Giro D'Italia- Stage 18 ***Spoilers***

frenchfighter
frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
edited May 2015 in Pro race
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finish-18.jpg

The climb is 10km at 9% average with max of 13%.

Got these two beasts the following two days:
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profile-20.jpg

Uran needs a stage win the salvage his Giro. I wonder what stage he will have a go first on.

32 KOM points today.
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 92 pts
2 Benat Intxausti (Spa) Movistar Team 91
3 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Astana Pro Team 73
4 Carlos Betancur (Col) AG2R La Mondiale 68
5 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 53
Contador is the Greatest
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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178
    Breakaway day today... nothing in for the GC

    Tomorrow different day... they go through my area, I know those climbs very well. They are steady climbs, no big gradients... I fear there will be still a large peloton at the top of the Col St pantaleon, unless someone attacks early, but I don't see that hapening.
    The last climb to Cervinia is almost a motorway... something might happen but if I was Contador I wouldn't be too worried.
    left the forum March 2023
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Didn't you say that yesterday? This race has not failed to deliver on practically every stage and I hope this will be no different. If anything, Astana may continue trying to batter Contador to knacker him for the Tour to improve Nibali's chances.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178
    coriordan wrote:
    Astana may continue trying to batter Contador to knacker him for the Tour to improve Nibali's chances.

    That sounds so forward thinking that is almost a conspiracy theory... :lol:
    left the forum March 2023
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Breakaway day today... nothing in for the GC

    Tomorrow different day... they go through my area, I know those climbs very well. They are steady climbs, no big gradients... I fear there will be still a large peloton at the top of the Col St pantaleon, unless someone attacks early, but I don't see that hapening.
    The last climb to Cervinia is almost a motorway... something might happen but if I was Contador I wouldn't be too worried.

    Interesting - hopefully it will be quite calm and then they can really unleash on the Saturday and special Colle delle Finestre.

    “I think they'll attack on Saturday," he said. "They have two options, but one of them might finish off the podium if they are very aggressive. And depending on how the stage is, I could attack too."
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    coriordan wrote:
    Astana may continue trying to batter Contador to knacker him for the Tour to improve Nibali's chances.

    That sounds so forward thinking that is almost a conspiracy theory... :lol:

    It's not that unreasonable, given that their GC chances are over for the GIro. Would be in their and Sky's interests to batter him as much as they can in the time remaining (although he has no reason to chance Sky) to soften him up for the tour. A few people have mentioned it.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178

    Interesting - hopefully it will be quite calm and then they can really unleash on the Saturday and special Colle delle Finestre.

    “I think they'll attack on Saturday," he said. "They have two options, but one of them might finish off the podium if they are very aggressive. And depending on how the stage is, I could attack too."

    I am already disappointed about Col delle Finestre. I read that they have manicured it, filling in the potholes and gaps with fresh gravel, harrowing and then rolling the gravel smooth to suit race bikes...
    All nonsense, they should have left it as it is... what's the point of a gravel road which is smooth as tarmac?

    Roubaix docet
    left the forum March 2023
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    :lol:
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178
    coriordan wrote:
    coriordan wrote:
    Astana may continue trying to batter Contador to knacker him for the Tour to improve Nibali's chances.

    That sounds so forward thinking that is almost a conspiracy theory... :lol:

    It's not that unreasonable, given that their GC chances are over for the GIro. Would be in their and Sky's interests to batter him as much as they can in the time remaining (although he has no reason to chance Sky) to soften him up for the tour. A few people have mentioned it.

    Doesn't make any difference... he has 5 weeks to get back in shape... first two on the beach, third one training and the other two back in the peloton... it's plenty of time.
    All this nonsense of recovering dates back to the blood doping era, when you had to rebuild your 60% hematocrite to be competitive...

    it's a three weeks race, not 6 months in Birkenau...
    left the forum March 2023
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    Just wondering, is there a spot betting market in cycling? You can imagine being bunged a few quick to break at the 30k mark...
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,513
    coriordan wrote:
    coriordan wrote:
    Astana may continue trying to batter Contador to knacker him for the Tour to improve Nibali's chances.

    That sounds so forward thinking that is almost a conspiracy theory... :lol:

    It's not that unreasonable, given that their GC chances are over for the GIro. Would be in their and Sky's interests to batter him as much as they can in the time remaining (although he has no reason to chance Sky) to soften him up for the tour. A few people have mentioned it.

    Doesn't make any difference... he has 5 weeks to get back in shape... first two on the beach, third one training and the other two back in the peloton... it's plenty of time.
    All this nonsense of recovering dates back to the blood doping era, when you had to rebuild your 60% hematocrite to be competitive...

    it's a three weeks race, not 6 months in Birkenau...

    Did you watch the tour in 2011? Obviously, hindsight tells us that Contador wasn't actually there, but the people watching at the time must have thought the ghost looked a little tired.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Did you watch the tour in 2011? Obviously, hindsight tells us that Contador wasn't actually there, but the people watching at the time must have thought the ghost looked a little tired.

    Interestingly, he finished better than he started, meaning he gained form, rather than losing it. I think he didn't start with the idea of winning back then. I don't remember why he went for the Giro in 2011, but I think it had to do with the uncertainty around the clenbuterol affair and the possibility that the Tour door might shut in his face, like it did for Basso and Ullrich in 2006.
    That was the past, now he can fill those 5 weeks with positive thinking and adequate rest/training... he can do it... don't think he will, but not for lack of form, rather because his team looks a bit shite, to be honest compared to Astana/Movistar/Sky
    left the forum March 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    Just wondering, is there a spot betting market in cycling? You can imagine being bunged a few quick to break at the 30k mark...

