Giro 16 Stage 14 ***Spoilers***

RichN95.

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

phreak wrote:

The Giro does suffer a bit at the moment, as many focus on the Tour, with the Vuelta then used as the back-up should the Tour not go well. This leaves the Giro having a fantastic playground to craft a route, but a lack of real top names participating.

The Italians want some Italian on Italian action like the 1990's to mid 2000's Now they are lucky if there is 1 or 2 Italians in the top 10 GC and those look like they are thinking of the Tour

On top of this they are (weakly) following the Tour model for international recognition

The Tour of Italy is losing it's Italyianess

There used to he more Italian teams back then. In 2000 eight of the 22 top flight teams were Italian. Only one of 18 now (two if you count Astana). Same story in Spain.

bobmcstuff

ugo.santalucia wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Not sure calling Kruijswijk a mid-pack rider is entirely fair, with the number of top 10 WT results he has and given his history with injury.

He has won the Arctic race after all...

And two previous Giro top tens (and two in the tour de suisse).

Top ten in a GT is manifestly not "middle of the pack".

Pross

For me it hasn't been the lack of big names just the lack of racing on many of the stages. Also, I'm not quite sure how some extrapolate someone not enjoying this particular edition of the Giro to mean that person would rather watch a procession in France. The Giro last year was very good (the Tour wasn't too bad in the end). I guess everyone likes different things but for me the jersey changing hands a few times doesn't necessarily equate to an exciting race, yellow regularly changes hands in the first week or so on the Tour and it's generally down to lots of flat stages with nothing to create a gap. The Giro has picked up over the weekend but it's rare to see so little action in the first two weeks in my experience.

Vino'sGhost

Ive found this race one of the most interesting personally, its sort of smoldering and fizzing and building to a crescendo of new talent.

Also Bob jungels on the bike reminds me of one of my all time favourite riders Jan Ullrich.

pinno

Pross wrote:

....yellow regularly changes hands in the first week or so on the Tour and it's generally down to lots of flat stages with nothing to create a gap. The Giro has picked up over the weekend but it's rare to see so little action in the first two weeks in my experience.

But we know that the early flat stages in the TdF produces transient Yellow Jersey wearers - that's par cours. There can be as many wearers of Yellow before the mountains as you like but it won't make a difference. The year Quintana won - 13 wearers of Pink (I think) and we didn't know which way it was going to go.
Kruijswijk is in unknown territory and Nibali could blow up big time - he is not 100% and he's going to have to attack at some point but he doesn't seem to have the legs. I think the door is still open.

Philosophically, do you need the 'big stars' to make a race? Last year turned into a bit of a procession with Froome and SKY in control of the TdF. We thought it was going to be a big showdown between the 'big stars' and it was anything but.
Big stars don't mean Jack Sh1t. The Indurain years were dull, the LA years were dull (and we know why). Any time a race is dominated by a big star and a big team - it's dull. Astana tried to dominate the Giro last year and failed which made it anything but dull and an excellent race.

There is no dominant team in the Giro this year. The cynical might say that's because Pro Teams are probably emphasising the TdF instead but the lack of a dominant team is making for something a little less predictable and it will be more down to those individual characters and their character, who are in with a shout.

Viva il Giro I say.

blazing_saddles

Probably boils down to how one defines 'to watch'.
If it's the highlights show then yeah, maybe OK. Hatch instead of Kirby helps too.
If you have been daft enough, like me, to try and watch every pedal stroke, then it's definitely been a dud.
Dull route and riders too scared to try much, for fear of the final weekend's ridiculously high mountain slog.
Stage 14 has saved it from being a total travesty.
I'm just interested the quality of the race, not who is in it.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Probably boils down to how one defines 'to watch'.
If it's the highlights show then yeah, maybe OK. Hatch instead of Kirby helps too.
If you have been daft enough, like me, to try and watch every pedal stroke, then it's definitely been a dud.
Dull route and riders too scared to try much, for fear of the final weekend's ridiculously high mountain slog.
Stage 14 has saved it from being a total travesty.
I'm just interested the quality of the race, not who is in it.

OK well to that and to Pross my take on the race so far would be -
Stage 1 - Roglic provides nice little surprise surprise; Dumoulin states his intention - in Holland
Stage 2 - OK Kittle 'strolls' this one
Stage 3 - OK he 'strolls' this in the end too, but it was a decent break and there's nothing wrong with watching a sprinter at the top of his powers ride his way into pink is there?
Stage 4 – V. exciting day’s racing and thrilling win by Ulissi; Dumoulin nicks back MR
Stage 5 – OK a fairly unremarkable sprinters’ stage – but a v. technical and edgy finish, crazy fast considering I seem to remember, and Greipel and team rode a great race.
Stage 6 – Fantatsic win by Wellands and Dumoulin stakes GC credentials
Stage 7 – Another decent break; more fast racing at the end to reel it in; and a great finish from Greipel after another hairy technical run-in at high speed
Stage 8 – Brambilla’s brilliant solo attack to Arezzo and Dumoulin blows up – what more do you want?
Stage 9 – Roglic shows Stage 1 not a fluke, Boys Own stuff, and Brambilla does amazingly well to hold on to MR
Stage 10 – Ciccone solos to Victory, Brambilla sacrifices himself for Amador, Jungels takes pink – hardly uneventful?
Stage 11 – Pretty exciting late attack which Ulissi nicks from Jungels and Amador. That’s racing isn’t it?
Stage 12 – OK not all that memorable
Stage 13 – Brave solo and good win from Nieve; Amador takes pink
Stage 14 – Superb day’s racing end-of.
Stage 15 – Great story for Foliferov; Nibali all but implodes; SK hangs on to MR. Intereting enough?

Now that to me adds up to a decent watch overall….

dish_dash

I was out riding and missed this one. My man!





Also it was stunning

phreak

I've ridden in a few places, but the Dolomites is the best by a distance. Utterly stunning place to ride a bike. That whole area has some incredible climbs, and to think the route missed out the likes of the Fedaia, Duran, Erbe, which are all within touching distance of the stage route, and each bring their own kind of beauty.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Not to mention Tre Cime di Lavaredo...

phreak

Aye, you're spoilt for choice really.

ddraver

KnightOfTheLongTights wrote:

Not to mention Tre Cime di Lavaredo...

We watched an epic mountain rescue of two climbers off the middle one of those from the hut when I was a nipper....