Giro 2021:- Stage 17: Canazei – Sega di Ala 193 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited May 2021 in Pro race

Stage 17: Canazei – Sega di Ala 193 km

Wednesday, May 26th, 12.00 CEST

With more bad news regarding significant route changes likely to be coming our way soon, hopefully, this mountain stage can go a head as planned.
The stage runs South Westwards, mostly downhill, (until the sting in the tail) from Canazei to the climb of Sega di Ala, which makes its debut on the Giro d’Italia.



Technical Info:
The main difficulties encountered inside the last 55 kilometres (potentially the hardest 2-climb combination of this Giro) and featuring a summit finish. The route travels the Val di Fassa, the Val di Fiemme and the Pinè plateau all the way to Trento, where it moves to the right bank of the Adige. The course passes through Mori, climbs up to Passo San Valentino (coming from Avio), descends into Chizzola, and moves to the left bank of the Adige in Ala. Past Sdruzzinà, the riders will negotiate the closing climb.



The first climb of the day is Sveseri (GPM3, 2.9 km at 9.7%), which is a short and steep climb. If the breakaway isn’t established yet, expect this to be the spot for it to happen.



After reaching the town of Avio, the final combo will begin by climbing Passo San Valentino, (GPM1, 14.8 km at 7.8%) which has a very tough section of 8 km at almost 9%.



The top is at 38 km to go, including almost 18 km of a very technical descent. After 10 kilometres in the valley the riders enter the finish climb. The Sega di Ala (GPM1, 11.2 km at 9.8%) makes its debut on the Giro d’Italia. The ascent featured only once before in the 2013 Giro del Trentino, where Vincenzo Nibali climbed to the stage honours and GC triumph and Bradley Wiggins won the best bike throwing competition. (His bike ending impressively upright against a retaining wall) It starts with a relatively regular gradient but retains it's steepest gradients for a section towards the top. After the last hairpins, leading into the Passo Fittanze plateau, the route continues with milder gradients all the way to the finish line, on tarmac road.





Final Kilometres


What to expect:
Quite simply, the stage to be brutal. The fight for the breakaway should be protracted and with so much downhill, extremely quick, so allowing little respite. I expect the breakaway to be a forlorn hope as the GC men do battle, with the winner taking the stage spoils, but the maglia rosa as well? who knows.

Favourites 17th stage 2021 Giro d’Italia

*** Egan Bernal, Damiano Caruso
** Bauke Mollema, Davide Formolo, Simon Yates, Hugh Carthy, Giulio Ciccone, Romain Bardet, Joao Almeida
* Vincenzo Nibali, Aleksandr Vlasov, Daniel Felipe Martínez,

Canazei
Among the most renowned centres of the Val di Fassa, Canazei (1456 m) is surrounded by the spectacular Dolomites: the Sella chain (3152 m) overlooks the area, as well as the Gran Vernèl (3058 m) and the Marmolada (3343 m). The village reflects its ancient economy based on the agriculture and on cattle breeding, with buildings built in wood and stones, gathered around tiny churches which overlook squares and streets.



Among the most famous dishes there are the cheeses “Puzzone di Moena Dop” and “Cher de Fascia”.



Among the traditional dishes we find the “supa da orc” barley soup; “bales”, bread dumplings in broth or with melted butter; “ciajoncie” stuffed ravioli with potatoes and dried figs; pork meat, smoked ribs, pork chop, game meat; speck and other types of cold meat; potatoes, sauerkraut, beetroots, mushrooms and, dulcis in fundo, “fortaes” (fried dough) with cranberry jam, “sones” (apple fritters), Apfelstrudel and Slow Food wildflower honey from the mountains.



Sega di Ala
Ala, in the lower part of Trentino, lies a few kilometers from Verona. Its elegant historic center, one of the most well-preserved in Trentino, with noble palaces, squares and courtyards with a Baroque style reflecting the charm of a rich and prestigious past.



Castione chestnuts, from which unique recipes and products are born, such as chestnut tagliolini, chestnut beer, and the famous Marroncino di Castione.



Trentino is one of the mountain wine-growing areas which is deeply linked to the territory and offers wines of identity. Here, touched by the Adige River, ventilated and protected by important mountains such as the Little Dolomites, is Vallagarina.
Vallagarina produces great wines, from the classic method to the whites up to the full-bodied red wines, among which the native Marzemino, Casetta and Enantio stand out.









