Giro Stage 9 *Spoiler*

frenchfighter

165km criterium around Milan. I find this very unusual - can anyone remember when they had a similar stage in any GT?

I am hoping Cancellara gets the win here, although it will be a tough ask given it is truly pan flat. Lots of corners though:



14:46 CEST
The guys don't seem to be in much of a hurry today. The first lap went by at a time of 33.370 km/h, which is significantly lower than the slowest planned speed of 42 km/h. Will we still be sitting here at midnight, writing "still no escape attempts"?

Why so slow :shock:

pottssteve

frenchfighter wrote:

165km criterium around Milan. I find this very unusual - can anyone remember when they had a similar stage in any GT?

I am hoping Cancellara gets the win here, although it will be a tough ask given it is truly pan flat. Lots of corners though:



14:46 CEST
The guys don't seem to be in much of a hurry today. The first lap went by at a time of 33.370 km/h, which is significantly lower than the slowest planned speed of 42 km/h. Will we still be sitting here at midnight, writing "still no escape attempts"?

Why so slow :shock:

Because they are knackered after the first week and looking forward to a day off?

SpaceJunk

stage has now been neutralised

frenchfighter

SpaceJunk wrote:

stage has now been neutralised

What a joke!! Apparently it was because they considered it too dangerous (or is that LA consider it too dangerous just like the descents?!).

However I guess that doesn't mean that there wont be some crazy solo attacks...

afx237vi

One of the entries from Eurosport's live updates:

140km - QuickStep's Allan Davis had a particularly uncomfortable day in the saddle yesterday after suffering a bout of illness. He graphically described his plight later in the day on Twitter: "First time in my career I've had to poo my pants 4 times and vomit 5 times all in the last 100km and race the giro! Straight to ambulance! I am still in the game but, normally this passes fast, hopefully!" So, it's official, the worst job in the world is... Allan Davis's soigneur.

Um, Alby... too much information.

pottssteve

Did they not send someone around the course on a bike to see how it rode? To neutralise a stage now is just daft.... :roll:

blazing_saddles

A few cars parked on the course. Never heard of towing them away?
Or is this the way things are going to go from now on?

afx237vi

So is this the usual circuit they use whenever they finish the Giro in Milan? I know it's been a TT in recent years but it was always a crit before that.

Le Commentateur

No, not exactly though it uses a bit of it, at the big park with the castle at one end. The 'normal' circuit has the finish line on the Corso Sempione, which is the Giro's equivalent of the long straight up and down the Champs-Elysees.

Wonder what the weather is like there -- perhaps if there was light rain on the sections of paving stones they have in many of the streets there it wouldn't be great for cornering on.

frenchfighter

Now they have stopped at the start of stage 6 and Di Luca took a microphone and made an announcement. They are back rolling but at kids pace. Something to do with the organisation...

blazing_saddles

Last lap at 32.6 kph.
RAI have been comparing the favourites standing.
Leipheimer v Basso.

It's suddenly dawned on them that, with the 61km ITT up soon, Ivan has made up a grand total of 4 seconds on the two "monster" mountain stages!

They hardly pulled out all the stops for their centanary Giro. :oops:

frenchfighter

From Velonews:

Riders are obviously neutralizing the stage. It was decided earlier that the stage would be no times, no differences, no bonus. Di Luca just stopped the peloton with six laps to go and spoke in a microphone to the crowd, explaining that the circuit was too dangerous to race. He also apologized to the public for the decision. The stage win will count.

afx237vi

Le Commentateur wrote:

No, not exactly though it uses a bit of it, at the big park with the castle at one end. The 'normal' circuit has the finish line on the Corso Sempione, which is the Giro's equivalent of the long straight up and down the Champs-Elysees.

Cheers, I should have remembered that the old circuit was much, much shorter.

Reading the updates on CN, it sounds like a total farce. Reminds me of the stage of the Tour of Poland last year when the bunch simply refused to race, stopped with one lap to go, packed up and went home. Although that day was much worse - absolutely bucketing down with rain and on a circuit that really did take the mick.

