2012 Giro d'Italia, May 23rd, stage 17: Falzes → Cortina D'Ampezzo, 186 Kms

[cineteq]

@riccardo_ricco
Spero in una vittoria di rodriguez al giro perché è l unico che fa qualche azione! Manca proprio qualcuno che ti fà saltare sul divano!!!!

Exactly why I want Purito to win the GC. He wants it the most.

 

[SafeBet]

riccardo riccò ‏@riccardo_ricco
Ma che bel giro........ Mah!!!!
What a beautiful Giro

riccardo riccò ‏@riccardo_ricco
Secondo me nibali se era al giro lo vinceva con 10 minuti. Anche se non è neanche lui il genere di corridore che mi entusiasma.
If he was here, Nibali would win the Giro by 10 minutes. Though he's not the kind of rider I fancy.

Spero in una vittoria di rodriguez al giro perché è l unico che fa qualche azione! Manca proprio qualcuno che ti fà saltare sul divano!!!!
I hope Purito is gonna take this, he's the only one attacking! We're missing somebody that makes you jump on the couch.

 

[killswitch]

riccardo riccò ‏@riccardo_ricco
Ma che bel giro........ Mah!!!!
What a beautiful Giro

riccardo riccò ‏@riccardo_ricco
Secondo me nibali se era al giro lo vinceva con 10 minuti. Anche se non è neanche lui il genere di corridore che mi entusiasma.
If he was here, Nibali would win the Giro by 10 minutes. Though he's not the kind of rider I fancy.

Spero in una vittoria di rodriguez al giro perché è l unico che fa qualche azione! Manca proprio qualcuno che ti fà saltare sul divano!!!!
I hope Purito is gonna take this, he's the only one attacking! We're missing somebody that makes you jump on the couch.

Thanks. ...

 

[Frosty]

Just scanning through the results i see Pinotti finished 98th at 34.05. Does anyone know what the story is there? Maybe just felt bad, realised he was going to lose lots of time and decided to take the mountains easy and aim for the final time trial?

 

[The Hitch]

It's the key weapon in his arsenal and it's very effective, but it's not an "attack", which pretty much by definition involves a sudden change of pace. Riding at your own consistent tempo isn't an attack, even if your tempo is so damn high that eventually nobody can stay with you.

This would be a much better race if the entire Liquigas support squad came down with a mild dose of dysentery.

I remember having a lengthy "discussion" with pistrollero on this and the man has spoken.

If someone's riding with a long constant high speed with the goal of dropping everyone than it's an attack. Or do you think Basso won the Giro by never attacking?

 

[The Hitch]

I don't know about that either. Uran was with them, after all, and Wiggins has a superior climbing record to both Uran and Hesjedal at the very least. Plus, Liquigas keeping a high steady tempo is pretty much exactly the way Wiggins likes to climb.

I could see him holding on today. I just can't see how he'd put six minutes into them!

I do not think Wiggins has a superior climbing record to Uran. 7th on Kronplatz. 5th was it on Plateu de beile. 4th just behind Evans and Contador on Muur de Bretagne.

Id say that beats Wiggins' 5th on Verbier with a weaker field and 5th on Angliru, 4th and 5th on 2 other mountains, in the Vuelta with a much much weaker field.

 

[The Hitch]

yes but in 2007 and 2008 there were still climbs to go after giau.impossible to compare but in both those years the level was something like 60 watts higher for the top guns lol
wiggo would demolish those guys trust me.i think he laughs from teide at these performances


<snip>

when you feel nostalgia about the good old days when they were racing like men:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-y38WZAtgc

the real cycling is dying slowly

Mate, i knew you preferred to turn a blind eye to doping but are you for real comparing wattages from over the years to reassure yourself that the riders are doping now than they were before???

 

[taiwan]

Just scanning through the results i see Pinotti finished 98th at 34.05. Does anyone know what the story is there? Maybe just felt bad, realised he was going to lose lots of time and decided to take the mountains easy and aim for the final time trial?

The latter I think. Pretty sure the GC was aleady out the window by this point.

