Giro d'Italia route 2017 launch 25th Oct

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Comments

  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,941
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    phreak wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Have to say, even though I know what's going on, I still can't help but be absolutely blown away by that ride.

    I watched VDB at the 99 Vuelta the other day. That really was the year for extra-terrestrial performances.

    Totally off topic but in that VdB video, check out his cadence versus Ullrich. Phwoar.

    It was incredible. We're used to climbing trains setting such an infernal tempo that asphyxiate rivals one by one, but he pretty much did it on his own, before then womping them all in the sprint finish.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    phreak wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Have to say, even though I know what's going on, I still can't help but be absolutely blown away by that ride.

    I watched VDB at the 99 Vuelta the other day. That really was the year for extra-terrestrial performances.

    Man after my own heart.

    Have spent many a time watching old cycling vids.

    Really enjoyed watching Oropa again. Such a great watch.



    Watched that climb again t'other day after the Oropa rumours hit the press. Ahhhhh

    As for VDB - looked fantastic on a bike, no?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    phreak wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    phreak wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Have to say, even though I know what's going on, I still can't help but be absolutely blown away by that ride.

    I watched VDB at the 99 Vuelta the other day. That really was the year for extra-terrestrial performances.

    Totally off topic but in that VdB video, check out his cadence versus Ullrich. Phwoar.

    It was incredible. We're used to climbing trains setting such an infernal tempo that asphyxiate rivals one by one, but he pretty much did it on his own, before then womping them all in the sprint finish.

    Generally mountain trains were burned off much sooner on the climb than nowadays.

    At least, that's what I remember.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    Anyway.

    Blockhaus was carnage last time it was in the Giro no?
    _
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Have to say, even though I know what's going on, I still can't help but be absolutely blown away by that ride.

    I can...it is all a bit of a pantomime with hindsight.

    It's as if they are all riding e-bikes.
    Half man, Half bike
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Ridgerider wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Have to say, even though I know what's going on, I still can't help but be absolutely blown away by that ride.

    I can...it is all a bit of a pantomime with hindsight.

    It's as if they are all riding e-bikes.

    If Benny Hill did cycling...
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    RoadPainter wrote:
    Great route, Stelvio and Ortisei in particular are very fan friendly.

    Last night I booked up a trip for a Blockhaus weekender via Naples. Long transfers unfortunately, but hopefully worth it!

    Just finishing plans for a final week overdose of Giro, currently looking like 2 nights in each of Bormio and Ortisei, then staying somewhere near Monte Grappa for a couple of nights before heading back to Milan via Monza.

    Sardinia now looking unlikely (is more than 8 stages overkill?), but may still happen.

    I still haven't yet booked anything for the underwhelming Tour.


    more than 8 stages is NOT overkill :oops:

    I've thinking a cheeky 3rd w/e trip out for the Oropa and Bergamo finishes...
    Dangerous - do you really think you'd be able to fly back on Sunday night when the next stage is Mortirolo/double Stelvio?

    No more for me - I can't take any more time off, I seem to have most of my annual leave planned for May & June :-s
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Seems that the RCS have managed to come up with a much stiffer, yet at the same time, more balanced and diverse route than the ASO's poor effort.
    Looks lovely.
    Agree.

    But ASO have got home hopes that aren't quite among the best climbers and don't TT well. And they probably want to take the edge off crowd numbers after their f-up at Ventoux. There's a Germany grand depart to further recover interest there and presumably they'll at the very least have a food/drink rev-share with Stade Veldorome for final TT,
    I reckon ASO will be pretty damn pleased with their route.
  • Richmond Racer 2
    Richmond Racer 2 Posts: 4,698
    RoadPainter wrote:
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    RoadPainter wrote:
    Great route, Stelvio and Ortisei in particular are very fan friendly.

    Last night I booked up a trip for a Blockhaus weekender via Naples. Long transfers unfortunately, but hopefully worth it!

    Just finishing plans for a final week overdose of Giro, currently looking like 2 nights in each of Bormio and Ortisei, then staying somewhere near Monte Grappa for a couple of nights before heading back to Milan via Monza.

    Sardinia now looking unlikely (is more than 8 stages overkill?), but may still happen.

    I still haven't yet booked anything for the underwhelming Tour.


    more than 8 stages is NOT overkill :oops:

    I've thinking a cheeky 3rd w/e trip out for the Oropa and Bergamo finishes...
    Dangerous - do you really think you'd be able to fly back on Sunday night when the next stage is Mortirolo/double Stelvio?

    No more for me - I can't take any more time off, I seem to have most of my annual leave planned for May & June :-s



    Ah bollox to ye Road Painter and RCS. Devils... :twisted:
  • red.rider
    red.rider Posts: 1,188
    andyp wrote:
    By the sounds of it, this stage will come up the easier side of the Mortirolo, then down into the Valtellina, up to Bormio, up to the Umbrail pass junction, turn left, descend down the Umbrail, turn right at the bottom, down the valley to Prato then up the classic northern side.

