Giro 2021:- Stage 13: Ravenna – Verona 198 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
edited May 2021 in Pro race

Stage 13: Ravenna – Verona 198 km

Friday, May 21st, 12.25 CEST

Technical Info:
A pan-flat, means-to-an-end stage across the lowland around Ferrara, Polesine and Mantua, on straight and mostly wide roads. As the stage passes through several urban areas, roundabouts, traffic islands and street furniture will be found along the route. It has also been two years since the Giro d’Italia last visited Verona. It was the final stage, an ITT. The stage has been dedicated to Dante Alighieri AKA Mr Inferno, as Dante's final days were spent in Ravenna.



A sprint stage after the two fastest men in the race have gone home. If I had to pick a stage to miss, this might well be the one.



Final kilometres
The final kilometres are raced on wide, straight and well-paved city roads, with a few roundabouts along the route. The home straight is on tarmac road.





What to expect:
To fall asleep.
Stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia is almost 200 kilometres and the elevation gain is 200 metres, so catch the last few kms and hope that we don't lose any GC riders for this gift for the fast men.

Favourites 13th stage 2021 Giro d’Italia

*** Dylan Groenewegen
** Fernando Gaviria, Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo
* Peter Sagan, Matteo Moschetti, Davide Cimolai, Andrea Pasqualon, Max Kanter

Ravenna
Ravenna is a city in Emilia-Romagna. It has been home to the mortal remains of the poet Dante Alighieri for 700 years. Consequently, the stage is dedicated to the Dante. Ravenna consisted of houses built on piles on a series of small islands in a marshy lagoon – a situation similar to Venice several centuries later. It's known for the colorful mosaics adorning many of its central buildings.



Piadina (Italian flat bread), used in the kitchen instead of bread and considered one of the pillars of the gastronomic culture of Romagna. In Ravenna, it is thicker and is stuffed in many different ways: with cured meats, cheeses (especially Squacquerone di Romagna DOP), with fish such as the saraghina (oily fish cooked on the grill, breaded and flavoured with parsley and garlic), but also with vegetables, creams, sweets and jams.



In Romagna, the wine par excellence is Sangiovese DOC. Produced in the Novello, Superiore and Riserva types. Obtained from 85% Sangiovese grapes and, up to a maximum of 15%, from other black grapes, with an alcohol content of 12% vol., Sangiovese di Romagna goes well with red meat, game and fresh Romagna pasta dishes, such as cappelletti or tagliatelle with meat sauce, as well as with mature cheeses.



Verona
The name Verona comes from the union of three ancient words, which mean: The city of the Veneto Region on the river.
The city is well known also because it was land and crossroads of great poets and artists. Among the most famous: Shakespeare, who set the tragedy of the two lovers Romeo and Juliet within the Scaliger walls. The Verona Arena is famous the world over as it is still used for open air International events.



Verona has a rich food culture, heritage of its thousand-year old local agriculture and plenty of DOP raw materials. The most typical main dishes of the city are: pasta e fasoi, bigoli con le sarde, gnocchi and nodini di Valeggio.



Verona, rich of hills adorned with vineyards spreading from east to west, boasts a remarkable production of famous wines, which are exported all over the world.
Five are the DOCG labels: Amorone, Bardolino Superiore, Recioto della Valpolicella, Recioto Soave and Soave Superiore.
Among the 14 DOC wines it is worth mentioning: Bardolino, Bianco di Custoza, Valpolicella Ripasso, Soave and Lugana.








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

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,479
    The race needs a strong wind to make it remotely interesting before the last 10kms.
    Or the wine...
    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.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,587
    Wind is forecast to be from the east which would be perfect but only light unfortunately.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    What's the scenery like?
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,479
    kingstongraham said:

    What's the scenery like?

    Based on a train journey along the north end to Venice, meh.
    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.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    kingstongraham said:

    What's the scenery like?

    It's the Po valley, it's pancake flat and prime farming land. The most interesting feature will be the occasional drainage ditch.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    Expect a few falls in the peloton asxthe boredom hits home.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    edited May 2021
    kingstongraham said:

    What's the scenery like?

    Industrial agriculture for as far as you can See interspersed with architecture of merit now and again
    "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
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,864
    kingstongraham said:

    What's the scenery like?

    I'm a little biased I admit, but the others are right, it's dull as...
    The statue of Dante in the middle of Verona has been cleaned, but they are going nowhere near it.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Just be glad Kirby isn't there to ram inferno or infernal puns into his commentary every few minutes.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    So once a break of three (eolo, bardiani, intermarche) have gone after 5 minutes, that's it until the last few km. Don't think I need to employ the good screen for this one then.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    As long as there is something we can all disagree about I am fine with today's stage
    "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
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,523
    edited May 2021
    I'm intrigued where your favourites came from - I've not seen any pundits putting Groenewegen as a favourite.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    edited May 2021
    Jumbo need something out of this race . Bennett and brambilla trying to flic each other is not going to do
    "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
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    He's usually better in the second week.
    _
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    He's also arguably the best sprinter left in the race.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,587
    andyp said:

    He's also arguably the best sprinter left in the race.

