2014 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 Barbaresco → Barolo 41,9 km ITT

[yespatterns]

I figure evans to do okay but not take top podium place. Fingers crossed for kelderman and pozzo, and for quintana to minimize loses at worse.

 

[luckyboy]

All the major GC guys will be within 1.30-2mins for sure

So with this in mind, considering Pozzo...

1) was only beaten by the two best TTers in the world on that course.

2) appears to be in great shape right now.

3) most of the few TT specialists here are suffering in one way or another.

Is there any real reason why he can't be Top 3 on the stage tomorrow or even win it?

Could well take time out of Quintana & Majka, and may even spring a surprise on Evans & Uran too.

If we're looking for a surprise upset in GC gaps tomorrow then Pozzo could be the one to deliver it.

He'll suffer on the 15km flat after the first climb. I'm betting he is top at the first check. Two hills at the end help too.

 

[trevim]

By the way, Keldermerck is winning this easy. Seriously. He has been up there in every GC stage, clearly in very good shape.

 

[Orbit501]

He'll suffer on the 15km flat after the first climb. I'm betting he is top at the first check. Two hills at the end help too.

Roma Maxima 2014 anyone?

 

[barmaher]

I think Majka will do a great time. He is in piping hot form. This is his moment. I can't see past Malori for the win, but I think Uran and Majka do good times.

 

[Cookster15]

Very hard to call. Evans is riding strongly since Trentino and that may be a clue to his possible TT form. But I am not confident as he had not ridden a strong TT since the 2011 TDF.

If Evans can put 20-30 sec into Uran he will be in the box seat ahead of the big mountains. If not, Uran will assume favouritism.

With Quintana I am not sure of his condition with the crashes. He could do anything from lose 1.30 to gain 30 sec?

Then we have light weight Possovivo whos TT ability defies his phyisical dimensions.

An intriguing TT indeed. In any case the race of truth will reveal much.

 

[yespatterns]

I think Majka will do a great time. He is in piping hot form. This is his moment. I can't see past Malori for the win, but I think Uran and Majka do good times.

I wouldn't be completely shocked if Malori DNS'ed tommorrow. In prime shape though he'd be a beast.

 

[The Eggman]

The bookies like Evans... How well do they normally read the tea leaves?

Usually exceptionally

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Belkov and Flens could find their best form here, but I expect Malori to come out strong, even being ripped to pieces with little skin on the body.

If Evans is close to '11 form he will put time into all other GC riders.

Very exciting TT, looking forward to it.

 

[Afrank]

I'd like to see Malori win, so hopefully his injuries aren't too severe and he can pull off a good ride.

Also hope to see good rides from Quintana and Pozzovivo, and Evans to get a flat at some point so he doesn't take too much time from Quintana.

I'll be expecting Evans and Kelderman to do well. Could see Majka pulling off a good ride as well.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Shame it looks like being weather-affected. Evans must be happy about going off last

 

[manafana]

keldermann does seem like he can have a coming out party here.

 

[Rollthedice]

Malori, Uran, Pozzo then Evans, Quintana. I'd say differences less than a minute between the GC guys. But all had fluctuating results in the past year in ITTs so it will be unpredictable. I mean Uran finished the similar Vuelta stage last year with the same time as Basso (1.20 down on Pozzo). Does this mean Basso can come top 10 tomorrow?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Hoping Pozzovivo doesn't lose much here, at least the few hills give him a chance.

I will go for Suitsou to win and Evans to win the battle of the GC men.

 

[cineteq]

I'd like to see Malori win, so hopefully his injuries aren't too severe and he can pull off a good ride.

Also hope to see good rides from Quintana and Pozzovivo, and Evans to get a flat at some point so he doesn't take too much time from Quintana.

I'll be expecting Evans and Kelderman to do well. Could see Majka pulling off a good ride as well.

Malori already said it doesn't fit his kind of course + injuries.

Looking forward to seeing my predicted final podium perform very well: Evans, Kelderman and Majka.

 

[alspacka]

With Malori in bad shape and no other top specialists here, some guys you would expect to roll through might be allowed of the leesh. Sky will fancy their chances of with EBH, Cataldo, Siutsou.

Mick Rogers to roll back the years ftw

Of the GC:
Uran, Kelderman, Evans, Quintana, Pozzovivo, Majka, Aru

 

[hendrik]

Malori...

Hope Evans doesn't do too well, and Pozzovivo can limit losses.

Evans will loose time in the high mountains anyway.
Only reason he ended 3rd in the GC in 2013 was because of the cancelled mountainstages.

 

[Simply The Best]

If the earlier guys get rain as predicted I think one of the GC guys like Evans or Uran will take out the stage. Mind you Evans will have to improve drastically on his TT performances of the last couple of years which is a big ask.

 

[Afrank]

Malori already said it doesn't fit his kind of course + injuries.

Looking forward to seeing my predicted final podium perform very well: Evans, Kelderman and Majka.

That's a shame, but would like to see him well enough to give it a go for the win anyway.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

If the earlier guys get rain as predicted I think one of the GC guys like Evans or Uran will take out the stage. Mind you Evans will have to improve drastically on his TT performances of the last couple of years which is a big ask.

If he repeated last year's TT in this race that would probably be good enough here with a likely favourable draw

Evans (7th) -
Uran @ 1:09
Kelderman @ 1:18
Pozzovivo @ 1:55
Aru @ 2:05
Majka @ 2:58

 

[ILovecycling]

Ludvigson ftw

Uran best from the rest followed by Evans and Pozzovivo.
Still not sure about that Sky trio,who from them will take it serious tomorrow?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans to win but the gaps to not be overly large between the gc guys. I think Quintana could struggle if he is still feeling slightly sore, but lets wait and see.

 

[hoerpi]

Ludvigsson has been aiming for this stage for a while and the profile suits him.

 

[maxmartin]

NOTES:
First rider starts: approximately 12.50 pm
Last rider starts: approximately 17.15 pm

Split timetable:
km 12.4 - Boscasso - m 650 (4ª cat.)
km 26.2 - Alba - C.so Langhe-v.Vico-C.so Piave

Quite a hilly TT but still a TT for the specialists.

What can we expect:

For some GC contenders we can expect big time gaps, and the gc will definitely have changed a bit after today.

Favorites:
My picks for the todays TT would be:
Ewans, Hejsedal, Kelderman and if Rogers havent to sore legs he could also do well, but after todays race I doubt he has the last 10% needed to win it, my big favorite have to be Ewans.

Hejsedal??? You must be joking, he probably is the most hyped TTer among GC people, has he ever been in top 3 for a TT longer than 30K?

 

[Je ne sais quoi]

Talking about a world class TT field, brings me to another question. Will Thomas Dekker break the top 70?

I don't know, but his form looked excellent on the TT bike in the TTT earlier in the race. I had a who-is-that-guy moment, and watched for his number and looked him up on the start list.

It seems to me he's paid his dues and eaten enough humble pie, maybe now he can leave it all behind him and kick some ***.