Giro Stage 3 Armagh - Dublin *Spoiler*

mulletmaster

I don't know about that I've heard him say plenty of time "aye the team was rubbish, they are a disgrace, I had to fight my way up for the win, just as well I'm awesome" or words to that effect. I don't want to turn this in to a cav slagging fest though so will leave it there. I suspect the big german very much has the measure of him now, a head to head should be very interesting.

frenchfighter

“I don’t know my power numbers from the sprint today, but even if I knew them, I wouldn’t want to reveal them,” Kittel said with a smile.

“Of course, I know my data and power output. It’s a big science, and I like to compare it to motor sports,” Kittel said. “The reason I would like to keep my numbers to myself, is when someone else knows my power output, it’s possible to create a strategy around it. When people know how much I can output on a climb, then they could go that much harder to drop me, so that’s why I prefer to keep it to myself.”

thomthom

I'm sure The Clinic already has twisted this as half the evidence of organised doping schemes on the Giant team.

Macaloon

Ben Swift is quietly having a Degenkolb of a season. Handily beating Viviani on a legitimately flat fast finish is strong.

TheBigBean

I don't understand all the grumbling that goes on in the first week of most GTs. It's a three week race, you can't have the queen stage on the first day.

That said, including a TTT, well, where to do I start...

ddraver

9 times out of 10 Swift would have won that. Kittel had an amazing day, the sort of day Cav had when he flew past Sanchez in the tour.

dolan_driver

I was at the 6km-from-the-finish point today, just at the end of the long coast road where the peloton were spread across the road. For the entire stretch of that road from the 10km mark until the 5km point where they turned left, the peloton was riding into a seriously strong headwind. The sprint trains could have strung it out or they could, as they did today, let the wind bring back the break and deter any attackers. Anyone attacking on that road was going nowhere. Things kicked off once they got inside the 5km mark.

Yes, the weather was crap but as many have said, it is Ireland. It does also rain in other countries too. It wasn't too cold so it could have been worse. They have had snow on the Ras in May in the past!

The crowds were pretty impressive, given the weather and it was good to see Gentleman Kittel being so gracious about the poor conditions yet highlighting the fans. I'm sure the peloton were wondering why so many people came out in the rain in such large numbers to cheer them on. We try to compensate for the poor weather! There was a real festival atmosphere among the people lining the road near me and people seemed genuinely delighted that this great event had bothered itself to come to Ireland.

If anyone wants to see a few crappy photos from my vantage point, let me know and I'll post them up.

DD.

Paul 8v

TheBigBean wrote:

I don't understand all the grumbling that goes on in the first week of most GTs. It's a three week race, you can't have the queen stage on the first day.

That said, including a TTT, well, where to do I start...

Haha, I really like TTTs. A well drilled team trial is a great thing to watch

Turfle

TTTs are great. First stage of a Giro, with the high likelihood of rain and wind is maybe not a great time for one though.

GGBiker

Typical of the weather here in Northern Ireland, the sun has been shining since about 3pm today, beautiful evening!

It does rain a bit here but this weekend was particularly bad unfortunately, we've had some great weather over the past couple of months. It was great to see the people get behind this, there was a great atmosphere all weekend and genuine interest and excitement. The TTT was a highlight, made for great spectating for non cycling fans with a cavalcade arriving every 5 mins. My favourite moment was a dropped Orica rider who got a massive cheer as he came up Stranmillis hill, he responded by high -fiving the crowds lining the road all the way up the hill!

Another great story was a local club rider who blagged his way onto an Omega Pharma training ride for 3hrs on his commute to work, got his priorities right and arrived at work very late after having the time of his life!

Truly a memorable weekend from start to finish, great for Ireland north and south, sad to see the few negative/cynical comments on here about weather/street furniture/racing. It meant the world to the people here and especially local cycling fans who are unlikely to witness such a spectacle again on these shores.

