Giro 2014 - Stage 6 - Sassano-Montecassino * Spoiler *

Crankbrother
Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
edited May 2014 in Pro race
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Much the same as yesterday but it flattens out in the last few hundred rather than kicking up ...

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No doubt Matthews will be trying to wind his neck in as much as possible and be in the finale to hang onto Pink for another day ...

(images via Inrng)
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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    Last km is flat enough for someone like Swift or EBH if they can survive the climb itself. Hopefully an exciting finish at last and should provide some fantastic pictures at an iconic location. Makes me want to dig out Medal Of Honor Allied Assault and play it again!
  • greeny12
    greeny12 Posts: 759
    Matthews said in Ireland he was targeting this stage and yesterday's because they "suited him" - he did OK yesterday and I think the flatter finish will suit him and Swifty better than yesterday's lask KM.

    They've got to get to the top in the lead bunch, of course, but not sure there are ramps steep enough to drop them unless somebody goes crazy?

    Hopefully a classic sprinters vs puncheurs vs climbers dust up is in order!
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  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    French cycling journalist Antoine Plouvin needed to get from Ireland to Italy to continue covering the Giro d’Italia for cyclismactu but rather than flying like the rest of the journos, he decided to drive the 2,700km from Belfast to Bari.

    After finishing work in the Dublin pressroom after stage 3 he drove to the ferry … and arrived at the start in Bari 38 hours later.

    “It was a race the entire way,” he explained. “From Holyhead at 0:30, I had to cover 600 kilometres to reach Dover and a ferry that left at 7:30. It wasn’t easy.”

    Plouvin stopped just twice in 38 hours, for an hour each time. He spends much of his year on the road, driving between bike races.

    “It’s about 70,000 kilometres of driving a year and about 200 days away from home, but I’m single, 27 years old and I enjoy it.”

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/g ... lia-123038
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Longest stage of the race today, as its been lengthened by 10km due to a landslide on the route.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    A break of 4 riders - Bandiera (AND), Zardini (BAR), Torres (COL), and Fedi (NRI) – have a lead of 14 mins after over 60 kms.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Crampeur wrote:
    Longest stage of the race today, as its been lengthened by 10km due to a landslide on the route.

    Pretty crazy distance tbh.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Hard to call how the finish will play out. Because it levels out at the top you would think it would be slightly easier for the sprinters to hang on, but the climb is longer than yesterday and according to inrng there are several hairpin bends. That makes it harder for sprinters' teams to control the pace on the front.

    I think it could come down to how the GC teams ride it. If the likes of Evans, J Rod, and Uran are intent on getting more bonus seconds then the pace is likely to be as strong as yesterday.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Milton50 wrote:
    the climb is longer than yesterday and ... there are several hairpin bends.
    14004291740_e9b51504e8_z.jpg
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    If you didn't know that it was 5% average you could mistake it for a proper alpine pass from above.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    Yep, looks like a tough climb from that. It certainly isn't easy but maximum gradient is a short length at 10% very early on. Then again, 5% at 20mph is tough for anyone.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Pross wrote:
    Last km is flat enough for someone like Swift or EBH if they can survive the climb itself. Hopefully an exciting finish at last and should provide some fantastic pictures at an iconic location. Makes me want to dig out Medal Of Honor Allied Assault and play it again!
    Ben Swift was 60/1 on PaddyPower (maybe still is) which tempted me into a small each way flutter.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Looks like Swift is in the break at 3'38.
  • fleshtuxedo
    fleshtuxedo Posts: 1,857
    Who else is in the break please and where are the intermediate sprints?
    Ta
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    jam1e wrote:
    Looks like Swift is in the break at 3'38.
    Are you sure you're not watching a replay of yesterday?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    edited May 2014
    Think I'm watching yesterday's but eurosport player is saying it's today's live stage...
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    2mwxxkk.png
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Looks like a stage for Evans etc rather than Swift, let alone the 'pure' sprinters.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • alanp23
    alanp23 Posts: 696
    Great..

    I see I have broken from the PTP pack today. I am off on some Voeckler-like breakaway with a small group of likeminded individuals. I'd been doing so well in reining it in so far.
    Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 2016
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Aaggh. PTP forget!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    RAI go live with 109kms to go.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Aye, it's gonna be a long afternoon ...
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    So exciting that Sean Kelly is talking about his pet donkeys. :D
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    You're taking the piss, but just think how utterly AWESOME that donkey would have looked from a helmet cam inside the peloton...
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • emadden
    emadden Posts: 2,431
    I hope Pedro Delgado and Alex Zuelle were listening to those sage facts about Donkeys
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    The beef joke thread is longer than the spoiler for today. I'm assuming that's not a good sign. Can someone let me know when they hit the climb as I might switch on then.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I missed the donkey discussion, but since I've tuned in, Sean has been encouraged to explain why the riders aren't using triple chain sets. He then drifted off this topic to observe that all of the riders in the breakaway are on Italian bikes. :|

    "This is the longest day of the Giro" - It feels it too!
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,541
    Why don't riders use triples? I mean it's not really necessary on most stages, but on some comedy climbs it might be useful.
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    Most exciting moment all day as the peloton splits either side of the central reservation.

    To be honest, a compact with a 28 cassette will give a gear almost as low as a triple with a 25 anyway. Its not worth the degraded shifting performance.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Weight, I imagine.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Lightning in the distance!

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