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Giro 2021: Stage 3:- Biella – Canale 190 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
in Pro race
Stage 3: Biella – Canale 190 km

Monday, May 10th, 12.20 CEST

OK, I can't let BB take up all the slack after plagiagate and I doubt anyone else will be rushing to step forward.
So, to get the utterly pointless guff out of the way, I used the official website, PCS, Cyclingstage and Cyclingnews.

The 3rd stage of the Giro d'Italia is a 190 kilometres race to Canale. The roads are flat, wide and straight for well over 100kms, all the way to Asti. Starting in Canelli, the route becomes more irregular and takes in three categorised climbs, with some testing gradients.



Things tend to tilt upwards in the last 70 kilometres and the sprinters will likely get put in the hurt locker.



A series of three hills within 30 kilometres are the first indication that the terrain is changing, but this is still a long way out.







Past Alba, there is a steep climb with double-digit gradients in Guarene.



Final kilometres
The stage finale is fairly complex. The route takes in a short, punchy climb up to Occhetti, with 5 km out, and then levels out until Canale. Four wide bends in the final kilometre lead all the way to the home straight, on tarmac road and on a slight incline.



What to expect:
Stage three does feature some short but sharp ramps which should ensure that there is a battle to get into the breakaway, for those precious mountain points.
After winning stage one of the Tour de Romandie which also featured some ramps, Peter Sagan will have this one bookmarked.
Expect him to use his team to try to put the purest sprinters into difficulty. I expect an animated last hour or so of racing.

Favourites 3rd stage 2021 Giro d’Italia

***** Peter Sagan, Giacomo Nizzolo
**** Caleb Ewan, Andrea Venrame, Diego Ulissi, Patrick Bevin, Andrea Pasqualon
*** Gianni Moscon, Rémi Cavagna, Matej Mohoric
** Fabio Felline, Enrico Battaglin, Gianni Vermeersch
* Juan Sebastián Molano, Jasper De Buyst

Biella

Biella is one of the chief towns of Piedmont and it is situated at the foothills of Biella Alps.



Canale

Canale has always been a hub between the city of Asti, that founded the town of Canale.



On these hills, whether they are Langhe, Roero or Monferrato, we find one of the most expensive, rarest and most precious gastronomic product: tuber magnatum pico, the famous white truffle, which in nearby Alba has its “headquarters” with the International Fair that takes place in autumn.


"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Posts

  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    The tomes of the Biella valleys have the recognition of the D.O.C. by the Piedmont Region.
    These cheeses are also the main ingredients for two great typical dishes: the ‘pulenta cunscia’, a soft cream made with corn, that has to be cooked for a long time in a cauldron, the recipe is a mix of local cheese melted with tasty farm butter



    Biella also boasts a high quality beer: Menabrea is the oldest active brewery in Italy, and over time it has won several international awards, it has also been judged the best lager beer in the world.



    Among the wines of the territory, a D.O.C.G .: the Erbaluce di Caluso straw yellow wine, with a fine scent reminiscent of wild flowers and a dry, fresh and characteristic flavor.



    A special mention goes to the Ratafià di Andorno, a liquor obtained from the alcoholic maceration of wild cherries, according to a 500-year-old recipe.



    With over 370 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of vines (mainly Arneis grape), which make it the most vine-grown town in the area, Canale can be considered the wine capital of Roero.



    The most important wines are Roero, a red wine made from Nebbiolo grapes for a minimum of 95%, and Roero Arneis, a white wine made from Arneis grapes, for a minimum of 95%.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    The town for the first sprint looks like an English person trying to pronounce Llanelli.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 66,308 Lives Here
    Downhill into 3 corners in the final 1km, with a draggy sprint finish thereafter?

    Yikes.
    _
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    Don't think any of the corners in the last km look too bad - that last hill could take out a decent number of the sprint domestiques, but Ewan, Sagan plus one or two others should probably make it over there I guess.




    https://www.google.com/maps/dir/44.7948475,7.9869942/44.7955756,7.9968799/@44.7919191,7.9913987,475a,35y,39.25t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d7.9894388!2d44.7960299!3s0x4787f0ad392eddd3:0x9402220c7880c796!3m4!1m2!1d7.9896398!2d44.7959787!3s0x4787f0ad477d5355:0x1c605f0ba8391706!1m0!3e0
  • takethehighroadtakethehighroad Posts: 6,236
    You'd expect Sagan to go balls to the wall on that climb to the sprint? With some of the GC guys going fr the seconds at the top, and Bora keeping the pace high over the top.

    My dark horse for today, although I'm not confident enough to pick him for PTP, is Ulissi. Although tomorrow is more his type on paper
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Plus we have mucky weather to deal with too.
    Even worse forecast for tomorrow.
    Some sorry souls are likely going to come a cropper.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 22,372
    blazing_saddles said:

    Plus we have mucky weather to deal with too.
    Even worse forecast for tomorrow.
    Some sorry souls are likely going to come a cropper.

    So, which Ineos rider will it be this time?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • commuterlegscommuterlegs Posts: 175
    pblakeney said:



    So, which Ineos rider will it be this time?

    Sivakov, seems like the new Geraint.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    edited May 2021
    Good use of the roundabout by Gougeard to steal away. After a brief flurry of attacking we have our first break of the day.
    Going to be either 7 or 8 men away.

    7 men: Albanese, Rivi, (Kometa) Gougeard, (Ag2r) van der Hoorne, (Intermarche Wanty) Zoccarato, (Bardiani) Pellaud, (Androni) van den Berg (Groupama FDJ)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    edited May 2021
    If the weather stays like this, it's going to be a miserable day - don't think the break's going to be given a massive advantage, especially with 7 in the break.

    GOUGEARD, PELLAUD, ZOCCARATO, ALBANESE, RIVI, VAN DEN BERG, VAN DER HOORN
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,259
    PONOMAR looks like he's going to make it across. Good effort from the 18 year old.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    It's our junior rider, Andrii Ponomar making the bridge..........
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Superb effort that!
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    edited May 2021
    Fair play to him - I was impressed by an 18 year old making his debut in MSR and finishing - and only 3 minutes down.

    Bit of a breather now, undone his jacket to cool down.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,111
    These roads can be spiteful slippy in the wet
    "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
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Some bloke on the side of the road on the first climb seemed to have come in fancy dress as Big Daddy
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Caleb Ewan right at the back early doors.
    A big question mark over his form
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Nizzolo made a fool of himself going for the interim sprint when the break had already taken all the points on offer.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Albanese takes the cat 3 climb to guarantee another day in the KoM jersey.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Belletti on the deck
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Tricky descent that. The youngster almost forgot a corner altogether.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Regrouping after the descent. Lots of splits and lots chasing to get back to the main bunch
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,111
    tough finale. all in for sagan
    "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
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Groenewegen and Merlier dropped
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    Did Ewan get dropped when he was at the back of the peloton? Or is he still there?
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    There's my answer. Dropped now.
  • ProssPross Posts: 35,500
    Surprised how much they're struggling. I thought Ewan might hang on over these climbs.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Nizzolo gone.
    Gaviria remains
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,429
    Pross said:

    Surprised how much they're struggling. I thought Ewan might hang on over these climbs.

    I thought the sprint climb might get rid of more than these categorised climbs. It could still be the end of Viviani.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Big splits again on the descent
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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