Giro 2018: Stage 8, PRAIA A MARE - MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO 12 May 2018 / Saturday / 209 km *Spoi
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,725
Might as well punch out the next stage, while Kirby cremates what is left of soporific stage 7.
PRAIA A MARE - MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO 209 km
Stage 8
At 209 kilometres, the 8th stage of the Giro d'Italia runs from Praia a Mare to a summit finish in Montevergine di Mercogliano. The riders face a closing climb of 17.1 kilometres with an average gradient of 5%.
It’s been seven editions since the Giro last visited Montevergine di Mercogliano. In 2011, Bart De Clerq attacked on the last climb and he held off the chasing group – with all favourites – with just a bike length. In the current millennium, Danilo di Luca (2001, 2007) and Damiano Cunego (2004) were also victorious on the lime stone massif in Campania.
The 8th stage of the Giro d’Italia starts in the place stage 7 finished, Praia a Mare, on the Tyrrhenian coast. The route is going mostly up or down for the first 100 kilometer when the pack moves through the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, which is listed as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. And, we might add, rightly so.
With a little more than 100 kilometres done the riders leave the hills behind them. The route continues for 50 kilometres along the coast in northern direction. Just after Salerno they turn right to race inland. The route starts to climb slightly and will keep on doing so for most of the last 50 kilometres, although only the last 17.1 kilometres are ranked as KOM climb. The official ascent on the Montevergine di Mercogliano is averaging 5%.
This very long stage initially winds its way along trunk and fast-flow roads, with some tunnels along the route. The stage course straightens and levels out past Agropoli, following the Tyrrhenian coast all the way to Salerno. Here, and for the last 55 km, the route starts to climb (with milder or harsher gradients) all the way to the outskirts of Avellino. The road is narrow and worn out at points along the coast, and urban areas are dotted with roundabouts, traffic islands and speed bumps. The final climb leading to Montevergine di Mercogliano begins just past Torrette di Mercogliano. Final kilometres: this will be the second summit finish. The average gradient is around 6%. The route is marked by a series of short straight stretches, connected by mild bends and alternating with a large number of wide hairpins (18). The route runs under the cable railway just past the red flag, and clears the last hairpin 600 m before the finish. The home straight (150 m in length, 6 m in width) has a 5% uphill gradient.
Profile:-
Map:-
Climb:-
Finish:-
Street view video:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQcrsk ... e=youtu.be
MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO
A hamlet of Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino, it is home to the Catholic sanctuary with the same name at an altitude of 1,263 m.
The local wine made from a lesser known, but growing in popularity, grape variety.
To go with the local, fresh pasta.
PRAIA A MARE - MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO 209 km
Stage 8
At 209 kilometres, the 8th stage of the Giro d'Italia runs from Praia a Mare to a summit finish in Montevergine di Mercogliano. The riders face a closing climb of 17.1 kilometres with an average gradient of 5%.
It’s been seven editions since the Giro last visited Montevergine di Mercogliano. In 2011, Bart De Clerq attacked on the last climb and he held off the chasing group – with all favourites – with just a bike length. In the current millennium, Danilo di Luca (2001, 2007) and Damiano Cunego (2004) were also victorious on the lime stone massif in Campania.
The 8th stage of the Giro d’Italia starts in the place stage 7 finished, Praia a Mare, on the Tyrrhenian coast. The route is going mostly up or down for the first 100 kilometer when the pack moves through the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, which is listed as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. And, we might add, rightly so.
With a little more than 100 kilometres done the riders leave the hills behind them. The route continues for 50 kilometres along the coast in northern direction. Just after Salerno they turn right to race inland. The route starts to climb slightly and will keep on doing so for most of the last 50 kilometres, although only the last 17.1 kilometres are ranked as KOM climb. The official ascent on the Montevergine di Mercogliano is averaging 5%.
This very long stage initially winds its way along trunk and fast-flow roads, with some tunnels along the route. The stage course straightens and levels out past Agropoli, following the Tyrrhenian coast all the way to Salerno. Here, and for the last 55 km, the route starts to climb (with milder or harsher gradients) all the way to the outskirts of Avellino. The road is narrow and worn out at points along the coast, and urban areas are dotted with roundabouts, traffic islands and speed bumps. The final climb leading to Montevergine di Mercogliano begins just past Torrette di Mercogliano. Final kilometres: this will be the second summit finish. The average gradient is around 6%. The route is marked by a series of short straight stretches, connected by mild bends and alternating with a large number of wide hairpins (18). The route runs under the cable railway just past the red flag, and clears the last hairpin 600 m before the finish. The home straight (150 m in length, 6 m in width) has a 5% uphill gradient.
Profile:-
Map:-
Climb:-
Finish:-
Street view video:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQcrsk ... e=youtu.be
MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO
A hamlet of Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino, it is home to the Catholic sanctuary with the same name at an altitude of 1,263 m.
