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

[hrotha]

Both stages last weekend offered chances. This is just the same old wailing at the wind, thinking back to the good old days when things were not professional in the fullest sense and there were big gaps in riders abilities, causing big gaps in the results.

We're not talking about the 50s here, you know.

But whatever. If not even the fans care that the sport is getting unbearably dull, nothing's gonna change, except for the worse. Good luck attracting more casual viewers.

 

[The Chicken]

I think it's make or break for Kreuzi today

 

[hrotha]

When do you think this trend started? I'm the last person to glorify the Armstrong years, but then the first real mountain stage usually completely shattered the field, even on climbs like La Mongie and Courchevel, that are hardly more difficult than what we had yesterday.

Just looking at the Tour for a moment, 2006 had some pretty big gaps on Puerto de Beret (just 13 km at 5.5%), although the heads of state were close together.

2007 Tignes didn't amount to much, outside of Rasmussen. 2008 Hautacam was decent, some favorites were already eliminated, but the top-favorites stayed together. 2009 Arcalis was a complete joke, 2010 Morzine-Avoriaz wasn't any better, 2011 was an insult to a great climb like Luz Ardiden. Seems pretty recent. My recollection of the first mountain stages in the Giro and Vuelta isn't good enough to make a comparison.

Yeah, I'd say this phenomenon became the norm in the last 5 years or so. You know, beofre that they weren't professionals in the fullest sense, since it was such an archaic kind of cycling in the 2000s.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If Hesjedal can take 26 seconds out of the favorite group then it proves something could have been done by the others as well.

Or we might have to conclude after today that Hesjedal is the strongest rider and wins the Giro. we'll know in about 4/5 hours

 

[vcampbell]

If Hesjedal can take 26 seconds out of the favorite group then it proves something could have been done by the others as well.

Or we might have to conclude after today that Hesjedal is the strongest rider and wins the Giro. we'll know in about 4/5 hours

I hope that he is the strongest, and he will win the Giro.

 

[Roude Leiw]

No. No one is overpaid in this sport. This is the most damanding sport in the world and they get paid f*** all for it.

I wanted to quote this for truth.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I hope this stage is not embarrassment like yesterday's. I hope they attack basso/liquigas today, as much as i support basso.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I'm a little surprised that after a pretty strong showing, yesterday,
Frank has packed his bags.
Well, it's another really wet, miserable day. I suppose that might have been the little nudge he needed.
A medium mountain too far.

 

[Roude Leiw]

We're not talking about the 50s here, you know.

But whatever. If not even the fans care that the sport is getting unbearably dull, nothing's gonna change, except for the worse. Good luck attracting more casual viewers.

Even though we all like some fireworks, science (not in the "clinic" sense of the word) takes over more and more. So people start calculating their efforts more and more. If DS tells their riders that the are able to put out whatever wattage for whatever time and that they need a specific time to recover from this effort, they all tend to stay on the safe side of things. Racing from the "gut" is less and less asked for today. I think pressure from sponsors for media exposure is for something. The casual viewers you talk about will not sit in front of the TV set for 5 hours watch someone cycling, they will watch either the highlights or the last half hour of the stage, so all which matters for the sponsor is to be part of this quality time, not the glory gotten on this forum.

 

[Red Rick]

First Mountain stages:

Giro 2007: Sprint on Montevergine
Vuelta 2007: Sprint on Lagos de Covadonga (i think)
Giro 2008: Don't remember, Menchov attacked i think, there were gaps at least
Vuelta 2008: Contador attacks with Leecheimer, Valverde and Anton in Andorra
Giro 2009: Pathetic sprint on San Martino di Castrozza.
Vuelta 2009: Nothing on Aitana, except for Cunego attacking to stage win
Giro 2010: Stalemate on Terminillo
Vuelta 2010: Attacks on Xorret de Catí
Giro 2011: See Giro 2007
Vuelta 2011: A joke on Sierra Nevada

 

[Red Rick]

No need to trust. Of course you can.

