Giro 2019, Stage 1: Bologna-Bologna (San Luca) 8kms ITT. *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Deep breath, here we go......

Stage 1: Bologna - San Luca
START TIME: 16.50 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~20.00 CEST
Saturday 11 May - The 1st stage of the Giro d'Italia is a hilly individual time trial. At 8 kilometres, the route runs from Bologna to an uphill finish in nearby San Luca. The ITT starts with 6 flat kilometres on broad, mostly straight urban boulevards. The finale is a 2.1 kilometres climb with an average slope of 9.7%.





The closing phases of the stage are very demanding: 2,100 metres before the finish, the route takes a sharp U-turn to the right, and the climb to San Luca begins. The climb alternates sharp ramps (up to 16%) and short lengths with 8-9% gradients.



The roadway is narrowed and runs along an arcade, climbing all the way to the sanctuary, the Santuario della Madonna di San Luca, a basilica church in San Luca that is overlooking the historical centre of Bologna. The road reaches the maximum gradient after the first pass under the cloister, by a double curve (“le Orfanelle”). The home straight is short (90 m), and the finish line sits on 5 m tarmac.



The Colle della Guardia is often included in the finale of the Giro dell’Emilia. Recent winners of the race are Giovanni Visconti (2017) and Esteban Chaves (2016). The Giro dell’Emilia is a well-known preparation race for the Tour of Lombardy. The 2009 Giro included a Colle della Guardia finish with Simon Gerrans outpowering his fellow attackers in the last kilometre, but is perhaps more famous on twitter and other such circles for the Froome weave.

Bologna previously hosted the Grande Partenza in 1994, an edition that was ultimately won by Jevgeni Berzin ahead of Marco Pantani. Yet, Endrio Leoni won the morning road stage in Bologna on the first day of action before Armand De Las Cuevas went on to storm to victory in the afternoon ITT.

Favourites 1st stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Tom Dumoulin, Primoz Roglic
** Ion Izagirre, Victor Campenaerts, Simon Yates
* Bob Jungels, Sam Oomen, Ilnur Zakarin

BOLOGNA
Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, at the heart of a metropolitan area of about one million people.
Bologna is an important agricultural, industrial, financial and transport hub, and is also one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, often ranking as one of the top cities in terms of quality of life in the country: in 2011 it ranked 1st out of 107 Italian cities.



Now for the best bit. Bologna is almost pretty much foodie central for many of Italy's most famous specialties.
Obvious folks associate it with this.



But in the local deli's that look like this>



You will find the finest that Parma has to off.





And from Modena, this.

cougie

And apparently the stage will be available to ride on Zwift at the weekend if you have it.

poweredbyidris

Yay! Top work BS - here we go again.....

Mad_Malx

Great stuff again Blazing.

St1 - are they likely to be doing bike changes?

poweredbyidris

Mad_Malx wrote:

Great stuff again Blazing.

St1 - are they likely to be doing bike changes?

I'd imagine it'll be too short a TT for that sort of caper

rick_chasey

Really excited for this prologue.

It's a great place and the climb is worth doing (though arguably more fun by foot than by bike).

The only real disappointment is the church up top; it's not really all that.

rick_chasey

And strictly speaking, the cold meat of bologna is more mortadella than it is parma ham, which is from down the road.

kingstongraham

PoweredByIdris wrote:

Mad_Malx wrote:

Great stuff again Blazing.

St1 - are they likely to be doing bike changes?

I'd imagine it'll be too short a TT for that sort of caper

What's the likely bike choice?

And I like that U turn before the climb, so there's no momentum to take into it.

joe_totale-2

I have been to that Deli from the original post, It was like heaven on earth.
For 10 euros they give an enormous tasting board, it was incredible. Chock full of meat, cheese and bread, I could barely move after it! One of the many highlights was a focaccia which was studded with pieces of ham.

Washed it down with the local lambrusco which I was wary of due to it's reputation as a drink for teenagers but the proper stuff is very pleasant.

rick_chasey

Does anyone know what the finish time is? is it the usual 5pm CET or is it weird because it's the big opening?

blazing_saddles

Rick Chasey wrote:

And strictly speaking, the cold meat of bologna is more mortadella than it is parma ham, which is from down the road.

Yup, it is. I was going to post the pick from here.

https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog ... die-heart/



There is quite a debate to be had over the time lost with a bike change, over time gained on the climb.
One school of though thinks that the trialists will suck up the extra bike weight and ride the full kit all the way.
Some will opt to do the change, while others will just slap some bars onto their road bikes,

rick_chasey

No doubt sunbweb will have created some algorithm to decide for them.

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Does anyone know what the finish time is? is it the usual 5pm CET or is it weird because it's the big opening?

