2013 Giro D'Italia 04/05 - 26/05

[The Hitch]

Sucks that Galibier and Mont Cenis are out, even if it's a overused Tour climb. I would rather have another mountain stage than what it looks like we'll have instead.
.

Yes in the short term Galibier is more enjoyable than nothing. But its what John Stuart Mill would classify as a "lower" pleasure. In the long run its better to sacrifice that temporary 1 time pleasure of the flesh, for the greater good.

And 60K? Really? I've done bigger races than that with OBRA. They GC guys better be going full out and attacking for the entire stage. Really hope nothing else get's taken out.

Looking at the profile Netserk posted, the first 40k is false downhill flat. Nothing till the telegraphe.

 

[icefire]

Strange how Sestrieres has a similar elevation and a similar lattitude to Boulder Colorado, yet Sestrieres is getting snowstorms while Boulder is getting 30 degrees.

Yeah, and winters in Lisbonne are warmer than in New York

What about oceans and air circulation?

 

[wwabbit]

Nibali the obvious big winner of the truncation... it has to be an Italian conspiracy!

 

[rghysens]

Mont Cenis and Galibier both out on Sunday.

http://www.ledauphine.com/savoie/20...ont-pas-les-cols-du-mont-cenis-et-du-galibier

Good news!

That'll teach the organisation to design some silly stages in France. Like there aren't good enough climbs in Italy.

Like Eshnar already said: The Galibier (and Mont-Cenis too) is normally closed for traffic until may, so it is not really unexpected that there is still snow around.
Anybody knows about the weather situation on the Gavia? 'cause it is normally closed for traffic until june...

 

[Peccio89]

don't get why also Mont-Cenis is out, at that altitude if it snows a bit today it is possible to clear the road in time.
By the way the decision was taken by a French judge not by Giro organization, so i hope that a better agreement might be reached, with at least Mont-Cenis included.

 

[Pentacycle]

A *** 60 km stage is acceptable to you?

Absolutely not, I was just trying to point out the position the organizers have put themselves into. Considering the limited time to change all preparation, this stage is probably the best solution, besides having another rest day.

 

[SafeBet]

Nibali the obvious big winner of the truncation... it has to be an Italian conspiracy!

Lol.
If anything Nibali is a loser here. He's clearly among the best in lenghty and tough races, as proven countless times throughout his career.

 

[jens_attacks]

well let's face it, this is not unexpected. it's a logical decision.

personally i hope we'll see a sestriere '96 type of situation with ballistic racing...too bad we don't even have a montgenevre but telegraphe should be hard ridden i hope...a good lesson from the years to come...piancavallo, montecampione and dozens others...use them

 

[roundabout]

Oy vey. Even though it was a long shot from the start, I was looking forward to an actual 30km finishing climb.

 

[wwabbit]

Lol.
If anything Nibali is a loser here. He's clearly among the best in lenghty and tough races, as proven countless times throughout his career.

In most situations I would agree, but when he is already in the GC lead, I think he would happily take the truncation as it would simply mean a far less chance of something unforeseeable going wrong.

 

[the asian]

Serves them right for trying to use French Climbs. Where is the finish?

 

[Netserk]

Serves them right for trying to use French Climbs. Where is the finish?

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=1234755#post1234755

 

[Zam_Olyas]

David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST 1m
Threat of avalanche on French side of Alps may shorten and diminish tomorrow's epic stage to summit of Galibier. Decision at noon.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Good news!

That'll teach the organisation to design some silly stages in France. Like there aren't good enough climbs in Italy.

Like Eshnar already said: The Galibier (and Mont-Cenis too) is normally closed for traffic until may, so it is not really unexpected that there is still snow around.
Anybody knows about the weather situation on the Gavia? 'cause it is normally closed for traffic until june...

My suggested contingency plan for Ponte di Legno-Martell (as if Gavia isn't ridable I doubt Stelvio will be, and if Stelvio's not ridable they have to go in the total opposite direction:

Tonale - Castrin - long area of flat - Val Martello. And I've noted the location of the Biathlonzentrum Martell on there as I would recommend that as a contingency plan for the summit finish, as it's got the room for it, is at a not too unreasonable altitude so weather could be less of an issue, but still enables them to climb the majority of the summit finish.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Absolutely not, I was just trying to point out the position the organizers have put themselves into. Considering the limited time to change all preparation, this stage is probably the best solution, besides having another rest day.

