2015 Giro d'Italia, St. 8: Fiuggi – Campitello Matese 186 km

[Miburo]

Some of you really need to understand when a good team is necessary and in what kinda stage.

This stage isn't designed for some of the GC guys to destroy Contador early, it'll all happen in the last 13km at which contador's team don't matter cause he has kreuziger and that's all he needs.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Not a day for the breakway. At some point, Isernia at the latest, Astana will go pretty close to full gas to the finish.

They can have minutes gap by then tho.
I dont want to speculate, lets see

 

[SeriousSam]

I for one would like to see Aru and Porte to attack, Contador to ignore them and use Kreuziger to slowly pace himself back to them. Seated, with 130 RPM, looking at his stem.

 

[mrhender]

Re:

I for one would like to see Aru and Porte to attack, Contador to ignore them and use Kreuziger to slowly pace himself back to them. Seated, with 130 RPM, looking at his stem.

What about copyright then

 

[Publicus]

Re: Re:

I for one would like to see Aru and Porte to attack, Contador to ignore them and use Kreuziger to slowly pace himself back to them. Seated, with 130 RPM, looking at his stem.

What about copyright then

Michele Cound will sue Contador by the time the stage is finished

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Re: Re:

I for one would like to see Aru and Porte to attack, Contador to ignore them and use Kreuziger to slowly pace himself back to them. Seated, with 130 RPM, looking at his stem.

What about copyright then

Too bad there is no in cycling, thus Porte can only say "we were the first to do this, and now everybody does..."

 

[classicomano]

This stage has Carlos Betancur written all over it.

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

This stage has Carlos Betancur written all over it.

Only if the heads of state mark each other. Carlos lost 90 seconds to AC, Aru and Porte on Abetone. Lets see.

 

[Rollthedice]

Contador first, Aru at 15 sec, RV Porte at 20 sec.

 

[Bushman]

Re: Re:

I have a feeling about intxausti for this. He dropped big time on Abetone, but he had already lost GC at stage 4. His shape should be fine judging by his results leading up to the Giro and he goes well in rainy weather. Has he had any problem regarding health? If not, he could win the stage from the break I think.

Team said he was suffering from the heath

Do you know if he is still suffering from it?

 

[Bushman]

Re:

Amador will take this. He's in super shape at the moment and if it's raining and cold he just gets better.

That would be great. Really like him, has had way too much bad luck.

 

[postmanhat]

Re: 2015 Giro d'Italia, St. 8: Fiuggi – Campitello Matese 18

After today, Ulissi could make it two in a row

 

[b.broadhurst]

Does Sky and Richie Porte in particular have the killer instinct to eliminate Contador from the GC battle tomorrow?

There is no way Contador can stick with him and Aru with a sore shoulder.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

Does Sky and Richie Porte in particular have the killer instinct to eliminate Contador from the GC battle tomorrow?

There is no way Contador can stick with him and Aru with a sore shoulder.

Richie has been impressive thus far but he hasn't gone full Froome yet. Until he does, I will refuse to believe he is capable of Alienesque riding, and that's what it would take to eliminate Contador tomorrow.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: 2015 Giro d'Italia, St. 8: Fiuggi – Campitello Matese 18

Contador may lose time, but if he will never roll over and die. He's always, ALWAYS been up there in every single situation, he was still competitive enough to be amongst the 10 best of the day. This man rode a cat 1 climb with a fractured femur, he'll put up a fight.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re: 2015 Giro d'Italia, St. 8: Fiuggi – Campitello Matese 18

It looks like Anton, Fernandez and Paterski all took it easy yesterday finishing well down on Ulissi. I would expect one of two of those in the break.

 

[hfer07]

breakaway to make it or Aru to destroy the field without remorse.







but then...... I recall last year's Vuelta when everyone was in doubt about Alberto's injury and then..... he attacked fiercely & even gained time on everyone...... we shall see tomorrow

 

[movingtarget]

Contador to struggle but may hang on. Astana to to give his shoulder a real test. Uran to lose more time to the top 3..

 

[gregrowlerson]

Very excited about tonight's stage (having a mini house party too; hope I don't pass out before the stage ). It seems like we're two weeks into a grand tour rather than one, with all that has already gone on. It's a horrid stage for Contador. Under normal circumstances that first climb would be a piece of cake, but a 26km grind with a sore shoulder? Even at only 5% gradient that's going to be an hours climbing, and I think that Astana and Sky should push the pace enough to be forcing him in and out of the saddle early on this stage.

And regardless, we are guaranteed fireworks on the final climb. Can Aru show that he has come of age? Can Porte prove that he is now the GT GC real deal? Will Contador add to his legend?

Can't wait.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Contador will finish the stage unless there is another crash.

He will be reasonably okay, might lose a little time but not too much.

If he does lose time history indicates that he will attack, he will try and go for a long distance time gain, possibly not until the third week but he will attack. Whether that works or not it should be fun to see him try and gain back the time.

The best thing for the spectacle of the race might be Contador losing 2-4 minutes.

Will anyone try and pressure Contador on the long Cat 2 climb?

Astana have enough climbers to perhaps put 1 or 2 on the front and really push the pace up for a while to try and expose any weakness. As long as Landa, Cataldo and one other are there at the bottom of the final climb they will still have better support for Aru than Porte and Contador will have.

 

[lenric]

Contador's will atack handless, he'll claw his teeth in the handlebar and will win with 5 minutes over Aru.




















Or not.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I think that this will be between the big 3. The way Astana has been riding thus far in the Giro, I expect them to want to set up a win for Aru here. He needs to take time at some point, and bonifications help a lot. He simply can't wait. Sky is Sky and they will probably do their thing although we haven't seen much of it yet. So far Saxo has been very good at keeping Contador out of trouble (well, except for that one sprint) and they've gone to the front very early in each stage. I expect that pattern to continue here.

If this is the case, which I expect it to be, Aru will probably be the one attacking first but in the end Contador will be the one taking time on Aru and Porte.

Of course a break does have a chance, but honestly not a big one in my opinion, and it is to be decided between the escapees my money is on Amador.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Hesjedal and Kruijswijk might try and get into the break.

 

[stetre76]

Re: 2015 Giro d'Italia, St. 8: Fiuggi – Campitello Matese 18

I think quite a bit will depend on the weather...

If it's going to be dry, especially on the descents, i think AC will be there with Aru and Porte.
If it's going to be wet and raining, it might be a different story, no matter how good he normally is on descents...he simply will be more careful and this might cost some time.

So let's see what the weather has in store for them...

 

[Tank Engine]

Re:

Some of you really need to understand when a good team is necessary and in what kinda stage.

This stage isn't designed for some of the GC guys to destroy Contador early, it'll all happen in the last 13km at which contador's team don't matter cause he has kreuziger and that's all he needs.

True, any attacks on Contador will come on the final climb (Bertie didn't look in any real discomfort yesterday, so he's not going to crack on the first climb). But I think Astana want to win this stage. For Aru to win the stage, who is going to chase down the break? I think Saxo will use Bertie's shoulder as an excuse to pass on the responsibility of any heavy chasing and Astana will take the bait. The final climb is tough and will show what shape Bertie is in after his fall.