Giro 2018: Stage 4, CATANIA - CALTAGIRONE 8 May 2018 / Tuesday / 198 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,730
The race finally hits Italian soil and the Sicilian stages.
Gone is the flat, featureless desert, as we bid welcome to the first serious climbing.
STAGE 4
CATANIA - CALTAGIRONE 8 May 2018 / Tuesday / 198 km
The route has a very wavy profile (with several ascents, including two categorised climbs), and features a continuous series of bends throughout the stage course. Roads are variably wide, and the surface is worn out at points. Road pavers may be present in urban areas. Final kilometres: the final 5 kilometres run entirely within the city. There is a short (well-lit) tunnel with 5 km to go, while from -3 to -2 km, the route crosses the old town centre on narrowed roadway. The last kilometre runs entirely uphill, with gradients topping out at 13%. The home stretch is 300 m long, on 7.5-m wide asphalt road.
Profile:-
Map:-
Finish:-
CATANIA
Catania, the main city of the homonimous metropolitan area in Sicily, is the heart of an urban centre of about 800,000 inhabitants at the foot of Mount Etna. It is the economic and infrastructural centre of the South-Eastern Sicily District. Founded in 729 BC by the Calcidians from Naxos, the city features a millenial history characterised by different dominations. Their remnants enrichen its artistic, architectonic, and cultural heritage. Under the Aragona dynasty, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, and the oldest University of the island was built in 1434 on King Alfonso V’s request.
CALTAGIRONE
With its 40,000 inhabitants Caltagirone is situated on three hills that connect the Erei mountains to the Iblei mountains. Its name in Arabic means “vase hill” to remind people of the thousand-year-old tradition of pottery production which is possible thanks to the big ravines that surround the town and from which the raw material is extracted. The pottery is a constant all over the town, starting from the Scala of Santa Maria del Monte, the town symbol, 142 steps decorated with beautiful majolica. The town center, rich with artistic jewels, Unesco World Heritage Site since 2002, combine medieval features with Renaissance and late Baroque monuments.
Gone is the flat, featureless desert, as we bid welcome to the first serious climbing.
STAGE 4
CATANIA - CALTAGIRONE 8 May 2018 / Tuesday / 198 km
The route has a very wavy profile (with several ascents, including two categorised climbs), and features a continuous series of bends throughout the stage course. Roads are variably wide, and the surface is worn out at points. Road pavers may be present in urban areas. Final kilometres: the final 5 kilometres run entirely within the city. There is a short (well-lit) tunnel with 5 km to go, while from -3 to -2 km, the route crosses the old town centre on narrowed roadway. The last kilometre runs entirely uphill, with gradients topping out at 13%. The home stretch is 300 m long, on 7.5-m wide asphalt road.
Profile:-
Map:-
Finish:-
CATANIA
Catania, the main city of the homonimous metropolitan area in Sicily, is the heart of an urban centre of about 800,000 inhabitants at the foot of Mount Etna. It is the economic and infrastructural centre of the South-Eastern Sicily District. Founded in 729 BC by the Calcidians from Naxos, the city features a millenial history characterised by different dominations. Their remnants enrichen its artistic, architectonic, and cultural heritage. Under the Aragona dynasty, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, and the oldest University of the island was built in 1434 on King Alfonso V’s request.
CALTAGIRONE
With its 40,000 inhabitants Caltagirone is situated on three hills that connect the Erei mountains to the Iblei mountains. Its name in Arabic means “vase hill” to remind people of the thousand-year-old tradition of pottery production which is possible thanks to the big ravines that surround the town and from which the raw material is extracted. The pottery is a constant all over the town, starting from the Scala of Santa Maria del Monte, the town symbol, 142 steps decorated with beautiful majolica. The town center, rich with artistic jewels, Unesco World Heritage Site since 2002, combine medieval features with Renaissance and late Baroque monuments.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Yay the Giro starts!
A carretto:
A local pine marten:
Some more local wildlife:
And everyone's favourite Kiwi on a bike George Bennett showing off his interesting Dutch and making plane his feelings about the little Israeli excursion:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2230703-bennett-kritisch-na-giro-weekend-israel-alleen-de-israelische-kant-gezien.htmlCorrelation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Yay the Giro starts!
A carretto:
And everyone's favourite Kiwi on a bike George Bennett showing off his interesting Dutch and making plane his feelings about the little Israeli excursion:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2230703-bennett-kritisch-na-giro-weekend-israel-alleen-de-israelische-kant-gezien.html
Ik ben blij dat we naar Europa gaan nu.
Does that Kiwi know Israel have been in the Eurovision for years - and are full UEFA members. It's got a Mediterranean resort -it's practically East Italy0 -
SpecialGuestStar wrote:Above The Cows wrote:Yay the Giro starts!
A carretto:
And everyone's favourite Kiwi on a bike George Bennett showing off his interesting Dutch and making plane his feelings about the little Israeli excursion:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2230703-bennett-kritisch-na-giro-weekend-israel-alleen-de-israelische-kant-gezien.html
Ik ben blij dat we naar Europa gaan nu.
Does that Kiwi know Israel have been in the Eurovision for years - and are full UEFA members. It's got a Mediterranean resort -it's practically East Italy
Well Australia is in Eurovision now so...Correlation is not causation.0 -
Above The Cows wrote:Yay the Giro starts!
Some more local wildlife:
At last. The cavalry has arrived!
One day...
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
^I've been there on a day off from fieldwork a few years ago.Correlation is not causation.0
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thats what's his names house
montalbano"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 pm0 -
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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touche "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 pm0 -
Dottore!Correlation is not causation.0
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Hooray ! Giro proper starts now.0
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This could be a proper good stage.0
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i like the episode where Catarella is in the amateur acting group and they all go to watch and are stunned to see he can really act."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 pm0
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God I really want a plate of seafood linguine now.Correlation is not causation.0
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Green!0
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A collective sigh of relief, as everybody settles into watching the genuine Giro."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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shame they didn't show the first hour"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 pm0
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RichN95 wrote:Splits in the peloton with 100km to go. UAE driving it
Yer. Was just going to post this.
Shades of Astana a few years back?
A pity that Kirby turned up just before, to miss everything."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Time gaps looking a bit erroneous0
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Well, that was a bit of mid stage excitement.
Tony Martin has been on the deck.
Gianni Savio turned into a "hands off" paramedic.
If he hit that camera bike, will they boot him off the race, again? :P
Surprised to see Ulissi towing the train."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I've written 1,000 words about increases in EU funding for search and rescue missions and border policing (based somewhat on work I've done in Sicily). I think I might take my laptop out to the patio and watch this stage now.Correlation is not causation.0
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Quelle surprise. Guardini has abandoned."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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No 3km rule today, so the GC boys will have to come out to play.
New time gap protocol being used too, so 3 second gap instead of 1."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Sean Kelly actually sounds happy.0
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KingstonGraham wrote:Sean Kelly actually sounds happy.
Maybe a result of who his co-commentator is...0 -
Horses!Correlation is not causation.0
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Sven T panting like a old man in one gt too many. that transfer looks to have had an effect on the peloton"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 pm0
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dish_dash wrote:KingstonGraham wrote:Sean Kelly actually sounds happy.
Maybe a result of who his co-commentator is...
UGH back to Kirby for the finale...0 -
Oh ffs, Eurosport have brought Kirby back for the finale again. More incoherent screaming and screeching.
Looked above and snap! "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
The ad-free Eurosport feed is great, but they aren't doing a commentary free one as far as I can tell.0