"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
«13456

Comments

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    This looks a level of difficulty higher than the Zoncolan stage.

    And:


  • jimmyjams
    jimmyjams Posts: 707
    The last time I was in the area (2013), I don't remember the traditional dishes/food being as 'half-Austrian' as, in his preview, Blazing Saddles' suggests; I do remember having and enjoying a local tripe meal!
    I didn't encounter chestnut beer, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is available; one finds lots of other chestnut products (jams, etc) in the area.

    I will be riding the first part of this stage in the coming September, after a couple of days around the Sella Ronda and a San Pellegrino-Valles circuit. So I will be interested to see the beginning.
    However at Montesover I won't be going left/SE up the Sveresi climb, rather a bit farther along the Strada Provinciale 71, at Sagonzano, I will turn right/W to go over the Croce delle Serre, then later that day over the Sella di Andalo.
  • That's going to be a tough day for some.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited May 2021
    Btw: Info on local produce comes via the Giro website's stage write up.

    Vallagarina, in addition to wine, is now producing a new generation of craft beers, too.

    There's actually a nut beer produced by a brewery not far from where I live.
    Having tried it, I won't be trying it again!

    Here's another little chestnut.




    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    The weather for today's start:



    Mid race:



    Ala:



    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180

    This looks a level of difficulty higher than the Zoncolan stage.

    And:


    Sweepstake on how many times this gets shown in the commentary.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    This is much better - you can see Italy and it looks awesome.

    Downhill start and no attacks are sticking yet. About 55kmh average so far.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    Hmm, fancy some of that chestnut beer
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741

    This is much better - you can see Italy and it looks awesome.

    Downhill start and no attacks are sticking yet. About 55kmh average so far.

    None of the remaining stages favour an early break.
    Instead there are several hundred kms of Ganna and Puccio territory waiting up the road, in case anyone flukes an early getaway.

    My guess is the break will go at about 60kms in, on the 3rd cat.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    Looks like a group of 4 have got away, and some teams want to let it go. Not happening.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    edited May 2021
    20 away now, just before the first climb, and they've let them go after only 50km.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741

    20 away now, just before the first climb, and they've let them go after only 50km.

    Still not completely settled down.
    Brambilla chasse patating and now Bennett and Fabbro have popped out of the peloton.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    Rolling roadblock up the first climb, looks like it's really gone now.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Was bound to explode again on the climb.......and it has.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,130
    Peloton's not going to be much bigger than the lead group soon.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    Out of context, but this amused me...



    "Just... smoothing my bars out. Nothing to see here."
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    The breakaway currently looks doomed with Bike Exchange taking charge of the pursuit.
    Dries de Bondt doing his best to add as many Euros as possible to the team earnings.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,249
    never seen Bike Exchange this race apart from Yates. Are they just not present or they let the others do the work?
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892
    amrushton said:

    never seen Bike Exchange this race apart from Yates. Are they just not present or they let the others do the work?

    Suppose there's not much a team can do when your leader sits on the back.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Dull commentary today.
    Cherie Pridham is the anti-Adam Blythe.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Ineos seem to have a real knack of getting other teams to do the work this Giro.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,249
    If you want to win something you cant sit behind the leading team/rider all day.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,718

    Dull commentary today.
    Cherie Pridham is the anti-Adam Blythe.

    Yes another case of no doubt having the knowledge but maybe not the right personality for this role.

    She is from my home town and used to see her out training a lot and then with their juniors when her and her partner started running teams but she never really trained with local riders or mixed with them - never heard anyone say anything too bad about her though. Certainly done well for herself getting her DS job.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    14:21:16
    Evenepoel has been dropped. And no one is waiting for him.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Dan Martin driving the break with Moscon and Bouchard (+8 others).

    Bernal on Yates' wheel.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Still 6kms of this climb to do.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • fleshtuxedo
    fleshtuxedo Posts: 1,853
    Martin dropping everyone to try to keep a decent gap for the last clkmb
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Moscon looking pretty comfortable sitting on Dan Martin's wheel...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Evenepoel getting back into the GC group
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Remco's ridden back on...

    So has Bouchard to the break