Giro Stage 3 Armagh - Dublin *Spoiler*

24

Comments

  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    Kittel from Swift. Now let's get on that plane.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Oooooooooooh I thought Swifty had it.

    Awful awful stage. Exciting final 2k.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    Thought Swift had that then!
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Well the last 3km were exciting. Blimey though a bit twisty turny. The rest. Meh.

    I thought Swift might have just got that, but alas no. Kittel Kat again coming from a long way back.

    You can see how much faith Garmin have in Tyler Farrar's sprinting ability, giving him such support in the last few kms.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Kittel just made up about 15m on Viviani and Swift over the last 50m. Ridiculous power.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    Well timed from Kittel, maybe Swift went a little bit early; looked like he was fading a bit at the end. Or maybe that was just the sheer pace of Kittel?
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    The Giant train is not looking as all conquering as it was at the Tour last year? Not that it is needed.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Swift definitely going for maglia rosso.
  • mulletmaster
    mulletmaster Posts: 502
    :( it's a shame that they picked 2 very lacklustre routes, for reasons that were always beyond me. There are routes that are breath taking but would also decimate a peleton, but that wasn't what the organisers wanted.
    The weather, but that was always a risk and it's not like any stage finishes had to be changed, it's not like people are calling for the previously snow affected mountain stages to be avoided.

    The races themselves were pretty well ran and IMHO pretty damn well supported with electric atmosphere especially considering conditions (that the natives are all too familiar with). My own personal opinion is that we don't have any more road furniture than anywhere else, in developed western europe. Sure some of the road surfaces are dreadful however.

    A GT probably won't be back in my lifetime, but that's not due to how the past few days have gone IMO. With the routes selected and the weather that was dealt, I'm not sure how anybody could have expected anything more or less? :?
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    The last 25m was good ...
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    My thinking is that the last two stages were designed to attract the sprinters except it didn't work and we were left with pretty much a foregone conclusion in Kittel wins (although Swift and Sky did a good job of nearly upsetting the apple cart today) especially considering the weather.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Disagree with FF. For the Giro this has been an outstanding success with off-the-scale crowd scenes and coverage. It's the first few days of a GT. The racing is always dull, except when they have a TTT to spice the start. Three day races, over a weekend, based in major cities is the future of this sport.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Sky did well there, I thought Kittel woud not make it as he misjudged the last few bends, fair play he did it, good ride b Swift to beat Viviani. Don't see the difference between Irish and Italian rain? Weather always crap in Giro.
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I didn't watch it but it seems strange that EBH comes in 6th. Are him and Swift both going for the win of is EBH working for Swift? Seems a bit uncoordinated.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Kiserlovski, Majka and Scarponi gained 11 secs compared to the other main contenders.
    Pity is wasn't more, to spice things up a bit.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Scarponi and Majka made 11 seconds on the other GC contenders today.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    inseine wrote:
    I didn't watch it but it seems strange that EBH comes in 6th. Are him and Swift both going for the win of is EBH working for Swift? Seems a bit uncoordinated.
    EBH was working for Swift, did a decent job of it.
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Don't see the difference between Irish and Italian rain? Weather always crap in Giro.

    +1

    I don't see what all the fuss is about to be honest. These guys ride in bad weather year after year across Europe. In last year's Giro we saw crashes and illness because of the torrenital rain and then witnessed stages cut in half because of snow.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Terrible racing. Not even the battle before the sprint was exciting. Soft pedalling and large front of the peloton with 5 km to go.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Very good job by EBH and a great sprint by swifty... But an almighty one by Kittel!!

    Good to see him so broken afterwards, shows real passion

    Not the best of stages but it's a flat stage in The first week of a grand tour. what were people expecting?!?!

    Spent the afternoon riding the fixie round all the posh bike shops in Soho then went and watched it in the Rapha Club. I am a fat MAMIL and a Fixie hipster w*nker!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    The one in Golden Square? Kinoko.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    ddraver wrote:
    Very good job by EBH and a great sprint by swifty... But an almighty one by Kittel


    BnXigQuIcAACucE.jpg

    Jill Douglas ‏@JillADouglas · 10m
    View from my seat: This was inside 100m to go, u can just see @marcelkittel on edge of frame! pic.twitter.com/eppcOWtkDy
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    Good picture of how far back Kittel was:

    https://twitter.com/JillADouglas/status ... 8489254912

    I would have embedded it but can't work out how to (or if you can) do it from Twitter.

    Edit: ha! Beaten to it by someone more technically proficient!
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Just seen that; great sprint for Swifty, promises much for the hillier stages with a reduced bunch sprint. But incredible how much faster Kittel is than everyone else in the last 100 m....
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I find sprinting pretty pedestrian at the best of times, but that was pretty astonishing.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    Had visitors, 3kms from the finish. (All that was worth watching, in reality)
    Just watched and I have to say I thought
    Kittel was toast, right up until he wasn't.

    Frighteningly faster than Viviani (in front) and Bouhanni. (on his wheel)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Joelsim wrote:
    The one in Golden Square? Kinoko.

    Kinoko's is shut on sunday but there was the Rapha Club (obv), Fitzrovia Bikes, Velorution so enough bike porn to while away 110km to 30 odd (still not enough but). Plus there was still evans and Cycle surgery to waste a but of time. To be honest it was as much about getting out on the new bike and having a bit of a cruise around as much as anything

    Still managed to spend way too much money though :(
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Good catch on the slight gap in those coming in.

    --

    Marcel Kittel thoughts on Northern Ireland: “The first thing that comes to mind is rain. The second is the amazing atmosphere. Even with all the rain, there were people in shorts and t-shirts, cheering for us at the roadside. I don’t know how they do it, but it was wonderful. I felt really happy, even on the wet roads.”
    Contador is the Greatest
  • mulletmaster
    mulletmaster Posts: 502
    Very nice of him to say that. Professional and courteous. I am solidly a fan, perhaps even over Cav who almost certainly would have found something to moan about
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,396
    I'd think the Giro organizers will be pleased with their Irish excursion. The roadside support seems to have been massive and the Ulstermen really seem to have bought into it all.

    Opening days of a GT rarely offer great stages - as they say you can't win the GT in the opening days but you can lose it - ask Dan Martin!

    As for the weather, well everyone knows Ireland is wet, but then it's hardly as if it doesn't rain anywhere else bike races are held.

    Kittel dug really really deep for that win - he was literally on the floor after from the exertion. Tough on Swifty but as said above potentially bodes well for some of the hillier stages.

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