2015 Giro d'Italia Stage 18: Melide > Verbania 170km

[Moose McKnuckles]

It's still amazing that people respond to the idiocy spouted by trolls like Taxus and JRanton.
Just watched the stage.

Contador clearly wanted this stage to be a FU to Landa, Aru, and Astana. It was a brilliant move, as Ryder was happy to oblige and he ended up gaining time as well.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

It's still amazing that people respond to the idiocy spouted by trolls like Taxus and JRanton.
Just watched the stage.

Contador clearly wanted this stage to be a FU to Landa, Aru, and Astana. It was a brilliant move, as Ryder was happy to oblige and he ended up gaining time as well.

Yes Contador is having some fun now and Hesjedal moves up on GC. He still looked pretty relaxed on the stage. Contador is just too good for Astana individually and as a team. They could have made the race harder in different ways instead of just dragging Contador around each stage but they didn't. I still think the Tour will be a much different story. Contador in this Giro will have beaten two riders who although good riders, one has never podiumed before and one has never won a GT before. Froome, Nibali and Quintana in good shape will be a much different proposition. Contador could podium the Tour but I don't expect him to win it. Although this will be his last shot at the double probably and he won't be lacking motivation. The ingredients are there for a great Tour after last year's one sided race. The Giro result was not a great surprise to many people, it was just a matter of how far.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

It's still amazing that people respond to the idiocy spouted by trolls like Taxus and JRanton.
Just watched the stage.

Contador clearly wanted this stage to be a FU to Landa, Aru, and Astana. It was a brilliant move, as Ryder was happy to oblige and he ended up gaining time as well.

well said.
I have to give props to Hesjedal. I hope some pussy GC rider who rides defensively will finally bonk and let Ryder leapfrog them to top 5. He has been animating the race. TS should let him gaining time to other GC rivals. The peloton will be exploded.

 

[red_flanders]

I love how the competition is both sub-par and out-climbing Contador.

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

Re:

I love how the competition is both sub-par and out-climbing Contador.

Considering how many riders have been identified since the start of this Giro as being clearly stronger than Contador, it's amazing he's even in the top 10 for GC.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

I feel like a lot of people are forgetting to take into account the fact that Contador dropped his chain. Ryder didn't look like catching him at all before then.

I feel like a lot of people forget who is wearing the Pink Jersey with a commanding lead. But hey, lets keep trying to figure out who was the strongest in minute portions of a 3 week stage race.

I know. All these riders supposedly so much stronger than him. He must be some kind of genius to keep taking more and more time out of them.

He is quite a genious in some aspect, but respect hesjedal, he is just stronger now... he was unlicky at the begining.

From the start of this Giro you have been treehugging Hesjedal all over and Landa s almost a friend of yours so you are incredibly biased and it shows.
Both are doing fantastic indeed and I really enjoy seeing Hesjedal going all out every single day again. There is much to like about him, but don't get ridiculous.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Seriously. How did Ryder climb faster than Contador? They reached the top together.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

I feel like a lot of people are forgetting to take into account the fact that Contador dropped his chain. Ryder didn't look like catching him at all before then.

I take that into consideration, he just wanted to do his typical excuse becouse Hesjedal was close, and must be an explanation to that non sense issue, becouse Bertie climb better than hesjedal, no way...

Maybe he wanst trolling as usual, maybe he had a problem with the cahian, but i take that into consideration, he gain time with that, just stoped 2 seconds to pedaling and he had an lon and hard push...so, he get time, so More to ay Hesjedal climb better today.

Seriously, you think Contador decided it would be a top idea to slow down to a near stop so he could pretend his chain came off, get a push, just as an excuse for Hesjedal to catch him? You cannot believe the stuff you are writing, surely?

From a man that go to TV with crutches after to train 4 riders and a lot of similar things I can expect that, but anyway i was joking, I think the chain drop, but it is sure he dont lose any time, maybe he gained time.


Ataraxus

Tha gaps.. maybe the GPS was bad but the first reference of Landa was at 1 :40 of Contador just at the begining of the climb. You say 2 km after the climb was 1:26,maybe is right...but anyway is 30 second in 4 km..and Contador has 4 km very good when he attack, his problem is after... but Landa was as his team pace and Contador find the best posisble help, Hesjedal, a man that go well in all the terrains and that when more long the attack, better...

Well I didn't understand your point exactly but:
The gaps I posted were measured when they passed the 45 to go banner, the 40 to go banner and the top of the climb. So they are accurate and do not rely on the GPS values.
I tried to find the gap at the foot of the climb by observing the times that the riders passed to the same location (a specific U turn, a bridge etc.) but the footage did not display that unfortunately.

