Giro s'Italia - Stage 2 - Utrecht - SPOILER

FJS
FJS Posts: 4,820
edited May 2010 in Pro race
Stage 2 is underway for an hour and a bit, but no live broadcasts yet.

Well over 200 km to Utrecht, flat of course, although with mountain jersey points on two of the 'hills' West of Utrecht. Cycling fans should of course know them from Veenendaal-Veenendaal, won by such mountain goats as Kenny van Hummel, Jeroen Blijlevens and Jean-Paul van Poppel. Normally riders would hardly notice them, but with best climbers' jersey points to be gained they could be interesting - more so because who wins the points gets to keep the jersey for at least 3 days! - no points tomorrow, on the rest day, and in the TTT. Perhaps a once in a lifetime chance for riders like Greipel , Petacchi or Farrar to ride a couplle of days in the best climbers' jersey of a Grand Tour!

For the rest, it's dry and not too windy - should be one for the sprinters. Only thing to note is that the last 20 km or so is through Utrecht streets, some parts quite twisting, and the peloton could break there.
«134

Comments

  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Breakaway of the day is with Voss, Flens, Pirazzi and Facci - 5 minutes after 53 km, 157 km to go. The 'hills' will be after 75 and 100 km, so it looks like one of those 4 will be in the green mountain jersey until Thursday at least.
  • StefanP
    StefanP Posts: 429
    Live feed has now started on Gazetta TV, althought they aren't showing the ACTUAL race yet - just pictures of the finish line :roll:

    The peloton is now just 3'42" from the same leading 4 riders at 90km
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    live feed with actual race broadcast: http://www.freedocast.com/CTM66#cf
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    Gazzetta's live.

    Sky pulling the peloton along 8)
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    Elsewhere, Thor Hushovd has broken his collar bone in training. Out for 6b weeks so no Cali for him
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,600
    any chance of a link. i can't find the live stuff on gazetta
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    gsk82 wrote:
    any chance of a link. i can't find the live stuff on gazetta

    http://videochat.gazzetta.it/index_giro.shtml

    They must be having technical issues. They keep cutting back to the finish line.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Oh how I hate the BLOODY BLACK EYED PEAS.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    RAI don't have permission to fly, from race radio. So, we won't be having many pictures.
    Same thing happened in Belgium in 2006, with them using army frequencies.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Is this volcano related or just a paperwork mishap?
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Never mind... live pictures now.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Never mind... spoke too soon.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,821
    This coverage of the finish line "reveals" that Dutch people are a bit crazy
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Luckao wrote:

    Sky pulling the peloton along 8)

    Wot? I thought they didn't do things like that? :wink:
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    iainf72 wrote:
    Luckao wrote:

    Sky pulling the peloton along 8)

    Wot? I thought they didn't do things like that? :wink:

    Maybe it was the feed zone.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    iainf72 wrote:
    Luckao wrote:

    Sky pulling the peloton along 8)

    Wot? I thought they didn't do things like that? :wink:
    Well, they are pulling slower than the break is going.
    Re heli. Italian organisation.
    Re Volcano. Northern Italian airspace is currently......................closed.
    Enjoy the transfer, boys.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Who is that blonde headed guy, riding shoulder to shoulder with Wiggo? :shock: :lol:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Re Volcano. Northern Italian airspace is currently......................closed.
    Enjoy the transfer, boys.

    Yup. I wonder what they're going to do. Could be a real nightmare.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    iainf72 wrote:
    Luckao wrote:

    Sky pulling the peloton along 8)

    Wot? I thought they didn't do things like that? :wink:

    As I said elsewhere, they've awoken from their early Spring slumber :)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    This is a stage better watched on the highlight reel.

    Watch the last 3km, with all the assorted replays of the sprint to work out what actually happened, any crashes, and a few token pictures of Dutchies enjoying themselves.

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?

    This Giro is so back heavy that it might be nearly 2 weeks of this.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    iainf72 wrote:

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?

    This Giro is so back heavy that it might be nearly 2 weeks of this.

    I was looking at all the stage profiles the other day and yes, it could be seriously dull for a while.

    Still, we're cycling fans, we all love nothing better than having a good moan, so win-win...
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    iainf72 wrote:

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?

    This Giro is so back heavy that it might be nearly 2 weeks of this.

    TOC starts next week though doesn't it?
    8)
  • luckao
    luckao Posts: 632
    I wonder if they'll follow the Vuelta's example by taking us house hunting through the Dutch suburbs.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    iainf72 wrote:

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?

    This Giro is so back heavy that it might be nearly 2 weeks of this.

    TOC starts next week though doesn't it?
    8)

    This could be a problem. How many hours a day of live cycling will there be, Giro and ToC combined?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    DaveyL wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:

    *sigh* week one of grand tours eh?

    This Giro is so back heavy that it might be nearly 2 weeks of this.

    I was looking at all the stage profiles the other day and yes, it could be seriously dull for a while.

    Still, we're cycling fans, we all love nothing better than having a good moan, so win-win...

    I wondered if and when last year's moan would raise it's head.
    My PTP for a big moan,..............next Sunday.
    Garmin in the furniture. Tyler Farrar!
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Farrar crash...
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    I'm sure those Felts must have a bollard homing device in their headset.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Farrar down - looks OK. should take some energy to get back to the peoloton though...
  • StefanP
    StefanP Posts: 429
    Looked like a bottleneck, think he is ok, guillaume blot isn't however ;(