2012 Giro d'Italia; Stage 15: Busto Arsizio - Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli (169km)

[wirral]

Has the earthquake affected today's stage?

 

[Lexman]

He was alread in the red yesterday

LOL, if he doesn't deliver this Giro he will be a neverending promising but not delivering rider...might be a good gregario for Contador next year at Saxo in that case

 

[Mellow Velo]

christ that opening climb looks like a field killer, surely the bus misses the time tommorow.

Stage threads this year, not up to par.





A pity the leg breaker comes so early in the stage, though.
Seems to be a recurring theme with this new "old" style course design.

Anybody struggling yesterday, are unlikely to fare better, today.
More weeding out on the cards.

 

[Lexman]

one thing i don't understand : why do start with a cat 1 climb and end with a cat 2 climb, it seems to me to toughen up the riders with the some cat 2 & 3 climbs and let them arrive on a cat 1 climb where since it's a cat 1 climb the gradients must be tougher

 

[Delicato]

LOL, if he doesn't deliver this Giro he will be a neverending promising but not delivering rider...might be a good gregario for Contador next year at Saxo in that case

He went to Astana just because he didn't want to be a henchman to Basso or Nibali. He is surely under severe pressure now, if Nibs is to arrive to Astana next year he would have to switch teams and I don't really know which team bar Astana can give him the undisputed leader status. Not to mention the paycheck.

 

[hrotha]

one thing i don't understand : why do start with a cat 1 climb and end with a cat 2 climb, it seems to me to toughen up the riders with the some cat 2 & 3 climbs and let them arrive on a cat 1 climb where since it's a cat 1 climb the gradients must be tougher

You can attack before the last climb, you know...

Personally I think most mountain stages should have a really tough climb followed by an easier one.

 

[Woody22]

Gesink would have won this stage and his first GT if he had started this years Giro.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

one thing i don't understand : why do start with a cat 1 climb and end with a cat 2 climb, it seems to me to toughen up the riders with the some cat 2 & 3 climbs and let them arrive on a cat 1 climb where since it's a cat 1 climb the gradients must be tougher

They don't want this stage to be decisive, that's why.

 

[Delicato]

You can attack before the last climb, you know...

Personally I think most mountain stages should have a really tough climb followed by an easier one.

Not in the times of "cleaner" peloton, you know. Schleck's performance last year was an exception, and uncoordinated chase did help him.

 

[Gloin22]

Jeremy Hunt ( SKY ) leaves the Giro due to the birth of his baby.

 

[Froome19]

They don't want this stage to be decisive, that's why.

Indeed, that is the beauty of this Giro compared to previous ones. Rather than just blow the race apart with mountain stage after mountain stage, they are trying to vary it a bit with a stage like todays which isnt a traditional tempo riding mountain stage, but rather a unique stage in the fact that it is steep and short and preceded by harder climbs. Of course logistically and racing wise they have to do mountain stages grouped but to vary the stages from a typical alpine stage like yesterdays to a totally inovative stage like today is a very clever move by the organisers and one which presents the riders with the ability to execute various different tactics which have the capabilities to make the racing more exciting and certainly it will make viewing more exciting.

 

[hrotha]

Not in the times of "cleaner" peloton, you know. Schleck's performance last year was an exception, and uncoordinated chase did help him.

Gah. Again, NOTHING TO DO WITH CLEANLINESS. Everything to do with attitude. Get that into your heads and stop being ripped off.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Not in the times of "cleaner" peloton, you know. Schleck's performance last year was an exception, and uncoordinated chase did help him.

Mortirolo -> Aprica

 

[will10]

They can't all earn the same. But no one is overpaid in this sport. That's one thing certain.

No one? How about mister Hushovd with his seven figure contract at BMC? Not overpaid?

 

[hrotha]

Mortirolo -> Aprica

But the thing is, we shouldn't need super tough stages for them to actually race. Yesterday's stage was perfect on paper.

It seems both riders and fans have come to accept as normal that you can't be expected to do anything until the last 5 km unless the gradient is insane, and that's not the case. It's especially sad that the public has come to think there's no other way.

 

[iZnoGouD]

liquigas to destroy eveyone

 

[Delicato]

Mortirolo -> Aprica

It was on the third week. Cumulative tiredness gets into account. Also Mortirolo is just super tough. Here we have a super hard third week and not so great contenders, who try to save themselves. Who of them has a history of a crazy attacks some 50-60 km from the finish?

