Giro 2014 - Stage 16: Val Martello *Spoilers*

knedlicky

RichN95 wrote:

An epic stage in which nothing relevant to GC will happen until the 14% bit 5km from the end

That’s about my feeling too. Too hard and long for anything early, especially as the descents will be difficult as so cold and on wet roads, thus discourage attacks by main contenders. Just little breaks and scrambles before the two summits crossed, by those interested in mountain jersey points.

On the Val Martello ascent, someone could try and jump clear in or shortly before the 10 steep zig-zags rising up to the barrage, about 6 km out, but the flat stretch then alongside the lake makes me think, the battle between the main GC contenders will be in only the steep last 1.5 km of 8 zig-zags.

Val Martello is the highest commercial strawberry-growing area in Europe, although from what I saw there, there isn’t much more than about 10-15 hectares of strawberry fields (they don't go on forever).









Last photo is at the top of second 14% stretch but the road is still rising and the finish about 600 m distant.

(You can get a great fresh strawberry and ice cream sundae on the terrace of the Hotel Paradiso at the very end of the surfaced road!)

And EBH = DNS

frenchfighter

knedlicky wrote:

And EBH = DNS

Did he put ink to a new contract?

Or the Team line:
"Edvald has been experiencing rib and back pain over the last couple of days, and with the cuts and bruises he's already sustained, the medical team felt the best decision was for him to withdraw from the race at this point.
"Edvald is bitterly disappointed but realises this is the best course of action. Some enforced time off the bike will allow him to make a full recovery before he begins competing again in due course."

LOL. Put him in cotton wool quick and send him to lie in bed as he has a few bruises on his body.

frenchfighter

Petacchi comes forward to talk to Uran as Bouhanni looks rather more relaxed as he chats with the RCS podium girl next to him.
Uran is deep in conversation with Petacchi at the moment. He certainly doesnt look happy about something and now the race leader begins to talk to a Tinkoff rider.
Now Uran is talking to Arredondo. It's just body language we're going off but Uran is shaking his head about something. Perhaps he just wants to get this stage started. It's certainly a massive day for him in his career.

-Cnews

frenchfighter

From Conde's preview:

Astana’s super talent Fabio Aru lived up to my high expectations on Montecampione. The young Italian attacked like a true champion and simply dropped his rivals from his wheel. Aru is now a serious contender for the overall win in this year’s Giro d’Italia - or at least for a spot on the podium. Last year, Fabio Aru was surprisingly strong in the final week, despite having worked hard for Vincenzo Nibali the whole race. This time, Aru hasn’t wasted any energy early in the race. In Michele Scarponi and Paolo Tiralongo, Fabio Aru has two extremely important and experienced team mates to escort him in the mountains. Add to that Basque climber Mikel Landa and Guiseppe Martinelli in the team car and you really can’t ask for more.

http://www.c-cycling.com/sites/giro14/stage16.html

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

And EBH = DNS

Did he put ink to a new contract?

Or the Team line:
"Edvald has been experiencing rib and back pain over the last couple of days, and with the cuts and bruises he's already sustained, the medical team felt the best decision was for him to withdraw from the race at this point.
"Edvald is bitterly disappointed but realises this is the best course of action. Some enforced time off the bike will allow him to make a full recovery before he begins competing again in due course."

LOL. Put him in cotton wool quick and send him to lie in bed as he has a few bruises on his body.

Genuine question - do you think it is right for teams to put riders back on bikes day after day with injuries like those two photos?

frenchfighter

I'd imagine they would want to continue themselves. For many riders this is the biggest race of the year and the last thing they want to do is leave if they really dont have to.

mroli

frenchfighter wrote:

LOL. Put him in cotton wool quick and send him to lie in bed as he has a few bruises on his body.

This is the team of course that allowed Thomas to ride with a fractured pelvis...

Pross

I just don't see what Malori plugging on day after day is achieving though. He can't help Quintana much in that state. I didn't see EBH crash, is there anything showing the state he was in? Rib injuries wouldn't be much fun on big mountain stages though, painful to breathe and painful pulling on the bars.

Paulie W

frenchfighter wrote:

I'd imagine they would want to continue themselves. For many riders this is the biggest race of the year and the last thing they want to do is leave if they really dont have to.

