Coppi e Bartali *spoilers*

Richmond Racer
Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
edited March 2014 in Pro race
Starts tomorrow

Has flat and climby stages, a TTT and an ITT. Something for everyone there

Last year's winner was Ulissi

Lampre, Cannondale and Sky the only WT teams doing it. MTN Qubeka and Team Colombia also riding, as well as the usual Italian etc suspects

Stage profiles here
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Set ... s_Overview
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Comments

  • Nibali's kid brother riding
  • Nibali's kid brother riding
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Nibali's kid brother riding

    You must be standing in an echo chamber SGS. this is another race growing in popularity. It's the first outing this season for Christina Watches so I'm curious as to how they do.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • It's usually a training race for some grand tour hopefuls. The 2008 edition was interesting as a hint of Evans potential, as he (for once) rode a very aggressive hilly stage, breaking away to win it solo and take the GC lead for the rest of the race.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Yay!
    Another of my personal favourites.
    Rai Sport 2 will have a 60 minutes a day show.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Dombrowski and Sergio Henao are riding.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • andytee87
    andytee87 Posts: 406
    Dombrowski and Sebastian Henao are riding.

    FTFY
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Any weather reports for this?
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,163
    Ben Swift wins stage 1a according to @inrng
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Erm, no spoiler, then?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pitchshifter
    pitchshifter Posts: 1,476
    andytee87 wrote:
    Dombrowski and Sebastian Henao are riding.

    FTFY


    Thanks for clearing that up, now can you do the same with Steephill.tv
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    BjwH4T9CQAAVMk9.jpg

    Add your own caption :D
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    First time I checked out the parcour was today.
    I have never seen a C+B like it.
    The flattest edition ever.
    Two of the seriously hilly stages replace in favour of a sprint stage and an ITT.
    No balance at all, not to mention very dull.

    Yesterday, the split stage broke up on the climb and Sky forced a break in the peloton.
    Held on by 18 seconds which will probably be bigger than the winning gap on the
    "Queen" stage.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Nero Sottoli 'B' in 4th, Nero Sottoli 'A' in 5th...

    Mind you only 3 pro tour teams. It always makes me look twice when I see Schumachers name.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Li'l Pete wins today's stage and takes yellow

    #passtheGCparcel
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    swooooooooon
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Probably should put spoilers in the title.

    Also I suspect Sky are riding this race for the first time so they can get their win count up. It's not great this year. Shouldnt be too hard racing against lower level teams.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Probably should put spoilers in the title.

    Also I suspect Sky are riding this race for the first time so they can get their win count up. It's not great this year. Shouldnt be too hard racing against lower level teams.
    I suspect it's because a sizeable chunk of their money comes from Sky Italia.

    Good to see Kennaugh get his first pro win.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Probably should put spoilers in the title.

    Also I suspect Sky are riding this race for the first time so they can get their win count up. It's not great this year. Shouldnt be too hard racing against lower level teams.


    I'll answer this seriously. Its actually nothing to do with win rate. They registered to do this race several months ago - Kennaugh was mentioning this race in his programme in interviews 3 months ago.

    Sky decided to do more Italian races this year for several reasons:

    1. Sky Italia - own a sizeable stake in the team - more Italian races makes them happy
    2. to do more 1-dayers (eg Strade Bianchi, Roma Maxima, GP Camaiore)
    3. to give the likes of Kennaugh a chance at a stage race riding for themselves instead of for the big guns
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Cool thanks for the info. Makes sense.

    Cant believe wonder-kid Kennaugh has not won before. Not that this one is really a hard one to get but you have to start somewhere.

    edit. PK is 24. Alberto had won the TDF at that age.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Cool thanks for the info. Makes sense.

    Cant believe wonder-kid Kennaugh has not won before. Not that this one is really a hard one to get but you have to start somewhere.

    edit. PK is 24. Alberto had won the TDF at that age.

    But was Contador a world and Olympic champion at that age? :D
    These track guys are always older than you think.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    edit. PK is 24. Alberto had won the TDF at that age.
    Also linked to Fuentes/Operation Puerto by that age as well. :roll:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    mroli wrote:
    edit. PK is 24. Alberto had won the TDF at that age.
    Also linked to Fuentes/Operation Puerto by that age as well. :roll:

    In the next four years he also won another six Grand Tours.

    We could have discussed this yesterday if you had come over from your leaving drinks :D
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    mroli wrote:
    edit. PK is 24. Alberto had won the TDF at that age.
    Also linked to Fuentes/Operation Puerto by that age as well. :roll:

    In the next four years he also won another six Grand Tours.
    D
    And then he rather carelessly lost two of them. Let's hope Johan is taking good care of the others.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Frenchie, please stop trolling by bringing Contador into every bloody thread.

    He didn't ride MSR (he's never ridden it) but you thought it would have been fantastic if he'd been there to work with Nibali. He's not riding this race, but we have to hear how PK isn't living up to Contador's standard for his age.

    I'm not interest in the Spanish cheat, we knowyou love him, we've got the picture, now can you just pack this tedious crap in?

    Thanks.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    I thought I had you on block. Must remember to update my settings.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I mean at 24 If I had a world championship gold, an olympic gold medal, 3 world records, an u23 RR title and a madison national title to my name I'd be very happy.

    You can't judge someone on someone else's wins, I've never seen him referred to as a wonder kid other than in FF post.

    Nibali didn't win a GT until he was 26, and great champion Valverde until 29.


    Stop being a wee baby and get on with life, every post has to be a dig at Sky, and thankfully more and more people are pulling you up. I'm starting to get embarrassed for you.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Elia Viviani wins bunch kick, from smaller group, Ben Swift second. Kennaugh still leads, 10Km TT tomorrow, Bongiorno is second, Caltaldo is 3rd.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Good photos of stage 2. Just saw that he put a minute or so into all but 1 person which is very good going.
    http://www.steephill.tv/2014/coppi-e-ba ... /stage-02/


    Beautiful scenery. From last year's stage 2:
    180-PIC353526699_zpsc9182b0c.jpg
    settimana-stagetwo_zpsf16d3a1b.jpg

    Later in the week:
    150-PIC353868816adj_zps40eab630.jpg

    It really is a shame what they have done to the parcours this year.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    We could have discussed this yesterday if you had come over from your leaving drinks :D
    Yes sorry. I didn't make it actually - I was doing the last leg of a charity challenge - 12 bikes in 12 months from London to Brighton and our tandem's brakes broke that week. I had to ride a mate's tandem back to my house from London Wall solo. You will NEVER tire of hearing smart alecs shouting "Oi mate - you've lost the bloke on the back".... :lol:
    Next time :D