 

[Rob_Roy]

Re: Re:

I feel like a lot of people are forgetting to take into account the fact that Contador dropped his chain. Ryder didn't look like catching him at all before then.

I take that into consideration, he just wanted to do his typical excuse becouse Hesjedal was close, and must be an explanation to that non sense issue, becouse Bertie climb better than hesjedal, no way...

Maybe he wanst trolling as usual, maybe he had a problem with the cahian, but i take that into consideration, he gain time with that, just stoped 2 seconds to pedaling and he had an lon and hard push...so, he get time, so More to ay Hesjedal climb better today.

Seriously, you think Contador decided it would be a top idea to slow down to a near stop so he could pretend his chain came off, get a push, just as an excuse for Hesjedal to catch him? You cannot believe the stuff you are writing, surely?

From a man that go to TV with crutches after to train 4 riders and a lot of similar things I can expect that, but anyway i was joking, I think the chain drop, but it is sure he dont lose any time, maybe he gained time.


Ataraxus

Tha gaps.. maybe the GPS was bad but the first reference of Landa was at 1 :40 of Contador just at the begining of the climb. You say 2 km after the climb was 1:26,maybe is right...but anyway is 30 second in 4 km..and Contador has 4 km very good when he attack, his problem is after... but Landa was as his team pace and Contador find the best posisble help, Hesjedal, a man that go well in all the terrains and that when more long the attack, better...

Well I didn't understand your point exactly but:
The gaps I posted were measured when they passed the 45 to go banner, the 40 to go banner and the top of the climb. So they are accurate and do not rely on the GPS values.
I tried to find the gap at the foot of the climb by observing the times that the riders passed to the same location (a specific U turn, a bridge etc.) but the footage did not display that unfortunately.

According to Martinelli Landa lost like a minute when he got a Wheel from Tiralongo,after that he got paced back by the car to the back of the peleton,here I Think it wasnt even a minute between him and Contador,however,the start of the climb was very very narrow,so with 100 bikers in front of you it is time for a cup of coffee before you can start climbing.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

Maybe he wanst trolling as usual, maybe he had a problem with the cahian, but i take that into consideration, he gain time with that, just stoped 2 seconds to pedaling and he had an lon and hard push...so, he get time, so More to ay Hesjedal climb better today.

Well I didn't understand your point exactly but:
The gaps I posted were measured when they passed the 45 to go banner, the 40 to go banner and the top of the climb. So they are accurate and do not rely on the GPS values.
I tried to find the gap at the foot of the climb by observing the times that the riders passed to the same location (a specific U turn, a bridge etc.) but the footage did not display that unfortunately.[/quote]

According to Martinelli Landa lost like a minute when he got a Wheel from Tiralongo,after that he got paced back by the car to the back of the peleton,here I Think it wasnt even a minute between him and Contador,however,the start of the climb was very very narrow,so with 100 bikers in front of you it is time for a cup of coffee before you can start climbing.[/quote][/quote]

So you say he lost 26 seconds in 1.8 km from the foot of the climb to the -45km banner?
I don't think so. Even Aru and Co. which started the Climb with Berto didn't lose 26 seconds in 1.8 km. And Landa was recuperating on them.

 

[l.Harm]

How many points did Gilbert get yesterday for the win? And did he take both TV's?

 

[Carols]

Wow by reading comments here one would think Contador was losing this race handily as opposed to leading it by 5 minutes! People just want to hear themselves talk I guess.

 

[barmaher]

This is a very good GT, with a great winner, but reading the idiotic posts on here about the riders really makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with some people.

 

[Ataraxus]

13:34 110 km
Media dopo la 3 h. di corsa: 45,900 Km/h. ???

If the average is 45.9km/h they must be at 137.7 km. Not at 110.
It doesn't make sense

 

[Rob_Roy]

Re: Re:

quote So you say he lost 26 seconds in 1.8 km from the foot of the climb to the -45km banner?
I don't think so. Even Aru and Co. which started the Climb with Berto didn't lose 26 seconds in 1.8 km. And Landa was recuperating on them.quote


Maybe so,but Aru and his Group didnt have to wait for 100-150 bikers to start climbing.I actually Think Landa was like 50 seconds from Contador as closest,then he had to wait for at least 20-30 seconds before he could start climbing,which I find totally okay due to the pacing by the Astana car.
I am not debating whether Landa was stronger than Contador or not as I find that topic silly.

Contador himself said that it was a very narrow start of the climb,from what I read it was good for 2 riders,no more.

Edit Tried to cut out a quote,but old men shouldnt be allowed to use a computer.. ...but hey,I tried!