Giro 2017: Stage 4: Cefalù – Etna (Rif. Sapienza 181kms)*Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

START TIME: 12.00 CEST

The first summit finish awaits the peloton after a medium mountain stage. The route follows the mild undulations of the road for 55 km, and then tackles a long and steady climb up Portella Femmina Morta. A very long and manageable descent then leads to the feed zone and to the intermediate sprint in Bronte. The route hits the foot of Mount Etna and runs across a number of villages, heading towards the finish, all the way to Nicolosi, where the closing climb begins. The final part of the route runs through urban areas, on narrowed and often stone-paved roads. The final climb, on wide and tarmacked road, has an average gradient of approx. 6%, with no punchy bits. The road winds its way along wide hairpins for nearly 20 km. There is a mild counterslope with 500 m to go. The home stretch (200 m, 3% uphill grade) leads to the finish line, on 7-m wide asphalt road.

Map:-


Profile:-


Climbs:-




Last Kms:-

milton50

So what do we think then? An attacking stage which sets up the rest of the Giro or do the GC guys just watch each other and keep their powder dry?

andyp

The day after a rest day and the first proper test at an early stage of the race, so I'd expect someone to set their team to make it hard, just to see if anyone is having a bad day. Given the depth of the field, taking opportunities to eliminate rivals should be taken if they present themselves.

RichN95.

If this was the Tour, Sky would hit this stage hard. It will be interesting it they use those tactics without Froome.

It's also useful to thin down the number of contenders at the first opportunity.

ocdupalais

Blazing - where did you get that stage description from, please?

RichN95.

OCDuPalais wrote:

Blazing - where did you get that stage description from, please?

It's from the Giro website

http://www.giroditalia.it/eng/stage/stage-4-2017/

gethinceri

RichN95 wrote:

If this was the Tour, Sky would hit this stage hard. It will be interesting it they use those tactics without Froome.

It's also useful to thin down the number of contenders at the first opportunity.

Reckon that'll be Movistar's M.O. for the stage.

milton50

Gethinceri wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

If this was the Tour, Sky would hit this stage hard. It will be interesting it they use those tactics without Froome.

It's also useful to thin down the number of contenders at the first opportunity.

Reckon that'll be Movistar's M.O. for the stage.

I'm not so sure given that we know Quintana has come into the race with less miles in his legs than normal.

Depends if he feels he is on a good day of course.

ocdupalais

RichN95 wrote:

OCDuPalais wrote:

Blazing - where did you get that stage description from, please?

It's from the Giro website

http://www.giroditalia.it/eng/stage/stage-4-2017/

Ta.

rick_chasey

Loooooooong climbs.

craigus89

I admit my viewing so far has been sporadic at best mainly catching highlights. I am yet to actually see a shot of Quintana in the peleton or otherwise, I don't actually believe he is racing and nobody has noticed.

rick_chasey

I'm expecting stalemate till very late.

salsiccia1

Craigus89 wrote:

I admit my viewing so far has been sporadic at best mainly catching highlights. I am yet to actually see a shot of Quintana in the peloton or otherwise, I don't actually believe he is racing and nobody has noticed.

I think I've only seen Movistar on the front when Zakarin had his mechanical

RichN95.

Craigus89 wrote:

I admit my viewing so far has been sporadic at best mainly catching highlights. I am yet to actually see a shot of Quintana in the peloton or otherwise, I don't actually believe he is racing and nobody has noticed.

He was the one that couldn't hold the wheel of the rider in front in the wind on stage 3 that allowed Quick Step to ride away.

rick_chasey

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Craigus89 wrote:

I admit my viewing so far has been sporadic at best mainly catching highlights. I am yet to actually see a shot of Quintana in the peloton or otherwise, I don't actually believe he is racing and nobody has noticed.

I think I've only seen Movistar on the front when Zakarin had his mechanical

Standard Movistar.

andyp

Rohan Dennis has abandoned, suffering from the injuries he received on stage 3 apparently. Which must've been worse than reported.

dish_dash

Poor Rohan

It's my man Svein Tuft's 40th birthday today!!!

Also 6 years since Wouter Weyland died...

rick_chasey

Eugenio Alafaci (Trek-Segafredo)
Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (Dimension Data)
Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates)
Pavel Brutt (Gazprom-Rusvelo)


Brutt, in a Giro breakaway?

No way.

smithy21

Rick Chasey wrote:

I'm expecting stalemate till very late.

Come on Rick, it's the Giro. All out attacking riding and panache isn't it.

blazing_saddles

I wonder if Dennis didn't fancy wasting his time working for TJ.
Losada ou too, it seems.

kingstongraham

That's an interesting place for an intermediate sprint

yourpaceormine

That GazProm Colnago is gurt lush compared to the UAE one. (All black compared to black with tacky red bits).

Crampeur

Alafaci's 'tache is quite soemthing.

blazing_saddles

Jan Polanc was climbing well in Croatia.

Crampeur

Anyone see the near punch up between a Bahrein and a Sky rider?

blazing_saddles

Chaos on the corner.
Zakarin down. Roy hurt a lotto down and a Kutusha again hurt.

blazing_saddles

The road goes up and TJ goes down.

RichN95.

TJ getting a little push from teammates. Maybe Movistar will have a cheeky word with the commisaires

yourpaceormine

Crampeur wrote:

Anyone see the near punch up between a Bahrein and a Sky rider?

It looked like the Bahrain Merida rider spat at the Sky rider. Wonder if there will be a complaint to the commissar?

TheBigBean

12.5km to go. The break has 4 mins.

Rolland tries to attack.

blazing_saddles

The gap to Polanc currently holding steady.
Rolland's random French miss-timed attack.