Giro 2018: Stage 3, Be'er Shiva - Eilat Sunday, 6th May, 229kms *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
edited May 2018 in Pro race
OK, after today's riveting stuff, we get to do it all again tomorrow, but with an 70kms tagged on.
Whooppeee! I here everyone cry. I can feel the tension rising as I type.

So, first, here's the technical stuff...

Stage 3
BE'ER SHEVA - EILAT 6 May 2018 / Sunday / 229 km

The route follows the mild undulations of the Negev desert. The roads are always wide and well paved. The route takes a long run across a rocky landscape, and becomes rougher especially when emerging from the Ramon Crater, with a categorised climb set in Faran River. The final part of the route descends slightly towards the Red Sea, and enters the city before hitting the finish line. Final kilometres: over the last 6 km, the road narrows while passing through a checkpoint. After taking in a series of roundabouts, the route eventually takes a U-turn 1.6 km before the finish, at another roundabout, leading into the final kilometre. The last bend is 350 m from the finish line (on 7.5-m wide asphalt road).

Profile:-
G18_T03_Eilat_alt_jpg.jpg

Map:-
G18_T03_Eilat_plan_jpg.jpg

Climb:-
G18_T03_S01_Faran_alt_jpg.jpg

Finish:-
G18_T03_Eilat_ukm_jpg.jpg
G18_T03_Eilat_ARR_jpg.jpg

Now for the cultural stuff...

BE'ER SHEVA

Be’er Sheva, located in Southern Israel, is the largest city in the Negev – often called the Gateway to the Negev region – and the main town of the Southern District.

The Negev:
Negev-Desert-2.jpg

Be'er:
beer-sheva-image.jpg

More Be'er:
Beer.jpg


EILAT

Located in the southernmost tip of Israel on the Red Sea, Eilat is an important Israeli harbour, a very high-standard tourism resort enjoying a mild climate due to the sub-tropical characteristics of the Red Sea. With its 50,000 inhabitants, the city is in the southern part of the Negev.

Eilat.
nintchdbpict000362722215.jpg?strip=all&w=960

Visitors.
1.jpg?i10c=img.resize(height:160)

Locals.
Bedouin-camel-rests-near-the-treasury-Al-Khazneh-carved-into-the-rock-at-Petra-720x606.jpg
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

Comments

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    I don't know where our wildlife photographer are currently.
    Maybe boycotting the Israeli stages?
    Anyhow, in their absence, some of today's potential spectators.

    1200px-Nubian_Ibex_in_Negev.JPG

    Feature.jpg?fit=521%2C319

    african-ostich-negev-desert-israel-19595688.jpg
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    A 3 man break, including the current KoM, Boivin forms from the flag and that's all folks.
    Frapporti and Barbin being the other two.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • prhymeate
    prhymeate Posts: 795
    "Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain" This advert already makes me want to kill myself. I didn't think it was possible to be more annoying than the tour of Azerbaijan advert, but I was wrong.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    What a pointless, boring stage..... a bit of gardening seems a more attractive prospect (gulp).
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    edited May 2018
    give it a chance something may happen. you get the feeling the bunch wants out of Israel thou. the heat could mess you up for the coming days. keeping hydrated all those hours out there...another 4+ by the look of it. I suppose its a gruelling test if nothing else.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    turns over to yorkshire
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    The scenery is nice for fans of the dessert.

    Bit much claiming Petra.
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Something happened. Young lady got her chesticles out. Possibly the most exciting thing to happen until the final 500m
  • kleinstroker
    kleinstroker Posts: 2,133
    yourpaceormine wrote:
    Something happened. Young lady got her chesticles out. Possibly the most exciting thing to happen until the final 500m

    Hope someone got a photo of the peloton admiring the scenery!
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    TheBigBean wrote:
    The scenery is nice for fans of the dessert.

    Bit much claiming Petra.

    *political satire mode on*

    Yeah, they've occupied enough as it is...

    *political satire mode off*
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Looks a tad windy, get the echelons klaxon on standby...
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    viviani and quickstep bossing it.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    its over
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,115
    Thibaut Pinot "zero pleasure, like riding on the moon"
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Haven’t missed much then up in Yorkshire??

    Phew.
    _
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    So sad that a European GT is run through a featureless desert for money, not the first time something was betrayed in that neck of the woods for 30 pieces of silver.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,887
    Surprised Bennett wasn't relegated for that sprint.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Well that was pointless.

    Can't wait until the actual Giro starts tomorrow.....when I will be back at work and unable to watch :roll:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Dumolin not enjoying the finale.

    "Dit was met afstand de verschrikkelijkste en zwaarste sprintfinale die ik ooit heb gedaan. We zijn volgens mij niet meer onder de zeventig geweest de laatste dertig kilometer", verzuchtte de Nederlander, die zijn tweede plaats in het klassement achter Rohan Dennis wel handhaafde.

    "This was by some way the toughest sprint finish I've ever done. I don't think we ever went slower than 70kph in the final 30km."

    "Normaal voel ik me alleen zo na een bergrit. Ik vond dat het eigenlijk niet kon. Het was echt veel te gevaarlijk."

    Normally I only feel like this after a mountain stage. I thought that this really ought not to happen. It was really too dangerous
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Dumolin also moaning about the ridiculously early start on Monday morning.

    Rider consensus was the first day was fun, the final two were just something to endure.
    _
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Surprised Bennett wasn't relegated for that sprint.

    He's a lucky boy, but I think he left just enough space to get away with it.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Few comments on twitter suggesting he'll get his peloton comeuppance for it...
    _
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Few comments on twitter suggesting he'll get his peloton comeuppance for it...


    Meh. These guys should look at some Youtube videos of Abdu and thank their lucky stars that Bennett is the worst they encounter.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Timoid. wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Surprised Bennett wasn't relegated for that sprint.

    He's a lucky boy, but I think he left just enough space to get away with it.

    got the feeling mid sprint he kinda policed himself
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Prhymeate wrote:
    "Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain" This advert already makes me want to kill myself. I didn't think it was possible to be more annoying than the tour of Azerbaijan advert, but I was wrong.

    I quite like the ad.

    Have to say, the last three stages have made me think that I would consider Israel as somewhere I would visit. Previously I would have totally balked at the idea.

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