Giro 2021:- Stage 10: L’Aquila – Foligno 139 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited May 2021 in Pro race
Stage 10: L’Aquila – Foligno 139 km

Monday, May 17th, 13.40 CEST




Technical Info:
The shortest stage of this edition, rolling stage with a pan-flat finale. The route first takes in climbs up to Sella di Corno and Forca di Arrone, and then tackles one last ascent up to Valico della Somma (awarding KOM points). The route eventually levels out in the final part, running on broad and mostly straight roads. As the stage passes through several urban areas, roundabouts, traffic islands and street furniture will be found along the route.



Final kilometres
The final kilometres are quite straight, up to 2,000 m to the finish. Here the route features a right-hand bend, immediately followed by two left-hand bends that lead to the home stretch (at 1,300 m out), with just a slight half-turn 500 m before the finish line, on tarmac road.

The shortest stage of this edition.





The Climbs:
Valico della Somma: GPM4, 6.7 km at 5%




What to expect:
The 2014 Giro d’Italia saw virtually the same stage, but with an extension in the first part. Back then, Nacer Bouhanni outsprinted Giacomo Nizzolo and Luka Mezgec in the streets of Foligno. With few opportunities in the race, expect the sprinters to have this one marked down on their dance cards.

Favourites 10th stage 2021 Giro d’Italia

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

L'Aquila
L’Aquila (means the eagle) is the capital city of Abruzzo region, placed at 714 m of altitude. The city is situated on a hillside in the Aterno river’s valley and it is surrounded by the Appenini mountains, with the highest peak Gran Sasso d’Italia (2.912 m) to the North-east.



And further to yesterday's conversation and as it's the last opportunity....




Foligno
Lying halfway between the more renowned Perugia and Assisi, the city is an excellent destination.
Located along the Via Flaminia – one of the main roads leading to Rome – the ancient Fulginium, currently Foligno has a rich history and culture, along with plenty of culinary traditions. It sure deserves a visit to please your eyes, clear your mind and treat your taste buds.



Local cuisine offers a wealth of traditional Umbrian delicacies such as legume soups (especially grass pea), bruschette topped with olive oil, fresh handmade pasta (such as strangozzi and pappardelle) seasoned with wild game sauce or truffle, lamb roast and the famous coratella.



Local specialties also include the iconic pizza al formaggio (cheese bread) and its sweet rendition, made for Easter. When it comes to cakes, rocciata is a must-taste. This local rendition of the strudel, richer and tastier, is best paired with a glass of fine Sagrantino wine. Typical local produce include Colfiorito red-skinned potatoes, whose sweet and fragrant yellow flesh is used for making gnocchi, or cooked in embers.


"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
«13

Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    Nice.
    Pretty sure the favourites need an edit though. 😉
    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.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    pblakeney said:

    Nice.
    Pretty sure the favourites need an edit though. 😉

    Damn, you saw it.
    The perils of being two days ahead of the game. ;)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Finish doesn't look too dodgy - nice wide roads. Bit of road furniture at 700m to go where it's signed road narrowing, so I guess they haven't removed it.

    https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9532738,12.7068472,3a,75y,232.15h,80.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHmS2J5eKXEdlvargfQYnYw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited May 2021
    L'Aquila unfortunately got smashed to bits by the earthquakes a few years ago, was evacuated and has been completely rebuilt.

    If you fancy heading out to there there are some mad, seriously bad climbs heading back to where they were today.

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • jimmyjams
    jimmyjams Posts: 707
    MattFalle said:

    L'Aquila unfortunately got smashed to bits by the earthquakes a few years ago, was evacuated and has been completely rebuilt.

    If you fancy heading out to there there are some mad, seriously bad climbs heading back to where they were today.

    When I was last in the area, now 13-14 years ago, I liked the hills and small roads surrounding Rieti, perhaps a 35 km radius of there. Not so barren as the higher Gran Sasso or where they finished yesterday.
    They pass through Rieti during this stage after about 50 km from L'Aquila, but the first 70 km of this stage are all along the main road, not the small roads I mean.

    (Mattfalle – do you know/can you recommend the area around Alfedena? They passed through there after 10 km on yesterday's stage but I forgot to watch until they were descending Passo Godi, another 25 kms on. There is a slight family connection – the wife of one of my cousins comes from Alfedena - although was only 9 years old when she left, and has never been back!)
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Some potential for wind today, apparently. Worth keeping an eye out.
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 1,900
    It's Monday. It's supposed to be a rest day.

    This is going to leave me confused for the rest of the week as to what the day is 😟

    Why the change? Can anyone enlighten the easily confused amongst us?
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    edited May 2021
    Yeah I was wondering the same - I assume it is just to do with logistics and transfers. 10 days does seem long not to have a rest day.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    What time does it start gents?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited May 2021
    jimmyjams said:

    MattFalle said:

    L'Aquila unfortunately got smashed to bits by the earthquakes a few years ago, was evacuated and has been completely rebuilt.

    If you fancy heading out to there there are some mad, seriously bad climbs heading back to where they were today.

    When I was last in the area, now 13-14 years ago, I liked the hills and small roads surrounding Rieti, perhaps a 35 km radius of there. Not so barren as the higher Gran Sasso or where they finished yesterday.
    They pass through Rieti during this stage after about 50 km from L'Aquila, but the first 70 km of this stage are all along the main road, not the small roads I mean.

