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

[Flamin]

I wonder why some riders make making Top-20 in GT as their primary target for the race. I thought it is something...unspectacular.

Yes, it's ridiculous. this general conservative racing attitude has been discussed her before, and he is a perfect example of it. rather do nothing than try something with the risk of getting the effort backfired. that it's only about a meaningless top 20 makes it all the more laughable.

lotto is lucky Lars Bak saved their day big time, because their tactics are a joke so far. Get de clercq and de greef in a break away, for crying out loud

 

[karlboss]

Seems like I was the only one who enjoyed that.

Right up until the end, I really enjoyed the fact that I gave Rabbotini, the chasing group and the peloton pretty much an equal chance each to get to the line first. And then what a finish.

I really enjoyed the battle for the stage. A solid 3 way battle from the chasers, Rabbotini trying to hold on after an epic ride and crash and then Rodriguez charging at the end.
So far as GC goes, it was even a little more intereting than expected (I didn't expect much). The chasers had a few interesting names, and Basso decending so slowly made it a little more interesting as Astana targeted it, and it gave the break more of a chance.
So Basso and Scarponi look like the 2 strongest, and Rodriguez could surprise. Scarponi has the advantage of the TT and decent to finish 17, while Basso has the 2 remaining big uphill finishes.
With regard to the course, something really hard to break everyone up around stage 4 would be nice. Then some of the earlier medium mountain stages could be raced harder with a GC riders going for breaks. We've seen that Liquigas are at their limit controlling the race and there doesn't seem to be any other teams capable, maybe Astana. If Kreuziger and Tiralongo knew they couldn't go head to head with Basso and Scarponi early, everything would change.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Yes, it's ridiculous. this general conservative racing attitude has been discussed her before, and he is a perfect example of it. rather do nothing than try something with the risk of getting the effort backfired. that it's only about a meaningless top 20 makes it all the more laughable.

Jaysus you guys are hard to please. The best stage racers in the world are doing their thing and it's both boring and meaningless.

What do you know... They rode tempo, just like I said: http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=874374&postcount=19

 

[mb2612]

for me when a mountain stage doesn't deliver a thing for the GC it's boring, sorry

Didn't the pink jersey change hands?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Didn't the pink jersey change hands?

Again you fail to see the point. You want to be this annoying on purpose?

 

[hrotha]

Some people are easier to please than a 5 pence harlot.

 

[roundabout]

Well, Rujano and Pozzovivo can pretty much wave their chances bye bye. That's pretty signifcant.

 

[karlboss]

Some people are easier to please than a 5 pence harlot.

Some of us have realistic expectations and hence it's easy to meet them. The course is just starting a week(or more) too late. Any attacks earlier than when they started would just be pointless wastes of energy and there is nothing to encourage them.

 

[Parrulo]

i hope neither domenico nor rujanito got sick this weekend and that we get nice weather for the rest of the race, if so it wouldn't surprise me to see rujano going from far far away

 

[Magnus]

Some people are easier to please than a 5 pence harlot.

And some people will always find something to complain about.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

And some people will always find something to complain about.

Cmon... seriously. SERIOUSLY. How can you find the mountain stages this weekend entertaining? 2 times WAITING until the final 2km of the mountain. Watching nothing for 2h for 5 minutes of excitement.

Sorry but that's not the Giro I'm used to. This sucks

 

[karlboss]

i hope neither domenico nor rujanito got sick this weekend and that we get nice weather for the rest of the race, if so it wouldn't surprise me to see rujano going from far far away

Either of these two with the latitude they've "earned" could be very interesting

 

[Angliru]

I wonder why some riders make making Top-20 in GT as their primary target for the race. I thought it is something...unspectacular.

I can understand a young up and coming rider making that their goal or a rider that makes the top 20 and a stage win as their goal but for that to be any other rider's only goal it does lack ambition.

 

[Magnus]

Cmon... seriously. SERIOUSLY. How can you find the mountain stages this weekend entertaining? 2 times WAITING until the final 2km of the mountain. Watching nothing for 2h for 5 minutes of excitement.

Sorry but that's not the Giro I'm used to. This sucks

Take yesterday. You could choose to focus on how cool it was that Rujano and Cunego attacked on the first climb and how awesome Jan Barta fighted and how cool it was that Amador got some resurrection and that the Maglia Rosa changed place.

The same for today really.

Or you can choose to focus on how boring it is that nobody does anything and when they finally do something it's not any good anyway and it's the wrong people that does it.

Just saying.

 

[El Pistolero]

Take yesterday. You could choose to focus on how cool it was that Rujano and Cunego attacked on the first climb and how awesome Jan Barta fighted and how cool it was that Amador got some resurrection and that the Maglia Rosa changed place.

The same for today really.

Or you can choose to focus on how boring it is that nobody does anything and when they finally do something it's not any good anyway and it's the wrong people that does it.

Just saying.

I want to see attacks by climbers, not by Cunego. I'm not watching this race for seeing breakaways succeed either... I can already see the next Giro ad campaign. Instead of trying to advertise an epic duel between Scarponi and Basso they'll advertise how all stages will be won by lesser names in breakaways.

Just saying.

Only the last 3km were entertaining from yesterday's and today's stage. I'm sorry, but that's not enough.

 

[Magnus]

I want to see attacks by climbers, not by Cunego.

