Giro Stage 18 *spoiler*

frenchfighter

Might as well start this one I guess.

Stage kicked off about 10mins ago.

I don't think anyone can see past Cavendish especially given basically all sprinters are out. Maybe Guardini will win one...!

ilm_zero7

4 out the front: Pagini. Clement, Boaro and ANO

jibberjim

Well the problem is can Thomas, Stannard, Eisel and Flecha, Henao control the race enough that it actually ends in a sprint. Will they call in some favours from Greededge or Rabo (if there's enough of them to actually do anything) to help pull it back - Androni and Farnese still have sprinters, but they'll probably have someone in the break anyway, so can't see them helping.

I think it might be tough for Sky.

frenchfighter

Angelo Pagani (Ita), Colnago-CSF Inox
Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita), Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
Stef Clement (Ned), Rabobank
Manuele Boaro (Ita), Saxo Bank

Out the front.

Velits - DNS

jibberjim

Small break, so that's good for Sky - the teams just want a rest today I guess?

Mad Roadie

its De Negri and the gap is up to 2:30 already

RonB

Intermediate sprint today is a hill top finish 84km in - Cesiomaggiore. A small number of points could be important in terms of the Maglia Rossa, even the 2 pts for 5th if that break stays clear until then.

Dancing Bear

i think this is one stage of the Giro i could manage, 2% downhill average for the whole stage, must be pretty good.

Tom BB

I think Guardini is really struggling isn't he? He has been rolling in after the Auto Bus and is second last on GC. Has he even sprinted yet? Perhaps todays short stage may suit him more and with most of the other sprinters at home you'd hope he'd be up there. Can't see past Cav though, unless Sky can't control it-Thomas, Stannard and Eisel will have to do the bulk of the work you'd imagine.

jibberjim

RonB wrote:

Intermediate sprint today is a hill top finish 84km in - Cesiomaggiore. A small number of points could be important in terms of the Maglia Rossa, even the 2 pts for 5th if that break stays clear until then.

Can he take it though - be interesting to see if Katusha send some guys to mop it up - it's uphill so it won't be that easy for Cav.

RonB

All will be revealed in around an hour or so.

TMR

Would Cavendish be allowed in a break today? My feeling is no...

tailwindhome

I know Cavendish divides opinion on the forum, but he deserves enormous credit for how he has approached this race. I hope he's rewarded with a stage win today and makes it through to Sunday.

Mad Roadie

2:53 now, but holding.. good to see cav still in red, he must be fancying his chances of keeping it until the end now

Tom BB

Wow listening to Harmon list all the riders whom have abandoned.......will anyone even contest the finish with Cav! Aside from Guardini and Ferrari, what other sprinters are left? Most of the leadout men/second rate sprinters have gone too!

blazing_saddles

This stage is so EPIC, it's got two spoilers. :oops:
Race speed 50kph and climbing.
Should be mercifully short.
Oh yes, I might as well put Cav in my post, too.

rick_chasey

Merged.

sportbilly1976

Cav's had a shave too, he must have read your comments Frenchie

rick_chasey

sportbilly1976 wrote:

Cav's had a shave too, he must have read your comments Frenchie

As I asked in the other thread - face or legs?

schweiz

not related just to stage 18 but is anyone else finding the constant highlighting, by Eurosport, of discarded bidons rolling through the peleton and having to be avoided (and on the German commentry that I'm being subjected to, being reminded that it was a bidon that took Fabü down in the Tour of Flanders), just a little annoying?

I'm sure it's nothing new.

rick_chasey

schweiz wrote:

not related just to stage 18 but is anyone else finding the constant highlighting, by Eurosport, of discarded bidons rolling through the peloton and having to be avoided (and on the German commentry that I'm being subjected to, being reminded that it was a bidon that took Fabü down in the Tour of Flanders), just a little annoying?

I'm sure it's nothing new.

Haven't noticed it.

sportbilly1976

schweiz wrote:

not related just to stage 18 but is anyone else finding the constant highlighting, by Eurosport, of discarded bidons rolling through the peloton and having to be avoided (and on the German commentry that I'm being subjected to, being reminded that it was a bidon that took Fabü down in the Tour of Flanders), just a little annoying?

I'm sure it's nothing new.

not seeing that...but I wish the the guy with erectile problems sitting up the tree with his missus would to sort himself out :roll:

schweiz

Rick Chasey wrote:

schweiz wrote:

not related just to stage 18 but is anyone else finding the constant highlighting, by Eurosport, of discarded bidons rolling through the peloton and having to be avoided (and on the German commentry that I'm being subjected to, being reminded that it was a bidon that took Fabü down in the Tour of Flanders), just a little annoying?

I'm sure it's nothing new.

Haven't noticed it.

It's happened a couple of times in post Tour of Flanders classics and they've highlighted 3 or 4 occurances already this week including one where a bidon hit a road sign and bounced back into the middle of the peleton. I bet whoever threw it couldn't do it again if they tried! There was another today about 15 mins ago which prompted my post.

sportbilly1976

Sky, Liquigas, Garmin & Katusha prominent at the front of the peloton at the moment...

rick_chasey

schweiz wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

schweiz wrote:

not related just to stage 18 but is anyone else finding the constant highlighting, by Eurosport, of discarded bidons rolling through the peloton and having to be avoided (and on the German commentry that I'm being subjected to, being reminded that it was a bidon that took Fabü down in the Tour of Flanders), just a little annoying?

I'm sure it's nothing new.

Haven't noticed it.

It's happened a couple of times in post Tour of Flanders classics and they've highlighted 3 or 4 occurances already this week including one where a bidon hit a road sign and bounced back into the middle of the peloton. I bet whoever threw it couldn't do it again if they tried! There was another today about 15 mins ago which prompted my post.

Yeah. henk lubberding was going on about the poor etiquette current pro-cyclists were showing generally last TdF.

Things like stopping on the left hand side of the road (instead of the right) - going the wrong side of the lunch people at the lunch stop etc etc.

Le Commentateur

Looks like they've lost live coverage... both my feeds are frozen and RAI are doing loads of ads.

blazing_saddles

Are Sky about to take a dangerous gamble?
Seems they are after taking the break back and contesting the IS.

sportbilly1976

Le Commentateur wrote:

Looks like they've lost live coverage... both my feeds are frozen and RAI are doing loads of ads.

this one still up & running

http://videochat.gazzetta.it/index_Radi ... smo_Libero

Tom BB

Split in the peloton....its a shame that Frank Schleck has gone home....we could've talked about him being on the wrong side of it!

blazing_saddles

Massive split in the peloton, caused by Sky roping in the break.
Might not be the predictable damp squib after all.

TMR

Massive split in the field.