Giro 2014 - Stage 15: Montecampione MTF **Spoilers**

smithy21

Above The Cows wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

@daniellloyd1 43 mins
Fans have been waiting 90mins for a bus to take them down the mountain. Tempers are fraying, fisty cuffs are imminent

It doesn't look very safe, or much like a bus, more an old streetcar.

How the hell did that thing get up there in the first place?

tuneskyline

Like this

tuneskyline

Joelsim wrote:

Pross wrote:

My prediction is Evans won't make the podium.

Not a chance of him finishing top 5 I would say. He's cooked.

I would wait a lot of riders looked cooked today lets see how he recovers. If Uran has a bad day and Evans can stay consistent then he could easily make the podium. No one rider looks utterly dominant as yet. Tues will tell us more. Evans has experience and he knows he will have to play to what strengths he may have left. He looks well short of his best years but he ain't no Basso,,,,,so far

above_the_cows

It has what looks like a wooden bench for seats. I'd be fighting to not have to get in it.

specialgueststar

frenchfighter wrote:

Re-watching the last 3km you really have to give Aru some respect for that ride - seasoned pros should watch that attack and learn. If you are going to do something give it your all, dont look back, and go again and again. Brilliant move. Great style on the bike too. I hope he has legs like that later this Giro - this win will give him confidence to go from further out again.

+1

calvjones

Oh for a Tour half this good...

frenchfighter

"I'm happy because it's Sunday, in theory it's not a working day and I don't usually train on a Sunday. But we're racing and so I'll enjoy my day off tomorrow," Uran said with a smile.

"I actually felt better today. Yesterday, I had an average day and perhaps paid for the efforts of the time trial. But I like long climbs like this one, and so I didn't have problems."

"No. It weighs 200g or something. It's not heavy at all [Asked about the weight of the Jersey]," he said. "I've ridden the Giro d'Italia four times and so I've got a bit of experience. I tried to go with Aru when he attacked but he was very strong and very hungry to win. I preferred to go at my pace and forget about him. [Nairo] Quintana set a good rhythm too and so I kept going hard. I lost a few seconds but it's no problem."

"I was a bit better than yesterday and I expected the others to attack me but I was surprised by [Fabio] Aru. I saw him at last year's Giro and I remember he went really strong in the last week. He's young and still has a lot to learn but he's a good rider."

"After the time trial, I said that there were four or five riders up there who could win the Giro. Cadel is one of them because he's got experience and knows how to race for three weeks. The others are Quintana, Aru, [Rafal] Majka and [Domenico] Pozzovivo. They're the ones who will be up there. We're all of similar strength, so it's going to be a close race."

"You can't save anything on a day like today and so I don't think Nairo is holding anything back, I think he's at his best. He's strong and I'm sure he'll be stronger next week. But I hope to be strong too."

"All the support means a lot. In Colombia, the people are cheering for me. They're watching the TV and following the race. I'm slightly surprised because I've had a lot of messages of support," he said talking about the impact of the new generation of Colombian riders.

"Cycling has grown at lot in the last three or four years and we've got a strong generation emerging that includes [Julian] Arredondo, Quintana, [Carlos] Betancur and me too. We've got eight years or so of great cycling ahead of us, not only on the climbs but also in Classics and I even won the TT. It means were not only climbers..."

frenchfighter

“For me it’s a huge satisfaction to win here because Pantani was an immense champion, a fuoriclasse,” Aru said. “But I’ve only done something quite small in comparison to what he did. I’m just happy to have won here.”

"Pantani was a fuoriclasse, who excited the crowds. Even today you can read his name written all over the road on the climb,” Aru said when asked what Pantani represents to the young Italian riders of today. “As a generation, we're focused on doing well, and there are a lot of Italian riders right now who are doing that.”

d_o_g

frenchfighter wrote:

Three Colombians in the top five of today's stage. Good to see.

Just out of interest, as a bit of a n00b on here, why do you like Colombians so much? Are you Colombian and your username is just to throw people like me off your scent? :P

andyp

hammerite wrote:

Any idea why Neri Sottoli were drilling it to bring the break back? They lost everyone as soon as they hit the climb! Could only be a show for TV.

They didn't get a rider in the break, so Scinto had them working hard on the front to punish them. Straight up.

dolan_driver

It was great to see Philip Deignan on the attack today. Hopefully he will have another go in the final week.

