Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 19 ***Spoilers***

Macaloon
Macaloon Posts: 5,545
edited May 2015 in Pro race
Queen stage :D

Stage-1429781739.jpg

Final climb

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'We're not laughing anymore'
CGKVIorWwAANkqE.jpg
...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
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Comments

  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Macaloon wrote:
    Queen stage :D

    I think that is for tomorrow!
    Apparently the last climb is wide and fast so doubt there will be too much action from the GC guys who will be saving themselves for Saturday.

    100 KOM points up for grabs.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    Any of the streaming services starting before Eurosport? They will be on Saint Bathelemy before Eurosport comes on line at 1430 CET
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    That's a strong looking break and the intent is clearly there from AG2r who have two men in the move as they look to fight for a stage and move Betancur into a stronger position in the KOM race:

    Betancur and Montaguti (Ag2r), Rutkiewicz (CCC), Ulissi (Lampre), Visconti (Movistar), Chaves (Orica), Kochetkov (Katusha), Van der Lijke (Lotto NL), Kiryienka (Team Sky).

    1'09' after 46km. But
    that lead pushes out to over a minute now. Kruijswijk will be the most nervous rider in the bunch because there are some riders who can really cut his lead in the KOM competition up the road.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    jijp8w.png
    Betancur beat Visconti for GPM 3rd Cat points. 4m14 from lead 9 to Astana led bunch. Battaglin (Bardiani) retires from the race.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Macaloon wrote:
    that lead pushes out to over a minute now. Kruijswijk will be the most nervous rider in the bunch because there are some riders who can really cut his lead in the KOM competition up the road.

    Very difficult to cover off a mountain jersey and a high GC placing simultaneously.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Apparently the last climb is wide and fast so doubt there will be too much action from the GC guys who will be saving themselves for Saturday.

    This is the trouble with using high major ski resorts as a finishing point the roads in and out tend to be very accessible due to the number of buses that use them in the winter and gradients not too steep. At least lower ski resorts will have narrower and steeper roads that go beyond the village.

    There's not a lot going on above Cervinia without using a lift to get up and skis or a downhill MTB to get down.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    rv8zv5.png

    Watching on Ceefax. Gruber with the 'horn at the finish.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Eurosport have literally just started showing the Federer match - it's 3 mins in. Hopefully when the current ladies match has finished on ES2 they'll switch the Federer match over to there, or else there won't be an awful lot of today's stage shown live.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Half-way up the Saint-Barthelemy:
    Other than Betancur, who is at two minutes, the rest of the break are separated by around 30 seconds with the peloton back at 3'40.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Just checked their twitter feed...
    British Eurosport ‏@EurosportUKTV · 7m7 minutes ago
    Cycling fans, the Federer match will move over to BE2 at some point and #Giro coverage will commence then. We'll keep you posted.
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    because of some of the bonkers giro stages in recent years, this one doesn't actually look that hard
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Want to see Chaves get this.
    because of some of the bonkers giro stages in recent years, this one doesn't actually look that hard

    It's because of the length of the stage that this is considered the queen stage I think. It is more like a Tour stage in that the climbs are quite wide and linear.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Federer steps on it in good time.

    5-4, serving for set, 40 love up.

    bosh.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,511
    hammerite wrote:
    Apparently the last climb is wide and fast so doubt there will be too much action from the GC guys who will be saving themselves for Saturday.

    This is the trouble with using high major ski resorts as a finishing point the roads in and out tend to be very accessible due to the number of buses that use them in the winter and gradients not too steep. At least lower ski resorts will have narrower and steeper roads that go beyond the village.

    There's not a lot going on above Cervinia without using a lift to get up and skis or a downhill MTB to get down.

    ..and the problem with not using ski resorts is that there is nowhere for the team buses to park or the riders to stay. Choices therefore are either (i) ski resort with big wide finishes (ii) downhill finish to a nearby town (iii) narrow finish, no team buses and riders having to ride back down whilst the race is still on (most Vuelta stages)
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Federer steps on it in good time.

    5-4, serving for set, 40 love up.

    bosh.

    TennisRadar starts here...
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    TheBigBean wrote:
    hammerite wrote:
    Apparently the last climb is wide and fast so doubt there will be too much action from the GC guys who will be saving themselves for Saturday.

    This is the trouble with using high major ski resorts as a finishing point the roads in and out tend to be very accessible due to the number of buses that use them in the winter and gradients not too steep. At least lower ski resorts will have narrower and steeper roads that go beyond the village.

    There's not a lot going on above Cervinia without using a lift to get up and skis or a downhill MTB to get down.

    ..and the problem with not using ski resorts is that there is nowhere for the team buses to park or the riders to stay. Choices therefore are either (i) ski resort with big wide finishes (ii) downhill finish to a nearby town (iii) narrow finish, no team buses and riders having to ride back down whilst the race is still on (most Vuelta stages)

    The obvious solution is to build special extra roads up to the resorts for bike races :D:D
    Could build some mental climbs...

    To be fair that would also keep all the cyclists of the main roads the rest of the time. It's a win win!
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    Spectacular moto1
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    I played tennis at a reasonable amateur level as a kid.

    Could never handle singles however. You have to be utterly dull and dead behind the eyes or extremely pig headed to survive on the court on your own against good opposition.

    I would usually implode after my first double fault (usually in game 1 or 2...).

    The mental side of tennis is another level compared to cycling.


    Cycling's more fun though ;).
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Macaloon wrote:
    Queen stage :D

    I think that is for tomorrow!
    Apparently the last climb is wide and fast so doubt there will be too much action from the GC guys who will be saving themselves for Saturday.

    100 KOM points up for grabs.


    Every time they visit Valle d'Aosta, they go up Col St. Pantaleon and Cervinia, which are not selective enough climbs. I wrote many times to the Giro organisers to suggest my alternative route, which involves Col d'Arlaz, Col Tzecore and finish downhill in St. Vincent... much more testing climbs, with narrow and twisty steep roads...

    It's all on my blog, of course...

    http://whosatthewheel.com/2015/04/14/ri ... tern-alps/
    left the forum March 2023
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Meeting at 4pm to tell us how many redundancies there's going to be... :( I'm going to miss the stage finish! :lol:
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Where is everyone - lost interest?

    Anyone want an update?
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Yes... save me from my models...
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Nothing much happening as far as I can see. Visconti not far from being caught by the bunch, just under 12k to go on the final climb.
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    Astana train working for Contador as per usual.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Just seen Visconti shove some gels into his mooey: just caught by Astana led peloton with 10.5 km to go.
    Rob Hatch: what did you used to get down you when you were racing?
    Sean Kelly: well, some amphetamines and anything sugary...
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    thought the forum was broken

    Tiralongo pacing Alberto up the climb as per
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    edited May 2015
    Random split screen between the bunch and a meadow full of flowers...

    Edit: and now a bird. RAI camera crews must be bored too.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    Just seen Visconti shove some gels into his mooey: just caught by Astana led peloton with 10.5 km to go.
    Rob Hatch: what did you used to get down you when you were racing?
    Sean Kelly: well, some amphetamines and anything sugary...

    :lol:
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    "Queen Stage" - picture of sparrow on wall.
  • Crampeur
    Crampeur Posts: 1,065
    10km to go, all together. Only about 30 riders in the front.