Paul 8v

I bet he was knackered after that! They put on a very good show and the support was awesome. The sea of pink rain capes on stage 1 was a great sight.

oneof1982

Just back from Belfast. Never been there before, but have been to many cities hosting GT's. People of Belfast and the organisers can be well pleased with how that went. The buy-in from local people and traders was huge. Huge crowds. Never seen the Tifosi, and the local shops dressed in so much pink before.

Ok the racing hasn't been spectacular, but it's the first three days of a GT FFS.

shazzz

I've really enjoyed watching (on le telly) this weekend. Looks to me like our Irish brethren have done a fantastic job. Several times I've had a real lump in my throat watching the pictures of the crowds lining the road. It shows why grand tours are such amazing events for the communities that welcome them, as well as for cycling fans.

Kittel's finish today was 10/10 amazeballs. I hope he can keep that form through to July...

mulletmaster

GGBiker wrote:

The TTT was a highlight, made for great spectating for non cycling fans with a cavalcade arriving every 5 mins. My favourite moment was a dropped Orica rider who got a massive cheer as he came up Stranmillis hill, he responded by high -fiving the crowds lining the road all the way up the hill!
.

I was at that corner on a scaffold and that was great as the ag2r boy who couldnt kept clipped in on the kill and had to crab up it

Pross

I think people are making too much of a) how boring the opening stages have been and b) the weather and 'dangerous' roads. With the former, it's much like the opening of the majority of GTs I've watched i.e. flat stages with a forlorn break and pre-determined bunch sprint to give most of the field a chance to ease into the race. With the latter I'd say that despite the wet roads there have been no more (and probably fewer) crashes than you usually get in the early stages of a GT with 200 fresh riders trying to make a mark. As I've said before the weather isn't uncommon for a Giro (think of Wiggins 'descending like a girl' on treacherous roads last year or the Strade Bianchi stage a few years ago) and most towns in France in July will have similar issues with traffic islands etc.

I think it's been a highly successful few days and wouldn't be at all surprised to see it repeated. The organisers get a few million in the bank, the host countries get a big out of season tourist boost and some boring, flat stages in bad weather got a far bigger roadside crowd than they would have in Italy.

DeVlaeminck

Yes it's been pretty much as expected except a bit wetter. Well done to Ireland, hopefully we'll get the Giro over to England now it's been shown that there is interest in cycling beyond the Tour.

Cracking ride by Swift, would have to say Kittel won that rather than Swift lost it, nice lead out by EBH too they did well to get into that position on a really technical run in.

alan_a

Pross wrote:

I think it's been a highly successful few days and wouldn't be at all surprised to see it repeated. The organisers get a few million in the bank, the host countries get a big out of season tourist boost and some boring, flat stages in bad weather got a far bigger roadside crowd than they would have in Italy.

I agree with everything, but in particular the bit in bold.

This weekend has been the most expensive weekend away I have ever had. Over two grand spent on ferries, 3 nights hotel for family, 3 nights baby sitters, giro T shirts for weans, cycling tops, hand clappers, petrol and many other assorted pink things, food, drink, wedding anniversary night out and the fecking piss take that is the National Trust building at Giant's Causeway.

Our 2010 entire month following Le Tour was only £500 more expensive.

Thank god much of it is tax deductible because of the whisky tasting I did.

dolan_driver

All of these photos are pretty poor but maybe they will be of interest nonetheless.

6 kilometres to go and the bunch is just accelerating for the left turn coming up in 500 metres time. The Giant train are on the left while Lotto, BMC and Sky are grouped towards the front on the right hand side of the peloton.


Kittel is five back in the Giant train in red, hiding behind an equally large team mate. Cadel Evans is number three in the BMC line.


I was hoping to snap Rigoberto Uran or Nairo Quintana but instead I had to settle for this blurry shot of an unknown Colombia rider.


At first this looks like another blurry shot of the peloton but if you go through the riders captured, you'll see the red, blue and pink jerseys are all present. Ryder Hesjedal has also crashed the party.


Nico Roche off the back after his puncture. Did he make it back to the peloton?




