Giro d'Italia 2021

pblakeney

Why not just use bum? 🤣

Pross

pblakeney said:

Why not just use bum? 🤣

Didn't that get Frank Wilson banned?

takethehighroad

pblakeney said:

Why not just use bum? 🤣

I didn't think a*se would be verboten

orraloon

Go Scottish with erse.

phreak

blazing_saddles said:

Looking ahead to the forthcoming big mountain stages and it's pretty definite that the weather hasn't finished effecting this Giro. Rain is forecast for pretty much the whole of tomorrow's Zoncolan stage and a wet weather warning is already in place for Cortina and Monday's Queen stage. Heaven knows what the 2000 metre passes will be like.

Riding such a steep road in the wet can't help matters as it neuters standing a fair bit. The forecast on Monday on the Passo Giau is 2degrees and an 85% chance of rain. Much the same on the Pordoi and Fedaia. Every time I've ridden the Fedaia the descent down towards the Pordoi has been bitterly cold because it seems to be the wrong side for the sun. Could make what will already be a hard day even harder.

jimmyjams

There is talk of Friday's stage (stage 19) being re-routed - the original plan was for it to go over the mountain Mottarone and then descend down to Stresa, and as the cable-car accident was on the cable lift which goes from Stresa to the top of Mottarone, a possible re-routing may be done out of respect for the victims and their families.

blazing_saddles

jimmyjams said:

There is talk of Friday's stage (stage 19) being re-routed - the original plan was for it to go over the mountain Mottarone and then descend down to Stresa, and as the cable-car accident was on the cable lift which goes from Stresa to the top of Mottarone, a possible re-routing may be done out of respect for the victims and their families.

Unfortunately, it's impossible not to justify such a route change. In fact I would it's inevitable.
In which case, having had a quick look, it's hard to see a viable alternative, as it's impossible to traverse Maggiore without passing through Stesa. It means a straight run up past Orta to Toce to pick up the original route, probably taking the stage down from 176kms to about 160kms.
But worse of all is the lack of an alternative climb, which leaves a long, flat run of over 100kms to the little 3rd catagory climb and then the final short but steep finishing climb.

Maybe you have better, first hand information than me, with regard to an additional climb, but without this stage's biggest climb, it leaves Vengi with another pretty dreadful profile to feed to the tifosi.

kingstongraham

Feels like just one of those things. It can't really go over that climb after 14 people died there.

RichN95.

Revised stage 19 (official)




Previously

Pross

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

blazing_saddles

Pross said:

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

I checked the route earlier. They don't actual do any of the climb.
Instead, they loop around and come out at a point just beyond Stresa.
However, in doing so, they must cross beneath the cable car, which is strange.

Definitely now one only to watch for the last hour, unless one fancies a long siesta.
By my reckoning, the first 120kms gain about 800 metres.
All in all this Giro is stumbling, rather than marching towards Milan.

There's a new joke too, about RAI adding a "N" to their name.

kingstongraham

It keeps people away from the summit near where it happened. Spectators as much as the race, I'd expect.

jimmyjams

blazing_saddles said:

Pross said:

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

I checked the route earlier. They don't actual do any of the climb.
Instead, they loop around and come out at a point just beyond Stresa.
However, in doing so, they must cross beneath the cable car, which is strange.

Definitely now one only to watch for the last hour, unless one fancies a long siesta.
By my reckoning, the first 120kms gain about 800 metres.
All in all this Giro is stumbling, rather than marching towards Milan.

There's a new joke too, about RAI adding a "N" to their name.

They don't have to cross beneath the cable-car line on the hillside (I don't think the original route ever showed that, and I don't think it has changed, they descend right into Stresa - so not beyond Stresa, as you write) and then cross beneath the cable-car line on the main road (like thousands will have already done and will still do).

DeVlaeminck

It is what it is I suppose - I can understand the decision even if personally I'd find riding the stage but marking the tragedy in some way just as respectful.

jimmyjams

blazing_saddles said:

Pross said:

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

I checked the route earlier. They don't actual do any of the climb.
Instead, they loop around and come out at a point just beyond Stresa.
However, in doing so, they must cross beneath the cable car, which is strange.

Definitely now one only to watch for the last hour, unless one fancies a long siesta.
By my reckoning, the first 120kms gain about 800 metres.
All in all this Giro is stumbling, rather than marching towards Milan.

There's a new joke too, about RAI adding a "N" to their name.

