Giro 2014 -Stage 19: Cima Grappa MTT *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Stage 19

Map:


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Final Kms:

Le Commentateur

Plus the interactive graphic: http://veloviewer.com/segments/5103607

d_o_g

Damn the Giro is HARD.

mechanism

Inrng predicting a possible winning time of 1:03. Bit of a killer.

pinno

I am looking forward to this stage. I hope the Tdf is as good as this years Giro, it has been a good one.

No_Ta_Doctor

And this is why we didn't see all that much GC action yesterday. Entirely understandable! Hope Quintana blows them away and puts the Stelvio out of the debate.

Anonymous

Wow, didn't realise it was going to be 1hr+ times. Looking forward to this, hopefully Uran gets back in pink like he deserves to be.

rick_chasey

Are there time bonuses?

TheBigBean

Does anyone have start times?

greeny12

In most sports the end result is all, and in a relatively short time nobody remembers how a win was achieved. However, you only have to look at the number of books written - and articles in Procycling - about the stories behind the races to know that cycling is different.

Quintana must be aware that for a big proportion of Giro purists he won't be seen as the legitimate winner of the race in the years ahead unless he takes a clear and decisive lead over Uran during the next two days. i.e. by much more than the two minutes said to have been gained during flag-gate.

If Uran beats him today (as I think he will) but not by enough to take pink (as I think he won't) it's going to leave the story in a very interesting place on the Zoncolan!

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Are there time bonuses?

I doubt it. Have there ever been bonuses for a TT?

TheBigBean

OnYourRight wrote:

Start times PDF: http://www.steephill.tv/2014/giro-d-ita ... -order.pdf

Thanks. Times as follows. Interestingly only 1 min between the also rans.

GENIEZ Alexandre
15.40'00"
VUILLERMOZ Alexis
15.41'00"
KISERLOVSKI Robert
15.44'00"
EVANS Cadel
15.47'00"
KELDERMAN Wilco
15.50'00"
POZZOVIVO Domenico
15.56'00"
MAJKA Rafal
15.59'00"
ARU Fabio
16.02'00"
ROLLAND Pierre
16.05'00"
URAN URAN Rigoberto
16.08'00"
QUINTANA Nairo
16.11'00"

dsoutar

No tA Doctor wrote:

And this is why we didn't see all that much GC action yesterday. Entirely understandable! Hope Quintana blows them away and puts the Stelvio out of the debate.

Just to make tomorrow more interesting, I hope he doesn't !!

I don't really have someone I want to win this Giro. Just enjoying the good racing

RichN95.

greeny12 wrote:

In most sports the end result is all, and in a relatively short time nobody remembers how a win was achieved. However, you only have to look at the number of books written - and articles in Procycling - about the stories behind the races to know that cycling is different.

I don't think that's true at all. For example, in football a spectacular goal will frequently outlive the result of the match. Similarly a great sporting rivalry will often be remembered with little regard for most of the results.

And as for the literary tradition, there's a different theory, which is common to two other sports with a similar strong tradition - cricket and baseball. Cycling is, for a large portion of the time, really boring. So it needs to be embellished (and offers journos plenty of writing time).

Turfle

Oh my lord am I excited. Hoping Rigo pulls another monster TT out of the bag. Pozzo to be on the podium by tonight.

RichN95.

TheBigBean wrote:

Thanks. Times as follows. Interestingly only 1 min between the also rans.

They always do that. If they all went off at three minute intervals the TT would last nine hours.

Macaloon

RichN95 wrote:

greeny12 wrote:

In most sports the end result is all, and in a relatively short time nobody remembers how a win was achieved. However, you only have to look at the number of books written - and articles in Procycling - about the stories behind the races to know that cycling is different.

I don't think that's true at all. For example, in football a spectacular goal will frequently outlive the result of the match. Similarly a great sporting rivalry will often be remembered with little regard for most of the results.

And as for the literary tradition, there's a different theory, which is common to two other sports with a similar strong tradition - cricket and baseball. Cycling is, for a large portion of the time, really boring. So it needs to be embellished (and offers journos plenty of writing time).

Nothing to do with the glamorous Royal boxes and Tax exiles at the venues in this case?

Test matches and baseball seasons last an eternity compared to other sports. The players become characters in a drama, attracting great writers. Doubt they're motivated by distracting people from a boring spectacle.

TheBigBean

RichN95 wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

Thanks. Times as follows. Interestingly only 1 min between the also rans.

They always do that. If they all went off at three minute intervals the TT would last nine hours.

By always do you mean the Giro? I would have expected 2 mins, and a quick Google supports that at least for the tour. It is also notable given how long the time trial is.

TheBigBean

A further Google tells me it's a Giro thing or maybe it is a Tour thing to start with 2 mins gaps. Whatever.

Macaloon

Top 10 picks: Quintana 7, Uran 2, Rogers(!) 1.

Crozza

What bikes they using - road bikes with clip ons mainly?

greeny12

RichN95 wrote:

greeny12 wrote:

In most sports the end result is all, and in a relatively short time nobody remembers how a win was achieved. However, you only have to look at the number of books written - and articles in Procycling - about the stories behind the races to know that cycling is different.

I don't think that's true at all. For example, in football a spectacular goal will frequently outlive the result of the match. Similarly a great sporting rivalry will often be remembered with little regard for most of the results.

I was thinking more about the 'moment of controversy' element. Take football, most fans of the international game will tell you Maradona's Argentina won the World Cup in 86, but I doubt many who live beyond these shores remembers the "Hand of God".

I agree there are examples against this theory too, but my point about the need for Quintana to end the arguments on the road still stands...

mechanism

Crozza wrote:

What bikes they using - road bikes with clip ons mainly?

This is GCN's look at that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDeTYKZd6ek&list=PLUdAMlZtaV111ze04ANHpU6X0vjTD66FT&index=2

Mostly road bikes but maybe a bike swap for some.

Paulie W

greeny12 wrote:

I was thinking more about the 'moment of controversy' element. Take football, most fans of the international game will tell you Maradona's Argentina won the World Cup in 86, but I doubt many who live beyond these shores remembers the "Hand of God".

Very bad example to illustrate your point! The Argentinians themselves said that beating England was more important to them than winning the cup itself and both Maradona's goals in that game are writ large in global footballing mythology - Maradona's second goal is commemmorated by a statue outside the stadium.

Le Commentateur

I think Quintana is confident enough not to care what posterity thinks about his win.

The only reason 'moments of controversy' are remembered and celebrated is for their use as monetizing fodder by hack writers and publishers.

Mad_Malx

Will any of the early riders put on a show - or will they all save themselves for tomorrow?
(Given the route I don't think 'take it easy' is the right phrase)

Pross

Crozza wrote:

What bikes they using - road bikes with clip ons mainly?

Considering there's only about 8km of flat to start with and the climb itself has some pretty steep sections I'm not sure even having clip on bars will provide a benefit. We may see some using a TT bike until the first time check and then switching. They'll have to do the calculayshun on whether 8km worth of aero benefit will gain more time than the bike change will take and it might depend on how technical the early part of the course is too.

Paul 8v

Bloomin' tennis. don't they know it's my lunch break?

Macaloon

Will Quintana be wearing an all-pink birthday skinsuit?

dougzz

Eurosport showing tennis, Fed in the 2nd set tie break. Could go on for hours.

Anonymous

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