2013 Giro D'Italia, Stage 4: Policastro Bussentino - Serra San Bruno

[kjetilraknerud]

That depends on how many riders the other teams have left, of course. If Uran and Henao go full gas on a climb I don't think many riders will be able to attack.

Of course, but that depends on how much work the two of them have to do earlier on stages with multiple climbs - they could be cooked after Stelvio and Gavia on stage 19 or Passo Giau on stage 20.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

When Cataldo isn't vomitting his guts up he's good enough to be there in the last 20 men, and so is Siutsov, especially when they know the finish line is 10km earlier for them than everyone else.

If Wiggins fails, he won't be able to blame lack of team.

If Uran & Henao are cooked half way through stages, the group will be down to 4 or 5 guys who will all be blowing out their ****.

 

[saneguy]

Of course, but that depends on how much work the two of them have to do earlier on stages with multiple climbs - they could be cooked after Stelvio and Gavia on stage 19 or Passo Giau on stage 20.

To put it simply - Henao and Uran are Wiggo's best shot at defending the jersey. Else he would have to do it all by himself. And I totally agree amongst the domestiques of all teams - Henao and Uran are far far ahead of the rest. Heck they are not domestiques...for all you know in a few years one of them could end up leading a team as well...

 

[Cimber]

Hesjedal was a beast yesterday. I hope he will spice things up again. He really impressed me.

 

[airstream]

They will never unhook Sir at 5-6% sections certainly but anyways chapeau Ryder. Even if Scarponi lost time, the effort was not in vain.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

It's not like the competition for 4th and 5th is great.

If the top3 play out as we expected then he's not going to fight for the podium but after that it's well and truly open. Scarponi you would expect to be 4th but lost time already (still probably favourite though), Gesink has been "past it" for 3 years so you can't say with any certainty that he's a contender. Sanchez, whose form is as uncertain as Evans', Santambrogio who will have to climb off the charts to make up time lost against the clock, Pellizotti who if he does anything will probably only be in the 3rd week. So then you're left with guys like Kiserlovski, Kruijswijk and Inxtausti still looking for a proper breakthrough GT in their late 20s. Evans should not race another GT if he isn't competing for a top5 in the final week here.

There's also Pozzovivo, Henao and maybe Betancur and Uran. A top-10 would be okay for Evans, IMO, considering his early season "form"

 

[saneguy]

Hesjedal was a beast yesterday. I hope he will spice things up again. He really impressed me.

True that. If you go through the stage 3 thread you will realize all of us were far too obsessed with Nibali on the descent. No one quite mentioned Hesjadal on the climb at all. My mind simply went back to that attack at LBL.

 

[taiwan]

Be interesting to see who the GC guys are interested in marking, i.e. whose chances they are rating.

 

[dirkvijf]

lol at people blaming the Blanco guys for the Scarponi crash (who went down exactly the same time as Kruiswijk).

If you haven't noticed, they are racing on very sketchy Italian roads, what would explain the other 20/30 crashing/missing corners yesterday. Or were the Blanco guys at fault for every crash that happened yesterday?

Some comments on this forum are very laughable.

Lets hope for a nice race again today, with less crashes and more attacks...

 

[webvan]

Wiggo is strong, sure, but if he's left with only Henao and Uran at the bottom of, say, the Galibier or the Val Martella while defending the pink jersey - he could very well be in trouble.

That being said, I'm probably talking from the heart and not the head...

Well if that happens he'll just ride at 400 watts as long as he can, which should to the top if he's well prepared, so the gaps shouldn't be too big. Sure, it would be better to have some shelter going up or have another option if he bonks.

 

[zebedee]

What would explain the crashes would be an understanding that these parts rarely see races of this kind and therefore the sinuous descents are largely unfamiliar to those who have to plan and make them. Wiggins made the comment yesterday that the final descent from Catona exceeded all expectations.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

lol at people blaming the Blanco guys for the Scarponi crash (who went down exactly the same time as Kruiswijk).

If you haven't noticed, they are racing on very sketchy Italian roads, what would explain the other 20/30 crashing/missing corners yesterday. Or were the Blanco guys at fault for every crash that happened yesterday?

Some comments on this forum are very laughable.

Typical Dutch fanboy talk.

It was pretty obvious that Kruijswijk caused Gesink and Scarponi to "crash." The fact that it was a technical descent and that plenty of other riders went down yesterday is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Julien BERARD (14-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Emanuele SELLA (29-Androni Venezuela)

Miguel MINGUEZ (95-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Ioannis TAMOURIDIS (96-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Anthony ROUX (109-FDJ)

 

[l.Harm]

Add Le Bon and Ligthart to that. But only 15s

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Julien BERARD (14-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Emanuele SELLA (29-Androni Venezuela)

Miguel MINGUEZ (95-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Ioannis TAMOURIDIS (96-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Johan Le Bon (104-FDJ)
Anthony ROUX (109-FDJ)
Pim Ligthart (215-Vacansoleil)


1.35, botd.

 

[Netserk]

Vini Fantini disapproves.

 

[Eshnar]

Vini Fantini disapproves.

Santambrogio will destroy everyone and win solo.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Vini Fantini disapproves.

DS refusing to break away in protest at breaks being chased.

 

[l.Harm]

He's funny this Scinto, but what I read here he's also a huge idiot.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

6 minutes at 28k.

 

[nesocip]

Sella easily if this stays away, and i think it will stay away, although it is not a quality break.

 

[HiCadence]

Santambrogio will destroy everyone and win solo.

haha come on now! He's no JTL!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

7:40 at 43km

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Julien BERARD (14-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Emanuele SELLA (29-Androni Venezuela)

Miguel MINGUEZ (95-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Ioannis TAMOURIDIS (96-Euskaltel Euskadi)

Johan Le Bon (104-FDJ)
Anthony ROUX (109-FDJ)
Pim Ligthart (215-Vacansoleil)


1.35, botd.

Sella should keep things tight, so its still all to play for.

 

[dirkvijf]

Typical Dutch fanboy talk.

It was pretty obvious that Kruijswijk caused Gesink and Scarponi to "crash." The fact that it was a technical descent and that plenty of other riders went down yesterday is irrelevant to this discussion.

Typical narrow-minded talk, if you say something positive about the Blanco guys you're a fanboy... it's only cool to be like us and bash them..... for some people there is only black and white.... Welcome to the wonderful world of the grey area.

Typical narrow-minded view, ignoring the facts about the the roads and all the other riders crashing and both going down exactly the same time and still pointing fingers "he's the bad guy"

ignorance is bliss?