-07
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    That's always been his way. Hence the ridiculous fassa bortolo trains.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    He went like that as Cavendish is known for his ridiculous accelleration, not necessarily his top end speed. It is why Bennati had the intention of keeping the sprints at a very high speed making it a lot harder for Cav to use his burners. It is a lot harder to accellerate form 70km/h then from 65km/h.

    Agree about Ben Swift, a very good result and he wasn't far off the pace either.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    "I was thinking for the last two days how to battle him [Cavendish]. I have never done a sprint like this, head to head," said Petacchi. "He is a great rival, always correct. This goes to my wife and my baby, Alessandro."
    Contador is the Greatest
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Great finish there. I was really pulling for Phillipe Gilbert when he first broke away but he just didn't have the room (or any ascents) to build up a big enough lead.

    The online feed here in the U.S. said, "Di Luca wins! Di Luca beats Cavendish at the line!" LOL.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    donrhummy wrote:
    The online feed here in the U.S. said, "Di Luca wins! Di Luca beats Cavendish at the line!" LOL.

    Brilliant :D
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Philip S
    Philip S Posts: 398
    Struck me that the Columbia train did its job a bit too well - got Cav right to the front, which enabled Pettachi to pick his moment and jump him. Cav always seems to be better coming from behind...

    Still, it's nice to see that there's going to be some contested sprints. And Cav's still in the pink.
  • sing_for_absolution
    sing_for_absolution Posts: 1,908
    What a fine stage finish for Ben Swift too. Has there ever been two British sprinters in the top ten of a Grand Tour?
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    teagar wrote:
    That's always been his way. Hence the ridiculous fassa bortolo trains.

    6090.7733.f.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • leguape
    leguape Posts: 986
    Philip S wrote:
    Struck me that the Columbia train did its job a bit too well - got Cav right to the front, which enabled Pettachi to pick his moment and jump him. Cav always seems to be better coming from behind...

    Still, it's nice to see that there's going to be some contested sprints. And Cav's still in the pink.

    I thought that as well. Going that fast is what Petacchi wants to happen so he can get his charge on. Columbia leading out in the last km did his job for him. But given how tight the course looked perhaps that was the only way to ensure they kept Cav out of trouble and was a risk they had to take.
    http://www.atomicecho.com/cycling
  • The Prodigy
    The Prodigy Posts: 832
    Philip S wrote:
    Struck me that the Columbia train did its job a bit too well - got Cav right to the front, which enabled Pettachi to pick his moment and jump him. Cav always seems to be better coming from behind...

    Still, it's nice to see that there's going to be some contested sprints. And Cav's still in the pink.

    Exactly what I was thinking
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Anyone notice that both Basso and Leipheimer dropped 13 seconds today. Sloppy and potentially costly.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Timoid. wrote:
    Anyone notice that both Basso and Leipheimer dropped 13 seconds today. Sloppy and potentially costly.

    It is. I learnt from Greg Lemond in the 80's that if you are trying to win a GT, you always ride in the top 25.

    When Lance put Popo on the front I thought to myself "he's scared of crashing"
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • leguape
    leguape Posts: 986
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Anyone notice that both Basso and Leipheimer dropped 13 seconds today. Sloppy and potentially costly.

    It is. I learnt from Greg Lemond in the 80's that if you are trying to win a GT, you always ride in the top 25.

    When Lance put Popo on the front I thought to myself "he's scared of crashing"

    Did anyone think anything else? When they were showing him having a chat with Cervelo bod and some others early in the stage I was struck by how wobbly he looked compared to everyone around him. He's riding like a guy who's still not used to riding with an ergo in his arse all day rather than some accountant three yards behind him trying not to crash into him.
    http://www.atomicecho.com/cycling
  • Mike Healey
    Mike Healey Posts: 1,023
    I remember a postively tiny Ben Swift winning all the U8 national BSCA champs except the hill-climb back in the day and continuing to do win pretty much everything as he went through the age groups.

    At one point his mum and dad thought he might be overdoing things a bit, so they locked up his bike, only to look out the window and see him bombing up and down the street on his inline skates for the next week.

    Great result for both of them
    Organising the Bradford Kids Saturday Bike Club at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre since 1998
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/eastbradfordcyclingclub/
  • stagehopper
    stagehopper Posts: 1,593
    Really impressive from Swift in his first Grand Tour. Backs up the form he was showing in the Tour of the Basque Country where he won all three bunch sprints that came in behind succesful escapes.
    @stagehopper
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,941
    So is Swift primarily a sprinter? I'd heard him talked of as the potential GC contender for the new GB team.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    frenchfighter wrote:
    teagar wrote:
    That's always been his way. Hence the ridiculous fassa bortolo trains.

    6090.7733.f.jpg

    Cheers. 8)
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Shows there is no such thing as a "flat" stage in the Giro.
    53 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 0.13
    60 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
    62 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
    64 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
    77 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
    78 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
    81 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom
    83 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
    94 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini

    97 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana :shock:

    Not the old boys, though. They knew their place. :wink:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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