2016 Giro d'Italia stage 16: Bressanone - Andalo (132 km)

[The Barb]

Re:

I think every stage should aim at having +150 km. Its kinda depressing to see such a short stage...

It's very unusual for the Giro to have such a short mountain stage (this seems to be the shortest for many years) but the shorter stages in the Tour in recent years have been some of the best. I'm optimistic.

 

[Tonton]

Re: 2016 Giro d'Italia stage 16: Bressanone - Andalo (132 km

Nibali won't quit. I trust Astana to take full advantage of the rest day . Where's a descent, there's an opportunity. Two stages left that fit the bill: tomorrow's is the trickiest of the two. It's a pretty short descent, and the final climb is probably too long to solo successfully...unless one or more Astana are in the BOD and time it well. He can't quit. He won't. But three minutes behind, he needs Crushweak to have a breakdown.

Man, I wish Tibopino had done that Giro ...

 

[Pricey_sky]

I like Joe's prediction!

https://twitter.com/JoeDombro/status/734844160390336512

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Nibali should be more concerned with Valverde and his podium, but I'm think/hopping he will atack and atack even if it means loose 3rd. Like Contador does and he did on the Tour, wich a like VERY much!! I think he'll iniciate the fire works. Valverde, as everybody knows, should be there to collect any weakness.. Really hopping for some agressive moves from Chaves from a small group, whatever is left from Nibali/Astana atacks. Kruijswick will not loose much, if any seconds. The rest of top 10 will just try to hang on.. or I might be completly wrong.. It's fun to make predictions, scenarios..

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Nibali even suffered at the start of the descent, though. Which is his parade discipline actually. Followed up by a horrible mtt not only for the mechanical. That actually looked like his shape decreased compared to Friday and Thursday which looked decent. He's not exactly the person to act in this shape. Never mind his strong team. He needs to control and take advantage if Chavez (or Kruijswijk) shows some weaknesses. But I don't know if he really wants to attack Kruijswijk now already, with the risk that it costs him the podium if he fails with it.

While it's true that he might not attack on this stage I don't really think he cares to much about protecting a podium spot

 

[dgodave]

Even if the racing sucks, at least we get to see that awesome road in the OP pic.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

I think every stage should aim at having +150 km. Its kinda depressing to see such a short stage...

Nothing wrong with short stages every now and then, it's all about variety and a short stage also plays well on TV

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

I think every stage should aim at having +150 km. Its kinda depressing to see such a short stage...

It's very unusual for the Giro to have such a short mountain stage (this seems to be the shortest for many years) but the shorter stages in the Tour in recent years have been some of the best. I'm optimistic.

I don't mind a short mountain stage aslong as there is also a very long mountain stage. Giro gets this done, unlike the Tour.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

I like Joe's prediction!

https://twitter.com/JoeDombro/status/734844160390336512

Expecting the same tbh.

 

[Pippo_San]

Time for crazy ***. Fasten your seatbelts.

 

[jens_attacks]

You can't compare this to rocaraso lol
The final climb is 8% average and mendola 6,5%
This will be short and super violent stuff...see alpe d'huez 2011.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Nibali needs 3 minutes on Kruijswijk to win the Giro, I don't see how he can gain anything like that on this stage unless Kruijswijk is on a bad day. The reward of an attack on this stage is not great while the risk of a failed attack is much greater. I see an attack on stage 18 to be less risky and attacks on stage 19 and especially 20 much more likely to gain the time. I expect Astana to go to the front and set a high pace but unless Kruijswijk or Chaves show weakness I doubt Nibali will attack.
Chaves might attack but I feel he thinks his best chance is in the high mountains on stages 19 and 20.

 

[jens_attacks]

he will test them of course, if he feels good. on mendola first, imo.

 

[Lil_Tommy_V]

Re: 2016 Giro d'Italia stage 16: Bressanone - Andalo (132 km

Could be set up for an epic week of attacking racing with numerous riders still harboring hope of victory.

