2012 Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 6: Offida-Offida 181km

[royalpig180]

Just two days remain in the Race of the Two Seas. Tomorrow's stage is the last chance for the riders to improve their position before the final decisive time trial.

The map:

The stage profile:

The business end of the stage:

What do y'all make of that eh?

 

[CraZyCaLL]

Another stage for Sagan

 

[royalpig180]

Another stage for Sagan

I would tend to agree... the question is what about Nibali? Doesn't look tough enough for him IMO, but at this point he needs all the time bonuses he can get. Maybe Sagan will have to work for him regardless of the fact that this stage better suits him simply because of what happened two days ago...

 

[Froome19]

I would tend to agree... the question is what about Nibali? Doesn't look tough enough for him IMO, but at this point he needs all the time bonuses he can get. Maybe Sagan will have to work for him regardless of the fact that this stage better suits him simply because of what happened two days ago...

Unless the DS physically gets out of his car and stops Sagan from sprinting I cant imagine sagan not being to tempted by the sprint, even if he is forced to work for Nibali previous to it.

 

[theyoungest]

Looks a cool stage, indeed tailor made for Sagan. Let Nibali beat him if he wants those seconds.

 

[Parrulo]

is this the same stage evans won last year? then i am going with sagan leading out nibali and nibali reducing getting the stage + 10 secs of bonus seconds which will put him within striking distance for the itt

 

[Justin Pain]

I´ll go with EBH, problably winning from a breakaway. He saved his legs today.

teamsky.com:
“We will see tomorrow how everyone has recovered after today and then we will make a plan for the final. If Eddy is feeling good we can give it a go with him,” Knaven added

 

[taiwan]

Pretty good for Il Killer if he has the legs, same for Visconti.

True though, as froome19 said, that someone will have to physically hold Sagan back form winning it.

 

[CraZyCaLL]

is this the same stage evans won last year?...

No, that stage was tougher. Here is

 

[Parrulo]

No, that stage was tougher. Here is

oh ******** sagan as obvious pick, freire as an outsider

 

[FujiAnton]

This stage will be contested by the general classification contenders, it's a profile of a classic. Kreuziger, Horner, Nibali, Di Luca, are the main contenders for me.

 

[jens_attacks]

sagan will take it again .nothing will happen gc wise.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

This stage is not really super hard. Sagan probably or maybe even Freire

 

[will10]

Visconti .

 

[Panda Claws]

I think Gilbert might just stretch his legs here. He won't win, but he will try something especially now that Evans is out of contention.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think BMC will ride for Greg van Avermaet instead of Gilbert.

 

[Swede1]

Probably Sagan. Although maybe di luca will win with a late attack.

 

[maltiv]

EBH says he will try to win from a breakaway, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I doubt the break will stay away since too many teams are interested in the bonus seconds at the line. Also, the finish could suit him decently well and he doesn't necessarily have to be in the breakaway to win.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Visconti .

That'd be amazing.

 

[search]

they used the Circuita di Offida last year in the european U23 championships.I just watched the final kilometers of that race (great coverage by the way, dual-language, one guy speaking italian and one guy speaking english with strong italian accent - surrounded by loud music being played in the background) and it will be hard to create gaps or even to get rid of some of the stronger sprinters in that finish

 

[DominicDecoco]

Matti to win in a sneak-attack 10 km from finish. You heard it here first.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Matti to win in a sneak-attack 10 km from finish. You heard it here first.

I heard it first at the stage 5 thread

 

[DominicDecoco]

I heard it first at the stage 5 thread

Haha, I saw that coming.

 

[Swede1]

Matti to win in a sneak-attack 10 km from finish. You heard it here first.

He is probably a good pick. Cancellara maybe, although he might be protecting Horner/Chasing down attacks.

 

[BillytheKid]

“In the final kilometers when Nibali went, I had to decide which card to play since there were so many bonus seconds available on the line. If I chased Nibali too hard but faded at the end, Kreuziger would have gained more seconds than just the bonus seconds, so I decided to give away something to Nibali to better protect the jersey.” Horner

Unless Liquigas-Cannondale can outwit Radio Shack Nissan and Astana...etc
tomorrow/today. It looks to be Horner vs. Kreuziger in a short ITT.

Still, it could be a dangerous day, but there's to many teams in the running and the danger men should stay together to final climb. RSN will have to work, but should find help from Astana and teams in the fight for a third on the podium. Nibali may not find as much help as he wants because this Stage has Sagan written all over it.

I would have rather Horner countered Nibali today, but then he's right.
Roman could have popped him gaining the win, seconds, and bonus seconds while Horner would have ended most likely third or worse as they might have all come back together.

Horner is the polar opposite of a Valverde among climbers.

I liked the way Horner pull out his radio in the final K because he might have had more sense than his director in the moment.

Why they sent the U.S. Professional Champion, Matthew Busche, to race at West Flanders, I am still pondering. Busche was the final set up for Horner's stage win on Sierra Road (5K/ average 9.8%) at the Cali last year. Busche could have been a climbing asset needed here.
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