Giro 2020 - Stage 2: Alcamo – Agrigento 149 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited October 2020 in Pro race
Stage 2: Alcamo – Agrigento 149 km
Sunday, October 4th, 11:45 BST

The 2nd stage of the Giro d'Italia is a lumpy race of 150 kilometres long. The race starts in Sicily’s interior of following on hilly opening phase the route continues towards the coast.



The stage starts in Alcamo and features tough terrain from the get-go, with four consecutive short climbs that are not hard but will definitely favour the formation of a strong break of the day.



After almost 40 kilometres there are KOM points available in Santa Ninfa atop a 4 kilometres climb at 4%.



The route then descends into Castelvetrano and for ten of kilometres the route travels along Sicily’s south coast. The last part of the race is more bumpy. The riders move through Porte Empedocle (intermediate sprint) to continue onto the finish climb.
The riders will approach the “Valle dei Templi”, the Valley of the Temples, one of the most famous landmarks of the island. It is not a valley, but a ridge that from the sea goes up to the hill where Agrigento sits.
Agrigento is a city with a long history on the southern coast of Sicily. It was one of the leading cities in Ancient Greece, although it was named different then – Akragas. The city is build on a hill, which shows in the finale of stage 2.





Favourites 2nd stage 2020 Giro d’Italia
*** Peter Sagan, Diego Ulissi, Michael Matthews
** Valerio Conti, Fabio Felline, Enrico Battaglin
* Tony Gallopin, Ben Swift, Andrea Vendrame, Gianluca Brambilla

Alcamo

Alcamois on the borderline with the Metropolitan City of Palermo at a distance of about 50 kilometres from Palermo and Trapani.
It is assumed that the city of Alcamo was born from the settlement of Longarico at the hands of the Berbers, who found this settlement semi-deserted.
The first document mentioning Alcamo is dating back to 1154, in a paper written by the Berber geographer Idrisi who was given this task by Roger II of Sicily, in order to get a collection of geographic maps.



food

Handmade maccheroni, Pasta with “finocchi and sarde” (wild small fennels and sardines), Sausages with “cavuliceddi” (a typical Alcamo vegetable), Dried filled tomatoes, Cuddureddi (Christmas handmade fig sweets), Tetù (mixed and coloured biscuits), Sciù (cream sweets), Muffulette (fresh cooked roll bread with ricotta or other fillings


“finocchi and sarde”

Cuddureddi


Agrigento



The ancient Greek city of Akragas, later called by the Latins Agrigentum, was founded around 580a.C by a colony of Geloi-Rodiensi, led by the ecists Aristoneo and Pistillo in the plain where today we find the remains of ancient temples and known worldwide as “The Valley of the Temples” (included by UNESCO in the list of World Heritage Sites).



The acropolis was built in the place now occupied by modern Agrigento. From the beginning the city had its own emporium on the sea. Today, in the year 2020, celebrations are underway in Agrigento for the 2600 years of history since the foundation of the city.











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

  • Nice to see Tony Gs
    name crop up again. He jumped out of the start list in an oh yeah moment
    I'm going on an eating holiday in Sicily when all this hoo ha is over!
  • The weather today in Sicily.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Good looking stage I think. Strong break, couple of teams in the peloton having to work to set up the sprint.

  • Favourites 2nd stage 2020 Giro d’Italia
    *** Peter Sagan, Diego Ulissi, Michael Matthews
    ** Valerio Conti, Fabio Felline, Enrico Battaglin
    * Tony Gallopin, Ben Swift, Andrea Vendrame, Gianluca Brambilla

    No Démare in this list?

    As a relatively short stage and the second stage I would have thought he would have the legs to stay near the front.

  • Favourites 2nd stage 2020 Giro d’Italia
    *** Peter Sagan, Diego Ulissi, Michael Matthews
    ** Valerio Conti, Fabio Felline, Enrico Battaglin
    * Tony Gallopin, Ben Swift, Andrea Vendrame, Gianluca Brambilla

    No Démare in this list?

