Giro del Trentino **SPOILER**

rick_chasey

OCDuPalais wrote:

Even after watching it on Eurosport, I'm still trying to get my head around that climb.

There are just so many aspects involved - I'm not really so much into the science of it (I hate my sport being reduced to mathematical equations)- more like how it correlates to my understanding of riding up f@£k-off climbs as a cyclist.
Having said that, you can't ignore the numbers.
As far as I could tell, the bulk of riders hit the base of the Veleno pretty much together (even with the extremely narrow lanes, that's, what, 30-50 secs difference from the front of the bunch to the back?).
In one 8.5km climb (and a bit), Dom Pozzovivo put up to 10 mins into the first 50 riders. The next 30-odd were spread over the next 10 mins, with the "bunch" coming in over 20 mins (in the first 80, only one group finished with more than 3 riders within 20 mins of the winner - I've never seen the front of a race so fragmented).
Dom Pozz says he was on a 34 x 29 gear for most of it. He looked to have a good cadence: not "twiddling", but not grinding, either. So (without the obvious doping reference) what gear was everyone else on? 20 minutes lost in 8.5km?!! - surely running up in your socks is quicker?!!

Sorry to blather - I'm not even sure what my point is, or if there is a single question I want answered more than another: but there are 100's of stories from that climb today amongst the people involved that I'd love to hear (like the Taylor Phinney one).
And get this: a Colombian finished last!

They pedal slower. Basically.

I imagine a few of the worse climbers probably worked out they'd be going very slowly and went for even more ridiculous gearing, but I imagine most of them just pedal more slowly. Given how slowly they're going, pedalling in the same gear say 10rpm slower can be a lot of time lost.

afx237vi

greasedscotsman wrote:

Just watched the stage on the Sky Plus, not sure I like these super steep climbs. It's like watching a stage in slow motion! I wanna see riders going FAST! And with all the riders strung out it was like watching a TT! Also pretty obvious who was going to win the stage from a long way out. Still, I watched it all!

Starting to miss cobbles...

Watch it on x2 speed and all your problems are solved.

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Surely the most important factor is that Pozzovivo looks like he weighs about 6 stone soaking wet.

Same height and weight as me says wikipedia. (well, fractionally shorter).

So your not really Darth Vader then, more like Yoda?

greasedscotsman

afx237vi wrote:

Watch it on x2 speed and all your problems are solved.

rick_chasey

Just watching it on HD now.

Very strange, this guy is more or less the same build as me - albeit a bit more muscely and a lot lot quicker on the bike. I must look ridiculous on the bike. These small guys certainly do.

Nice to see a proper mountain after all those hills.

Enjoying it

Bring on the Giro.

rick_chasey

Cunego looks surprisingly good.

LangerDan

Scarponi wouldn't exactly inspire confidence as a PTP pick for the Giro though

rick_chasey

LangerDan wrote:

Scarponi wouldn't exactly inspire confidence as a PTP pick for the Giro though

No, but it's a few weeks off, and these climbs are a little niche.

rick_chasey

Rick Chasey wrote:

LangerDan wrote:

Scarponi wouldn't exactly inspire confidence as a PTP pick for the Giro though

No, but it's a few weeks off, and these climbs are a little niche.

Ah, you're obviously ahead of me. I paused it for a bit. Just saw that shot of Scarponi going veery slowly... Oh dear.

ocdupalais

Rick Chasey wrote:

They pedal slower. Basically.

Well, DUH!



I've climbed most of the HORS category climbs from the Tour, and the Giro (although yet to do Zoncolan), also to the VERY top of Sierra Nevada (3400m): yet the hardest I've ever done, on the day, was this one (and it wouldn't even merit 1st Cat, probably)... possibly owing to having done 120 miles before we got to it and to having (what had hitherto been more than adequate) lowest gear of 39 x 29.

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=5637

You only need to c@ck your gearing selection up by one sprocket less than the mountain demanded of you, and basically you're weight-lifting for the duration.

In the case of the Veleno, that was about an hour of weight-lifting for some riders: with stage 4 looking pretty evil, too, I'm wondering how any rider hopes to have recovered in time to be a serious contender for LBL.

phreak

Rick Chasey wrote:

Just watching it on HD now.

Very strange, this guy is more or less the same build as me - albeit a bit more muscely and a lot lot quicker on the bike. I must look ridiculous on the bike. These small guys certainly do.

Nice to see a proper mountain after all those hills.

Enjoying it

Bring on the Giro.

I'm the same height, but a few kg heavier. Reckon we look great, those big fellas are just jealous 8)

phreak

OCDuPalais wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

They pedal slower. Basically.

Well, DUH!



I've climbed most of the HORS category climbs from the Tour, and the Giro (although yet to do Zoncolan), also to the VERY top of Sierra Nevada (3400m): yet the hardest I've ever done, on the day, was this one (and it wouldn't even merit 1st Cat, probably)... possibly owing to having done 120 miles before we got to it and to having (what had hitherto been more than adequate) lowest gear of 39 x 29.