The local wine made from a lesser known, but growing in popularity, grape variety.
To go with the local, fresh pasta.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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I haven't bothered earlier commenting on the Giro stage spoiler thread preambles, although I've noted the odd small error, e.g. the dessert shown for stage 1, Kunafa, is Arabic not Israeli; Montalbano (based on where he is supposedly located) shouldn't have been pictured for stage 4, rather (as Blazing Saddles the next day did in a post) for stage 5.
But I can't let the picture of the so-called „local pasta“ for this stage preamble (delicious as it looks) go uncommented.
It shows Cavatelli which, although slight variations exist throughout southern Italy, is mostly associated with the Molise region, through which the Giro passes during stage 9 on Sunday. In Campobasso, the capital of Molise, it is traditionally served everywhere on 17 January, the day of St. Anthony the Great, the founder of monasticism.
A much more appropriate local pasta choice for stage 8 would have been Paccheri, which are like half-length, double-diameter Cannelloni – maybe my favourite pasta, thus why my pedantic 'concern'.
I know these regional pasta differences because I have family connections to Sarno (near tomorrow's finish) and to Alfedena (near halfway along stage 9).
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I see these coastal stages and get hopeful of crosswinds, is there any glimmer of it being a bit blowy tomorrow?0
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I was attempting to be tongue in cheek.
As far as I know, Kunafah is a traditional Palestinian dessert.
Stage four it was not me who started that banter, Guv.
As you say, stage five, Andrea Caminelli was being used reference landmarks and in particular his home town which they passed through that day, by Italian commentators. Hence, I added a quick book cover.
Obviously, I am not putting enough effort into these OPs. Must try harder."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
To answer my own question, it's cross tail winds tomorrow but only light. Chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon though.0
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Oh and as far as the pasta goes:-CUCINA
Pasta fresca (cavatelli, orecchiette, fusilli); secondi piatti a base di carne alla brace; Torrone.
http://www.giroditalia.it/it/tappa/tapp ... ca/arrivo/
Flip me."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I take it the final climb isn't that hard? the stage profile makes it look tough but the actual profile for the climb doesn't look that bad0
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PTP Mountain Stage too, for those joining late maybe you can nick the blue top?0
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Topper harley wrote:I take it the final climb isn't that hard? the stage profile makes it look tough but the actual profile for the climb doesn't look that bad
It's long but never steep. The past few times the Giro has used it, a group of 20-30 has usually arrived together. Last time a Lotto rider, De Clercq?, snuck away a few kms from the top and they chasers left it too late to bring him back.
Added: I forgot how close it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO7Q1E8xz7M0 -
I remember di luca winning solo back in 200X (1 or 2).... he went up REALLY fast
looked like he was on the flat. "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 -
The break could potentially make it today as the final climb is probably not quite hard enough for real gaps in the GC, and they'll have their mind on Sunday.0
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This is the day of multiple express trains.
Historically, a horrible climb. A very consistent 5% gradient all the way.
Domestique riders and outsiders only, dropped out the back, nobody worthwhile allowed off the front.
GC riders partake in final, few hundred metre sprint.
2001: Di Luca wins, top 20 riders within 10 seconds.
2004: Cunego wins, top 10 riders within 10 seconds.
2007: Di Luca wins, top 10 within 15 seconds.
2011: De Clerq wins, top 25 same time."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Those Italians! Raisins... in Pasta?0
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BOTD: Matteo Montaguti (AG2R – La Mondiale), Rodolfo Torres (Androni), Davide Villella (Astana), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida), Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto Fix All), Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo), & Jan Polanc (UAE)"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Kirby has been on since the start, in full giggle mode to.
Hence I haven't watched."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Kirby is not on now0
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Hatch has now taken over for rest of the stage I think / hope.
Ah beaten to it^^^0 -
I've now looked at the profiles for the remaining stages. I don't get why Dumoulin is favourite. There is a 34km TT which I doubt is enough to make up the time he will lose to Yates and others on the climbs.0
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Wellens, Valls and another Movistar taste the Italian tarmac."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Wellens has a minor crash which results in a new bike.
Davide Villell, Tosh Van der Sande, Matteo Montaguti, Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo, Matej Mohoric, Koen Bouwman and Jan Polanc lead the peloton by 4'35" with 31km to go.0 -
getting a bit trains-ey at the front fdj sky et al."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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roads damping... super slippy southern Italian newly made tarmac."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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Break should start the climb with about 3 minutes."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Fat Cat wrote:Hatch has now taken over for rest of the stage I think / hope.
Ah beaten to it^^^
A blessed relief of course, but the way Hatch pronounces "peloton" to rhyme with "pelican" does offend me a bit.0 -
There's some lakes on the road.Correlation is not causation.0
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Peloton is strung out in the lead up to the climb0
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dumoulin kinda absent from the front?"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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break is melting down...going to need to push on under 2 mins now"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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TVS rolling off the front of the break."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
