Giro 2018, Stage 12: Osimo - Imola. 214 kms *Spoilers*

inseine

Surprised Bennet is still behind in the points competition , but he's getting closer

ShutupJens

Generally speaking, I don't like the giro very much. But this sort of racing (as well as top class spoiler threads) is making it very difficult not to follow!

the article don

Blazing Saddles wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Looked to me like Mohoric decided he wasn't going to tow Berancur to the line.

That's a lot of dead weight.

BADUM. TISH

Very good

ShutupJens

Don't know about banging his bars but Biryani looked THOROUGHLY miserable collecting his jersey and may well have been wearing all the kit in his bag

milton50

ShutupJens wrote:

Generally speaking, I don't like the giro very much.

:shock:

ShutupJens

Milton50 wrote:

ShutupJens wrote:

Generally speaking, I don't like the giro very much.

:shock:

Too many MTFs and plenty of mad decisions by organisers that detract from the racing ie Porte's time penalty the other year

Pross

Shipley wrote:

Pross wrote:

Did Viviani smack his bars when he finished as he usually does when failing to win a sprint stage?

I don’t think so, he crossed the line 145th, 9 mins down

Yes, that was sort of the point!

knedlicky

mididoctors wrote:

knedlicky wrote:

Might Mohoric and Betancour have made it if, as it appeared to me, Betancour hadn't (prematurely) eased off? Maybe not, but they both did appear to give up earlier than necessary, first B then M when he realised he would be then alone.
I haven't watched a repeat to see how true this was, but it looked like, as they rode in, that Mohoric said something to Betancour. Don't know if it was a complaint like “That's how to lose races“, or simply “Well we tried“.

it was odd wasn't it... it was as thou they thought they had it and were tracking each other for the sprint to the next moment just doing nothing. maybe just spent I guess.

I watched the finish again this evening, and I'm sure Betancour resigned far too soon, before ever considering a two-man sprint, but I imagine they may still have just been caught, just much closer the line.

andyp

ShutupJens wrote:

Too many MTFs and plenty of mad decisions by organisers that detract from the racing ie Porte's time penalty the other year

You know penalties are handed out by the UCI jury, which has nothing to do with the race organisation, don't you?

salsiccia1

ShutupJens wrote:

Generally speaking, I don't like the giro very much.

"When a man is tired of the Giro, he is tired of cycling"

ShutupJens

andyp wrote:

ShutupJens wrote:

Too many MTFs and plenty of mad decisions by organisers that detract from the racing ie Porte's time penalty the other year

You know penalties are handed out by the UCI jury, which has nothing to do with the race organisation, don't you?

Yeah fair one, there's other stuff too like the idea that they need to have tons of MTF's (Zzzzz) and super long stages to have a decent race. Plus I really like the battles for the points jersey in the tour and that and you don't get as much of it at the giro, mainly cos you only get 3 sprinters turning up[url][/url]

DeVlaeminck

Do no sprinters turn up because there aren't enough sprint stages or because teams feel the need to put big names in California ?

It's a shame the UCI allow what is supposedly a big race (though personally I've never enjoyed watching it - whenever I turn it on it looks to be on wide open highways - don't they do smaller lanes over there) to clash with a grand tour. I don't think it does California any favours as a race either - I suppose their market is the USA if you only have so many hours to devote to watching sport on TV California gets relegated to fast forwarding to the last 5k.

Bo Duke

It's developing into a cracking race, let's hope Yates has the legs to win in style.

inseine

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Do no sprinters turn up because there aren't enough sprint stages or because teams feel the need to put big names in California ?

It's a shame the UCI allow what is supposedly a big race (though personally I've never enjoyed watching it - whenever I turn it on it looks to be on wide open highways - don't they do smaller lanes over there) to clash with a grand tour. I don't think it does California any favours as a race either - I suppose their market is the USA if you only have so many hours to devote to watching sport on TV California gets relegated to fast forwarding to the last 5k.

I don't really understand the notion that there are not enough opportunities for sprinters. We've had 4 stages go to sprinters already, could have been 5, with another today and the final stage. Haven't looked at others but 7 is a pretty good haul and helped by the lack of competition Bennet has bagged his first two GT victories.

rick_chasey

Lots of sprint stages available in the Tour, no?

ShutupJens

inseine wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Do no sprinters turn up because there aren't enough sprint stages or because teams feel the need to put big names in California ?

It's a shame the UCI allow what is supposedly a big race (though personally I've never enjoyed watching it - whenever I turn it on it looks to be on wide open highways - don't they do smaller lanes over there) to clash with a grand tour. I don't think it does California any favours as a race either - I suppose their market is the USA if you only have so many hours to devote to watching sport on TV California gets relegated to fast forwarding to the last 5k.

I don't really understand the notion that there are not enough opportunities for sprinters. We've had 4 stages go to sprinters already, could have been 5, with another today and the final stage. Haven't looked at others but 7 is a pretty good haul and helped by the lack of competition Bennet has bagged his first two GT victories.

I thought it was more that it's not prestigious for the sprinters. Or that they don't fancy having to ride over endless passes when it's snowing as there is a risk of most of the time, in order to get beaten to the points jersey by whoever wins the GC

blazing_saddles

Sagan casts a big shadow over Bora, so Bennett gets his chance here, as Pete likes California dreamin'.
Viviani is here because it's his home race.
As for the rest, sprinters preparation is much the same as GC riders these days: all in for the Tour.
Of 7 stages in Cali, 3 are pan flat. Plus there is the added bonus of it now being a WT races, so points mean prizes.
So, it's a nice little jaunt for July's fast guys.

DeVlaeminck

inseine wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Do no sprinters turn up because there aren't enough sprint stages or because teams feel the need to put big names in California ?

It's a shame the UCI allow what is supposedly a big race (though personally I've never enjoyed watching it - whenever I turn it on it looks to be on wide open highways - don't they do smaller lanes over there) to clash with a grand tour. I don't think it does California any favours as a race either - I suppose their market is the USA if you only have so many hours to devote to watching sport on TV California gets relegated to fast forwarding to the last 5k.

I don't really understand the notion that there are not enough opportunities for sprinters. We've had 4 stages go to sprinters already, could have been 5, with another today and the final stage. Haven't looked at others but 7 is a pretty good haul and helped by the lack of competition Bennet has bagged his first two GT victories.

You may be right - more of a question than a statement - would more sprint stages (though sprint stages seem to be less clear cut these days as races attempt to make finishes more "interesting") tempt them to send their big guns or does it just not fit running a sprinter and a GC man in the same grand tour especially with 8 rider teams ?

Pross

I think it's more the set up of the points jersey that makes it less appealing to sprinters than the route itself. It's more of a combined jersey at the Giro isn't it (i.e. not weighted to 'sprint' stages)?

Dorset_Boy

On Sam Bennett, he can clearly climb better than your average sprinter. I don't know how he does on really long stages, but could he be a Milan - San Remo contender? Obviously not whilst in the same team as Sagan though.

DeVlaeminck

Pross wrote:

I think it's more the set up of the points jersey that makes it less appealing to sprinters than the route itself. It's more of a combined jersey at the Giro isn't it (i.e. not weighted to 'sprint' stages)?

Which is odd, at least from a UK perspective, as nobody actually cares about the points jersey in the Giro, probably in part because it isn't necessarily for the sprinters.

You'd think making it so might make it more of a "thing" and attract/keep some big sprinters in the race.