    Not that I know of.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,513
    TheBigBean wrote:
    Did you watch the tour in 2011? Obviously, hindsight tells us that Contador wasn't actually there, but the people watching at the time must have thought the ghost looked a little tired.

    Interestingly, he finished better than he started, meaning he gained form, rather than losing it. I think he didn't start with the idea of winning back then. I don't remember why he went for the Giro in 2011, but I think it had to do with the uncertainty around the clenbuterol affair and the possibility that the Tour door might shut in his face, like it did for Basso and Ullrich in 2006.
    That was the past, now he can fill those 5 weeks with positive thinking and adequate rest/training... he can do it... don't think he will, but not for lack of form, rather because his team looks a bit shite, to be honest compared to Astana/Movistar/Sky

    He rode the Giro in 2011 because he thought he would be banned for the tour. It was probably his most dominant GT win. A two month delay in the CAS hearing then meant that he could ride the tour. If he was suffering from possible-ban-stress it certainly didn't affect his Giro performance. Therefore, he went from tip top in the Giro to 4 mins off the pace in the tour in the time between the two.

    The Giro Tour double is very hard. 5 weeks is nowhere near enough time to fully recover.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,178
    TheBigBean wrote:

    He rode the Giro in 2011 because he thought he would be banned for the tour. It was probably his most dominant GT win. A two month delay in the CAS hearing then meant that he could ride the tour. If he was suffering from possible-ban-stress it certainly didn't affect his Giro performance. Therefore, he went from tip top in the Giro to 4 mins off the pace in the tour in the time between the two.

    The Giro Tour double is very hard. 5 weeks is nowhere near enough time to fully recover.

    You said it yourself.. there was the hearing and all that stuff going on, I don't think he prepared for the Tour and probably his head was elsewhere. He still managed to clinch a fifth and shine up some climbs.

    5 weeks is plenty enough to recover for someone like Contador. He will be at his best for the Tour... I am more worried about the performances of Basso, Rogers and Kreuzinger to be honest. So far very underwhelming. Are they holding it back for the Tour or they don't have any?
    left the forum March 2023
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Well to state the obvious time will tell but there are enough examples of riders who have gone well in consecutive Grand Tours to suggest it needn't affect their form. Either way I doubt making a couple of mountain stages in May that bit harder will have any effect come July.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    Well to state the obvious time will tell but there are enough examples of riders who have gone well in consecutive Grand Tours to suggest it needn't affect their form.

    There are a lot more examples to the contrary.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Paulie W wrote:
    Well to state the obvious time will tell but there are enough examples of riders who have gone well in consecutive Grand Tours to suggest it needn't affect their form.

    There are a lot more examples to the contrary.

    Funny that no one has ever won all three in a year. Ever.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    No break as yet. 15km raced.

    LLS and Trofimov are being suggested in a few places as potential winners due to the tricky descent.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    is LLS all that good downhill?
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,513
    I went for Contador in PTP as I thought he might attack at the top of the climb to give himself an easier descent.
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    Cunego surely. He's amazing at descending - Carlton told me so

    just realised Szmyd is in this race, haven't seen or heard of him once
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,628
    is LLS all that good downhill?

    Not as good as his brother Sammy.... ;-)
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited May 2015
    is LLS all that good downhill?

    Yes, pretty damn fiesty.

    25170_664335115845_90406323_3923841.jpg
    He also has form for it:
    313-PIC301203603.jpg
    1ae8609e99345e46a9fd6fdfb9b0b6da-ge.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    inseine wrote:
    Paulie W wrote:
    Well to state the obvious time will tell but there are enough examples of riders who have gone well in consecutive Grand Tours to suggest it needn't affect their form.

    There are a lot more examples to the contrary.

    Funny that no one has ever won all three in a year. Ever.

    Not really funny.

    For most of their history the timing of the 3 grand tours made that impossible, it's only since 1995 that it could have been done because that is when the Vuelta moved to late Summer, and for a lot of that time riders who won the Tour had no interest in a race like the Vuelta or in some cases the Giro either.

    In any case my point is that it is possible to race the Giro and Tour on pretty much peak form, I think the difficulty in doing so is overstated, not that it's impossible for the Giro to affect a rider at the Tour, clearly attempting the triple makes it more difficult to hit peak form for all three but even then if a sufficiently dominant rider tried it I doubt it's impossible. The history of the races, team politics, the relative value of each race and luck means that it is something that has rarely been attempted.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Judging by today's stage profile it's one to follow from about 3pm onwards.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    is LLS all that good downhill?

    I'm not convinced thus far.
  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    In any case my point is that it is possible to race the Giro and Tour on pretty much peak form, I think the difficulty in doing so is overstated, not that it's impossible for the Giro to affect a rider at the Tour, clearly attempting the triple makes it more difficult to hit peak form for all three but even then if a sufficiently dominant rider tried it I doubt it's impossible. The history of the races, team politics, the relative value of each race and luck means that it is something that has rarely been attempted.

    I would agree that part of the reason that riders dont routinely chase the double or even the triple is that some teams have to keep multiple GC riders happy, there are other targets for some of the riders who might be capable (monuments, worlds, etc.), etc. but I think you're understating the difficulties. Look at Froome in 2012, rode the Tour pretty much full-on, went to the Vuelta and was visibly below his Tour form and dropped off over the 3 weeks. I think riding for the overall in a GT is physically and mentally extremely demanding and very few riders have it in them to be at the best for two in a season; in fact evidence suggests that many GC riders dont have two in them in two seasons.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Wish Dayer Quintana would show his face and do something.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Cunego abandons, no reason why as yet.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    inseine wrote:
    Cunego abandons, no reason why as yet.

    Crashed into a Ferrari, or is that just into Ferrari?