Giro 2019, Stage 2: Bologna - Fucecchio - 205 km, Sunday, May 12th *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
edited May 2019 in Pro race
Stage 2: Bologna - Fucecchio 205 km
Sunday, May 12th

START TIME: 12.10 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST

Stage 2 and the race leaves Bologna, heading south to finish in Fucecchio, while the distance will be 205 kilometres.

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The stage traverses the Apennines but this one for the sprinters. Early on, the race reaches its highest point in La Serra at an elevation of 750 metres. This is an uncategorized climb of 17 km at 3%.

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The two late climbs will encourage a bit of action for the final 50km as riders jostle for the mountains competition because win at Montalbano and you can hope to keep the jersey for several days.

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The main climb of the day is the GPM of Montalbano, also known as Il Castra which is 5.8 km at 6.8%, with a central part of 4.5 km at 7.7%.

G19_T02_S01_Castra_SAL_jpeg.jpg

Importantly, the final kilometres, will be raced on undulating and twisting roads.

Final kilometres
The final 4 km start on narrow urban roads, with sharp bends, followed by broad, straight avenues, with a few roundabouts in-between. The home straight (900 m) is on 7 m wide asphalt road.

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Favourites 2nd 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Elia Viviani, Caleb Ewan
** Fernando Gaviria, Arnaud Démare
* Pascal Ackermann, Sacha Modolo, Giacomo Nizzolo, Davide Cimolai


FUCECCHIO

Fucecchio is in the province of Florence and has a population of twenty thousand inhabitants. The town’s origins are closely tied to those of the Cadolingi, a powerful family from Pistoia. The town suffered terrible damaged from bombing during WWII.

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PLACES OF INTEREST

The abbey church of San Salvatore, restored between the 16th and 18th centuries, and the fortress complex built by the Florentines in the 14th century both have medieval origins. Remarkable artistic and archaeological collections are preserved in the museum located in the Renaissance Corsini Palazzo, surrounded by a large park. Fucecchio is also the birthplace of the Italian journalist, essayist, historian and playwright, Indro Montanelli, who established a foundation here (Fondazione Montanelli Bassi) which houses documents, books, and numerous testimonies of his life and professional activity. Nearby is the Medici bridge in Cappiano (16th century), and the vast natural area of the Padule di Fucecchio with striking views of rare beauty.

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GASTRONOMY

Here in Fucecchio, the famous Tuscan cuisine is well represented with many wild game dishes.

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Typical carnival sweets are made with rice and sugar, while the Tuscan “Schiacciata” is a sweet bread produced for Easter*.

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* "Simple" Schiacciata Toscana pictured.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Andrea Tafi comes from Fucecchio, only Italian (I think ) to have won both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders (pity his mad plan to start this year's Paris-Roubaix ahead of the proper race didn't come off).

    Maybe he'll be seen greeting the stage winner tomorrow.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    Its currently chucking it down on the race and sunny in my back garden in Hull.

    Is there any chance of the sprinters getting shelled over the 2 climbs and not getting back?
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    gsk82 wrote:
    Its currently chucking it down on the race and sunny in my back garden in Hull.

    Is there any chance of the sprinters getting shelled over the 2 climbs and not getting back?


    its not that difficult i dont think. plus big roads mean theyll probably all get down the other side too
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The weather is bad but who cares? 2 days in and no sight or sound of Kirby. :D

    Break: Bidard, Frapporti, Maestri, Owsian, Cima, Ciccone Bennett and Clarke
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    ooft the Tao is not a massive intellect. awful interview
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Tao with the hackney attitude innit. Top 10 Tao in Verona! Big talk Tao.
    "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 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    ooft the Tao is not a massive intellect. awful interview
    he is actually pretty smart. Don't take the hackney thing at face value
    "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 pm
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    edited May 2019
    so if those cannondale aero bikes are faster everywhere why is bennett using the more traditional race bike?????
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    looks like a nice place to ride your bike

    CAmera bike infront of the peloton giving them a nice tow / getting in the way
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Wiggins pretty good on Eurosport. More insight than you tend to get from other ex-pros.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Wiggins pretty good on Eurosport. More insight that you tend to get from other ex-pros.

