Giro Stage 8 - Foligno to Arezzo *Spoiler*

RonB
RonB Posts: 3,984
edited May 2016 in Pro race
Thought I would get in early with this one. The Giro now heads for Tuscany and with some luck we will see some GC action, though this could be limited due to the ITT on Sunday.

NclJ0q5.jpg?1

We might see some attacks on the Alpe di Poti with around 20km to go. Sterrato on the profile = unsealed, gravel surface which will make the climbing more of a challenge.

T08_Arezzo_alt-PRE.jpg

T08_S01_Poti-PRE.jpg

Failing that, check out the small ramp just before the finish which could catch out a few riders and lead to some gaps opening up right at the end of the stage.

T08_Arezzo_ukm-PRE.jpg
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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Love stages like this.
    _
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    We know what you're doing tomorrow then...
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Just about guarantees that a breakaway will stick and the GC favourites will just mark one another & save their energy for the TT then :wink:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    dish_dash wrote:
    We know what you're doing tomorrow then...

    Walking around harrods with the with the future in-laws?
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Might be wet, too.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    the in-laws?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Grim.
    _
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    the weather?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Anyway, there isn't going to be any real GC action here, is there? TT next up, and unless the weathererally shakes it up the preceding kms aren't going to be enough to soften the legs up, are they?

    Which, if my normal predicting skills are on display, means carnage.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    If you can't survive this stage you ain't a GC contender.
    _
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    GCN preview of the Alpe di Poti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc7dqnGUIv4.

    Hope the stage lives up to its potential.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Anything could happen today
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,445
    Joelsim wrote:
    Anything could happen today

    TWH's Rule of Sport - If anything could happen, nothing will.

    (There's no future for me at Sky Sports Marketing Team)
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Joelsim wrote:
    Anything could happen today

    TWH's Rule of Sport - If anything could happen, nothing will.

    (There's no future for me at Sky Sports Marketing Team)

    I'm just hedging my bets.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    Mechanism wrote:
    GCN preview of the Alpe di Poti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc7dqnGUIv4.

    Hope the stage lives up to its potential.
    Memories of holidays in French Alps with Saddlebags and tents. The nutrition from "Mars Bars" and Bananas and if you found a public toilet, it was a "Hole in the floor".
    The French have done well since the days of the so called "Common Market" which they now call Euro.
    The Paris buses on Solid Rubber Tyres to run on "Pave".
    Sorry to wander off topic but pictures like that remind us of bike riding in France.the old days.

    The Strada is a novelty now but it used to be the norm.
    You lucky people
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,445
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BFYelMAqIYe/

    Daniel Lloyd ‏@daniellloyd1 · 1h1 hour ago

    Last few hundred metres of today's climb



    Daniel Lloyd ‏@daniellloyd1 · 33m33 minutes ago

    Ironically, organisers decided that the road leading to the dirt track was too rough, so resurfaced it
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Excited- sun's out, been out on the bike, giro's on. Good day :)
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    There's a 13-man break with about 3 mins on the peleton. It includes some contenders for the stage e.g. Brambilla and Moreno Moser.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Given that Brambilla is only 1'56 down on GC, I'm bemused why he would go in the break
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Just under 80km to go & the break has around 4'20" on the rest.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    no one watching or has the forum died?
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Joelsim wrote:
    Given that Brambilla is only 1'56 down on GC, I'm bemused why he would go in the break

    He's done ok so far.

    Brambilla in the lead by himself. 21km to go, 2m 55 gap to the favourite group (no Dumoulin in there). On the dirt climb.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    no one watching or has the forum died?

    like buses.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Valverde and Nibali (plus others) have got about 30s on the Dumoulin group. Dumoulin isn't looking very comfortable. Seems barely able to hold the group he's in either, could lose a lot of time.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Yep Dumoulin is dropped from his group.

    Brambilla is up the road, then the remnants of the break, then the Valverde/Nibali group at 2'40" and Dumoulin at 3'12".
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    I see the giro is sponsored by meldonium bank.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Chaves looked comfortable on the climb.

    Dumoulin is just coming over the climb - he's lost a lot of time.

    Montaguti is chasing Brambilla.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Chaves on Valverde like a limpet on the descent.

    Dumoulin has a teammate trying to ride him back on.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,440
    Brambilla 1.5km to go, 45s on Montaguti. Likely to be in pink after this unless Zakarin (who's in the main chase group with Valverde et al) gets it. They're at 2 mins.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    1m 40 gap back to the favourites group at the finish. Brambilla wins the stage and goes in to pink.

    Dumoulin loses about a minute to the favourite group.

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