Giro 2018, Stage 10: Tuesday, 15 May: Penne - Gualdo Tadino 239 kms *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Giro 2018, Stage 10: Penne - Gualdo Tadino 239 kms

At 239 kilometres, the 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia features the longest route of this edition. The riders travel from Penne to Gualdo Tadino in what is supposed to be a chance for attackers.
Once the flag is dropped the route starts to climb. Following an initial drop the KOM-climb to Fonte Della Creta continues. Peaking at 1,254 metres, the ascent is averaging approximately 5%. It’s likely we will see an onslaught of attacks to get in the break away.

After cresting the Fonte Della Creta a 19 kilometres descent runs to a false flat of some 10 kilometres before it goes back up again. The climb to Bruzzolana stops at an elevation of 523 metres. A drop, and then the riders start racing a rolling to hilly parcours for more than 100 kilometres. The first two climbs of the day are toughest, although another KOM-summit is waiting at kilometre 208. The punchy climb to Annifo lies at the end of a false flat section of around 40 kilometres.
In the village of Annifo, at 895 metres, the road drops to 500 metres before the last 20 kilometres or so are played out on the flat.


Profile:-


Map:-


Finish:-


PENNE

In the province of Pescara, Abruzzi, it is one of the major centres of the Vestina Area half-way between the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso d’Italia. It is the natural gateway to the National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga through the “Lago di Penne” Nature Reserve. Because of bricks in all the buildings and in the remnants of some floors Penne has earned the name of the “City of bricks”.
hiesa della SS. Chiesa della SS Annunziata, the buildings of the old town, the Lago di Penne controlled nature reserve, MAMEC (Museo d’arte moderna e contemporanea, Museum of modern and contemporary art), Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.

Population: 12,000
Foundation: Roman age
Ancient name: Pinna



The local, well known cheese.


The equally well known, generic drop to wash it down with.


GUALDO TADINO

This picturesque town in the province of Perugia lays at the foot of the Central Appenines and is renowned for its artistic pottery factories.
Rocca Flea (12th century), Chiesa Monumentale di San Francesco (14th century), Basilica Cattedrale di San Benedetto (13th century), Palazzo del Podestà and Torre Civica (12th century), the Roman ruins of Tadinum, Parco del Monte Cucco (regional nature park), Eremo di Serrasanta.
Population: 15,000
Foundation: Umbrian age
Ancient name: Tadinum



It's almost certainly one for the breakaway, innit?

Favourites 10th stage 2018 Giro d’Italia

*** Tim Wellens, Luis León Sánchez, Giovanni Visconti, Koen Bouwman
** Robert Gesink, Matej Mohoric, Jarlinson Pantano
* Tony Martin, Alessandro De Marchi, Alexei Lutsenko Chris Froome

lettingthedaysgoby

Looks like a breakaway day, yeah...

siddy1972

Never posted in here before, I’m more of a casual follower, but I think these stage preambles are great, thanks for posting them, they give a great insight :-)

mrfpb

Simon Yates is predicting Sam Wellens for the win in his BBC stage by stage guide (written before the event).

Giro d'Italia: Chris Froome's rival Simon Yates' stage-by-stage guide - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43891228

Simon's one to watch: Tim Wellens - the Belgian won stage six of the 2016 Giro after joining a breakaway and this terrain looks ideal for him.

They've overwritten the earlier entries with race summaries, but I think his predictions have been over 50% accurate so far - including predicting his own win on Saturday.

blazing_saddles

It's pretty obvious that Wellens is now in full scavenger mode; much like Gianni Visconti and Jan Polanc.
I'm just not sure, after yesterday's big effort whether he will fancy another 240 km jaunt.
So, 3 stars for tomorrow, but if he sits this one out, 5 stars for the following day.
160kms ending with a lovely mur.

No_Ta_Doctor

siddy1972 wrote:

Never posted in here before, I’m more of a casual follower, but I think these stage preambles are great, thanks for posting them, they give a great insight :-)

I'm a regular, but I still can't get over the effort that goes into the stage spoiler starters. Top work Blazing.

m.r.m.

Weird stage profile. Make this 160 or even 140 km and it would be fireworks!

knedlicky

Well done for another good stage preamble!
I'd be interested to know where the last photo (up high with the clouds below) is located.

I am amused by the dark horse tip (by far, I don't think he is a Contador or a Merckx, both of whom did try breaks to make up time).

