2012 Giro d'Italia; May 19th; Stage 14: Cherasco - Cervinia(205km)

[The Hitch]

By Ryo. Henao is the next Contador already according to some of his posts. I think it's fair to say he DOES over-hype them.

White jersey and top 10/20 are in their grasp. That wouldn't be over-hype, but what Ryo is saying sometimes....

No for ryo rujano is number 1.

He oversees henao when he says henao can win pr and.would be a favourite for rvv if he tried it, lol, but climbing.wise he never said henao or Uran were going to decimate this giro field or anything. them finishing in the pack is close to what he expected.

Rujano meanwhile was supposed to put 2 minutes into the field today. he did far worse than the antioquenos. rujano is way more overhyped.

 

[airstream]

Pace is never low when Szmyd is pulling the pack.

I agree. I am not saying about Szmyd, but all before was a nightmare. bloody low tempo. If a group don't thin out on 3km at about 7%, it is not normal.

 

[hrotha]

Pace is never low when Szmyd is pulling the pack.

With 6 km to go. The last 2 being a false flat. Killer stage!

 

[DenisMenchov]

I agree. I am not saying about Szmyd, but all before was a nightmare. bloody low tempo. If a group don't thin out on 3km at about 7%, it is not normal.

I agree but one can not attack when Szymd is in the peloton, you saw how it ended for both Cunego and Rujano twice.

 

[whittashau]

I agree. I am not saying about Szmyd, but all before was a nightmare. bloody low tempo. If a group don't thin out on 3km at about 7%, it is not normal.

It's normal when there is numerous upcoming stages which makes this one look like a piece-of-cake and therefore the riders are more worried about those than pushing the pace today. This isn't the tour where there is a sum total of four high mountain stages or something.

 

[roundabout]

With 6 km to go. The last 2 being a false flat. Killer stage!

It's the first mountain stage.
Up to this point it hasn't been a particularly difficult Giro so it's more likely that the helpers would be able to control for longer.
Only 3 "rest" days from here to the end.
Close gaps on GC so most people would be satisfied with their GC standing.
Better chance of gaining time back later on.
Headwind??

Yes, the favorites could have tried from further out but I am not really blaming them for not doing so.

 

[Fetisoff]

OK, well I was worried ****less about Purito losing massive time here, and he came through OK. Vamos Purito, I'm beginning to get cautiously optimistic about his GC

 

[Red Rick]

Uh, if only Andy could be there! He would have showed them a real master class of climbing. The pace was so low that I think it could have been possible to fire straight from 50-60 people pack. It was a typical for the Giro stage when the teams in general are weak and cannot provide a sufficient joint intensity to drill the group in a proper way.

You mean what the thing that Contador did at least 10 times last year?

 

[The Hitch]

I agree but one can not attack when Szymd is in the peloton, you saw how it ended for both Cunego and Rujano twice.

Last year kiriyenka having been in a break for 200k continued putting time into szmyd as hrothas set the pace up the finnestre. sometimes szmyd ain't all that.

 

[hrotha]

It's the first mountain stage.
Up to this point it hasn't been a particularly difficult Giro so it's more likely that the helpers would be able to control for longer.
Only 3 "rest" days from here to the end.
Close gaps on GC so most people would be satisfied with their GC standing.
Better chance of gaining time back later on.
Headwind??

Yes, the favorites could have tried from further out but I am not really blaming them for not doing so.

Why has it become acceptable for the contenders to not race the first mountain stage? What's the explanation for that? It's friggin' stage 14 (fourteen) and they've already done some climbs, including Lago Laceno and some tough hills, so I'd expect everybody to have a good idea of what their form is like by now. At this rate, they'll never do anything until the last mountain stage.

What you're saying is "they're all content with their current position because they're huge cowards", and I agree with that.

 

[Red Rick]

Szmyd is the kind of rider that loses too much value with the UCI's points system

 

[Red Rick]

Last year kiriyenka having been in a break for 200k continued putting time into szmyd as hrothas set the pace up the finnestre. sometimes szmyd ain't all that.