    As a relatively short stage and the second stage I would have thought he would have the legs to stay near the front.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099


    Favourites 2nd stage 2020 Giro d’Italia
    *** Peter Sagan, Diego Ulissi, Michael Matthews
    ** Valerio Conti, Fabio Felline, Enrico Battaglin
    * Tony Gallopin, Ben Swift, Andrea Vendrame, Gianluca Brambilla

    No Démare in this list?

    As a relatively short stage and the second stage I would have thought he would have the legs to stay near the front.
    He was on fire in August but, to me, looked a little off the pace in Luxembourg despite winning a stage.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • Eurosport obviously have their hands full showing a dozen tennis matches to get the Giro commentary sorted.

    Ah, as I type, Rob Hatch finally breaks the silence.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    According to the Cycling Podcast, Joe Dombrowski is at ten Giro riding for UAE (and doing a diary).

    I'd forgotten he existed...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • "As for the sort of rider who can win today, the last time we were here Riccardo Ricco..."

    Rob Hatch has Eurosport's lawyers cursing the speed with which the sound issues were sorted out...
  • TdG has woken up this morning and thought he was at the Tour. :D
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,508

    "As for the sort of rider who can win today, the last time we were here Riccardo Ricco..."

    Rob Hatch has Eurosport's lawyers cursing the speed with which the sound issues were sorted out...

    Who was he saying that about?
  • "As for the sort of rider who can win today, the last time we were here Riccardo Ricco..."

    Rob Hatch has Eurosport's lawyers cursing the speed with which the sound issues were sorted out...

    Who was he saying that about?
    He was using Ricco as an example of a non-sprintery type, I think, rather than extolling the finish as one for the pharmaceutically assisted...
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,032
    Thanks Blazing the Sicily tourist board should pay you
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546
    My eurosport player has superbikes on the giro channel... And 12 tennis.

    Is this an issue for others?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,645
    Watching in Welsh .
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,645
    On s4c iPlayer
    "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_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited October 2020
    alan_a said:

    My eurosport player has superbikes on the giro channel... And 12 tennis.

    Is this an issue for others?

    No. Working fine for me. You may have to scroll right across beyond the tennis lot to find it.

    Meanwhile, Consonni tastes Sicilian tarmac..........twice.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • OK so both Viviani and Consonni have been on the deck.
    Cofidis using cheap Decathlon tyres? :D
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546

    On s4c iPlayer

    OMFG... This is A MAZE ING.

    Switched it on and first words were

    Geraint Thomas Welsh word Tirrano Adricco, Welsh word Duaphine, Welsh word Welsh word Pantani.

    This is better than trying to understand Sporza.

    Out of interest, who are the Welsh commentary team? Is cycling a regular thing in S4C ?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,645
    Vittorias probably
    "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
  • alan_a said:

    On s4c iPlayer

    OMFG... This is A MAZE ING.

    Switched it on and first words were

    Geraint Thomas Welsh word Tirrano Adricco, Welsh word Duaphine, Welsh word Welsh word Pantani.

    This is better than trying to understand Sporza.

    Out of interest, who are the Welsh commentary team? Is cycling a regular thing in S4C ?
    This might help.
    Besides what they name in the article, they have also had highlights of the big one week stage races.

    https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/6323/giro-ditalia-to-be-broadcast-with-welsh-commentary-for-the-first-time

    I can't remember the name of their main man but he's a big cycling fan.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546
    Cheers BS. I had absolutely no idea.

    Now to lobby BBC Alba for Gaelic coverage.
  • Vlasov is abandoning the Giro.
    Astana imploding.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581
    Vlasov out.
  • There has been Covid with the Russians in the team......
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    The cameraman following the car with Vlasov onto the motorway seems a bit unnecessary
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Stomach problems since yesterday apparently.
    Another hammer blow to the potential GC battle.
    Beyond the two Brits, Nibali turning back the clock half a decade looks the most likely threat.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • alan_a said:

    Cheers BS. I had absolutely no idea.

    Now to lobby BBC Alba for Gaelic coverage.

    Just put S4C on for a bit.
    The main commentator is the guy who normally does the rugby commentary.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Chute. Edet and Bookwalter among the chutists.
    2 Ag2r riders too.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786