    I'm surprised that they've decided to descend down the 'classic side' of the Stelvio and then climb the Umbrail Pass to Bormio. I think t'other way round as quoted above would be more appropriate, teasing the riders with the summit only to start descending down the Umbrail 3km from the top. Then climbing the classic side to the Cima Coppi. This may be influenced by the narrow sections of Umbrail, which may be too dangerous for a mass descent.

    I'm not complaining though, the Umbrail is a stunning road and is great for spectators.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Is the Umbrail fully paved now? When I rode it there was at least one fairly long section which was unpaved. This was some time ago though.
  • red.rider
    red.rider Posts: 1,188
    andyp wrote:
    Is the Umbrail fully paved now? When I rode it there was at least one fairly long section which was unpaved. This was some time ago though.

    Yeah it's all tarmac now, I went up and down in August. Still a tough climb though!
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,642
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Joelsim wrote:
    So far we have Aru, Nibali, Kruijswijk, Majka and an OBE. Poels too perhaps?

    We want Froome. I think he might be able to double up as the Tour is a bit lightweight.


    Speak for yourself. I'm perfectly happy with him not contaminating my enjoyment of the Giro
    You might be outta luck unfortunately:

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 6654602841

    https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/ ... 1999397888



    Whoosht, off with you, foul spirit

    Your voodoo worked... he's "unlikely" to do it due to the Tour taking priority...
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,095
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    No compact frames either!

    I wonder how long Froomey would have been able to cling on to the back of that group.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    I wonder if the lack of KMs raced above 2000m in the Tour, and conversely, the large number of KMs above 2000m in the Giro played a role in the Movistar decision to have Quintana ride the Giro, and, presumably, Valverde to ride the Tour, given one does well over 2000m and the other decidedly doesn't.
    _
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,232
    Just looking this up and it almost runs past our front door on the 17th of May. Unfortunatly I doubt I'll be there.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I wonder if the lack of KMs raced above 2000m in the Tour, and conversely, the large number of KMs above 2000m in the Giro played a role in the Movistar decision to have Quintana ride the Giro, and, presumably, Valverde to ride the Tour, given one does well over 2000m and the other decidedly doesn't.

    The decision on Quintana hasn't been made yet Rick.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Geraint Thomas will share team leadership duties with Mikel Landa at the Giro, Sky announced yesterday.

    It's shaping up to be quite a race in terms of depth of field.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    andyp wrote:
    Geraint Thomas will share team leadership duties with Mikel Landa at the Giro, Sky announced yesterday.

    It's shaping up to be quite a race in terms of depth of field.

    The most open of all GTs, could be any one of 10 winners.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    andyp wrote:
    Geraint Thomas will share team leadership duties with Mikel Landa at the Giro, Sky announced yesterday.

    It's shaping up to be quite a race in terms of depth of field.

    Sorry, but that's mental. Thomas is not a GT rider, especially one with this amount of tough climbs.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,449
    Salsiccia1 wrote:

    Sorry, but that's mental. Thomas is not a GT rider, especially one with this amount of tough climbs.

    Time will tell. As he's said himself, better to try and fail that to not try at all.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Geraint Thomas will share team leadership duties with Mikel Landa at the Giro, Sky announced yesterday.

    It's shaping up to be quite a race in terms of depth of field.

    Sorry, but that's mental. Thomas is not a GT rider, especially one with this amount of tough climbs.
    He's come 15th in the last two Tours while working for Froome, so I'd say he's earned a chance to have a go
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    Waste of classics talent.
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    Meanwhile, the joke GT route is released tomorrow.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Meanwhile, the joke GT route is released tomorrow.
    original.jpeg
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    andyp wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:

    Sorry, but that's mental. Thomas is not a GT rider, especially one with this amount of tough climbs.

    Time will tell. As he's said himself, better to try and fail that to not try at all.

    Not really. There's an opportunity cost, and at his age, I'd say the cost is quite high.
    _
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:

    Sorry, but that's mental. Thomas is not a GT rider, especially one with this amount of tough climbs.

    Time will tell. As he's said himself, better to try and fail that to not try at all.

    Not really. There's an opportunity cost, and at his age, I'd say the cost is quite high.

    Yep, and there's also a cost to other riders on the team who may be sacrificing their ambitions.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • mr_poll
    mr_poll Posts: 1,547
    G has a massive amount of talent but cannot see this being his race, and the field lining up for the GC will make it doubly difficult - should have focused on the classics.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Has Thomas said he's not riding the Classics too?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,648
    Joelsim wrote:
    Has Thomas said he's not riding the Classics too?

    It's a brave man who aims to be competitive in March > Mid April and then again for the whole of May.
    _

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