Szmyd was sick and if he would've had his normal form, he would've dropped nibali, which wasn't his task

 

[The Hitch]

Szmyd was sick and if he would've had his normal form, he would've dropped nibali, which wasn't his task

True. you are right he was sick.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Uh, if only Andy could be there! He would have showed them a real master class of climbing. The pace was so low that I think it could have been possible to fire straight from 50-60 people pack. It was a typical for the Giro stage when the teams in general are weak and cannot provide a sufficient joint intensity to drill the group in a proper way.

My turn.
Andy isn't anywhere unless there's a July in the month.

 

[El Pistolero]

Why has it become acceptable for the contenders to not race the first mountain stage? What's the explanation for that? It's friggin' stage 14 (fourteen) and they've already done some climbs, including Lago Laceno and some tough hills, so I'd expect everybody to have a good idea of what their form is like by now. At this rate, they'll never do anything until the last mountain stage.

What you're saying is "they're all content with their current position because they're huge cowards", and I agree with that.

Can only blame the race organizers for putting a ridiculously tough mountain stage as last.

 

[roundabout]

Why has it become acceptable for the contenders to not race the first mountain stage? What's the explanation for that? It's friggin' stage 14 (fourteen) and they've already done some climbs, including Lago Laceno and some tough hills, so I'd expect everybody to have a good idea of what their form is like by now. At this rate, they'll never do anything until the last mountain stage.

What you're saying is "they're all content with their current position because they're huge cowards", and I agree with that.

I expect more aggressive racing on the final climb tomorrow.

 

[Gregory]

Uh, if only Andy could be there! He would have showed them a real master class of climbing. The pace was so low that I think it could have been possible to fire straight from 50-60 people pack. It was a typical for the Giro stage when the teams in general are weak and cannot provide a sufficient joint intensity to drill the group in a proper way.

Have you seen Andorra Arcalis stage in Tour 2009? First mountain stage, similar gradient and tempo set by Discovery was very low. Were it not for Contador's attack, the group of over 20 riders would arrive together at the finish. So where is the difference with the Giro?

 

[hrotha]

Can only blame the race organizers for putting a ridiculously tough mountain stage as last.

That's how the Giro was in the 90s and 00s, and it wasn't a problem. Yes, knowing the attitude of the current field, the race organizers should take it into account and design different courses, but to say the riders are not to blame when they're at the core of the problem doesn't make sense.

 

[Gregory]

On a different note, I was impressed by Scarponi's tactical riding today. He saved himself and his team as much as he could, but when his real adversaries attacked, he showed that he could follow wheels.
Todays stage has also once and for all ended the question of leadership in the team, which could prove disastrous if unsettled.
He is sitting decently in GC and saving himself for the tougher mountaintop finishes

 

[Mellow Velo]

I had to go and check the "Members Suspension" thread to see if Ryo had been hit by the ban hammer again, but no, it appears he has simply gone into hiding.

Have to agree with El P on the Henao hype from that man, too.
Seriously overplayed.
(but they are going well as we enter the big lumps.)

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

I had to go and check the "Members Suspension" thread to see if Ryo had been hit by the ban hammer again, but no, it appears he has simply gone into hiding.

He did say he'd be away this weekend.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Uh, if only Andy could be there! He would have showed them a real master class of climbing. The pace was so low that I think it could have been possible to fire straight from 50-60 people pack. It was a typical for the Giro stage when the teams in general are weak and cannot provide a sufficient joint intensity to drill the group in a proper way.

 

[LaFlorecita]

You mean what the thing that Contador did at least 10 times last year?

How nice of you to mention him so that I don't have to do it. Now I won't get blamed for thread hijacking!

 

[Havetts]

I had to go and check the "Members Suspension" thread to see if Ryo had been hit by the ban hammer again, but no, it appears he has simply gone into hiding.

Have to agree with El P on the Henao hype from that man, too.
Seriously overplayed.
(but they are going well as we enter the big lumps.)

No Ryo said he had to go away this weekend. So he'd record this stage + shut himself off from the internet.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I would like to see Ryo when he watches this stage