Giro Stage 20 *spoiler*

Turfle

Nibali just a class above everyone. I don't think there's a rider in the world that would have beaten him on this course, in this weather.

Le Commentateur

Before the start of the stage.

thomthom

I'm sure there's a point by posting this but it can't hardly come as a surprise to you that Nibali has a picture taken with his DF..

shinyhelmut

No, but it is a it depressing being reminded who his manager is. Particularly when another Astana manager is comparing him to Pantani.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/538563/vincenzo-nibali-is-similar-to-marco-pantani-says-astana-manager.html

knedlicky

Le Commentateur wrote:

Evans has nothing left to give. Losing ground again.

Apparently Evans had a technical problem which led to him falling back, even behind Scarponi, after having initially done well to close the gap to Uran and Betancur.

iainf72

knedlicky wrote:

Le Commentateur wrote:

Evans has nothing left to give. Losing ground again.

Apparently Evans had a technical problem which led to him falling back, even behind Scarponi, after having initially done well to close the gap to Uran and Betancur.

Last time he lost a position in a GT due to a mechanical, he won the next big race he competed in.

So he's a shoe-in for the TdF now

dolan_driver

This was a great stage on which to crown the new Giro winner. Nibali's win will always have an asterisk beside it though, because of the lack of mountain stages and the departure of some of his main challengers.

It is great to see Cadel Evans back to some kind of form. Third on the podium is not bad for a training race. I hope he goes into the Tour in top form and wins again. That'd be a little unexpected.

The Colombians were very impressive. The Colombia Team really went for it with Atapuma and Duarte. The second place for Duarte was not too shabby. Somebody said earlier in the race that the Colombia Team were useless and shouldn't even be in the race. I think they proved that assertion to be incorrect. Betancur was very strong and probably did THE ride on the last hill, chasing back from over a minute down to get back into the front group, after Saxo tried to distance him. The chase with his team-mates through the cavalcade in Cortina D'Ammpezzo was breath-taking with no prisoners taken. Anyone who thinks the Colombians can't handle a bike should look at that piece of footage again. He then went straight through the group and joined up with Uran and Duarte to finish strongly and win the White Jersey. The little push from a Colombia rider at the bottom of the hill didn't hurt either! Apparently all Colombian riders from all the various teams go to the Colombia Team Bus at the start of some of the stages for coffee and a chat. They are a unified group, by the looks of it. Even Wiggo joined them on one occasion early in the Giro, allegedly!

Rigoberto Uran delivered a great performance. Not bad for Sky's Plan C for this race. On a totally unrelated point, he scores big points with his unfashionable mullet. He appears to simply not give a fook and thus, is cooler by default than all those Premier League pansies with their over-coiffured barnets. He is quickly becoming the peloton's new anti-hero. He was very gracious in his praise of Nibali and his performance, too.

I'm not sure what Cancellara was complaining about. He rides Paris-Roubaix and loves it. Racing through the Forest of Arenberg is not exactly conducive to a rider's good health. The stage finished in snow, granted, but the riders didn't have to descend in those conditions and they were warned in advance with many relieving the team cars of much of their thermal clothing before the climb. Duarte and Betancur even rode the final climbs with no arm warmers. We have all been caught out in conditions like those and it's just part of the sport, whether your a Cat 3 or a Pro. Everyone should experience the pain of thawing fingers at least once in your life. It'll make a man of you!

DD.

adr82

Dolan Driver wrote:

This was a great stage on which to crown the new Giro winner. Nibali's win will always have an asterix beside it though

deejay

Dolan Driver wrote:

The Colombians were very impressive.
The stage finished in snow, granted, but the riders didn't have to descend in those conditions and they were warned in advance with many relieving the team cars of much of their thermal clothing before the climb. Duarte and Betancur even rode the final climbs with no arm warmers. We have all been caught out in conditions like those and it's just part of the sport, whether your a Cat 3 or a Pro. Everyone should experience the pain of thawing fingers at least once in your life. It'll make a man of you!

Or first you have to ride for an hour or so with Numb fingers before you find a Pub or Cafe to sit with a Lovely fire drying out your clothes and gloves.
Only the Posh kids had daddy out on the course with the car.