    (Mattfalle – do you know/can you recommend the area around Alfedena? They passed through there after 10 km on yesterday's stage but I forgot to watch until they were descending Passo Godi, another 25 kms on. There is a slight family connection – the wife of one of my cousins comes from Alfedena - although was only 9 years old when she left, and has never been back!)
    J, ciao

    Let me have a squiz - our family LOE is Teramo (other side of Gran Sasso), Pescara on the coast us I'd say a 35k radius around our place.

    Rome and Firenze we know well as well as I was schooled and lived in Firenze, we have extended family in Rome.

    I'll get back to you 👍
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Roll out at 12:40, Km 0 at 12:55 UK time.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Break established at 12:55:30.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    Roll out at 12:40, Km 0 at 12:55 UK time.

    grazie mille!
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    Break established at 12:55:30.

    😂😂
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • davep1
    davep1 Posts: 836
    MattFalle said:

    L'Aquila unfortunately got smashed to bits by the earthquakes a few years ago, was evacuated and has been completely rebuilt.

    If you fancy heading out to there there are some mad, seriously bad climbs heading back to where they were today.

    Is that in the area around Campo Felice? I know the Pescara side well, but haven't been on the bike over that side.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    davep1 said:

    MattFalle said:

    L'Aquila unfortunately got smashed to bits by the earthquakes a few years ago, was evacuated and has been completely rebuilt.

    If you fancy heading out to there there are some mad, seriously bad climbs heading back to where they were today.

    Is that in the area around Campo Felice? I know the Pescara side well, but haven't been on the bike over that side.
    Yup - especially if you head up behind L'Aquilone huuuuge shopping mall just outside L'Aquila and up there are some sweet huge climbs - major one heads up to Campo Nero, drops down the otherside and you can work your way up and down Goriano Sicoli, Goriano Valli and then die on this puppy as I have done a few times... steep as, you have to go uphill to get to it, really exposed so either stinking stupid hot or wet.


    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    Break established at 12:55:30.

    near as dammit 😂😂
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    There's a break of 5, that was the second attempt - first attempt everyone and their dog tried to get into it.

    Was originally 4 but Goosens for Lotto bridged up pretty easy. That looks like it now. Just gone back to watch the pre-race show...
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    🌮 In the break
    "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
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    edited May 2021
    Still seems odd that - where possible - the gap isn't automatically reset if a level crossing intervenes. It's a bit of a safety issue to encourage (and yeah, I know there re penalties but human nature is what it is) people to try and sneak across before the barriers fall. Doubly bonkers that the gap is restored if they get caught whilst waiting.

    I know I don't follow cycling for its occasional applications of logic, but...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243

    Still seems odd that - where possible - the gap isn't automatically reset if a level crossing intervenes. It's a bit of a safety issue to encourage (and yeah, I know there re penalties but human nature is what it is) people to try and sneak across before the barriers fall. Doubly bonkers that the gap is restored if they get caught whilst waiting.

    I know I don't follow cycling for its occasional applications of logic, but...

    They do do that, especially in one day races
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    When you really need what he's got in his van but your Yodel Driver has been stuck on 4 stops to go for the last half an hour....


    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    I don't think there's really any chance of Bora putting anyone in trouble over the climb is there?
  • jimmyjams
    jimmyjams Posts: 707

    Still seems odd that - where possible - the gap isn't automatically reset if a level crossing intervenes. It's a bit of a safety issue to encourage (and yeah, I know there re penalties but human nature is what it is) people to try and sneak across before the barriers fall. Doubly bonkers that the gap is restored if they get caught whilst waiting.

    I know I don't follow cycling for its occasional applications of logic, but...

    I thought the rule is that the gap is re-established if the break had a lead of 1 min or more, although it didn't look to me that this happened today, so maybe you are right that this is only done if the break is caught while waiting.

    On the other hand, I'm pretty sure this isn't done (i.e. the gap re-established) if the break had less than a minute lead.
    Nor is the gap re-established if the barrier comes down between the break and the peloton, no matter what advantage that then gives the break.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091

    Still seems odd that - where possible - the gap isn't automatically reset if a level crossing intervenes. It's a bit of a safety issue to encourage (and yeah, I know there re penalties but human nature is what it is) people to try and sneak across before the barriers fall. Doubly bonkers that the gap is restored if they get caught whilst waiting.

    I know I don't follow cycling for its occasional applications of logic, but...

    They do do that, especially in one day races
    UCI rules appear to be that if the break is caught at the level crossing the gap is restored, but if they're not caught then it's a racing incident. Presumably it makes it easier to calculate what the gap was - someone starts a stopwatch when the break gets there and stops it when the field arrives - but it seems mad that it's better for the break to be caught than not. There's presumably all sorts of ways to game that, too.

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132

    I don't think there's really any chance of Bora putting anyone in trouble over the climb is there?

    Shows what I know - even before the main climb, Groenewegen dropped. A couple of km at 7%+ could prove interesting.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Merlier dropped - team waiting. 3k to the top apparently
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Even Sagan looks a bit uncomfortable...
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    Gets steeper in the last km. But anyone who's dropped then might get back on in the last 40km
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Nizzolo and Viviani looking uncomfortable too.

    Merlier has his team with him so yeah, could get back on. Depends if he was pacing himself, or was blown I think