2014 Giro d'Italia: Stage 3: Armagh - Dublin, 187km

[icefire]

Armchairs experts also dislikes the finish

This armchair expert was sleeping siesta and doesn't feel any remorse for having missed the stage. Rest day wil be more entertaining than the Irish stages.

 

[burning]

Quite funny Swift gets 2nd here after all the comments yesterday Armchair experters lost this one.

Kittel, league of his own.

So what? He lost 10 bike lengths to Kittel in 150m or something like that

 

[miketrout27]

Where are all of you BS doubters hiding?

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

This armchair expert was sleeping siesta and doesn't feel any remorse for having missed the stage. Rest day wil be more entertaining than the Irish stages.

To be fair, you did miss thirty seconds of brilliance there.

 

[CycloAndy]

Sky in perfect leadout shock, incredible effort from Kittel to win from there.

No shame in losing to Kittel. Brilliant work by EBH!

 

[Gloin22]

So what? He lost 10 bike lengths to Kittel in 150m or something like that

I think everyone with ounce of cycling knowledge would know Kittel is better than everyone here....by far..

Many said yesterday Swift wasn't Top 5 material here in sprints.

 

[wirral]

A lot of sprinters, with perhaps more guile, would have slammed the door shut on Kittel if they had been in Swift's position. So respect to Swift for his gentlemanly behaviour but one should not expect others to do the same.

 

[miketrout27]

Are there actually any stages which would benefit swift with a reduced bunch sprint?

 

[deValtos]

I didn't even notice Kittel until the last 20m, thought he'd given up he was so badly positioned initially ... incredible sprint.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Are there actually any stages which would benefit swift with a reduced bunch sprint?

Not really.

 

[CycloAndy]

Are there actually any stages which would benefit swift with a reduced bunch sprint?

Stages 7 and 11 look like his best chances. If Sky make it difficult on the climbs then an EBH-Swift combination could be enough for the win.

 

[Netserk]

Majka, Scarponi, Kiserlovski and Monfort gain 11 seconds.

http://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/classifiche/it/t_03_class.shtml?lang=en&t=03

 

[miketrout27]

Stages 7 and 11 look like his best chances. If Sky make it difficult on the climbs then an EBH-Swift combination could be enough for the win.

You are right, I was just searching one of those. Ben said it himself he is looking at stage 7.

 

[wirral]

Scarponi picks up 11 seconds on all his GC rivals.

 

[Fzotrlool]

Any news about Roche?

 

[dirkprovin]

Matthews should be read "the Riot Act" by his DS. Second stage running he has failed to keep the wheel of his own team-mate. Granted today he was a long way back and was not likely to figure in the WT points but yesterday was inexcusable. He has talent but he needs to be far more "switched on" if he's ever going to compete with the big boys in top GT sprint finishes OR one day classics.

 

[burning]

I'd love to see Petacchi in pink, he's second in the GC

 

[Netserk]

Any news about Roche?

Same time as most of the others.

 

[Peccio89]

So what? He lost 10 bike lengths to Kittel in 150m or something like that

At least he showed to be better than Viviani and the first among the humans. Now he is the favorite for Trieste stage.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

so the big man shows he's light years ahead of this field.
Very impressive win, but the finale didn't really deliver imo.

Anyway Bari here we come.

 

[infeXio]

Danish cycling blog Veloropa now claims that Majka, Kiserlovski, Scarponi and Monfort gained 11 seconds on the other GC contenders, as gaps were made during the run in.

 

[Netserk]

Danish cycling blog Veloropa now claims that Majka, Kiserlovski, Scarponi and Monfort gained 11 seconds on the other GC contenders, as gaps were made during the run in.

I noticed the same 11 minutes quicker

Majka, Scarponi, Kiserlovski and Monfort gain 11 seconds.

http://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/classifiche/it/t_03_class.shtml?lang=en&t=03

 

[miketrout27]

You can't really compare Kittel to Swift. Kittel was going to win it, but Swift silenced the doubters.

 

[infeXio]

I noticed the same 11 minutes quicker

My bad! - I actually thought I had checked the previous pages rather thoroughly - guess not.

 

[roundabout]

Stages 7 and 11 look like his best chances. If Sky make it difficult on the climbs then an EBH-Swift combination could be enough for the win.

The final climb on stage 11 has a 7km section at 8% average. Should be too tough for Swift normally.

Stage 17 on the other hand should be doable.