Cleat Eastwood

adr82 wrote:

Dolan Driver wrote:

This was a great stage on which to crown the new Giro winner. Nibali's win will always have an asterix beside it though

Yes, to some his win was a bit gaul-ing

dolan_driver

adr82 wrote:

Dolan Driver wrote:

This was a great stage on which to crown the new Giro winner. Nibali's win will always have an asterix beside it though

Yep, asterisk is the word I was looking for! You learn something new everyday.

DD.

deejay

You have all seen the 1988 Gavia pictures of Andy Hampsten which is now part of Giro Legend.

Within a few years this stage will also join the Giro History Legend and irrespective of the so called Boring part of it.
Then you will be able to say "I remember that Giro and the foul weather" it was an Epic. :roll:

frenchfighter

Aru

frenchfighter

ShinyHelmut wrote:

No, but it is a it depressing being reminded who his manager is. Particularly when another Astana manager is comparing him to Pantani.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/538563/vincenzo-nibali-is-similar-to-marco-pantani-says-astana-manager.html

Interesting read.

This made me chuckle:
Martinelli's name lives on. Davide Martinelli, 19, rode as a trainee for Sky last fall and said that he would like to join them for 2014.

"I think they want engines, 'una passista,'" he told Cycling Weekly. "I think that I could fill that role in the first years and be a good domestique."

frenchfighter

DeadCalm

frenchfighter wrote:

So Betancur had a mechanical and had to expend serious energy to get back.

Then:
16:19:16 CEST
Betancur has changed bikes now and Saxo are looking to take advantage.

I didnt see this but that would make it even harder.

Then he finishes right up there at the finish.

Class.

So glad that Betancur took the white jersey anyway. That was really shabby of Saxo to try and take advantage of his mechanical. I really hope they are made to pay for that at some future date.

frenchfighter

Hey DeadCalm, check your PM

secretsqirrel

deejay wrote:

You have all seen the 1988 Gavia pictures of Andy Hampsten which is now part of Giro Legend.

Within a few years this stage will also join the Giro History Legend and irrespective of the so called Boring part of it.
Then you will be able to say "I remember that Giro and the foul weather" it was an Epic. :roll:

This rings true with me also.

Once we are left with a few iconic photographs to remind us of harsh conditions, riders with icicles in their eyebrows and shiny glass-like roads this Giro will have something to make it stand out in the memory.

frenchfighter

Gruber`s photos are up and they are simply amazing.

frenchfighter

DeadCalm

Ooh. I do like the photos FF, especially that last one. Obviously.

RideOnTime

frenchfighter wrote:

Great picture.

ddraver

Can someone ask frenchie to posts the link please? I'm blocked for not agreeing with him 100% of the time...

pat1cp

ddraver wrote:

Can someone ask frenchie to posts the link please? I'm blocked for not agreeing with him 100% of the time...

So am I, ignorant self gratifying knob that he is.

ddraver

You ve not helped me much there though bud

We need someone less contraversial to "retweet" us :P

pat1cp

I've bitten my tongue so many times........

mfin

Your problem is you all haven't got enough panaches, if you had at least half a dozen panaches each and you were certified heavyweights instead of lightweights, aaaaand you 'lit things up' all the time you'd get your links.

Note: This post doesn't make sense as it uses non-sensical terms that mean diddly squat. But, if you understand these terms then you are both passionate about cycling and know your stuff, if you don't, you are not worth my time and I don't read your posts and you are not TrueFans.

PS. I must mention Contador even though its irrelevant. Um. Contador.

Paul 8v

frenchfighter wrote:

This stage definitely looked the most epic of them all, quite fitting for the queen stage.

frenchfighter

mfin wrote:

Your problem is you all haven't got enough panaches, if you had at least half a dozen panaches each and you were certified heavyweights instead of lightweights, aaaaand you 'lit things up' all the time you'd get your links.

Note: This post doesn't make sense as it uses non-sensical terms that mean diddly squat. But, if you understand these terms then you are both passionate about cycling and know your stuff, if you don't, you are not worth my time and I don't read your posts and you are not TrueFans.

PS. I must mention Contador even though its irrelevant. Um. Contador.

Good post muffin man.

pat1cp

I've started doing little amateur photography and I'm not absolutely of copyright laws but they are getting tighter and tighter. Should FF be posting all these images on here that he obviously hasn't taken himself without permission ??

I'm led to believe he has a 10 gazzillion terabyte hard drive full too.