If the likely break stays away, I'd include Schachmann and Ulissi as contenders (neither of whom you mention).
But I'm also not wholly convinced a break will survive, so then it might be between the sprinters. Which is rather what the PTP-ers are so far thinking.
But I hope they are wrong.

blazing_saddles

Here is one looking up, rather than down.



It's the finish town: Gualdo Tadino.

Here is tomorrow's weather forecast for said town. Just what you want on the end of 240kms.

https://www.3bmeteo.com/meteo/gualdo+tadino/1

One of these is suppose to roam in them thar hills.

blazing_saddles

Obviously, the RCS felt today's that stage was too short.
New profile.



5kms added off the descent of the cat 2.

mididoctors

shame the start won't be televised.

kingstongraham

mididoctors wrote:

shame the start won't be televised.

You're kidding - a stage when something might happen early.

bobmcstuff

knedlicky wrote:

If the likely break stays away, I'd include Schachmann and Ulissi as contenders (neither of whom you mention).
But I'm also not wholly convinced a break will survive, so then it might be between the sprinters. Which is rather what the PTP-ers are so far thinking.
But I hope they are wrong.

My thinking was that the break is too unpredictable. So say it's a 50:50 break:sprint, there's maybe 2 riders who are serious contenders for the sprint but the break is much more of a lottery.

I also rather suspect the break may stay away, but if it does come back together then the sprint is much easier to predict.

kingstongraham

My velogames team would like a bunch sprint with Viviani beating Bennett please. Unless it's an unexpected breakaway winner, it's the only way I can move to top spot.

mididoctors

KingstonGraham wrote:

My velogames team would like a bunch sprint with Viviani beating Bennett please. Unless it's an unexpected breakaway winner, it's the only way I can move to top spot.

viviani dropped on first climb according to text updates

RichN95.

mididoctors wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

My velogames team would like a bunch sprint with Viviani beating Bennett please. Unless it's an unexpected breakaway winner, it's the only way I can move to top spot.

viviani dropped on first climb according to text updates

And at the summit he'll only have 210km left to catch up.

mididoctors

RichN95 wrote:

mididoctors wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

My velogames team would like a bunch sprint with Viviani beating Bennett please. Unless it's an unexpected breakaway winner, it's the only way I can move to top spot.

viviani dropped on first climb according to text updates

And at the summit he'll only have 210km left to catch up.

sure he will be fine.

shirley_basso

1m 10s gap from the break to the bunch as the latter go over the summit.

kingstongraham

mididoctors wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

My velogames team would like a bunch sprint with Viviani beating Bennett please. Unless it's an unexpected breakaway winner, it's the only way I can move to top spot.

viviani dropped on first climb according to text updates

My worst result is LL Sanchez staying away and winning.

mididoctors

i think that group is coming back. conti is only at 5mins

ShutupJens

M.R.M. wrote:

Weird stage profile. Make this 160 or even 140 km and it would be fireworks!

This x100

Looking at the break who have got a minute, if they stay away it'll be a snoozefest

mididoctors

chaves droppd for some reason...sky motoring on the front

mididoctors

"Remi Cavagna (Quick-Step Floors) and Pello Bilbao (Astana) have attacked the peloton.



An interesting move. Bilbao is in the top 10 on GC and therefore a big threat, while Cavagna going means Quick-Step have surely given up on trying to bring this one back for Viviani. "


sounds a tad chaotic

Vino'sGhost

Eurosport coverage only from 12

mididoctors

escape getting caught i think.

shirley_basso

Trouble for Mitchelton-Scott

"Confirmation of Chaves' deficit crackles over race radio and Sunweb hit the front of the peloton.

This is a big development. There's always someone who gets it wrong on the rest day, and it seems Chaves has fallen into the trap. It leaves Mitchelton-Scott with a headache, as they've got a pink jersey to defend, and can't put all their resources back with Chaves."

mididoctors

welcome to the Giro

kingstongraham

Yates going to get a super domestique for next weekend?

carbonclem

If MS are super confident in Yates, it makes sense to blow Chaves out of GC contention and focus. Let him work now for Yates and make him leader for the Vuelta?

shirley_basso

Chaves over 2m down from the peloton.

ShutupJens

Blessing in disguise for MS in my opinion. The dual leadership thing can be difficult to manage, even if one of them is the nicest bloke in the world.