    On past form clearly yes but he hasn't shown much to suggest a win so far in this race even with Ewan and Merlier gone. Cimolai keeps going under the radar despite having been up there in every sprint so far.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    Hence why I said 'arguably'. On form he's up there with Bennett and Ewen, but we've not seen evidence of that form yet.
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,523
    I agree that he's good when on form, and that JV need something from the race.

    Hopefully we will to see more teams starting to commit to getting results in stages and not worry about whether or not they will recover the day after.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    edited May 2021
    andyp said:

    Hence why I said 'arguably'. On form he's up there with Bennett and Ewen, but we've not seen evidence of that form yet.

    He needs a decent pilot. Not sure Jumbo have one here
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited May 2021
    singleton said:

    I'm intrigued where your favourites came from - I've not seen any pundits putting Groenewegen as a favourite.


    The reasons are the ones both Rick and Andy point out: we aren't exactly blessed with pure sprinters left in the race.
    He's my deliberate, slightly contentious pick, as I reckon folks will need something to quibble about, given the parcour.

    Anyhow, here's inrng's picks and their 3 star pick hasn't exactly been racking up the wins, either.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • jimmyjams
    jimmyjams Posts: 784
    blazing_saddles said:


    A pan-flat, means-to-an-end stage across the lowland around Ferrara

    I don't know if today's stage takes them through the old centre of Ferrara but I hope so, because it would be very fitting; Ferrara is the most bicycle-friendly city in Italy.
    Cars are banned from the old town, not that unusual in Italy, but the old town is larger than many, about 3 km diameter, and the whole area around is very flat, meaning cycling is very popular. 90% of locals use a bike to get around, while over 30% of journeys in Ferrara are by bike, a figure only matched by Amsterdam.

    Yesterday's stage preview mentioned the famous Palio at Siena, but Ferrara also has one, less famous but actually older. If allowed in these Covid-times, it takes place on the last Sunday in May.

    Below my personal association with Ferrara.
    Elio Zanotti (1922-2006) was a top amateur cyclist in the late 40s/early 50s, a member of the Italian team at the Amateur World Championship Road Races some years then, when his team captain won (he also told me that he rode in Coppi's team in the early 50s, but I haven't been able to check this).
    He later then had a bike shop in Ferrara for years, and sponsored a local amateur racing team, this below being their jersey. Zanotti said being associated with Coppi when Coppi won the WC entitled him to have a club jersey with the rainbow colours - although I did notice the colour order on the jersey is slightly different from a proper WC winner's jersey. Anyway, Zanotti let me have a jersey, provided I didn't ride around the Ferrara area when wearing it!
    (Because I wasn't a member of the team, he didn't like the deception it would cause if I wore it locally)


  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    On form in this race, I'd tip Pasqualon and Moschetti over Groenewegen.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    kingstongraham said:

    So once a break of three (eolo, bardiani, intermarche) have gone after 5 minutes, that's it until the last few km. Don't think I need to employ the good screen for this one then.

    kingstongraham said:

    So once a break of three (eolo, bardiani, intermarche) have gone after 5 minutes, that's it until the last few km. Don't think I need to employ the good screen for this one then.

    You missed the most obvious, Simon Pellaud.
    Eolo, Bardiani and Androni are in the break, so you got two out of three and the number right.
    Way out on the time though. It took all of a single minute. ;)

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    blazing_saddles said:



    kingstongraham said:

    So once a break of three (eolo, bardiani, intermarche) have gone after 5 minutes, that's it until the last few km. Don't think I need to employ the good screen for this one then.

    You missed the most obvious, Simon Pellaud.
    Eolo, Bardiani and Androni are in the break, so you got two out of three and the number right.
    Way out on the time though. It took all of a single minute. ;)

    Ha - I don't know why I got it into my head that Androni have missed the break a few times. They have been in every doomed break without fail, between Tagliani and Pellaud.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    Pellaud and Marengo the most consistent - both in the break on 5, 7, 10, and now 13, plus 2 for Marengo and 3 for Pellaud. Tagliani did the Androni business on 2, 5 and 4.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,587
    It must get tedious being told you have to work hard every day to get into a doomed break. At least the likes of Puccio who have to spend day after day towing the peloton along for 100km get to enjoy the team victories and a share of the prize money.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    Pross said:

    It must get tedious being told you have to work hard every day to get into a doomed break. At least the likes of Puccio who have to spend day after day towing the peloton along for 100km get to enjoy the team victories and a share of the prize money.

    I know it hasn't worked out this time so far, but Androni got more prize money last year than Astana.

    I think there's prize money for spending the most km in breaks across the 3 weeks too, as well as the few bob for the intermediate sprints. But yes, small beer.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,587
    Is there a bit of wind blowing? The peloton has been fanning across the road a bit but no obvious signs of concern and no indication from the trees.
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Pross said:

    It must get tedious being told you have to work hard every day to get into a doomed break. At least the likes of Puccio who have to spend day after day towing the peloton along for 100km get to enjoy the team victories and a share of the prize money.

    Puccio must be one of the best value signings Sky / Ineos have made. Solid, reliable, no controversy and seemingly no real personal ambitions getting in the way of doing his job.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,313
    people leave to go on to something 'better' and then it doesnt happen. If you arent bothered about personal glory then Ineos is prob a good place. Worked for Thomas/Rowe and seemingly Yates and others. dennis has certainly benefitted being there. Money is good, conditions seem good but you are on top of your game if you are there.

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