It's on later. 3.30-7.30 on Eurosport (UK times)

blazing_saddles

Rick Chasey wrote:

Does anyone know what the finish time is? is it the usual 5pm CET or is it weird because it's the big opening?

I've added it to the OP. 7pm UK time.

rick_chasey

Eugh what a pain in the arse.

ContrelaMontre

What does this bit refer to?

... but is perhaps more famous on twitter and other such circles for the Froome weave...

blazing_saddles

ContrelaMontre wrote:

What does this bit refer to?

... but is perhaps more famous on twitter and other such circles for the Froome weave...

In German I am afraid, but the pictures are what give certain twitterati a warm glow.
From a minute or so in....

https://youtu.be/B9RWROu_PWw?t=4

inseine

Can’t get many stages with such a mix of potential winners. I haven’t heard much of Dumoulin this year, I guess he’s been keeping his powder dry.

knedlicky

Blazing Saddles wrote:

In German I am afraid, but the pictures are what give certain twitterati a warm glow.
From a minute or so in....
https://youtu.be/B9RWROu_PWw?t=4

So a 30 secs gain is possible – the gap Gerrans opened on Froome. I think enough to make the main contenders take stage 1 seriously (which I've already heard from a cycling journalist that they already are).
Not to mention that apparently a storm is forecast to pass over Bologna on Saturday, possibly with short heavy rainshowers (15 litres/m2/hr) and 50 km/hr gusts from SW (so headwind), roughly 15.00-19.00 local time, at its worst about when the first riders set off.

(While of Bologna food/pasta, not only tagliatelle originates from there but also tortellini)

m.r.m.

inseine wrote:

Can’t get many stages with such a mix of potential winners. I haven’t heard much of Dumoulin this year, I guess he’s been keeping his powder dry.

He said he was utterly drained from the Giro - Tour double. Probably wise to take a long recovery period. Wasn't he not racing for quite a bit before his WC ITT win as well?

ContrelaMontre

Blazing Saddles wrote:

ContrelaMontre wrote:

What does this bit refer to?

... but is perhaps more famous on twitter and other such circles for the Froome weave...

In German I am afraid, but the pictures are what give certain twitterati a warm glow.
From a minute or so in....

https://youtu.be/B9RWROu_PWw?t=4

Thanks. I feel sad for those twitterati.

Looks like stage 1 could be good for Danilo Di Luca!

kingstongraham

Start of the climb (from @Friebos)

blazing_saddles

Tomorrow's starting order. Most of the GC boys (but not Simon Yates) going early, as there are Tstorms forecast for later in the day. Tom Dumoulin couldn't start any earlier. He has opted to get this Giro underway.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/823d3a40b ... rtenza.pdf

All I can say is don't miss the first 45 minutes. It will be pretty much done and dusted by then.

rick_chasey

Well spotted Blazing. Cheers

bigmat

Anyone know what MS / Yates are thinking? Relying on a different weather forecast, dropped the ball completely, something else?! Seems like a very big risk to take.

RichN95.

I want to see Dumoulin or Roglic have to sit in the 'hot seat' for three hours

ocdupalais

RichN95 wrote:

I want to see Dumoulin or Roglic have to sit in the 'hot seat' for three hours

I’m not going to watch it the full 3 hours - hopefully there’ll be a highlight package.

Pross

knedlicky wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

In German I am afraid, but the pictures are what give certain twitterati a warm glow.
From a minute or so in....
https://youtu.be/B9RWROu_PWw?t=4

So a 30 secs gain is possible – the gap Gerrans opened on Froome. I think enough to make the main contenders take stage 1 seriously (which I've already heard from a cycling journalist that they already are).
Not to mention that apparently a storm is forecast to pass over Bologna on Saturday, possibly with short heavy rainshowers (15 litres/m2/hr) and 50 km/hr gusts from SW (so headwind), roughly 15.00-19.00 local time, at its worst about when the first riders set off.

(While of Bologna food/pasta, not only tagliatelle originates from there but also tortellini)

Unusual way to quote rainfall, 15mm an hour.

Pross

KingstonGraham wrote:

Start of the climb (from @Friebos)

Won't be taking much speed into the start of the climb with that turn either.

bobmcstuff

ContrelaMontre wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

ContrelaMontre wrote:

What does this bit refer to?

... but is perhaps more famous on twitter and other such circles for the Froome weave...

In German I am afraid, but the pictures are what give certain twitterati a warm glow.
From a minute or so in....

https://youtu.be/B9RWROu_PWw?t=4

Thanks. I feel sad for those twitterati.

Looks like stage 1 could be good for Danilo Di Luca!

Rider improves over time, shock

rick_chasey

This race has such a different feel since the main contenders went fully international.