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=5637

You only need to c@ck your gearing selection up by one sprocket less than the mountain demanded of you, and basically you're weight-lifting for the duration.

In the case of the Veleno, that was about an hour of weight-lifting for some riders: with stage 4 looking pretty evil, too, I'm wondering how any rider hopes to have recovered in time to be a serious contender for LBL.

The Mortirolo is much the same. Horrid climb, although I have to say I spent a bit longer than an hour getting up it

Abdoujaparov

My girlfriend and I were watching Trentino last night and made a pact never to do that climb - even if we're on hols in the area and feeling fit.

Great to watch the pros do it, but looked absolutely horrible to do yourself!

Loving Phinney's average speed - fair play to him for posting it online.

rick_chasey

OCDuPalais wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

They pedal slower. Basically.

Well, DUH!

What kind of answer were you expecting?

inkyfingers

Abdoujaparov wrote:

Loving Phinney's average speed - fair play to him for posting it online.

As somebody said in another thread, that's the great thing about cycling. On a climb like that a guy like Pozzovivo will destroy Phinney, but in a flat TT or a windy/cobbled race Pozzovivo would be the one getting destroyed.

rick_chasey

inkyfingers wrote:

Abdoujaparov wrote:

Loving Phinney's average speed - fair play to him for posting it online.

As somebody said in another thread, that's the great thing about cycling. On a climb like that a guy like Pozzovivo will destroy Phinney, but in a flat TT or a windy/cobbled race Pozzovivo would be the one getting destroyed.

Sad face.

Shame I don't live in Italy really. No chance of competing.

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Abdoujaparov wrote:

Loving Phinney's average speed - fair play to him for posting it online.

As somebody said in another thread, that's the great thing about cycling. On a climb like that a guy like Pozzovivo will destroy Phinney, but in a flat TT or a windy/cobbled race Pozzovivo would be the one getting destroyed.

Sad face.

Shame I don't live in Italy really. No chance of competing.

I'm the complete opposite. Flat is good, hills are bad.

frenchfighter

Coldeportes...not very good for Colombians. Fist at 2.25 down, next at 7mins. Dont think we will see this team in 2013.

Scarponi and DI Luca down at 12mins.

Rujano was actually 4th so not bad.

Fair play to Pozzivivo - he has owned everyone this Trentino climbing. Would nice to see him on a bigger team (maybe just because of suspicion over him but still)

ocdupalais

greasedscotsman wrote:

not sure I like these super steep climbs. It's like watching a stage in slow motion! I wanna see riders going FAST!

I liked novelty of it - seeing the "good patches", then "bad patches" of supreme climbers in relative slow motion was quite interesting, I thought.
Perhaps part of the issue on the Punta Veleno (which translates as 'Poison Point', if no one else has mentioned that: and if they have...it still translates as that) was that it was so difficult to provide decent TV coverage.
If it had bee the Tour/Giro, etc, they could've afforded stationary cameras at certain points on the climb that had the (very unusual) benefit of being able to see down large sections of the climb, for example.

Obviously, once the leaders had passed, the shots would've been needlessly wallowing in the excruciating pain of some of the World's best riders zig-zagging in a state of woe... and no one here would want to see that.

ocdupalais

Rick Chasey wrote:

What kind of answer were you expecting?

Don't know really - was just waiting for any opportunity to use The Bunk; and look who I used it on!

I'd like to use it in all areas of my life, if that's ok with you.
If anyone can suggest a way of cut-and-pasting it down the shops in response to shoddy service, I'd be obliged.

rick_chasey

OCDuPalais wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

What kind of answer were you expecting?

Don't know really - was just waiting for any opportunity to use The Bunk; and look who I used it on!

I'd like to use it in all areas of my life, if that's ok with you.
If anyone can suggest a way of cut-and-pasting it down the shops in response to shoddy service, I'd be obliged.

The bunk is an excellent gif. Excellent.

frenchfighter

Looks like a spidertech and netapp rider about 2mins up ahead

Snowing earlier, maybe now, slopes (sides, not road) towards the top covered in snow

afx237vi

Like something out of the Winter Olympics at the top of the Pordoi. Cycle up, ski down.

frenchfighter

Basso leading the charge. Testing his legs or riding for his teammates.

Currently has the bunch strung out a bit with Rujano in his wheel.

frenchfighter

edit

frenchfighter

Group of 30. Big names all there.

Now Rujano attacks.

frenchfighter

From yday for ref:

General Classification after Stage 3
1 Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago CSF Bardini) 8:20:42
2 Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) + 25
3 Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas-Cannondale) + 49
4 Roman Kreuziger (Astana) + 50
5 Mathias Frank (BMC) + 1:42
6 Carlos Betancur (Acqua&Sapone) + 1:47
7 José Rujano (Androni-Giocattoli) + 1:48
8 Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp)
9 Marco Pinotti (BMC)
10 Hubert Dupont (AG2R) + 2:06

frenchfighter

Ruajnao caught by Eros towing 12 others

frenchfighter

Cunego there, Szymd there cant see Pozzivivo for now.

Basso got shelled in seconds.

frenchfighter

Yeah Poz is there and looking cool