 

[blaxland]

That was definantley the best stage so far in this giro d italia"the riders where quite agressive,the team tactics played out to plan,and some surprises showed.Purito showed that his climbing so far has been spot on and Ryder showed everyone that he means business.Basso also tried to cause some pain and scarponi whilst a little quiet compared to his usual self,still showed signs of things to come.So far i have been bored at watching most of this giro,but not now.Last night was very special.Bring on saturday and sunday nights stages""And also uran(sky)showed why some forum members have been rating him so highly,with a classy ride aswell.

 

[Andre.J]

I was disappointed with the stage. Stupid downhill finish. It's getting as bad as TDF.

 

[karlboss]

I note in the odds that Hesjedal is now about even with Purito and Basso for the win.
It was a pity Scarponi didn't go over the top with the front 4, i think he was about the only one with the skills and incentive to really drill the decent.
Loved the stage, Liquigas shredding the peloton to about 30-40 early. Nieve's ride was something to see, I've no idea how he held on, pity about the TTT. There were attacks, but not the obvious explosive types, Rodriguez, Scarponi, Uran obviously didn't have the strength and the other 3 tried, and weren't strong enough to drop them until the summit.
Moving forward, I think on current form Hesjedal, Scarponi and Basso are about even in a 30km TT, close enough that form on the day and surviving 3 weeks of racing will be more important than TT ability. Rodriguez is going to need about 1 to 1.5 minute over those 3. Can't see Uran getting into the mix. Pozzovivo i thought looked really good, needs to gain 5 minutes...it would take 2 excellent days, is a little too much.
i think we'll see a change in tactics from Liquigas, no more controlling the whole day, they will only control the final climb.

I don't think Cavendish will have the points jersey come Milano

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to JORD espcially on a day that means so much to him

Annoyed at Kreuziger. Heano also went bad but i'd earlier said Uran would be good backup/ still step into white.

Liquigas went well too but no SS hurt them just a little bit.
Hesjedal and JROD look very strong and Basso did as well ( i am expecting more to come ).

 

[webvan]

Do we know what happened to SS? Doesn't look like he was able to pull much yesterday. It seems he's fading, not the good time for that to happen.

 

[jens_attacks]

I do not think Wiggins has a superior climbing record to Uran. 7th on Kronplatz. 5th was it on Plateu de beile. 4th just behind Evans and Contador on Muur de Bretagne.

Id say that beats Wiggins' 5th on Verbier with a weaker field and 5th on Angliru, 4th and 5th on 2 other mountains, in the Vuelta with a much much weaker field.

not at all.level was higher with more than 50 watts on every wiggins performance especially verbier.uran is very far away of his level really.

Mate, i knew you preferred to turn a blind eye to doping but are you for real comparing wattages from over the years to reassure yourself that the riders are doping now than they were before???

i don't understand the question.i just like to see how fast the pros are going,to understand what do i miss for example to get close to santi perez on navacerrada 2004 lol and so on.
bigger stronger faster.i like that.i like to see the records smashed.i like usain bolt.

i love armstrong's theory about pro cycling,saying it should be entertaining.and after bernard tapie,that can rarely happen without extra medical assistance because the level of professionality is kind of equal between the riders.really you can't watch 6 guys going hand by hand after 6 hours.i know the dolomiti are great to watch but still...


looking back,the giro low performances don't come as a surprise after what happened in 2010 and last year's editions.but at least then, they did attack.

after the omega untouchable war machines in the cobbled classics,astana killing spree in the ardennes,uk postal and the 4 guys riding on ospedale at probably more than 6,3 w/kg you would expect something else in the first grand tour of the year.
one just has to wait dauphine and le tour now i guess.
until now,this giro was a shame

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I usually don't mind you jens but you wattage comparisions are ridiuclous. they mean nothing when you don't look at speed during the stage. lengths and difficult and 2nd or third week of a tour.