Two Belkin riders further off the back.I heard that Wilco Kelderman had a crash earlier so I'm not sure if he is one of these two. The guy at the back seems to be riding a spare bike.






DD.

Disclaimer; I told you they were crappy photos.

RoadPainter

Random thoughts from amazing weekend:
Scale of pink right up there with the pinkest mountain villages during Giro - which was amazing to see over such a huge area: Mayor with pink hair, pink sheep, pink electricity pylons, pink Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, pink town hall, pink Samson & Delilah cranes....

Unbelievably massive crowds.

Massive success for everyone. NI should declare independence and get a pink flag! Incredible togetherness for a country still v divided.

Boring racing? Try telling that to the people there, massive atmosphere.

I was v generously offered hospitality pass due to travel plans being messed up by fri start, managed to have a pic with OGE pre-podium on Fri, sat having a coffee with most of Androni in Armagh Sun am, stayed fairly dry due to grandstand @ 70m to go in Belfast.
They promised a pass for 1 stage but gave me one that covers whole race, which is ideal as I'm going out to Italy next weekend & for final 4 stages!

Stayed in same hotel as Martin Johnson, not sure whether he was there for the Giro though (prob not)

Good chat with Kenny Van Vlaeminck on Sat night

Give me more

The helicopter shot of Kittel making up the ground in that sprint is glorious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBrwyJBtrdc&

RoadPainter

Alan A wrote:

Pross wrote:

I think it's been a highly successful few days and wouldn't be at all surprised to see it repeated. The organisers get a few million in the bank, the host countries get a big out of season tourist boost and some boring, flat stages in bad weather got a far bigger roadside crowd than they would have in Italy.

I agree with everything, but in particular the bit in bold.

This weekend has been the most expensive weekend away I have ever had. Over two grand spent on ferries, 3 nights hotel for family, 3 nights baby sitters, giro T shirts for weans, cycling tops, hand clappers, petrol and many other assorted pink things, food, drink, wedding anniversary night out and the ******* wee-wee take that is the National Trust building at Giant's Causeway.

Our 2010 entire month following Le Tour was only £500 more expensive.

Thank god much of it is tax deductible because of the whisky tasting I did.

Wow, how did you spend so much??!!
Quite reasonable for me - must've got lucky.

I did Causeway at dawn one day, great time to go (just a shame weather was rubbish!). Agree visitor centre not worth it.

Daz555

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Yes it's been pretty much as expected except a bit wetter. Well done to Ireland, hopefully we'll get the Giro over to England now it's been shown that there is interest in cycling beyond the Tour.

Cracking ride by Swift, would have to say Kittel won that rather than Swift lost it, nice lead out by EBH too they did well to get into that position on a really technical run in.

Swifty having to get back on after bike swap in the run in probably took a bit of an edge off his finish too.

roypsb

I think the road furniture comments relate to the fact that so much of it was not marshalled. I made that comment to my wife and lo and behold, Carlton then mentioned it on Eurosport after one of the nast crashes.

I don't know who determines the marshalling but I think they got it wrong.

thomthom

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hu ... l#comments

ffs

Macaloon

Sounds like an exciting final around wet narrow corners tomorrow.

After entering the last kilometer, there is yet another sharp right-hand corner coming up. This time, the road is a bit wider and if you still have a teammate left near the front, you may be able to gain a few positions. It won’t be easy though. The final corner comes with less than 400 meters to go. It’s a big left-hand turn. Unless you are Marcel Kittel, you have to be among the first four riders out of the corner if you want to win.

http://www.c-cycling.com/sites/giro14/stage4.html

frenchfighter

I like Petacchi and Viviani's comments regarding Kittel on cyclingnews!

tailwindhome

thomthom

The Irish are just craaazy with blue I see.. Even the watch..

And Addidas..

and down vests..

ai_1

ThomThom wrote:

The Irish are just craaazy with blue I see.. Even the watch..

And Addidas..

and down vests..

Yes we're all the same and wear the same clothes and colours.

Macaloon

^ Brilliant picture. "Self-absorbed? Moi?"