Re the comments on Aru and Dombrowski, I didn't read too much into them. The differences in performance between two riders at amateur level and the corresponding differences at pro level are usually dis-similar. Riders adapt differently to the pro ranks. Joe D rode very well in California and if he can stay injury free, he has a lot more to give.

Uran is riding in a very canny manner and I guess the "limit my losses" approach to climbing pace is working for him so far. Everyone looks very tired now and this really does point to a cleaner peloton. The final week is going to be amazing with so many guys still in the mix.

DD.

dolan_driver

This is Uran's reply to the question of whether or not the pink jersey is weighing on his shoulders.

"No. It weighs 200g or something. It's not heavy at all,"

Possibly the quote of the Giro so far! Hopefully the humour in Rigoberto's answer wasn't lost on the journalist asking the question.

DD.

Yellow Peril

Uran is riding quite smartly. I think he measured and economised his effort well yesterday bearing in mind there are some big climbs to come. Nice to see so many players involved in MTF's

above_the_cows

Yellow Peril wrote:

Uran is riding quite smartly. I think he measured and economised his effort well yesterday bearing in mind there are some big climbs to come. Nice to see so many players involved in MTF's

And this ladies and gentlemen is why cycling is so awesome.

Uran is playing to his talents, he doesn't have the rapid changes in pace that Quintana does, he just does his thing and it's working. It's all very well going off on the attack with a rapid acceleration but if you can't make it stick as Quintana doesn't seem to be able to do this Giro, unlike Aru yesterday, then grinding out a steady rhythm is more effective, it's not as romantic...

Quintana is going to have to put in a big attack, he's not going to win by just gaining a handful of seconds here and there.

inseine

Joelsim wrote:

Pross wrote:

My prediction is Evans won't make the podium.

Not a chance of him finishing top 5 I would say. He's cooked.

It's shaping up nicely. I can easily see one or two of the climbers having a bad day (like Arradondo already) and if Evans manages to plug away he could still finish in the top three.

hammerite

andyp wrote:

hammerite wrote:

Any idea why Neri Sottoli were drilling it to bring the break back? They lost everyone as soon as they hit the climb! Could only be a show for TV.

They didn't get a rider in the break, so Scinto had them working hard on the front to punish them. Straight up.

Ah yes of course.

I never really understand this tactic, as all the teams who were in the break will just be annoyed. Wouldn't surprise me if they make sure Neri aren't allowed a rider in the break for a few days, or ride them down when they do.

blazing_saddles

Looks odds on that stage 16 is going to get the chop at tea time this afternoon.
Snowing on the Stelvio, so the RCS are getting ready to wheel out this again.

joelsim

I don't think Quintana is done for yet. He has been ill, he is getting better, a rest day today, loads of climbs still to do, experience of going too soon from the Tour last year.

He only needs one very good stage, Uran and Evans won't be able to go with him at full tilt, Pozzo and Aru possibly.

above_the_cows

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Looks odds on that stage 16 is going to get the chop at tea time this afternoon.
Snowing on the Stelvio, so the RCS are getting ready to wheel out this again.

Nooooooooo! I was so looking forward to the Stelvio

Give me more

Decision expected between 4-4:30 BST according to various twitter sources.

Though Sky DS went up Gavia and reckons that while there's snow and wet roads it was doable and they'd have to wait till the morning to make a proper call.

calvjones

Poo. I'm supposed to be climbing it in a couple of weeks.

Ah well, I'll have to go to the bar instead.

knedlicky

Top of Stelvio at noon today. Look at the slush; that’s arrived this morning.
There was sunshine yesterday and the road was clear at 6 am this morning.
Also notice bulldozer/snowplough in background, so maybe they hadn’t given up at noon.

But it’s lightly snowing there now and 10-15 cm new snow is forecast for tomorrow, mainly between 1400-1700; the riders are supposed to reach the top of the Stelvio between 1500-1530 (all times local).
I can't see it happening.

thomthom

Looks a road to me.

frenchfighter

Arredondo is sooo small.

above_the_cows

^Taller than me.

frenchfighter

Macaloon

^ Priceless. Or unaffordable. Depending on your priorities.

Coolest man in the peloton by quite a margin.

Give me more

the Inner Ring ‏@inrng 3m Tomorrow's Giro stage all set to go ahead as planned, no change in route. Only if conditions change will race change via @antoninomorici

blazing_saddles

So, that's a no decision, then. Get up in the morning and open the curtains.
Supposed to be like this:

Turfle

Will we get to see live pictures of it anyway?