 

[Winterfold]

Basso will be too strong this weekend. Today was only a minor example

this

he was looking very mean and happy to set the pace for pretty much the whole climb, when Symzd is back there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth

 

[Duartista]

not at all.level was higher with more than 50 watts on every wiggins performance especially verbier.uran is very far away of his level really.




i don't understand the question.i just like to see how fast the pros are going,to understand what do i miss for example to get close to santi perez on navacerrada 2004 lol and so on.
bigger stronger faster.i like that.i like to see the records smashed.i like usain bolt.

i love armstrong's theory about pro cycling,saying it should be entertaining.and after bernard tapie,that can rarely happen without extra medical assistance because the level of professionality is kind of equal between the riders.really you can't watch 6 guys going hand by hand after 6 hours.i know the dolomiti are great to watch but still...


looking back,the giro low performances don't come as a surprise after what happened in 2010 and last year's editions.but at least then, they did attack.

after the omega untouchable war machines in the cobbled classics,astana killing spree in the ardennes,uk postal and the 4 guys riding on ospedale at probably more than 6,3 w/kg you would expect something else in the first grand tour of the year.
one just has to wait dauphine and le tour now i guess.
until now,this giro was a shame

Surely Col d'Ospedale is meaningless in comparison to a GT stage. If you just go on watts/kg wouldn't F. Schleck's performance there last year be the climbing performance of 2011. The same goes for the Vuelta compared to the Giro - most Vuelta stages only have one tough climb, yesterday had 4. I don't believe for a second that Wiggins, Froome and Cobo would be way ahead of the riders here.

 

[Tragic]

I think that "what happened to Szmyd?" is the question of the day, likely a very different story if he had hung in. I still have not seen a credible explanation. From my view, and I've watched a couple of times now, Caruso peeled off with either a mechanical or just bonked, then suddenly Szmyd was gone too. Anybody know what actually happened?

 

[webvan]

From the horse's mouth (well Basso's actually) : "cramps" - make what you will of it!

 

[airstream]

I'm not surpsised at all. And I prefer this clean cycling to 2007 Peyresourde or the guys from Saunier Duval It was noticed many times before the Giro there are no attacking climbers among grand contenders. Basso needs "walls", Scarponi (no matter how some of you like him) is a rider of a defensive plan in high mountains. He can't attack properly. Nonetheless, I like the stage a lot. Chapeau to all riders who could finish it.

 

[cineteq]

I think that "what happened to Szmyd?" is the question of the day, likely a very different story if he had hung in. I still have not seen a credible explanation. From my view, and I've watched a couple of times now, Caruso peeled off with either a mechanical or just bonked, then suddenly Szmyd was gone too. Anybody know what actually happened?

Basso:
"Ci siamo dati battaglia fin dal Passo Duran, e credo sia stata una gran bella giornata di ciclismo per tutti. Szmyd? Era in difficoltà fin dal Duran, quindi ho dovuto prendere l’iniziativa fin dalle prime rampe del Giau. Ora la classifica si è mossa un po’, non tanto quanto avrei voluto, ma qualcosa è successo."

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

I'm not surpsised at all. And I prefer this clean cycling to 2007 Peyresourde or the guys from Saunier Duval It was noticed many times before the Giro there are no attacking climbers among grand contenders. Basso needs "walls", Scarponi (no matter how some of you like him) is a rider of a defensive plan in high mountains. He can't attack properly. Nonetheless, I like the stage a lot. Chapeau to all riders who could finish it.

Oh come on!
Fine you can hate on the dopers as much as you want, but what you hate on here is exactly what cycling is about for gods sake!

hate on the riders, not on the racing they did

 

[webvan]

Basso needs "walls"

Yep and no Zoncolan this year...I'm surprised that a guy who can ride up walls can't get out of the saddle and gun it from time to time.

 

[airstream]

Oh come on!
Fine you can hate on the dopers as much as you want, but what you hate on here is exactly what cycling is about for gods sake!

hate on the riders, not on the racing they did

Too much emotions. I don't hate anybody. It is just an adequate cost cycling has to pay to get clean. You can call it a lack of entertainment. I don't think so. Do you like to be taken in? OK, but I don't.

Basso could go faster, I'm certain he went at about 90%, and kinda invited Michele to join as he is too vulnerable on the descent alone and could inevitably have lost up to a minute. But Scarponi was dead which predetermined the outcome we had.