2013 Giro d'Italia Stage 7: San Salvo - Pescara 177km

[webvan]

I doubt it, he fell on his right side, and his right elbow was bleeding. There was something flapping around near his left knee, but I don't know if it was from the crash (don't go making any insinuations again Hitch).

Yeah I saw this thing flapping too..turns out he had a little "ribbon" around his left knee this morning (what for?) and it got torn off in the fall...

 

[T-Nielsen]

As long as Lord Nibbles is in the clear all is good.

 

[theyoungest]

Team Sky twitter talking about SIR Bradley Wiggins being injured

*vomits*

You wanted to see Mrs. Bradley Wiggins?

 

[maxmartin]

I will be honest here. I am starting to doubt Nibali's shape, i got that feeling particularly from stage 3. And today after the crash he looked to be in serious trouble.

it is not normal to not be in trouble after high speed crashing. he is not a robot. And you always try to peak your best in second and third week.

 

[jens_attacks]

Wow that's pretty harsh

Also incredibly unrealistic

of course it's harsh. they rode in terrilbe conditions
but

wiggo was dead they could have dropped him with 50 km to go, i'm sure

 

[Eshnar]

I will be honest here. I am starting to doubt Nibali's shape, i got that feeling particularly from stage 3. And today after the crash he looked to be in serious trouble.

tomorrow we'll know I guess.

 

[maxmartin]

Team Sky twitter talking about SIR Bradley Wiggins being injured

*vomits*

That is it, Nibali in pink after tomorrow

 

[thehog]

I will be honest here. I am starting to doubt Nibali's shape, i got that feeling particularly from stage 3. And today after the crash he looked to be in serious trouble.

He looked fine when they interviewed him after the stage. Said as much as well.

 

[Bala Verde]

Given that wiggins seemed to be in difficulties prior to the descent, I found it surprising that they had both Colombians help limit the damage. I don't know if there were others caught out who could have kept a pursuing group going as fast as possible I.e. to not only rely on sky help. On the other hand, if its wiggins to lead, then obviously there is an equally compelling reason to have the henuran work for him no matter what.

It remains to be seen how well wiggins communicated with his team, especially since at times he looked frustrated and, mentally, in trouble. And how well he communicated with his team how he was feeling (from the start as well as during this stage)- if he felt confident from the start of the giro that he could perform at the highest level. So far, he doesn't look like a winner.

 

[DenisMenchov]

of course it's harsh. they rode in terrilbe conditions
but

wiggo was dead they could have dropped him with 50 km to go, i'm sure

I think you have a point. But all of the Sky team was still in the mix with 50k to go, so they'd probably brought everyone back.

 

[dsut4392]

Yeah I saw this thing flapping too..turns out he had a little "ribbon" around his left knee this morning (what for?) and it got torn off in the fall...

Band-aid for a shaving cut is my guess But I think it was just coming off in the rain, not anything to do with the fall.

 

[GoodTimes]

His head is gone.

Compare him to Contador at the 2011 Tour. Contador crashed, lost time behind crashes but kept riding like a champion. Wiggins looks like he's just waiting for someone to hand him the title. It's almost Shleck like.

very good point wrt Contador that tour. Even with fatigue from Giro he road like a champion the whole time. But looking at Wiggins after his crash, I don't your comparison is fair to Shleck!

I think it's too soon to judge Wiggins out. Moody guy, may come back strong, may give up.

 

[webvan]

So he's hurt? That would explain his old lady pedaling after the fall, sucks...but in that case they should have kept Uran in the front. In any case HTF do Sky only have Henao and Uran left at the end of this stage to help, where was Siutsu ?

Really not surprising this is just Wiggo's attitude.

Dave will probably give him a talking too at dinner and he should be focused for tommorow's TT providing he hasn't damaged himself.

Really, I don't remember him doing that before, but it reminds me a bit of the tantrum fit he threw after the Toussuire stage (wanted to quit after Froome's showboating) and that he only talked about recently.

 

[DiscoPants]

The thing is that Wiggins was struggling a bit before he actually crashed. That is a worry.

