2017 Giro d'Italia, Stage 2: Olbia > Tortolì 221 km

[tobydawq]

Three percent slope and headwind. Why expect anything?

 

[silvergrenade]

Why not make it hard?
Riders like Stuyven, Haas can win if they make this hard dropping Ewan, Griepel
We should expect at least that.

 

[togo95]

Re:

Why not make it hard?
Riders like Stuyven, Haas can win if they make this hard dropping Ewan, Griepel
We should expect at least that.

With such a headwind, it's not easy to drop many riders and one would have to use a lot of resources to do that.

 

[TomLPC]

Well done daniel

Thought that was pirazzi off the front with a pointless attack then but oh w8

 

[sir fly]

Some excitement...

 

[70kmph]

Dan !

 

[tobydawq]

Black magic! Live pictures from a moto in a tunnel :surprised:

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Oh Giacomo. The shape is really bad when he's dropped in these conditions

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Oh Giacomo. The shape is really bad when he's dropped in these conditions

Clearly the lack of race condition is affecting his climbing much more than his sprinting.

 

[mosh1992]

Amazing how quick step never work

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Oh Giacomo. The shape is really bad when he's dropped in these conditions

Logical. He couldn't do much for months with his injury, and then he barely had any race days before this Giro. His condition is total sh.t

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

That's the difference between the two GTs.

If anything this is more like typical TdF racing.
There is just a lack of puncheurs, of teams willing to give this stage a shot. GC teams want to keep their leader safe, sprinter teams want to have a sprint.

Shame Astana or Cannondale didn't give it a shot though.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

Oh Giacomo. The shape is really bad when he's dropped in these conditions

Clearly the lack of race condition is affecting his climbing much more than his sprinting.

Yes. Hopefully he'll get better as the race progresses. Stuyven could still finish in the top 3-5 today if all goes well

 

[Orbit501]

Hats off to Dimension Data. With no real GC threat they will certainly animate the race.
Teklehaimanot very lively and already KoM wearer, Fraile clearly targeting that jersey and now Haas brave enough to go for a stage win ( probably futile now but chapeau for trying).

 

[rainman]

I cant recall a more boring stage even in the TDF. A local sportive last week was faster.

 

[Gigs_98]

I'm a bit worried about the sharp corners in the last 5 km. With a reduced bunch this wouldn't have been a problem, but now I really hope that there won't be any crashes.

 

[Nirvana]

In this hilly stages we'll miss a lot Gilbert.
I fear that also in the stage of Terme Luigiane, Peschici, Bergamo nothing will happen.

 

[Orbit501]

Re:

I cant recall a more boring stage even in the TDF. A local sportive last week was faster.

220 lumpy kms, right at the start of three weeks, hard stage coming on stage 4.
I'm willing to cut them some slack personally.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I cant recall a more boring stage even in the TDF. A local sportive last week was faster.

220 lumpy kms, right at the start of three weeks, hard stage coming on stage 4.
I'm willing to cut them some slack personally.

220 lumpy kms right at the start of three weeks should really invite some ppl imo. But I guess the headwind make it very hard.

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

That's the difference between the two GTs.

If anything this is more like typical TdF racing.
There is just a lack of puncheurs, of teams willing to give this stage a shot. GC teams want to keep their leader safe, sprinter teams want to have a sprint.

Shame Astana or Cannondale didn't give it a shot though.

In the Tour there's no waiting for the mainland for the racing to begin.
I'm sure it's informal agreement between the riders. Otherwise, someone would attack on the ascent, for sure.
I mean, the tempo was so low that I have a feeling I could jump away of them.

 

[rainman]

Re: Re:

I cant recall a more boring stage even in the TDF. A local sportive last week was faster.

220 lumpy kms, right at the start of three weeks, hard stage coming on stage 4.
I'm willing to cut them some slack personally.

Well on the plus side Sardinia looks fabulous

 

[Gigs_98]

This stage has a few problems. The last climb is too far away from the finish for solo attacks, the headwind and that there are no guys like GVA, Kwiat, Wellens, Gilbert,... who have no gc ambitions, could win this stage but only if it's ridden extremely hard.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re: Re:

In the Tour there's no waiting for the mainland for the racing to begin.

Yep, in the Tour they don't wait for the mainland to attack, they wait for ever.

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

In the Tour there's no waiting for the mainland for the racing to begin.

Yep, in the Tour they don't wait for the mainland to attack, they wait for ever.

Maybe Quintana.

 

[Irondan]

It's funny, as soon as we get to about stage 4 of the Tour everyone will be complaining about how boring the Tour is compared to the Giro...