Have none of these people never raced the Eneco Tour?

Le Commentateur

Well Eurosport's coverage of Touring Car racing has been delayed/extended by a crash that forced a restart. If the Giro riders are now doing a go-slow then we could still get to see the procession eventually and they may well start racing in the last couple of laps.

Quite Frankly

Why is it too dangerous?

I'm watching World Touring Cars at the moment even though the Giro coverage should have started 15 minutes ago :roll:

afx237vi

CN now reporting that Dario Cioni, Pro Tour Council rep, was in the Astana bus before the stage talking to Armstrong :roll:

What a joke.

Quite Frankly

Five laps to go...

(That's the motor car racing not the cycling)

frenchfighter

If ES isn't on you can watch it here:

http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/direttaGiro.html
(choose camera from the blue links on the side)

Or here:
http://www.justin.tv/cabe_

Or here:
http://www.justin.tv/jiojio

camerone

Can anyone explain why they don't ride a bit slower if it is too dangerous. I don't get it, it's not like there is going to be a surprise corner it's a circuit!

frenchfighter

Velonews:
Mario Cipollini just had some harsh words, saying that it's "disrespectful" to the fans and that "this isn't what cycling needs now." Cipo said he didn't see the entire circuit, but said the riders' decision shows a bad image for the Giro's centennial edition, when all the world is watching.

I talked to Dave Zabriskie about the dangerous circuits: "Sure, the finishes are always dangerous. Not just at the Giro. It's the riders who make the race dangerous."

Le Commentateur

I reckon the Italians worried that the US riders have more experience of city centre criteriums and would get the upper hand.

Riders are obviously neutralizing the stage. It was decided earlier that the stage would be no times, no differences, no bonus ... The stage win will count

This could be the Texan's only chance to win a stage, gifted by its lack of importance to the overall GC -- if he does a mad breakaway.

Quite Frankly

frenchfighter wrote:

If ES isn't on you can watch it here:

http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/direttaGiro.html
(choose camera from the blue links on the side)

Or here:
http://www.justin.tv/cabe_

Or here:
http://www.justin.tv/jiojio

Thanks. Was it raining heavily earlier then as it looks pretty dry now?

afx237vi

16:21 CEST
Giro organiser Angelo Zomengnan has said, "I don't agree with the riders on this decision. If this circuit is dangerous, then races like Amstel Gold and Liège-Bastogne-Liège should be canceled."

What he said.

paul27

Sounds like the tail is waggin the dog :roll:

jimycooper

just started watching the eurosport coverage and am baffled and moderatly pissed off. surly the route could have been looked at before today? i mean its a crit race, obviously it is going to be a fast race thruogh some tight bends-thats what a crit race is no?

and why stop now? i dont think they should race in the rain... or on cobbles or decents.

frenchfighter

Here is Di Luca, riding a course I assume he considers safe:

meagain

What a sad, bad, joke. A parade only.
I've never worried much about the dope, but I think that this is the end of my interest in pro cycle racing (and thus in "sport" in general).
Pathetic is the only word.

le_patron

...and I just finished a race in biblical rain, pot holes, a charity ride on the same course and no closed road. And I don't get paid.

It's a joke. I'm with Zomengnan. Bet Armstrong is involved somehow, because there's so much money at stake....risk tolerance is now so much lower.

frenchfighter

40.5km/h for the last lap so it looks to be picking up.

frenchfighter

The opinion of certain riders after is going to be interesting, especially those not from Italy.

One of the teams (anonymous) have invited a tv man into their car and will try and get the opinion of the riders when they come back to the car.

blazing_saddles

Harmon has called it right. A farce.
Sean Kelly. "It would never happen in my day."
Yes, pretty sure Armstrong is involved. Riders have been "visiting" the Astana coach, this morning.
Stood right by DDL's shoulder as he spoke.