    And the Brian smith says things have moved on lolol

    But the live online commemtary is a break from Kelly and co it’s good for everyone!
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Wiggins pretty good on Eurosport. More insight that you tend to get from other ex-pros.

    And the Brian smith says things have moved on lolol

    But the live online commemtary is a break from Kelly and co it’s good for everyone!
    Not too keen on Smith. He struggles to put his thoughts into words and usually ends up saying something a bit daft.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Wiggins pretty good on Eurosport. More insight that you tend to get from other ex-pros.

    And the Brian smith says things have moved on lolol

    But the live online commemtary is a break from Kelly and co it’s good for everyone!
    Not too keen on Smith. He struggles to put his thoughts into words and usually ends up saying something a bit daft.

    He’s got a lot better, when he stated a few years ago he was whiny but much better delivery iirc he came on here when someone called him that lolol

    In any case Eurosport have improved the format and made it more interactive. I might even make it to the end of a stage without sleeping!
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    "Apparently it's too gusty for the helicopter to be in the right place to get aerial shots. Hopefully that can be adjusted before the end of the race."

    Yeah, sure - we'll just get the organisers to dial the wind down, shall we?
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,597
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    Wiggins pretty good on Eurosport. More insight that you tend to get from other ex-pros.

    And the Brian smith says things have moved on lolol

    But the live online commemtary is a break from Kelly and co it’s good for everyone!
    Not too keen on Smith. He struggles to put his thoughts into words and usually ends up saying something a bit daft.

    He’s got a lot better, when he stated a few years ago he was whiny but much better delivery iirc he came on here when someone called him that lolol

    In any case Eurosport have improved the format and made it more interactive. I might even make it to the end of a stage without sleeping!

    He was quite a regular on here for a while, always happy to give his insight and support his opinion.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Help out a colour blind viewer.

    What colour is the Maglia Ciclamino?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,597
    mrfpb wrote:
    Help out a colour blind viewer.

    What colour is the Maglia Ciclamino?

    Sort of magenta I think!
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Boivin's gone down in the peloton - looks like he slipped off the side of the road. Big chunk missing out of his knee and looks to be in quite a bit of pain.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Argh!

    Just as they speed up for the time bonus sprint, the show cuts to a ad break (or "holding page" for S4C viewers)
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    There are some horrible potholes on that climb. The peleton need to keep right on their way up!
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    That nobody has bothered to update this for forty-odd minutes tells you everything about it...

    Two Movistar go down towards the front of the peloton in a fairly innocuous stretch of the current climb.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Having left the gap at a minute or so for ages the peloton seem to have been told to close the gap now. Strung out and riders starting to fall off the back with 20km to go.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    That nobody has bothered to update this for forty-odd minutes tells you everything about it...

    Two Movistar go down towards the front of the peloton in a fairly innocuous stretch of the current climb.

    It's all about the last week and a half. Nothing of interest in the first week or so.

    Unless there's some decent Maglia Nera speculation..... ;-)
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    That nobody has bothered to update this for forty-odd minutes tells you everything about it...

    Two Movistar go down towards the front of the peloton in a fairly innocuous stretch of the current climb.

    It's all about the last week and a half. Nothing of interest in the first week or so.

    Unless there's some decent Maglia Nera speculation..... ;-)

    I'm not saying it's unexpected!
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    After studiously (and somewhat amusingly) keeping the gap at exactly 10 seconds for ages, the peloton finally swallow them up.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    edited May 2019
    Pascal Ackermann takes it. Ewan led it out, Gaviria didn't seem to have the legs, Viviani swung onto Ackermann's wheel when he saw what was going on but ran out of road to try and get around him.

    Someone had a massive fall about 300m after clipping the feet of the barriers, hope they're okay because that had a lot of energy in it.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Ackerman wins.

    Phew. Was worried Ewan was gonna win it
    _
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Actual analysis of a sprint on UK Eurosport shock. More of this sort of thing, please.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SOFT TOY SUPPOSED TO BE?!?!?!

    Please tell me that nobody has been stupid enough to reward the winner of a professional cycling race with a giant cuddly pot of pills???
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SOFT TOY SUPPOSED TO BE?!?!?!

    Please tell me that nobody has been stupid enough to reward the winner of a professional cycling race with a giant cuddly pot of pills???

    Wolf?
    _

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