I understand permissions are required, lots to be organised, while the road surfaces may not be up to scratch. And Stresa may have paid well to get the Giro to pass through (Stresa - the so-called 'Pearl of Maggiore', the lake on which Stresa is).
But an alternate could have been to ride Colma twice, e.g. going from Gozzano (on the original route) more directly to the turn-off up the Colma near Pianezza (also on original route). And then on the other side of the pass, before Varallo, turning south to Borgosesia and over a 'hill' (200 m climbing) back to Gozzano, and repeating as before. Then this time, at the foot of the Colma, carrying on as planned through Varallo.
I think this wouldn't be much different in distance or in climbing to the original route.
But anyway (no social engagements and nothing worth watching on TV for me this evening!)

Pross

blazing_saddles said:

Pross said:

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

I checked the route earlier. They don't actual do any of the climb.
Instead, they loop around and come out at a point just beyond Stresa.
However, in doing so, they must cross beneath the cable car, which is strange.

Definitely now one only to watch for the last hour, unless one fancies a long siesta.
By my reckoning, the first 120kms gain about 800 metres.
All in all this Giro is stumbling, rather than marching towards Milan.

There's a new joke too, about RAI adding a "N" to their name.

I've been enjoying my siestas regularly this Giro. A combination of tiredness from the new puppy waking me at 5am every morning, a few boring stages and the soothing sounds of helicopters / bikes have led to some very pleasant afternoon naps. What's even better is that I haven't been suddenly woken from my slumber but a lunatic commentator shouting as though World War 3 has just started only to find there's still nothing happening.

blazing_saddles

jimmyjams said:

blazing_saddles said:

Pross said:

Not vastly different, just a chunk off the first climb.

I checked the route earlier. They don't actual do any of the climb.
Instead, they loop around and come out at a point just beyond Stresa.
However, in doing so, they must cross beneath the cable car, which is strange.

Definitely now one only to watch for the last hour, unless one fancies a long siesta.
By my reckoning, the first 120kms gain about 800 metres.
All in all this Giro is stumbling, rather than marching towards Milan.

There's a new joke too, about RAI adding a "N" to their name.

They don't have to cross beneath the cable-car line on the hillside (I don't think the original route ever showed that, and I don't think it has changed, they descend right into Stresa - so not beyond Stresa, as you write) and then cross beneath the cable-car line on the main road (like thousands will have already done and will still do).

It looked on my map as if they could miss Stresa town centre ( I assumed they would want to given it's significance ) and rejoin the original route, by rejoining on the far side of town.
Once again, I stand corrected.

mididoctors

As long as we can get to see it I am ok with re-routing for good cause . Shambolic coverage is unacceptable in this day and age

pblakeney

mididoctors said:

As long as we can get to see it I am ok with re-routing for good cause . Shambolic coverage is unacceptable in this day and age

Best to lower your expectations.
They don't do shambolic coverage out of choice.

JimD666

Apparently Bernal was chased by a couple of guys revving chainsaws....https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/57189490

Words fail

RichN95.

JimD666 said:

Apparently Bernal was chased by a couple of guys revving chainsaws....https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/57189490

Words fail

It's a MTB downhill thing. They're quite common at those events, just because they make a lot of noise. There's no chain on them.

Here's a MTB promo featuring children with chainsaws (at around 1.20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ImBz1ZdGg

JimD666

thanks

MattFalle

JimD666 said:

thanks

you didn't honestly think it was a couple of blokes with chains on their chainsaws did you?

blazing_saddles

Regarding the cable car disaster: The owner, director and chief of operations have been arrested.
They have admitted to disabling the emergency brakes, after an earlier malfunction in the cable car, that repair workers had been unable to fix.

FFS.

DeVlaeminck

blazing_saddles said:

Regarding the cable car disaster: The owner, director and chief of operations have been arrested.
They have admitted to disabling the emergency brakes, after an earlier malfunction in the cable car, that repair workers had been unable to fix.

FFS.

I can't imagine how the families of those that died must feel finding that out - as if the grief wasn't bad enough.

Dorset_Boy

Sounds like they might have a long time to rethink that terrible and disasterous decision.

mididoctors

pblakeney said:

mididoctors said:

As long as we can get to see it I am ok with re-routing for good cause . Shambolic coverage is unacceptable in this day and age

Best to lower your expectations.
They don't do shambolic coverage out of choice.

I rest my case