The penultimate climb is optional, but the rest is just the same route from Lanslebourg-Mont Cenis to the base of the Télégraphe, but with 2x the smaller climb of Aussois (I make it 5km at 6,5% or similar), on a valley road (it links the upper and lower valley roads just before Modane).

If the conditions allow it, the Villard Zembrun climb can be replaced by the slightly higher pass on the same road of Beaune, like so:

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Stage 19 for a proper mountain stage.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Interesting that lots of people wanted the bad weather so they could laugh at Wiggo and now the weather is going to ruin some of the crucial stages of this race, you really couldn't make it up

Seriously though it's a shame if the route is completely changed because of snow. We deserve to see some great battles in the final week.

 

[The Hitch]

Lol.
If anything Nibali is a loser here. He's clearly among the best in lenghty and tough races, as proven countless times throughout his career.

Finnestre, gardeccia, 2010 zoncolan

 

[icefire]

Finnestre, gardeccia, 2010 zoncolan

Take Zoncolan 2010 out. That was the day after he went solo down Monte Grappa and Evans and Scarponi were unable to catch him in the flat.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

Interesting that lots of people wanted the bad weather so they could laugh at Wiggo and now the weather is going to ruin some of the crucial stages of this race, you really couldn't make it up

Seriously though it's a shame if the route is completely changed because of snow. We deserve to see some great battles in the final week.

Interesting that lots of Wiggo fans can't move on from his utter failure this Giro and just enjoy the race we have.

Seriously though, Wiggins is gone and changes to the Giro due to bad weather is always a possibility, just hope that the altered routes can still provide some exciting racing.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Interesting that lots of Wiggo fans can't move on from his utter failure this Giro and just enjoy the race we have.

Seriously though, Wiggins is gone and changes to the Giro due to bad weather is always a possibility, just hope that the altered routes can still provide some exciting racing.

So you would rather have the weather we have then with potentially crucial stages being ruined? As long as Wiggins is out though right?

P.S I don't care that Wiggo is out and he wouldn't have won the race anyway, those are the facts. I was looking forward to a great battle between Nibs/Evans/Uran/Santa/Scarponi is that not enjoying the race we have?

 

[The Hitch]

Take Zoncolan 2010 out. That was the day after he went solo down Monte Grappa and Evans and Scarponi were unable to catch him in the flat.

Yeah ok and I see that stage was quite short. Finnestre and gardeccia were all in excess of 220 k and those were the 2 he cracked on that year so the theory that Nibali lives for the long hard stages doesn't seem to be so clear cut.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

So you would rather have the weather we have then with potentially crucial stages being ruined? As long as Wiggins is out though right?

P.S I don't care that Wiggo is out and he wouldn't have won the race anyway, those are the facts. I was looking forward to a great battle between Nibs/Evans/Uran/Santa/Scarponi is that not enjoying the race we have?

Honestly your paranoia is getting to you and you're seeing anti-wiggins comments in every post. Wiggins is out and we're stuck with the weather we have, your hopes and wishes will change neither.

The most annoying aspect of this though is the loss of tv pictures...

 

[Pricey_sky]

Honestly your paranoia is getting to you and you're seeing anti-wiggins comments in every post. Wiggins is out and we're stuck with the weather we have, your hopes and wishes will change neither.

The most annoying aspect of this though is the loss of tv pictures...

No paranoia just plenty of irony Would rather Uran win it anyway.

I agree this is terrible with no TV coverage, will we see any coverage or just riders crossing the line from that camera at the arrival.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah ok and I see that stage was quite short. Finnestre and gardeccia were all in excess of 220 k and those were the 2 he cracked on that year so the theory that Nibali lives for the long hard stages doesn't seem to be so clear cut.

If Nibali had ridden just as cowardly as Scarponi he would have finished near him in the Gardeccia stage.

Believe it or not, but attacking so far out and riding solo does cost a lot of energy.