But that's not really the question is it? Sportsmen/women frequently want to continue when it's clearly not the right thing for them to do. Their commitment, mindset, programming - whatever you want to call it - drives them to carry on. It's the team's job to make the decision for them in this context - to protect them from themselves. Cycling historically has been pretty bad at this.

frenchfighter

This is cycling we are talking about. Not a sport for weak people.

above_the_cows

frenchfighter wrote:

This is cycling we are talking about. Not a sport for weak people.

The problem is taken to its eventual conclusion this idea leads to people taking things they shouldn't in order to not be weak.

blazing_saddles

We have live pictures on the Gavia!
121kms to go. Rai and Sporza now live.

Rai, live here:
http://alfatv.webs.com/
(now gone back to the studio)

mechanism

Live on Eurosport Player's Giro channel now.

Anonymous

Paulie W wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

I'd imagine they would want to continue themselves. For many riders this is the biggest race of the year and the last thing they want to do is leave if they really dont have to.

But that's not really the question is it? Sportsmen/women frequently want to continue when it's clearly not the right thing for them to do. Their commitment, mindset, programming - whatever you want to call it - drives them to carry on. It's the team's job to make the decision for them in this context - to protect them from themselves. Cycling historically has been pretty bad at this.

Take Deigo Costa in the CL final, his teams best player, wants to play biggest game of the year, starts, comes off after 10mins. His team essentially lose the game through tiredness.

Pross

frenchfighter wrote:

This is cycling we are talking about. Not a sport for weak people.

These are human beings we are talking about. What other legitimate employment would require their staff to work in conditions that are causing them severe pain? On one hand we have people alleging riders are crashing due to the overuse of Tramadol and on the other we have people insisting riders have to continue through the pain barrier.

Give me more

Not bad pictures given how miserable the conditions are.

Movistar on the front of the peloton.

Chalapud off out on his own, not quite the conditions I'd fancy for a long solo effort!

Anonymous

Snow has started to fall at the top of the Stelvio.

mechanism

Pretty atmospheric - riding through the clouds

hammerite

Eurosport update. Currently showing Berlocq and Lleyton Hewitt. 2-1 to Berlocq, 2 games up in the 4th set. Can do with Hewitt coming back and winning this set so it goes to 5 sets. Otherwise there's a danger of this match finishing and them switching to another before their Giro coverage!

As for riders carrying on when injured..... if they're genuinely there to make a difference to results or support a team leader then fair enough. But it''s not like Sky need EBH to be a super domestique for anyone in this race, the only chance of EBH getting a result is in a breakaway, which would be a long shot. Absolutely no point carrying on in his case. Comparing his withdrawal with the heroics of other riders is ridiculous, they'll all have their own circumstances as to why they did or didn't carry on.

Give me more

Stelvio

Anonymous

Sky have a man at the bottom of the stelvio waiting to collect rain jackets. Maybe they have something planned?

RichN95.

sjmclean wrote:

Sky have a man at the bottom of the stelvio waiting to collect rain jackets. Maybe they have something planned?

Maybe he's going to collect them with the riders still wearing them.

As an aside, are Orica still in the race? I know they were down to three riders.

hammerite

I know people are predicting a pretty settled stage until the last 5k or so... but there could easily be a rider who gets caught out. Especially given the long descents and the cold. Even without crashing riding in the wet and cold could really effect anyone's ride quite unpredictably.

Pross

sjmclean wrote:

Sky have a man at the bottom of the stelvio waiting to collect rain jackets. Maybe they have something planned?

Probably swapping them for ski jackets to keep them warm in the grupetto.

Give me more

hammerite wrote:

I know people are predicting a pretty settled stage until the last 5k or so... but there could easily be a rider who gets caught out. Especially given the long descents and the cold. Even without crashing riding in the wet and cold could really effect anyone's ride quite unpredictably.

For sure.

Basso already blew up apparently. Morabito too possibly

Colombian trio attacking haha.

Great to see some good fan support on the roads still

frenchfighter

Chalapud over the top first with Arredondo next, shadowed by Pantano.

frenchfighter

Thought I just saw a Sky rider on the attack.

phreak

Jeebus, that looks mental.

above_the_cows

Descending like Wiggins!

frenchfighter

These Colombians are the total boss.