Rujano did attack. But maybe it was neutralized in coolness by the fact that Cunego also attack?

And I'm assuming that if Rujanos attack had been a success the stage would have been boring because it was decided from so long away from the finish (in the same way that P-R is boring to some people when FC or Tommeke solos of for the last 50k)?

 

[Parrulo]

i agree with DT and pisti here, this weekend stages were a massive let down when it comes to the favorites. the stages itself weren't terrible but without the favorites truly showing their cards it isn't a proper GT mountain stage.

 

[Magnus]

i agree with DT and pisti here, this weekend stages were a massive let down when it comes to the favorites. the stages itself weren't terrible but without the favorites truly showing their cards it isn't a proper GT mountain stage.

Maybe so. All I'm trying to say is that you can choose to focus on the cool stuff that does happen instead of focusing on the cool stuff that doesn't.

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to Rabottini, he has been strong all Giro/ continuing the impressive performances by Wildcard teams.
Nice rides by JROD, Henao and even Cunego as well.
I found the weekend stages interesting ( not as interesting as the last weekends will be though ) but still the jersey has changed hands twice in the space of two day. Also it has shown who can realistically win the race.

With todays stage i think Pozzovivo has lost his chance to win the overall and Rujano will probably not even finish in the top 5.

Was Uran working for Henao or did he just fail???

 

[karlboss]

I want to see attacks by climbers, not by Cunego. I'm not watching this race for seeing breakaways succeed either... I can already see the next Giro ad campaign. Instead of trying to advertise an epic duel between Scarponi and Basso they'll advertise how all stages will be won by lesser names in breakaways.

Just saying.

Only the last 3km were entertaining from yesterday's and today's stage. I'm sorry, but that's not enough.

The time to complain has long past in my opinion. When the course was revealed was the time for complaining. It is a real disappointment it has taken 15 stages to set the scene, much like the Tour last year.

There are many things to get excited about with this Giro, though I can understand if it is just about GC for you, it will be boring until Wednesday when Basso tries to drop Scarponi uphill and Scarponi tries to drop Basso downhill. I hope it rains.

 

[SafeBet]

I'm trying to come up with a list of riders who could've attacked and didn't, and it doesn't include more than a couple of names (by what they showed yesterday and today).
Who do you think could do it?

 

[greenedge]

I feel just the same way.

How exactly is Basso going to win this Giro anyway?

Jrod can win stage 16 and grab bonus seconds. Stage 17 ends on a descent, so Basso will lose a lot of time there, stage 18 is flat. That leaves just stage 19 and 20. Plus he'll lose time again on stage 21 and he is already a minute and 30 seconds behind. They're really staking everything on stage 19 and 20 and I hope they fail big time.

He is still only 1:22 back. If JROD does not win the stage tomorrow/ does not get bonus seconds he will be fine. Also he will have teammates to help him on the descent.

Just a reminder he beat JROD in the first ITT this year ( unless if you are talking about Hesjedal ).

The time gaps on stage 19/ 20 will be very big ( some GC contender will lose lots of time ).

 

[hrotha]

I'm seriously, seriously amazed that two mountain stages in a row being reduced to a 2-km sprint (the first of them in a false flat) is somehow to be considered perfectly normal and not a huge let-down, and that pointing it out means we'll "always find something to complain about". I mean, really? Is this what cycling has come to? Expecting nothing until the final climb, and then fireworks in the last 5 km is now unrealistic and too much to ask?

 

[rhubroma]

Yeah I agree.

It really is a sad state of affairs. It is a turn off. Basso has really disappointed me. Smyzd sets a high tempo and when he moves aside he leaves it to Basso to do his stuff but he just flatters to deceive as well. Its just a cautious first approach policy that we see at the moment. I can't get into this Giro at the moment to tell you the truth.

I just hope we don't see this in July as well.

It's a poorly designed course, to satisfy God knows who, but it's not a typical Giro. These were Giro di Lombardia climbs, not for the Giro. In the first 10 days of the race we had some hard stages, but nothing decisive. Stuff for a cagey, punchy rider to give or take a few seconds here, a few seconds there.

In fact Rodriguez is in pink because his team kept him well placed in Verona, and he gained some time at the finish of Assisi and this last stage.

Basso needs to have a group already dwindled down to 10, 15, not 30 riders, on a climb that still has 6, 7k to go (preferably after one or two other major ascents before the final), not 2, to be able to put in a decisive attack. So it isn't his fault. The terrain has simply been disadvantageous and weak.

This new president wanted to correct Zomengan's "mistakes;" well all he did was neutralize the race and create the disappointing tactical game of chess we have thus far witnessed.

This Giro still has a possibility to redeem itself, though time is running out.

 

[Carols]

I guess I must know nothing about cycling because I am finding this Giro pretty entertaining.

No way was that a gift btw

There are some truly slow parts in the mountain stages and
too many sprint stages (BORING) but I'm definately enjoying it

IF Purito gifted it was only AFTER that kid found the guts to pass him...before that no way was he planning a gift. But Rabottini Passed him and he must have thought 'geez let this plucky kid have it, I have my pink' either that or Rabottini just plain Beat Him, either way it was Awesome!!
I thought it was emotionally EPIC!!!

And yes if Bertie were here we'd see a lot more action, but the Vuelta is coming