It's so hard to tell exactly where his head has been this week, with him powering at the front one minute then dropping off the back the next. Losing time by being a few wheel lengths off the bunch earlier in the week should have focussed his mind, but he did exactly the same thing again the next day. Is it a concentration thing? He doesn't seem to be switched on.

Today he just looked to be so tentative, even before his fall. I don't know if he was dropped from the first group because he couldn't keep up or if he was just taking it easy and treading really carefully, assuming he'd either make contact on the flat or limit his losses to a few seconds.

 

[auscyclefan94]

You wanted to see Mrs. Bradley Wiggins?

Good point. No.

 

[roundabout]

Oh, and I am amazed how Lotto keeps turning up with mediocre teams and still wins a stage

 

[movingtarget]

I will be honest here. I am starting to doubt Nibali's shape, i got that feeling particularly from stage 3. And today after the crash he looked to be in serious trouble.

It's hard to tell. I thought he might have been saving himself for tomorrow and the first mountains. It's going to be a very interesting TT I think.

 

[Angliru]

What do you guys think about sky stopping both uran and henao to wait for wiggo?

Hope nibbles is fine. He didn't look good after the crash. He managed to bridge to the front group only in the final kms.

Hats off to Blanco anyway. Bobby G really stepping up his game.

I could understand having one of the Colombians being told to wait but both?
It seems to maximize the chances of the team's overall success in the gc having one of the Colombians in a position to contest the gc should Wiggins eventually not be capable would be the logical decision. Apparently it's Wiggins or nothing at all as their strategy.

I'm really concerned about Nibali though. At least he did gain time on Wiggins before the itt. He's likely going to lose it all and then some.

I'm really happy for Gesink. Hope that he's capable of staying upright and battling to the end to prove all the doubters wrong.

 

[roundabout]

It's so hard to tell exactly where his head has been this week, with him powering at the front one minute then dropping off the back the next. Losing time by being a few wheel lengths off the bunch earlier in the week should have focussed his mind, but he did exactly the same thing again the next day. Is it a concentration thing? He doesn't seem to be switched on.

Today he just looked to be so tentative, even before his fall. I don't know if he was dropped from the first group because he couldn't keep up or if he was just taking it easy and treading really carefully, assuming he'd either make contact on the flat or limit his losses to a few seconds.

It wasn't a big group and Wiggins decided to take it easy on a climb?

Eh, ok...

 

[forkboy84]

Nibali has a nasty fall the day before a 50km TT. Fail.

And this is why you don't get smug until after the race is done

Anyway, I mean normally I'm more sympathetic towards Wiggins than most of this forum (not that that's much of an achievement ) but Sky really ballsed up by not having a backup plan. And now Wiggins hopes are pretty much gone, but they brought back the Colombians & so now they've both lost a good chunk of time too. Short-sighted but I suppose it's not surprising.

 

[Aristarchus]

A lot will be made of Wiggins crashing, but as others have pointed out, he wasn't looking good throughout the day. He was hanging out at the back of the group even before that descent. I'd contend that he hasn't looked great throughout the week. He's the chalk for tomorrow's TT, but I think tomorrow is ripe for an upset, unless he's been sandbagging.

 

[Bala Verde]

Team Sky twitter talking about SIR Bradley Wiggins being injured

*vomits*

If he is injured - depending on the type of injuries - he might drop out to focus on the tdf.

 

[airstream]

There so many great cycling strategists, but I wonder one question, why are they on the forum, instead of sitting in Sky car?

 

[Ferminal]

Oh, and I am amazed how Lotto keeps turning up with mediocre teams and still wins a stage

Mediocre breakaways

Not that Hansen nor Bak's win was poor, just that generally the level of competition for break wins hasn't been as high as say July.

 

[Parrulo]

Oh, and I am amazed how Lotto keeps turning up with mediocre teams and still wins a stage

iirc this is the 4th year in a row right? 2010 with LLoyD, 2011 De Clerc, last year with Bak and this year with Hansen.

It is indeed impressive.

p.s. oh and 09 with Gilbert ofc so fifth year in a row