Now i'm thinking about it. How about the Worlds going to Cortina, they can make a loop with Giau, Fedaia, Pordoi and Falzarego

 

[Libertine Seguros]

First Mountain stages:

Giro 2007: Sprint on Montevergine Stage 4
Vuelta 2007: Sprint on Lagos de Covadonga (i think) Stage 4 - Efimkin won solo, actually, but most came in together
Giro 2008: Don't remember, Menchov attacked i think, there were gaps at least Stage 14
Vuelta 2008: Contador attacks with Leecheimer, Valverde and Anton in Andorra Stage 7
Giro 2009: Pathetic sprint on San Martino di Castrozza. Stage 4
Vuelta 2009: Nothing on Aitana, except for Cunego attacking to stage win Stage 8
Giro 2010: Stalemate on Terminillo Stage 8
Vuelta 2010: Attacks on Xorret de Catí Stage 8
Giro 2011: See Giro 2007 Stage 7
Vuelta 2011: A joke on Sierra NevadaStage 4

Most of those stages, designed primarily to sort the pretenders from the main contenders without creating big gaps among the contenders, were after one week of the race or sometimes sooner.

After two weeks, we should already know full well who the contenders are and who the pretenders are, and be into the process of them competing amongst each other. The one time we've gone this far into a race before the major mountain stages recently, the 2008 Giro, we'd already split the field up with a 40km ITT anyhow.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

G. Brown & Visconti abandon.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Visconti abandones. Not his Giro, this.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Brrrr!

Must be cold at the finish - all the Rai crew on the Anteprima Giro have got there coats on!

 

[Fetisoff]

Must be cold at the finish - all the Rai crew on the Anteprima Giro have got there coats on!

Could make for another boring-*** stage

 

[mcassidy3]

well schleck has abandoned, claiming a shoulder injury.

 

[Froome19]

If I had gotten my way they wouldn't have gone to Denmark in the first place, or at least would have had a stage around Vejle.

Navardauskas got the jersey because of a TTT, so that's totally irrelevant. If I had my way, no race outside of the track would ever have one.

I wouldn't necessarily have a mountain stage straight away, but I would want some kind of selectivity early on. The 2008 Giro, which took nearly two weeks for a high mountain stage, had a selective uphill finish... on stage ONE. Giovanni Visconti still got a week in pink thanks to breakaways.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, Navardauskas and Malori didn't have to get the jersey the way they did, they could have got it another way.

Everybody makes the assumption that I would like 21 mountain stages in every GT. This is patently not the case. I just would like riders to actually have some kind of challenge to the GC men outside of week 3. Otherwise it's two weeks of playing around and giving outsiders a chance to wear the pink jersey, but ultimately two weeks of total irrelevance. Why would you need to watch it at all?

The whole idea of a Grand Tour lasting three weeks is that you race for three weeks. Not that you clap politely at the favourites going on training rides together for two weeks, then chasing each other around the mountains for a week. It's a three week race. Frankly it doesn't really feel like the GC battle for this Giro has even started yet, and it's stage 15. That's a joke.

So you effectively just want to scrap out all sprint stages?

Because that isnt logistically possible in the modern era.

 

[Grzdylu]

Cav takes 3rd at the sprintermediate.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

well schleck has abandoned, claiming a shoulder injury.

Shame - hope he turns up at TdF

 

[FjPavels]

So you effectively just want to scrap out all sprint stages?

Because that isnt logistically possible in the modern era.

http://www.fallacyfiles.org/strawman.html

 

[sulgpallur]

Gazetta video started: http://videochat.gazzetta.it/index_Radiocorsa01.shtml?c=Ciclismo_Libero

 

[UpTheRoad]

well schleck has abandoned, claiming a shoulder injury.

The shoulder injury is a legit excuse, but I can't help but wonder. It *is* raining after all.

 

[sulgpallur]

Sella, Txurruka, Golas, Pinotti, Bruseghin chasing Rabottini - 5m10s behind. Peloton 6.35

 

[hatcher]

Oh it's gonna be good.