Gah. Again, NOTHING TO DO WITH CLEANLINESS. Everything to do with attitude. Get that into your heads and stop being ripped off.

You are very polite, sir.

It is not an attitude, it is a tactical approach.

 

[Lexman]

one thing i don't understand : why do start with a cat 1 climb and end with a cat 2 climb, it seems to me to toughen up the riders with the some cat 2 & 3 climbs and let them arrive on a cat 1 climb where since it's a cat 1 climb the gradients must be tougher

 

[Delicato]

Hrotha, how yesterday's stage was perfect for fireworks? Especially with headwind. The first proper mountain stage most certainly never ends with something special.

 

[Motion]

I hope everything will be OK with Roman K.

But I think today we will finally see that Tira - new leader for Astana.

 

[jens_attacks]

hopefully rujano and pozzovivo didn't get sick yesterday.
7,8 km...unfortunately that would probably mean szmyd will be there until 2 km to go jeez...i hope someone will crack them.

 

[Red Rick]

Schleck FTW, i really hope so

 

[hrotha]

Hrotha, how yesterday's stage was perfect for fireworks? Especially with headwind. The first proper mountain stage most certainly never ends with something special.

First mention of headwind I see.

I've already mentioned this elsewhere, but... why does it matter that it's the first mountain stage? Why should it matter? It's stage 14 of a three-week race, and we already had Lago Laceno and some hills. Why should we accept that the first true mountain stage should be like the Champs Elysees stage, other that because we've been sadly accostumed to it?

Yesterday's stage had Joux (22.4 km, the last 5.5 km with a respectable 6.5%, the last 10 km being perfectly suitable to attack) followed by virtually no flat, leadig right to the Cervinia climb (27 km, of which the last 15 km were perfectly fine to attack). It was also a 200-km stage. How is this not almost ideal? Apparently everybody thinks you can't do anything unless the average gradient is 10%?

 

[Duartista]

First mention of headwind I see.

I've already mentioned this elsewhere, but... why does it matter that it's the first mountain stage? Why should it matter? It's stage 14 of a three-week race, and we already had Lago Laceno and some hills. Why should we accept that the first true mountain stage should be like the Champs Elysees stage, other that because we've been sadly accostumed to it?

Yesterday's stage had Joux (22.4 km, the last 5.5 km with a respectable 6.5%, the last 10 km being perfectly suitable to attack) followed by virtually no flat, leadig right to the Cervinia climb (27 km, of which the last 15 km were perfectly fine to attack). It was also a 200-km stage. How is this not almost ideal? Apparently everybody thinks you can't do anything unless the average gradient is 10%?

I agree with you to an extent, but I think the conservative racing common to many early GT mountain stages is being accentuated in this Giro by the fact that all of the pre-race favourites are climbers first and foremost. They don't see themselves as having a need to attack (except Rujano, who went to the opposite extreme) because they are all close on GC, don't have time to make up, and don't fear anyone in the final TT. Hopefully the emergence of Hesjedal as a serious threat will change things, and we'll see some more aggressive racing from now on.

 

[Delicato]

First mention of headwind I see.

I've already mentioned this elsewhere, but... why does it matter that it's the first mountain stage? Why should it matter? It's stage 14 of a three-week race, and we already had Lago Laceno and some hills. Why should we accept that the first true mountain stage should be like the Champs Elysees stage, other that because we've been sadly accostumed to it?

Yesterday's stage had Joux (22.4 km, the last 5.5 km with a respectable 6.5%, the last 10 km being perfectly suitable to attack) followed by virtually no flat, leadig right to the Cervinia climb (27 km, of which the last 15 km were perfectly fine to attack). It was also a 200-km stage. How is this not almost ideal? Apparently everybody thinks you can't do anything unless the average gradient is 10%?

Yesterday's stage was certainly not like a traditional parade on Champs. We still had some attacks, at least from Hesjedal and Rodriguez

So you think that any of top-10 guys could go on attack on Joux? How could they stay on descent, especially against Liquigas? If you imply that some second-tier GCers and mountain men could be more active on Joux I agree with you.

Yes, it is easier to get away on a 10 % slope, than 6%, if you are a marked rider but very strong. Also they just fear to attack, and some of them like Basso or Scarponi can't on such a non-steep climb.