Hopefully Chaves and co opt for the win or go home empty handed as opposed to protecting podium positions

 

[Arsimo]

Kruijswijk will just enlarge his lead today and/or in the coming days. Only bad luck (crashes, sickness, stuff like that) or a very smart tactical ploy on a large scale (a kind of Heras-Menchov coupe in Vuelta 2005, that is in theory possible today) can keep Steven Kruijswijk from victory sunday.

NB: for who has difficulty with "Kruijswijk", read it as "Kruyswyk", maybe that helps. Perhaps you remember the famous late Johan Cruijff? The "uij" in Cruijff sounds exactly the same sound as the "uij" (of "uy") in Kruijswijk.

 

[Anderis]

Re:

I like Joe's prediction!

https://twitter.com/JoeDombro/status/734844160390336512

Hopefully Cannondale will go full Bagnéres de Bigorre. With the team Kruijswijk has here, I can see him being isolated as early as Froome on that stage.

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

I like Joe's prediction!

https://twitter.com/JoeDombro/status/734844160390336512

Hopefully Cannondale will go full Bagnéres de Bigorre. With the team Kruijswijk has here, I can see him being isolated as early as Froome on that stage.

and what's next? praying for kruijswisk having a puncture? this nibali won't distance the dutchman even for an inch.

 

[damian13ster]

Re: 2016 Giro d'Italia stage 16: Bressanone - Andalo (132 km

The only legit tactic is for Astana to have insane pace from the start, Fuglsand and Amador attack on mid-way through first climb and noons chases. Otherwise even isolating Kruijswijk won't work. It is unlikely though. I think Orica would chase so Chaves can get his first GT podium

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

and what's next? praying for kruijswisk having a puncture? this nibali won't distance the dutchman even for an inch.

There was no mention of Nibali at all in my post.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re:

You can't compare this to rocaraso lol
The final climb is 8% average and mendola 6,5%
This will be short and super violent stuff...see alpe d'huez 2011.

I wish I couldn't. But if there is one single stage profile which resembles the Rocaraso stage in this Giro, it's this stage.
I hope the race dynamics will be different from the ones in Rocaraso, and if they are, it will be more due to riders' willingness to attack than due to the profile of the stage.
That simple.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Nibali needs 3 minutes on Kruijswijk to win the Giro, I don't see how he can gain anything like that on this stage unless Kruijswijk is on a bad day.

The problem's not Kruijswijk, it's his team.

 

[SeriousSam]

Nibali cannot win, regardless of team, if Crushweak keeps a close eye on him and doesn't have a bad day. But Nibali and others could, through inducing chaos and forcing Crushweak to make tough choices about who to follow and who to let go, engineer Crushweak's downfall. They'd be much less likely to succeed with that if Crushweak had the full force of US Postal at his disposal.

 

[huge]

There are 4 mountain stages left. Nibali can't attack the Dutchman directly from the start or he'll fail epically. The Dutchman is simply stronger at the moment. His team and hopefully Valverde and Chaves have to work together, isolating Kruijswik as soon as possible and pull his neck for as long as possible before "unleashing hell". Like in a boxing match, they need to work on the opponent before trying and knocking him out. I think and hope it's gonna be a very very interesting week of bike racing.

For everybody moaning about and shooting Nibali for his performance... as he said he is not a robot. We know he is not the best climber. We know he is not the best TTer. We know he is not the best puncher. Nonetheless he is right there behind the top guys in all of those specialties. It's his aggressive racing style, his attitude compensate for that making him one of the greatest GC riders of the recent years. A truly complete rider, who knows he has to compensate his weaknesses with smart and risky racing. That means he can fail. But I guess that's exactly what many of us like. Anything can happen and that makes it much more entertaining. He is a fighter. And he'll definitely try and do something during this last week. Will he fail? So be it.

 

[saganftw]

astana to attack on the first climb of the day,if they dont go balls to the wall i will be dissapointed

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

what could save nibali is rain.